Sugar and spice...

...that's what little girls are made of!  So the rhyme goes anyway.  Coming from a household full of boys, pink and flowery are two adjectives seldom used in sentences around our dinner table.  Don't get me wrong, I love all things feminine--clothes, shoes, nail polish, pillows, duvet covers...--but I'm on my own in that.  And of course we have three nephews, so no dresses and bows being purchased for Birthdays or Christmas either.  Most of our friends have sons, and the few babies we know being born are boys as well.  Hmmm....

As I said in my previous post, the only other one I've composed, we recently moved to a new duty station with the Army.  Imagine my surprise after unpacking and finally getting around to meet neighbors, there are more girls than boys on the street.  Little girls, dressed in "the" cutest little outfits, toting stuffed animals while running up and down the street screaming.  Ahhhh, heaven on lower Totten St.  The best part being that I can get my fix by chatting about ponies and purple and come back inside to soccer and calm.  

Since moving in, one family has had a parent deploy--mom.  They have three little ones, and dad--retired military--stays home with them.   On occasion the two girls come over to bake with me, something they miss doing with their mom.   I absolutely love it!  And I love hearing them tell me their favorite things to bake with her and what they'll make when she returns.  

Boxed and ready to go

Yesterday was the middle daughters birthday--she turned 6--and I decided to take them cupcakes.  I've been wanting to try this recipe from Magnolia Bakery,  so what better reason.  Of course they were frosted in pink and sprinkled with candy flowers.  We kept a few for us, and delivered two boxes and a bundle of pretty balloons to them before dinner.  They were so excited to see us, so much so that the youngest disappeared around the corner and returned with a piece of construction paper clad in foam letters and pirate stickers.  Did I say Heaven already??  As promised, it now resides on our fridge, where I haven't had child art in some time.   Melt....

I tried my best to create the frosting "swirl" that sets Magnolia cupcakes apart, but after watching the video twice, I just don't have 40 extra hours.  Be sure and let me know if you master it!!!

Dessert for us