Ian's Birthday Cake: Guest Blogger Eric Powell

Kina is allowing me to write the blog for Ian Clements' birthday cake, and I couldn't be more honored.

I'm trying to think of some funny jokes and lines to describe Ian (since he's the only person in the world who can make me consistently laugh by saying only one word...and sometimes none), but I can't handle the pressure and I don't want him to make fun of me if I fail.

First things first - the cake.

Kina designed the coolest cake to honor Ian:

The cake is the face not the basketball.

Ian is a great basketball player (congratulations!) and he is also a barber working on Oahu, HI.

I have no idea how she made the cake look so awesome/realistic - but she did. 

I'm sure it tasted good too.

I'm sorry Ian, I still have nothing that's funny enough to type so I have to get deep.

Ian and I first started hanging out as part-time valet drivers. I then asked him on a date to see a movie (I forget the movie, but we almost held hands)

From then on, he and Jerek (hopefully I'll get to write one about Jerek sometime soon!) and I became very close. They became the absolute ideal of what I had been looking for in friends my entire life.

We would often have man-weekends when our significant others were out-of-town or hanging out with each other.

Side Note: Katy (Ian's wife) and Meagan (Jerek's wife) are pretty awesome in their own right...but this blog is about Ian.

On these man-weekends we would participate in atypical "man" events. We would have Nerf Wars, make paper-mache', and other activities.

Ian with his cake.

Although I miss Ian now that we live an ocean apart, it still feels like I'm talking to him sometimes when I'm at work. Ian is my role-model when it comes to working with kids. He has a way of connecting with them and helping them understand their unique-awesomeness. Whenever I get tired or burnt out at work I always pretend to be "Ian" with my students. This helps me be 50% more ghetto, 75% louder, and 100% a better worker. 

Thank you Ian for being who you are. You are truly one-of-a-kind. 

In Portland with my favorite 6-people in the world!

As Kina would say, "Love You All! Take Care and God Bless!"

Father's Day: All Day Every Day

Soooo...Father's Day was last month.

But in truth, wouldn't you agree that everyday is Father's Day? 

Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Filling and Vanilla Buttercream Icing

UP themed - it is our favorite movie!!!!
"Adventure is out there!"

Although I could spend an eternity on how incredible my dad is, this blog is actually dedicated to Eric...

my amazing husband and loving father. 

This was such a fun and simple cake to make!

To help me with this blog is guest blogger, Torrey Powell. Although Torrey is only 14 months old, he is quite advanced and has requested that I translate for him. 

Ready Torrey?

"Bah bah" (that means he's ready :0) 

Tell me about Daddy.

"Dad is tall and has big hands. I like the way he pounds his feet on the stairs when he hears me wake up from nap...I think he wants me to know that he's coming to save me from my bed that looks like a jail."

No...I did not get to eat cake.
I am still mad.

What do you like about Daddy?

"I like it when Daddy reads me stories before bed time and sings me funny songs about Duke Boogaton. He is weird. Sometimes I think Daddy likes my toys more than I do...he always builds these enormous towers with my blocks while I steal his iPhone and change all his settings. And even though I throw tantrums when he tries to take it away...he still lets me knock the towers down :0)."

No, I did not get to pop the balloons.
I am still sad.

Anything else Torrey?

"The thing I love about Dad the most is the way he loves me. I can tell that he loves and protects me and provides for me and mommy. I love him." 

Daddy and Me at Mirror Pond

 Thank you Love Bug, that was perfect :0).

If only houses could fly... :0)
I think we'd go to Italy!

Dear Eric,

One of the greatest gifts you have given me is the opportunity to stay home with our little Torrey. You pour your heart into everything you do and nothing shows that more than the love and bond you have built with our son. He is such a perfect reflection of you...ALL of you. Your strength, stubbornness, intelligence, and kindness.I have loved seeing you grow as a father and come into your own! I know we were both unsure of ourselves when we first brought him home, but look how far we've come! Eep! Torrey adores you and always asks for you during the day :0) Thank you for being a model of what a man of God should look like. Being perfect, by not being perfect at all. Just loving God and letting the rest follow. We both love you so much and are ready for our next adventure!

Love Forever and Always,

Kina and Torrey

 Love You All! Take Care and God Bless!

FOOORRREE!!!!: A Golf Themed Birthday Cake

Golf is such an interesting sport. 

While it doesn't discriminate against age; it does test a person's true character.

This is a man of impeccable character: a loving husband, father, and protector of our community!

Vanilla Cake with Dark Chocolate Buttercream

Iced in Dark Chocolate Ganache and Covered in Marshmallow Fondant

Happy Birthday Kenny!

If golf was one of those personality tests, my results would read: "Korean Rage."

The only two things that really get under my skin are a bad golf game and terrible drivers. 

