For Ada’s second birthday, I wanted to make it all about animals. This little girl LOVES animals, or as she calls them, “lodel-lodels”. A bunny is a lodel-lodel. A kitty is a lodel-lodel. A goat is a lodel-lodel. A… well, you get the picture.

To keep it simple I baked two 6-inch round cakes. Gave them simple coat of frosting. Took two black chocolate rounds and dipped them in frosting and then in white sprinkles to make the “eyes”. Soft pink jelly beans for the rosy cheeks. A chocolate chip for the nose. Then with a steady hand I drew on the smile with my kids screaming at the top of their lungs behind me. Cheering. Me. On, of course (grits teeth really hard). Then I cut out paper ears.

Some of the tutorials I had found on animal cakes had suggested to make the ears out of fondant. And then to promptly drop the fondant ears in the trash. Because we all know that fondant ears are going to look like crap and taste like crap too. Unless you have a degree in cake bakery… Just make them out of paper. Your kid won’t know the difference. And you won’t be popping Xanax during craft time… (;

For the wreath, I made paper tulips, which will be a tutorial for another time. But silk tulips threaded through a chicken wire wreath frame would be just as perfect.

I was going to buy a rose gold number balloon at the local grocery store. I had my heart set on a rose gold number balloon at the grocery store. I was dy-ing for that rose gold number balloon at the grocery store. BUT. When I saw the $8 price tag for one balloon. I choked on the price and instead made this lovely balloon garland from balloons from the Dollar Store. Yay!!

Happy Birthday girl… Kinda happy birthday girl? We’ll just say, look at the pretty birthday girl!!