Angry Bird Cupcakes

I had a lot of fun making these cupcakes.

I combined a few ideas I found online and then had to improvise a bit to use what I could find.

I have to say...I'm pretty proud of how great they turned out!

All of the birds were frosted in their main color (I used gel coloring so the colors were nice and vivid) and then dipped in sprinkles of the same color.

The red bird:

hair tuft: red mike and ikes

brow and eye dots: black gel frosting tube

eyes: white choc chips (points in)

tail: black licorice

beak: yellow banana marshmallow thing

I used white tube frosting for his bottom half.

Black bird:

fuse: black licorice dipped in yellow melting chocolate

brows: red frosting in a tube

eyes: same as red bird

beak: same as red bird

Blue bird:

(I made a few mini cupcakes so he could be littler)

hair tuft: blue tic tacs

eyes: same as red and black bird with red tube frosting underneath.

Tail and nose same as red and black bird.

Pig:

(he might be my favorite)

ears: green M&Ms

nose: marshmallow sliced in half and sprayed with green food spray paint

eyes: same as other birds

black details: gel frosting tube.

Only thing I would do different...start with a smaller amount of the gel food coloring...I put in way too much and you could tell which bird/pig each kid ate based on the color their mouth turned....oh well! They are kids and they don't care!

Angry Birds Birthday Party

The invite:

(Invitation made by Mr. T, based on one I found on pinterest.)

After having his heart set on a Cars 2 party...Lil D saw an angry birds gift bag at Target and decided he had to have an Angry Birds party...so birds it was!

Thanks to Pinterest...I found LOTS of ideas...lots!

I even started a board dedicated to Angry Birds

For the Games:

Pin the beak on the angry bird

(source)

I free handed each part...then glued it all together. Lil D over saw the look of the bird very carefully. I found the black bird sleep mask at Michaels.

"Bowling for Pigs"

(as Lil D called it)

(source)

I used pineapple cans (then added the pineapple to my morning green smoothies for the next week). The balls I bought from Toys R us.

Find the hidden golden eggs.

I bought a couple of packs of gold eggs from the party store (aren't I lucky it's Easter time) and filled them with Jelly beans and we had a little "golden egg hunt".

For party favors I made up these cute pig bags.

Mr. T put the faces together in Illustrator and then I pasted them on.

We filled them with a few angry bird items we found.

(the bag idea came from this blog.)

Dessert:

I was actually excited about making angry bird cupcakes. I have seen them allover the blogs and I think that they are just so cute. I was pretty proud of how mine turned out. I'm going to do a separate post on what I used to make up each face in the next day or so.

Decorations:

I saw this super cute banner on Pinterest and had to have it.

Mr. T made the circles with the letters, again in Illustrator.

(font from dafont.com Feast of Flesh)

Lil D painted each of the characters in Angry Birds for some additional decor.

I printed the balloon faces from this site.

The kids had a lot of fun...I was super happy with how everything turned out.

I was even happier that the weather was nice so we could play all the games outside!

Thank you Angry Birds for giving me such a fun party theme!

Turning 34

Yesterday was my birthday...it was a great day.

I have no issues with birthdays...I have no problem having another year pass by and getting another year older. Of course, birthdays are even better when I have my Lil D and Mr. T to spend it with.

I woke up in the morning and was promptly handed my b-day present.

I've been hinting to Mr. T about this charm bracelet...and he came through.

I LOVE the charms he picked out...and the little guy from Lil D...pure love!

Then these flowers were delivered...

from my wonderful mom and step-father...how nice is that...love from Seattle:)

I spent the day with this little one...

and Mr. T...

It was a peaceful day...just hanging out and enjoying my family.

Birthdays are great!

What I learned about making a construction cake

#1. A 4 year-old is fully capable of mixing his own cake.

(He will also tell you that you only need eggs, milk and flour to make a cake and insist on writing "eggs" on your shopping list, then carry said shopping list around the store to insure you get all the items on the list, even though he can't read the list and keeps asking what is on it and if you got it yet.)

#2. The original size cricut will not cut a 4 out big enough for your cake, so don't waste your time getting it out when you will have to make a 4 stencil on your own anyway.

#3. A 4 year-old can crunch up the vanilla wafers "dirt" in the food processor, but an anal mom will only allow him to put those wafer crumbs on the cake for about 2.2 seconds...then it's just mom's turn.

#4. Coloring vanilla frosting takes a lot of black food coloring...chocolate frosting would have been easier, and I would have liked it more:)

#5. You should frost around the top perimeter of the cake BEFORE putting the crumbs (dirt) on because frosting doesn't stick to crumbs very well...and may cause cursing and re-frosting and adding more black to the sides to cover up some yellow frosting that may have fallen right of the top and right down on to the sides where it doesn't belong.

#6. If you just start adding the stripes on the side for your "caution tape" without really paying attention, they will not be evenly spaced or at the same slant.

