Princess Birthday Cake

Clearly, you can tell that this was my first attempt at a "real", professional looking, made from scratch, two layer with filling cake. So please don't judge me too harshly as you laugh sitting in front of your computer screens.

This was a chocolate cake with coffee whip cream filling and pink buttercream frosting. The tiara on top is purple chocolate dusted with a little sparkly luster dust. Tasty? yes. But it took WAY TOO LONG to make. Let me list all of the things I will do differently next time (will there be a next time?)

Supplies
make a list and purchase everything early - from cake boards to eggs

Cake
make two recipes at once
buy more cake pans to cook everything at the same time
cut them level

Frosting
make more than one recipe at a time
make sure the consistency is correct

***I did have a really good time making this cake. My niece LOVED it, and it was perfect for her party. And for my next cake, I'm sure things will go more smoothly - everyone has to start somewhere... right?

Race Car Birthday Party

At one time or another, every little boy wants a race car birthday party. Now granted, my son was just turning one and couldn’t utter an intelligible word, so I chose for him. But still, he might have been dreaming about it, right?

After a party theme is chosen (whether by me or my child) I immediately go to the internet and search for cakes to see if someone else has “invented the wheel”. For this race car cake, I combined the ideas of 3 different cakes that I found to make my son’s all important first year birthday cake.


Invitation

As I searched and searched for a “racing” themed scrapbooking paper, I realized that what I wanted could be recreated on my computer in a matter of seconds. I quickly and cheaply made a black and white checkered pattern and printed it on plain white paper. For the invitation information I used a bright “safety orange” paper and included a little illustration of a traffic cone as decoration. Again, as in the polka dot party, I used cellophane party favor bags as envelopes.


Decorations

I have a very close friend whose son has an immense collection of toy cars. I’ve never counted them but I’m thinking he has hundreds of cars. I was able to borrow a small percentage of non Hot Wheels (because he didn’t like these as much and wouldn’t miss them). I used enough cars to fill 3 glass fish bowl type vases and added checkered flags to stick up out of them. To round out the theme, I also decorated with checkered pennant banners and orange safety cones, everywhere.

Side note: when the party was over, I did have lots of cones and checkered flags left over. I decided to donate these to my children’s preschool. They were able to use the items on “Bike Day” to cordon off an area of the campus designated for the little kids to ride bikes, and to make the special day more festive.


Activity

For the little kids, I provided crayons and markers to use on big pieces of butcher paper. Before anyone got to the party I drew a “road” and placed some toy cars on the paper because I knew that a couple of the boys would be very interested in creating more roads for the cars on paper.


For the older kids I purchased some super easy foam craft kits to make your own “race car” themed picture frame. I used a short kid height table and sturdy chairs along with some predetermined parent helpers to give assistance to any child that needed it.


Cake

I usually make the cake the night before the party, mostly to give myself the uninterrupted time to work on it but also just in case I totally mess it up there is still time to go out and buy one. Here is how I did this cake:

• 4 baked 9” round white cakes (so that each side is two layers)
• 2 cans white icing
• 1 can chocolate icing
• green sugar sprinkles
• honey maid graham cracker sticks
• clean toy cars
• checkered flag toothpicks
• trophy shaped candle

1. Cut a semicircular notch from one cake and carefully set aside. Trim the “dome” tops of the cakes so they are level and frost with white only in between to make your layers.
2. Push your layer cakes together and frost with white around the sides.
3. Take the “notch” piece and cut it flat on the bottom. Use white frosting on the bottom to “stick” it to the tope center of the cake – it should look like a bridge on the track.
4. Use white frosting in the centers of the round cakes and carefully use green sprinkles in just those areas as grass.
5. Carefully apply the chocolate frosting on the tops of the cakes as the track and to the sides of the “notch” piece.
6. Use a pastry bag to pipe a white icing border around the edge of the track, to make dotted lines in the center of the road and to write your birthday message.
7. Push the graham cracker sticks into the sides of the cake and spread more green sprinkles onto your cake board as grass.
8. Decorate with checkered flags and toy cars.

What a memorable first birthday party. A race car theme is simple to accessorize and easy to plan. Use some creative thinking to make it your own, spend as little as possible and make it look homemade - even if it isn't!

1st Grade here we Come!

Having nothing to do with cakes or parties, but definitely on my mind today, I thought I would share a current event.

As my daughter “graduates” from kindergarten today, I was trying to figure out the best way (or any way) to commemorate the occasion without making such a huge deal that I would have to outdo it each year for the next 12 years.

So, I beaded a necklace for her. I used some of her beads, some of mine and a few from the bridesmaid dress that I wore in my sisters wedding. I thought it would be special to have a collaboration of both of our collections of beads. And then, I made a matching one for me.

