the lush

That is the name I gave this fantastic cupcake that my sister found on Smitten Kitchen. Call it the lush, the drunken cupcake, the Irish Carbomb cupcake or just call it scrumptious. It is Guinness chocolate cake with Jameson ganache filling topped with Bailey's frosting. It may not have been the most appropriate cupcake to bring to a baby shower, but I did and people couldn't get enough. I did warn the parents that the frosting and ganache had alcohol that hadn't been cooked, but they seemed to think that the sugar and booze would even each other out.

art walk

I love taking trips. Driving around discovering new places or returning to familiar places to see friends and family: it's all good. But sometimes mini day trips are the best. Just waking up and thinking: I want to go to that new bakery or farmer's market in the town 30 minutes away, or that hiking trail 40 miles away, or that fantastic shopping center 50 miles away. Last Wednesday my computer was in the shop and it was 75 degrees so it was a day made for exploration. I visited Loveland's sculpture garden. Loveland hosts a large sculpture show every summer and each year they buy a few pieces to put in the park. There are currently 131 sculptures. Here are a few of my favorites.

tea party ready

I have been threatening to make tiered cake plates for months and finally made a few last week. It has been fun going to thrift stores looking for plates and little decorative bobbles. Now I have to have a party so I can fill them up with goodies.