Hoppin' for Cake Pops

Good Morning daylight savings!  I noticed a new line of petite desserts on the Starbucks menu earlier this week as I was going through the drive through.  To celebrate their 40th birthday they've brought in some fun treats including birthday cake, rocky road, and tiramisu cake pops, mini cupcakes, and tasty squares.  And the good news is they're all under 200 cal!  Cake pops and mini desserts are hoppin' everywhere just in time for the wedding and spring season.

Photo Courtesy of Starbucks

Cake pops can come in a variety of fun seasonal colors or with a customized design for your special event.  No mess for the guests and something they can enjoy right there or to save for later.  Here are some of my favorite eye catching displays:

Lights, Camera, and Sift!

Go Sift!  One of the best cupcake and dessert bar in the wine country.  Sift takes home the gold on the wedding edition of the Food Network's Cupcake Wars with their winning raspberry cupcake with champagne frosting.  The beautifully decorated cupcakes were displayed on wine barrels under a wooden chuppah (canopy) bringing the wine country ambiance to the busy television city of Los Angeles.  The display is also available for rental for your special event.

My first encounter with Sift cupcakes was at the 2010 Sonoma Lavender Festival and I enjoyed their delicious sparkling lavender cupcakes.  A few of my other favorite cupcakes include Ooh La La,  Car Bomb, and The Sky is Falling.  And who says cupcakes are girly?  Their seasonal Stud Muffin is made of beer cake with caramel frosting sprinkled with spicy bacon and sea salt.  Their cupcakes are so fluffy and moist with the perfect pairing of frosting that just makes you want to have another one.  Or if you just can't get enough of frosting, they also offer them without the cake in miniature shot glasses.

Cupcakes are a fun, inexpensive, and creative way to display your wedding cake.  You can also mix and match by keeping a traditional top tier cake for the bride and groom with a variety of custom designed cupcakes displayed on the rest of the tiers.  Sift also designs 6 inch round, square shaped, or a big cupcake just for the bride and groom to share on their wedding day.

Sift Cupcakery & Dessert Bar is located in Santa Rosa, Cotati, and Napa.  Keep a look out for their new location in Napa.  They just moved from Napa Downtown to the Bel Air Plaza.  I won't be surprised to find myself there with a Sift cupcake for an afternoon break with a sugar rush!

Shirley & James: Shakespeare in Love

September brought new meaning to the movie “Shakespeare in Love.”  I had the pleasure of coordinating Shirley and James’s wedding, which took place at the Shakespeare Garden located in the beautiful San Francisco Golden Gate Park.  As expected, the bridal party awoke to familiar Bay Area fog that was sure to lift as the breath-taking bride walked down her redbrick aisle. The garden setting was picture perfect complete with overhanging crab-apple trees nestled among red, pink, and white roses. Shirley’s bridesmaid dresses were a colored Tiffany blue that added the perfect color balance to the scene. 

Following the ceremony, the newlyweds and their bridal group crisscrossed around the city with Chung Chan of Chung Photo to capture the funny, memorable, and private moments of the couple and their first hours as husband and wife.  Backdrops of the Transamerica Pyramid, downtown San Francisco, and the historic Ferry Building became a part of this special day.

The wedding reception was held at Hong Kong Flower Lounge Restaurant in Millbrae.  The guests were greeted with an irresistible sweets table that not only had children clamoring to get their share, but there were plenty of adults with their hands in the candy jar as well.  The menu was a medley of delectable Chinese cuisine that left you wanting more.  I also had the honor to put the finishing floral touches on their tiered wedding cake from one of their favorite local Sunset bakery.  As for entertainment, the two had put together a slideshow that brought both laughter and tears to the crowd, followed by some wedding games that left the bride, groom, and their guests blushing.  The event ended with a night of dancing that put an exclamation mark on this perfect day. 

Congratulations Shirley & James!  Here are some scenes from their love story: