Tag Archives: cake

Love This Valentine’s Date Night Look As Much as I Love Frosting!

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I love frosting. A lot.

Love this look more than frosting!

So, to say, I love this look – created with these products – as much as I love frosting means it’s super delicious.

Two of my faves one cake stand: Makeup & cake! *makeup details below/cakelet ℅ Beverly's Best Bakery

And just in time! It’s the perfect makeup look for your Valentine’s look this year!

Easy bronze, smoky eyes with bronzed, chiseled cheekbones, full & defined brows and frosty baby pink lips.

Easy bronze, smoky eyes, bronzed cheekbones, defined brows and frosty baby pink lips

 

And did I say how easy it is?

*On the eyes:

1) Charlotte Tilbury Colour Chameleon in Amber Haze ($27) – Apply the crayon from crease to lash line and blend with brush. Then, use the crayon to color in the bottom lash line.

2) Charlotte Tilbury The Dolce Vita Luxury Palette ($52) – Apply the glitter shadow (bottom left) over the Amber Haze pencil.

3) Charlotte Tilbury Rock’N’Kohl Eye Cheat Iconic Liquid Eye Pencil ($27) -Apply in inner corners to brighten the eyes, making them appear wider and brighter! It’s also great to apply the lower waterline when you want to brighten the eye and make your defined lash line look even more defined.

4) L’Oreal Voluminous Miss Manga Volumizing Mascara ($7.99) – stretches those lashes from root to tip to extend and plump. Apply to top and bottom lashes.

*On the brows: 5) L’Oreal Brow Stylist Plumper ($8.99) – Brush it up and across!

*On the cheeks: 6) Jouer Cosmetics Luminizing Liquid Highlighter in Golden Light ($39) – applied on orbital bone and upper cheekbone

7) NYX Cosmetics Baked Blush in Passion ($7) – Apply under cheekbones and on apples of cheeks for a bronzed glow with a bit of peach.

8) On the Lips: Pixi Beauty Tinted Brilliance Balm in Lucent Glow ($14)

All together, you get one sexy, smoldering date-night look!

xoxo,
BF

BF Asks: What look are you donning for Valentine’s Day? 

 

 

 

 

The Sweet Life with Dawn McCoy: A Magical Day at Magnolia Bakery

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My heart belongs to Magnolia Bakery. So when I got the opportunity to visit one of my favorite places for a little frosting lesson and fun, I jumped at the chance. Find out how the frosting experts at Magnolia get that “signature swirl”, see if I can replicate it and see what other emotions their delicious treats stir up for me. A magical day at Magnolia, indeed. Join me for a taste…

 

Now, isn’t THAT the sweetest?
xoxo,
BF

Looking Back – How BeautyFrosting Was Born

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BF Turns 2 Bloggiversary Party Co-Hosted by HomeGoods & Hope At Home - fashion illustration by Kara Endres of Sprinkles in Springs and cake by Magnolia Bakery - Photo by Takahiro Watanabe

When I started this little adventure called BeautyFrosting 2 years ago, I had no idea what I was doing. I had never written a blog. Actually, I had never even really read a blog! I mean they seemed like such a fad and, um, who had the time?
How BeautyFrosting came to be.
Then one day I found myself in Dallas sitting at our fave family spot, Mi Cocina, pondering the possibility of moving home from LA to Dallas. I was at the lowest point of my life having ended a 7-year relationship and having left my job that I’d had for years with Barbra Streisand as her personal shopper. I was down, depressed and my life wasn’t looking so beautiful.
I was searching for an answer and I found it while talking to my mom and one of my oldest, best friends – Kristin Merritt Liles. We were talking about beauty, baking and how much I love connecting with people and came up with the crazy idea of starting a place of positivity and light filled with all of the people and things I love so much. From that little, crazy nugget of an idea, BeautyFrosting was born.
Looking back, I realize that this one little leap of faith gave birth to so much. In the months following, I hit the ground running. I researched blogs that had similar aesthetics to my own, learned about the best ways to start a blog and would spend hours on Pinterest getting very clear about what exactly I wanted BeautyFrosting to be about.

Celebrating BF Turns 2 with dear friends - photo by Drunken Pixel

Introduce yourself to people, be kind and be clear about what you want.
Knowing what I know now, I realize that folks must have thought that I had some major cajones – or maybe they just thought I was naive. I was told repeatedly by brands and other bloggers that I was doing it all wrong – backwards even. I was building the brand and consulting the PR before the blog had even been written or made its online debut. But I was doing it my way and it just made sense to me. After all, why would anyone (brand, person or otherwise) want to work with me if they didn’t even know who I was? Yep, that’s where my southern sensibility comes in. Whether it seemed smart or not, pr agencies and brands that I still work with have told me since that they worked me simply because I seemed charming and honest. So there ya go, folks – charm and honesty are the way to go!
Work with the talented people you already have around you.
Rather than be yet another blog to hit the already-saturated market, I decided to spend 4 months sending emails and making phone calls to hundreds of pr agencies and brands. I decided to pool my brain trust of dear, talented and creative friends to create a blog on a budget that was literally less than $200.
I created a logo and branding template – that would shape the entire blog and brand – thanks to my talented best friend and former roommate, Vanessa York of Shindig Shoppe. After all, who could understand my aesthetic better than my best friend who had lived with me for 2 years? I asked my talented photographer friend, Amy Opoka, if she would take my profile photos for the site and she did an amazing job of executing my vision on a shoestring budget.
This early experience taught me how crucial it is to collaborate with the talents of those you know best. I learned to always ask because the worst that could happen is that they say no. By the way, no one ever said no.

With my BeautyFrosting logo and graphics goddess - and best friend - Vanessa York of Shindig Shoppe - photo by Drunken Pixel

Celebrate every milestone in life.
Ask my mom and she’ll tell you – I love celebrating and I love me a party. Even as a child, I would try to find reasons to celebrate every occasion. My Barbies were getting married? Let’s throw a wedding! I got an A on a test? Let’s have a tea party! I made the cheerleading squad? Let’s have a tex-mex party! So in true Dawn-fashion, I decided to throw a Cupcakes and Cocktails debut party here at my house to celebrate the debut of the blog before anyone had even seen it. Besides being a precious affair, we brought out the laptop and let friends and former coworkers get a sneak peek at what BeautyFrosting would be. I really think a lot of things got rolling because of the choice to celebrate this little milestone. And celebrating milestones is a great way to remember the gratitude every step along the way.

Celebrate the milestones - and little victories - along the way - Photo by Drunken Pixel

Most important lesson learned on this journey? Don’t be afraid to be a fool.
Was I fearful of starting a brand new chapter of my life? Hell, yes. But you get past the fear, accept that you may indeed be a fool and get past yourself. I asked pr companies to send samples before I even knew what that meant. I asked friends to devote hours of their time and because I believed in this so much, they believed in it and wanted to be part of it, as well. And I realized that it was more important to appear confident than it was to have 1 million readers. I have never been more proud of anything…and that’s coming from someone who was never raised to be proud. This blog has literally changed my life and I am so much better because of it.
Most Importantly…Thank YOU.
I know that I am nothing without all of you guys – my readers and social media followers – finding interest in what I write about, take pictures of and who I am. So, I want to thank each and every one of you who read this every day, like my pictures on Instagram and Facebook and tweet at me. (By the way, 2 years ago, I had no idea about what any of that was – that’s how much things can change in 2 years.) I have a feeling that the next 2 years will bring even more exciting change and I hope that you will be there for my journey every step of the way. You have made my hearts so full.

Cutting the cake and celebrating 2 years of BeautyFrosting - thanks to YOU!! Photo by Takahiro Watanabe

xoxo,
BF
BF Asks: What’s your favorite feature on BeautyFrosting? What would you like to see more of?

High-Low 2/3/14: Honest Turns 2 & The Bad Ones

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HIGH: Honest Turns 2

Celebrating The Honest Company's 2nd birthday with one of my besties, Lindsey

 

I’m not talking about a kiddo’s birthday party here although this celebration was all about the kids! I was honored to attend The Honest Company‘s 2nd birthday party this past Thursday at their headquarters in Santa Monica. With party planning & whimsical details from Details Details, delicious catering, yummy wine and sparkling wine from my favorite, One Hope Wine and a most-delicious cake by Cakes by Rumy, the fête was just the sweetest high of my week.

Jessica Alba with The Honest Company's 2nd birthday cake by Cakes by Rumy

Partners – Golden Globe-nominated actress and mom, Jessica Alba and former CEO of Healthy Child Healthy World & father, Christopher Gavigan – formed The Honest Company to, well, keep things honest. These dreamers-turned-doers turned their desire as consumers for a brand based on integrity into an integrity-based brand for all consumers. They say it best themselves, “We tried to think of all the qualities we would want in a dream brand – savvy style, sustainability, and extraordinary service & convenience all wrapped in a passion for social goodness, tied with a bow of integrity and sprinkled with a little cheeky fun.” That’s exactly what they have created in The Honest Company.

