here and there

I've been in cup-cakin' mood lately...


Happy Valentine's Day! These are dark chocolate cupcakes w/dark chocolate ganache and vanilla buttercream with a homemade sugar cookie dipped in chocolate on the top. These were made for a dear friend from church.






These aren't technically cupcakes, my interpretation of Mounds and Almond Joys. Using brownies, coconut deliciousness, and topped with dark chocolate ganache...oh, and some had an almond too. I made these for a recipe group I'm in.



Ballerina tutu cupcakes. Vanilla bean cupcakes with a pale pink buttercream, made for a friends daughters fancy ballerina birthday party.



These were fun to make. I used small doughnuts and covered them in chocolate to look like doughnuts, go figure. The kids in Annabelle's class loved these. And they were so easy!



My husband decided to have a mustache. I wanted him to get rid of it, everyday that is was on his face was too long. On his birthday he reluctantly shaved it off. Little did he know, he was getting some mustaches to share with friends, purple, of course.



These were a big hit. I've made them so many times. They are a pumpkin cupcake with a ginger snap cookie crust and a cream cheese frosting. Mmm...

This is my dabbling...here and there. I still love it.

Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone4

My Next Step

So...I have been debating how to say this...how do I put my heart into words?

Moving on with my 'brave girl' life, things have been going crazy. I love making cupcakes for all of you. It has been an amazing challenge. It has been incredibly fun being creative. What I have come to over the last couple weeks, is the fact that I have been all consumed with cupcakes. I have been staying up till 2, 3 in the am, or getting up at 4 so you can have the best quality and freshest cupcakes possible. This little brave girl is exhausted! But it's worth it...or is it?

Mail...

So I received a letter in the mail from Sawyer's future elementary school inviting us to his kindergarten roundup. Done. Enough said. Wow! I knew this was coming but I didn't realize how it was going to hit me. With me being 'all consumed' I'm missing out on being present in my everyday life. Cupcakes can wait, Sawyer will not...Annabelle will not, they keep getting older (funny thing). Even though I love cupcakes, this brave girl is going to be the best mommy I can. I need to be present mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually, creatively and much much more.

So what does this mean?

Moving forward cupcakes will sit on the back burner. This does not undo the great transformation that has taken place inside of me. This only made me stronger. I am so thankful for all your support and friendship. Who knows what will happen when they go to school in the fall. I am trusting God to show me the right path.

I was so fortunate to have this photo shoot with a few of my cupcakes (before I made this crazy decision). My amazingly talented friend Katie Richardson from Puj took these in her studio. Thank you Katie!

Bella Berkeley at the Barn

I got a call about a week and half ago from Joe at Barn House, yeah BARN HOUSE! They wanted cupcakes for their sale at the Barn last weekend. Um...YEAH!!! Did I have an option? Um...NO! Please check them out, they are the best of the best at what they do. It was incredible! It was an honor. I can't even begin to tell you.

I know it sounds crazy but this event was life changing for me.

Life changing.

I found the 'brave girl' inside of me.

The way I have lived my life for the last 32 years was not how God intended it.

I have been afraid.

Insecure.

Self conscious.

Unwilling to risk.

But the 'brave girl' is coming out.

I was honored to chat with Lara Blair about life, taking risks, taking new adventures, when I noticed her cool bracelet that said 'brave girl' on it. She explained it to me real quick but as she walked away and days later, it hasn't left me.

I have changed my thinking.

I am now walking brave.

I will begin to risk.

I will act with an unshakable God-confidence.

I want to live my next 32+ years making up for lost time...

Thank you Joe and Jermonne, you have no idea what you just did! Ha ha!

And Lara, you are a treasure.

Make it up as you go...

Yet another great day of cupcakering. That's a real word, right? Today started with a frantic (yes, Barry, frantic) call from a dad who needed cupcakes for his daughter to bring to her school for her birthday. By 9am they were complete and my daughter was on time for school, my son however was a few minutes late...this was probably not a wise choice for me to take this on so early on a school day.


But they were pleased with the results.


I was also asked to make 'Spiderman' cupcakes for a chocolate lover. I hope he likes them. I just got through making them tonight, or should I say, this morning.


As is got later, my creative juices kept flowing...these are Chocolate cupcakes with chocolate coconut ganache and a toasted coconut cream cheese frosting with an almond kiss on top.


Then these...chocolate chocolate chip cupcake with chocolate ganache and buttercream frosting with yummy Eastery (this is a real word too, I'm sure of it) chocolate candy coated cuteness on top.


And lastly these crazy things! Holy cow! They are sloppy, messy, goodness wrapped into a mini cupcake from heaven! Chocolate cupcake filled with chocolate peanut butter ganache. But hey why stop there? Topped with a giant glob of delicious chocolate peanut butter ganache and to finish it off chopped up peanut butter cups mashed on top! This is serious!

Now...the giant pile of laundry needs to be attended too! You know, priorities.
Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone4

A Delicious Day!

Today started with some Peanut Butter Cup Cake Pops!

Some of these...
I just had to deliver my favorite coffee shop their daily taste testing of cupcakes...
Shelley, my mentor, my leader, my work partner, my friend, Happy Birthday Shelley
When Jessa ordered her cupcakes she said that she wanted Triple Chocolate Cupcakes with Pink Buttercream and be creative! This is how I was able to accomplish that. She loved them!
At 9:30 tonight I got a call from a desperate mom who needed some cupcakes fast for a spiderman birthday, this is what I was able to come up with in about 5 minutes. Happy kid, happy mom!
Darcia won these tonight from a facebook 'like' Bella Berkeley Cupcakes contest. Woohoo!

Great day!

Mario

This is Mario. Did you know that Mario turned 5 today? It's true.


And here he is getting a 'propeller head'


The eats!


And the treats...everyone wants a cupcake trophy and a mustache!


Extra cupcakes just in case...these are Mario's favorite it's an Oreo Cookie Cupcake, delish!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone4

Makin' it Legal!

Those of you who know me, I mean really know me, know that I am a ruler follower. I was told that I need to make this whole thing legit. I gotta follow the rules, baby! This takes time, effort, energy, brain power, money, reading, reading, reading, researching...holy moly! So today I went to the Health Dept., this is a strange place, sick people, people needing shots, preggos, infectious diseases, and food handlers licensing, you know...the basics.

I am so glad I went, I met an amazing health inspector who is willing to walk along side me throughout this process, you don't run across people like this everyday. She even gave me her card and told me to call her anytime with any question I may have. Who does this these days? Wow! I am gonna keep plugging away...getting certified and I can't wait to bake in a "real" kitchen, for all of you! I am thrilled. This may be a long process and a ton of work but I am going to push through and make this happen, for cupcake lover's everywhere! Like I was told just the other day, "these are more than just a cupcake."