Remington and the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria (AWLA) Calendar Contest

This past February, the hubby and I took an unexpected leap and opened our hearts to a new family member: Remington.

We met Remi (formerly "Mortimer") through the shelter where we volunteer, the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria (AWLA). It was a chance spotting on their Facebook news feed of this incredibly darling rescue from West Virginia. I instantly was drawn but knew a dog wasn't planned in our immediate future. I resisted the temptation of meeting him for two weeks. He would be scooped up in a heart beat with those beautiful brown eyes and funny left ear, right?

During that time, all Mike heard from me was Remi updates: "he's still there" or "not adopted yet." Never before had I raved about a dog at the shelter, just the occasional kitty crush. Eventually, I sheepishly raised the question if Mike would consider meeting Remi. 

He exhaled a deep sigh. It turned out he had been planning on adopting Remi as a surprise for Valentine's Day. He was so taken aback by my Remi ramblings that he knew that this dog was special. Is the man good or what?

 

In honor of AWLA, we decided to enter Remington into one of their key annual fundraisers, the Calendar Contest! It only seemed right to participate since they helped us find a home for Penelope, introduced us to Slade, and brought us Remi. Time to pay it forward!

All donations from the Calendar Contest are in support of the day to day activities of the shelter including medical procedures. AWLA places more than 1,500 companion animals, including dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, birds, iguanas, chinchillas and many more, in permanent, loving homes each year. An additional 300 stray pets are reunited with their owners through the League annually. Any animal adopted through the shelter receives vaccinations, spaying/neutering, and is micro-chipped. 

Please consider supporting this worthwhile cause! Spread the word! And naturally... feel free to vote for our little Remington! *wink wink*

Since 1946, the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria (AWLA) has been a resource for the community and a shelter for homeless animals. AWLA operates the Vola Lawson Animal Shelter and Animal Services for the City of Alexandria. AWLA's shelter is the only open door facility in Alexandria, Virginia and takes in any animal in need. AWLA also investigates animal abuse and neglect and works hard to charge and prosecute animal abusers. The League plays a key role in promoting responsible pet care across Northern Virginia by facilitating animal adoptions as a viable option to purchasing animals from breeders, spay and neuter assistance, education and community service and outreach.

Princess Cupcakes

Fellow millennials, you will feel me on this one: the day you log-on to your social media network (i.e. Facebook, Instagram) and wonder, "when the heck did everyone start having kids?" Yes, we're in the traditional time frame for weddings and starting families but goodness gracious! It's almost like people from my high school timed it! They're just pictures until it hits home and the next thing you know, you're making Princess Cupcakes for a 1-year birthday party.

Brave, new, wonderful world my friends.

The recipient of these cupcakes is an adorable cherub named Lhian. I've been homies with her father, Harvey, for over 10 years. Harvs was the quiet guy in the corner of the party, chuckling softly and egging things on safely from the sideline. He was my go-to-guy after college; we spent many a weekend carpooling in his awesome minivan to Richmond to visit our friend Heather. He loved putting me in awkward situations (the sushi chef incident, cough cough) and giggling (yes you giggle) at my brutually uncensored rants about life. Everyone teased him for not sharing details about his relationships- he's very discrete. Or sketchy. Take your pick. 

You can imagine my delight when a girlfriend became a partner which led to a bundle of joy. The real cherry to my sundae was to learn that they were having a little girl. Oh Harvey. In your own words, "Girls... a million and one lessons." Lhian is going to kick your butt suckah! In all seriousness, it's been a treat watching you grow as a father. You're going to do great with your subtle but firm nature. Much love and many blessings to your beautiful family.

All right. Back to the baking. 

These cupcakes were made with a lot of love, and a lot of patience. Harvs didn't give me much direction aside from making them girly. I couldn't think of anything more "girly" than a princess theme. The end result was a combination of crown-cupcake toppers, miniature flags, and elegant sugar pearls. Next time, I want to take a try at making tiaras!

