I know I’ve mentioned it a few times now, but today was my youngest daughter, Lily’s, 5th birthday. This morning we got up and opened presents, only having an hour or so before school. She got lots of nice things, including a Furby, two DS games, a Sylvanian Family car, some clothes, Moshi Monster stuff, a Merida soft doll and a Disney Princess game.

There was a mad rush then to get ready for school, eat breakfast, get dressed and so on. We also of course had to remember the cupcakes for all of Lily’s class that she’d requested I made.

After taking them to school I had to go buy more green icing (I’ll explain in a moment) and go to Iceland for party food. What should have taken Chris and I an hour or so, actually resulted in us getting back home at 12pm, with only 3 hours left to get everything done.

We both haven’t been feeling a hundred percent this week, so everything is feeling a bit like an effort at the moment. I also feel like I haven’t really left the kitchen in 4 days. Anyway we managed to get the lounge tidied and decorated, the birthday cake finished, more cupcakes made, biscuits iced with “Eat Me”, all the party food cooked and set out on the table. At 3.15pm I went to get Lily from school, along with her sister Megan and her friend Ciara (not before I snapped a few pictures of the lounge though!).

When we got back to the house, Lily and Ciara went to get changed, Lily had wanted to be Alice from Alice in Wonderland and so Ciara also borrowed one of Lily’s dress up outfits and became Aurora. My friends and their children, along with my brother, all arrived around 4pm. Lily opened more presents, including more Moshi Monsters, more Sylvanian family and more clothes, before everyone ate. We did the cake (sparklers though and not candles) and sang Happy Birthday, then ate the cake. The kids all played upstairs while the adults chatted downstairs and generally it was a very nice and relaxed get together.

Everyone is gone now, the girls are in bed and the lounge still needs clearing up properly – but it will wait till tomorrow at least. The cake seemed to go down well and people even took some home with them (though perhaps under a little pressure to do so as I almost begged for it to be gone).

So are you curiouser and curiouser to know how the cake turned out?

Have to admit I’m pretty pleased and proud of it. I’ve never made anything like this before at all. I definitely don’t find making cakes relaxing or even a hobby, but I have to admit the challenge is what drove me to do it. I know it wouldn’t pass for any awards but honestly I’m just glad I accomplished what I set out to do.

As you can probably see, the bottom and middle of the cake looks slightly better than the pictures I posted a few days ago. I ended up stripping it all back to basics, re-icing both the bottom and middle layers. I even had a mishap with the top layer and ended up icing that twice too.

My friend Nat deserves a mention too, for coming around last night and giving me some moral support. Three days in the kitchen can send you a bit crazy and it was nice to have some company. She also made both the clubs and spades on the bottom layer of the cake! That said, yesterday wasn’t all bad. I set myself up in the kitchen with my cakes, the iPad for decorating ideas, a tv and even Alice in Wonderland on dvd. My bowl is extra awesome because its an “Off with her bread” bowl, suitable for the occasion!

Anyway, thankfully I think my cake making and baking is done, at least for a week or now. I have so much coloured icing left though, I feel sure it won’t be too long before I tackle something else. My partner is having an Alice in Wonderland party for his birthday on the 20th, but it will be a Murder Mystery party. Maybe I’ll figure out something to bake for him…

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And don’t forget…