Ava's Art-tastic Art Party!

Today is our little girl's birthday. I still can't believe how seven years ago my life changed so profoundly. It feels like she's always been apart of our lives, and yet it feels like it's happened in the blink of an eye.

Seven. Isn't that, like, a BIG kid? I mean, I real big kid? Not the "big kid" that is out of diapers or sleeping through the night, but a real-life big kid? One that tells it like it is, cracks jokes that actually make sense, makes you warm when they want to hold your hand across the street, one that sits and reads books, and one that makes artwork you proudly make wall room for? Ava constantly amazes me.

This year, she chose to have an Art Party to celebrate her birthday. Being the life-long artist that I am, I pretty much "SQUEED!" when she picked that theme. She quickly designed her cake. A fairly simple cake with an artist palette on top with a paintbrush (with rainbow paint), a thumb coming out of the hole of the palette (awesome!) and the inscription: "Happy Birthday Art-tastic Ava!" Art-tastic! Isn't that the best?!?! I decided to add an extra special element to the cake, and covered the entire cake with white fondant - her canvas to paint on. (Sometimes I really am a cake genius.) I absolutely LOVE how her cake turned out! And, the unexpected flavor combo she picked - Coconut cake with Caramel buttercream - was wonderful. So don't be surprised to see a new flavor called "Ava" added to our Classic flavors.

It was her idea to ditch the inscription after she painted her name on the cake. (Good design, kiddo!) I think my favorite thing about her cake this year is that I had no idea how it would turn out. Her art was the star, not my work. Honestly, Stuffed Cakes wouldn't be around without her. It was her cakes that pushed me to take risks and try new things in cake decorating. I poured my heart into every one of them. I swore I would never make sixty cupcakes again after her first birthday (HA! - we do more each day now). I hated how sad my fondant skills were on her Bookworm cake, because I had absolutely NO idea what I was doing. But, I loved it all just the same. And I put love and care in the cakes I make for your family, because I KNOW how special that day is for you.

Please help me wish Ava, HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I love you, Art-tastic Ava!

Wish for the stars, love!