Ice Cream Party: Part 1

As you may know, I love themes and really love birthday cakes too.  Hannah wanted a birthday party all about ice cream, and so that is just what I gave her.  This post will be all about the set up and the details of the party and a brief tutorial on the cake.  Next post will be about the actual party and all the fun.

I set up a photo booth for the kids to be silly and get their pictures taken.  I am printing them out and putting one in each Thank You card that Hannah writes.   I made this by painting and glittering styrofoam balls.  Then I cut paper and hot glued it onto the balls in a cone shape.  (The mini cone idea came from here.)  I used masking tape to get the ribbons and mini cones to stick to a disposable table cloth which I draped over our bookshelf.  The sash is made just like this one here that I found via Pinterest.  I just used the theme colors lime green, dark purple, and hot pink instead of a rainbow on.

The cake with real cones, but no ice cream in sight.  I found this picture of an ice cream cake for sale in California online, but I figured this wouldn't be too hard to do with real cake, and it wasn't.

Here is the mini tutorial (I say min because you have to have some cake baking and decorating knowledge to get this, I think.) on how I made the cake with my standard below average photographs.  I do not claim to be a photographer!

I used three 9" round pans to make the three layers.  I had to double the recipe for a bridal white cake and let the kids used half of one batch to make Hello Kitty muffins since I only needed one and a half recipes of cake.  (I made the cake layers on Friday and froze them until Sunday after Mass.  I made the double batch of butter-cream icing on Saturday and colored parts of it lime green and parts of it pink.  I stored it in the fridge.)  Then I put icing in between all the layers and trimmed them a bit to make it even.  Next was the white crumb layer.  After the crumb layer was on, I cut the cones in half with a freshly sharpened knife.  Best I was able to do was get half of every cone from crumbling.  Then you just stick them into the icing all the way around.

Aerial view- I used ten cone halves here.  Then I stuffed the cones with mini marshmallows so the icing wouldn't sag into the empty cones.  Using my largest round tip I piped the pink icing starting from the outside in a spiral shape to make it look like ice cream out of one of those machines.  Then I did the same thing with the green icing.

Next came the halved cone on top to give the spilled ice cream cone look.  I stuffed it with marshmallows too and put both colors of icing on it.  I made dots for the eight candles and did dots on the bottom for some trim.  I used every last drop of icing that I made.  Brian was running a couple of errands while I was finishing this up and I was this close to calling and asking for a tub of store bought icing so I didn't have to make a whole other batch of icing just to finish up, but I ended up just barely making it.

The way I do these cakes is similar to how I approach a sewing project.  I get a vision of how I can make something happen and then I just wing it.  The marshmallows were a last minute addition, but most of this cake went as planned out in my mind.  I always get nervous mid-cake and think it isn't going to pull together and I have definitely had my bombs, but this turned out just the way I hoped.

Here are the ice cream word-searches with the tissue paper ice cream cone that was to be both table decoration and photo booth prop.  The favors which were just ice cream poppers in a plastic gift baggie were hung up across the window.  This was so I wouldn't forget to hand them out.  It worked like a charm, the kids reminded me! 

Adorable idea here, I used Dixie cups with a ribbon tied around (which Hannah helped make possible) filled with veggies and cheese cubes.  I figured they would need something healthy with the sweets overload.  It made it easy and fast to serve the girls too.

Here's the whole food table.  I used the other half of the sash I made for the photo booth for this window.  I also hung pink and purple streamers a little differently this time.  I saw a lady who used fabric strips like this and I thought it was super cute, but I didn't have the time of money for that, so I improvised, but go check out the super cute fabric version here.

I saw this cuter version of this centerpiece and just threw it together as best I could.

Ice Cream Bar with Toppings

 Brian teased me a little about my food labels.  Called me Martha Stewart, as if it was an insult.  Come on!  Husband, don't you know that just makes me worse.  I have a real problem here...and it's name is PCD.  That's right, Pinterest Cumpulsive Disorder.  I knew this would happen if I took that step and set up that account.  I fully blame my cousin for this and take no responsibility for my own illness.

I dipped the waffle cones in melted chocolate and then sprinkles because what kid doesn't love sprinkles?

The adult spread was simple, a veggie tray, cheese log and crackers, and chocolate and cheese on the same tray because they are my very best friends and I wanted them to be close.

Oh my!  I guess recapping I realize how Pinterest has truly ruined me forever.  I split up a lot of stuff to do throughout the week before in the evenings.  Then I spent all of Saturday and all of Sunday (minus Mass) doing nothing but party stuff and a tad for Advent prep which is for another post.  But I got to say that the prep work was nothing compared to managing the party itself.  I am more of a behind the scenes person.  Running the show for a bunch of elementary girls is not my cup of tea.

Hannah, one day when you read this and you are all grown up, I hope you will realize that I think you deserved every bit of this party simply because I love you and you are special.  It was a lot of work, but you are worth every bit of it.