Champagne & cake to celebrate a magical company!

At the party, I was delighted to be treated to a mini shopping spree with a chance to try a wide range of The Honest Company‘s products. I picked up a good cross-section of their products and I can’t wait to try! In fact, I was so excited about the organic, vegan, cruelty-free bubble bath picked up that I had to take a bath with it that very night!

Goodies from my mini shopping spree at the Honest Turns 2 party!

By visiting The Honest Company‘s headquarters, getting to see the founders with their families and getting to take part in this celebration, I realized just how magical this company and its founders and family of employees are. They create good products, do good for others and are just good people. How could I not support a company like this 100%. Happy Birthday, Honest! I’m happy to know – and celebrate – you!

LOW: The Bad Ones

Low: The Bad Ones

There must have been something in the water last week because many of my extended chats with friends consisted of us being challenged by bad boys, bad friends, bad jobs, bad situations. So when I attended an Obagi brunch at Soho House last Thursday and they asked all of us to share what sin we’ve committed that we wouldn’t commit again and step into the photo booth with this admission of guilt, I realized I had to state the obvious. The sin? Bad boys. The promise? No more bad boys.

Now, hold your judgment. I have never been one of those girls who liked bad boys. I avoided the bad boys like the plague. For the most part, I have always liked the good guys. You know the ones – the ones who behave as men should. So what exactly do I mean by that? Oh, the men who are thoughtful, kind, smart, creative, considerate, that sort of thing. The kind that opens doors, keeps plans, makes you feel special and considers how their actions would make you feel. But after dating a seemingly bad boy once in my life and commiserating with girlfriends about these bad, bad boys and their actions or lack thereof, I had to ask myself and my friends this question. “Why do we pick them? Or do they pick us?”

It made me recall that quote from that glorious book/film, The Perks of Being A Wallflower: “We accept the love we think we deserve.” So does that make my girlfriends and I feel better or worse? Are we picking bad boys, bad friends, bad jobs, bad situations because we actually think that we deserve it? Gosh, I hope not. My friends are too beautiful – on the inside and out – to sell themselves so short.

Oh wait. And so am I.

I love it when a lesson plays a trick on you like that.

 

xoxo,
BF

 

 

High-Low 12/2/13: Birthday Bliss & A Boy Named Paul I Used To Know…

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This week was a reminder in how precious life is, how much we should celebrate our life & health every day…and how quickly it can be taken away.

HIGH

My high would have to be my birthday on Saturday.

Midnight cake, champagne & wishes. The best birthdays always begin at midnight. And so it begins...

 

It was a day filled with friends, food and fun! It started with a morning hike at Runyon Canyon…

A morning hike at Runyon Canyon to make me feel all 36 years alive!

 

Then there was a brunch with good friends & bottomless mimosas (the perfect marriage if you ask me) at Chic Wine Bar in my hood…

First, second and third apparent rules of bdays? 1) You must brunch with good friends and, well, 2) there must be bottomless mimosas and, of course, 3) you MUST wear sequins. Yep. It's a thing.

A manicure & pedicure at Polish Couture…

Now, THIS is what I call a birthday mani

And dinner and dancing with friends at The Village Idiot followed by Fubar.

Nothin' better than dinner & dancing with friends on your birthday!

 

LOW

Low: Remembering Paul...

As I was getting ready to leave for my birthday evening out on the town, I heard about the death of Paul Walker. I knew Paul Walker. He was one of the first people I met in Los Angeles and he dated my first roommate out here for years. I hadn’t seen him or talked to him in over a decade but those memories of that first year in LA came flooding back to me. Two Texas girls in the big city of LA ready to take on the world. And there was Paul Walker…a moviestar being a frequent face in our apartment on Holt. Eating pizza with us on our red couch. So this was LA.

I remember Paul hanging things in our new apartment when we first moved in and my mom making a joke that “If that acting thing doesn’t work out, you could be a handyman.” I wanted to die. At this point, Paul had been in Varsity Blues and had The Fast and The Furious franchise going on. This “acting thing” was workin’ out just fine for him. My mom knew this and thought it was good to keep people down to earth.

