birthday « gimme dem cupcakes

Posts tagged birthday

2011 in review

January 3, 2012 · Filed under nuts, other sweets · Tagged alcoholic ingredient, birthday, business, cake, chocolate, design, My Kitchen, reflection, sharing, supply and demand

I know, the Gimme Dem Cupcakes blog has been quiet, but you understand. ”Momma’s Always on Stage.” Someone asked me what I was proud of in 2011, and I’m definitely proud of my baking. Thank you all for your support.

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

A New York City subway train holds 1,200 people. This blog was viewed about 4,000 times in 2011. If it were a NYC subway train, it would take about 3 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

Other things to celebrate from 2011:

-healthy growth and love of my family

-another wonderful year with my man

-another wonderful year with the Literacy Council, promotion to bartender at Artie’s and most of all, my new part-time baker position at Sticky Fingers!

-Growing and gaining new friendships

-Dad and my sister maintaining near full-time employment!

-surviving my trip across country with my bestie Becky

-winning 2nd place Amatuer Division at the Capital Area Cake Show

-Gimme Dem Cupcakes first wedding order

-taking the goods to market, especially collaborating with Jill for the V Picnic Club at the Mount Pleasant Farmer’s market

Thank you all for an exceptional year. I wish you all a blessed 2012.

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Wet, Hot, American Summer

July 26, 2011 · Filed under favorite, Nomadic Kitchen, not vegan..., nuts, other sweets · Tagged alcoholic ingredient, birthday, family, friends, sharing, suggestions

Hi Friends. Sorry, I’ve been busy relishing in summer.

After the farmers market in May, I decided to refocus on relaxing in a bigger way! While I haven’t been baking or writing much, I have been having SO. MUCH. FUN. Making new friends and celebrating the ones we already have; travelling; running with my puppy; sweating it out on roadtrips; laughing; crying; and eating delicious, delicious food. Thank goodness for all the wonderful people in my life making all this possible! Click on the likn below and you’ll see my Mom’s business (Harmony Gardening and Sustainable Solutions), Joy’s new puppy (Sookie), my trip to Laramie to move Becky, Family Style Cantonese dinner for my birthday, #malletsarefortourists Barn Party and Crab Feast:

and some pics just from our trip to Asheville:

Some of you may be wondering where you’ll see Gimme Dem Cupcakes next, and the truth is… YOU NEVER KNOW! I’ll definitely be making an appearance at the either DC Veg Fest or DC Cupcake Camp and a Grey Market in the fall; and there have been a few other events and opportunities I just couldn’t make work yet. But as the GDC kitchen prepares to move to the district spring 2012, I’m hoping to set roots and partner with a storefront or kitchen in the area. Let me know if you have any ideas! Maybe August will actually help me get back to work… In the meantime, keep checking back here for updates and I’ll still be doing made to order!!

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Vegan Decadence Cake

July 6, 2010 · Filed under favorite, Nomadic Kitchen, other sweets, Philosophy, savory, suggestions, travel, unusual ingredients · Tagged birthday, cake, chocolate, extract, family, local color, sharing, summer

I have to say, this like many recent posts, is going the long way ’round before we ever get to the cake… Today was Katie Beckman day, aka my 26th birthday. Where am I? Who did I enjoy my birthday with? While I usually spend most Independnce days and birthdays with my immediate family or closest friends; today I was in Georgia with my boyfriend and his family. I got to meet his mom, dad, brother, sister in law, and her two little sisters (flickr album). This is my first time in GA, first time meeting his family, first time meeting a family that lives so far from me.

I’ve spent a little over a year getting to know Lars, and as much as I love him, I knew he was part of a family of good people. Our first night and day of vacation was in Athens, and while I was immeditely drawn to the open and inclusive culture of one of the country’s best college/music towns, I found myself at the edge of my seat with excitement as we drove to his family’s home in suburban Atlanta. As I entered the door, they immediately hugged me hard and made me feel so welcome and so loved. I can’ fully describe how good and how complete each moment has been, but I feel incredibly blessed. I hope for more, but I’m so satisfied for what is now.

We’ve had a wonderful few days, and today, they celebrated my birthday with me. Lars’s mom has been very accommodating to my dietary decisions, and today was no exception. She prepared a gorgeous cake, the oh so decadent Death by Vegan Chocolate cake from The Grit cookbook. Accented with blackberries and served with one of the delicious teas, I was surprised to open a great collection of records to accompany the new record player from Lars.

The evening was punctuated with family stories, music, and delicious food. I can’t believe we leave Wednesday, but I feel like this has been the most relaxing vacation I can remember. Every year feels like I’m more and more me, and I’m lucky to have the company of such wonderful, wonderful people. I hope I remember how much I love them, however long they’re in my life.

