Candy Bar Cakes for Teachers

I got a great idea for an easy "cake" over at Your Home Based Parties I wanted to make one ever since I saw them, and decided that they would be perfect for Teacher Appreciation week. Then it snuck up on me, and Thursday night I realized I hadn't done them yet! So, I stayed up a little late, didn't have quite as many big candy bars as I needed (I stacked little ones instead) and had to use tomato cans from dinner, but I thought they turned out alright.
To see some really cute ones, check here.
I just had to include these, since it seems like I'm not getting any projects done. The truth is, I'm working on some BIG projects right now (just stopped painting in the garage to grab a snack and jump on the blog for a minute), and I'm hoping to post those soon. I AM making progress!!!

How To Make A Bridal Cake

Remember this Bridal cake?

Well, like I said, I'm not much good at tutorials, but I will tell you how I made it, and pass along any tips I've learned along the way.

This is the first doll cake I ever made:
It was for my daughter's birthday a few years ago. Before I ever took any classes, or started dabbling in fondant.
I asked a friend who had just made one for her daughters birthday if she would help me out. She introduced me to using rice crispy treats in cakes (one of the best kept secrets out there!) Yep, this cake was made out of Rice Crispy treats!
I made cupcakes to go with it, (that she got to decorate) so there was some cake involved:
[Tips: I don't have the doll cake pan: I used my Pampered Chef batter bowl. Works perfect, but you need to add something at the top, or it doesn't quite go up to her waist. (Try rice crispy treats, fondant, frosting, whatever works)]

I was feeling more confident this time, and baked an actual cake.
[Tip: to make sure it cooked evenly, I put a metal skewer in the middle of it. Don't know why this works, but is supposed to be helpful on large or deep cakes to ensure more even baking.]

However, as I was trying to level it, I ended up cutting off way too much!
So, out came the butter, marshmallows, and Rice Crispies!
You can see where I added it at the top and bottom to give the doll more height. (Chocolate cake in the middle)
Then I covered it with a crumb coat of frosting (with help from my 2-year old) and refrigerated it for a few hours.
Then I made my fondant, and put Barbie in. For my first doll cake, I just used a knock-off Barbie that I got at the Dollar Store. This time I splurged- spent the other $2.50 for the cake pick.
[Tip: Splurge! I had heard horror stories of people going to put the Barbie in and having the whole cake fall apart.]
I had made a veil out of tule and some lace that I attached
[Tip: put this on last! I don't know what I was thinking?!? I had to have my daughter hold the veil out of the way while I put the fondant on- of course, she would have had to hold her hair out of the way anyway- but I wouldn't have had to worry about messing up the veil!]

My fondant ended up being very sticky!
[Tip: roll out small pieces to test if it is too sticky- nothing more frustrating than rolling out enough to cover the whole skirt part, just to find out it is stuck to the counter still! Oh, and be sure to take Barbie out while you put the skirt fondant on!]
It took me a few tries, but I eventually wrapped some fondant around her bodice. I overlapped it in the back, and wet it to get it to stay. My first few attempts didn't work, and she almost ended up with a butter cream frosting bodice instead! Then I added the sleeves...I decided to make a bow to put on the back to cover where the fondant overlapped. I thought it turned out nice.

Then I wasn't sure what I was going to do... My original plan was to put butter cream frosting flowers on it. But, then I remembered that I had bought these flower fondant cutters, and thought I would try them out.
I put some along the bottom, and then decided to try it at the waist. I probably should have just put the smaller size flowers at the waist, but I thought it was O.K. I added some cake gems to the middle of the flowers, and also along her neck line.
If you scroll back up, you can see a close up of the sugar crystal I put on her ring finger (please try not to point out that it's on the wrong hand! Didn't realize until too late!)
We also gave her a bouquet of flowers tied with pink ribbon and added some more lace to where her veil attached to her hair.


I thought she turned out lovely and really made the table spread look pretty.

So there she is, my 2nd doll cake, and my first Bride!
(Please feel free to ask any questions in the comment field, and I will try to answer them!)

Bridal Shower and Brides Cake

This past Saturday, I threw a Bridal shower for a girl from my church, and I thought it would be fun to show you the food buffet and and the cake I made.
These pops are just Oreos with a stick in them, then dipped in Chocolate and then we added some sprinkles and chocolate drizzles.

They were so easy, my 8 year old daughter helped me make them.
I am always looking for an excuse to use my rose dishes that my mother-n-law gave me. This was a perfect opportunity.


