Mine was very eventful, to say the least. Friday I relaxed and hung out with my parents, which was nice because I really missed them! And rest is exactly what I needed to prepare for the next two days…

Saturday I went out with my girlfriends and we danced all night! With strobe lights, fog machines and our own stage…we felt a little more than exhausted by the end of the night. Surprisingly (or maybe not that surprising) we didn’t end the fun there. We had a Sunday Funday, hey we all need those once in a while right?! Although I got very little sleep, it was definitely worth it

Mimosas <3

My friend Jenni being silly

Oh, I forgot to mention…I made CUPCAKES on Saturday!! Wanna see how they turned out? I know you do…

 They turned out pretty cool right? My dad said they looked “psychedelic.” I thought they looked fun. Plus I’m obsessed with COLOR! As you can probably tell in my last Fashion Friday post.

Now you may be wondering, how the heck did she make these?! Well, I’ll give you the scoop ladies and gents…

First, you must get the ingredients together. You will need: Cake Mix (any kind, but I chose Funfetti), 3 eggs, 1/3 cup oil, 1 cup water & baking cups. Also, make sure to preheat your oven to 375 degrees!

Put the cake batter, eggs, oil & water into one large bowl.

Start mixing! Beat with a whisk or a mixer on low for 2 minutes, or until the large clumps dissolve.

Line the baking cups in an orderly fashion (by the way, the ones I used are reusable! While I’m baking, I’m saving the planet at the same time. You can buy these at Michaels!)

Fill the cups with the batter you just mixed 2/3 full.

Stick those babies in the oven for 20 minutes!

Now here comes the really fun part. Make sure you have WHITE frosting if you want to do this (I used cream cheese frosting). You will also need food coloring. I used neon colors and that’s why they turned out so bright! Put a few drops of food coloring into the frosting and start mixing. Use as much or as little as you want to get the color you desire. But remember, a couple drops go a long way!

Don’t you love these colors?!

Cupcakes are done! Let them cool for 5-10 minutes.

While your cupcakes cool, put your colorful frosting into a ziplock baggie. Use a spoon to do this. Once you are finished, cut a tiny hole in the corner on the bottom of the bag.

Now you get to design! Make swirls, polka dots, hearts..whatever you think looks best!

Grab a toothpick and start spreading the icing to mix!

What do you think?! Would you try making these at home? I highly recommend making these with kids, they would love it and it was so fun to do! Even my parents got into it!

Well lovelies, I hope you have a great start to this week. I’ll be finishing up my finals and daydreaming about my trip to California next week. I’m going back to San Francisco and I’m super stoked! The last thing I said to my mom yesterday was “See you in California!” Can’t wait.

So I’m leaving you today with a song (and a few more pics) that I just heard last night by Florence & The Machine. It’s actually one of my favorite songs and one of my favorite bands so I was more than pleased when they covered this!

What do you guys think of this cover? I absolutely adore her voice, but I think she had some trouble with Rihanna’s part. It is extremely low and a hard note to hit, so I won’t hate on her for it. Overall, I thought she did a great job! Did you know this song was re-made by FOUR different artists?! I’m always going to like this version though.

And just because I feel like it, I’m leaving you with another song by Florence. This one is my favorite and I haven’t heard it in a while, so I wanted to post it : )

My cat Bailey being silly : P

 My dad grilling a MEAN steak. It was soo delicious!

Have you ever had this wine? I’m not a big fan of red, I’m more of a sweet/fruity white wine drinker.

Steak, sweet potatoes & baked potatoes. The perfect meal to a perfect weekend.

Have a fantastic week y’all, xo

Cupcake papers? Liners? Baking cups? What’s the difference and does it matter what kind you use? Papers, liners, and cups are just different names for the same thing. Cupcake liners are used to ‘line’ your cupcake pan. While some cupcake cups are strong enough to stand on their own during baking, most need to be baked in a cupcake pan. Baking cups come in a wide variety of sizes, shapes, colors, and patterns.

You do not have to use liners when baking cupcakes but may want to because of their many advantages. The most common use being to dress up the cupcake. Baking cups come in many colors, patterns, and styles, giving you the perfect paper for any theme. Often, the cupcake paper can be the inspiration for the rest of the cupcake decor. Since there is no need to oil the pan, clean up is super easy with cupcake liners. Baking cups also make cupcakes easy to handle making them great for parties and gatherings with little mess to clean up afterwards. And because the cake is covered by the paper, it will stay moist longer.

Types of liners- There are many different types of liners available. Not all finishes are the same. Some papers are sturdier than others. It may be best to try different types for yourself and see which you prefer best.

