friday favorites | cakes, cupcakes, and party ideas

With Mother's Day rapidly approaching and graduation season about to get into full swing (not to mention that it's birthday season for my family right now, too, with lots of peeps celebrating), I thought that I'd change things up a little for this week's Friday Favorites and do a full post of cakes, cupcakes, and party ideas. Some are fancy, some are practical, and all are just plain fun, so let's get started!

 

From the top left:

• This donut tower by Shauna Younge puts a fresh spin on the traditional tiered cake or even cupcake tower. 
• Confetti may be a huge trend in scrapbooking right now, but it's been hot with the party planning crown for quite some time. Check out this sweet confetti-themed birthday party at The Sweetest Occasion for just one fun example of the trend.
• These mini cakes are surprisingly easy to make- learn how at Oh Happy Day.
• Amy Atlas provides a list of candies along with descriptions as a reference for those creating dessert buffets.
• I'm obsessed with rainbows right now, so of course I had to include the rainbow cake pops from Munchkin Munchies!
• This frosting technique looks complicated, but isn't. Get the scoop at In Katrina's Kitchen.
• A color palette is often the starting point for planning a party, and this pretty purple example from Amy Atlas' blog is just one example.
• Want more frosting hints? Shauna Younge posted a great cupcake frosting tutorial on her blog.
• If you're a fan of DIY decorations, these surprise lanterns from Oh Happy Day might be right up your alley.

TTFN!