Snow White Cupcakes

It's a busy, but fabulous Fabruary!  Both my and my mother-in-law's birthday were falling in this Fabulous Fabruary.  I had a great birthday celebrationS (will be uploading pictures soon).  On top of celebrating both of our birthdays, we also celebrated an overdued birthday for our great aunt. 

Our aunt loves (or should I use obsessed with?!) Princess Snow White from Disney.  I made some Snow White cupcakes to surprise her at our birthday dinner.  She was so amazed by all the detials on the cupcakes.  We were glad to see her happy and enjoyed looking and eatting her favorite Princess.

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween!  Have a lot of sweet treats and cupcakes.

(more cute cupcake and Halloween postages could be found here.)

Our Schedule for next month: 

Nov 1 - Booked for a baby shower

Nov 3 - Booked for a tea party

Nov.  9-30 - Out of  town

Start accepting orders for December.

Great Compliment

I have shared some cupcake pictures of Dana and Tim's travel themed wedding on my last post this week.  Today, I would like to share this great complimentary email I received from Dana's mom, Debbi, who I also mentioned on my last post. 

Below is her compliment about our service and our hand crafted decorative cupcakes:

I thought the cupcakes turned out fantastic!! They were soooooo adorable- everybody was commenting on them. All that attention to detail - just so cute!  They really pulled together the travel theme. And they were delicious too - that's the best part. (My favorite flavor was the chocolate peanut butter, and I still can't decide which was my favorite fondant topper - all so cute!.) Thank you so much...
 
Thank you again so much.  I'll definitely be recommending you to my cupcake loving friends.
Debbi

I have been very busy and stressful for my full-time job lately.  Debbi's compliment has certainly put a big smile on my stressful face.  I am happy to see my clients and all their guests enjoyed the cupcakes and amazed by the decoration on top of them.  Debbi even send me a link of the professional pictures of their wedding.  If you are interested to see more pictures of the wedding and our cupcakes, head over to here Jason Burns Photography.  The pictures are wonderful; they captured all the important and sweet moments of the wedding.  The wedding was absolutely beautiful and unique and it totally represented Dana and Tim.

Precious First Birthday

Few weeks ago, I attended my friend's baby first birthday party at a park; it was a sunny, nice and warm day in April at the park.  First birthday is the most previous for the family and the baby.  I knew my friend and her sisters put a lot of efforts to make her baby's first birthday as perfect as possible=)  I could not believe baby Vai has turned one.  I still remember attending my friend's baby shower last year; it feels like just days ago.  It's so crazy that time has flied so fast that now the baby starts learning how to walk and words. 

Made the paper cupcake toppers for baby Vai's cupcakes

My friend's favorite color, purple!  I put a little bow under the "1" cupcake picker
becauese Vai always has a little bow on her hairs.

I helped my friend of making some paper cupcake picks.  Due to their tight budget, they ordered the cupcakes from a local gocery store and my job was SIMPLE - just dress the store bought cupcakes up nicely.  I also made baby Vai a "I am 1!" sign for pictures (see picture below).  All the settings, decorations, food and cupcakes came out so cute together!  I truely had fun playing all the old school games and enjoyed all the food at the party. 

Here is a little poem I found for my friend's baby Vai Vai:


Posing with the "I am 1!" sign I made her=)

I learned to laugh and squeal,
Then sit and stand,
And I can walk now if you hold my hand.
But the fun has only just begun,
Lookout world, I'm turning one!

My friend included pictures of her dad on the cake table
(her dad just passed away in March).  What a great way to celebrate
baby Vai's first birthday with her Kui (grandpa)

Vai vai likes her tranditional outfit.

Old school games at the park

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter=)

I want to hold you hand...

I still remember the first time I was holding hand with my husband.  It's been years ago, but the memory is still fresh like it just happened yesterday.  I always think that holding hand is more inmitate than kissing and perhaps other PDAs.  And I am not the only one said that, Dalton Conley, a professor and chairman of the department of sociology at New York University has agreed with me, “Hand-holding is the one aspect that’s not been affected by the sexual revolution,” said  “It’s less about sex than about a public demonstration about coupledom.”

Hand-holding is a very speical and innocent moment between couples -

To hold someone’s hand is to offer them affection, protection or comfort. It is a way to communicate that you are off the market. Practically speaking, it is an efficient way to squeeze through a crowd without losing your partner. People do it during vigils, marches, weddings and funerals.
(source from the New York Times, Oct 5, 2006 issue)

And different ways of holding your parterner has special meaning too, if you are interested to de-code the meaning, click here.

There are so many ways to show your partner your love and care, of course, holding hand is one of them.  Writing them a letter/card, flying her a paper airplane to tell that person you miss him/her, or stuffing a special note in a fortune cookie to suprise her/him...

