Easter Dinner

This was my first year hosting Easter so I decided to keep everything simple...... Nahhhhhh!

I love the beautiful unstained finish on our cherry dining table so you will almost never see me cover it with a table cloth. To add a splash of color I made simple napkin rings using silk ranunculus and burlap ribbon

 

For Place Cards, I simply blew out eggs, dipped them in teal dye and splattered them with brown paint to resemble robin's eggs and wrote everyones name on one with a paint pen

 

Add some bunnies and you have an Easter table!!!!

 

 

Carving out Blog Time

I confess.... I am not good at remembering Birthdays, I am not so great at sending Thank You notes... And I am horrible about keeping up with Social Media!!!!

Truth is, I have so many projects started, I am not sure what to blog about first and don't want to post pictures of half finished rooms, only to follow up a month later with the final results when you have totally forgotten what the room originally looked like.

Currently I am working on creating a fabulous office/ guest room, designing two teenagers rooms, planning a big party in May, planning and even bigger party in October, hosting Easter, hosting friends for dinner.... Oh yes... and trying to find time to run The Cupcakerie.

So please stay tuned as the next few weeks we will have some fabulous blogs going up!!!!

In the mean time, just a fun appetizer pick from the Guys Poker Night the Manpanion hosted and I catered. Every occasion is a time to give your friends something extra special!

Farm to Table

As many of you know, The Cupcakerie got its start selling our little cupcakes at Framer's Markets. Even though we have our retail shop, we still sell at many of the markets in Rhode Island and Mass. Over the years we have not only developed wonderful friendships with some of the farmers, but a deep respect and understanding of what it means to support local. Being at the markets each week makes it very easy for me to have access to the freshest, local stuff you can get. This year however, I plan to grow my own!

One of the many home projects on my list as the weather warms is to garden, garden, garden! Our front yard gets a lot of sun and to the left of the house there is this overgrown Island that looks like it had once been an attempted land-scape feature. My plan is to turn this little patch into an edible landscape. Being that it is in the front and highly visible from the street, I want to create not only a functional garden, but a visually appealing one as well.

My 11 year old Step Son (for lack of a better term) expressed interest in a garden from the day we moved into the house. My last attempt at a veggie garden wasn't too successful. I never had luck starting things with seeds, and usually am so busy mid summer with weddings and markets, any attempt I have made end in a pile of rotted tomatoes and patches of weeds.

This year will be different!!! We are getting help from the pros! Each weekend we are heading to my friend Michelle's farm Zephyr Farm to volunteer, in exchange for advice and knowledge. This weekend was our first visit of many.

Even though it was a bit cold and dreary, we had a great time seeing early harvest items such as greens, beets, fennel and kale. Alex was an awesome helper and I felt great doing something special with him, and getting him off the couch at the same time! Michelle was a great teacher and this weekend we will be starting our own seeds and preparing the area, just like we learned.

I feel that teaching kids that their food does not just magically appear shrink wrapped on a grocery store shelf has the potential to teach them better eating, healthier food choices as adults and a basic understanding that local is better.

My advice.... find a farmer, offer to volunteer and have a blast!!! I'll keep you updated on the progress of our garden!!!

Monkeyin’ Around with Cupcakes

One of the best and most sincere compliments I get is when clients come back to me year after year for their cake and cupcake needs. I truly feel honored to play a special (even if small) roll in families lives.

 We created the dessert for a lovely couple’s wedding awhile back…. And now we have been asked to make special cupcakes for these proud parent’s daughter’s FIRST BIRTHDAY!!!!!

 

These little cakes are super fun and easy to make. You won’t go “Bananas” trying them on your own…. Ok that was even too cheesy for me….

So here is the Inspiration that our client gave us

Here is What you need...
Cupcakes, Chocolate butter cream, large decorating bag with large round tip,
small decorating bag with small round tip (we used a #4),
 a template for the face (I made one on card stock), small oval or round cutter,
 flower cutter, exacto knife and fondant

Frost the cupcakesin chocolate butter cream using the large round tip

Cut out the monkeys face from the rolled fondant using your template and
exacto knife

Use your oval or round cutter to make the ears, cut in half

Place the face and ears on your cupcakes, add cute details to the face
 and complete with an adorable little flower

No... I Don't Watch Cupcake Wars!

Don’t get me wrong… I love my business and am very proud to have one of the first Cupcake shops in Rhode Island. However, when you are surrounded by cupcakes day in and day out, literally breathing in sugar… The last thing you want to do when you go home at night is curl up on your couch and watch a TV show about cupcakes!

 

Cupcakes are a recent addition to my skill set. Growing up, I was always involved in the arts. Theatre, dance, painting sculpting, and I ended up going to college for Theatrical Costume Design. There I sharpened my designer eye, learned advance sewing skills, but also other degree requirements like lighting and set design. It was also there that my love of Party-Hosting began to develop. I started throwing dinner parties for my artsy friends and grew to love the art of cooking and hostessing. As you may have guessed, I have departed ways from the theatre, and it may not have been the most practical of degrees, but the skills I learned have become invaluable as a home owner with Champagne taste on a Beer budget!

 

It was my Mother’s idea that I open up a cupcake shop, when the crazy thought of starting my own business began circling my brain. So no….I have not always loved cupcakes, I didn’t grow up baking along-side my grandmother, and I don’t need another cupcake necklace, cupcake mug, cupcake paper-weight etc. Knowing all that I can do and have done, I guess I am still taken by surprise that I am so associated with cupcakes.

 

My thought behind starting this blog was to create an outlet for my other artistic and creative passions. This past October my Domestic Partner or “Manpanion” and I bought a beautiful turn of the century Victorian down the street from The Cupcakerie. These last few months I have been obsessed with home improvement. Painting, decorating, furniture shopping have become my addiction. The house is fabulous for parties, and we have already hosted several in the few months we have been here. As I was working away on the first floor, I got the idea that I should share the adventure!

 

Please check in every Tuesday and Friday for everything from decorating and house painting, to gardening and party planning and yes… I will talk cupcakes too! I always welcome comments and discussions. Thank you for joining me for the ride!!!

 

Kristin

Spring Hours

Our new spring hours are:
Tuesday through Thursday 10:00am-6:00pm
Friday and Saturday 10:00am-8:00pm


Beginning June 4th we will be at the followinf Farmers Markets!!!
Friday: Down Town Kennedy Plaza 11:00am-2:00pm (Providence, RI)
Saturday: Hope Street Lippit Park 9:30am-12:30pm (Providence East Side)
Braintree Town Hall 9:00am-1:00pm (Braintree, MA starts June 26)

Don't forget to follow us on Facebook and Twitter

New Location

Please visit us at our new location. We are sharing a fabulous space with the gourmet dog bakery Jack's Snacks. YOu can get a treat for your pet and a treat for you!

Our address is 1860 Broad Street in Cranston, Rhode Island 02905. Our new phone number is 401.467.2601

Our hours are 9am to 6pm Tuesday through Saturday