Recap: DIY four dollar cake stands

    Remember that Seinfeld episode, The Frogger, where Elaine is subjected to birthday cake so frequently in the office that she becomes accustomed to her 3pm cake fix? Then she eats a $29,000 piece of royal cake to satisfy this fix?
    Well, I have become this Elaine. I love cake. I love eating it and making variations of cake. I buy a slice or two if it looks good in the Harris Teeter's deli. I have wedding cake and cheesecake in the freezer and we just finished some German Choc that I made last week. I need my cake. And I need to put it on something prettier than a glass dish.

Upgrade!

    I've been using our handmade wedding cake cakestands daily. Sometimes when we are low on cake I put fruit on them. It's just not the same, however.
    Wanna make your own for about five dollars? Ours cost four, and you could be so lucky, but lets throw in that extra dollar just in case your selection is low.
You will need
1. a plate.  I found some really nice round white ones at the Dollar Tree. They were about 11'' dia, and solid white. You may try thrift stores or antique stores if you want to go vintage. But mine was  a dollar.
2. A footed glass, or a candy dish. I found two pedestal dishes at Goodwill for two dollars each. I lucked out and found them at the same time! This is the part where I tell you DIY may not be easy or cheaper, but you have to enjoy the process. Ok? Done. Because it took some time browsing the thrift stores and discount stores when I could just have bout an Anchor Hocking stand for 8 bucks. But I like the challenge.

It's good stuff.

3. Epoxy. I still had some 5 min. epoxy from my woodworking days. I prefer System Three but its kinda pricey if you're just using it for this project. (Let me tell you, though, once you epoxy something, you won't stop). You can get some at Lowes for about 6, which comes in the handy injector.
4. Washable Marker. For marking your center, and four sides to get the placement of the rim right on the center of the plate.
5. Heavy Books. For setting the epoxy.
6. A toothpick, or popsicle stick and cardboard. For spreading the epoxy.


Instead of telling you the how-to, I'll just share this video, making it that much easier:
http://video.about.com/budgetdecorating/DIY-Cake-Stand.htm

(That Julie Edmonds is pretty handy).

So here's ours turned out:
In this pic, the top mini stand came from T.J. Maxx for $6. The bottom stand is handmade, and I have since broken it, so no other pic. No big loss there, right?

Photo by Nick Sanders

 In the photo below, there's another.

Photo by Nick Sanders. (The flutes from here.)

More cake pics because they are pretty. Maxi B's you are my hero.

Photo by Bob Laigo

Photo by Bob Laigo

Vendor Spotlight: Cake Tasting!

 This past Friday we had our cake consultation at Maxie B's in Greensboro. I pretty much know I was getting my cake from this little local bakery, no questions about it. They have amazing cakes and the best buttercream frosting I've ever had.  I've tried most flavors on previous visits and have filled my slice card once. I am two more cupcakes away from a free one.
So its only natural....

I got to play with my cake fantasies here. I speak in singular because Shawn really could not have been less interested. I'm pretty sure an hour and a half of talking about cakes and cost really pushed his tolerance of uninteresting (to him) matters. I, on the other hand made some rad decisions. I believe a good cake is one of the three most important elements of a reception (or any meal for that matter), the other two being delicious food and drink.  I decided not to have other desserts but a satellite set up of a few different cakes and cupcakes. They will complement the candy bar I will set up.

We picked four flavors and I'll go ahead and tell you now. I won't be ruining any surprise here because you haven't tasted them yet. We picked:
                    Chocolate Sin Cake (chocolate w/chocolate almond frosting),  
                   Five flavor pound cake
                   Italian Cream Cake
                    and Pineapple Coconut
We ate ourselves into a sugar coma. Shawn then started to get irritable and wouldn't let me take the rest home. I only let him exercise this decision because I've made him my personal trainer, though I made it clear that it was a sad waste of cake and if I craved cake this week, I will just go get some. Then we went home and crashed. I actually don't think I'll have those cravings for a while.

                                                             oh yeah.

 

He's thinking I'm insane to spend a good few hundred dollars on cake.

But its all for you and us, so we will let ourselves eat it and love every bite!

Wedding Cake toppers- another little project I will take on

Remember the post about the Etsy Shop with the cute wedding cake toppers? Well, I found these cuties at the Winston-Salem Greek Festival.

There was a WHOLE room devoted to nesting dolls and I spent some time in there. I found these blanks for a couple bucks, imagination running wild! I love how they're shaped like the dolls. I have been fascinated with them since I saw the dolls open up, spill their their babies, and dance around the mamas in an old Sesame Street short clip.

(Sure, I could have gotten them with the little balls for heads at a craft shop, but I like the story of where I got 'em.)

I just hope I'm not adding more to what I already don't wanna do. At least Shawn & I have our invitation ideas, and the paper bought. Now if only I could buy some time...

HOLY....Must Have!

 These are perfect.
Just imagine Shawn, me, and Bully together on a big beautiful Maxi B's cake, just like how it's supposed to be. Man, wife, and their son, a big wooly bear dog.

 In love.

I found them on Etsy, of course. The site of everything handmade & cute. My friend Alison turned me on to Etsy for weddings and I know others who have gotten their rings made by artists found through the site.

I am especially tickled by this profile view. The shop is Dandelionland and they can custom make the whole thing: suit, veil eyes, skin, the works.

Shawn & I? Or a street version of me and Dwight Schrute???

In all honesty, though, I have the little smurfs that my friend Lindsay gave me. We do not need to spent 65 to 85 dollars on another set. Then again, maybe we can get a groom's cake and have 2 sets. I am getting carried away by cute!

remember these? I do, it was the happiest day of my life.

And speaking of custom cake toppers, here is my friend Erin & Husband Clay's cake: a mountain with mini-hikers. So them!

2007

Any of you have your cake toppers? What did you do with them?