Monday Mystery: Yo Gabba What??

So... I was asked to make a Yo Gabba Gabba themed cake for a 2 year old's birthday this weekend.

Client Question: Do you know what Yo Gabba Gabba is?

My Answer:  I don't have kids, but pathetically, yes, I am familiar with the show.

Now if you've never seen Yo Gabba Gabba before, it's a show that was designed by two dads who wanted something more from children's television.

  

Like actual music.

AND celebrity guests... 

 because as everyone knows, a hefty prerequisite for any good preschool nowadays is a vast knowledge of the Kardashian family and why they're famous.

...

Hmm, wait.

Why are they famous again? 

 .

 .

 .

Awkward.

Anywhoozy, if you're interested in checking to see what Yo Gabba Gabba's all about, step one is to sit down.

Trust me on this.

 There should be a warning before the show starts.  

Something along the lines of:

"This show is not recommended for individuals with balance issues.  Please remain seated throughout the entirety of the show.  Please do not watch if you have taken medication within the last 4 to 6 hours."

Okay, so here's a clip:

Yo Gabba Gabba Show Opening

You're glad you sat down right?

Told you. :)

Before the characters were added...

...

This was the smash cake.  It's DJ Lance's hat! :)

Sugar & Love Everyone!

We Are Faaaa-mily!

Have you ever gone back and read your old diary entries?  Not those dissertation length blind date recaps you’re keeping to stave off future lonely nights of sitting at home thinking “well, maybe I was too harsh, I mean, so he wears whitey-tighties on the outside of his pants… it isn’t that bad.” 

By the way, if you're an adult who seriously thinks dating Captain Underpants is okay, it really is that bad.

 What I’m talking about are the “OMG, my parents are so dumb.  Who cares that I’m only 13?  I am so in love with him, I just know we are totally getting married!” or maybe the “She’s like, so disgusting, but she’s my best friend so like, I can’t tell her to her face".

Ugh.

I flipped through the pages of one of mine today.   All I could think, after the nausea of my pathetic youth subsided of course, was why on earth did my parents not leave me on the side of the road somewhere?  Honestly, kudos to them, because I was a piece of work.

That’s not to say that I’m totally free of oddities, but one of few luxuries granted in adulthood is that I now get to classify them as “quirks”.  So the fact that I have an abnormally large number of nightmares concerning pod-like public restrooms is not actually because I’m crazy, it’s simply one of my cute little quirks… either that or a symptom of watching too many murder mystery shows.

Anyways, in honor of my lovely parents keeping me, I decided to post this:

This was part of the birthday cake I made for my amazing dad.  

I found the picture of the two of us and decided to recreate it using only chocolate (the fact that I hadn't tried anything like that before = minor detail). 

Long story short, the picture on the left is my chocolate painted version - which, if I may say so myself, is pretty much the yummiest kind of painting you can do. :)

Have a Wonderfully Sweet Wednesday Everyone!

It's cheesy, but I like it!

Say what you will, but I'm a HUGE fan of horribly cheesy pick-up lines.

You know the ones I'm talking about, stuff like:

• Do you have a map?   I just keep getting lost in your eyes.
• I lost my phone number, can I have yours?
• Is there an airport nearby or is that just my heart taking off?
• Your eyes are like puddles of mud... and I'm stuck in 'em.

Pure awesome-ness right?  I mean, you have to give a person credit for either a.) coming up with the pick-up line themselves, or b.) spending the time to look one up.  

I say this with a bit of a caveat though.  The lines can't be nasty innuendos.  

When practicing l'art de les pick-up lines, you need to channel a nice Colby-Jack, not a smelly Limburger.

So... you're probably wondering what this has to do with today's post?  

Well at first glance, not a whole lot really, but with my 6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon Phenom thought process, I can connect the two for ya.  Check it out:

From

1.  (Good) Pick-up lines to...

2.  Dating to...

3.  Proposals to...

4.  Marriage to...

5.  Wedding cakes to...

6.  Miniature wedding cakes!  

BAM!!!  You might wanna mark down this moment, 'cuz you just witnessed greatness!

Okay.  Here are the pictures of my first ever attempt at miniature wedding cakes.

Decorated with handmade candy clay stripes and flowers.

The pepper shaker is just to illustrate size.  I don't normally season my cakes with it.

Have a Nice & Cheesy Monday Everyone!

M-I-C-....

Can I just start out by saying how AWESOME X-Men First Class was??!

Sorry, the hubbub and I went to see it last night at the drive-in and I can't help feeling like the little girl in Despicable Me.  You know the one I'm talking about, the "IT'S SO FLUFFY!!!" girl.  

It's like that,... 

...except with X-Men...  

...maybe this was not the best way to describe it...  

...aw-kward...

Anywhoozy, my post today doesn't have anything to do with that.

I actually just wanted to share a cute little cake I made late last week for a five year old's birthday. :)

He wanted a heart-shaped chocolate cake, with green icing and it needed to be decked out in Mickey Mouse gear.

Consider it done kiddo!

I went a little crazy with the Mickey theme, but I prefer to think of it as one of those pictures where you have to see if you can find them all. :)  Did you find the Mickey head hedges along the bottom, the Mickey head gate entrance, the Mickey head stones leading the the clubhouse, the Mickey pants and hand hot air ballon?

Okay, so I know I didn't make this one 100% edible, but Disney copyrights don't play well with others, so I decided to avoid jail time and just buy the characters.  Other than that, everything is edible.  I used candy clay, a bit of royal icing and buttercream. 

Have a Super Sweet Monday Everyone!

and maybe check out X-Men if ya get the chance... just saying...

'Tis the Season...

BA  BANA  BA  BAA-BAAAA ::inhale:: BA  BANA  BA  BAAAAA  ::inhale::

Okay, I'll spare you the rest.  That was, obviously, not a crazed sheep, but rather my beautiful version of "Pomp and Circumstance" - better known as the seemingly never ending graduation tune.

Ahh, graduation time.  The season for yahoos, whipper snappers and porch monkeys to be out roaming the streets at all hours of the day and night.  At least for the next two-ish months or so...  

Cherish it kids, cuz it ain't gonna last forever.  Eventually you'll have to get a job and... work.  

Yuck.

Anywho, my post today focuses on one of our future leaders, a bright and talented young person who is one step closer to starting her very own "daily grind".  

I was asked to make her graduation cake for this evening and given this plate for inspiration:

 

The order was for a white 12"x18" sheet cake with white buttercream icing and colorful flowers.  It needed to say "Congratulations Erin" and "Class of 2011".  

The rest was up to me.

Now, some graduation cakes, especially sheet cakes, tend to fall into your typical "Walmart style" cake trap with the roses and flowers in the corner (no offense to Walmart, I'm just not a huge fan of that look)...

So, I decided to make this...

I kept it shabby-chic simple (try saying that 3 times fast) and just used candy clay and buttercream.  As always, everything was made by hand - no flower cutters, no fancy templates, nothing.  Just my hands, corn starch, a rolling pin, some piping tips and a knife.  

After making 101 flowers, I'm kinda rethinking my everything by hand business concept. :)

And in case you're wondering, I didn't freak out at any time with this cake either.  Woot Woot!!!  2 in a row!!!

 Happy Graduation and Friday Everyone!

Have a Wonderful and Safe Holiday Weekend!

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

I apologize for my absence lately.

And just so you know, it was not because I decided to wage an epic war against the sock monster who lives in my dryer.

No, my computer just was broken and I was boringly (is that a word?... hmm, I don't feel like looking another one up, so it's gonna be today) waiting for the new part to arrive.

I know right?  I should have stuck with the sock monster war - would have been soo much cooler.

Anyways, I have a cake!

Well not really here in my possession because it was an order and it's usually frowned upon if you don't give the customer their cake,...

but I do have memories... ahh, sweet memories... Memories and PICTURES!!!  

