Let's Travel Back in Time, Shall We?

I've been thinking lately about where I started, and how far I've come with this whole "party" business. There has to be one or two of you out there who know that I had another blog, before this one, called "piece of cake parties"? It started out as a place for me to write about and share all of the events that I did for friends and family - and trust me, as a non-party planner, I did a TON! The very first post I did back in May of 2008 was all about my daughter's first birthday party. I was SO proud!

Please don't laugh?

So, without further ado...


"In getting ready for my 3 year old son's birthday party this weekend, I fondly remembered planning a 1st birthday party for my now 6 year old daughter.

Even back in 2003, I was adamant that I would not buy a prepackaged "kit" of birthday supplies. No Dora, no Thomas and NO princesses! Once I had announced this plan to my friends I couldn't then go back on my word, even after I figured out how difficult I was making it for myself. Oh, the pressures of your very first child's first birthday party!

Invitations

I decided on a "Jungle" theme - mostly because my daughter's favorite book was "Goodnight Gorilla" and she loved saying the word giraffe. I asked a friend to help with some illustrations of cute little jungle animals, very appropriate for a 1st birthday party, (although, cheap stock photo would have worked just as well) and just printed the invitations on my color printer.


Decorations
Next I had to decide on decorations. I just happened to have a ton of leftover green, brown and maroon construction paper, I found leaf and animal silhouette templates online and I went to town! Animals and leaves covered every horizontal surface, the ceiling and some windows too. I chose 3 shades of green streamers from Alin Party Supply and hung them from every chandelier and tent canopy.

Keeping with this Jungle theme, I found green striped cellophane party favor bags and tied them with animal print ribbon, made sugar cookies in animal shapes (although I could have just bought animal crackers) and make cupcakes with a little iced leaf on top. Our house was really small, so for comfortable seating I rented three round tables and covered them with forest green table cloths, and topped them with the paper animal and leaf cutouts. I also purchased plates, napkins and cups in 3 shades of green to match.


Activity

I knew there needed to be some kind of activity to entertain the children, and I had not yet heard of bounce houses or rent-a-character. I did not have any experience throwing a kids party before, so I just went with what I knew...crayons and paper. A child height table and chairs with a long piece of white butcher paper plus a few boxes of crayons and markers kept those multi-age kids busy for longer than you would expect.


Cake

And now for the pièce de résistance! The moment you have all been waiting for... the cake. While looking at my latest issue of Martha Stewart Baby, they had several options for children's birthday cakes. To my great surprise, there was a giraffe! Everything was right there in black and white - a template and everything. All I had to do was make a regular 9x12 sheet cake, the cut out between the legs became the neck, cut off a slope for the back and it becomes the head and tail pieces (see pattern details below). White frosting in a can (colored yellowish), frosting in a tube (in a contrasting color) to outline the legs, feet and face, plus some chocolate jimme sprinkles for the spots and you look like a STAR pastry chef!

Honestly, anyone can make this cake... here are a few tips:

• use boxed cake - it always turns out right
• use frosting in a can if you want to, it's easy and it tastes good
• what are you going to put the cake on? cut a piece of cardboard and cover it with foil, or purchase a ready made cake board of plastic or cardboard
• push 2 inch strips of paper towel or wax paper slightly under all the edges of the cake to keep the frosting off of the base board
• if you plan on writing on the cake, leave enough space for it
• remember to purchase candles!
• make cupcakes too - the kids actually prefer them to a piece of cake (and you'll be sure to have enough dessert to go around) 

 

sheet cake pattern

giraffe cake assembly

Shopping List

Michael's, Joann's or any online Craft Store

• paper to print invites on - or just use whatever you have at home
• envelopes
• green, brown, maroon construction paper
• animal print ribbon - to tie the party favor bags and for misc use on the food table
• crayons and markers - unless you already have some at home? you certainly don't need to buy new especially because kids are really hard on them

Party Supply Store

• paper streamers - multiple shades of green
• plates - multiple shades of green
• napkins - multiple shades of green
• plastic cutlery - clear, leftovers can be used at your next party
• plastic cups - clear, leftovers can be used at your next party
• cellophane party favor bags - look for some with green stripes or an animal print
• roll of butcher paper - can be brown kraft or white
• something to put the cake on - cake board of cardboard or plastic
• Party Rental Store
• tables - do you need kid size as well as grown up?
• chairs - do you need kid size as well as grown up?
• green cloth table cloths

