NBC Nightly News does Cupcake Royale

This is what it looks like when Steve Bazell, Chief Science & Health Correspondent from NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams, comes to Cupcake Royale to interview Jody about health care.

NOTE: Unlike our White House-themed fun with PhotoShop, this photo is not doctored. This is exactly how it went down yesterday here in Ballard.



On your far left you have a big time TV cameraman, immortalizing the cupcake goodness on celluloid. To his right, in the foreground, we have the one and only Jody Hall. Toward the back in the nice looking suit, we have none other than Steve Bazell. And finally, rockin' her sweet blue Vert shirt and some short denim cutoffs, you see froster extraordinaire, Ali Masterson. Ali was also filmed riding her cycle stallion down Market Street, her denim cutoffs topped off with a hot pink helmet.

Safety first. Killer style a very close second.

Don't be alarmed by the denim cutoffs. Ali is not a nevernude. Free cupcake to the FIRST person who posts the name of someone who IS a nevernude. HINT: It is exactly what it sounds like.

Anyway, in case you haven't heard, Jody Hall is REALLY into affordable, quality health care for all Americans, and she's been working hard to make it happen. First, she spent a year and a half traveling down to Oly on behalf of the Washington Small Business for Secure Health Care Coalition, a project of our pals over at Washington CAN! After spreading the good word around this Washington, she was invited to go to THAT Washington. The one where Obama lives. She went to his house, actually. The White one. She met with Nancy-Ann DeParle and Larry Summers about health care costs for small business owners. Check it HERE.

And now, NBC is hot to her game and came on out to feature her for the news. We'll let you know when it airs. As of now, could be a week...could be a month.



Wanna be a part of all this health care fun? We know you do. And that's why you're gonna join us in the sun on Saturday as we march from Pratt Park to Westlake Center in the name of Health Care for All in 2009. Jody will be there, and so will her baby mama, Kelly, and their baby boy, Truman. And so will Patty Murray. And so will Jim McDermott. So will I. And hopefully, so will you.

Now is the time. Get involved. Be heard. Make it happen.

WHAT: March for Health Care for all in 2009
WHEN: Saturday May 30 @ 12:30
WHERE: Starting at Pratt Park and ending at Westlake Center
WHO: You. Me. Us. Spread the word!

For more info, click HERE.
For a map, click HERE.

See you THERE.

RIP KitchenAid

This KitchenAid graveyard:



Reminds us of this heartwarming 80's animated movie about lovable old discarded electronics who prove they have a little bit of spunk left in 'em after all:



Name it for a free cupcake. Oh, nostalgia.

Onward MARCH!

Now is the time, people, to have our voices heard! Join us this Saturday as we march in the name of Health Care for all in 2009 with Mothers Leading the Way. It just so happens that Jody Hall, Glorious Leader of this here cupcake establishment, is a new mother (hot mama) AND a health care reform activist. Double Whammy!



We'll be marching along with all KINDS of superfriend do-gooders from Pratt Park to Westlake Center. Washington CAN, Washington Bus, Equal Rights Washington, and countless others will be there...some don't even have the word Washington in their names! The whole shebang kicks off at 12:30 and ends with a rally at Westlake...where Jody and her baby boy Truman will take the stage with Patty Murray. Yup. Because even babies know we need public health care. That's how basic this is!

We are closer than ever to a public health care option in these United States. Let our lawmakers know we want, nay NEED it, by getting on out marching in the sun (no promises) with us this Saturday!

WHAT: March for Health Care for all in 2009
WHEN: Saturday May 30 @ 12:30
WHERE: Starting at Pratt Park and ending with a rally at Westlake Center
WHO: You. Me. Us. Spread the word!

For more info, click HERE.
For a map, click HERE.

See you THERE.

Some things we're lovin' on this weekend.

First things first - get your SIFF on! Starting tonight with the Opening Night Gala. Watch the opening night film, In the Loop, and then stick around for the super fancy, always fun party. Schmooze with your fellow film-lovers while sippin' on fine champagne and enjoying your exclusive sneak peek taste of our June Cupcake of the Month: Rainier Cherry with Theo Cocoa Nibs.

