How to Host A #NAILEDIT Party!

I am so sorry to all of those who have been reading my blog.

It has literally been over a year since I have written here.

But it's never too late to start over again, right?

I have had so many things happen. Like this:

With a Rebel yell...

My little Rebel Rose Rudd. Born on 6/1/17.

It took awhile for me to adjust to motherhood. I took a break from being a cupcake queen and solely focused on being a mom for a little bit.  This little Rebel has been the one preventing me from sitting on my computer and sharing my life in blog format ♥. 

In the meantime, something AMAZING happened in the state of Wisconsin. A law was passed saying that I could bake out of my home kitchen for profit. So as of 2018, I gradually started to bake out of my home kitchen again and it has been a blur ever since.

I know, I know a lot of people say that you have to sacrifice everything you want for your kids. But I don't believe in that. I believe the opposite. I think you should make dreams happen for your little ones, so that you can be a happy parent, and a strong wonderful role model for your babies!  So even though it is challenging sometimes, I will not give up on this baking dream. I would love to have Rebel standing side by side with me in the kitchen, if its something she'd enjoy doing!

My big goal in my comeback as cupcake queen was to host themed cupcake decorating parties. I've made that vision come true! 

Last week, I partnered with Winemakers Daughter out of Manawa and we hosted a #NAILEDIT Party! I love that show on Netflix. I will never be as funny as Nicole Byer (the hostess of the Netflix show) so I told everyone that this was definitely the AMANDA CUPCAKE version INSPIRED by Nailed It on Netflix! So I put my own spin on it. 

My husband Kyrik joined me for this one, and he definitely stole the limelight with his charm and sense of humor (he is also wayyyy funnier than me!) He stood in as a judge and the photographer.

My friend Jamie who owns Winemakers Daughter also stood in as a judge!

The Winemakers Daughter and Cupcake Queen = Good friends to have!!!

I've really been into making unicorn cakes.

If you have been following me, I've been doing the unicorn thing since before it was super trendy. So I feel like I have an advantage, having natural glittery rainbow unicorn brains! I've been booked with a different unicorn cake almost every week since I've been back as Amanda Cupcake.

So for this NAILED IT Party... The theme was Fantasy UNICORN CAKES!

In preparation I made 50 mini rainbow cake layers for the 15 contestants, each one 4" round (so each contestant could bring home their own 3 layer rainbow cake).

My little Rebel helper. ♥

I also made this fabulous giant edible golden unicorn NAILED IT Cupcake Trophy for the WINNER!

♥

And wore my gold glitter combat boots for the occasion!

..And since I had done all the prep at home, it was everyone else's turn to "work"! I sprinkled some glitter in my wine and off I went to host and judge my first NAILED IT-Amanda Cupcake party!

The Rules. Some written by my husband, just to make it more interesting.

The thing I love most about NAILED IT on Netflix is that it is different from other reality shows. Everyone is laughing. No one gets all serious and cries. It is intense, but intensely funny. Everyone has a good time. That's what I wanted to create in our atmosphere at the winery.

The big reveal.. The unicorn cake..hidden underneath that box.

(We hid it until right before the decorating started!)

I bought these little unicorn horn suckers at the party store to try and keep it simple. I typically use fondant to sculpt my unicorn horns, but I wanted the contestants to be able to recreate their own version as easily as possible since they were paying to attend and I wanted them to go home with something they could be proud of! I also used marshmallows dipped in sugar sprinkles for the ears.

Each table was filled with frosting and palettes of sprinkles, piping bags, and all sorts of tools you could use to successfully create a mini unicorn cake!

This guy doesn't know it yet, but he won! 

We challenged this talented lady to add a rainbow mustache to her unicorn cake, just to throw her off since she seemed to have advanced unicorn cake making skills!

Clapping out of pure joy.

After an hour of decorating, each contestant showed off their creation.

And I was amazed at what they created!

It was a very tough decision.

I noticed each and every person there poured their heart and soul into their creation. Laughter filled the winery. It reminded me a lot of my times in the kitchen and what I do when I make cakes for people.

♥

 

How creative is this?!?!!? Check out that MANE! 

  A unicorn with a glittering UNIBROW!

 

2 cakes created without fancy tools...I told these ladies they were "scrappy" like Amanda Cupcake!

 She definitely has some skills! The purple hair was my fave.

....there's that rainbow mustache!!

A view of her creation close up:

 A Halloweeny unicorn! OoooH!

