IT'S OVER!

You know I love Christmas, but when its over, I feel a huge sense of relief!  Husband is back to work, daughter is playing with new toys and now I can get to trying to find a place for all this new stuff!

Christmas was great as usual, Amanda was overwhelmed with gifts so she's a happy girl.  But I think she really just loved visiting family and seeing her cousins the most.

Now I can concentrate on her birthday party.....ugh, when does it stop??

Running the Marathon!

Good morning blogger community!  Well, I woke up extra early this morning.  Not sure why.  It could be that my mind keeps running with what seems like a never ending to-do list.  I'm kinda past the Christmas planning and am now onto planning my daughter's 5th birthday party.  Always a daunting task for me as her birthday is Jan 3rd, which is immediately after the holidays, so on top of the usual craziness I have the added party to plan.  But this year I have enlisted the help of a kiddie-party-place to help me plan it.  So hopefully they can take on the work and I can enjoy the party!

But like the title says, this week is definitely like running a marathon around here.  OK, off to the races....

The Final Countdown!

So here we are the last few days before Christmas.  What have you gotten done?  What do you still have left to do?  I am 99.9999% done shopping.  About 75% done wrapping.  I just have my daughters items to wrap up. Don't know when that will happen, but I am hoping soon.

I think this year we have really spent a lot of time doing enjoyable holiday stuff.  We went skating at Rock Center, saw the tree, attended a Christmas party, visited and took pics with Santa, visited the neighborhood lights spectacular as we do every year, visited friends who moved recently, I baked (and failed but at least I tried) and despite all the goings on non-Christmas-related, we managed to put up a beautiful tree.   I even made myself a glass of eggnog the other night.

All the while, I have also managed to find time to create some nice cupfake ornaments (a few still available in my etsy shop) and got all my orders out on time!  You think I'd be wiped out, but the final countdown days do have me feeling a little energized :)

So what have you done?????

Weekend Festivities

Hi all!  Well, on Saturday my husband had the bright idea of heading into the city to take our daughter ice skating at Rockefeller Center.  We waited on line in the freezing temps for over an hour but my daughter didn't complain and she had a blast!  My advice?  Pay the whopping $75 to get into the "express skating" section and you don't have to wait on line!  It would have been worth it!  But so glad my daughter got to experience skating at the most famous rink in the world!

Crunch Time!

I know as soon as Halloween is over, you hear everyone say "Christmas is right around the corner".  Well, we can say it and really mean it.

Tomorrow is the last day you can order my cupfakes to ensure a timely Christmas delivery.  Anything beyond that, well, I cannot guarantee that your cupfake will arrive in time for the holiday.  But hey, a late gift is better than no gift right?

Its Friday morning and I have lots to do so I am sorry this post is short and sweet.  Off to the races!

Red Hot Christmas Gift Treasury

Christmas doesn't have to just be for the kiddies!  Forget the hot cocoa and toys!  Check out these sizzling Christmas gifts for the big kids!

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/MTAzMjkyMTF8MTQ3MDcxMTM1OQ/red-hot-christmas?index=0

It Always Seems To Be Monday.....

HI folks!  Well its Monday morning......again....

Got a lot done over the weekend.  But at the same time it was relaxing and stress free.  Saturday we went and picked up some fresh mussels.  Saturday night we took our daughter to a neighborhood home who goes all out for Christmas..and I do mean all out.  He had Santa there for the kids, his entire home decorated from top to bottom. Including the backyard which he transforms into Santa's workshop.  He had a DJ there playing Christmas music and he somehow achieves a subtle pine scent that I can never seem to achieve in my own home.   I have some pics posted below, but they really don't capture how amazing it is.   Afterwards we went out to eat.

More presents have arrived in the mail and I am thrilled about the stress free online shopping we've gotten done this year.  I am usually one to fight the crowds and lines.  But not this year.  I think we will go out for a last minute gift or two though.

Yesterday we went to a breakfast Christmas party hosted by my mom's company.  It was a great time, the kids had fun dancing, making Christmas crafts, getting balloon animals and getting their faces painted and temp. tattoos.  Then the rest of the day was about cleaning up, putting clothes away, and making those mussels.  Which came out pretty good!

TGIF Like a MOFO!

Well, we have reached Friday.  I am glad its the weekend.  Being a stay at home mom, I've learned that most people seem to think that every day is Friday...or Saturday...or Sunday for us.  But it simply is not true.  Running the kiddo back and forth to pre school, ice skating lessons twice a week, the meals, the laundry.....believe me, my weekday is nothing like a nice relaxing weekend.  So I think most other stay at homes will agree that we look forward to the weekend like anyone else! :)

Aside from creating one Christmas themed cupfake for my neighbor, I didn't do much creating this week.  I figure that people will be spent from buying and buying during the next week or two and sales may slow down a bit.  SO I am in no rush to add new items just yet.  But during the next two weeks I will be getting supplies ready for Valentine's cupfakes :) !  Stay tuned for that!