Subtly sweet Rainier cherries from Olmstead Orchards in Yakima Valley swirled into a cream cheese and cherry liqueur frosting, topped off with organic roasted cocoa nibs from our superfriends over at Theo Chocolate. It's not available in stores until June 1st...but SIFFers will get the first taste tonight. Be there!

Then get up and at 'em tomorrow and head on down to 5609 Rainier Ave S, the corner of Rainier and Orcas for the Yard/Bake Sale of the Century! The fine peoples over at the Service Board have come up with some creative fund raising fun times to get together the cash for their final trip of the season.

From 8-4 they'll be peddling old boards and boots, baked goods, and donations from the community. And by baked goods, we mean cupcakes. From Cupcake Royale. True fact. It's gonna be a beautiful day in their neighborhood, so get on down there and get in on the neighborly goodness.

What if the world paid attention before it was too late?

The tag line for Sandy Cioffi's film, Sweet Crude, has never been more urgent. For some, it is already too late, as Oporoza, the village where much of the filming for the documentary took place, has come under attack by the Joint Task Force of the Nigerian military.

There are currently conflicting reports coming from the region, and a few major news outlets are covering the violence as information becomes available. You can read the Wall Street Journal's story from Saturday HERE. The Ijaw National Congress has called on the United Nations to intervene, as reports claim 1,000 civilian deaths at the hands of the Nigerian military. The Nigerian military dismisses these claims. Read more of the BBC's coverage of that HERE.

Cioffi, who spent 5 months in Oporoza on two separate occasions while shooting the film, received the following text from one of the film's main subjects. He/she was on the ground in the bush as attacks were launched against the village over the weekend:

“The situation is getting worse every minute. Their plan is to wipe Oporoza out of the surface of Earth tomorrow morning. Pls let the international community intervene before we witness a genocide.”

Unconfirmed reports name the home of Tompolo, one of the top leaders of MEND, as a specific target of military violence. It is uncertain whether President Yar’Adua ordered or acceded to this attack, or if the JTF is operating outside the Federal government. Both scenarios are of critical concern in their implications about the Nigerian government, the likelihood of escalated combat in the Delta, and the collapse of any peace initiatives. The alleged targeting of Tompolo's home is of particular concern, as he is regarded as one of the leaders of the political movement in the Delta, and has recently been engaged in what appeared to be diplomatic talks with the federal government.

Our hope is that the international community, including the United States government, will intervene immediately. They must ask directly for an explanation of the attack and the chain of command that authorized it, and call for a cease fire. This is an international concern.

70% of Nigerians make less than US$1 a day. Oil revenues since the 1970s are estimated at US$300 BILLION. Those dollars are coming from all over the globe, including the United States. Nigerian oil heats your home. It runs your car. And innocent people are dying for it.

Get informed. Get involved. Before it's too late.

www.sweetcrudemovie.com

Sweet Crude is a documentary film by local filmmaker and Madrona regular Sandy Cioffi. Vérité Coffee (Cupcake Royale's other half) produced the film which will premiere at the Seattle International Film Festival. For ticket info and show times, go HERE. All photos courtesy of Kendra E. Thornbury.

This blonde ain't from a bottle.

Oh, you don't know about Syttende Mai? Weird. We thought everyone did. Maybe you call it by its other name, Grunnlovsdag. No? Well, Syttende Mai is literally the 17th of May. It's Norwegian Constitution Day, and you can bet the Scandinavian stronghold that is Ballard will be partying down this Sunday in the name of Mother Norway.

From 1-3 there will be games for the kiddos at the Ballard Community Center on 28th . Aww. Nordic wee ones.



The parade heads out at 4:00 pm from the corner of 62nd and 24th, near Adams School, and marches right on through the heart of Ballard.