A few lessons learned from this adventure:

• When you go to apply the cupcake toppers- make sure that the base frosting is at room temperature so that the toppers go on smoothly
• Apply the decorative sugar pearls while the frosting is still fresh to ensure maximum adhesion
• Seal the crown fondant as soon as possible so it doesn't lose elasticity
• Ribbon with a little metal wire is ideal because it keeps shape- getting those base cupcake bows was a pain

The crowns are made from white fondant with a few drops of concentrated purple food coloring mixed in. It took some trial and error, but we got it to work. Mike cut out a template from some card stock (similar to this style) and we got an assembly line going; he cut out the crown and then using a dab of water, I sealed the seam. The sooner you seal it, the better because the fondant quickly loses elasticity. Immediately place crowns on a parchment-lined plate in the freezer to solidify the form. 

To apply the pearl tips, wait until the crowns are hardened (over-night preferable) and then dab a complimentary colored frosting at the top of each peak. Apply the sugar pearl and return to freezer to harden. The base frosting shape is made with the ever beloved 1M tip for rose-like symmetry.

The flags were made from lollipop sticks (toothpicks work just as well) purchased at Michaels. Pick a sturdy ribbon and knot at the top; trim the excess on one end and cut a v-shaped tip on the other end. It's nothing terribly fancy. I've also made them with cut-out paper when adding text to the flag. If you plan ahead, you can find some super cute options on Etsy.

Special thanks to the hubby for helping out- this process takes forever if you're trying to do it solo. Bribe a friend to pitch in! Train your cat to hold a piping bag! Every bit helps!


If you have any questions about the toppers and/or cupcakes, feel free to leave a comment and I will do my best to answer. 

Strawberry & Champagne Cake with Pink Ombre Frosting

This is a very special cake. Like many cakes, it was made for a celebration and created with deep love. There was a special ingredient in the mix this time (and no- not the champagne): hope. 

I hope they find a cure for cancer. 

A few weekends back, I participated in the 3Day walk for breast cancer in honor of my coworker, Susan, who is a survivor. I didn't know what to expect; I've never participated in anything like this. We met at 430am and hit the trail around 730am. Powerful speakers, positive people, and a whole lot of sneakers.

Everyone on the route was encouraging and eager to make friends. It was always a shock in mid-conversation to learn that they once had cancer. What? You had cancer? But you look so... normal. Such powerful individuals. Then there were walkers sporting pictures of fallen loved ones that brought a tear to your eye. Possessing such a rare strength. I floated in this sea of pink- listening, reading t-shirts, and observing.

My initial gripe was, "what does walking 60 miles accomplish? how does that help anybody?" People kept saying it was symbolic of the physical struggle. Um, I think fighting cancer is slightly harder than walking 60 miles. It was during the journey (and yes, it's a journey because that's a lot of steps) that I realized the true purpose of the event. 

It's brings people together. It's a community. It's knowing you're not alone- be it in your personal battle or honoring someone you've lost. It's cathartic and healing. It gives hope that a cure will be found and all the pain wasn't for naught.

After the walk, our Team threw a small celebration in the office to thank all the people that donated to our fundraising. If it weren't for them, some on the team wouldn't have been able to participate. Of course, the theme was pink.

This provided the perfect opportunity to try a hip frosting style called Ombre. People are doing this with their hair color as well. It's a gradual gradient from a darker color to a light color. Pretty cool, no? It's quite impressive on this 4 layer, 9-inch round cake. (Don't mind the cake sweat pictured above- the cake was frozen overnight) The inspiration is from Apt. 2B Baking Company! Making the ombre simply requires a bit of patience, the food coloring of your choice, and 4 tiny bowls.

Simply frost three (3) rows of frosting, the bottom bring being the darkest ring of frosting. Save the lightest shade for the actual top of the cake. Gently blend the colors together. Apt 2B recommends an off-set spatula- a tool that I do not own. I used a combination of spoon and knife.  And make sure you have a spinning cake decorating stand or lazy susan- it will make frosting so much more merciful.

As for the actual cake, I simply did not have time to make 2 cakes in one night. I'm not Martha Stewart people! So we went the shady route with box cakes: one vanilla and one strawberry. The vanilla got the royal treatment with the water substituted with champagne. You could do the same with strawberry if so desired. 

The filling is lightly heated strawberries with a touch of sugar. You could use jam, as Apt 2B does. Strawberries happened to be on hand and I wanted a touch of freshness. Honestly, I think this is what made the cake stand out. Strawberries and champagne, heck yes. 