But Paul didn’t need that reminder. He was a born-and-bred Cali boy with a beautiful little daughter named Meadow who used to play at our apartment. I remember starting a diet on a Sunday and him telling me to eat some chinese food because “No one starts a diet on a Sunday. Everyone knows you start on a Monday.” I remember that I would get super annoyed that he wouldn’t buy toilet paper when he was basically living with us.  I remember that he had a very cool car – and I had no idea what it was, of course – and people used to stop in front our yellow 4-plex to look at it. Cars were a passion of his. So it seems even more tragic that they led to his premature demise.

Whenever someone passes, I always say that you feel an absence whether you really knew them or not. I would never profess that Paul was a good friend or anything like that. But Paul was basically my 3rd roommate my first year in LA and I feel the loss of that memory. He was a presence in that new chapter I started in LA all those years ago and I am so sad that his story has ended much too early. My thoughts, prayers and love go out to Meadow, his family and my former roommate who loved him very much for a chapter in her life. I’m happy he was a small part of mine for the brief time he was.

xoxo,
BF

BF Asks: What was your High-Low this week? 

Recipe Box: Sweet Georgia Peach Southern Dump Cake – a homespun recipe

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A few weeks ago, I had a game night scheduled with my dear girlfriends with whom I used to work at Barbra Streisand’s. I love these girls. I have soooo much fun with these girls. And they love me for everything I am – the bad, the good, the goofy. Heck, they even love my dog more than most people.

But I also knew that no matter how busy I was, I couldn’t show up empty-handed. That was just not an option. They would be expecting something buttery, sweet and delicious. So I knew I had to deliver. But what to bake on a Friday afternoon when you have less than 2 hours to prepare?

My answer? My Sweet Georgia Peach Southern Dump Cake – a fave of my girlfriends for years. Perfect for an impromptu dinner party, an easy dessert on a beach vacation or the perfect treat to whip up in a jiffy, this cake will tantalize the tastebuds and delight the pickiest of dessert-eaters.

My Sweet Georgia Peach Southern Dump Cake - serve with a dollop of vanilla ice cream and your guests will be in heaven

 

And it’s a homespun recipe which means it’s homemade but with some ready-made products you probably have in your pantry right this second!

So bake it up, have a taste and share with the ones you love!
Sweet Georgia Peach Southern Dump Cake

1 (29 ounce) can sliced peaches in juice (strain juice and set aside)
1 (18.25 ounce) Package yellow cake mix

1 (6 ounce package Peach-flavored Jell-O)

1/2 c Salted Butter

1/2 c Water

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

In the bottom of a 9 x 13 cake pan, place drained peaches. Sprinkle the dry peach Jell-O over peaches. Sprinkle dry yellow cake mix over Jell-O. Cut up butter in pieces and scatter over cake & Jell-O mixture. Pour 1 cup of the (previously set aside) peach juice and 1/2 cup of water over the top.

Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 60 minutes or until top is golden.

xoxo,
BF

BF Asks: What is your favorite in-a-pinch dessert recipe? 

 

Recipe Box: Mama’s Cousin’s Southern Red Velvet Cake

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There are a few cakes from childhood that dance deliciously in your memory, forever. They are the beautiful cakes that symbolize nostalgia and will always remind you a little bit of the magic of your youth.

For me, one of these is my Mom’s Southern Red Velvet Cake.

Mama's Cousin's Southern Red Velvet Cake

Actually it’s her cousin’s recipe so I call it, “Mama’s Cousin’s Southern Red Velvet Cake.” Whatever the name, it’s delicious. The rich red velvet cake pairs perfectly with the creamy, cream cheese frosting and it’s sweet, rich and delicious while still having a bit of a refined taste as it’s not too sweet. This might be attributed to the acidic elements of buttermilk or vinegar in the cake (yes, VINEGAR!!) but the two tastes of sweet and tart balance each other out so well.

So when my friend, stylist Jennie C., was having a birthday party and I found out that her favorite cake was red velvet. I knew immediately the recipe I would use. I promptly got on the horn and called Mama for the recipe.

While it’s messy to make – it seriously looks like an episode of True Blood at points…

– in the end, this cake beautiful to look at, gorgeous to display or take to a shindig and scrumptious to eat.

Mama's Cousin's Southern Red Velvet Cupcakes

Without further ado…

Mama’s Cousin’s Southern Red Velvet Cake or Cupcakes

2 ounces red food coloring (I prefer the Wilton No-Taste Red)

3 tablespoons cocoa

½ cup vegetable shortening

1 ½ cups granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 ½ cups sifted cake flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

1 tablespoon vinegar

1 teaspoon baking soda

Mix food coloring with cocoa and set aside.  Beat shortening with sugar; add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.  Add food coloring mixture and vanilla.  Alternately add flour, salt, and buttermilk, beating well.  Stir in vinegar and baking soda. For cake, grease bottom and sides of three pans and line each with wax paper (cutting off excess at top). Bake in 350-degree oven for 25-30 minutes.  Makes one 3-layer cake or one large loaf cake. For cupcakes, Bake for 18-24 minutes (makes approx 28 cupcakes). Let cake cool before frosting.