Sorry, I'm under the weather today and my or may not be highly medicated at the moment.  Please chalk up any unusual craziness to that fact. :)

Okay, so this cake is for a four year old's Thomas the Train themed birthday party.  It's a chocolate cake with buttercream frosting.  The decorations are 99% edible (you can't eat the sign posts, unfortunately) and are made of candy clay, piping gel and royal icing.  As always, everything was done by hand and, BONUS, I didn't freak out this time!!!  :)

That's a duck crossing sign in the back, just fyi.  Hence the ducks and the tiny pond.  :)

Have a Tremendous Thursday Everyone!

Fried Chicken and Finals

I had another one of my pesky freak out moments Friday as I was making a graduation cake for one of my amazing sister-in-laws.

It was decided that I would make a full sheet cake and somehow incorporate a 3-D Aslan, from The Chronicles of Narnia, onto it.  No big deal.  I had an entire day to get it taken care of, plenty of time...

I started Friday morning off by, of course, watching the Royal Wedding and all the news afterwards about it.  Don't even start waggin' your finger at me.  I can't help that I was in love with Prince William and still felt a bit of a heart twinge when I saw how he looked at Kate.  (Sorry, I believe their new titles are Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, my bad.)  

...Sigh...

Anyways, so I watched that and then had it playing in the background as I made this ginormous cake.  Who cares that I had only ever made a full sheet cake once and that just happened to be on the previous day (my DOT retirement cake).  No big deal, plenty of time...

After taking the cake out of the oven, I set it on a wire rack to let it cool when I realized my lovely husband had sucked down the rest of the milk that I needed in order to make buttercream icing.  Grrr.  Okay, no big deal, I'll just go to the store and grab some, maybe get some lunch too, plenty of time...

Home from the store, milk in hand, lunch not eaten yet, I decided to go ahead and flip my cake out of the pan.

It wouldn't budge.

I laughed nervously, grabbed a knife and slide it around the sides of the pan to loosen things up and tried again.

It still wouldn't budge.

I started banging on the bottom of the pan, I guess thinking it might just be caught on something and my banging would loosen it's grip.

It still wouldn't budge.

I freaked and began trying the lift up the corners with the knife.  I flipped the pan over again and banged on the bottom like some crazed baboon.

It slide out.

Phew, a crisis had been narrowly averted.  I decided I was still good on time, I mean, it was only 1:00pm.  No big deal, plenty of time...

I flipped the cake back over and began to try to level the top.  

At this point, I should let you know that my cake leveler is 10in wide and my cake was 12in. wide.

I suddenly realized 12 is apparently bigger than 10, so my lifter wasn't going to work.

Minor set back, I laughed a bit more nervously.  I'll just use a serated knife.  No big deal, plenty of time...

10 Minutes Later...

MOM!!!  WHAT DO I DO???!!!!  I CAN'T SERVE THIS CAKE!!!!!  I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED BUT IT'S GIANT ON ONE SIDE AND TINY ON THE OTHER!!!  I DON'T HAVE TIME TO START OVER!  I'M OUT OF TIME!!!!

My mom:  Just calm down, go to the store and buy the ingredients to make a new one.

I CAN'T MAKE A NEW ONE!!!!  I DON'T HAVE TIME TO MAKE A NEW ONE!!!!

My mom:  Well then just serve that one.  I'm sure it will be fine.  I bet no one will even notice.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN NO ONE WILL NOTICE??!!!  IT'S HALF AN INCH ONE SIDE AND TWO GIANT FREAKIN' INCHES ON THE OTHER!!!!  IT LOOKS HORRIBLE!!!  I CAN'T SERVE THIS CAKE!!!

My mom:  Just calm down.  This is really not a big deal in the grand scheme of things.  Just calm down and go to the store.  It will be fine.

At the store...

THEY DON'T HAVE WHAT I NEED!!!  THIS CAKE WAS JUST NOT MEANT TO BE!  WHAT AM I GONNA DO!!???  THEY'RE GONNA BE SO MAD!!!

My mom: Just calm down and try another store.