I made it a point this week to get ahead on the gift wrapping so I won't have that nagging at me all weekend long.  And I got very tired of looking at gifts laying about here and there and everywhere, unwrapped and staring at me.  I have one load of laundry left and I can fully focus on doing no chores for the next two days.

Well, I am off to do one cupfake delivery today and thats about it folks......

Treasure Trove of Treasuries!

There are few things I like better than being featured in an Etsy Treasury!  I love it when I check my shop in the morning to see that a fellow Etsian has admired one of my items enough to feature it in a treasury that they've created.  Here is a treasury which shows tons of faux food creations:

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/MTY0NjgzNTZ8MTQxMTIyNDQ0NQ/faux-food

Here is one for Holiday gifts

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/NTQ3MzA1MHwxNDA3OTQ0Mzkx/dont-forget-the-holidays

And one more for Holiday themes featuring "baking" items

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/MTE2NjgwNTl8MTQwMTIyMTYzMQ/baking-up-some-holiday-cheer

So if you have a moment or two stop by to check them out!

Christmas Candyland!

What a weekend!

We made it a point to relax and do nothing on Friday night to prepare for the busy weekend we had ahead of us.

I for one, had lots of cupfake packing to do.  So glad for the sales but I wish I had a packing fairy around here sometimes.

As for the fam, we had lots of Christmas stuff to do, put up the tree, put up the outside lights and decorations etc.  Then I had some old neighbors stop by unexpectedly which always happens when I have boxes strewn about all over my house.  My daughter also invited two neighbor kids to come inside to play.  Which turned out to be a blessing in disguise because they took over decorating the tree and did a fantastic job!

This year, I decided to Christmas-fy my Cakery Studio in the hopes that it will help stir some creative juices.  So that was another project that took twice as long as I thought it would because as soon as I got my white cupcake tree up, it went crashing to the floor.  What a disaster.

Then, my four year old decided it was the perfect time to finish our gingerbread village by completing the gingerbread tree.  Another project.  None of this included the usual stuff like cleaning, laundry and meal-making.

All in all everything got done, but left me completely passed out by 8pm on Sunday night.   So I missed Dexter.....

Here are some pics....

ANNUAL GIVEAWAY!!!!

Hi folks!  Well, it s time again for The Cakery Fakerys Annual Custom Cupfake Giveaway! Can I get a "Hell Yeah"???

All you have to do is "share" my facebook fan page and click like on this posting.  I will keep track of the entries and the winner will be chosen by random.org.

After the winner is chosen, I will sned them a private message through facebook with a survey questionairre asking about their likes, their favorites, interests, hobbies etc and will create a cupfake based on their personality! Last year's winner recieved an adorable light blue cupfake personalized with musical minis to reflect her many musical interests (she palyed the clarinet) and her favorite color.  

This giveaway is fun and does not happen often, so ENTER PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!  And spread the word, this giveaway is open to new fans too! 

Here is a pic of last year's winning creation:

Please visit my facebook fan page to enter

www.facebook.com/thecakeryfakery

Countdown to Christmas

Three days ago, it was almost 70 degrees outside, now I sit here in the early morning all bundled up because of the seriously chilly temps.  I guess the warm days could not last forever, but now I can officially consider it Christmas Time.  It's hard for me to get into holiday mode when it feels like Spring outside.

The chilly temps make me think of one of my latest creations...A fake hot cocoa!  Its a big ceramic mug topped with a huge mound of whipped cream and a cherry.  It is dusted with faux cocoa powder and sprinkled with glitter for a fantastic holiday effect.

Nothing says cozy like a cup of hot cocoa right?  This item is available in my etsy shop should you feel inspired to create that cozy feeling at your place too!

I think that my fake cupcake Christmas ornaments are PERFECT for that hard to shop for person in your life.  They are so unique and truly one of a kind.  This year, my daughter helped with many of our creations.  She was mom's little helper, getting my supplies ready, helping sprinkle glitter on the cupfakes (as well as all over the kitchen) etc.  I guess it was our version of a Holiday baking session!  We had a Holiday faking session!

So last night my daughter and I put together a foam Christmas "Ski lodge".  It is a kit that we bought at Michael's craft store.  We had done a haunted house for Halloween and it was a lot of fun, so we grabbed one for Christmas.  Equally as fun.  TONS of pieces, but if you have patience, the finished product is quite adorable.

Its pretty big, I'd say almost 24 inches tall.  The pic doesn't show it (sorry, early morning light) but its all pastel candyland colors and lots of glitter and sparkle which I love.   It was priced at $19.99 but I had a 50% off coupon so I got it for ten bucks :).  If you like it, check Michael's craft store website and print out a %50 off coupon for yourself.  They also had a gingerbread foam house kit available as well.  And mini-kits too if you don't want to take on a larger project.

