A Butterfly First Birthday

I'm back from my long pregnancy hiatus with some dessert photos for a pink and purple butterfly party. I managed to snap a few photos before everything was snapped up by the kiddos! 



Brown butter and sea salt krispie treats dipped in pink chocolate.

Chocolate mousse layered with raspberries in chocolate cups.

Tiramisu topped with chocolate espresso beans. Yum!

My first attempt at a cupcake pull-apart cake. It was pretty fun to make, though it requires lots of buttercream. 

A Bug Birthday

I made my first sculpted cake this weekend for a bug-themed birthday party! It was a fun challenge and I learned so much about the process. Overall, I'm very pleased with how it turned out. The birthday boy loves insects, but the client asked for a more natural and scientific look...nothing too cartoonish. I decided to do a fondant-covered beetle cake -- chocolate with vanilla Swiss merengue buttercream -- and hand-painted it with edible green and copper metallic luster dust. The legs are made from black fondant that I hand-molded, and the cake board is scattered with a few fondant leaves.

 

For the cookie favors I scanned insect drawings onto edible frosting sheets. I think they came out great!

My Tiny Dancer

My daughter just turned three and started ballet class. I can't believe how fast the time goes. Just two years ago she was my tiny dancer and we were celebrating her first birthday...now she's a little girl who is sweet, sassy, funny, generous and incredibly wise beyond her years. She tells me I'm her best friend every day. I'm the luckiest mom in the world. I love you baby girl!

Then...

And now...



Backyard Tea Party

My baby girl turned three last week and requested a tea party. Here are a few of the photos from the event, which we had in my brother's backyard.

My first teapot cake. I made it using the Wilton ball pan.



The girls decorated their own tea hats with birds, flowers, bumble bees and jewels.

I made sugar cubes using candy molds. It was so quick and easy and they came out really cute.

For the menu, we served PBJs, ham and cheese, curry chicken salad on croissants, deviled eggs, crudite platter, scones with jam, fresh berries, Caprese salad and pink lemonade. Everyone chose their own tea pot and (decaf) tea flavor.

I made a teapot pinata using this handy online tutorial.

Chasing butterflies.

Farm Birthday Party

My adorable nephew celebrated his second birthday this weekend. The party was held at Zoomar's Petting Zoo in San Juan Capistrano. For those of you in the SoCal area, this is such a wonderful resource for hosting a kid's party or just taking the little ones for a visit to see the animals. The train even stops right across the street! My sister-in-law did an awesome job with all the details, and the kids had a blast. There were pony rides, train rides, they fed the bunnies and goats carrots, and played on the playground. By the time we got in the car everyone was fast asleep. Happy birthday precious Aaron!

The craft table and gift bags. The kids created their own farm scene.

Everyone got a cowboy hat and scarf, along with tokens for pony rides and the petting zoo!

Vintage Coca Cola cooler.

Roasting marshmallows by the fire.


How cute are these Toy Story pumpkins?

I baked a few chocolate cupcakes in red and blue gingham wrappers with fondant farm animal toppers.

My favorite was the piggy.


My sister-in-law requested some sugar cookies so I came up with this assorted farm animal cookie plate with a barn, pigs, chicks, ducks, cows, farm dogs and sheep.






Happy birthday big boy. We love you!