Life is pretty sweet, no doubt about it.
But a couple of weeks ago, when I had the distinct pleasure and honor of attending CupcakeCamp in Newport, OR -- as well as several other sweet occurrences in the days following -- it was a little bit sweeter than usual.
Share the memories with me (that was a command, not a request):
- To warm up my belly for a long day of eating cupcakes, I was sure to stop and get a delicious biscuit first, from The Coffee House, a place with a lackluster name but amazing sweets. How far would you travel for a delicious biscuit? Consider a road trip to Newport.
- Arriving at the show, I felt so welcome.
- OMG! My artwork was on the poster!
- Double OMG: I think this is the first time I've ever seen my likeness on a poster. Cake celebrity!
- Triple OMG: Look who else is on the poster!
Photo credit: Bakerella - This is a big one: I finally got to meet Bakerella.
- Bakerella!
- Finally! After all of our sweet back and forth.
- And I got to meet her friend "Cupcake Julie", too, who is an absolute delight and inspiration!
- I got to hang out with my friend (and CakeSpy sponsor) Carrie of Bella Cupcake Couture fame. This time, she was one of the judges at CupcakeCamp.
- I also got to meet Dianna Lopez, who is a professional cake decorator and taught a decorating class in which they used my artwork as inspiration. Cool!
- This time, I got to teach a class, showing children (and kids at heart) how to watercolor cupcakes. Of course, there was some confusion about this--I taught them how to do watercolors OF cupcakes, not watercolor ON cupcakes.
- I may or may not have felt slight pangs of jealousy when I saw the kids' creations, like this one
- And this one
- and this one
- and this one
- and this one
- and this one
- and this one
- and this one
- ...and this one too.
- And the adults had some nice showings too--here's Julie's (above).
- ...and Bakerella's (above).
- You'd think that after judging cupcakes at Seattle's CupcakeCamp, I'd be tired of tasting cupcakes 30 at a time. But you're wrong.
- There were so many delightful displays of cupcakes, but one of the standouts was definitely by Rocket Queen, whose cupcakes I have enjoyed in the past.
- Judging was hard, but someone had to do it, and so I tasted peanut butter filled and frosted cupcakes...
- ...and huckleberry cupcakes...
- and decorated cupcakes...
- and cupcakes for Halloween...
- and rainbow cupcakes...
- rows and rows of cupcakes...
- and cupcakes decorated to look like ice cream sundaes (!)
- and cupcakes made by kids (maybe some of the same kids who took my class?)
- and vegan cupcakes...
- ...and even cupcakes with fish!
- ...and wouldn't you believe, I was even asked to AUTOGRAPH something. I felt like a bona fide big deal, people.
- After all this awesome, I kind of wanted to take a nap, but I didn't. I powered on over to Portland, where my totally sweet friend Nicole was having a bachelorette weekend. I arrived just in time for cheesecake from Laurelhurst Market (good timing!).
- And back at the hotel room, there were cupcakes from Cupcake Royale.
- In the morning, we went to Mother's, where I love the biscuits and cookies...
- ...before breakfast, we got a cinnamon roll.
- ...and after breakfast, we got some chocolate cake (secret ingredient: BEETS! Pictured at top of post)
- ...and then after that, while browsing about, I discovered the best bike in the world: Biscuit Bike!
- Then, I saw some of my artwork at Presents of Mind!
- Back home in Seattle, Bakerella and Julie came to visit my store!
- ...and while they were there, I was surprised by a visit from Cake Gumshoe Phuong (here all the way from Boston!)
- ...and a visit too from the amazing food writer Rebekah Denn and her adorable new baby daughter, who I have taken to calling "Miss Marshmallow".
- All of them (Bakerella, Julie, Phuong, and Rebekah) got to meet Porkchop.
- I was also an expert on Questionland that week. Cool!
- And later on that week, a visit and little Halloween shindig with the totally awesome Alicia Kachmar.
Photo Credit: Bakerella - And finally, a question and answer session and book signing at Williams-Sonoma with Bakerella before we sent her on the rest of her totally sweet tour.