• Paper liners- Regular paper baking cups are any paper liners that have not been made of grease proof or glassine paper. With this type of cup, oil from the cupcake may bleed through and cause unpleasant spots on the paper. To help prevent this, you can try baking in 2 cups instead of just one.
• Grease proof liners- These liners are made from paper that has been refined until it has a very low porosity. This stops liquids (oil) from being able to penetrate the paper. Grease proof liners can come in a variety of colors and patterns.
• Glassine liners- Like grease proof liners, glassine liner are also grease resistant. Glassine paper is grease proof paper that has been steam treated during the manufacturing process giving it a shiny surface. Glassine liners come in many vibrant colors
• Foil liners- Foil liners are nice because they are super sturdy and the grease from the cake will not seep through and the colors won’t change during baking. You can buy foil liners that come with or without a paper lining on the inside. Gold and silver foil liners are the most popular but other bright colors can be found as well.
• Silicone- Silicone cups are great because they can be baked on a flat cookie sheet, no cupcake pan required. They come in a variety of colors and different shapes too. They are generally more expensive to buy than paper liners but can be washed and reused over and over again. But because they are not disposable, silicone liners may not be ideal to use for a party or gathering as you may not get your liners back.

*Keep in mind that if you are using a patterned paper or grease proof liner with a darker cake, the color may show through the paper. If you are unhappy with this, try baking the cupcake in a solid baking cup first and then drop it down into the patterned one.

Sizes- Baking cups come in a range of sizes from mini to king. The size of the liners will fit nicely in their corresponding pan. Measurements are based on the majority of cupcake liners but may vary slightly depending on the manufacturer. The sizes are as follows:

• Mini- 1 1/4″ base, 3/4″ wall
• Standard- 2″ base, 1 1/4″ wall
• Jumbo- 2 1/4″ base, 1 3/4″ wall
• Giant- 2 5/8″ base, 2″ wall
• King- 2 3/16″ base, 3″ wall

Cupcake Wraps- Cupcake wraps can be used to help dress up cupcakes with little effort. The wraps are placed around the cupcake after it is baked and cooled. A cupcake liner is still used. Wraps come in a variety of colors and patterns from solid to lace. Since many wraps are not grease proof, it may be best to wait to put the wraps on until just before the cakes are served. This will help to eliminate grease spots from forming on the wraps.

After seeing these cupcake liners I might even take out the apron and make some Valentines Day Cupcakes.

Shop Sweet Lulu - Solids, Stripes, Polkadot. Made from the highest quality greaseproof paper, these baking cups are bakeable up to 450 degrees F. Each liner measures 2″ across the base, and 1.25″ tall.

via Shop Sweet Lulu – Lollipop Garden Cupcake Liner Mix.

Paper Baking Cups
The easiest choice is, as is often the case, not the GREENEST one. I’ve used them in the past, but I simply dislike the idea of throwing them away after being used only once!
Although I have only got a picture of plain paper cups, these cups actually come in all different colours and patterns, they are sold in supermarkets, in baking supply stores and online.

Organic Baking Cups
IF YOU CARE® produces a range of organic eco-friendly baking products such as these baking cups.
Amazon sells them online, and I am sure there are tons of other brands and sellers out there too.

Reuseable Silicone Cupcake Liners
Eco-friendly and cost-effective, reuseable silicone cupcake liners are the ideal choice for me.
You can find them at amazon, department stores and baking supply stores. Even supermarkets store them these days.

{An assortment of baking cups}

It seems I am now in the business of collecting baking cups.  Whenever I choose to make a batch of cupcakes, I end up buying a new package of baking cups.

{Kingston’s jumbo color crayons}

I found this set for Kingston and he couldn’t be more thrilled.  He loves to pick out  a few crayons and just hold them in his hands.  While he’s not ready for coloring books quite yet, Kingston has pretty much perfected the scribble on computer paper.

{A gift box from Anthropologie}

I have to say I am pretty impressed with Anthropologie… I mean, how perfect is that gift box?  This package is for sister, who graduates next Saturday.  Congratulations, Kimmi!

In the meantime, here’s a sneak peak at what I’ve been working on:

It’s a wreath made out of paper baking cups. And it is finally done! It took forever to finish it, and I’ve been really paranoid about it getting wet. Any spilled liquid around it would do some serious damage. And with a sick girl to take care of, I have no extra time for anything going wrong!

Hope this weekend is a great one for you! I’m sure that it will be for all of us ladies out here at camp!