I hope as you read this post, maybe you can have some idea of how special it is to love, and then fall in love a little deeper. Please remember, I love you all and know I send you lots of happy thoughts! As soon as Lars posts bday pictures, you’ll have a better idea of the cake and Jude’s wonderful culinary skills.

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Soak it up

June 25, 2010 · Filed under favorite, local color, My Kitchen · Tagged birthday, garden, grow, Philosophy, summer, travel

It’s late afternoon at the office; I’m listening to Buena Vista Social Club and I’ve taken the evening off Artie’s… left with the itch to hop on my bike and ride until I feel like jumping in the pool back at the apartment. This week, I have been a weird kind of exhausted-fine to go, go, go all day, then when my head hits the pillow, I’m out. Deep sleep that fights the morning’s light with heavy eyelids and a heavy head, frequently ignoring alarms. Heavy like the Virginia summer. Borderline steamy, the air frequently hangs until a passing car stirs it with even hotter exhaust. As I prepare for my vacation down to Georgia with Lars next week, I feel affected by the weather and I think about what it is to be Southern and to slow down for your environment; to be a culture of people who are pacing themselves, and savoring the hot air that ripens the fruits. Maybe I’m being too romantic. Maybe the hot yoga has reminded me to worship the heat. In any case, I’m loving it after the severe cold and snow we had all winter.

Tomorrow, I take my annual trip down to the berry farm to harvest my favorite blackberries and I will be sure to post all the vegan goodies I prepare as a result. You can expect a few pictures of kt in the bushes or just laying in the grass, generally being eaten up by bugs and havinga good time. I hope I’ll get to share the fruits of this beautiful Virginia summer with you.

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Spread like icing on a cupcake

November 23, 2009 · Filed under favorite, Nomadic Kitchen · Tagged birthday, business, favorite, new recipe, toppings, travel

Homies, last week was a little emotional to say the least. But at the root of the matter, a totaled car can’t stop the haphazard kt machine. Even though Can can, the sex machine that she is, has aged gracefully, one good punch can lay any of us out. While I wait for the inspection sticker to expire, I wonder if I really need a car at all and maybe even I can quit Artie’s… In the end, everyone is safe and in the mean time Can can’ll get me around for local cupcake deliveries and work, so I’ve got no reason not to smile.

So let’s start with the happy making! Yesterday I got to visit my bestie, Becky down in Harrisonburg, and it was a gorgeous drive and a great day for birthday celebrations. Of course I made cupcakes. Dad lent me his car, I had the wonderful company of Jaz. We were starving when we got there so we all went out for a great brunch. Afterwards, Dean and Becky kicked our butts at Balderdash. (Flamingo balls and slow dancing). And who knew Adventures in Babysitting was such an awesome coming of age in a racially and class divided Chicago!?

I plan to let the rest of the week continue the trend of giving, sharing, and loving. Tomorrow, I have baking night with my favorite Artie’s bakers. Wednesday, I have two cupcake orders in the bag (Chocolate Peppermint x2 and Dreamsicle) and I plan to start my break early and do a half day Wednesday so I can relax before I have all my family together Thursday. And Saturday, I dedicate to my lovely Jenny V who is home from grad school. Even though I’m busy, who can’t love life with so many lovelies to make cupcakes for.

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Where you been, girl?!

September 8, 2009 · Filed under Nomadic Kitchen, travel · Tagged alcoholic ingredient, birthday, favorite, other sweets, unusual ingredients

So I actually took a vacation. No really. I stopped working for almost 3 whole weeks this summer. It was amazing to feel my own thoughts again, really! I’ll never take it for granted again!!

I took a week for my birthday. I spent time with my lil sis and family friends at the beach and closed the weekend with my mom and some besties camping. Becky surprised ME with cupcakes(thank you for the pictures, Lars!):

bake me a cake About a month later, I took two weeks to head west and see Portland, Seattle and Los Angeles. Amazing thrift shops, food, transportation, and lifestyles in general! Being away from my own kitchen didn’t stop me from baking. Nomad style, I anticipated my locations and hosts ( I stayed for free with friends). I made peanut butter chocolate while I stayed in PDX with Babbie and then had a great time doing some fresh from the garden grilling in Seattle! LA is not a cupcake wasteland, I hear a lot of people are getting by on cupcake diets! I just ran out of money and sight-seeing time. However, the Pacific Northwest definitely stole my heart. Now I understand why Isa moved there and Cakespy has so much to talk about. (: