The Beach Cake

I loved this cake! Not only was it right up my ally being pretty simple and yet impressive looking, it tasted fantastic! I'll be the first to admit that I typically go overboard with my son's birthday parties, but I did make an attempt this year to keep myself in check with everything but the cake.

Our decor consisted of a few inexpensive banners and one beach bucket full of snacks, some paper plates and napkins and we were set. We did go in with most of the family and get an inflatable water slide for Alex's birthday present this year. Throw that in with a regular kiddie pool, and the inflatable soccer goal Alex got last year for his birthday, and my backyard became a kids inflatable land dream. :)

Then there was the cake. My brother joined our decorating team this year and made such notable contributions as the teddy graham chicken fight, and the bouy. My sister carefully crafted a kayak, helped with the bouy and served as general managing director of the decorations, and I was the brains behind the surfer, the beach babes, the lifeguard and the tree. All together we got a nifty cake that served the 50 or so people who came with very little leftover.

I used 3 boxes of funfetti cake mix to make the 11 x 15 cake, a thin 8 inch round and two cupcakes so I could test the results before the crowd. :) Once both cakes were cook, I put them in the fridge over night to lock in the moisture. The day before the party I brought them back to room temp, arranged the 8 inch round in pieces to create the beach and added a crumb coat to make frosting it easier. Once the crumb coat had set for a bit I tinted store bough whipped white frosting with orange extract (colorless) and did a white layer over the entire cake. I quickly added finely blended graham crackers (they were powder like consistency) all over the beach by patting them into the icing. Then I tinted another can of whipped white frosting blue for the water and mixed it with the white to create white caps in the water. Then came the fun with the teddy grahams and gummy drops rolled and cut up into shapes. Here see for yourself!

Prep Day

We've been prepping for Alex's party all week. We always use entertaining as an excuse to get the house in tip top shape. And I entertain enough that we get a good deep clean once a month or so. Between, cleaning, decluttering, shopping, baking, and more cleaning you would think we would be exhausted...but nope I love this!

Last night Alex and I made his cake. An 11x15 funfetti cake, and an 8 inch round funfetti cake, and two funfetti cupcakes. There's a method to my madness! :) I always recommend making a single cupcake out of any cake you make. Just use a small spoonfull of the batter. that way you get a preview of what you're going to serve. :) The 11x15 cake will be a beach cake, and the smaller 8 inch round will be carved on the corner to give rise to the actual beach portion (pictures later today).

Ever year this is one of my favorite parts of Alex's birthday. My sister comes to town and together we spend far to much time making his birthday cake. I love the time with my sister, love knowing I made Alex's cake when I see his face the next day.

Here's the last two years...



plus about a zillion of these


Then the next year...

And a ton of cupcakes decorated in boats, planes and cars. (We did a Planes, Trains and Automobiles party :).

This year it's surfs up and a beach cake. And I promised no cupcakes...so I did brownies instead. I really just can't help myself! :)

Three Years Old Today

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALEXANDER!!!!

Hard to believe that three years ago today we were in a hospital room in Dallas, anxiously waiting for Baby A to make an appearance. We didn't know if we were having a boy or a girl, how little sleep we were going to get, and I asked Eric yesterday if he could believe it had been three years and he laughed and said Yes. men are so funny that way...

Alex was 7 lbs 6 oz when he was born and 21 inches long.

Two Months

Six Months

Nine Months

One Year

By two he was thirty pounds and 34 1/2 inches

and now he's hovering right around 35 lbs and 37 inches tall.

Growing, growing, growing! We had the first of three celebrations planned last night and had a wonderful time celebrating with some golf, some pool time and some cake.


For those of you checking back in, here's a walk down memory lane and an absolute OVERLOAD of pictures from the last year. I snuck in a few sneak peaks of our family photo session for those brave enough to watch the whole montage! :)

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Planes, Trains and Automobiles...What a Party!

We celebrated my 2nd birthday on August 2 (a mere 24 hours before the official big event since I was born Aug 3 at 10:19pm). Since I love everything that moves, rolls, or motors we celebrated with a Planes, Trains and Automobiles theme with a few boats thrown in for fun. Here are a few pictures of the big day and some of the prep Mom did for the big day.

 

 

and not a few days later Mom's getting on to me for the "Trying Twos". She says I am pushing my limits, exploring my boundaries and just plain does what he wants to do. Here's a great example!

 

Fabulous 50's

Why celebrate this incredible milestone with gloom and doom, blow up toliets, and practical jokes? If you are looking for a fun, light-hearted alternative to going "over the hill", check out these ideas for a rocking good time!

First, think about getting an entertainer for the kids that will be present. This frees you and their parents up to have a good time. I'm proud to reccomend Bonzo Crunch, http://www.bonzocrunch.com/.

Then decorate with fun, festive colors. This Celebrate 50 theme is avaliable both online and in local party stores.

We took the theme even farther, by having custom invitations made and a cake to match.

The cake, a fondant masterpiece shown here, was created by Blue Note Bakery, http://www.bluenotebakery.com/.

The design was inspired by both the decorations and the custom invitation designed by RSVP Regrets Only, http://www.rsvpregretsonly.com/. All in all, this was a perfect way to celebrate such a special day. Our guest of honor spent it surrounded by friends and family, enjoying cake, tea and lemonade and a festive atmosphere provided by the light-hearted decorations and upbeat music.

Almost 27

I love celebrating my birthday.  I woke up today and realized that its right around the corner. I can't wait to do something special, maybe the movies or dinner.  Sorry to ramble I'm just getting excited!