This cake was destroyed. Usually I'd snub a box cake mix but you know what- this came out awesome!  Check out Apt. 2B for their glamorous version and Chickabug for awesome breast cancer awareness templates!

Strawberry & Champagne Cake with Pink Ombre Frosting

1 box cake strawberry  mix
1 box cake vanilla (substitute water with champagne) mix
Champagne (love that Asti)
4 cans of vanilla frosting
16 ounces strawberries, cleaned and quartered
1 tablespoon sugar
2-3 tablespoons water

Grease 4 9-inch round baking pans. Prepare strawberry cake mix as directed. Divide amongst 2 pans and bake.

While that's going, prepare the vanilla cake as directed.  Remember to substitute the water for champagne. Divide amongst remaining 2 pans (or wait to reuse the one's from the strawberry cake). Bake.

Allow cakes to cool on wire rack to room temperature. Do not remove them too early from the pan or else they may crack. Using a cake leveler, saw cake tops so that they're flat and even. If you have a really good eye, you can use a long knife. All that matters is the cakes are level- save the sawed tops as a snack. Wrap the cakes in saran wrap and place tinto the freezer to firm up for about 30 minutes.

As the cakes firm up, make the strawberry filling. In a medium sauce pan, add the quartered strawberries, sugar, and water. Cook on medium heat until strawberries are tender and soft. If they start sticking, add a little more water- just enough to prevent sticking. Set aside to cool completely- put them in the fridge to expedite.

Let the stacking begin. Place on round of strawberry at bottom and lightly frost the top. Make sure the outside parameter is thicker so you can create a comfy lake for the strawberries. Add half of the cooled strawberry mix.

Stack a round of vanilla cake; frost the top. Add final round of strawberry. Same deal- frost with a thicker outside parameter to hold the strawberries. Add remaining strawberries. Top with last vanilla cake round. Frost the entire cake with a crumb coat (the dirty undercoat of the cake that catches all the fly away crumbs) with plain vanilla frosting. Set cake back into freezer to harden- this will make your life so much easier in the long run.

Divide one can of frosting into 4 small bowls. With red food coloring gel,create 3 shades of pink (keep one bowl pure white). Maybe 2 drops for light, 4 drops for medium, and 6 drops for dark? You be the judge.

It's go time. Take the darkest shade and frost a bottom row, then medium row above, and finally the light. Frost the very top the cake with pure white frosting. Lightly go over with a knife or off set spatula the division between layers till the slightly bleed together. If you want the circular effect, place the back of a spoon at the bottom of the cake and slowly turn the lazy susan a full 180. Place the spoon directly above where you started the first line and repeat until you make multiple rows up the cake. Rinse the spoon between rows. For the top, same technique- start from an outer point and spiral to the center slowly.

Tomorrow (May 4) is The Cupcake Social!

On May 4th, be there or be square! This is a happy hour to raise money for breast cancer research! Come for a drink at the beautiful DC hot spot, Blackbyrd, located on the corner of 14th and U, between 5:30pm-8pm. If you make a donation, in any monetary amount, you get a free cupcake and are entered into a raffle for some kick ass prizes! Bakeries that have so generously donated include:

Alexandria Cupcake
Baked & Wired
BakeShop
Bittersweet
Confections
Giant's Bakery of Hayfield
Mom's Office
Occasionally Cake

We are also happy to announce that Shana Logic has donated 3 fun necklaces for the raffle! We were so touched by their immediate and enthusiastic response. 

Thanks to Lunching in DMV for always being so supportive and Avant9ard for the beautiful artwork and encouragement. You guys are the best. Love and appreciate you both! Also, thanks to Constance at Blackbyrd for being so kind and Red 23 for finding the location.

So please. Come out and show some support! It would mean a lot.

May 4th: The Cupcake Social @ Blackbyrd

The Cupcake Social is a happy hour to fundraise money for breast cancer research.  Everything is better with cupcakes so we asked local bakeries to donate their goodies!  All you have to do is show up, make a donation  in the amount of your choice ($10 recommended) and you can select a free cupcake. Wait! There's more! You will also be entered into a raffle for giveaway prizes. Cupcakeries include:

Alexandria Cupcakes (Alexandria)

Bake Shop (Arlington)

Baked & Wired (Georgetown)

Mom's Office (Fairfax)

Occasionally Cake (Alexandria)

... and more to come!

