In the world of wedding desserts there is the very regular and standard fondant covered tiered cake. This look is classic and very beautiful, but can be incredibly costly. The high cost of weddings causes most brides to be to think outside the box and complete a lot of DIY projects. Though when it comes to the food, most still opt to go with a professional baker. As I have been looking through different wedding photographs and inspirations I have found a few new cake trends that really are fantastic.

*Each photo can be clicked on to be enlarged for a better look.

The trend of cupcakes instead of a cake isn't really all that new, but intricate piping in place of the basic icing swirl is. Below I have shown 4 images of gorgeous piped flower cupcakes that add a little extra beauty to the otherwise plain cupcakes. What I find really great about some of these designs, is that they are actually easy to replicate after a little practise. I am blessed to have a mother that has handmade and decorated every birthday cake for her four children in the last 28 years, and she has been wonderful in teaching me a few techniques. For the average person this piping not be as easy to master, though the final image on the lower right is incredibly basic. Using a star tip and some swirled food coloured icing, that isn't fully blended, some practise on a plate beforehand,  you could be duplicating these scrumptious cakes in no time.

With the trend of homespun crafty DIY weddings, this textured and messing icing look is a great choice. This is a look that could be done by most brides looking to save some money on a professional cake. For anyone who has ever tried to ice a cake before knows, it is very tricky to make the icing perfectly smooth. So why not go to the other extreme and make it look a little messy on purpose? I have included a few different versions of the textured cake look below. I just find something so effortlessly cool about these.

These looks are a bit more difficult for the average person to take on, but are a fresh and modern take on icing decorated tiers. Piped icing decoration on cakes is a classic staple, and on wedding cakes it usually includes draping, dots, and intricate damask patterns. This type of piping is still incredibly popular and when done right absolutely breathtaking, so in no way am I trying to state its out of date or unattractive. I only want to call attention to a few new looks.  I also included the fourth cake to show some beautiful piped flowers that I found and just had to share.

How much more do-it-yourself can it get? I love this homemade look! With this style of cake there is no need to be too neat or have the perfect technique. The process to complete a creation like this is pretty straight forward. Have the layers of cake cut to relatively the same size and be sure to make sure the top of each layer is smooth and level. A whipped icing would work best because it is thicker and the taste isn't too sweet, because each slice tends to have tend to have a lot of icing. Be fun and creative with colour by adding food colouring, fresh fruit, or small decor items like you would with other cakes. This whimsical look is adorable and very easy on the pocket book.

I know that I have severely lacked in continuing to write my celebrity style blogs, and for that I am truly sorry. With the craziness of life it is often difficult to write all the blogs I wish I could. Though after coming across the following images today I just had to share. As anyone who has read my blogs knows, I am a huge fan of Taylor Swift. I love her music, personality, and especially her style. So of course I was thrilled to see that she is the cover for the February edition of Vogue. Please enjoy the photographs below that are accompanied with the article within the months issue. The stylists gave Miss Swift a newer edgier look along with straight hair to make these images just breathtaking

*I do not own the rights to these images

The holiday season has passed and so I am finally able to share some of the crafty gifts I made. There are some that I forgot to take photographs of before I gave them away, but these are the ones I managed to snap pictures of.

These cute hair clips were easy to do and incredibly cheap to make. All feathers (plus a ton more I didn't use) were from a single bag of faux feathers. The pearl beads and the rhinestones were from pieces of jewellery I own that were either broken or no longer worn. A simple hair barrette was used on the back. I covered the barrette with a piece of felt and constructed from that point building up the layers of feathers. I just love the simple glam they can add to loose hair.

In my crafting I made 4 different headbands but am only able to show you 2 for lack of photographs. These particular headbands are the exact same design but 2 different colours. The felt 'rosettes' are each made from a single circle of felt. The circle is cut into a spiral and then cinched and glued into the flower shape. The pearl centres are pearl beads from old jewellery. I enlisted the help of my wonderful sister to help model the different looks on something other than my blonde hair :) 

These cute ribbon and bead bracelets are easy to make once you get a handle on the knots. The bracelets are both made using a macrame knot known as the square/flat knot. This knot only works with a thin ribbon, I used a 1/8" white silk ribbon. The beads I used were, yet again, recycled  from old jewellery.