Spring Sweets

Though it already feels like summer down here in sweltering ol' Florida, I'm determined to make the most of this "Spring" thing. (So long as it doesn't involve leaving the house, of course. Have you SEEN the pollen levels out there? HAVE YOU? Poor John is a one-man sneeze machine.)

Ahem.

So, yeah, in honor of Spring I plan to revel in sweet pastels...

By The Pastry Studio

And cutey-patootie lady bugs...

By Kimmy's Kakes

And even a little gardening!

Made by Jean D.

FYI: Oreo crumb "dirt" is my favorite kind of dirt.

 

Oh, and I couldn't decide which gardening cake I liked better, so here, have two:

By Truly Custom Cakery

Mmmm...edible garden tools.

 

I don't wear heels very often, and to be honest I'm not all that fond of shoe cakes...but this is the exception:

By We Love Yan's Cakes

Open mouth: insert shoe.

Seriously, this sweet Jimmy Choo shoe makes me think sugar and spice and everything frilly, girly, and nice. Perfect for a garden party where everyone's sipping tea out of delicate porcelain teacups like this:

Submitted by Emily B. and made by All About Cake

Except these teacups aren't porcelain; they're sugar. WOWZA.

 

And what garden is complete without a birdhouse?

By Sweet On Cake

(I can't get over that weathered "wood" fence and the "metal" roof. Amazing.)

 

And we can't forget Spring's main attraction: the flowers!

By Spring Lake Cake

Just when you thought a cake couldn't get any better, you go and learn that the butterflies are made of chocolate. I repeat: THE BUTTERFLIES ARE MADE OF CHOCOLATE.

Man, I love Spring.

 

And you'll never believe it, but these flowers are made of sugar paste:

Submitted by Alison M.; baker unknown. Spotted at the Sydney Royal Easter Show 2011.

 

And this is actually cake!

Submitted by Isabella, made by Williams-Sonoma

Well, ok, the missing slice helps make it a bit more believable.

 

If you follow me over on my other blog, Epbot, then you know I've had cherry blossoms on the brain lately. So naturally, I couldn't resist this slice of heaven:

By Small Things Iced

By the way, for all of you in the DC area admiring the cherry blossoms right now: I am so jealous.

 

Spring weddings always have the cleanest, freshest style:

Made by Julie D.

 

And finally, let's go out with a Sweet Spring-splosion!

By Sharon Wee Creations

Those flowers may look freshly cut, but they're actually painstakingly hand crafted from sugarpaste. The cake itself is fondant-free, though, and I have to say I'm really digging that texture. Absolutely gorgeous.

 

Hope you enjoyed my pollen-and-allergen-free Spring Sweets! Happy Sunday!

******

Spring also means spring-cleaning, and this storage chain I featured two years ago in Epbot's "10 Clever Ways To Display Plush Toys" is still a best-seller:

Toy Chain Organizer

You can use it to clip up toys, hats, scarves, gloves, greeting cards - anything lightweight you can fit a clip around. For about $15 it's a great way to use awkward spaces in closets, behind doors, or even swagged over a bed or desk.

*****

And from my other blog, Epbot: