Being Aunt Becca

In addition to being "Mom" to my two kids, I have the privilege of being "Aunt Becca" to 11 wonderful little munch-kins (remember the picture in Henry's Birthday post?).  Add to that "cake baker" for their birthdays and I rank right up there with the best of them!  (Ryan will argue that he is the favorite and since he doesn't read this blog, I'll admit that they do love him more).  The effort is all worth it when you see their faces the first time they see their cake.    


This past weekend Olivia celebrated her 3rd birthday.  And her only request was to have Barbie on her cake.  So after browsing online, we decided on a Barbie butterfly cake.  (I apologize for the picture...my camera settings are way off and I can't figure out how to get them back to normal!)

Chocolate cake with an oreo filling and buttercream frosting

I was feeling a little ambitious, so I decided to make her birthday present as well.  (My new sewing machine has given me a little boost of confidence in my sewing abilities.  Not sure if that's good or bad).  I found a great tutorial at Living with Punks for a floor pillow.  After looking at the prices for bean bag chairs, and then the price for making my own (the filling for those chairs are ridiculously priced!), I decided this was the thing to do.  

I think Olivia was very happy with the results and I already have a request for 5 more!  Hmmm...maybe I shouldn't have made it myself...just teasing!

It was actually much simpler than I expected it to be (and I am by definition a novice sewer).  And it was quite fun to see it all come together.  The original size seemed too small when I started getting things together to make this, so I opted for 24 inch circles instead of 17.  It made for a big floor pillow, but it should last a long time that way.    

Now on to my next ambitious project...