"Polka Dot" Birthday Party Shopping List

Scrapbooking Store (or Michael’s, Target)

• 12x12 sheets of cute polka dotted scrapbooking paper
• 8 1/5x11 sheets of coordinating plain paper (needs to be able to go through your printer)
• cellophane party bags as envelopes
• several shades of construction paper to cut out different sizes of polka dots
• polka dot ribbon – to use on party favor bags and for misc use on the food table

Party Supply Store

• Balloons in coordinating shades to match invites and decorations
• plates – coordinating shades
• napkins - coordinating shades
• plastic cutlery - clear, leftovers can be used at your next party
• plastic cups - clear, leftovers can be used at your next party

Grocery Store

• cake mix - find some on sale and buy 2 boxes, one box makes about 20 or so
• 2 cans of white frosting – white so you can color it to match the party colors
• food coloring – look for a “gel” food coloring, it works better than the liquid dropper
• frosting in a tube - to make the letters on the cupcakes, you can also use a pastry bag with a tip or I've seen icing syringes or plastic kits right there in the baking aisle at the market
• paper cupcake liners
  
• make sure you have eggs and oil for the cake

Go the extra mile and make your own frosting… here is a recipe for vanilla buttercream, yum!

Polka Dot Birthday Party

When my daughter turned 3 years old, I went all out with her party. There were polka dots as far as the eye could see. Even I have to admit that I went too far with the details, so much so that I vowed to not go quite as crazy in the future. But, to be fair, I was pregnant with my second child and was not quite right in the head.

Theme
Inspired yet again by Martha, we threw a “Polka Dot” themed birthday party – and it just goes to show, that you can really make a party to be about anything you like. Have a “purple” party, or a “square” one. Does your child flip out when the mail carrier comes? Then have a “mail” party.

Invitation
The invitation was really born out of an idea for the envelope. I am so tired of paying for specialty envelopes! Even a box of 250 A4 envelopes that you think can use for any invitation might go to waste over time, mostly because they may not be the right style or color for every party. My mom was telling me about an envelope she used when I was young, and I guess I wasn’t listening very closely because when I showed her my invitation and how she inspired me to do it, she laughed. I thought she told me to use a cellophane party favor bag as the envelope, so I did. And guess what? It worked! I used the clear and plain version, about 3.75x8.5 (approx.). Don’t use too small of a bag, because you may face extra postage for special handling.

The invitation itself was very simple. I used orange paper for the backing, and, to print the invitation information. I chose a polka dotted scrapbooking paper, cut slightly smaller than the orange and taped it at an angle on the orange. I cut crookedly around each grouping of invitation words and taped them to the dotted scrapbooking paper. Use a clear sticker to close the bag and a white mailing label to address it.

When using a crazy size envelope or thicker mail then normal I always take it to the post office for accurate postage – and sometimes I mail a sample one to myself just to be sure it works.

Decorations


The easiest decorations ever! Circles! I just cut plain circles in 3 different sizes out of pink and orange construction paper, you can also use a scrapbooking punch or even your three hole punch for confetti. Tape your dots to windows and walls, and lay them on the tables. You can make polka dot “garland” over doors or hanging from the ceiling (use double sided tape and a long piece of curling ribbon).


I also used balloons at this party, in the same colors as the construction paper circles. Balloons can be a bit of a hazard and I don’t always recommend them for parties with little ones, so, at this party I covered the ceiling with them and made the strings really short so the kids couldn’t grab them. You can also use balloon bouquets as centerpieces on the tables, just weight the strings (I used cans of tuna) and drop them into anything from gift bags to vases to toys.


As I did with the “Jungle” themed birthday party, I used the party favor bags as part of the decorations. Clear plastic cellophane bags tied with polka dot ribbon and a round name tag really added to the table scape.

Activity
For this party, I ordered star shaped foam frame craft kits from an online birthday party supplier. I took a digital photo of each child, with the birthday girl, as they walked in the door, and quickly printed them. By the time they sat down to do the craft project, they had a photo to insert into the frame and take home as part of their party favor.

Cake


One word, CUPCAKES! This “cake” was more about the set up than the cake itself. As you can see in the photo, I set up a group of 25 cupcakes on a background of some construction paper polka dots and confetti. I wrote out “Happy Birthday Autumn” and the number “3” in pink and orange frosting, inserted candles and voila! Cake is finished!

This party went off without a hitch! And of course the kids had a blast! This is a simple party, that looks spectacular.
Just use an original theme, creative thinking, spend as little as
possible and make it look homemade - even if it isn't!

Princess Birthday Party

My niece Lauren is turning 4 years old in July, and she wants a Princess birthday party. As much as I cringe at the thought of all things “Disney Princess” it is what she desperately wants, and so she shall have it!

My sister is the one with questions this time, so I am going to do my best to give party planning advice. I know, Missy, that you are worried about space in your home for a party – if your guest list is 10-12 girls I really think you’ll be okay. Remove all extraneous furniture (maybe the coffee table? the leather club chair and side table), put away most of the toys and I think you will be fine. You could use your dining room table for eating and crafts if you wanted to, just cover the table with plastic (tape underneath) use a table cloth that you don’t really care that much about, and cover the chairs in a plastic/towel combination (tape underneath).

