Adele Amigo's Birthday Dinner (May 22)

Birthday dinner for Adele though she won't admit it. It's funny how she tries to deny it when a lot of people have posted their greetings on her Facebook wall.*laughs*

The truth is, we had such a wonderful time at their place. Thanks for the great dinner. I would love to come back and take heaps of photos at every spot possible. I so love all the flowers scattered dramatically around the whole place.

Please click link for photos:   http://s929.photobucket.com/albums/ad136/sherylsantos31/Adel%20Amigos%20Birthday/

21st Family Day (May 20)

A simple dinner on a cold Sunday evening.

Finished work at six then hurriedly changed to join them for dinner. The food we all share are always so yummy. No wonder we're gaining weight. *laughs*

Click link for photos: http://s929.photobucket.com/albums/ad136/sherylsantos31/21st%20Family%20Day%202012/

20th Family Day (May 13)

We've been so deprived over the last two Sundays. I am talking about photos here. If you will notice the previous two albums have nothing but food in them. I've got my camera with me on those occasions but for some reasons, it had been kept in its bag most of the time.

Now we are so back in the spotlight. The chilly weather got us to dress in our winter clothes, still felt so cold though. Dinner was such a perfect set of comfort food, with dinuguan and fried fish. The whole evening, we just wanted to nestle comfortably in the couch while tuning in to TFC in between conversations.

Click link for photos: http://s929.photobucket.com/albums/ad136/sherylsantos31/20th%20Family%20Day/

19th Family Day (May 6)

Overdue upload...

I nearly forgot about these photos. They've been seating in my memory card for two weeks now and I just recalled downloading them after last Sunday's dinner. There's really nothing else to say about this compilation, I just wanted to document every single event that I take part in. And our family day gathering is that important to me as it is to all of us, that at any given time, when we browse through these albums, we will remember all the happy memories we've shared.

Click link for photos: http://s929.photobucket.com/albums/ad136/sherylsantos31/19th%20Family%20Day%202012/

Project: Three-tier Princess Crown Cake

In over a week after my first trial project on making three-tier, it is a surprise that I got another order in that short span of time. Apparently, Ate Ghing, who I know personally, saw the cake at the birthday party and thought it would be a perfect gift for her goddaughter's first birthday. She contacted me right away to arrange the details.  

my second three-tier cake

I love the combination of colors on this cake.  They compliment to the totality of the theme. 

Bottom layer

Second layer

Top layer with the crown

Project: 3-Tier Dora Themed Cake

A Filipino couple made this order for their daughter who was turning two.  They already had a look through the albums on my Facebook page before coming to see me, so they kinda know the cakes that I've made.  

I'm guessing Dora the Explorer is a favorite of most little girls in Albany.  They just love her so much.  With that in mind, I didn't get surprised at all when they said they wanted the cake in Dora themed.  Sure there won't be any problem with that because I have had a few similar themes in the past.  But wait, the best part of the discussion is yet to come.  This made me quite impressed with the confidence they have in my work for them to go for a three-tier.  

my first three-tier project

First attempt that I am very proud of.  The height of it may be intimidating but it wasn't that hard putting one layer on top of the other.  I actually had fun working with it.  Another first that I successfully managed to accomplish.  

Note:  One thing about this cake, it was sooo heavy!  Weighed as much as three or four kilos, my hands couldn't bare carrying it to move from the kitchen counter to the table.

18th Family Day (April 29)

I can't say much about this album because if you will notice the photos are only a handful. That could be equated to less stories, less captured moments and less time spent with the group. Apparently I had to leave them early to finish up a cake order due the following day. I know it's quite unlikely for me but when it comes to the cakes that I make, I just want to be really focused.

Click link for photos: http://s929.photobucket.com/albums/ad136/sherylsantos31/18th%20Family%20Day%202012/

Project: Chef themed cake

Chef themed cake with miniature fondant carrot, tomato, pumpkin, eggplant, snow peas, wooden ladle and chef hat

This is the second cake I made for Shara. She wanted it in the theme of a chef which I find very interesting because I've actually never done anything like it before.  

Ideas started coming in but still at lost on how to put them together creatively.  The only way that could help me not mess up with this was to refer to some guides over the web.  Lucky enough there were a few that matched what I was searching for.   

I let Shara picked the design.  As my job calls for it, with Shara's approval of course, some details had to be omitted and some had to be changed.  

And it did turn out nice. Simple.  Just how we wanted it.

Project: Alvin and the chipmunks

A week ago, Shara messaged me for two cake orders.  When she said she wanted this theme on one of them, I couldn't say yes right away.  Not because I don't want to do the order but the fact remains the same that "I cannot do hand-molded figures" still.  I know this is something I should work on if I really want to be good at fondant decorating.  Like some techniques I never knew before but now I can actually do is all part of the learning process I came to embrace.  And it makes me so eager to learn a thing or two from every project given to me.  Perhaps this is the right time to take the challenge.

The night before, I started looking the web for sample photos as guide.  None of them looked simple to me but I had to try my very best to make the chipmunks look close enough to the originals.  I keep saying to myself that I can't afford to disappoint Shara and most of all, the baby named Sidarth who was turning one year old.  It sure will be a very memorable event and I was praying that the cake won't spoil the fun. 

In more than three hours, I have finally completed all three chipmunks.  Yay!  Can't believe I was able to finish them without freaking out.  Yes it was difficult but one thing I'm sure of, all the hard work paid off when I saw the finished result.  Feel free to comment.  I am more than willing to improve on this new learning.

Alvin with a chef hat.

Theodore, Alvin and Simon with chef hats on

Here are more photos of the actual cake.

Bright-coloured fondant ball borders

Alvin and the chipmunks

Thank God I did it.  Looking back, it all started with a simple attempt, passion and my love for this craft.  Now I feel very blessed that this has come a long way.  The dream that I used to dream is slowly coming true.