One evening last month, I invited a few girls over to help me eat the enormous amounts of chocolate I amassed in New York over my birthday weekend. We drank hot chocolate, made s’mores, and stuffed ourselves silly with french truffles and 14 different kinds flavored chocolate bars. In between all the chocolate tasting and sugar-induced giggling, my dear friend and neighbor Stephanie taught us how to paint a cute little chocolate macaron in a giant cafe-style coffee mug. You can see a recap of our evening here. It was a seriously perfect night, and we knew right then we couldn’t stop there. We’d simply have to do it again. Soon.
So this Tuesday we got the gang together again, along with some new gals, and this time our theme was cupcakes! Stephanie created a fabulous pink cupcake for us to paint, and I came up with six fun flavors of mini cupcakes for us to sample.
I had way too much fun coming up with all the different flavors of cupcakes! I drew inspiration from my most favorite and unforgettable cupcakes I’ve tasted and photographed over the years. I made the frostings the night before the party, but on the day of the party I baked, frosted and decorated all six batches of cupcakes. I felt like I had been training for this my whole life! I was humming the Rocky theme song all day. And I am not lying when I tell you that when Stephanie arrived, thirty minutes before the other guests were to arrive, she found me still in my pajamas, flour on my face, my hair in a sock bun, and without a stitch of makeup. I yanked her in the house and handed her a bag of frosting while I ran to the back to throw on clothes and mascara. Thank goodness for BFFs arriving early. We literally put the last sprinkle on the last cupcake just as the first guest arrived. Whew!
By the way, thank you so much to Stephanie for taking the first four photos here! It wasn’t until this point in the evening that I’d collected myself enough to pick up a camera. I didn’t even have my iPhone with me. I can’t believe I didn’t start to twitch!
Anyway! Here’s our fabulous group of ladies! From left to right we have Dolly (Stephanie’s Mom), Myra @ My Blessed Life, Brekke @ My Sweet Home, Erin @ The Pigbear, yours truly, and Stephanie @ All Artful. An amazingly talented group of Alabama bloggers all under one roof — I felt so incredibly lucky to be this close to this much talent!
You can see it in their paintings too. Clockwise from top left are Brekke, Dolly, Myra, and Erin’s paintings. How talented are these gals?? I love how each and every one of their sweet personalities shines through their artwork.
Oh yah, and here’s my little pink cupcake :)
The day before the party I shared this photo on Facebook with you guys. These are the four frostings I used for our cupcakes. They’re my absolute favorites and they are out of this world ridiculous.. Can I tell you how hard it was not to eat these with a spoon?? :)
I would love to share these cupcake and frosting recipes with you guys next week. They’re decadent, rich, dreamy, and naughty. You have to try ’em. Since there are six recipes, I’ll post the first recipe tomorrow to kick us off, and then I’ll post a new cupcake recipe every day next week. We’ll decree it hence be known as Cupcake Week, officially!
See you tomorrow with the first cupcake! xoxo
I just had to say how delicious those cupcakes look! Thanks for the ideas.
Such fun! And I love the paintings…
How fun is that! I can’t wait for the first recipe. :)
Your blog always makes me want to travel, take photos, bake…and eat! Such pretty things to look at….makes me smile. thanks!
love it…..
Beautiful cakes. Really love this art. I am Brazilian and cupcakes here are the sensation of the moment. Bjus
Looks fun!
I’m also getting 5-6 of the same post in google reader and also had to unsubscribe.
So sorry about that! This weekend I moved all my recipes to the recipe section where they belong, in hopes that it will make searching for recipes more convenient. :) I am done updating now though, so it shouldn’t happen again! :) So sorry for the inconvenience!
Happy Birthday to you! I love the idea of your cupcake party! Great job painting those incredible cupcakes. What a fun fun idea, I just had to Pin it! @hrcdesignstudio
Thank you!
Lisa
What a cute party! And the paintings are really cool! Perfect for a cupcake café!
Warm regards from Switzerland,
Sibylle
I think something is going on with your blog – all your recent posts just popped up in my feedburner like 5-6 times EACH. Had to unsubscribe because my reader was overflowing. Please let us know if it’s fixed – but maybe it’s me?
What a fun activity – I’d love to get together with my friends and do a painting event, something different and creative at the same time!
These cupcakes look amazing and the pictures, I wan’t them on my wall :) so much fun!!! can’t wait for the recipes! hugs from Poland!
