Cakes II

Here are my cakes of 2012:

Newt and Houston had a joint Bday this year so they had a joint cake.  Houston (4) wanted a dump truck and Newt (8) wanted Legos. What we got was a lego-hauling dump truck.  Darth Vader was supposed to be driving, but he was a little late showing up and so he had to ride on the wheel hubs, after this picture was taken, and the door was already iced *er* locked.  The dump truck was made out of a cake cut out of a loaf pan.  The wheels are chocolate gem donuts.  Mawmaw found the candy legos in Jackson.

Jane had a simple sheet cake with a chocolate Minnie Mouse. 

This flock of turkeys were treats for Newt & Katie's classes for Thanksgiving.  

Houstons's class has a Nativity Cake each year and I was so happy to make it this Christmas!  His teacher gave me the hand-carved and painted nativity set to use.  The sky backdrop is a big ol' rice crispy treat covered with marshmallow fondant.  This was my first foray into marshmallow fondant.  It was much quicker easier than I thought it would be. And it tasted better than I thought it was.  Not that I sampled while I baked.  Who does that?

Landscaping Before & After: The Assessment

Landscaping Before & After: The assessment

This is our house as we bought it, just before our landscaping crew showed up.  What we didn't like: the entire house was surrounded by holly bushes.  The sidewalk led straight from the mailbox at the street, through this "interesting" octagon thingy in the middle of the front yard, to the front door.  There was no sidewalk leading from the driveway to the front door. Also, there was the lovely scalloped brick border going around the existing flower beds.

Front Before

Front Before

Before: the mailbox area

Before: holly bushes all around

Before: this broken trellis hid the HVAC (the HVAC was prettier than the trellis)

And moving on to the back yard...the holly bushes and brick scallops continue. Also, there was more trellis leading from the driveway to the back patio and deck, a fish pond where the fish were seldom seen, a ginormous bush in the back hiding the view of the golf course, and lots of big, dying cedar trees.

Before: Trellis and pea gravel leading to the back patio.

Before: more trellis

Before: Trellis view from the sunroom

Before: holly in the back, and the fish pond

Before: holly holly holly (and monkey grass)

Before: side yard...more holly and some hydrangeas (which we kept)

Before: dying cedar and monkey grass around the cart house

Before: meh

 Before: Cart house monkey grass

Before: the big bush in the back yard

Before: oddly spaced crepe myrtles