I guess there are other things too :)

This is probably due to the fact that I do not "practice" golf. I expect to be perfect every time 

- no "practice makes better" for me!  This Attitude = BAD.

Although I have never played a round with him, Kenny is an incredible golfer (a sincere compliment given by his beautiful wife). 

Hole 33?

It's probably because he practices...or it could be because his favorite color is green :). 

But it's probably because he practices!

Planning this cake was a blast because it meant I got to spend extra time with his beautiful wife that I just mentioned. Jess is the best. THE BEST! I adore her (I'm awaiting the day I can dedicate a post to her)!

First order of business: This cake was to be a surprise! YAY! 

A golf club fit for a giant!!

YAY! Kenny in modeling chocolate form!

I don't think Kenny is left handed...oops!

Don't hit into the tree!!

Course complete with a glistening water feature and gritty sand trap!
(aka blue piping gel and brown sugar :0)

King of the mountain!

Jess worked so hard to plan a special day for Kenny, but these things "got in the way":

             1) Father's Day (same day as his birthday)
             2) Two Bulls Fire...no big deal

After everything settled down a bit, and the fires were contained...Jess was able to surprise Kenny with the cake...when he got home from...

GOLFING!!!!

YAY!
Photo Credit: Jess Jackson

WHEEEEEEEEE!

Jess said he loved it and it made my heart sing!! 

There is no greater joy than blessing others with what you do. 

Kenny,

I believe that a wife is a reflection of her husband and Jess is the image of beauty, love, and selflessness. Thank you for being such a incredible caretaker and provider in all areas of your life - for Bend as well your wife and adorable son. Your family has been such a blessing to us and we hold you in the highest regards! Now, go get a hole in one!!!

Take Care and God Bless! Love you all!

Anchors Away: The First Year "Sails" on By!

Full speed ahead matey!

We're moving in knots today!
Side Note: Knots are super fast...nautical fast...too much math kind of fast!

Life with baby is fast moving I tell ya!

I know my dear friend Jessie would agree with me, as we celebrated her son Porter's first birthday!

Vanilla Cake with Strawberry Buttercream Filling
and Vanilla Buttercream Icing

Nautical Theme!
Don't ask me how long it took me to smooth out that buttercream...

How cute is this birthday theme? I LOVE IT, it's adorable!

That cute face and invitation were my inspiration for design!

Here's a shot of the entire cake :0). Two tiers of birthday happiness!

Complete with a paper-crafted sailboat topper! (Jessie's Idea! - GENIUS!)

I met Jessie and Porter at a mommy's group and knew instantly that she was a beautiful and special person! I remember feeling so comfortable around her, like we'd been friends for years. 

Sometimes, when you (meaning I, Kina) meet new people I am either:

1. quiet and awkward or
2. blubbery (which is one way to execute awkwardness) and awkward. 

The common theme here is the awkward. 

But not with Jessie. 

Look at them!!! Aren't they stunning?!
Her husband is also, far and away, one of the nicest men I have ever met!

She has a loving soul and bright smile that make you feel so welcome. Plus, we share the love of laughter :0)! That's probably why her son is such a smiley, happy boy! 

I was so excited when she asked me to make themed cake for Porter's birthday! Lucky for me, she requested a paper boat topper and a cute little Ahoy flag (because a paper boat = fun, and a modeling chocolate boat = harder) ...and the rest was up to me!

I LOVE PAPER CRAFTS!!

 Since I'm all about the "meaning" behind cakes, I thought this sailboat was a perfect image to signify the passing of time - cause DANG, it goes by way too fast.

Let's go sailing!

I liked having Porter's name above the waving ocean waters because he is a fighter, and overcame so much to stay with us in this world. If you ever get a chance to ask Jessie about his birth story, it is incredible! What a strong family! 

Survivor!!!

A life preserver was a must. We can all use a little saving in life now and again! 

And of course stars, because who doesn't like stars?!

And a smash cake...!!!

Porter vs. Cake

 And voila! A wonderful cake for a wonderful boy and his awesome family!

Dear Jessie and Porter,

Torrey and I are so blessed that you've come into our lives. Thank you for being such genuine people, it seems so rare these days that people are willing to be themselves. I love every bit of you! Jessie, I truly believe you have an inner beauty that is unmatched. Your desire to be a good wife, mother, and all around good person comes from a place of sincerity and I admire that about you! Thank you for opening up and letting Torrey and I into your world, we love you and Porter so very much. How exciting that we get to watch our boys grow up together!

Love you!

Love You All! Take Care and God Bless!

Plus One: A Year of Beauty

Birthday celebrations seem to become less elaborate the older we get...

(with the exception of milestones and people who believe their birthday is a month-long event - you know who you are - so awesome :0).

Birthday Buttercream Ruffle Cake

White Almond Cake with Raspberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Complete with flowers!

Made of modeling chocolate! Yum!

