Goliath!

Fri, November 6 2009

Is my cat, my younger but bigger cat (who loves the laptop) with a cute little pooch below his tummy. I don’t know why he’s chubby (or why he refuses to realize it and tries to sit on my shoulder anyway). He plays fetch a lot. He runs around like he’s hearing voices and he is constantly crawling over us humans. He doesn’t even seem to eat more than Phantom. Maybe he just needs a little kitty treadmill or some fat burner pills so tone himself up. He’s still cute either way. I think you’ll agree. I really wish I had a great picture of him alone but, for some unexplainable reason (are you noticing a trend with my mystery cat?), I can’t take good pictures of him.

A Tale of Two Cupcakes

Thu, November 5 2009

There are two cupcake bakeries here in San Antonio and I’ve had the pleasure to visit them both. The first I headed to was Cupcake Couture because it actually had a website I could find, you know with info. It was a little harder to come across information about Cupcake Junction but, as it turns out, it’s much closer to us whereas Cupcake Couture is Across town. I’ll run down the most important aspects of each of these shops.

Store Presentation/Ambiance

Cupcake Couture definitely has a more “upscale” logo while Cupcake Junction’s sign is many-coloured and fun. CC was a small shop with a few tables but it was so tight I would have felt cramped and uncomfortable had we stayed to eat. It was also clean and barren to the point of feeling institutionalized. Cupcake Junction was decorated for Halloween when we went in and was a bit bigger so I would have been more comfortable eating there.

Selection/Flavours

Cupcake Couture had between 6 and a dozen options that included red velvet, carrot and “Couture” a filled chocolate cupcake. I specifically remember thinking the flavours were all a bit underwhelming and the selection wasn’t as varied as I’d hope. I had a red velvet cupcake which was good but.. typical. On the other hand, Cupcake Junction has at least a dozen flavours including chocolate peanut butter, chocolate cheesecake, amaretto and black and white (all of which we had). I had a hard time choosing; everything looked good. My amaretto was super impressive! What really makes CJ stand out, though, is the build your own cupcake bar. There are some plain, frosted cupcakes that you can take to the bar to add your own toppings like sprinkles and fudge. This makes it a great place for a small party and you can even rent out the bar for your events.

Value

We paid around $5 for two cupcakes at Cupcake Couture. Ryan thought this was a better deal than he expected and I thought it was worse. LOL At Cupcake Junction, 4 cupcakes were available for $9. The prices are comparable but CJ’s cupcakes are jumbo which makes them a much better value.

Extras

Cupcake Couture didn’t offer much besides the cupcakes and the drinks. You go there with a purpose. Cupcake Junction had other treats like brownies and cookies and rice krispie treats (in ghosty shapes!) plus drinks and the build-your-own-cupcake bar. you can special order custom cakes at both bakeries. It does seem like Cupcake Couture has a leg up in cake design.

Website

Both shops have a website and it’s super easy to find Cupcake Couture online using Google. I couldn’t find a website for Cupcake Junction at all; although, they do have one because I saw a sign for it in the shop. They just aren’t doing great with SEO and such. Hands down, Cupcake Couture has the better website but website alone does not take the cake. ;)

Final Thoughts

Overall, Cupcake Junction was more fun, more comfortable and a better value if all you want it a cupcake but Cupcake Couture did one thing better; their frosting covers the entire top of the cupcake. CJ’s frosting is a thick twist in only the center and doesn’t reach the edges. I’m the sort of person who needs to have frosting (or butter or mayo or whatever other sauce) reach the edge of whatever it’s on. This doesn’t make CC the better shop, however; you still get a jumbo cupcake from Cupcake Junction. For custom cakes, I’d probably go with Cupcake Couture, instead.

You and Me, Both

Wed, November 4 2009

Earlier I was talking to Jenn and we were commiserating over our dislike of cleaning. She was scrubbing her grout, a job I particularly hate and skim over (oop!). I’m not a big fan of scrubbing anything, period. The practical part of me never wants tile anything but the part of me which appreciates design cannot help but look at some of the options available for tile flooring or walls or showers or what-have-you and say “I want that!” Some of the options they have are so unique/gorgeous and really blow our basic shower tile out of the water (haha). Good thing it’s all out of my price range and I don’t own my home, eh?

Informal Etsy Reviews

Tue, November 3 2009

I thought I’d post a few reviews of items I’ve purchased from Etsy and my experience with those sellers. Of course, I can’t really send you off to buy the exact same thing as I already purchased them and many Etsy items are one of a kind.

First up – KatieDidItGlass has been a wonderful and understanding seller. I bought one of her amazing candle flowers, in amber and I loved it. Unfortunately, the cats love to chase eachother under the decorator table it was on and knocked it over a few too many times. It basically became flat as the candle holder is not meant to be cat-handled like that. I contacted her about a new one and agreed to send the pieces back for her to fix at a discounted price. The candle flower as arrived and is still in its box, unopened until I clear out Halloween decorations. I see no reason to subject it to abuse just yet. I cannot recommend KatieDidItGlass any higher! The glass art is beautiful (right now she has candle flowers, ornaments, earrings and more all made of gorgeous stained glass) and functional and, as a seller, I am highly impressed!

I also purchased some Vanilla Almond Amaretto – Fluffy Whipped Body Frosting from Etsy seller ScentedLuxuries. I had gotten some whipped body lotion from another company but it was kind of lame smelling. It did make me realize that I love whipped lotions so I hopped on to Etsy. I wanted something Cherry/Almond scented and settled on the Vanilla Almond Amaretto. It’s super fluffy and whipped and actually a bit thinner than I expected. The stuff I had been using was almost hard. OF course, this light formula is not greasy at all and the smell is not quite what I expected but good nonetheless. It’s a bit heavy on vanilla with undertones of Almond and Amaretto. I would probably use a bit less vanilla so the smell is a bit more balanced. ScentedLuxuries carries many more items that are scented like body mists, candles, essential oils, lip gloss and body wash, just to name a few!.

Both of these Etsy sellers have a lot of unique offerings and I would buy from them again.