The event will be held Friday, May 4th, at, Blackbyrd (U Street Corridor, DC) from 530pm to 8pm!

Food bloggers are welcome to donate cupcakes as well! Get some shine for your blog! Just hit me up!

So what sparked The Cupcake Social?

Last year, I received some shocking news: my co-worker had breast cancer. No one directly associated to me has ever been diagnosed. The closest I've come was my ex supervisor's mother who had passed away  year's prior. It's one of the most widely known forms of cancer yet it didn't touch my world. Until Susan. 

I wasn't ready to hear something so scary, so personal., so close. We work in the same office. She's the mother of two little girls- I bought  scout cookies from them. She constantly has a smile on her face and a light hearted comment to add. I have been fortunate to work with several accomplished women in a male-dominated business and she is one of whom I take notes from. 

She didn't let us see her fall though. She kept right on going, even after two surgeries. One day, I was irritated in the office and she asked me what was up. I had my tiny rant. And then I realized who I was venting to- a person going through so much is the one listening to my punk @$$ complain. Unbelievable.

Some people complain about the attention breast cancer gets... and then I heard Susan say she was not doing this for herself. 

She was doing it for her daughters' futures. 

It hadn't occurred to me that they may be in the same jeopardy as their mother one day. There's something very powerful about the love women possess. Maybe that's why this cause gets such passionate support.

Please spread the word and come out! I would deeply appreciate!

Much love to Avant9arde for the flier. 

Rochester, NY: Latte Art Throw Down II

Yet another reason why I wish it was possible to teleport. For those of you in the Rochester area, I am most certainly jealous.

This Friday night, January 20th, is their second ever "Latte Art Throw Down." The competition starts at 7:30pm and is family-friendly- just don't give your little one's cafe!

What is latte art? It's all those mind blowing images exceptional baristas create atop your latte; they put a smile on your face and warm fuzzies in your heart. The only time I've received latte art was during my trip to Costa Rica.


If you love coffee.... and you love art... this will be a caffeine junkie's paradise. No joke.  For those interested in participating in the actual event, visit to the Joe Bean website for more information.



Jealous!

Joe Bean
1344 University Avenue, Rochester, NY 14607
benturiano@joebeanroasters.com
(585) 319-5279

The Summer of Food Trucks: Truckeroo in DC!

What is a food truck? It's exactly what it sounds like- a meal on wheels. They park in popular areas of DC and people come flocking. Pretty slick guys. And tasty!

Most of these elusive food trucks have twitter accounts that announce their location throughout the day. There are also websites that do all the stalking for you.

Or. You can simply check out Truckeroo.

Truckeroo is a festival for food trucks! From June to October, 20-25 food trucks will be in one location from 11am- 9pm! Peep the Truckeroo website for a list of all the vendors. My girlfriend Marie dropped this bit of information on me and we went to check it out!

Some helpful information....

1irst: take the metro. Metered parking is confusing and the signs (as usual) contradict one another. It's located on the corner of half street and M street SE. The closest metro stop is the Navy Yard Metro Station.

2econd: don't forget your ID! This is for people 21 and up only because of the booze.

3hird: admission is FREE, all you pay for is what you eat and drink.

4ourth: bring the homies. There was a ton of people there in the evening. I was in line for an hour for one item. Your best bet is to split up as a team! Person 1 goes to Truck A, Person 2 goes to Truck B, etc etc and then you all share. This way, everyone can have a taste of everything there is to offer.

The atmosphere was very laid back. Seating is provided, which was a nice touch. There was a live band and all walks of life. Some even brought their dogs... which I promptly followed in hopes of an opportunity to pet them.

Since we got there a lil late, we went with the fastest moving line: Wonky. Mega hot dogs, served with fries on top, in a huge roll for $6.00. It was really tasty- but way too big for one 5'3 female. The roll was super thick- I think to avoid drippage. They had ketchup, mustard, and sriracha on hand. They also sold grill cheese sandwichs and an assortment of whoopie pies.

Marie went to a vendor I've already had: Big Cheese. She was impressed. It may be a lil more $ then you'd expect to pay for a grilled cheese samich- but they're delicious! Fancy cheese with caramelized onions... yes please.

