Spring Babies and Cupcakes

I am getting ready to celebrate a very important day for me, the anniversary of the day I became a mother.  My darling daughter Emma turns 17 tomorrow. We knew Emma was special right from the beginning, there were all kinds of unusual events associated with her coming into this world. On top of everything, she was a breech baby that could not be turned (oh yes, they tried, they really tried!) and was born by C-section on the date of our choice, a date we thought was entirely suitable to all the rarities we had experienced with her, Friday May 13, 1994.  Needless to say, 13 is a favorite number for us :)

With Eric, camping out. Yes, her hair is still that curly.

Emma is spending most of her birthday in tech rehearsal for a play in which she is performing,  so Jim made dozens of cupcakes today for Emma's cast and crew. I had fun sprinkling all kinds of candies on top.  I love the colors against the vanilla buttercream frosting, so joyful and fresh, the essence of spring and of children and of many happy memories. I will make her favorite cheesecake this afternoon, and we will be busy wrappng and decorating later today. During all these preparations, I hold in my awareness an appreciation of just how blessed I am.

Cupcake Giveaway

Help us celebrate 150 years of cupcakes in Seattle (see this post). Win this Sweet Seattle cupcake necklace!

Bumbershoot Designs is sponsoring a giveaway of this necklace over at Glamorous WAHM. Head on over, see the giveaway, play if you want!

Etsy Bumbershoot Designs shop Sale Friday Apr 3

Tomorrow, Friday Apr 3, you can find some of my featured items, including this ever-so-popular cupcake necklace, in Etsy's Spring Showcase. You can link to the Spring Showcase from the top right of the main Etsy page. For fun, there will be free shipping, not just on the featured items, but on all items in the shop. And purchases are sent in the loveliest spring-y packaging imaginable. Complete with raindrops!

I will remove shipping fees tonight around 8 or 9 pm Pacific time and they will stay off for 24 hours. Enjoy!

Seattle Cupcake History

OK, here's something I bet most of you don't know about Seattle. This year is the 150th anniversary of cupcakes in Seattle! Yes, it is true. According to the book Eccentric Seattle, by J. Kingston Pierce, baker Jacob Wibbens baked Seattle's first cupcakes in 1859. Pierce says that Jacob announced "...that each one contained a prize - everything from a 20 cent silver coin up to a $20 gold piece. Within a short time, his stock was gone, 'many people buying more cupcakes than they could eat in three months of Christmas days' according to one account."

Where to get cupcakes in Seattle? We make our own and we also enjoy cupcakes from Trophy Cupcakes and Verite Coffee and Cupcake Royale. I'm sure there are more. Any recommendations?

At Bumbershoot Designs, we feel compelled to honor this landmark in Seattle history, so we are going to do two things:

1. eat a lot of cupcakes this year.

2. Make necklaces from these wonderful lampwork beads made by Seattle glass artist Natasha Puffer. Truly the finest cupcake beads I've ever seen. Good enough to eat. Look for them in the shop.