Happy 6th Birthday Lolly!!

Happy Friday guys!  I hope you're all having a fantastic week, despite that scary storm we had in the middle to shake things up a bit.  It definitely kept my little boys and I up in the night that's for sure.  I'm just grateful it didn't put us in harms way as well as damage anything on our property.  However, I did witness a few road blocks and countless trees and power lines out of place on my way to dropping the kids off to school that morning.  I really hope you were all okay!

Today I will be sharing a Planes themed birthday cake I made last October for a sweet girl nicknamed Lolly.  I have been making cakes for this beautiful Princess for years now, and I always look forward to what theme I get.  This time Lolly's Mum Helen decided to opt for a buttercream iced cake {instead of the usual fondant-covered cakes she gets from me}.  I made it extra special by adding lots of girly sprinkles on the borders and topping it off with a handmade fondant Planes character, Rochelle.  I even made a custom logo with Lolly's name and age to really bring the theme to life!  I loved the final outcome!  I hope you do, too :-)

Have a fab Friday and a wonderful weekend guys!!  See you back here next week!!

xo,
Jackie

Sharks birthday!!

Earlier this year I had such a blast making a super cool sharks themed birthday cake for Sarah.  Normally I get requests like this for kids birthdays, but this one was for an adult!   Sarah wanted her birthday cake to be enjoyed by her own kids :-)  I thought this was such a thoughtful idea and perfectly suited for the pool party they were having!

Here are some pics for you all to enjoy! :-)

I definitely LOVED this cake!!  I enjoyed sculpting all the edible details.  Can't wait to make another one like it!  Anyone interested? ;-P

Hopefully I get to share a couple more cakes with you this week!  I still have a lot to share with you all :-)  Until then, have a terrific Tuesday!!

xo,
Jackie

Vintage Rose Wedding

Late last year I had the pleasure of making a small and simple wedding cake for a lovely older couple.  Frances {the bride-to-be} had been looking for somebody to make her wedding cake.  Although we didn't know each other, we were brought together by her hairstylist, who happened to be my sister-in-law's boss whom I had previously made a cake for.  She really loved the birthday cake I made for her son that she was more than happy to promote my work to Frances...soonafter that I received a call and it was just meant to be :-)  Frances and I never met in person, but communicated regularly via phone and email.  I was really excited for this order because it was going to be my first single tiered wedding cake.  The challenge for this cake was to incorporate the right elements to make it stand out whilst keeping it simple and elegant.

Frances didn't really know what design she wanted, however she knew what colours she wanted to incorporate on the cake.  Her wedding dress was the inspiration for the final design of this cake - white lace with a dusky pink underslip.  I translated this by creating a white cake with an applique of fondant leaves to resemble lace, dusky pink roses with gilded edges as a focal point, and finishing it off with a simple beaded pearl border.  I must say, I was really pleased with how the cake turned out.  It was elegant and beautiful, just like her dress.  I hope you like it!

Click after the break to see more photos...

Happy 30th Birthday Pearl!

A couple of months ago my dear cousin Pearl turned 30!  Her hubby organised a surprise birthday party for her, and of course that included cake!  I wanted this 30th birthday cake to be extra special, so I came up with a design that fused her love of the Bulldogs and glamour.  I wanted to incorporate the Bulldogs shield but not make the overall cake too masculine.  I decided some 'pearls' on the cake would help with this {pun intended}, as well as some other feminine finishes.  I really loved the final outcome, and best of all, so did she :-)  And everything was edible so HOORAY!!

Please excuse the quality of the pics...I had no time nor good lighting at the venue!  I'm just glad I got to snap at least a couple of shots for my own record!

Pearl giving the cake two thumbs up! :-D

And for your treat, here's a little peek at my progress...

