Wedding cupcakery sequel

My friends Joanne and Newt got married on Saturday! It was a beautiful wedding, and I was so so happy for them...plus, I got to be in the wedding party and make cupcakes for the celebration! After several cupcake trials, the wedding cupcake flavors were chocolate, coconut, and Meyer lemon.


Cupcake table

Several of the cake stands were borrowed from Jessica; her wedding last May was my first foray into wedding cupcakery. This time I made about 11 dozen total...three dozen coconut cupcakes with cream cheese frosting...


Coconut close-up

Three dozen chocolate cupcakes with vanilla buttercream...


Brown and pink cupcake tower

And the rest were Meyer lemon cupcakes with Meyer lemon buttercream (the bride's favorite). Following Megan's experience, I mixed all the dry ingredients ahead of time. Then I baked and frosted the day before the wedding. The whole process went pretty smoothly, except that I had to go to three Safeway locations before I was able to buy some cupcake carrier trays. I held my breath a few times during the drive to the wedding site, but luckily the damage was minimal... storage and transport are the hardest part! Joanne even made a sign for the cupcake table, which made me feel like a real pro.


Blurry cupcake sign

I love this picture of Newt giving the thumbs-up after the ceremony. Congratulations, you two!


Just married

Beagle brigade

This weekend Dan and I took Arrow to a beagle party! About 10 beagles and their humans gathered at Corona Heights Park for some beagle fun.


Beagles and the San Francisco skyline

It was so much fun to see the beagles running, playing, and sniffing all over the dog run...but they were difficult to capture on camera.


Arrow sniffs Atticus (who is more interested in the tennis ball)

We met many new beagles, and Albert, the (human) beagle-lover who organized the gathering, even brought doggie bags for everyone!


A beagle sniffs out the bag o' treats

So Arrow went home with a bag of treats and a tennis ball...lucky beagle! We're thinking we might have to check out the big Beaglefest in Sausalito next month!

Swedish treats

Overdue thanks...my Knitters Treat Exchange package arrived...all the way from Sweden!


Treats from faraway

Catrin of everyday life was my very thoughtful treater...she commented on this lil' blog and asked questions via e-mail several times...she sent a big bag of her favorite tea, delicious chocolates (some already consumed), a hank of deep dark green Malabrigo yarn, fragrant soap, Simply Knitting magazine, and postcards of Sweden. Thank you Catrin!

My package also traveled across the pond...its recipient was one of the swap hostesses! Thanks to Sara and Isobel for organizing!

Brown and pink all over

On Saturday I helped throw a bridal shower for Joanne, who is getting married in two weeks! Her wedding colors are brown and pink, so I made chocolate cupcakes with pink buttercream frosting.


Cupcake tower with sprinkles

This was the final chocolate cupcake recipe trial for the wedding...my attempt at the Magnolia frosting effect did not turn out so smooth and swirly, but the buttercream certainly was very sweet.

Since the bride and groom are going to Europe for their honeymoon, the shower featured some European touches. I made pink and chocolate macaron cookies that looked nothing like their inspiration.


Not-quite-so-Parisian macarons

And since it was a kitchen-themed shower, a pleated apron was part of Joanne's gift.


Brown and pink hostess apron

I used the leftover brown and pink fabric for dishsoap aprons, which were part of the favors. I enlarged this pattern just a bit.


Shower favors

Joanne's sister Jenny hosted the event, and it was a lovely afternoon. Yay! Now it's time to start gathering ingredients for the wedding cupcakes...the big day is just around the corner!

Shower prep

I've been working on some goodies for Joanne's bridal shower this weekend...in brown-and-pink, of course! Hopefully everything will get finished in time...

Before I left for Taiwan last month, I stamped the invitations on (sadly discontinued) pink cake cards by Snow & Graham. I love letterpress.


Invitation assembly line

More brown-and-pink to come...