Wait a darn minute, we're in the heart of Ballard! After the dance, and before you drop your hottest Norwegian dance moves at Leif Erikson Hall, you should come on in for a cupcake + coffee. You'll need the sugar + caffeine to keep up with the musical stylings of the Smilin' Scandinavians from 8pm - Midnight over there at good ol' Leif Erikson's.

Seriously though, regardless of your Nordic status, you should come check this business out. It is a sight to behold and a good time to be had, for sure. If the above photos are not enough to persuade you, try this one.



For more info, go HERE. See you Sunday.

Happy Birthday Stevie Wonder!

Aw yeeeah. That's right. Today marks 59 years since the one and only Stevie Wonder burst forth onto the stage that is planet Earth. And he's been rockin' it ever since. On just about every corner of every street, including...Sesame Street.




It eventually became clear that the only way Stevie Wonder could get any hotter was if he did a duet with Claire Huxtable. And so he did.



And now we honor that hotness with...wait for it...Chocolate Scorcher babycakes! Get your dance on in honor of Mr. Wonder tonight at the Northwest Film Forum. This quarter's Soul Nite has the added bonus of being a birthday bash for one of the greats. Celebrate with archival footage, sweet soul sounds, birthday goodtimes, and free cupcakes.

Party starts at 8:00. Be there.

Run for Your Rights & Away We Go!

Saturday. Greenlake. Run. Or walk. Just be there.

This Saturday, a whole bunch of organizations we love and a writer we think is hilarious are getting together to make it pretty much the best Saturday ever.

First things first: You are not too late to register for NARAL's Run For Your Rights! You can still get signed up online, and for those of you with serious commitment issues, you can actually wait right up until the last minute and register on site on Saturday. Be there by 11 to get signed in, and get ready to run at noon.

We can think of no better reason to run, walk, or straight up skip around Greenlake than for NARAL. We're already planning for next year's Chocolate for Choice...where we have been named Best Baker 2 years in a row...Just sayin'.

After that:



Two more of our most favorite awesome squads are putting on a killer event at the Harvard Exit. Our superfriends over at the Northwest Film Forum are sponsoring a fundraiser for 826 Seattle at 4:30 pm. In case you haven't heard, Dave Eggers is trying his hand at screenwriting, and we have a feeling he's gonna be pretty, pretty, pretty good at it. Come on out for a sneak peek of his new film Away We Go, starring none other than John Krasinski (Jim of the Office) and Maya Rudolph (formerly of SNL).

In case you were not convinced already...DAVE EGGERS IS GOING TO BE THERE. Yep.

Get tickets HERE.

See you there.

Oh yeah, and then come on in and celebrate a Saturday well-spent with a cupcake 'n' coffee!

IT'S A MOVEMENT, PEOPLE

Join it.

U District bus stop. We love public transportation.

Hot Mama! A Mother's Day 4-Pak

Moms are the best. Period. And we can think of no better way to honor their collective maternal radness than with this simultaneously tongue-scorching and mouth-watering combo of delicious cupcakes. These four flavors combine to form a 4-pak tour de force that is sure to put a smile on Mom's face this weekend.

Hot and spicy. Sweet and salty. Sophisticated and sassy. Get one for your mama, your mama's mama, and your baby mama.

Call to order up some Hot Mama 4-Paks today, or click HERE to build your own using our web-based cupcake-o-matic.

Frosters are standing by to take your call.
Ballard | 206.782.9557
Madrona | 206.709.4497
West Seattle | 206.932.2971

Cupcakes & Eye Candy - Two great tastes that taste great together.

Well looky here what we found on Lovelab...

Verite Coffee Barista hipsta

I'm too shy to actually talk to you. You're the cute hipster boy behind the bar that road your bike around my neighborhood.. me.. morning glory. Maybe I'm even too embarrassed to post an I saw u ad. But I had to put something out there. :) See you on the flip side mister.

When: Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Where: Ballard Verite Coffee

I saw a: Man

I am a: Woman

The only problem, if you can call it that (which you obviously cannot), is that we have several fine lookin' men pullin' shots around here. And they all ride bikes. Perhaps we may never know...