New Beginnings

so back in February the Young Women had their New Beginnings.

I know, I know ... it's now MAY.  Well, I have a new computer now and it's not taking 2 hours to download a picture, I'm happy and will have more posts ... if I don't forget.

The Leaders planned a "game night" theme and the girls prepared games to go with each of their 8 values.  It was very fun, we played versions of Yahtzee, Twister and another game that I just can't remember (no offense to the lovely ladies that planned the unknown game, it's just been a few months)

Each value has a color and the cake was a Monopoly board (as if you couldn't guess).

I do have to say ... it was yummy

here's a different view ... but I like the diamond shot better

Cupcake Bouquet

I've seen cupcake bouquets around, but have never tried them myself ... 

well, now I have, and I like it

Since these were for my little girl and she likes butterflies ...

she gets butterflies - white chocolate butterflies

and because I really like the way these turned out, one more picture. 

If I thought about it I could've done a step by step picture process,

but I rarely think and when I do it's usually too late, like now.

Oh well, maybe next time.

Soccer Party!!!!

So, my older boys are still playing soccer.  Their team's in the area playoffs right now and depending on how they do they could go to regionals; my little boys soccer season ended in November ... we're in January and still playing soccer, and in a few months we will be signing up for 2011s soccer season.

Despite the fact that we're still playing soccer the team is having the "end of season" party.  Can you guess what I'm bringing???  If you guessed cake - you're right.

My boys have grown accustom to my drawing on cakes.  This cake will be no different, but first I need a picture.  What better to use than the team banner.

After I crop the picture I print it to the size I want.  This, of course, has been zoomed out to fit an entire sheet of paper, I wanted the picture bigger but I can't print bigger than a sheet of paper.  

Since there are 10 players on the team we have to make the cake big enough for family too.

I've baked a square 14" cake for my canvas.

This cake is a marble cake with cookies and cream filling frosted with cream cheese frosting.  YUM!  

See the blue stripes on my canvas?  I was so happy I found a blue can of color mist in my decorating supplies.  Since I can't have a food safe airbrush machine I will have to settle for the 

Wilton food color spray.  Hey - it works.    

The Cake.

 I'm actually quite please with how this turned out.  I usually "trace" the pictures onto my cakes but circumstances didn't allow me to do that and I had to freehand the picture on to the cake.  Not too shabby.

Go Black Hawks

Cake Decorating made easy

I have not been a good blogger ... so I promise to do better.  Today I'm featuring a cake that I made before any cake decorating classes were even taken.

If you can bake and frost a cake, you can draw on it too ... with cookie cutters.

Here is a baby shower cake I made for my sister.  After you frost your cake simply make an impression in the frosting with any cookie cutter of your choice, as you can see I used a heart shaped cutter.  When your frosting has the cutter impression take your piping bag (or tube of frosting, if you purchased it from a store) and trace the heart, or whatever you are putting on your cake.  This will work with ANY cookie cutter, then you can decorate the inside of your picture any way you wish.

**this blog post is called cake decorating made easy, but the truth of the matter is, if you can't use a bag of frosting or frosting in any way, this will not work for you and I take no responsibility for any failures that may come from this blog post ... BUT if by chance your cake turned out fabulous and you wish to give me a lovely pat on the back I will gladly take it :)**

HAPPY DECORATING

Baby Shower cakes

I had fun molding these little guys out of fondant.

BABY Quilt - and if you can't tell, there's a bear, lion, baby in a carriage

and a monkey ... 

along with the letters B A B Y

This cake I made shortly after taking decorating classes, I'm pretty sure the idea came from an old Wilton magazine.  The little babies in the "swings" are sitting on lifesavers.  The carriage topper I love so much I did it again for another baby shower cake (see below).

 

This cake took weeks of planning.  Those blocks and the carriage both had to be made ahead of time.  If you couldn't guess, it's a boy.

cupcakes anyone can do

sometimes friends get cakes too

If you know Veggietales, then you know Larry Boy

I hope you recognize Bob the Builder

This is the Hogwarts Crest ... from Harry Potter