Invitation
Your local scrapbooking store or craft supply store has a ton of 12x12 patterned papers to choose from that would make excellent invitations. Choose a few sheets of patterned paper preferably something pink and sparkly with maybe even a crown, and a matching/coordinating sheet of 8 ½ x 11 plain colored paper. I would choose something that is NOT cardstock because you are going to put this through your printer at home. For my sample here I chose a more dusty pink palette, but I would even go more sparkly if you can find it. To make the princess theme more noticeable, I’ve done some clever wording of the party details. When assembling your invitation, make sure that your patterned paper is slightly smaller than your envelope, and your plain color paper is then smaller still. You could even add a little bit of jewel stickers or (a tiny bit goes a long way) glitter to the front.

Decorations
Stay simple, and yet mature. I would do small pink flowers in small containers, either vases or drinking glasses, and then wrap the container in pink tulle or ribbon. Yards of tulle or ribbon can be purchased at outlet stores or downtown (L.A.) at the mart very inexpensively and can be reused at future parties (baby showers, bridal showers, birthday parties). You can drape furniture, chairs, windows, doorways and the “tablescape” (the food and cake table) with tulle. Shades of pink paper goods, pink (paper or tulle) table runners with glittery jewels sprinkled over them, tiaras as centerpieces.

Activity
You have so many choices here! Do you want to do a craft? Do you want a performer/storyteller? Why don’t you start with setting up a dress up area. Beg, borrow and steal dress up stuff from your sisters and friends, and create an area where the girls can choose a variety of clothing and accessories and try them on in front of a mirror. I used an old full length mirror from the back of my closet door and just leaned it against the wall next to the dress up chest. Even though the girls came dressed in very fancy party clothes, every single one of them put things on top of what they were wearing.

If you want to do a craft, I would suggest magic wands. You can buy kits from places like Oriental Trading company, or you can simply use plain cardboard or cardstock glued to a skewer/dowel. Supply the girls with ribbon, jewels, paint and glue (I would avoid glitter like the plague) and they will be in heaven.

You could even play a game – make sure you have prizes enough for each girl to “win” one. My favorite game at this age is “Freeze Dance”, easy and fun for all. Gather the girls to one central area and play music for a few seconds, when you stop the music all the girls must freeze where they are, if one moves she is called out to get her prize. And continue until all have won their prize.

Cake
I know you are not going to make the cake, and that is absolutely normal. I am the crazy mom who insists on making a ridiculous cake every year. So here is my suggestion: get a bundt cake from Creative Cakery or a 9 inch round cake from the bakery, and you purchase a tiara and wand (paper, plastic or real, just so long as they are glittery and sparkly) and put them on top of the cake. It will look spectacular!

Party Favors
Instead of cellophane party favor bags why not get some organza draw string bags from Fabric Barn. They are super cheap and you can fill them with stickers, rings, tattoos, pens and journals, bubbles or hair accessories.


Let me know how the party turns out! And as always, shoot me an email if you need any more advice :)

"Green" Baby Shower

Knowing that I had given more than a few showers in my time, my mom friend Mary asked me today if I had any ideas for a baby shower she is putting together. The mom-to-be is very into living “green” and wanted that to be the theme for the shower. The party colors would not be your typical shades of pink or blue, but green and white.

After reading a bit about an eco-baby shower given for Sheryl Crow, I was inspired…this is what I would do:

Invitation

• Choose recycled paper or a “plantable” invitation made with handmade paper embedded with seeds
• Let people know that it is okay, in fact preferable, that their gift is gently used
• Encourage guests to wrap their gifts not in paper or a disposable gift bag but a receiving blanket or nursery themed fabrics

Food

• Buy local and buy organic!
• Use real plates/glasses/flatware instead of paper – even if they are mismatched

Decorations

• Purchase a bolt or at least several yards of white tulle – it is quite inexpensive and can be reused as décor for almost any party (drape it over entranceways, use it as a layer of table cloth, tie it in bows around chair backs, tie it around flower vases – it will soften the look of the party perfect for a baby shower, wedding shower or even birthday party)
• Stay away from traditional paper decorations
• Collect glass baby food jars and use as tea lights
• Choose new or heirloom baby toys as centerpieces
• Use greenery from your own backyard as floral arrangements

Activity

• Have each guest decorate a baby onsie or baby bib made of organic cotton, with organic or soy based paints

Party Favors

• Plant little individual terra cotta herbs/plants for the guests to bring home (use them on the tables as part of the décor!)
• Bake muffins and wrap them in a kitchen towel instead of a paper/plastic bag

Let me know how the shower turns out! And as always, shoot me an email if you need any more advice :)