Sunday, May 15, 2011

Totoro cake for Karen

I made this cake for my daughter's best friend, Karen, who loves Totoro. My daughter helped me to design this cake, which is why it's a big tree with characters on it. Since she has seen every single cake I've made, she likes to set the bar really high. So, basically, her design ideas are "whatever she can imagine".
So, here are the Totoro characters, up on top of a big tree :)

Happy Birthday Karen!!

Hot Wheels cake for Harrison

Here is my first CCC (cupcake cake). It is made by placing cupcakes close together, then frosting them in a way that makes them stay together in the form that they were placed (similar to grouting tile, i guess), then decorated and stuff. So Harrison turned 4, and had a Hot Wheels themed birthday party at a fancy car place.
The cars were all made out of fondant, using this tutorial http://www.cakejournal.com/archives/how-to-make-a-race-car-cake-topper

Happy Birthday Harrison!!!



Pascal cake for Hanna

This cake was made for a friend of my younger brother. It's Pascal! The adorable little chameleon from the movie, Tangled. on a side note, don't you just love Disney movies these days? The movies they make have more adult humor, and the way the women are independent and don't have that "I can't live without a man" attitude holding them back from their dreams, like that ole floozy Snow White, you know what I mean? I cringed every time my daughter watched that movie, hoping she would not grow up to be that dependent and weak. (she's not, by the way) But now, I get excited when a new movie comes out, knowing that I might actually enjoy it way more than my kids. I actually fear the day my kids are too old to see Disney movies. Go ahead, make fun of me.
My brother asked me to make this cake for his friend's girlfriend, Hanna. She loves the movie Tangled, and also loves Lulu Lemon, so I incorporated the logo too.

Happy Birthday Hanna!!

Dissected Frog Cake

Is this not the coolest cake ever??? This was for a boy who was having a mad scientist birthday party. How cool is that!?!?!? Note to self: recreate this party/steal this idea in a few years for my own son's birthday!
When I delivered the cake, the front room of their house was all set up like a mad scientist's laboratory, with numerous vials filled with dry ice and bubbling/smoking stuff inside them, and other really cool sciency lab stuff. It looked like it was going to be a really fun memorable time!

Happy Birthday Jayden!! Hope you enjoyed your dissected frog!!







Olivia cake for Emerson

Besides dachshunds, my most favorite animal in the entire world is a pig. And it's probably not a healthy love I have. I mean, if there's a pig character in a storybook somewhere I know what it is, probably bought the book for my kids and insist on reading it over and over. all the time. I collect pig statues, pig stationary, pig kitchen utensils, well, you get the picture. The craziest thing is, my husband also has this love for pigs, which he had for years before I even met him. His friends even call him "pig" and his dj name is "notorious pig". Isn't that crazy coincidence? Maybe fate? hmm...
Anyway enough about me. The point of the story was to tell you that I love Olivia the pig. She's a storybook character, and she's a little diva. She has several wardrobe changes throughout the day, all different varieties of princess attire, of course.
So when my friend Karynn asked me to make an Olivia cake for her daughter Emerson, I was so thrilled!! And it made the process of making this cake so much fun. I really hope to get another Olivia cake order again.

Happy Birthday Emerson!!!






Baby Boy for Elvia!

This cake was actually for Eliana's mommy! (Minnie mouse cake)
Elvia is pregnant with a baby boy!! Oh happy day!, and this cake was inspired by the modern jungle themed baby shower invites, which mixed baby blue with giraffe and zebra print. Just love the look of this, don't you??

Congratulations Elvia!!!!

Minnie Mouse cake for Eliana

I've been wanting to make a mickey mouse hat with the big ears, for so long, and finally I got an order from one of my favorite customers! yay! And as an added bonus, my very first Minnie mouse cake too! So of course it had to be all pink :)
This cake was so much fun to make, I really hope to be able to make another minnie cake again.

Happy Birthday Eliana!!

Elephant cake for David

This cake was for my son's friend David, who loves his stuffed Elephant, and wanted to dedicate his birthday party to his beloved friend. So, what could be more perfect for this special occasion than a giant elephant cake? :)

Happy Birthday David!!!

Yo Gabba Gabba for Dante

This cake was really fun to make. On each side of the cake, I made the background for each one of the characters, using my fond memories of the show, and also my son's book as a guide.
When I delivered the cake, Dante was actually watching the show on tv! A true YGG fan, made me so proud. Having a husband who's an actual dj, kids who love silly tv shows, and a love for cool tricks, makes it impossible not to love everything about the show!!

Happy Birthday Dante!!!



Angry Birds Seasons Valentine cake for Brielle

So, if you are really a true fan of my blog ;), you will recognize the name on this cake, yep, it's my friend's sweet little daughter Brielle (bunny cake and soccer team cake), who loves to play Angry Birds. I confess, I'm a total AB addict, so I totally understand the love she has for the game, and so I was really excited to make another angry birds cake that was different this time (she asked for pink angry birds). The first idea that came to me was the Valentines day on AB seasons! I love that level!!
So here I recreated one of the little structures, with the little white clouds and wooden roof. All of the pigs and birds are made of rice krispie treats too. hee hee!

