summer time

Cookies from Parsons....

Baking supplies from Gygi....

I bought like 10 things at Target, and they gave a bag for each. I'm so used to SF's no plastic bag law, this just looks wrong to me.

More sunsets....

Kittens sleeping in the windows.

I hung out with Danny's grandma, and she taught me how to bake her wonderful bread recipe.

Mmm, I had a dinner date with my dad at Pace's.

See you later, Utah. 

Henry's first birthday!

Can't believe this boy is one!

I flew to Utah to celebrate, make some cake, and give some very special gifts!

Nan was throwing a "Very Hungry Caterpillar" themed party for him, so I made this amaaaaazing cupcake cake.

She found this link on pinterest, and I replicated it.

OMG so amazing, right?

The swirled green frosting was a tad tricky, but I did it!

Here is Henry's cake! I looooved eating skittles while decorating this cake.

I also made a small cake for Van, because we were celebrating both their birthdays.

I made Henry a monkey, just like I did for Van. This photo makes my heart swell....

So amazing.

Here they are together, best buds.

Cake time!!!! Check out that foot action! This boy knows how to get his cake on.

And his watermelon too.

Bounce house!

Roughhouse is their language!

Eating the best part of the cupcake...

I said come here and let me put all of these hats on you. And he did. He's an aunties dream come true. Silly boy.

Mmmmmm. 

van's first birthday!

Mike, Van's multi-talented architect father designed the invite...

And his crafty momma made the bunting and the tissue paper poofs...

He is the cutest freaking kid in the whole wide world.

Mike never does anything half-assed. He grilled the burgers, slapped on some cheese, toasted the buns, grilled the pineapple- so that we could all have delicious teriyaki burgers- just like at Red Robin. OMG. They were so good.

Loo-loo and I picked up some balloons...

Van and his poppa.

I based the cake design on the invite- super easy. It was lemon cake with cream cheese frosting. Only the best for my only nephew! I was going to make the yellow dots with fondant, but I freaking hate fondant- it's gross and expensive and I hate peeling it off so you can eat the cake. So I used the Wilton candy melts- perfect.

And do you see the cute "1" tee shirt that matches his party hat? Yeah, Nan made those too.

After picking the "1" candle off the top, he licked it to see what it was...

Then he decided it would be fun to smack it. Pat-a-cake. At this point, Loo-loo decided to start chanting "Van! Van! Van!" It was so funny!

He was picking the candy dots off the top and eating them before he would "dig in". So we took them off because we wanted the destruction to begin!

"Why is everybody watching me? And laughing?"

"NOM!"

He did an excellent job.

The cupcakes for everyone else. Lemondrop with cream cheese frosting. I will post the recipe, uh, soon-ish?

Rinse-off.

Ok, time for presents!

He kills me.

Loo-loo brought along her camera too- so here are her shots...

Yellow!

Balloons!

Banner!

Sandy!

Cheese!

Hamburger!

Watermelon!

Cheese!

Presents!

Pineapple! Uh, yeah. Sometimes her aim is low.

Phillip!

Alexa!

Van and Jessica!

Cake!