27 pounds of love

Ok, So I'm a little behind on the blog..This entry is from an event on November 4th. Kevin and I were invited to a dear friend's 30th birthday party. Granted their home is about an hour from our place, but it sounded like fun and gave Kevin and I a chance to hang out with some friends. Ok, so what do you get someone for a 30th birthday? Clothes seem weird, gift cards seem thoughtless, and home decor like candles seemed way too generic. I began to think what I would like and appreciate for my 30th birthday (which is right around the corner) and it dawned on me that I would much rather someone make something for me rather than buy something. Our home is full of paintings, sculptures, blankets and even a tapestry that friends and family have made for us. I love them all and treasure them more than anything. But I have only one problem in regards to my friend turning 30.....I have absolutely no artistic talents whatsoever. Our good God has blessed me with the ability to use my brain, not brushstrokes. There is one thing however. I have been taking cake baking/decorating classes for about 2 months before the party. So, I volunteer to bring the birthday cake as my gift. No big deal right? Well, there are about 40 people coming to this shin-dig, so it had be slightly bigger than my typical class cakes. The pressure was on (it was good pressure, mind you, but it was on!) To make matters more complicated (in my own head), there was going to be a professional cake decorator AT the party! Can you believe that? How many cake decorators does my friend know?? Now I really had to prove myself.

To bake a cake for 40-50 people, I needed 15 cups of batter, or 3 boxes of cake mix. (Note to self: do not overfill KitchenAid mixer with batter...it's not pretty) Anyways, I had numerous designs in mind, but decided to go the "less-is-more" route, as not to seem like an overzealous cake decorator.

The cake was baked on Thursday and decorated Friday night. I was working with fondant, so naturally it took a ton more time. I had only worked with this doughy icing once in class, so to say it was an adventure would be an understatement. 4-5 hours later, my masterpiece was finished and I was exhausted. Off to bed I went.

The birthday girl likes the fall season so I made edible leaves that looked as if they were blowing on the cake. I was quite proud of myself.

The party was fun. Cake friend #2 didn't end up coming, but secretly I wish she had, so I could "talk shop" with her. People complimented me and that felt great! I definitely want to continue with the cake thing, but don't call me CakeLady....it makes me feel old.

This is my friend's dog Bailey. I wish I could say she is licking up scrumptious crumbles of my cake, but she is actually licking homemade barbecue pork drippings off the front of the stove. Oh, how she reminds me of our little monsters at home.