Here's to the grads!

Over the last few years, I have had several opportunities to honor college grads through my favorite creative medium: cake!  What better way to celebrate all those years of hard work (or just your favorite college team!) than with a delicious dessert?! 

Ahoy, Matey!

As we prepared for our trip to the Outer Banks this week, it seemed only fitting that I had a pirate ship cake to make for a very special 6 year-old!  One of my friends and fellow teachers, Rena, wanted a Lego cake for her son, and he ended up choosing Pirates of the Caribbean Legos to build for the top.  I just couldn't picture Lego Jack Sparrow standing atop an ordinary birthday cake, so I decided to figure out how to build a ship!  I learned a few things about ship building along the way that will definitely help me, should I ever have the chance to make another one, but for my first attempt, I am pretty proud!  Happy Birthday, Captain Gabe!!

Happy Birthday Aunt Shell!

Yesterday was my sister's 23rd birthday.  She was a little sad about the death of her "young adulthood" as she called it, so I wanted to make sure her cake was extra-special. :)  She requested a cake that was "chocolate, chocolate, all chocolate" so I decided to try making chocolate buttercream for the first time... it was delicious!!  Happy, Happy Birthday Michelle!

Vroom, Vroom

My brother-in-law has a Honda Civic that is his baby... he's been working on it since he was in college and has made countless modifications and improvements to it (sorry I don't know the real car terms here... I'm making it sound lame, but it's not at all!).  Anyway, for his birthday, I tried my hand at making a car cake, decorated to look like the Civic.  It was red velvet inside, Hunter's favorite.  I like the way it turned out, and I think he did, too.  Happy Birthday Hunter! :) 

**I'm sorry it's sideways... for some reason, Blogger will NOT let me turn it around- I upload it horizontally, but it ends up turning vertically every single time I try to put it on here... ahhh, technology!

Groovy!

This past weekend, my sister-in-law's cousin turned 6, and she wanted a "peace sign cake" that coordinated with the adorable paper products her mom bought.  She also requested two tiers, fit for a birthday princess!  Here is the final product- Happy Birthday Chesney!

With This Cake, I Thee Wed

I haven't had many opportunities yet to do wedding cakes, but the few I have done for friends have been a lot of fun.  I've also done a few bridal shower cakes, which I loved.  What better way to celebrate something so momentous than with a sweet treat?!

Wedding shower cake- the bride wanted "orange and vintage"

Wedding shower cake in the wedding colors

Wedding shower cake- the bridesmaids' dresses were clover green

Wedding cake- "vintage and orange" bride found the design and asked if I could replicate it, and I LOVE the way it turned out!

Wedding cake- the bride and groom got this small two-tier all to themselves! :)

Crossword Puzzle Fun!

My sister-in-law Kristen's grandmother turned 80 this weekend, so Kristen's mom asked me to make her a birthday cake that incorporated a crossword puzzle.  Although the cake seems pretty monochrome on the outside, there was a colorful surprise underneath: red velvet cake!