Our friend who was raised on Ethiopian food was disappointed with the Ethiopian truck, Fojol brothers. He said the meat was way too spicy to be authentic. The only thing they had right was the sour dough bread.

All in all, it was a super fun time. If you're looking for a group adventure- be sure to check it out!

Juste Debout & Pineapple Cupcakes with Coconut Frosting

Not going to lie, my brain is mush right now. If I lift one more piece of furniture in the next 10 minutes, I'm going to kick something. Violently. It shall be worth it in the end, patience young grasshopper. Patience. Happy thoughts. Like Pineapple Cupcakes with Coconut Frosting... and attending Juste Debout.

Juste Debout ("just upright") is an annual dance competition. It's usually held in France but this year they brought it on over to New York. It was held in the Brooklyn Lyceum. I loved this venue! It was old and ragged; a beautiful mess. The floor wasn't bad for dancing! The only downfall of this spot: volume regulations. Due to the residential area... they couldn't pump the music. Not the best policy when you're hosting a DANCE competition.

I had no intention of attending this event.

Juste Debout Documentary Film | Volume NYC from navator.com on Vimeo.

Then my bestfriend, Kuya, signed up for the Top Rock (the part of break dancing where you just dance- no footwork or crazy poses) battle and it was a done deal. This was his first out of state competition! Got to support! We piled into the car and headed off for adventure.

Thanks gentlemen for the laughs and love! We learned NJ is only good for lingerie, bagels, and liqueur... Kuya sleeps perfectly for spooning (ass presented!)... and military dosages of ibuprofen are a blessing.

There were six categories of dance: hip hop, locking, popping, top rock, waacking, and housing. My favorite to watch was def the hip hop and house. The popping battle (no offense poppers) was... painful. It dragged out and got lame quick. And can someone tell me WHY people that do locking wear some of the most ridiculous outfits ever? I'm serious. What's the origin of that style?

An observation made by our out-of-state selves was that New York ego got in the way of the judging. One of the judges made it a point to say how the best dancers come from NY. You could see this look of "WTF" on all the international dancer's faces that made final round.

Plus, there was some FOUL business in the tops battle! Shamrock from Urban Artistry- you were robbed. This guy had the entire venue screaming when he murdered his round... yet he didn't get past prelims. Fail.

Driving out there was worth seeing Kuya compete. You were fantastic hun and I love watching your passion on the dance floor. It's a beautiful thing.

Now. Back to the food.

I still don't know how I feel about these cupcakes. Honestly, they were not my favorite. Making a good pineapple cupcake is really hard. The best cake form of the pineapple remains the upside down version. I was hoping these cupcakes would persuade me otherwise but they were a touch heavy in my opinion. They were thicker than my usual cupcake. That not necessarily a bad thing- just my preference. The bits of pineapple in the cupcake was absolutely delicious! This was the beast of the cupcake.

The frosting is very pure in nature because it contains reduced coconut milk. This takes awhile to create but I like the fact it's not imitation extract. One comment I received was the texture was like cream cheese. It is very smooth and dreamy... I will use it on another cupcake, one that's more complimentary and understanding of it's soft nature. This was the beauty of the cupcake.

Note: To toast coconut.. you can do it in a dry skillet or in a 350 degree oven, stirring often. It browns quick! Watch it close! You want that pineapple super well drained! Pat it dry if you need to! No excess moisture!

Pineapple Cupcakes
from Williams-Sonoma

1 1/3 cups/220g all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp table salt
1/2 stick/55g unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup/140g granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 large egg yolk, room temperature
1 8-ounce/227g can crushed pineapple in juice, well drained, juice reserved
1/3 cup/80 mL of the reserved pineapple juice (see note)
1 cup/125g sweetened coconut, toasted if you wish

Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350. Spray a standard 12-cup muffin tin or use cupcake liners.

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat the butter until light. Gradually add the sugar and beat until fluffy.

Add the eggs and egg yolk one at a time and beat well after each. Add the crushed pineapple and beat; it will be lumpy. Beat in the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the pineapple juice, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Scrape down the bowl, if necessary, and beat just until blended.

Transfer to the pan, filling each cup about one-half to three-quarters of the way. Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 19 – 22 minutes.

