Free For All Friday: Cupcake Mania

And the winner of the drawing from yesterday's Taking a Stand and Making a Statement treat is... Kelly from Montana!!!  Congratulations, Kelly!  Be looking for it in the mail. 

Today is Friday.  But, not just any run-of-the-mill-Friday.  Today Cheryl and I leave on an evening flight to Philadelphia, where finally we get to top off our Taste of USA Contest.  For those of you new to our site... Taste of USA is a ten-week highlowaha contest that ran from May to July.  The challenge was to show your state pride, while having the largest number of people create the most compelling argument for why we should visit your state.  Philadelphia won and we are thrilled to be visiting.  Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches are in our near future.

Our dream would be to have all of you with us, but since that isn't possible, we've come up with a way to bring some of the experience to you.  Check in early tomorrow to find out how you can get in on a piece of the fun.

Today is a free for all, meaning... you the readers get to talk about whatever you want.  Let us help you brainstorm a theme, a gift idea, a decorating dilemma.  You name it.  In the spirit of "free for all-ing," I thought I would cap off our celebration of the cupcake with a hodge podege of final cupcake thoughts.  Here we go in no particular order:

Target: Right now.  This very minute.  Target has a line of bath products in their dollar bins (lotion, foot rubs, etc...) that have cute cupcake logos on top.  The packaging is great and the lotion flavors sound yummy.  Could be a fun party favor for your cupcake picnic.  They also have matching note pads.  I got one of those for each of the woman coming to my cupcake picnic (this morning at 8:45 a.m.).

Websites:  Should you think we are the only group of people who could talk about cupcakes for a week straight... WRONG.  There are, in fact, a couple of websites devoted exclusively to this topic.  One in particular is, Cupcakes Take the Cake.  All cupcakes, all the time.  Check it out.  It's fun, fun, fun.  You realize, of course, this means you can have a cupcake picnic in any state at any time.  Just check their site for the best shops around.

Hello Cupcake:  One night Richard and I were in Barnes and Noble killing time before a movie.  I spotted the book, Hello Cupcake, and got so wrapped up in it, we nearly missed the movie.  The pages of this book literally turn simple cupcakes into art.  One of the things that resonated with me is the recipes do not look completely unattainable (and that's coming 

from me... the woman who actually posted a picture of her horrible looking cupcake cake).  I immediately wrote away to the authors and asked if they would send me a copy to give away on my blog.  Kudos to them.  They said, "yes."  So, today I will away a copy of this book.  I might add, the authors also have a website and a blog.  They run a contest each month, allowing readers to enter their cupcakes into a Hello Cupcake contest.  I'm toying with the idea of how highlowaha can plug into their fun.  Check it out and let me know what you think.

Still thinking about how to give away the coveted book.  I'll figure it out before I sign off for the day.

Notecards:  Aaahhh, Peggy.  I love Peggy and her beautiful notecards.  We have been scheming.  Right after National Ice cream Month, I commissioned Peggy to make me a series of cupcake notecards.  She did and they are in my hot little hand, as I write.  It's hard, but I am planning to part with them today.  Last week I encouraged everyone to take advantage of Amnesty Day (the day you could simply post your address and I would write it on a postcard and put it in the Random Act of Kindness Box for you).  Many of you took me up on it.  You should be smiling right now, as I have decided to draw a name from the box to determine the recipient of the notecards.  And the winner is...  Sandy from Gainesville, Florida.  Congratulations, Sandy.  How about using one to invite another friend to a cupcake picnic? 

Pillars:  If you've spent any time around me whatsoever, you know one of my mottos is "Packaging is everything."  That's why I love these pillars.  These pillars elevate (literally) the simple cupcake and showcase them in a way a paper plate or birthday napkin can't.  I love the possibilities of these pillars.  Imagine one sitting on the desk of a colleague with a fun note or card.  For less than $5.00, including the cupcake, you could give a friend or colleague a meaningful birthday treat. So much better than spending $10.00 on something less thoughtful just so you're not empty handed.   I have a set of four pillars that I also intend to give away today.  Back to the RAK box.  Frustrated you don't have an address in there?  It's not too late... just write your address (name not even necessary) on a postcard.  Put a .27 cent stamp on it and mail to 4012 Harvestwood Court, Grapevine, Texas 76051.  We're never far from the next drawing, so don't waste time.  And the next lucky winner is... Crystal M. from Georgia!

Wedding Cupcakes:  Thank you, Tera for passing along this picture from her recent wedding.  ... Another great example of the beauty of a cupcake.

Oh, now for the book.  How shall I give it away?  Cupcake recipe?  Tell me about your cupcake picnic? First post of the day?  Last post of the day?  Gosh the possibilities are endless. How about using the word "cupcake" as a framework for sharing the highs, lows, and ahas of your week.  Submit one and your name will go in a drawing for the book... to occur from the hotel in Philly at 11:00 p.m.  As for me... 

• Celebrating cupcakes and my creative friend Amy (high)
  
• Unusually cool weather for September, on Thursday morning (high)
  
• Philadelphia here I come! (high)
  
• Chicago... the place where my husband had to be on business most of the week (low)
  
• Absence of any physical activity... all week! (low)
  
• Keeping mentally and physically fit takes effort (aha) 
  
• Everything takes longer than one expects! (aha)
  

Signing off until tomorrow...