Sunday, July 29, 2012

Oh They Built The Ship Titanic…Cake!

Have I mentioned my daughter Abby is odd?  Well if not, I’m declaring it now, she’s odd!

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A couple months before school ended she came home with a book all about the Titanic.  Ok that’s not weird, I realize but then she brought more and more books about the boat home, I started to think my kid had a morbid side.  What I didn’t realize was that it was the 100th anniversary of the boat sinking.

So then the commercials for the re-release of the movie were on TV, she asked if she could go see it.  Since we owned the movie and after we made sure nothing was inappropriate for a 6 and 4 year old to watch, we let both Abby and Rowan watch it.  Well now, they LOVED IT!!!!  I mean the love story was “gross” but then the boat hits the iceberg and it became the “best mover ever!”.  I think they’ve watched that movie 50 times since the first time.  They do prefer the second half of the movie and have asked to start it when the boat hits the berg.

Abby took it even farther and started Google-ing the Titanic, she watched video’s about the boat, tried to read every bit of information she could find and I even once came downstairs to see her watching the James Cameron documentary about the Titanic.  I think she knows more about the boat than most historians.  My little history junkie!

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Now I knew we would be home in Canada for her actual birthday and knew there was no way I was going to make her cake.  So I emailed my bloggy friend, Juanita Koo of Sweet Things Toronto, and asked her if she would make Abby’s cake.  Not only was she delighted to make it, she asked me to come by and work on it with her.  Not going to lie, I was so excited!  She asked me what Abby wanted and I didn’t even have to ask the birthday girl, I knew…Titanic.  I know, morbid right?

Juanita came back with some awesome ideas, some of which we kept and some I thought were hilarious but didn’t think anyone else would get my daughters warped sense of humour.  Imagine little lifeboats around the cake LOL, sorry but I thought it was awesome but instead we went with just icebergs.  I also told her I’d make the cake topper of the boat sinking into the cake.

A couple days before Juanita and I were to meet up to work on the cake I tried to make the boat topper.  I didn’t bring any gum paste with me so bought the Duff’s stuff at Michaels.  IT WAS AWEFUL.  There was a lot of swearing then decided that the point of not making the cake was to NOT stress over making the cake, so I emailed Juanita and said the boat topper was a no go and she said she’d come up with something.  She also invited me for dinner and a glass or two of wine!

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I met Juanita for dinner the Friday before Abby’s bday.  We had an absolute blast.  Now the problem with having two bloggers get together to work on a project with intentions to blog about it…not a picture to be taken!  ah well.  Juanita made some great adornments for the cake.  She had the icebergs, boat wheel and anchor all ready to be coloured and then she made a boat, oh yes she did.  That was above and beyond.  Now she just made it grey so she gave me some red and black fondant and I gave it more of a Titanic feel and then I got to dust the wheel and anchor gold.  But the rest of the amazing cake is all Juanita.

When Abby saw the cake she squealed, we nailed it!  The birthday party at my parents was great and the cake was a huge success.  A few people mumbled when it came out but I calmed them all by admitting that my daughter has a morbid sense of humour and that it was her most favourite movie.  It certainly didn’t stop anyone from asking for a piece.

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Thank you so much Juanita, both for the cake and for having me in your home for dinner and letting me play in your kitchen!

And to Abby, Happy Birthday Sweetie, I love you so much!

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Thanks for looking!

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Addendum:  I’m sorry if this offends, it was so not my intention.  My daughter knows that people lost their lives and she understands how tragic it all was, but she’s also 7 who loves a movie and the special effects of that movie.  This post was written in a light fashion, so if my tone made it sound like my daughter doesn’t understand, I can assure you, she does.

12 comments:

  1. It was absolutely wonderful to meet you - what a fun Friday! You made me laugh and so thankful to be able to talk "cake" with someone! Happy Birthday to your sweet Abby!

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  2. This is SUCH an amazing cake! I love that your daughter has a passion for history at such a young age. And also...I love that I am not the only person in the world that has heard that song !(Oh they built the ship Titanic....to sail the ocean blue...)

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  3. Have you ever explained to her that when Titanic sank, many people died horrible deaths? This is such poor taste...

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    1. I'm sorry you feel that way and yes my daughter is fully aware of the events of the Titanic and knows more about the ship and what happened that night than most adults. This post was not meant to offend and I'm sorry you feel that way.

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    2. The cake is awesome and is not in poor taste at all! Clearly, "Anonymous" did not read or understand the post. I am also fasinated with the history of the Titanic.

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  4. How great is that? You have a little historian on your hands!

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  5. The cake is great and so is your daughter. We must allow our children to stretch their imaginations. I am sure she gets what went on with the ship and we cannot argue that it was and is one the most famous ships in history.
    plepoma@aol.com

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  6. Happy Birthday Abby! I love your cake. It is a amazing. I love that you not only wanted to see the movie, but study the reality of what happened in books. It is so important learn history.

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  7. I have an odd one also, so I TOTALLY understand! He loves dinos, sea creatures and Titanic!!! As for the above comment, I have something to say. This is not in poor taste. While kids have an understanding of death and dying, it's very hard for them to empathize or even imagine the "truth" of that night which is good. Who wants their four year old to do that anyway?!

    Curiosity and interest is natural, obviously, otherwise there wouldn't be so many movies and documentaries about the event. If people are truly offended then an email would have been a good idea. Anonymous comments are cowardly. It isn't as impactful for someone to have strong enough feelings to criticize but not strong enough to face someone openly.

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  8. The picture of Abby beside her cake is just wonderful and certainly shows how delighted she was with her Titanic cake. Juanita (and you) did an amazing job on every aspect of it.
    I think it is marvelous that Abby shows such a keen interest in the story of the Titanic at such a young age. Who knows, you may have a future History Scholar on your hands!
    *Anonymous* needs to realize that it is Abby's fascination with the story that has led to this birthday cake and as adults, we should be encouraging her interests not discouraging.
    Yes, the loss of lives was tragic and no one is discounting/minimizing that. None of the millions who went to the first movie of the Titanic nor the millions who went to the re-release and least of all a little 6 year-old girl and her family.
    Happy Birthday Miss Abby, you look wonderful and your cake is awesome!

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  9. My son is the same way! He is 10 & will be 11 Sept. 15. I KNOW EXACTLY what you are going through! lol. And ANYONE who doesn't understand can go bite a bear's butt. Simply put. My son knows what happened & even my 6 yr old cried over the movie. BUT... they still love the movie & wants to start it over & over at the same movie part. I actually am cautious of what mine see, so I have an edited version of that movie with Kate Winslet. They love it. I have to do a TITANIC cake also... ... uh...and I don't have a cake master anywhere nearby!!! lol. Wish me luck. The cake he wants is at this address!! Take a look & I will take a valuim!! jj >.< o.O

    http://cdn.cakecentral.com/a/ae/ae9c8ec6_Titanic1.jpeg

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