Ocean Theme Birthday Cake and a Marvelous Mess Party

For my Munchkins birthday party, we had an Ocean theme. Ove the next week or so I'll be sharing the different parts of the party that I crafted and organized to make this theme work....and it really did, it was so much fun!! The cake was really fun to make. I'm no fancy cake decorator, but I can admit I've stepped up my game since the days of the flat sheet cake. Now with this cake we're talking layers and we're talking homemade chocolate candies, we're talking edible glitter gel, and even a little spoon flick to make the top of the frosting resemble waves. 

To make the candies, I just bought a shell mold at AC Moore, melted some white chocolate, poured it in the containers and popped it out when it was ready. Really easy, and I thought it gave it a nice look. 

For the waves on the top frosting: Frost the top and then, with a small spoon, press the flat part near the tip into the frosting and pull up on the end of the handle in a vertical direction.

Here is the recipe:

Here is the recipe:

1 box devil’s food cake mix

1 small pkg Jello instant chocolate pudding mix

1 cup sour cream

1 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups mini chocolate chips

Read More http://www.kevinandamanda.com/recipes/dessert/the-best-chocolate-cake.html#ixzz1isFAy4Oz

~Set the stove for 350 and mix all ingredients except for chocolate chips in a *large* bowl. Once it is thoroughly mixed, add the chocolate chips and place it in two greased 9 inch cake pans. 

It should bake for around 45 minutes, but check it at 30 and every 5 minutes or so after, remembering that the melted chips can trick you.

You're going to love this cake!!!

Last week we had some fun projects linked up (as usual). Here's my favorite!!! I'll be featuring this project on my sidebar for a week:

Fine-Feathered Friend from Turtles and Tails. Love the feathers in this.....it's totally a fall look.

If you were featured, here is your button:

<br /><center> <a href="http://marvelouslymessy.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="A Marvelous Mess" src="http://i941.photobucket.com/albums/ad256/MarvelouslyMs/buttonbackground1-2.jpg" /></a></center> Now, on to the party!!!

Watercolor Tape Resist Craft

I spent the whole summer hosting kids crafts 3 times a week at the library that I work at, and I haven't posted anything about it. I've been totally out of the craft blogger zone!! I'm going to try to jump back into it again, with at least a craft a week....and I figured I'd announce it on here so I'd have something to hold myself to publicly. :-)

Here is a really simple exercise to try with kids. 

Tape Resist!!

I bought a whole bunch of simple blank notecards and let the kids use masking tape to make designs on them. Then we painted around them with watercolor paints, let them dry, and removed the tape!!

The same effect can be made with rubber cement. 

I shared this post at the following parties:

Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice

Fall time is officially two weeks away – is anyone as excited as I am?! With fall time comes amazing things, like my birthday, decorating for the holidays, and hot cocoa and hot apple cider. Not to mention it’s time to fill your home with festive decorations and get crafty! Let’s go through some of the many things to look forward to, so that you’ll become just as excited as I am if you aren’t already excited about everything fantastic that the fall time brings. ;)

Fall time Decorating – Decorating your home with fall time elements is fun, especially when it involved pumpkins, acorns, fall foliage, and other fall inspired décor pieces. If you currently have wall fountains in your home and other modern pieces, don’t be afraid to incorporate fall time decorations. If anything this type of décor will add to your stylish home, not take away from it!

Photoshoot in a Leaf Pile – Every autumn I love to bring my smart phone or camera outside with me after the leaves have fallen from their branches. It’s so much fun taking shots of the piles of leaves and then having someone take a photoshoot of me and my family! There are also many creative ways to capture your memories during the fall time, and taking pictures when the leaves have fallen is a must-do activity.

Baked Pies and Other Yummy Foods – Mmm isn’t making food during the fall time a lot of fun? There are so many delicious snacks and desserts to make, from pumpkin pie to pumpkin chocolate chip cookies! Let’s not forget that Thanksgiving and Christmas fall after autumn time as well, and with these holidays comes even more delicious food such as mashed potatoes, turkey, green beans, and more food that’s far too good to pass up.

Fall Time Activities – Depending on where you live, its fun going to bonfires by the ocean, finding a corn maze to explore, and visiting a pumpkin patch before Halloween hits, that isn’t far from your home. All of these activities are family friendly and most are fairly inexpensive as well! Even though I’m in my late twenties I love participating in fall time activities. They are a great way to soak up the autumn time before it ends and winter sinks in! Oh wow, now I’m really getting ahead of myself. Its best you enjoy the fall time, pumpkin spice, and everything nice that comes with it.

Sierra is a freelance writer and owner of Paige One. Her birthday falls one day after the official start date of autumn (September 22nd), and the fall time is her favorite season.