#7. Little "construction truck" candles make any cake cuter....and adding piles of "dirt" can improve a cake even more.

#8. Adding other decor around your cake takes away from any flaws you see.

#9. When using "dirt" on top of the cake...remember that those candles have to be blown out which means blowing will occur...and blowing causes "dirt" to go all over the table and floor.

and finally...the #10 thing I learned about making a construction cake...

Kids don't care what the cake looks like...

only that they can put it in their mouths!

Okay...so the final picture actually looks like a decent cake...must be it's good side:)

A 4 year-old construction party

Today was Lil D's party.

He had a VERY strong opinion about what his party should be like. In the past I have done whatever I want...but not this year. After much discussion, he decided on trucks...specifically construction trucks....

We headed to the party store and he picked out all sorts of construction truck decor which worked out great. He also informed me at the party store that we needed a pinata. I told him no...to which he stated, "mom...every party needs a pinata". I don't know what parties he's going to...but we aren't buying a pinata.

I found a great cake online with a construction truck theme (on one of those best cake sites) and Lil D loved it, so I tried to duplicate it...I did my best:)

I'll post details in another post, I learned a few things...I think I will share them.

All the party supplies I got at Zurchers. One thing I know, kids do not appreciate decor, especially 3, 4 and 5 year-olds...so I would rather spend a few bucks then my time on making my own. Just my opinion.

We went through all of Lil D's toys and found lots of construction cars/trucks. We also brought out the tool bench and his tools to add to the construction theme.

Home Depot was kind enough to give me free aprons for the kids...awesome!

For one of our activities, I found this fake wood styrofoam stuff. So I decided to have the kids make a tool box. Mr. T cut out all the pieces ahead of time. We decided that once the kids were ready to build we would actually hot glue the tool box together and then have them hammer the nails into the already constructed tool box. I'm so glad we did. Those nails are not easy to hammer in and I think we would have had some frustrated little ones if they were trying to hammer separate pieces. I also found little fake tools at a local party store and so they had a little treasure hunt to find tools for their tool boxes. I added a mini tape measure and some handy manny fruit snacks to their tool boxes to go home.

They turned out super cute!

Then we played what Dallin says are "party games"..."duck duck goose", which had to be said "duck duck truck" by orders of the birthday boy...and pin the stop sign on the construction site...which all the kids cheated on and every one of them got it right on...silly.

It was a really fun party...I think all the kids had a good time. It was fun to have Lil D be such a big participator in the planning, buying and even helping make the cake.

We'll see what he comes up with next year!

My "Lil" D turns 4 tomorrow...maybe:)

For the past few months Lil D has informed me that he doesn't want to turn 4. He was so excited to turn 3...he loved everything 3...and I think he is having a hard time giving that up. I finally gave up trying to convince him that 4 was cool and told him he could stay 3.

This was today's conversation:

D: Is tomorrow really my birthday?

Me: yep...but it's not your birthday party...just your birthday.

D: When's my party?

Me: On Saturday.

D: That's a long way.

Me: No, it's only a few days.

D: Why is tomorrow my birthday?

Me: because it was the day you were born.

D: Why do I have to turn 4?

Me: You don't have to, you can stay 3 if you want to.

D: Mom....it's my birthday, that means that I have to turn 4.

(to true little man, to true)

For his birthday, I made him a little t-shirt.

(Thank you cricut, freezer paper and Walmart's $4 t-shirts.)

And a birthday "sign" for the front room table.

(He actually helped me paint all the blocks green....he really loves to "help")

(block and vinyl set purchased at The Wood Connection)

After he went to bed tonight, I put together the birthday table.

(please ignore my outdated family picture...yes, lil D is 10 months in that pic)

(and please ignore my off centered rectangle thing...since we rearranged the room, it no longer works and I haven't taken the time to change it...I'll explain later)

I am really excited for Lil D's party this Saturday. For the first time, he had a VERY strong opinion about what we needed to have at the party. It was pretty funny to take him to the party store to pick things out. He chose a "construction" theme and I have found some cool things to do and give the kids. I also found an awesome cake that I will be attempting to replicate. One of the cutest things about his upcoming party was that he wanted to write his friend's names on the invitations and when we delivered them, he had to go up to the door all by himself....love him! You can see him writing his invites here....he's pretty impressive.

I'll post pics of the party festivities this weekend!

My 33rd...

On Saturday night we went to the cheesecake factory for my birthday dinner!

3 of my 4 sisters are in town, along with my mom, so they all got to go with us!

Lil D was there too!

He was VERY excited that we brought home some cake to enjoy!

On Sunday (my real birthday)...it was present time!

(Mr. T made this cute wrapping paper)

Hurray...I got a "new" camera...

and I couldn't be MORE thrilled about it!

Here's my sis trying it out!

Then my mom made a delish dinner for the family to enjoy.

You can call her Mrs. Bobby Flay!

(I will share the recipes soon...so good!)

Then we made some yummy frozen pies and invited the friends over to share it!

It was a really great day!