Immediately remove cupcakes from the tin and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Coconut Frosting
by Epicurious

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cups powdered sugar
13 ounce can of unsweetened coconut milk (yields 1/3 cup reduced coconut milk)
Seeds scraped from 1 split vanilla bean or 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract (optional)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut, lightly toasted (for garnish)

To make the reduced coconut milk, pour the 13 ounce can of unsweetened coconut milk into a small sauce pan. Leave on medium heat for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. This helps to concentrate the flavor of the coconut. Let sit to room temperature.

Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar, 1/3 cup reduced coconut milk, seeds from vanilla bean, and salt. Beat on medium-low speed until blended, scraping down sides of bowl. Increase to medium/high and beat until light and fluffy.

Crafty Bastards 2010

Better act like you know. Crafty Bastards 2010 was this past weekend in Adam's Morgan. It's one of my favorite events every year because it blends two of my passions: art and breakin.

Basically, they set up tons of tents for artists to display, sell, and promote their stuff. I'm on a rush every time I step into it. I want to look at EVERYTHING and ask a million questions. I get a high by the idea of creating things. Can't really explain it. You could just order something from a faceless label and get a cheap price. But I want to know- where did you get this idea? How did you make it? It's all about expression. Why have an imagination if you aint gonna use it?

Some of the vendors that stood out included: Arcane Arts, Dandelion Blu (2 necklaces by them), Glue and Glitter (cute apron), and Mary Ink (llama t-shirt). That's just naming a few! It was neat because I recognized some of the vendors from Shana Logic. Go Indie!

Vendor of the year goes out to Fernworks. I saw the stuff at this table and my heart skipped a beat. Every image was out of a dream. Truly beautiful and memorable art. If you close your eyes, you could almost walk through these landscapes. Thanks Fernworks for sharing your talent.

Then there is the break dancing event down in the basketball court. This aspect is hit or miss because of the venue. I remember one year there was no flooring and people danced on the cold concrete. Hey man, I love to dance but I'm not going to get gravel in my arm just to stick a freeze. That would only put me on the sidelines at practice. Pictures courtesy of Futurewalk Entertainment.

This year, they got a floor. It looked like carpet with vinyl on top but it got the job done. Weather was perfect. DJ did a decent job. Battles started around 2:30PM and went on till the sun set. I didn't stick around for the entire jam, it pained me to leave while Kraack and Smack played.




HOWEVER. I stayed long enough to witness the display of ridiculous awesomeness by my boys Ben and Charlie (the young gentlemen to the left). Since I started dancing, I have looked up to Ben from afar because he is kind, patient, and down right nasty. I met Charlie this past year and was stunned to see him kick the skills into clutch- get 'em! There is no doubt- they are dope. Yah I said 'dope.'

This aint all hugs and cupcakes.

Free Cupcakes July 21st - Occasionally Cake (Alexandria, VA)

Occasionally Cake celebrates their 1 Year Anniversary with free cupcakes! Come through Wednesday, July 21st, to celebrate and get your free cupcake! Portion of Proceeds to benefit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.

The popular Alexandria cake shop has had a successful first year thanks to the hard work of owners Sabrina Campbell and Marcia Crandall. Check out my interview with them here! Both cake designers have poured their hearts into the boutique cakery which concentrates on creating custom cakes in addition to satisfying every sweet tooth in town with cupcakes sold daily over the counter.

The bakery will serve up six of the over 100 flavors on Wednesday 10 AM - 7 PM including: Red Velvet, Pink Champagne, Yin & Yang, Grasshopper, Lemon Drop and Chocolate Razzleberry.

Sabrina and Marcia will use their first anniversary as a chance to give back to the community and thank their loyal patrons for a great year. Not only will each visitor enjoy a free cupcake, but they will also have the chance to donate to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. The non-profit organization works to prevent child abduction and sexual exploitation; help find missing children; and assist victims of child abduction and sexual exploitation, their families, and the professionals who serve them.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to team up with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children,” says owner Sabrina. “For us, there is no more valuable way to celebrate the cakery’s success than to bring attention to such an important cause and show our support for this worthy organization based right here in our hometown.”

Contact: Sabrina Campbell
Occasionally Cake
703.780.2253
Sabrina@OccasionallyCake.com