 

Cream Cheese Frosting:  Cream together 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, 1 bag of confectioners’ sugar plus 2 tablespoons, 2 teaspoons vanilla and 1 stick butter, softened.

 

xoxo,
BF

 

BF Asks: What cake from your childhood dances deliciously in your memory?

Main Event Monday: A Mary Poppins Popcorn Pajama Party

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A few months ago, I decided I would have a Mary Poppins Popcorn Pajama Party.

You're invited to a Mary Poppins Popcorn Pajama Party!

Not at all random, I know. But I needed to coordinate the best night for my guests: Nora, Lucy and Emmett. After all, these are very busy little, Los Angeles kiddos with schedules just about as busy as mine!

Well, we finally found a night – last Wednesday – and we did it right!

So how do you “do it right” for a Mary Poppins Popcorn Pajama Party?

1) Well, first you need the movie. Check. Thanks Matt Marr!

It's a "Jolly Holiday" with Mary!

2) Next, you need pajamas and, of course, your favorite little friends – both of the human and stuffed variety. I love any excuse to don my comfy, bunny slippers!

Pajamas are a must for a Movie pj party!

3) And – then, of course – for a popcorn party, you need popcorn! And I knew just where to start with that! My old schoolmate, Cassie is the queen of popcorn! Or is it, princess? Well, whatever she is, she – and her company – Cassie’s Le Popcorn is the royal call you make when you want some popcorn party magic. And with Mary Poppins, we definitely needed some magic! We ordered the magic- and we received it!

Thank you Cassie's Le Popcorn for the supercalifragilisticexpialidocious popcorn!!

The deluxe array of flavors is too extensive to list here but I’ll share with you sour favorites: Beer Cheese (I am Texan, after all), Peanut Butter Chocolate, White Truffle, Loaded Potato and Sea Salt Caramel with Chocolate Drizzle. Yummylicious! Perfect for any kiddo’s or “grown-up-kiddo’s” party!

Popcorn princesses indulding in popcorn pleasure!!

2) Next, improvise! I had no time to bake but a party always requires a cake, if you ask me! So I bought a precious, Mary Poppins-themed mini cake at the Ralph’s Bakery for $5.99. Not too shabby! And it really set the mood for the table!

Red Velvet cake pairs perfectly with our Poppins theme!

Then, I picked up some mini ice cream cones from Baskin Robbins for only $10.99!

Mini ice cream cones from Baskin Robbins are perfect summertime treats!

I then picked up a 6-pack of classic Coca Cola in the bottles! It went with our red, white and pink theme and it brought in some more of that nostalgic feel we were going for!

Nothing ushers in nostalgia like classic Coca Cola in the vintage bottles!

Next, in keeping with my theme of a “spoonful of sugar”, I set out the cake, jars of colored sugars, vintage Coca Cola bottles, mini ice cream cones from Baskin Robbins and pastel m & m’s – which I always stockpile during post-Easter sales.

The Mary Poppins spread - and set on my coffee table - the perfect height for little ones

I borrowed the idea of using my coffee table to create a casual (and in this case, age appropriate) vibe from Moll Anderson’s Seductive Tables For Two ($19.95). This book has taught me so much about entertaining, with both thought and heart, using the resources you have readily available.

The night was a sweet success!

Both the kids and I had a ball! We ate too much sugar (naturally), stayed up a bit too late and laughed a lot at the magical messages in Mary Poppins.
Such a fun night!

And then we crashed…

After the Mary Poppins party, we got a little shut-eye!

xoxo,
BF

BF Asks: What should be the movie at my next Movie & PJ party?

Recipe Box: BeautyFrosting’s Chocolate Buttermilk Beer Birthday Cake

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When I asked my sweet friend, Sarah, what she wanted me to bake for her birthday party, she didn’t have a preference. But the party did have a theme: Bier Garten!

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!!!

After poring over tons of recipes, I couldn’t find the perfect one – one that used buttermilk in the recipe. So the only answer? I had to come up with my own Chocolate Buttermilk Beer recipe.

Now, here it is for you to enjoy! It was moist, not-too-sweet-but-just-sweet-enough and topped with a buttery, butterscotch frosting.

