All dressed up...

Yesterday was my little one's fourth birthday. We had her party at the local ice cream and candy shop (which I keep meaning to write about because we love it so much). It was a lot of fun. The kids got to have a lesson on how ice cream is made, there was a great ice cream cake, and I got to have a scoop of Guinness ice cream - one of the feature flavors of the day. It was an easy way to do a party - entertaining for kids and grownups alike. But, of course, the birthday doesn't end there.

Today, I had to bring in snacks for my darling's preschool class, so I wasn't off the hook in the baking department. Normally I love to do these kinds of things but for some reason (perhaps it's the weather), I just haven't been in the mood to bake. I did, however, rouse myself long enough to make some cute little cupcakes. I confess that I used a boxed cake mix, but only because I am just about out of flour at home and this was at the ready.

I had some leftover cream cheese frosting on hand to frost the belly and then I cut fruit leather bow ties and gum drop beaks and feet. The eyes are cream cheese frosting with a little cocoa powder added. I'm pretty sure there's not enough frosting on these guys to entice a roomful of 3- and 4-year olds to really eat them, but maybe they are just cute enough for them to try a bite.