Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Margarita Madness and Sponge Bob Silliness :)


So life has been busy - between craziness at work, trying to up my running, baking away, and of course keeping up with my boys - just trying to stay on top of things lately. Thus not much time to write this week...but did want to share a few new fun cupcakes

First, just in time for Cinco de Mayo...Margarita Cupcakes topped with Lime buttercream Frosting!


(and yes in case you are wondering...there is tequilla in them :)


Then...for a two-year old birthday party this past weekend - had fun making Sponge-Bob Square Pants cupcakes! Half of the cupcakes were actually crabby patties :) and the other half were topped with mini-Sponge Bobs...both ended up pretty tasty and were well received by the kids (of all ages :) at the party!

Mini Sponge-Bob's! :)
 
The Many Faces of SpongeBob - in cupcake form!
Actually the SB faces are decorated chocolate covered graham-crackers (which i had leftover from the Graduation cupcakes and realized they were the perfect Sponge shape and size!! ;) Worked out pretty well!

 And here are the hamburgers (crabby patties in Sponge-Bob land!) one of my favorite cupcakes to make!

Like I said...life is busy so gotta rest up for another crazy day ahead - the 5am run seems to be coming faster and faster lately! In any case, look for more fun cupcakes this weekend: 2 more little boy birthday parties coming up (should be really ready for Kellan's first birthday in the fall!) as always should be an adventure!
Continue reading...

Saturday, May 8, 2010

A Tough Race...but an Amazing Day!


So the race was...hot, humid, hilly, super pretty (think 4 different bridges with AWESOME views of the city), rainy (rained from mile 2 on...) hard, long, hmmm what else, an adventure, and yes, it was fun (a little at least - especially when I finally finished and they had Eat n' Park Smiley cookies for everyone - best post race treat ever!!!). Needless to say the race was a lot of things - my best race it definitely wasn't - not even close. But I have been super spoiled in my races to date - usually having perfect weather and a super flat course, so suppose I was due for a tough course and a less than ideal day. It was challenging from the first two miles when it was super hot and humid to the following 11 miles in the rain. At about mile 4 my Garmin started going crazy in the downpour - beeping non-stop and refusing to show me my pace. At this point I had already realized there was no way I was going to make my goal time so the Garmin was just in the way - so just gave it to my dad when I saw him and my super fans (cheering me on out in the rain!) at mile 6. Speaking of the super fans ;) It was pretty awesome to have so many of the people I love standing there smiling in the pouring rain - proud of me even though I wasn't running my best race - realizing (even though I sometimes forget) that just being able to run 13 miles regardless of time is still an acomplishment.

And I did it. I ran the 13.1 miles - not sure I have been so glad to be done with a race in a long time - as I was definitely struggling, but bottom line I finished. Like I said I was less than thrilled with my time, but my number one fans found me immediately and gave me big hugs and it made it all worth it. Then we found my uncle who finished shortly after me and gave him a big hug as well! All of us soaked at this point - but all still smiling...just enjoying the day and being together surrounded by the excitement of such a great race. Wierdly for me - before we even made it home I was over the race. Usually I think and rethink what I could have done better or how I should have pushed longer for that last mile or so - but by the time I had gotten out of the shower I was no longer even thinking about the race. Just not sure I am into racing right now - think I really am in a cycle of my life where running is just not a top priority - and strangely to me as well I am totally okay with it. Please don't get me wrong, it's not like I am going to stop running, I am definitely going to keep up with my 5am runs with my best buddy Colleen, and hope to try to keep up with my other running buddies, Shelly, Kathy and Karen (when she is back from having her baby girl - due any day!) among others, but think I am going to take a break from real racing for a while. I may get suckered into a few local 5 and 10Ks over the summer - but nothing big for a while until I am mentally and physically ready and rearing to go again.
That said, plan is to just keep my focus on my family, on work, my house and yard, and of course on cupcakes, then fitting in running with my friends as much as I can!

Back to the real event of the weekend though - I have to say my mom's graduation was simply AWESOME. I knew it would be a special moment and definitely knew I wanted to be there - but I never imagined how cool it would really be to see her be hooded for the PhD she has been working on for so long. She actually started working towards this degree when my bro and I were little but put it on hold to focus on us. Then a few years ago she picked it back up full-time and now has finally completed her thesis and is officially Dr. Mom! :)


Dr. Grandma and her Number 1 Fan!

Mom being hooded for her PhD!
We are just so proud of her and seeing her beaming smile up on the big-screen at the Peterson Events Center at Pitt was just one of the coolest moments ever. Making it even more special my grandparents and my Aunt Sally and my cousin were all there along with us cheering her on. Just was a really fun afternoon - at the ceremony and then at a fun celebration dinner at Max and Erma's one of our fav Pittsburgh places! YUM! Sadly we had to hit the road back to VA but think the rest of the fam continued the celebration back at my mom's house with the cupcakes I had brought for the big day! Haha....you didn't think I'd miss the opportunity to try out fun graduation cupcakes did you??? Just simple Vanilla and choco cupcakes with white frosting - but topped with pretty fun graduation caps :) they didn't travel quite as well as I would have hoped - and were a bit rushed - but word is they tasted yummy and still looked pretty cute. Take a look :)

A little messy...and wish the grahm crackers were a little more square...but worked out pretty well!

And really, good cupcakes or not, good runs or not, at the end of the day how could everything not be right in the world when my little man smiles :) :) :)
Continue reading...