I then matched the writing on the cake to the colors on the invitation.

The Birthday Bier Garten invitation

Disclosure: I am not the best icing writer!

Regardless, I hope you all enjoy as much as we did! I made 6 dozen cupcakes and one cake and there wasn’t a crumb left  to be nibbled!

BeautyFrosting's Chocolate Buttermilk Beer Cake with Butterscotch Buttercream Frosting

BeautyFrosting’s Chocolate Buttermilk Beer Birthday Cake

(Makes one 2-layer round cake, 1 sheet cake or approximately 30 cupcakes)

2 Extra Large Eggs

1/4 c Salted Butter

1/2 c Sour Cream

1/2 c Buttermilk

1 c Stout Beer (such as Guinness Draught)

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

2 c Cake Flour

1/2 c Cocoa

1 tsp Baking Soda

2 c Granulated Sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a separate bowl, combine the cake flour, cocoa and baking soda. Set aside. Beat the eggs thoroughly until fluffy. Add in the sour cream, buttermilk, vanilla and butter. Combine well. Add in sugar. Fold in the flour mixture. And lastly, add the stout beer. Mix well.

Pour into 2 round layer cake pans or cupcake tins.

For cake, bake at 350 for approximately 30 minutes.
For cupcakes, bake at 350 for approximately 18-24 minutes.

Frost with:

Butterscotch Buttercream Frosting

1/2 cup Salted butter, softened

1/3 cup butterscotch-caramel topping

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 (16-oz.) package powdered sugar

1 to 3 Tbsp Heavy Whipping Cream

*optional: If you want a more golden butterscotch buttercream frosting, add gold, orangeor yellow food coloring

Combine butter, butterscotch topping and vanilla. Alternately add in powdered sugar and heavy whipping cream until desired consistency is reached. If a more golden hue is desired, add in appropriate food coloring.

BeautyFrosting's Chocolate Buttermilk Beer Cake with Butterscotch Buttercream Frosting

BeautyFrosting's Chocolate Buttermilk Beer Cake with Butterscotch Buttercream Frosting

xoxo,

BF

BF Asks: What’s your stout beer of choice? 

High-Low 1

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I have a tradition that I love and I want to share it with you, my BeautyFrosting readers:

High-Low

A few years ago, I began playing this “game” with my ex-boyfriend, with my friends and their kiddos. It’s such a fun and effortless way to spark conversation at the dinner table or at the end of a long day.

So, here we go. The commencement of BeautyFrosting’s High-Low. I’d love to hear your HighLows, as well. So send ’em on!

Here are my HIGHS this week:

Jenny & Jon’s Wedding  – What’s not to love about a Garden Wedding? One of my best friends from high school, Jenny, married one of our classmates, Jon, sixteen years after our graduation. They had reconnected 2 years ago and have been an inseparable duo ever since.

This photo of the bride as a little girl dressed all in white was a sweet personal touch in this gorgeous garden wedding

The beautiful bride and her father

When Jenny and Jon were pronounced man and wife, we turned around these handcrafted fans to say "Yay!" to the happy couple

A Blur of Bliss. I love the blurry, nostalgic nature of this moment as they walk together arm-in-arm back down the aisle for the first time as a married couple

The Wedding cake: The groom's talented mother baked this delicious 3 layer confection. 2 layers of white cake with buttercream frosting with chocolate buttercream filling and 1 layer of red velvet cake with cream cheese filling and buttercream frosting)

She could hardly wait for the groom's cake and got a few tastes with the best cake utensil: her finger.

The Groom's Cake? A giant brownie with chocolate buttercream frosting made by the groom's mother, Suzanne

BF & the Bride
Sparklers as the bride and groom drove away

Molly Tate’s 1st Birthday Party:

Molly Tate's 1st birthday party

Molly Tate enjoying her first Stein's Bakery cake

Molly Tate & her little friend at her birthday party

Tete a Tete with Molly Tate

Celebrating the beautiful Molly Tate with my beautiful friends in Dallas

Nightswimming:

Nightswimming in Mom's pool in Dallas (listening to music as I swim and unwind before my trip back to LA)

Returning to Los Angeles to 70 degree weather:

Returning to LA: 70 degrees in May!

LOWS (I’ll spare you the pictures of these this week)

Leaving my friends and family in Dallas

aaand…

About 40 chigger bites I procured in Dallas. They love me there. Let me tell you, it’s a one-way love affair!

BF Asks: What were your High-Lows this week?