If you saw the post about my son's first birthday, then you'll know we had more sweets and party pants on than he could ever need...let alone remember!

But the point of celebrating birthdays is to gather together to celebrate someones life! That's why I was so excited to celebrate the life of an incredible woman, Emily.

What a beautiful family!

Although I am sure every year has been special in its own way, this last year was particularly special for Emily, as she blessed the world with baby Javin. He is seriously the cutest! 

As I said...the CUTEST!
Don't you just want to snuggle him?!

If you've ever spent time with Javin, you'll know he's a smart, handsome, and kind little boy - not to mention his already blossoming sense of humor!

I've always believed that children are a reflection of their parents.

 Javin is such a sweet kid, you can only imagine what Emily is like :0).

Notice the petals are hearts?!

That was intentional people!

If I had to pick one word to describe her, it would be: lovely.

But since I don't :0), I would also like to add the words: 

kind, beautiful, graceful, selfless, and humble

Flowers full of love!

I believe her sincerity and pouring out of love comes from Jesus - she is truly a person who glows.

God's light pouring blessings on this cake!

This was a really fun cake to make...especially since it was in honor of Emily!

Crumb coasted and left to set in the fridge!

Then for the fun stuff! RUFFLES! Ruffles are like a metaphor for life. It takes a shaky hand to make them and they look a little frazzled at first, but when you see the bigger picture....

they looked beautiful.

Deep.

You'd be surprised at how tired your hand gets!
Mine kept cramping!

When I tried to put the flowers on, I just pushed them on the cake and of course the top one fell off. 

plunk

Boo gravity...but nothing a toothpick can't fix!

We were sure to the toothpick out before we ate it!

I love pink, don't you!? Especially when it's raspberry!

I have so loved getting to know Emily in our mommy's group and I can't wait to see what our boys have in store for us. They definitely keep us on our toes!

Emily:

Thank you for being such a beautiful model of what a caring friend and mother looks like. I admire your selflessness, dedication to your family, and unconditional love for Javin. He is so fortunate to have a mommy like you. You are nothing short of lovely :0). Love you!

Mommy's Group!
Photo Credit: Tara Heilbrun

Love You All! Take Care and God Bless!

The Little Princess: A Perfectly Pink First Birthday

When the sweetest little girl is turning one, pink princess cupcakes are a must!

Gotta love pink!

There are some people that you meet in life that constantly amaze you and bring you joy! Lucky for me, these two beauties come as a package deal!

Meet Emma (sweet baby girl) and her incredible mom, Stef.

...and her awesome husband too! Can't forget him!

I SO love these two women. They are strong and have an energy that instantly lights up a room. Did I mention they were beautiful? Because they are...both inside and out.

So you can imagine how honored I felt when I was asked to make cupcakes for Emma's first birthday party.

Theme: Pink Princess...what else?

I made 4 dozen cupcakes (half vanilla/half chocolate) with a pink swiss meringue buttercream.

If you haven't tried SMB (Swiss Meringue Buttercream)...you must. It is heaven!

When thinking of "princess", I thought of castles, dresses, prince charming...oh my! Since I did not trust myself to make some of these more elaborate decorations (i.e. prince charming would look more like a reptile than a human), I decided that crowns, flowers, magic wands, and bows would be adorable!

Here's what I had in my sketch book:

Planning stages! So fun!

Here's how they turned out!

Much better than a prince's face...awkward...

Just for sweet Emma!

These are all made out of homemade modeling chocolate. It took me a while to get to the shade of pink I liked, but with a few trials - I finally settled on the ballerina/rose pink.

I ended up blending some white into the pink.
The pink was like..80's pink. NEON!
Sidenote: I LOVE the 80's. But not for a princess.

Bows and crowns!
You should have seen my shaky hand put on those sprinkles...
No bueno.

Once again with the strategically placed sprinkles...
4 cups of coffee is a no no, Kina.

When deciding what style of frosting decor to use, I thought something that looked "ruffle-y" would be pretty. Is that a word? Well it is now.

Emma got extra frosting!

They are also covered in love, a synonym for sprinkles.

Aka Torrey's (my son) future floor treasures!
Imagine his delight when he saw...lots...of them on the floor.
Please don't call CPS.

I also wanted to make sure that Emma got a special cupcake...it is her special day after all!

Here it is standing solo on top.

Princess Emma!

And here's the rest of them!

Tower of sugar!

Wands for magical dreams.

Flowers for grace and beauty,

Bows for cuteness.

And crowns for royalty and power.

To Emma and Stef:

Thank you for being such a bright light in our lives. Stef, you are such a gracious host and wonderful mother. Emma has a wonderful woman to model herself after and I know how proud you are of your precious little girl. Thank you for letting Torrey and I be a part of your special day. It means the world to us! HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEET EMMA!

Love you all! Take Care and God Bless!