Here is a little fun project inpsired by LOVE:

Signed, sealed, delivered, I am yours...

Trying to get as detail as possible, this is the back of the envelope.

Show her your love on a "sweet" candy way (these heart shaped candies are made with fondant)

Or surprise her when she crack the fortune cookie=)

 Or drop her a love note in the classroom

And for those, who could not be with your love this year -
Do you wish the paper airplane could go straight to the one you love and show her how much you miss her?!

A cupcake tower full of love and flavor -
Horchata cupcakes with horchata cinnamon frosting and topped with churro

"Oh, if it be to choose and call thee mine,
love, thou art every day my Valentine!"
-Thomas Hood









Have a "Sweet" Chinese New Year

First of all, Happy Chinese New Year!  I wish everyone will have a great "dragon" year.

Chinese New Year Eve family dinner
from my friend's picture on facebook

My highschool's frined New Year Eve's dinner
with her in-laws

My friend's back home was having
some great food with her family on New Year Eve.

As many of you know that Chinese like to eat to celebrate major festivals.   Most of the dishes we made for the new year celebration symbolize good fortune and good health.  Chinese like playing with words and symbols.  Often homonyms (words that share the same pronunciation but have different meanings and characters) are used.  Names of dishes and/or their ingredients, which will be served sound similar to words and phrases referring to wishes expressed during the Chinese New Year, while other foods hold a symbolic meaning (source from One World - National Online). 

Different styles and prints of red pockets/red envelopes
(Picture from Google.com)

"Full Box"
(Picture from Google.com)

As a kid, Chinese New Year was fun because the parents usually have the first 3 days off (official paid holidays) and the family visit different relative's house during the first 2 days of the new year (in Chinese tradition, each family should prepare a full box of different goodies (we call this box "Full Box" meaning full in every aspect the upcoming year) to welcome their guests.  They could be candies, roasted seeds, sugar covered lotus seeds or lotus wheels, etc.) and on the top of eating, the kids or people who are single receive "red pocket/red envelope" from elders and/or married couples. 

My grand mom got up very early (about 4-5am) the first day of the new year.  She got up early to prepare the dough for making sesame seed balls (Zeen Doy) and Chinese sweet empanadas (both usually filled with sesame paste or redbean paste).  My sister and I helped my grand mom to roll the dough and stuff the filling inside the sesame seed balls or the sweet empandas.  It's so fun to watch my grand mom putting the balls and the empanadas in a big hot wok to deep frying these goodies. 
 

Cantonese style nian gao
(Picture from Wikipedia)

 Another very common sweet item we eat during Chinese New Year is nian gao ("nian gao" is a homonym for "higher year." The Chinese word 粘 (nián), meaning "sticky", is identical in sound to 年, meaning "year", and the word 糕 (gāo), meaning "cake" is identical in sound to 高, meaning "high".).  Nian gao is prepared from glutinous rice.  Different regions in China have their own version of nian gao.  Since I was born and raised in Macau, and we got influenced by the southern portion of China, I am more familar with the version of nian gao served in Canton.  Below is the information I found from Wikipedia:
The Cantonese nian gao is usually sweetened with brown sugar. It is distinct with a dark yellow color. The paste is poured into a cake pan and steamed once more to settle mixture. The batter is steamed until it solidifies and served in thick slices. It may be eaten as is. The nian gao becomes stretchy and extremely sticky. It can also be served as a pudding flavored with rosewater or red bean paste.

Pan-fried nian gao
(Picture from Wikipedia)

The next stage is optional as it can be pan-fried afterwards,often with egg, to make (煎年糕, jyutping: zin1 nin4 gou1; pinyin: jiān nián gāo). When fried it is slightly crispy on the outside, and remains pasty on the inside. During Chinese New Year, it is cut into square pieces and served along with similar cake dim sum dishes like taro cake and water chestnut cake.

Happy 2012!

After a nice long vacation, I am back to work.  It's the first work day in 2012, and I hope everything will be great this year.

I got an order before Christmas.  Unfortunately, I was out of town, so I could not make cupcakes on the date my client wanted.  I came up with a awesome Plan B though.  I suggested that I make cupcake toppers on my Etsy shop, so if my client was ok with the idea, I could make the toppers for her before taking off for my vacation.  She loved the idea and I was happy to serve her even though I was not in town on the date she wanted the cupcakes. 

She told me her sister's birthday and she loves the Beatles.  She randomly found me on Google, and immediately sent me an email.  This was my second time of making the Beatles' cupcake toppers.  I made it the last time just for fun (because I am the big fan of the Beatles too), and this time is for someone else.  Both sets I made are quite similar because I got the same idea from the Beatles' cartoon.  However, this one was a little more details than the first one I made.  I also made an additional George Harission since he is the birthday girl's favorite one.

Giving Thanks!

