ONE is Fun!!

 

It's hard to believe that this little guy (Grand Boy #2) turned ONE recently!!  It  seems like yesterday that I saw him for the very first time . . . just moments after he'd entered this world!

 

 And now, a year later, he's almost walking by himself, he feeds himself. . .he NEVER liked baby food, he went right for the real quisine because that kiddo has a mouth full of teeth. . . he cuddles, he babbles, he waves, he laughs out loud, he loves to play Patty Cake.  OK. . .I'll stop.  

Anyway, a year later and his mom and dad threw him a birthday party and she asked if I wanted to make the "Smash Cake"!!   AND, if I could,  she would like to have polka dots on it, his initial and the colors of the dots were to be orange and turquoise!  

EEEEKKK.  Orange and turquoise polka dots?  I'd taken a cake decorating class two years ago and pretty much flunked polka dots. . . .but I didn't want to tell her that!!

Actually, she would have been fine with whatever I was able to do, but I really wanted to do it close to what she had in mind! 

True to form,  I waited until pretty late, the night before the party to actually frost the cake.

 I pulled out my cake decorating supplies and realized there were no little jars of "orange" OR "turquoise" food coloring.  Gads. . . this could be a problem.  It was too late to go to JoAnns and see if they carried individual jars of those colors. . . .

so, I called her. "What makes turquoise?" I asked.   :)  We discussed it and I started playing with my blue and yellow and green colors and before I knew it...I had something that looked sorta turquoise.  Orange was much easier.

I'd frozen the two layers of cake the night before and quickly realized that my base layer of frosting was too thick cuz it set up like concrete over the ice cold cake.

When I made the frosting for the dots and his initial, I made sure it was a lot "softer".

 

 

 

My lack of dot making experience was pretty evident. . . most of them had little peaks on them!  At that point....I didn't care.  I'd already  scraped the "A" off the top four times because it looked like the birthday boy himself might have put it on himself!!!

 I finished it around 11:00 p.m. and thought..."He's just gonna SMASH it!"

 

 So, here is my little SMASH cake next to the COSTCO beauty (they really do make pretty and delicious cakes at that place!!!!!).  The colors looked pretty good together.  My dots were smaller, but it was a good thing because. . .  

 

 

 

they were the PERFECT size for little one year old fingers to pick them off and pop them in his mouth!!

 

   

 

 

 

 

This is the SMASH cake before we packed it up for them to take home.

He didn't actually smash it as you can see.  I think that's because of the resistance the concrete frosting gave to his little hand as he "patted" the cake.

He did take a few nibbles out of it. . .but the big bites. . .well, his daddy did that!!! :)

 

 

OH....I almost forgot about the PINK!!!   Here it is. . .we had ham sandwiches prior to our cake!

 

 

 

 

"One sure is fun" . . . and so is PINK SATURDAY!

I hope you will visit Beverly's blog, HOW SWEET THE SOUND, for a long list of other bloggers who have gathered to share their pinks with you this week!!

DANA

Comments

[Donna]

You did a GREAT job on the cake! They grow up so fast, don't they? Have a great weekend! I'll be thinking of you during my 5K tomorrow at 5:45 am at Disneyland! xo

[Nancy]

Hi Dana - you did an incredible job on the turquoise - it came out just like Chef Costco's. That cake is soo cute as is the birthday boy. It sure doesn't seem like it's been a year ago since he was born. He just looks like he is such a cuddler! And you are such a stellar Nana to make cakes for your little ones. Have a wonderful weekend. xoxo Nancy

[Beverly]

Happy Pink Saturday, Dana. Are you sure you're not ready for a new banner?

You are a super-duper grandma. The smash cake is perfect. The birthday boy is perfect. TSR and ham sandwiches are perfect. And, so are you.♥

[Francie T]

Oh they grow up just too fast ! Your cake was just right. I remember our GRAND and his first one, so sweet.
(())

[LaVoice]

Your cake decorating skills paid off. I think the cake tuned out great. He seems very pleased with it at least.

[Linda @ A La Carte]

Both cakes were so cute and his smash cake turned out great! My Grandson had cupcakes at his 1st Birthday last year and it was so much fun. He will be two in April...can't wait~
hugs, Linda

[Anne Berbling]

That is adorable, Dana! I had a "smash cake" myself, a little over 54 years ago ~ LOL ♥
Happy Pink Saturday!
Hugs,
Anne

[Sarah]

Adorable! I'm going to my grand niece's 3rd birthday tomorrow. Time flies!

[Grace]

Happy 1 year little fella! He is so adorable. I love your cake. The dots are perfect. lol Happy Pink Saturday. Grace xoox

[pat h]

Great job!!!Can't believe your little year old. Happy Pink Sat....Pat h

[jeanne, backyard neighbor]

Hi Dana, Yep, it is late and I am wide awake. That's what happens when I sleep through a whole episode of Downton Abbey. YAY, we rec'd the first two seasons today. We went to the afternoon movie 'Lincoln' and met several of our friends there... not knowing they would be there too. Then went to supper with them and came home to the CD in the mail. I managed to stay awake for the first episode but didn't make it through the 2nd. 'Lincoln' was a fabulous movie to say the least. It was long but who cared. This movie felt real in every way. I was watching history in the most compelling sense that I was there.
don't miss it Dana.

I too have a hard time believing your little guy is one already. I think he might be a redhead. Smile. Your cake turned out gorgeous. I know you agonized over it but you 'done good.' Your family birthday parties are awesome. So much fun with a lot of effort and planning by you and your DIL. I am always impressed. I mean it!!!

This Wednesday our church has a church wide birthday celebration and I agreed to bake a birthday cake. Several people make cakes and we have a potluck supper. There are 12 tables set up for the 12 months of the year and I volunteered to decorate the October table. It is very festive and a fun evening. However, I have not baked a real cake in a coons age. I am determined to do this right. I wish you were here to help me.

I know you and Bonnie will have fun together. The hunt is always fun even if you don't buy anything. You never know when you might find a sleeper. I am going to the auction with Caralie on Monday. It is a fun sister night. She is the serious shopper and I always seem to find something to buy.

I better go to bed. I will be busy tomorrow. I have been trying to visit more.

Goodnight,
Love, Jeanne

[Lisa]

Your smash cake looks fabulous! Happy Birthday to your grandson.
Happy Pink Saturday!
hugs,
Lisa

[wendy]

You put a lot of love into that "smash cake". Costco can't do THAT.

[Sally]

Hi Dana,

I like the name Smash Cake. Although we've always had one for our one-year-birthday tikes, I never knew the name.

Your efforts paid off. It turned out nicely. I like that shade of blue.