I DON'T HAVE TIME TO TRY ANOTHER STORE!!!  I SHOULD JUST SERVE THE ONE THAT'S AT HOME!!!  I SHOULD JUST BUY ONE ALREADY MADE!!!

At the next store...

THEY HAVE WHAT I NEED BUT IT'S CRAZY EXPENSIVE!!!   I CAN'T AFFORD THIS!!!  THIS IS RIDICULOUS!!! WHO WOULD PAY THIS MUCH FOR THIS???!!!

My mom: How much is it?

$###

My mom:  Oh my gosh!  That is expensive.

...Should I go to another store?

My mom:  NO!  YOU DON'T HAVE TIME!  

Long story short, my husband and I were up until 4am finishing the cake that will from now on be refered to as the cake from H. E. Double hockey sticks.

We woke up an hour and a half later, drove two hours to the ceremony and smiled as she opened the box and loved on the cake. :)  Made it worth all the stress.

Aslan stepping out of the wardrobe.

Obviously this is just a close up shot. :)

The trees are waffle cones covered in green and white candy clay, the lamp post is candy clay and Aslan is made entirely from caramel.  All done by hand....  which I should realize by now, there's never enough time for, lol!

Have a Wonderful Wednesday Everyone!

Major Decision

I have made a decision:

Being sick blows.

And for those of you out there trying to be cute, no, I don't just mean that often when you're sick, you have to blow your nose.  :P

Seriously, I have been sick since Sunday and, like everyone else, I don't have time for it.  But thankfully, I was able to finish a cake order and I'm starting on another today.  It's not due until Saturday so I've got plenty of time right???...  I mean, it's only a graduation cake for 3 people and their entire families.... that is also, by the way, supposed to have Aslan from The Chronicles of Narnia on it... Pssh!  No big deal!... ::Nervously twitching::

So anywho, here's the Retirement cake I finished today.  It's for a man retiring from the State Department of Transportation after working there for 44 years.

Get it???  See things usually start out a bit rocky in new careers, but then, as you go along, they get smoother and smoother and then finally you're on ultra smooth during retirement... aka Easy Street???

Whatever.

I understood it.

 

***The cake is completely handmade (no fancy pants templates or stick-ons for me) and consists of a measly 4 lbs of buttercream, some candy clay and some royal icing.***

 After surviving a minor freak out last night- 

SIDE NOTE:

I began bawling at midnight because I could not figure out how to move the cake onto the cake board... Ya, ya I know.  So my WONDERFUL husband woke up and easily slid it underneath and then made me go to bed despite my pathetic whimpering protests that I needed to make more rocks...

END OF SIDE NOTE,

I still have to transport the cake to a location that's about an hour away... ugh... so I'm praying I won't hit any of the bagillion potholes along the way.  

And just so you know, that's not an exaggeration... there really are a bagillion. 

I counted.

Have a Sweet & Pothole-Free Thursday Everybody!

Castle Cake Final Update!

Alrighty, so rather than drag this out with my oh-so-witty banter, my pounding head has decided that I should show you the pictures and we'll just ooh and ahh at them together. :)

Okay, if you'll remember, these are what we started out with:

Three 9x13 cakes and a two layer 8 inch

Towers... sorta...

And this is what we ended up with...

Wait for it...

...wait for it...

BAM!!!  Six pounds of buttercream, not an inch of fondant and it's 100% edible! :)

Have a Super Sweet Monday Everyone!

Cake Update

Hi everyone!

Just wanted stop in and give you a quick update on the progress I've made thus far on my niece's birthday cake,... via some bad photos. :)

Naked towers for castle cake.

Much better. :)

Almost ready for my close up.  Almost...

Please note:

***THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO FONDANT USED IN THE MAKING OF THESE TOWERS - if you're wondering what's covering the towers, it's candy clay.***

And now, I must make seven pounds of buttercream...

Have a Savory Day Everybody! 

I know that doesn't go with my blog's theme, but can we change the rules for today?  There's a very real possibility I'll be carried away by the buttercream ninjas.

AHHHHH! moments

Occasionally I have, what I like to call, "AHHHHHHH!" moments.

