Shirley's party advice thread part 2

[stealthsquiggle]

...can I take the liberty of starting another thread, since the other one filled up?

Pm'd you. Think i'll go on friday when mil out the way or she'll be tagging along. Loving the pizza apron ideas. Is that the last bit to sort, have you done the cake trial run like you wanted to?

I was gonna do family tree for dd's day but she is just such 'a little girl' i've gotta go pink pink pink. Dd1 is a maniac, never slept since birth, runs everywhere, doesnt listen, jumps and rolls commando style. Dd2, well i've barely seen her for her 3 weeks. Just sleeps in moses basket and looks at me wide eyed. She doesnt cry for a feed just whines and sighs at me. She's tiny like a little doll and for the first time despite having 2 kids, she makes me broody!!!

Keep picturing her cake. Wanna do 2 tiers with pink pearls and pair of bootees on top with pink ribbon. Simple enough to pull off.

Pm'd you back

I haven't done any cake trials yet mainly because I've been on a diet since christmas and the thought of having 'spare' cake round the house that I couldn't eat was too depressing to contemplate. Got to try it soon though else I'll run out of time! Need to work out exactly how I'm doing toppings too.

Aprons are here, as is transfer paper so they're all ready to go once I know who's coming. Party bags are here - I'm going to print off smaller copies of the apron transfers to glue to the front so we know who's is who's. Pizza sticker books and pizza gummies to fill bags are here which just leaves the chocolate pizza to make if I decide to do. Badge kits here and coloured pens bought too. Party booked. So I'm pretty much done I think. Just less than 3 weeks to go so no major rush yet but I should start getting things sorted soon rather than panic at the end.

Just got another RSVP too...

I think I may be more excited than DS!

Marking my place again - keep losing this off 'threads I'm on'. I am , blathers. I want to be doing a party

Another RSVP today and our first "no".

Tempted to invite another child but no idea who...

Invite dd1!!!!! I'll send her down in the morning and you can keep her til april. Note the time. She woke at 4am. Ironically dd2 cried all evening cluster feeding at 11 she went to sleep and was still going when dd1 charged in at 4am and woke her. Had a lovely 6 hours sleep!! Coulda been so much more.

Anyway, she likes pizza, i'll put her on the coach with a label on her. You cant miss her she's the one running wild whilst continually protesting she's not tired.

Ouch! DS went a bit funny after DD was born too. Potty training went out of the window, he started getting up early etc. He used to run into our room whenever DD cried to see to her before we could get out of bed - more I think because he thought he was missing out than any massive worry for DD.

She'll get over it eventually but I feel for you right now.

Bumping. 3 weeks to Ds's party, you can't all leave me now!

Im still here. I wanna go to the baby group today but had emergency doc last night as got angina type pains. Struggling to even carry dd2 etc.

Had any more rsvp's? I've been searching out poems, want to get winnie the pooh collection for present (dd1 had beatrix potter), still waiting to confirm dates in july and i found a local caterer but im certain i can copy her sample menu for cheaper but i dont know how i'd work out quantities of food.

Will DM....

I'm here too, just lurking mostly as usually BFing while MNing so hard to type...

Still here...Keen to hear how the Pizza Exp party goes as DS loves it there!

We've been to one before MrsKitty. It's where Ds got the idea from. Hopefully this one will be even better.

Have ordered the bits to test Nigella's "Spruced up vanilla cake" as the base, just without the spruce bit obviously - although I do have that tin Going to try it in my 30cm cake tin and see how it goes. Wish me luck!

Going to have a go at doing the transfers on the aprons too. Really ishing I'd ordered some spares now!

Well of course it will be better .

Aprons will turn out great, I'm sure - just stay off the till they're finished .

Hopefully the base will work and I can get on with planning the toppings.

Vanilla cake 'crust'
Hummingbird style, cream cheese frosting dyed deep brown-y red for 'frosting'
Grated yellow ready roll icing for 'Cheese'
Dessicated coconut dyed dark green with food colouring for 'herbs'
then...
Ready roll mushrooms? I considered doing them in white choc but I'm not sure it wouldn't taste funny against all the icing and will potentially be harder to get out of the moulds...
Pink marshmallow 'Ham'?
Fruit Leather 'Pepperoni'? I'm not sure it's the right colour :s
More ready roll for 'Peppers'?

Ha! I've just found one that used ferrero rocher for 'meatballs'!! Genius

and another with the stalks from jelly Cherries as the pepper!

I lied. The fruit leather is perfect for Pepperoni! It's even got the right texture!

Oh thankgod. Some party chat. I was sat breastfeeding watching karcher cleaner demo clean paving slabs. I absolutely cannot wait to see this cake. And im so impressed that you have nigella tin. I cant work out cherry stalks as pepper though.

I can't find the picture again now! It did work honest.

I got the spruce tin for my birthday last year. No point getting it for Christmas after all, it's too late then! :)

I found it! here

It's a really good one but it doesn't tell you how it was done

I've done the aprons!

And they're brilliant even if I do say so myself

Have also done the cake. The Nigella recipe looks to have worked really well. Tipped it upside down to get a less golden colour and a rounder egde and it looks good. Me and the children have topped it with chocolate Philadelphia and sprinkles and will try it later.

Will post photos later

Bloody hell that pizza cake you've linked to is amazing! Look forward to seeing your pictures too.

I have set a date for DS's party but as its 7 weeks away (22 April) I figured I should slow down with the planning or I'll peak too soon!

I know silver! I think I might be setting myself up for a fall using that as my inspiration Especially as there's no hints as to what they've used and it's American so I'm unlikely to be able to get things anyway.

Cake was a little soggy in the middle but nothing another 10 minutes wouldn't solve - especially if I'm tipping it upside down so it doesn't matter so much if it goes over-brown. Tempted to buy myself a cake leveller to get it even thinner though....

Silver i aint even booked christening and im planning it. You cant peak too soon! Blathers that linked cake is brill. You have a lot to live up to!

I've uploads pics of the test cake (you'll have to imagine it with more pizza-y toppings, all I had was chocolate Philadelphia and sprinkles this morning!) and the finished Aprons and party bags. What do you think?