For anyone who’s crafty and would like to make a cupcake wreath, go here for a tutorial.

A post from Bridget.

My own collections tend to be very colorful. My dishes are multicolor. My Christmas lights will never be white. And yet, when I look around my life the color that surrounds me most? Beige.

Let’s kill it.

Here are a few of the things obsessing me right now. Fun little things, all in a rainbow of colors that as Lucy, one of my favorite bloggers over at Attic24 would say, “make my heart go skippy happy”.

1. Photo of heart window gel, Stephen Depolo
2. Paper coils art canvas, Rebeka Holguin
3. Upcycled handmade dress, Piper! by Sashadvm
4. Polka dot baking/nut cups, HeyYoYo
5. Handcut paper people, Heidi Kenney – My Paper Crane
6. Colorful polka dot paper straws, HeyYoYo

I tend to be a sap, so I’ll close with my favorite quote that’s been taped onto my (BEIGE!) monitor for more years than I care to mention.

“In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.” -Albert Camus

Thanks Albert.

And may your own days be nothing if not colorful.

Purchased From: Toad Hall Toys
Manufactured By: Fred

YumBots are happy to serve mankind. Just fill their cubic heads with cake batter and set your oven to “stun.” In a few nanomoments you’ll have an entire squad of scifi cupcakes. Made of high-tech silicone and built to last, each ‘Bot has a rotating head for extra android action.

Four silicone ‘Bots in four assorted colors

These are very cute cups! There are many hearts..pink, red, white, striped, polka dotted and more!

These are not only great for baking muffins but for using in your bentos!

There are 30 in the pack.

The base measures 5 cm and 3 cm tall.

http://www.from-japan-with-love.com/cute-baking-cups-and-side-dish-cups-heart-12p12.html

Purchased From: Winners
Manufactured By: Wilton

Quick and colorful way to serve cupcakes that set the tone for your celebration. Contains 24 each 2″ diameter baking cups and 3″ high paper party picks.

Purchased From: Winners
Manufactured By: Wilton

Microwave-safe paper. Standard size, 2″ diameter. Mini size, 1¼” diameter.

Purchased From: HomeSense
Manufactured By: Wilton

Microwave-safe paper. Standard size, 2″ diameter. Mini size, 1.5″ diameter.

Purchased From: HomeSense
Manufactured By: Wilton

Microwave-safe paper. Standard size, 2″ diameter. Mini size, 1.5″ diameter.

1. Leopard print baking cups from Sur La Table. $6.00.

Got a baker on your list? Give them these wild baking liners for their exotic muffins and cupcakes. Grrrrrrh….

2. Tortoise rimmed onion goggles from Chef Tools. $18.99.

Don’t laugh. They work and could be considered stylish…sort of…at least more stylish than my lime green rimmed ones.

3. Oval-shaped ice cream scoop from Globe Equipment Company. $15.67.

It’s how top restaurants scoop their perfectly shaped oval ice creams and sorbets.

4. Chocolate spatula with built-in thermometer from Chef’s Catalog. $18.95.

Serious chocolate makers know that tempering chocolate creates a uniform sheen and perfect snap. Tempering requires stirring heated chocolate to cool it to a precise temperature, which is different for each type of chocolate (dark, milk, white). The thermometer on this stirring spatula is labeled with that perfect temperature.

5. Burn Cream MD from Amazon.com. $23.96.

No cook worth his or her salt has ever escaped a burnt finger, palm or arm. This cream takes the sting away and helps with healing.

Happy shopping. Who knows, you might find something for yourself, too.

She surprised me with a late birthday treat—the vintage baking cups you see above. I had to take a few photos of this little amazing box of paper wrappings, so you could see the different illustrations on the sides. They’re mini cups (or, as you can see, the now non-politically-correct “midget” cups), and there are still a bunch in the box.

If you recall, I acquired this amazing box of vintage Betty Brite baking cups awhile back. Well, now with two boxes in my possession, I’m hooked! I’ve now officially started my vintage baking cup collection.

Thank goodness it’s rummage sale season, eh?

Note: You can click on any of the thumbnails above to see a more detailed image.

Silly Feet

From Sur La Table. $10. set of four.

Yummy!

I’m hoping to have a mini cupcake baking session this week in anticipation of a visit from my first cupcake customer.  Her wedding is in October and she’ll be coming by to taste test chocolate and vanilla cupcakes (aren’t you jealous?).  Hopefully these will be more than satisfactory!

* Photos not to scale… obviously.

** Both products by Wilton.

I also got yellow ducky cups, I may use those for a friends baby shower!