It's 6:45 in the morning, my body woke me up as every other normal work day.  I was a little mad at myself for not sleeping in for a little bits more on this paid day off at first, but I quickly realized I could use this little spare time to take a minute to write down what I am going to thanks for for the past 11 months in my life.

I have an amazing husband - I got to admit that after we got married, I am happier than ever (I even told my mom about it).  Of course, both of us are not perfect, and we are still learning from each other.  But from being single to a married couple, so far, this transition has been great!  We NEVER argue with each other at all, not even one time!  One time, after a busy work day, Mr. G came home and told me that "after a shitty work day, I got home and see you and it made me feel so much better."  That's the sweetest compliment I heard in my life.  I just want to thanks God for introducing this great guy in my life.  My life has been changed since the first time I met him.  I love you, Mr. G!

I am thankful to have a "somehow" good health - Yes, I don't have a 100% good health. I have been fighting with some chronic disease for a bits.  Except for feeling tired easily, my body is pretty much the same.  I could still eat my favorite food, still go working out, still being at work, still go traveling, still doing thing I like to do (such as baking and crafting), still enjoying my life...

I have a wonderful family - This year - it's not an easy year for both my parents.  My dad had experienced a minor stroke.  After staying at the hospital for a month and a regular check up, he is back to normal.  When my mom first told me about this through the phone, I was so worry and even worse is - I could not help at all in another side of the world.  I am so proud of my mom that she is a very strong woman, who held everything nicely and took care of herself and my dad well.  Thanks God for giving my mom a strong will and healthy body for taking care of my dad though out this year.  I wish that after this minor stroke, my dad learnt his lesson of not eating too much and starting a healthier life.

And thanks God for bringing a new addition to our family - my little nephew, McRay.  Both my sister and him are doing good and his is one healthy baby!

I have to thanks God for giving me a wonderful parents-in-law.  My parents are not here in the States.  My parents-in-law has become my parents in the States since the day Mr. G and I got married.  In my friend's wedding earlier this month, she made a toast to her mother-in-law and shared with everyone that how great her in-law is and they are thank you for everything she has done for them (from making them some home made meals to take home to calling my friend when her husband was out of town to make sure everything was OK.).  I could not hold myself together, but cried!  It reminded me of the relationship I have with my in-laws.  I could not ask for a better in-laws in my life!  They are so supportive, fun and caring persons to be around with.

I still have a job - These few years are not the best years to Americans.  Laying off is not something new anymore to a lot of us.  Thanks God for providing me a great opportunity to work at an amazing company with a lot of wonderful people.  On the top of it, I got promoted and a raise this year.  This was something I didn't expect.

I am enjoying my SECOND JOB - I am so glad to have a full-time job to pay my bills.  And I am ever happier to have a second job to keep my mind contented.  I love baking, decoration, and arts.  My second job allows me to express my idea and show my creativity side to everyone.  I hope my business could keep growing and I could serve more people, who appreciate my works.


What are you giving thanks for?  Take a minute to think about it.  Enjoy your Thanksgiving and don't overcook the BIG BIRD!

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween!

PS. Please do share your Halloween costumes with us=)

From Mr. and Mrs. G and C for Cupcake Cupcakery

Super Mario Brothers Cupcakes for a surprise birthday party

The "BIG" secret/surprise was finally out!  I was so honor to create this happy memory for the birthday girl, Mary.  Mr. G's cousin, Josh wanted to surprise his girlfriend, Mary with 144 Super Mario Brothers themed cupcakes on her 25th birthday this month.  Since August, we had started planning on the design and throwing ideas together.  He had already had specific idea in his mind; he wanted the cupcakes to be like a real game (everything needs to flow appropriately).  He went online and saw a lot of different pictures of the Mario Bros cupcakes, but nothing came close to what's in his mind.  So we exchanged emails back and forward for couple weeks about his ideas and what is possible/what's not practical.  I used 2 days to draw everything out and started making all the toppers since the beginning of September.

I am so happy that the birthday girl liked it!  And everyone at the birthday party enjoyed the cupcakes.  I need to say a BIG thank you to my helpers here:

Mr. G - Thanks for giving me a hand on a Friday night midnight.  You truly did a great job of making couple of the main characters.  YOU ARE SO HIRED!!!

Ashley - Thanks for helping me for making the fondant toppers and sorry for making your hands turn bright red the next day (thanks to the red food gel color).  I hope that I was not too demanding or too bitchy about your works=p  You are hired too.

My mother-in-law, Karen - Thanks for helping me to do the baking and frosting the cupcakes.  You rock!  And once you are retired from your real job, please let me know.  I am going to save a spot for you at my shop (if I had one in future and if you didn't mind working after retiring).

My cousin, Josh - Thanks for giving me another great opportunity to make such a fun big project.  I had so much fun of making the cupcakes, and I was so glad to see Mary's surprising face and teary eyes.