Grocery Store

• cake mix - find some on sale and buy 4 boxes, you'll need enough for cupcakes too - remember, these have a long shelf life and buying extra will save you if/when you make a mistake (trust me) OPTION FOR A BIG PARTY: make the giraffe a double layer cake
• 3 cans of white frosting - (extra is always a good idea) for the giraffe and cupcakes
• food coloring - yellow/orange for giraffe body
• chocolate jimmies
• frosting in a tube (brown and green) - to trace the features of the giraffe and for the leaf shapes on the cupcakes... you can also use a pastry bag with a tip or I've seen icing syringes or plastic kits right there in the baking aisle at the market
• make sure you have eggs and oil for the cake
• EASY OPTION FOR THE CAKE - buy a plain, no frosting, 9x12 sheet cake from the grocery bakery and while you are at it get a dozen cupcakes as well.

All in all, it was a very successful party, AND I didn't have to resort to any franchise characters. This first party set the stage for our family's birthday party plan... original themes, creative thinking, spend as little as possible and make it look homemade - even if it isn't!"

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In Appreciation

To say Thanks to the teachers at my kids school this year, the parents put together a little end of the year "Appreciation" pot luck for them. And since I do not cook, I only had one option.

Cake pops!

Ever since I tasted Terri's cake pops, I've been a little obsessed, to say the least, with all things cake pops. I even have a Bakerella book that I've studied within an inch of it's life, although it hasn't helped my technique.

terri's cakeballs served up on an Art Party palette

Anyway, to match the color scheme of the luncheon (using leftover crepe paper streamers from our last school event), I purchased supplies in yellow, orange and red. Two sand buckets from the .50 cent bin at Michaels and some green floral foam bricks were the base of my cake pop centerpiece. Just trim the bricks to fit using a regular kitchen knife, leave them a little bit big for the bucket and really push them in so they are nice and snug. Use rice to fill up the rest of the bucket and to cover up the foam.

I followed the directions in the cookbook from Bakerella, and used 3 different length lollipop sticks to vary the height in my centerpiece.

I also made the cake pops with out sticks in them (technically cakeballs) and put them on square paper plates. Add a little print/cut/party magic, and these super cute little flags and signs hit my "thank you" message home.

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Red, White and Blue Cake

What with Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day right around the corner, even my dreams have been in Red, White and Blue!

Let me take just a moment of your time to share a little cake I threw together. All you need: box of cake mix (plus the egg and so forth), cake pan (small medium or large will do), a batch of butter cream (although can of frosting would work just as well), and some Patriotic Nonpareils.

First, bake your cake layers - as directed - and after a bit of cooling time, you will want to slice off the top bump to make flat on the top. I find a long serrated knife works best. For this cake, I used a 6 inch round and I baked up three of them (still only 1 box of mix) I also used a 6 inch cardboard round as a base.

Next, after whipping up your batch of butercream frosting, use a bit to fill between layers, then do a crumb coat. That is, completely cover your cake in a thin layer of frosting to keep all the crumbs in. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.

 Buttercream Frosting
    •    8 oz. unsalted softened butter
    •    4/5 c. powdered sugar
    •    2 T milk
    •    2 t. vanilla extract
    •    2 t. fresh lemon juice
In a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, add 1/2 the powdered sugar plus all of the other ingredients. Beat until moistened. Add the rest of the powdered sugar. If the frosting is still too thick, you can add a tiny bit of milk at a time until it reaches the desired consistency.

I do find that this next part works best if you are using some kind of rotating cake stand. Coat the sides and top of the cake fairly thickly with your remaining frosting, then, get out your Dritz EZY-hem guide (I know, right?). Hold it parallel to the side of the cake, lightly pressing into it, turning the cake at the same time - drag that hem guide and smooth the frosting out. Cool huh. Wish it was my idea.

And now? the FUN part! I ended up taking the cake outside, because I knew clean up would be super fast using the hose. You could certainly do this inside, but, I'm not coming over to pick up a zillion tiny red white and blue balls off the floor.

Voila! You should totally make this. Add a printable party, or printable photo booth prop set to match and you will be the talk of the block.

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