OK< well I have reached the bottom of my coffee cup (sad face).  So thats my hint to get moving!  I hope you all have a fantastically sweet day!

Late Nite Cupfakin'

Hi all,  it took me a good 15 minutes to drag my butt out of bed this morning.  I was up late last night making some last minute Christmas cupfakes. I think that brings my total of Christmas cupfakes and items to about 20.  Should have made more?  I thought about it but I really want holiday cupfakes to be truly limited and special so I didn't make dozens of them this year.

It has been a busy season so far, got much of my shopping done so I am ahead on that front.  However, the Christmas tree has yet to make its appearance.

I also have to spend some time thinking about where exactly I want to take The Cakery Fakery for 2012.  Goals goals goals is the idea people.  One of them is to contribute more to this blog but I have said that a dozen times at least!  But next year I'll make it happen, I swear.

I have been seeing more and more folks making "cupfakes" so I am going to concentrate on making mine truly unique as far as themes go.  My cupfakes are collectible and I want the design to reflect that. So stay tuned and keep checking the shop to see what comes alive in 2012.

We are scheduled to close on a new home in December, hopefully that will go smoothly.  I am also hoping that somewhere in that new house I will find some studio space.  So 2012 will also be about organization for me.  I am sure if I were more organized I could create on a much faster level.  My head swims..........

OK so thats it for now.  Be sure to check out my shop today and this week for new items!
http://www.etsy.com/shop/frankschick?ref=si_shop

Happy Thanksgiving!

OK, one major holiday done, next on the list!!!

Thanksgiving always puts me in the Christmas mood.  We had a wonderful and filling Thanksgiving yesterday at my aunts home in the great state of New Jersey! The kids had a blast and the food was great!  The cannolis were unusually HUGE (which is always a good thing....) and the weather was great for travel.

But now I am back home, taking the latest photos of new cupfake Christmas tree ornaments.  How cute will your tree look with these sweet little cakes hanging all over your tree?  I make my most ornaments extra sparkly to catch the lights from your tree.  Different ornament themes will be available.  But unfortunately I cannot do custom ornaments this year, there just is not enough time this year.

I'd like to note that these ornaments are lightweight and come with a thin metal loop on top for you to insert your ornament hook.  Some have gold ribbon on top for hanging.   Whichever you choose, they will look great on any tree or  centerpiece on a holiday table?  You could even hang them from ornament hangers if you prefer to keep your tree more traditional (as my cupfake ornaments are not your standard tree ornament!)

The Cakery Fakery has had quite a year.  So many cupfakes made (and sold!) lots of custom orders, lots of creativity, and we were able to make donations to St. Jude's Childrens Hospital.  Not as much as I would have liked, but every little bit helps and I have to thank the customers for that!

MY Favorite Kind of Sunday

I don't know about you, but my favorite kind of Sunday is when the football games are on (occupying my ever-bored husband), and I get lots of things done!

THat was the kind of Sunday I had yesterday.  Besides getting a decent amount of laundry done (blah), I finally tried a recipe for Lemon Cream Cheese Cupcakes that I have been dying to try for months.  I finally figured out that no one was going to make them for me and leave them on my door step, so I dove in.  Remember, I am NOT a good baker.  But was determined to give it a real go!

So in the early am (setting those clocks back always screws me up) my daughter and I made our way to the supermarket for the ingredients.  I never have bakers stuff on-hand around here.

Here is the recipe on my facebook fan page: http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=138137012875453&topic=595

Here is how they turned out:

 Granted, not nearly as fancy as my "cupFAKES" but I like the home-made look of them.

The recipe calls for a whole box (16oz) of powdered sugar for the frosting, but I only did about three quarters of the package and upped the cream cheese a bit because I don't like frosting to be too sickly sweet.  They came out perfect (in my estimation).  As a matter of fact, I am enjoying one right now as I write this.

Lets Not Forget Thanksgiving!

OK, so Halloween is o-v-e-r!  I stopped at the local CVS yesterday and in the blink of an eye, the Halloween goodies are gone gone gone and the Christmas stuff is all out for the holiday "rush".  Whats the rush I wonder?  I was hoping to see some 75% discounts on Halloween merch!  None to be found.

Know what else I couldn't find?  Thanksgiving stuff.  I don't go overboard with the Thanksgiving decor, but I was hoping to see a door wreath perhaps?  Nope.

Well, I hate to skip an entire holiday in anticipation for Christmas, so today I'll post some cute Thanksgiving cupcake photos and hopefully you try your hand at these goodies this year!   I won't post recipes because you can use pretty much any one of your favorite cupcake or cake recipes for the cupcakes and use these cute photos for decoration ideas!

Some of these are probably more difficult than others, but I hope you get some good ideas using these photos and always feel free to post photos of your own right here!  Now, if you are like me and can't bake at all, but love a good cupcake display, visit my etsy shop!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/frankschick?ref=si_shop