This sounds like so much fun. It makes me wish I lived closer so I could come play with you all.
Thanks for sharing!… they looks GREAT.. the recipe seems easy and what a great group you have!
a hug from colombia .. and to your dogs too!.. i like to look their pics too!
Love this..blessed friendships (with goodies too)!!
WOW! Can’t wait for the recipes!
what fin! i am so very jealous & wished i lived close by to you. however, i might have to re-create your love & magic and start a similar group. thanks for sharing glimpses into your wonderful life!
Can’t wait for the recipes – they look good enough to eat!!! LOL!! Where did you get the cute little measuring spoons? Thanks for all you share!!!
So fun!
How fun! I think that I might have to copy the idea of a cupcake party and do it with my friends to kick off spring break! I can’t wait to get the recipes and try them with my friends!
How do you use the silhouete to make cupcake wapper things? I think that would be a fun addition!
Thanks!
Yeah, go cupcakes! Looking forward to the recipes.
Oh my! Those cupcakes look amazing!! What a cute party!!!!
Yum! Those cupcakes look so cute! I am planning on making some cupcakes Saturday- chocolate cake with mocha frosting and caramel drizzle with sea salt on top :) they’re my favorite! Those paintings were ADORABLE too. I loved them all. Can’t wait for the next post!
how excellent. what a fun party! the cupcakes look divine!!! i’m drooling! i totally love your cupcake tower made from cake platters. love it!
xoxo
anh
Where did you get those cute measuring spoons?!
I got them at Marshall’s around Christmas this past year. They also had matching measuring cups!
That looks like so much fun! A perfect girly night together. Looking forward to the recipes.
Looks like such fun! I can’t wait to see your recipes!
What a fun idea! Everyone’s paintings turned out great. Pretty please start with the coffee caramel frosting recipe. They all look amazing but that one I’m dying to get the recipe for since they would be perfect to top the chocolate chip cookie cups I’m planning to make this weekend.
What a fun idea! All of the paintings are beautiful and those cupcakes look sooo delicious! Looking forward to learning the recipes! Thanks for sharing!
xo-Kimberly
Give recipes! NOW! or I die!:)
What a creative theme for a party!
I’m looking forward to the recipes!
Cannot wait! I was having a legit cupcake craving yesterday and I’m pretty sure any of these would satisfy it :)
Wow, drooling over the beautiful cupcakes and so impressed with the paintings! What a fun thing to do and what talent you all have. Thanks for sharing! :-)
Oh my, that’s cupcake heaven. I can’t wait for the recipes and you gals are sure talented, the art is beautiful!
Divine indulgence, thanks so much for sharing your beautiful works of art. Can’t wait for the Cupcake week recipes. Yummo!!
I had a great time. Thanks for the great Cup Cakes and Painting (All Artful)
. My favorite was the Chocolate Caramel Latte. The s’mores was a close second, but they were all just great. Learn something new every time I am with you girls.
I can’t believe you had the self discipline to keep yourself from eating the frosting with a spoon. I am very impressed. That coffee caramel looks like cupcake heaven.
Those cupcakes look amazing, and now I’m inspired to have my own painting party! Looks like so much fun.
Love the cupcakes and the paintings!
I want to come! This looks like to so much fun! How lucky to have such a group of friends!
Those all sound AMAZING!! I can’t wait to try them:)
I look forward to cupcake week with yumalicous abandonment! Well done girls, there is an artist in all of us.
drooling! this looks like an episode of cupcake wars…but more fun :)
Those cupcakes look amazing! Where did you purchase three cupcake stand? I’ve been trying to find a large one like that! Thanks ;)
Thank you! I got them at Dillards, they are 4 individual cake plates from the Gourmet Expressions “Great Room” collection :)
Cake Plates on Dillards.com
I could almost taste the frostings, that’s how amazing your pics always are! Now I’m going to see if I can fit something sweet into my calories today until I can drool over tomorrow’s cupcake.
What a fun party. My neighbor does painting parties so I am going to send this to her. How fun. Your cupcakes look amazing – can’t wait to see all of the recipes!
My mom’s birthday is today, my daughter’s is six days later and my son’s is four days after hers. Perfect timing for Cupcake Week at my house!
You girls are super talented artists, too. It’s not fair. ;)
Those frostings….tahinitan vanilla, PB, coffee caramel…oh my goodness. Right there, I’m in heaven.
What a fun party and gorgeous cupcakes and all the ladies look like you’re having a blast!