The One With All the Cupcakes {And Easter too}

Happy Easter friends! We had a fabulous day with our family and I hope you did too! Our morning started with a hunt around our house for the boys' Easter baskets! {Hiding them never gets old!} :) And I'm glad that the boys still enjoy searching for them!

After our morning, it was off to see my family!

My family lives near L.A. so I knew one stop we had to make on our way to their house...

The Sprinkles Cupcake ATM

That's right! There is only ONE Cupcake ATM in the world and it is minutes from my parent's home! Need I say more? Why bring flowers on Easter Sunday when you can bring a cupcake? :):)

Here are some fun photos of our mini adventure. 

I have seen pictures of 50-60 people at a time waiting in line to get a cupcake at this ATM. Today, there was only ONE person! (Yeah!)

 

{It was a sunny morning, so they even had a girl standing outside with an umbrella to shade the guests!} :)

After you purchase your cupcake, the ATM video screen shows how the machine magically grabs your cupcake of choice and delivers it right into your hand! {Almost - it feels that magical! :)} If you want a video of how the ATM really works, click here!

Here is the ATM:

That little round tube turns around and opens up for you to get your cupcake!

Be careful though -- if you stop to take a picture you'll be fine. But if you don't like the first picture you took and stop to take a SECOND picture, you might almost lose a hand as the cupcake turnstile begins to move with your cupcake still in it and then you try to grab that little box before it disappears... {ahem} yeah, so be careful! ;-)

I think I'm a little TOO happy to have a cupcake in my hand! lol

{Hello! I just noticed someone's head is ABOVE my shoulder. Whaaaat?}

Of course, you could also go INSIDE the Sprinkles cupcake shop like a regular person ;-) There's lots of eye candy in there too!

My boys got the S'mores cupcake and the Milk Chocolate. I got the Chocolate Marshmallow cupcake for myself and the Black & White and Red Velvet cupcakes as gifts! I really can't recommend a certain flavor because they were ALL good!!

{Chocolate Marshmallow Cupcake}

If you want to find a Sprinkles Cupcakes near you click here: Sprinkles Cupcakes!

But the only one with an ATM is in Beverly Hills. :)

{PS - Sprinkles Cupcakes is actually on Santa Monica Blvd. about a block from Rodeo Drive; I just loved this picture!}
 

After our little cupcake detour - we spent the rest of the afternoon with my family. We had delicious food {thanks mom!}, more Easter treats, movies and just a GREAT time! My boys and I talked about Jesus and the Easter story and why it's not all about candy and Easter baskets. Each year they get older, I think the story starts to sink in a little more. :) I also love that what we remember from Easter and days like this is not just the cupcakes, or the Easter baskets and treats. Our favorite moments are always the TIME we get to spend with the ones we love. TIME is more valuable than any cupcake or Easter basket could ever be. Especially when you spend your time like this!

Happy Easter friends!

The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you."
So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples.{Matt.28}

Spring Flower Table Runner

Spring has sprung! While I'm not in a hurry to take down ALL of my green St. Paddy's day decor just yet, {I kinda like it!} ;-) Little bits of spring have started showing up around my house. {Add to the fact that it has been 80 degrees this week! Woo! Spring is here!} One of the first items I set out this year was my Flower Table Runner:

It's one of my favorite spring decorations and I thought I would share with you how to make it! You probably have most of the supplies already - and once you do - it takes only minutes to make!

First, you will need:

• Faux Flowers {I bought mine on sale at Michaels}
• 8-10 ft. of 1 1/2" - 2" wide ribbon {I used 1 3/4" light green -- use thicker ribbon for larger flowers}
• A glue gun
• 2 Safety Pins

1.  Lay out the length of ribbon you would like -- I used about 8ft. so it would hang about 8-10" off each side of my table. Cut the ribbon to fit your table length.
2. Set the flowers in an arrangement along the center of the ribbon. Try to vary color and sizes until you get the pattern and look you want.