Happy Birthday Brielle!!!

Italy Futbol cake for Brayden

Here is another cake for another one of my childhood friend's children. Beginning to see a theme here? Yes, we are all getting older, and as the years go by, more of my friends from ages ago are getting married and having kids. The only difference is, I was married and pregnant when I was 21, so my kids are much older. It's nice to see my friends starting out on the long road of parenting, and it makes me smile to think about all the wonderful memories and learning experiences they will have for many, many years to come.
So, this is for my friend Jenny, whose son Brayden turned 1. She and her hubby are fans of the Italian futbol team, so she asked me to make this cake for Brayden's party. It was so cute too, where they had the cake, they also hung the teeniest little Italian futbol jersey next to it, and the jersey and the cake were almost the same size, too precious!!

by the way, aren't you impressed that I'm calling it futbol and not soccer??? Yes, my own hubby is a big futbol fan, so I'm familiar with the proper titles. (his team is Manchester United)

Happy Birthday Brayden!!

Ladybug cake for Ava

I just love the ladybug theme, don't you? It's so cute, and perfect for so many different occasions, you know? For this ladybug cake I used black wire for the antennae and a food marker to make some dotted lines for the little trails.
This cake was for my childhood friend's little sister, who is having a baby girl, who she's going to name Ava. Baby Ava is one lucky baby, she's entering this world already loved by so many people, and has a wonderful, loving family to join.
Welcome Baby Ava!!!




Dino cake for Aries

So, this cake was for the daughter of my friend, Rebecca, who I've known since I was in 7th grade. I remember she was the biggest New Kids on the Block fan, and considering this was during the era of the ever so fancy "hairbears", I also remember that she had very tall hair. Being asian, I was never able to pull off the look (not that I didn't try), so I had lots of "hair envy" when I was around her. ha! those were the days....
Anyway now we're all much older, and we are wives and mommies. And her sweet little daughter, Aries, loves dinosaurs. So she asked me to make this cute dino cake for her birthday. The excited look on her face was so cute as I walked into the party with the cake. Seriously, it's why I do this!!

Happy Birthday Aries!!

Jungle baby shower

This cake was designed from the adorable invitation, which had a little giraffe and elephant sitting together with some playful little monkeys. The elephant's ears were green and glittery, and some of the leaves on a little vine were glittery too, so I bought some edible glitter to recreate the look.
Congratulations Antoinette!



Ni Hao Kailan

My friend's little niece was visiting her from Calexico (I had never heard of it before, it's on the border of Mexico and California, on the California side. I asked, and right on the other side is Mexicali, makes perfect sense, right?)



So, her niece, Xitlali, loves Ni Hao Kailan, and my son is a huge fan of the show. I just love the cute characters, Kailan reminds me so much of my daughter when she was little, with the little mickey mouse hair style.



Happy Birthday Xitlali!! (in case you're wondering, it's pronounced Seet-la-lee, really cool)



Kokeshi Star Wars


My friend Michelle is a cupcake girl. That is, she has her own cupcake business.(http://www.thankyousweets.info/)



So, when she asked me to make her husband a surprise cake for their anniversary, I was so excited, AND knew that I had to make it totally awesome and over the top!!



Her husband Tony asked her to marry him on the top of Half dome in Yosemite, so cute!! and he is also a star wars fan, so we came up with the idea of recreating the proposal on half dome, in Star Wars form, hehe



So, Michelle is asian Princess Leia and Tony is asian Han Solo, and they have their trusty droids there to guide them into eternal happiness and Yoda to give them vague but wise advice.



When I delivered the cake, Tony was so surprised he was speechless, it was so funny. Their little princesses were all excited to eat their "parents", which were made out of rice krispie treats, too cute!



Happy anniversary Michelle and Tony!! (now go check out her website!!!)
















~ Sonja's 50th Birthday ~

My friend Sonja always hosts these elaborate parties, where she feeds us this delicious food and serves us these fancy cocktails, one after another, after another. I Love her parties!!!



(not to mention she is the most amazing quilter I've ever known, she slaved every year since I can remember, to make these beautiful quilts for our kids' teachers. I'm not just talking simple pieced together quilts. Im talkin museum worthy masterpieces. I can imagine the teachers putting their priceless gifts into acid free paper lined boxes, and stored away in some heirloom trunk. They are that amazing!!



Anyway, my wonderful friend just turned 50, and for her birthday I thought it only appropriate to make her a cake in the form of a giant Grey Goose vodka bottle, to thank her for the many drinks and laughs shared over drinks I've experienced with her. (the quilt thing didn't really seem to fit into the raging party theme)



Happy Birthday Sonja!! Here's to many more drinks we will have together!!