To those of you who don't know me personally, I'm a bit of a perfectionist and these "AHHHHHHH!" moments may be more aptly defined as my "Psycho Type-A Personality Kicking In" moments.

Think I'm being too hard on myself?

 Consider the following:

I called my mom yesterday when I was halfway done with the order pictured below, literally screeching, 

"I'M GOING TO HAVE TO SCRAP THE WHOLE THING AND START OVER BUT IT'S ALREADY 8PM SO I DON'T HAVE TIME TO START OVER AGAIN!  WHY IS MY BUTTERCREAM SWEATING?!  IT'S FRIGGIN' 55 DEGREES IN THE HOUSE AND I HAVE FANS GOING!  MY LIPS ARE BLUE!  I CAN'T  PUT IT IN THE FRIDGE!  I TRIED TO SMOOTH THE TOP WITH PARCHMENT PAPER, BUT I JUST KEEP GETTING MORE WRINKLES!  I DON'T KNOW WHY THE BORDER ISN'T STICKING!  WHY DID I EVER SAY I WOULD DO THIS CAKE?!  I CAN'T EVEN KEEP MY ICING ON!..."

My rant continued, but I'll spare you from the rest.

My mom actually had to yell for me to stop freaking out.

So no, I'm not being too hard on myself - it's bad.

You want to see the cake that caused all my ridiculous (I can say that now that it's done with) stress?

 

Good grief.  All that fuss over something so simple.

 

 And worst case scenario, the homemade buttercream icing, sweating or not, tastes A-mazing so hopefully folks will forget about how it looks.

Or I could Jedi Mind trick them.

Hey, whatever works right?

Have a calm and enjoyable Thursday everyone!

Rockin' the Hob Lob

Welcome to the WORLD PREMIERE of...

 

Toozy's 1st Ever Demo Day pictures!

Don't try to hide your excitement.  I already know you can hardly contain yourselves.

Before the awesome-ness begins, "The Man" says I have to warn those of you out there with sugar addictions:

**These photos DO, in fact, contain large amount of the sweet stuff so they may not suitable for your viewing pleasure.**

::wagging finger::  It's serious stuff people, not to be taken lightly.

Alright, who's ready to get their ROCK-candy on!?*

*There was no actual rock candy used in the making of this cake.

Stage 1: Crumb coated cake and causally conversing baby chicks preparing for a little bit of simple cake decorating magic.

Decided to ditch my chair for the floor.

Much better.  Time to make the pretty!

Stages 2 & 3:  Applying basketweave to the sides and adding a nice shell border to top and bottom.

Stage 4: Beginning to cover the cake with grass.

Covering...

...Still covering...

Phew!  Stage 4 complete.

Stages 5 & 6:  Creating the illusion of grass busting through the basket and making nice with the young whipper snappers. :)

Stage 7: ASSEMBLING THE ARMY OF CAKE POP CHICKS!

1st ever demo cake COMPLETED.

And the chicks rejoiced. :)

Have a sweet day everybody!

Countdown to Spring: 2 days...

Since I'm getting ready for my demo attempt #2 tomorrow, I thought I would give you an exclusive sneak peak!

Prepare yourself for:

::insert flashing lights and exciting music here::

Toozy's Dazzling Demo!!!  Demo! Demo! Demo!

AHHHH!!!  I ate ALL the cake batter!  What am I going to do???  Just kidding!  It's baking. :)

Some of the ingredients for my buttercream icing... although I'm not quite sure how that pesky almond extract got in there.  Yuck.

::To the tune of "Proud Mary"::  Sifting!  Sifting!  I'm sifting powdered sugar!

Yeah!  None of my icing looks like baby poo!

DING!  Cakes are done!

NAKED!!!! eeeek!

mmm... melting white chocolate...

White chocolate egg halves.  The one in the back is having an angelic moment.

Oo!  Wait, this isn't right.

 

Ah, there we go.

Alrighty, I suppose I should get back to work.

Have a wonderful Friday everyone!