3. Once the flowers are arranged how you like, hot glue them on! {I hot glued the 2 end flowers first, so I knew where I wanted each end to stop. I left room for about 18-20" of ribbon on each end of the runner so I could put a place setting there if I wanted and it would still hang off the end of my table neatly.}

4. After the glue has set, you can set the ribbon on your table as is, or safety pin it to your current table runner! I like the versatility of switching out the ribbon and flowers for different seasons!

I love how this table runner sits low on my table so I can see across and talk to my kids and my guests!

In fact, after I made my table runner, I pulled out this bunting I made last year. Here's a little sneak peak of more decor to come --

How about you? What's the first spring decoration you set out in your home?

Join the party!!




Linking up at: Tidy Mom; Delightful Order; At the Picket Fence; Fingerprints on the Fridge; 30 Days; Tatertots and Jello; DIY Showoff;

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Easter Egg Gnomes

Once upon a time there were garden gnomes, but I think these little Easter Egg Gnomes are way cuter! I was Etsy window shopping a while a back {I REALLY wish I could remember the shop name!} :o/ and saw a post for wool egg hats and thought -- hmm, I could make those! (I didn't have wool, but I had felt!) So, here is my version:

 I put the hats on eggs from my refrigerator, but now I want some wooden/decor eggs so I can have these little gnomes hanging around ALL the time! :o)


Here is a VERY easy tutorial on how to make these little guys! {I was almost too tired to post a tutorial, but seriously, these are so easy to make, they take about 5-10 minutes!} So here you are:

1. You will need:
~Felt {Pardon my wrinkled felt} :o)
~A Glue Gun
~Scissors
~A Sharpie {Only if you want cute little smiles on your gnomes too} :o)

 2. Cut out a 6" (approx.) diameter circle. You can trace with a pencil or use a compass. {Neither of which I put in the 'you will need'. Oops!} Then cut about a 2 1/2-3" pacman-like wedge out of it. {Shown below are two different color felt sections cut out, just for the visual.}

Finally, roll your felt into a cone shaped hat. The point of your wedge is the point of the hat and the outer circumference of the circle is the bottom of the hat. {I forgot to take a picture of this step because I was so excited to make the hat!} Hot glue your cone flap so it doesn't unroll and then place your little hats on Easter Eggs! Gnome Hats + Eggs = Pretty Darn Cute! :o)

Inspired by The Girls at eighteen25

Got pickles? Well, pickle JARS, that is. The Girls at eighteen25 had a creative idea for a pickle jar and candlestick makeover! Click here to see their awesome tutorial on how to make it! Here's my version: 

 For me, I used 1 glass candlestick and 2 silver candlesticks. The glass candlesticks = easy to spray paint white. The silver candlesticks were a little more stubborn. Thankfully the girl at Michaels warned me so I had some primer on hand, and then the paint stuck on just right! I also spray painted the lids, then hot glued the jars on top and voilá! Pretty, right? 

Okay, now the 'behind-the scenes' TRUTH girls. 1. I picked up one of these candlestick jars to take this picture and the jar fell OFF the candlestick and rolled down my stairs. I set it back on top to take the picture, then fixed it. {Note to self: use more hot glue.}  2. I had everything in the jars in my cupboard already, except Easter grass, & was too tired to make it, so I used dry pasta nests under the eggs & bunnies, and 3. I don't eat pickles... so... anyone know what I can do with a TUB full of kosher dills? :o)

**Updated May 31st:
Just 'redecorated' the jars for Memorial Day and 4th of July!!!!

From L-R: I used licorice, blue & white filler marbles and 3 beaded necklaces (1 red, 1 silver, 1 blue) layered. (Another Target $1 spot find!) The licorice was a last minute jar stuffer -- I wanted something red & that's all I had. I'm afraid my kids are beginning to think that candy is for decorating and not eating any more! {But, there's nothing wrong with that, right?} :o) Thanks for looking! 
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