Painting progress of my bulldog :-)

I hope you enjoyed today's cake feature!  I will do my best to keep 'em coming your way!  Aiming for at least a couple posts a week.  Thanks for sticking around!  You guys are the best!  :-)

Have a wonderful Wednesday!!

xo,
Jackie

Pearl Wedding Cake

Hi guys!  I'm baaack!  I hope you all enjoyed celebrating the Queen's birthday :-)  I had a lovely time with my family this long weekend, and I hope you did, too.  I know my last post was a very distant time ago {November 28, 2013 to be exact}, but trust me when I say that I have been here all along.  I have sooo many cakes and DIY projects I want to share with you that's just been sitting in my archives!  Life just kept getting busier and busier for me so keeping you all updated through my blog just became too much of a battle, which was why it came to a temporary halt.  So much has happened since my last post, and I plan on sharing them with you as I slowly get back into it...I will try :-D

Today, I am excited to show you a wedding cake I made a couple of months ago for a beautiful couple, Kerri and Hugh.  They wanted a two-tiered white cake {flavours white chocolate mud and lemon} with lots of pearl detailing.  There were hundreds of pearls I had to 'glue' onto this cake individually, and let me tell ya, that was no easy feat!!  Let's just say I had to go to the mall and get a neck/shoulder/arm massage because that's how sore I was after that!!  But it was truly worth it in the end.  What I ended up with was a beautiful and elegant looking wedding cake!  It was definitely something I was very proud of and was excited to give to the bride and groom.

So, without further ado, here is 'Pearl'.  Enjoy!

And here are some stunning professional photographs Kerri gave me and some kind words she shared...

Kerri Dewe, wedding 8 March 2014

"I had spent a bit of time going back and forth with Jackie on email (she was very accommodating!) and was really looking forward to seeing how our finished design was going to look.  I was very impressed with the finished product - I think it looked amazing and absolutely in the style we had discussed.  Best thing, it tasted just as good as it looked!!  Two different flavours, and both fantastic.  It really was a big cake (yes, it is all cake!), and I was sure that we would have heaps left over, as though we had a set menu, we had a big dessert buffet (as my husband Hugh is a huge sweet tooth - I also arranged Mr Whippy at the ceremony to tide him over until dinner!).  But it was so good that I had a small piece on the night, and Hugh completely missed out - completely devoured!  Thankfully my family had saved a piece for my grandmother who was unable to travel to Auckland, so he managed to share some of Nana's piece and have some of his own wedding cake.

Beautiful Jackie, thanks again."

You are very welcome Kerri and Hugh!  It was my pleasure making this cake for you.  Thank you for choosing me to be part of your special day :-)

I hope you enjoyed today's cake feature!  I can't wait to share many more with you soon!

Have a toasty Tuesday!!

xo,
Jackie

Happy 5th Birthday Ava!

Finally catching up on my posts!  So much has happened that all the blogging has been neglected put aside.  But, I'm gonna try my best to give you something each week...fingers crossed :-P

Today's cake feature was from back in August!  I know!  {Don't judge me :-D}

I made it for my wonderful neighbours Adam and Rad's daughter, Ava, who turned the big 5!  The cake was inspired by a paper plate!  Here are some pics for you to enjoy xo.

Some lovely details xo

And here's the beautiful Ava with her cake!  Happy fairy five Ava!

I hope you enjoyed today's cake feature!  It's been a long time coming, I know, but I'm just glad I finally got to share it with you!

xo,
Jackie

SHARE THE LOVE for typhoon Haiyan victims in the Philippines...

A little can go a long way!  Why not dig into your pockets and donate towards a wonderful cause.  To learn more about this fundraiser, you can check out our event on facebook by clicking here.  Let's keep sharing the LOVE and watch it GROW!

xo,
Jackie

The Love Movement

As you may have heard and seen in the news, super typhoon Haiyan {Yolanda} hit Philippines last Friday.  It has killed over 10,000 people, and has left so many more without the basic necessities, such as shelter, power, food, water, and medicine, just to name a few.  Being a Filipino myself, it really broke my heart to see and hear about what my people are going through right now.  I couldn't and still can't even fathom it.  And I felt so helpless...until...

...a lovely friend of mine, Krishna Marinas, has put a {personal} fundraiser together called The Love Movement.  Philippines is also home to her, and she wanted to come up with a practical way to help those who need it most, and now you can, too!  This event is happening tonight at Conch {Ponsonby, Auckland} from 5pm-8pm.  Check out the poster below for all the details.

Krishna was also invited to speak at 3 News Live this morning, where she shared why she started this movement and what she'll be doing with all the funds raised.  If you'd like to see this video, click on this link.

