I suppose my first mistake was actually opening a copy of Family Fun magazine that showed up in our mailbox a little while back.
My second mistake was looking at this picture...
...then thinking to myself, "Huh. That doesn't look too hard. I think maybe...gasp...even I...shocked expression on face...could make that!"...fanning myself vigorously.
My third mistake was letting David see the picture because of course, he then wanted that for his birthday, rather than a regular chocolate cake with chocolate icing with sprinkles on top. I was stuck. I had to make the cupcakes.
So I did--well, I and my little helpers. I was feeling pretty good about how they turned out. True, it took a LONG time to make all the cupcakes (we made a lot more than are pictured below), and ice them, and decorate them. True, I got a headache. But David was happy, so I was, too.
This afternoon, I snapped this picture of our finished project...
...and as I was taking the picture, I was thinking, "I sure hope someone will recognize that these are fish cupcakes. I just really hope they know what they are. Please, someone, just say they look like fish!"
I had to laugh this evening when those who were brave enough to venture a guess suggested things as diverse as sailboats or hedgehogs!! I don't think anyone recognized them as being fish! Oh dear, what did I do wrong??? ;-)
If you're reading this and you're one of those super-creative people who can whip out beautiful cupcakes that actually look like fish, and you can do that with your eyes closed and your hands tied behind your back, or you're the kind of mom who does all the activities in Family Fun, and they always turn out great, or you're the kind of person who WRITES for Family Fun, please be kind and don't snicker too loudly at my lame attempt. I'm especially talking to you, Misty (aka Miss Party-Planner Extraordinaire); if I can hear you laughing all the way from your house to mine, I'm really going to get my feelings hurt. (Remind me to tell you sometime about the incredible April Fools' party she hosted recently...) ;-)
As I finish this tale of mistaken cupcake identities, I hope for two things: first, that when David reads this at some point in the future, he'll know how much I love him because I was willing to spend hours trying to duplicate something in a magazine that I should have known I could never achieve! :) And secondly, I hope that when Josiah's birthday rolls around in a few months, he'll have forgotten all about the sailboat...er...hedgehog...I mean...FISH cupcakes, and will be perfectly content with a plain ol' chocolate cake! ;-)
Oh my goodness, I think these fish are absolutely ADORABLE!!! And Everything from a magazine is always just too perfect for reality anyways, I bet David just loved those fish cupcakes and will always have such a happy memory of his birthday cake.
ReplyDeleteLOVED your "Fanning myself vigorously" and your shocked expression!! SO SO SO Funny Davene!
Love
~ Marie
I think they look like fish! You did a great job. I can never duplicate the pictures I see in magazines.
ReplyDeleteOh Davene, they do look like fish, at least, as much as the ones in the magazine do.
ReplyDelete1. If you look closely at the ones in the magazine, it's only the lemon and lime wedges for tails that make them look like fish. The cupcakes without them look like a girl with a bonnet on.
2. Whatever you make will never look like the magazine. As for cakes, I usually just come up with something out of my head, that way I'm not trying to copy an impossible picture.
3. I don't know about Family Fun magazine cakes (and cupcakes), but the Wilton ones (the magazines I have) are always perfect for a couple reasons. Of course they use top-notch cake decorators. But, their "cakes" are all styrofoam, the use only Royal Icing, AND they use both right- and left- handed decorators so everything gets just perfect. Those are not real-life situations. So, give yourself a break (and if you really want to, add a couple lemon or orange wedges to the cupcakes), enjoy eating those fish!
P.S. Thanks for your comments on my blog!
oo wonderful!! I think they turned out super cute!!
ReplyDeleteI think they look GREAT. But I so get it, Davene. Once, Elizabeth said, "Mom, you're supposed to make my birthday cake." And I said, "I will never, ever make your birthday cake." Followed by a comment that she could choose whatever princess cake she wanted from the store(much to my checkbook's chagrin).
ReplyDeleteDavene!!! No laughing from me! I think they look like fish! And...I'm sure they tasted a lot better than anything I could bake lol p.s. - I still need to bring you that table, oops!
ReplyDeleteDavene, they are cute! I think they look like fish! Very cute. I'm sure the B-day boy was happy.
ReplyDeleteYour cupcakes look wonderful! My 7 year old son was sitting on my lap while I was reading this post, and he thought that they were so cool!
ReplyDelete