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Margarita Madness and Sponge Bob Silliness :)

So life has been busy - between craziness at work, trying to up my running, baking away, and of course keeping up with my boys - just trying to stay on top of things lately. Thus not much time to write this week...but did want to share a few new fun cupcakes

First, just in time for Cinco de Mayo...Margarita Cupcakes topped with Lime buttercream Frosting!


(and yes in case you are wondering...there is tequilla in them :)


Then...for a two-year old birthday party this past weekend - had fun making Sponge-Bob Square Pants cupcakes! Half of the cupcakes were actually crabby patties :) and the other half were topped with mini-Sponge Bobs...both ended up pretty tasty and were well received by the kids (of all ages :) at the party!

Mini Sponge-Bob's! :)
 
The Many Faces of SpongeBob - in cupcake form!
Actually the SB faces are decorated chocolate covered graham-crackers (which i had leftover from the Graduation cupcakes and realized they were the perfect Sponge shape and size!! ;) Worked out pretty well!

 And here are the hamburgers (crabby patties in Sponge-Bob land!) one of my favorite cupcakes to make!

Like I said...life is busy so gotta rest up for another crazy day ahead - the 5am run seems to be coming faster and faster lately! In any case, look for more fun cupcakes this weekend: 2 more little boy birthday parties coming up (should be really ready for Kellan's first birthday in the fall!) as always should be an adventure!

Saturday, May 8, 2010

A Tough Race...but an Amazing Day!

So the race was...hot, humid, hilly, super pretty (think 4 different bridges with AWESOME views of the city), rainy (rained from mile 2 on...) hard, long, hmmm what else, an adventure, and yes, it was fun (a little at least - especially when I finally finished and they had Eat n' Park Smiley cookies for everyone - best post race treat ever!!!). Needless to say the race was a lot of things - my best race it definitely wasn't - not even close. But I have been super spoiled in my races to date - usually having perfect weather and a super flat course, so suppose I was due for a tough course and a less than ideal day. It was challenging from the first two miles when it was super hot and humid to the following 11 miles in the rain. At about mile 4 my Garmin started going crazy in the downpour - beeping non-stop and refusing to show me my pace. At this point I had already realized there was no way I was going to make my goal time so the Garmin was just in the way - so just gave it to my dad when I saw him and my super fans (cheering me on out in the rain!) at mile 6. Speaking of the super fans ;) It was pretty awesome to have so many of the people I love standing there smiling in the pouring rain - proud of me even though I wasn't running my best race - realizing (even though I sometimes forget) that just being able to run 13 miles regardless of time is still an acomplishment.

And I did it. I ran the 13.1 miles - not sure I have been so glad to be done with a race in a long time - as I was definitely struggling, but bottom line I finished. Like I said I was less than thrilled with my time, but my number one fans found me immediately and gave me big hugs and it made it all worth it. Then we found my uncle who finished shortly after me and gave him a big hug as well! All of us soaked at this point - but all still smiling...just enjoying the day and being together surrounded by the excitement of such a great race. Wierdly for me - before we even made it home I was over the race. Usually I think and rethink what I could have done better or how I should have pushed longer for that last mile or so - but by the time I had gotten out of the shower I was no longer even thinking about the race. Just not sure I am into racing right now - think I really am in a cycle of my life where running is just not a top priority - and strangely to me as well I am totally okay with it. Please don't get me wrong, it's not like I am going to stop running, I am definitely going to keep up with my 5am runs with my best buddy Colleen, and hope to try to keep up with my other running buddies, Shelly, Kathy and Karen (when she is back from having her baby girl - due any day!) among others, but think I am going to take a break from real racing for a while. I may get suckered into a few local 5 and 10Ks over the summer - but nothing big for a while until I am mentally and physically ready and rearing to go again.
That said, plan is to just keep my focus on my family, on work, my house and yard, and of course on cupcakes, then fitting in running with my friends as much as I can!

Back to the real event of the weekend though - I have to say my mom's graduation was simply AWESOME. I knew it would be a special moment and definitely knew I wanted to be there - but I never imagined how cool it would really be to see her be hooded for the PhD she has been working on for so long. She actually started working towards this degree when my bro and I were little but put it on hold to focus on us. Then a few years ago she picked it back up full-time and now has finally completed her thesis and is officially Dr. Mom! :)


Dr. Grandma and her Number 1 Fan!

Mom being hooded for her PhD!
We are just so proud of her and seeing her beaming smile up on the big-screen at the Peterson Events Center at Pitt was just one of the coolest moments ever. Making it even more special my grandparents and my Aunt Sally and my cousin were all there along with us cheering her on. Just was a really fun afternoon - at the ceremony and then at a fun celebration dinner at Max and Erma's one of our fav Pittsburgh places! YUM! Sadly we had to hit the road back to VA but think the rest of the fam continued the celebration back at my mom's house with the cupcakes I had brought for the big day! Haha....you didn't think I'd miss the opportunity to try out fun graduation cupcakes did you??? Just simple Vanilla and choco cupcakes with white frosting - but topped with pretty fun graduation caps :) they didn't travel quite as well as I would have hoped - and were a bit rushed - but word is they tasted yummy and still looked pretty cute. Take a look :)

A little messy...and wish the grahm crackers were a little more square...but worked out pretty well!

And really, good cupcakes or not, good runs or not, at the end of the day how could everything not be right in the world when my little man smiles :) :) :)
 

26.2 Cupcakes Copyright © 2009 Designed by Ipietoon Blogger Template In collaboration with fifa
Cake Illustration Copyrighted to Clarice