The silverware was our one and only splurge when we got married. We used all our gift cards for very practical things. Needs only. But these were on a super good sale, and so pretty, and we had the gift cards... my husband relented on the condition that I used them. So, I try to every chance I can. They cannot be put in the dish washer, and occasionally require some silver polish, but I have no regrets about getting them!!! Putting them in the jars with bows was a last minute thought that I really ended up liking.
Our color scheme was obviously pink. (To go with my rose dishes)
A friend who helped me, gathered up pink colored candies and cookies.
I made the cake. I was so happy with how it turned out. I have done one other doll cake, for my daughter's birthday, but never thought of doing it as a bride. Then I googled bridal shower cakes and saw one, and thought it would be really cute and fun.

I've been doing so much butter cream, after taking the Wilton Cake classes, that I haven't done fondant in a long time... I thought I would do this one in fondant. I am self taught, so it is far from professional, bit I still loved how it turned out. It really became the focal point of the food and the decor.
Here is the bride-to-be with the cake. Later in the week I will try to do a tutorial on the cake. I'm not good at tutorials, but I'll try to give some hints and tell you how I put it together.

Project #6- and a Happy 30th birthday to my little sis!

So I thought that I was really on the ball, getting this finished a few months ago. Well, I was 90% finished until I noticed on my calendar that her (our) birthday was quickly approaching (our birthdays are a day apart, which has been a lot of fun- we usually shared a birthday cake growing up, and you always know someone is going to remember your birthday! The downside: once my dad brought her a gift on my birthday, and not me, because he had gotten our days mixed up. But I've forgiven him!)
It made me think that I often do that. I get a project almost all the way done, and then I am distracted, put it aside, thinking that I'll get to it soon, and it just sits there...

...and sits there...

...and adds to my pile of unfinished projects.

Does that ever happen to you?

Tell me what helps you to actually finish those projects (without an impending birthday or other deadline!)
As for me? Well, I've decided that it's time to be a 100%-er!

And Happy Birthday Sis. Hope you enjoy your little tote bag! (It's in the mail, if you haven't gotten it yet!)
don't worry, the 30's aren't so bad!

Find Your Sock Yarn- How to Tackle a Project

Today I was the guest writer over at Find Your Sock Yarn. Be sure to go over and check out my article about how I came to start this blog and take-on my unfinished project list! Then come back and leave me a comment about how you tackle your projects and to-do lists!

Finished Project #5- Quilt Block for Graduation Gift

Sometimes one of the deterents to getting things on our "to-do list" done, is when new projects come along that have to take priority.
I've decided to just count those ones along with the ones originally on my list!
Obviously this happened to me when I was asked to make a quilt block for a graduating senior from my church (I was actually just relieved that I wasn't asked to make the whole quilt!) Scorching the fabric that they gave me, finding the right fabric, and getting sick- not to mention that I had other projects going on, too- really slowed me down on something that should have been simple and quick!
But, here is it, and I am happy to be done!

Strawberry Jam and a big 'Ole Thank you!

Today I made 17 pints of Strawberry Jam! (Whew!) I haven't done Strawberry Jam for years! But, I had determined not to let another Strawberry season (and strawberries on sale) pass me by without making some!
No recipe here, I just follow the one on the inside of the pectin box! Although it took 4 batches (12 pounds of strawberries) to make it all. The recipe says that each batch should give me 8 pints. I never got that many out of a batch. Anyone else have this problem?
I also tried one batch with the no-sugar pectin and used Splenda. Haven't tried it yet- will have to let you know how it is!
And, after making something so yummy and wonderful, I wanted to share it with someone.
Well, luck would have it that I owe a big thank you to my neighbors.
I have the best neighbors. Everyone needs some neighbors like them. I cannot tell you how many times I have had to rely on them in a crisis!
Most recently- the day after getting home from Spring Break, I locked my only set of keys in the car.
Along with my cell phone.
And my daughter.
What to do?
I ran to the Deckers. After explaining the situation, Billie handed me her car keys so I could take her car to go pick up the kids who were waiting for me at school. She went over to stand next to the car so the baby wouldn't get scared or be alone, and Don called the Sheriff's office who put out an emergency call to a locksmith (who unlocked it for free since there was a child inside!)
So, I decided to take some Jam over to them.
I had made bread the day before, so I had a loaf to go with it, and found a basket to put it in. It still needed something, so I pulled out a new kitchen towel that I had on hand, and embroidered their names on it:
Well, it doesn't do justice to how grateful I am to them, but I thought it turned out nice.