I really hope you can make it tonight!  If not, there are other ways you can donate.  Just go to The Love Movement on facebook for all the details.  Oh, and did I forget to mention that there's going to be a spectacular raffle tonight?  Some AHHHHMAZING prizes to be won, so don't miss out!!

Hope to see you there!

xo,
Jackie

June/July/August 2013 in a glimpse...

Whoa!  That was a mouthful of a title wasn't it?  But as you know, I get busy and don't always get on top of my posts, hence three months crammed into one!  And I didn't even get to post everything I wanted to in August, so September's gonna look pretty eventful.  More posts to read for you {YAY!}, and more typing for me {NAY!} :-P

Before we kick off this monthly glimpse, I'd like to officially welcome y'all to SPRING!!  Isn't the weather confusing, though?  One day it's hot, the next there's heavy rain and even hail!  No wonder I am sick at the mo :-(  So not likin' how I am right now, but what can ya do?  All my boys are finally back to good health, then I get sick.  Typical.  It always seems to be the way for us Mommas.  We can't get sick while others are sick, because we have to look after them.  I can't wait to be WELL again!  I'm giving this flu/head-cold/whatever-it-is til this weekend only, because I have lotsa plans this month!  And being sick isn't one of them!

Anyway, the main point of this post is to highlight what we got up to these past three months this winter.  Let's take a look shall we?

DIY: Rainbow Wall

Gjon's Chocaholic birthday

Jade's sweet thirteenth birthday

Ritchie's farewell cake

Ryan's 21st tyre birthday

DIY: Map Art

Katrina's Umizoomi Milli 4th birthday {Part 1}

Katrina's Princess Sofia the First 4th birthday {Part 2}

Amber-Rose's Gatsby-inspired 21st birthday cupcake tower

Well, there ya have it guys!  I can't wait to get into September!  There are some pretty cool cakes and plenty of DIY goodies coming your way, so stay tuned!!

Have a wonderful weekend!!

xo,
Jackie

Gatsby-inspired 21st Birthday Cupcakes

Before I wrote this post, I wanted to get into the right head space...in this case, I needed to bust out some moves to Fergie's "A little party never killed nobody {all we got}".  Fun times...hehehe.

Anyway, today I am excited to share with you a Gatsby-inspired cupcake tower I created earlier this month for the beautiful Amber-rose.  I think it's such a fun 21st birthday theme, definitely a great way to go crazy on pearls and bling and anything glam!!  Maybe an idea for my 30th next year?  We'll see...

Amber-rose's Mum was actually the one who contacted me and told me about the birthday theme, so I was so excited to get working!  I created everything from the cupcakes to the toppers.  It was labour-some but fun, and the end result - so worth it!  Here's how she looked!  Enjoy xo

Let's check her out from the top, shall we?

I just love how the acrylic tier stand makes this whole thing look classy!  So worth investing in one!

Some of the cupcake had toppers with Amber-rose's initials and age...and some had fun tassle flags.

Here are the cupcakes packed up and ready to go...

Cupcakes were chocolate with chocolate ganache center and fluffy vanilla bean buttercream frosting, and red velvet with a light whipped cream cheese frosting.  Nom nom nom!!

I hope you enjoyed today's SECOND post!  And, nothing related, but just cute to share.  Since I started writing this up this morning I had my boy Carlyle on my lap.  He is very clingy to Mummy today.  I love it but my leg is dead...hahaha.  And now enters Javier.  Definitely not gonna be able to use my legs today.  LOL.

Have an awesome day guys!!  See you back here tomorrow with maybe another double post!

xo,
Jackie

Katrina's Princess Sofia Birthday {Part 2}

Hello!  I'm back.  I know I left you with a promise that I would return with Katrina's second birthday cake when I showed you her first one last week, but blogging gets neglected when much more important matters come up.  My boys have been unwell {and are still unwell but waaaay better than a few days ago}, so blogging was definitely out of the question.  Of course, in my down time {which I had very little of} I managed to squeeze in some DIY projects that I'll share with you next month.  My aim for now is to clear my back log of things to post for the months of June/July/August.  I'm getting there...let's hope I get heaps done before the weekend!  That'll all depend on my boys' progress.