..And sadly this one fell apart before we got a picture of it, but it was STILL fabulous, and edible!:

The winner:

The BEARICORN!

This guy came in asking me not to put glitter in his wine. But I did it anyway. I explained that she or HE who leaves a trail of glitter behind is never forgotten! And he left with a glittery golden edible cupcake trophy. We chose the BEARICORN because our rules never said that you had to make your unicorn cake look just like mine. We said that it had to come from your heart, and we asked the contestants to create what your spirit animal unicorn cake is?

The Bearicorn spoke to my heart because it had the same kind of spirit as my husband and my little Rebel girl. My little Rebel has this furrowed eyebrow, she got it from my husband. And honestly... so did the Bearicorn. My husband and I agreed, this cake captured our hearts.

I am not really sure what everyone thought about this new side of Amanda Cupcake..

The judgey quirky side....

But I hope all of the contestants had as much fun as I did.

This will go down in history as one of my most favorite memories as a Cupcake Queen!

 A Glittery Cheers, and onto the next #NAILEDIT Party!!

Mama Cupcake

I can't believe it. I am about to be a mom.

I am 37 weeks pregnant with my little baby cupcake!
This pregnancy  has been a blur.

While growing this person, I've grown as a person (and not just my belly either).

♥My hubby and I got married & made this little baby on our wedding night in September (surprise)!

♥So then...we moved into our first home.

♥In January/February we all (my hubby, me, my little baby bump, my dad & brother) helped my mom fight for her life (and we won!)

...So I guess my body decided I needed a nap before my little one arrives.

I've been on bed rest the last week-ish, due to my heart rhythm going a little wild from all the crazy changes to the circulation in my body (afib/high blood pressure episodes). I just say that my blood is pumping so much glittery love for this little girl I've gotten to know so well since our wedding back in September.

Just for now...no cupcake baking for me..
Other than the mini cupcake baking inside of my baby bump.
I think that's enough for now, right? ♥

So even though my pregnancy hasn't been a "piece of cake"... sitting here, being still and reflecting right before my baby girl makes her debut, I would like to tell her some things:

To my daughter:(eeek, yes I have a daughter!)

You are loved.

While you've been growing in my belly, your aunt & grandma threw you a circus themed celebration where 35 of our best friends showed up to "sprinkle" you with love. Your dad & I left this circus tent up for over a month after the celebration in our dining room for several "fancy" dinners. The tent was made using dollar store tablecloths!

♥

You are surrounded by happiness & wild imagination.

This duck/walrus/unicorn pond was one of my favorite games at your celebration. I didn't want any super cheesy baby shower games. I wanted cute and colorful and happy-ness everywhere. You are going to be surrounded by a life of vibrant imaginative "bubbly" joy.

Unicorns and Disney and Sparkle Shoes in your nursery. ♥

I hope you like to bake with me.

I made your first party treats already. Over the top, over sprinkled, bedazzled cake pops.(I call them "amazeballs"). You probably won't remember, but you tasted them with me! I am looking forward to the day you create a beautiful mess of sprinkles, glitter, gooey cake batter & wipe your sticky frosting fingers all over our kitchen.

I sit in your nursery and imagine what your face will look like looking up at me from your crib.

Last weekend, a whole group of "fairy godmothers" came over and covered a wall of your nursery with hologram silver glitter.



Now that your nursery is done, it is my favorite room in the house.
When I need to relax I sit here in your nursing chair, read your children's books and imagine what it will be like when you are in the room with me! Right now it is so quiet. I know it won't stay that way for long. ♥♥♥

Your dad is sort of a nerd. ♥ In the best of ways.

(He is practicing carrying you in the Baby Bjorn here).

He really wanted you to have a Star Wars themed bedroom.
This Boba Fett print we have hanging up in your room is your dad's little touch. ♥

It's about to get real.

This is you...covering your face.
I always tell the ultrasound technician you cover your face because you want to surprise me with what you look like! Are your lips really going to be voluptuous Angelina Jolie lips like this? What are your sweet eyes going to look like when they gaze up at me with hope?

You are wiggling in my tummy right now. I can see your feet kicking. I always tell people that when you roll around in my belly I can feel your energy...it is almost like I can feel your personality! And you are a wild one. In the best of wild ways.

Soon we will meet. And neither of us know exactly what to expect. ♥ But when we exit the hospital sometime in early June, I won't be the only one leaving a trail of glitter behind anymore! You'll be there too.
(coming home outfit from Etsy shop Skylar & Me)