HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

Its been so long since i've blogged - but HAPPY HAPPY 1st birthday to my baby boy, Gabriel!!!! I can't believe how fast this year flew by. We had a week long celebration in beautiful Hiltonhead Island. We shared a HUGE home with our close family and friends and enjoyed a wonderful week together. Pictures to come soon. In the meantime, this is a picture of my beautiful baby boy enjoying his cupcakes. Photo courtesy of Blowup Babies Photography.

Pieces of New York

Last time I came home to NJ, i reserved a lot of my time for family. Mainly because both of my sisters were here and we're never ALL together at the same time. This trip, I made it a point to catch up with a lot friends i haven't seen in awhile. This week, I spent a whole day in NYC and caught up with friends and colleagues of my past. It was a great day to say the least. Amidst a long, snow-filled winter, my day in the city was sunny, bright and 65 degrees. Who could ask for anything more? I roamed the city streets at my own pace, walking in and out of shops along 8th Ave. I sat down at a corner Starbucks and drank my tall caramel macchiato while sitting along the window facing ledge - people watching.

I had a great lunch catching up with my girlfriend who i haven't seen in literally 4 years. we wandered through the brick walled building of Chelsea Market. Imagine stalls of various foods, fresh cut flowers for sale, stores selling cute knick knacks, organic stores selling home made jams and honey.

My next stop was Billy's an adorable, small bakery with CUPCAKES!!

After sharing a cupcake and taking a little coffee break with one of my fab friends we started our trek to soho.

Along our walk we couldn't help but stare at the Catherine Malandrino window. We couldn't resist the temptation and we walked inside. Beautiful clothing, beautiful designs, hefty pricetag....

We stopped my the Marc Jacobs store - loved all their accessories, their bags, jewelry, rainboots. Right across the way was BookMarc - their bookstore. This was my heaven. As much as I love accessories, i don't know why, but nothing is as beautiful as a large, colorful, coffee table book. This store had everything from The Louis Vuitton book, the YSL book, everything for all the major designers. I want!! My only problem now is, since Gabe can reach on top of the coffee table, he has access to all my books, so i'm going to have to temporarily put them away. So for now, no new books for me :(

I loved visting Tommy, Zara, Forever21, Intermix, Apple, as well as small indie boutiques. After basking in the sun, walking, and shopping in the west village and soho, i ended my day eating falafels and baklava in the park benches of Washington Square Park, by NYU.

I love my friends, I love my life. Life is good.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Stuffed Cupcakes

I made the most amazing treats to celebrate Gabe's 6 month birthday and I wanted to share the recipe with you. I got it from:


http://picky-palate.com/2009/08/17/chocolate-chip-cookie-stuffed-cupcakes/

Chocolate Chip Cookie Stuffed Cupcakes

1 box butter/yellow cake mix

1 small box instant chocolate pudding mix

4 eggs

1/2 Cup water

1/2 Cup vegetable oil

1/2 Cup sour cream

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

8 oz softened cream cheese

1 stick softened butter

3 Cups powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, water, oil and sour cream into a stand or electric mixer. Beat on medium speed for close to 2 minutes or until well combined. Scoop into 24 paper lined cupcake cups just over 1/2 full. Next, press 1 Tablespoon prepared cookie dough into the center of each cupcake batter. Bake for 18-24 minutes or until toothpick comes out mostly clean from center. Let cool completely.

2. Place cream cheese and butter into mixer, beat until well combined. Slowly add in powdered sugar until good frosting consistency then spread with cream cheese frosting or chcolate ganache.

Enjoy this tasty treat!!

Half a year of Happiness

I can't believe I'm even saying this but our little Gabriel is now 6 months old!!! Where the heck is time going?? People always say it flies by fast but you really don't realize it until it passes you by. He's growing right before our very eyes. Every morning when i pick him up from his crib i swear that he grew overnight.

He's doing so many fun things now:

- he can sit up on his own now for a few seconds

- he grabs for things on the table or toys that are farther than arms length

- he giggles all the time

- he sits in his highchair and eats his rice cereal

- he bounces around in his Baby Einstein jumper

- he can hold his baby bottle

- he loves being tickled on his tummy or being kissed a million times on his cheek

- he can squirm from one of the room to the other in less than a minute (i don't think i enjoy this very much though - lol)

- he loves reading books

- he talks and babbles all the time

- Wil and I think he says mama and dada but we have no clue if he knows what it means or if he's just saying jibberish

Its been a half year of learning so much from such a little person. But we can't wait to see what the other half of the year will bring.

So in honor of Mr. Gabe's birthday I baked CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE STUFFED CUPCAKES. They were amazing. I'll post the recipe for them as soon as I can.

Happy 6 months to my son Gabriel. Words can even explain how much i love you. Thank you for being our angel.

Sweet Tooth

I just found my new favorite spot here in Atlanta. The Atlanta Cupcake factory. Its located near the Virginia Highlands area -

and its absolutely adorable. You literally feel like a little kid

in the store staring at all the amazing colorful and yummy looking cupcakes.

I went there to other day to order some cupcakes for Gabe's baptism.

I went in thinking this was going to be like every other bakery.

But when i saw a flavor called, peanut butter chocolate bacon cupcake,

i knew this place was different. Wil of course tried this one. I got a

sugar-cookie caramel flavored cupcake. All i can say is,

i literally died and went to heaven. Both flavors were amazing.

I know, I know, you're asking, bacon?? on a cupcake?? i thought the same thing.

But i promise you, the mix of the salty and sweet flavors complimented each other. It really was that good. Atlanta Cupcake Factory, 624 Highland Ave NE, Atlanta, GAPeanutbutter, chocolate, bacon cupcake Sugar cookie caramel cupcake

Wil's pink cupcake post

So Wil saw my large cupcake post :)

And he started googling more large cupcakes. He saw this pic and decided that this was his dream cake - plus its pink - his favorite color. lol :)

(photo courtesy of visa)