Anyway, back to Katrina's second birthday cake!  As already mentioned, her first birthday cake I shared with you last week was Umizoomi's Milli!  Today, I am happy to introduce Katrina's second birthday cake - my {second} Princess Sofia the First cake!  The first time I made this Princess Sofia the First cake was in April this year, for a sweet girl named Emma.  It's always scary trying to recreate something, because my cakes really are just one-offs.  Surely, there's no way I could exactly replicate another one of my cakes, but I definitely wasn't gonna say no to trying!  I think in some ways, the second one is even better!  Or the same?  Well, definitely not worse, so I'm glad.  

Here she is.  Enjoy xo

   

 And for some lovely details and angles...

And a progress shot just for fun...

 I hope you enjoyed today's cake feature!!  I'll do my best to get you some cupcakes tomorrow, Gatsby style!  Til then, have a safe and wonderful Thursday!

xo,
Jackie

Katrina's Umizoomi Milli Birthday {Part 1}

Last month I had the pleasure of making not one but TWO cakes for a very lucky girl named Katrina.  She turned four and her aunt Moka always buys not one but at least TWO cakes for her very lucky nieces and nephews, no matter what age they turn.  I wish she was my aunt, hehe.

Anyway, the first cake I'm gonna share with you is Katrina's Umizoomi Milli birthday cake.  Like a lot of my {girly} cake requests, I have NO CLUE what or who the characters are.  So, I turn to my good friend Google :-)

So, without further ado, here's my cake version of Milli.  Hope ya like it!
{Note: I ended up finishing the cake in the evening so my lighting was poor...:-(}

And here are some progress shots...

Chocolaty haven...nom nom nom

I hope you liked today's cake feature!  Come back tomorrow for Katrina's second birthday cake!  Have a gray great day!!

xo,
Jackie

DIY: Scrapbook map art

One of the things I absolutely love about homes is the little details that make them unique.  Today's DIY special is all about adding a touch of your identity into your home.  It is super quick and easy, and of course FUN!

Here's what ya need:
Scrapbook paper {assorted designs/colours}
Picture frame{s}
Glue stick
Scissors

You also need to work off a laptop or computer with a printer because you have to print the outline of your chosen map...otherwise if you're feeling extra artsy fartsy, just use a pen or pencil and draw :-)

Note: the map of Philippines was too complicated to cut out so I simply coloured it in using a black felt :-)  Choose your battles guys!

Now, let's let the pictures do the talking...

Print your chosen map outlines on different sheets of scrapbook paper.

Carefully cut out your map.

Glue your map onto another sheet of {cut-to-frame-size} scrapbook paper.

And frame your art work!  These frames were a score at .66cents each!!

And there ya have it!!  

Now, the map of Samoa {the red one above^} was bothering me.  It just looked wrong and I couldn't quite put my finger on it.  So I decided to scratch it and make another one.  But this time I took on board my hubby's suggestion of making it smaller so that there's more 'water' around it to make it look more like an island.  I'm glad I asked him for his opinion because he was right on the money.  It looked WAAAAY better smaller.  So, here is how they look on my {*SPOILER ALERT} gallery wall.

I just love how something so small can add so much meaning to a home.  It shows our identity in such a fun way.  Now my gallery wall is up but I won't be sharing that with you til later, so you're gonna have to wait a little while longer for that.  Don't worry, it won't be that long! :-)

Feel free to give this easy DIY project a go and send me pics of your creation!  Who knows, I may even feature your masterpiece on my blog!

Have an awesome wet weekend guys!!  And to those of you who were rattled by today's earthquakes, I am keeping you all in my prayers.  Keep warm and stay safe!  God bless!

xo,
Jackie

Happy 21st Birthday Ryan!

Happy Wednesday everyone!!  Today I am thrilled to share with you a tyre cake I made for a 21st birthday last month.  It was my very first time to make a tyre cake, so I was all giddy about it!  {I get crazy excited when I get to attempt new things}.  I must say, there were lots of learn-as-you-go moments, but still beyond happy with the end result.  Hope you like it, too.  :-)

I personalised it even more by making a RYAN21 cakeboard border and flag.

Fondant checkered tiles and plate number.

Progress

I hope you enjoyed today's cake feature!  Can't wait to share many more cakes and DIY with you this week!  Have a wonderful Wednesday!!  Be kind to yourself :-)

xo,
Jackie