Happy {Belated} Birthday Rowan!

I know!  This looks bad.  Rowan's first birthday and I can't even get a blog post done on time.  FOR SHAME.  Well, if you want an excuse, I've been very busy.  And Rowan recently started walking, so my busyness has grown at an exponential rate.

FRESH.  August 21, 2010

We celebrated Rowan's birthday up at the family cottage in Muskoka this past weekend.  Originally, I had big plans.  BIG plans for the cake, the decorations, the food and his gift.  Then...catastrophe struck.  I slayed my sewing machine.  I don't want to talk about it....it's too painful.  Not having a sewing machine meant that I couldn't finish his gift.  I was so friggin' BUMMED OUT.

And that's when I said "to hell with it" about my big plans.  Besides, when I'm up at the cottage, the last thing I want is to be stressed out.  We had a great time and no one said "Gee Anne, you know, it's just not the same without a homemade fabric 'Happy Birthday' banner and dog-themed hanging decorations".  I forfeited an elaborate dog cake (Rowan LOVES dogs) for some simple dog cupcakes.  

The '1' candle was a little to much for the cupcake!

Here's how they were built:

Pipe size 18 (Wilton brand sizing) stars in buttercream icing all over the top of the cupcake.  At the bottom, add a swirly mound of icing for the snout.  Retro serving platter optional.

Add a chocolate covered peanut for the nose.

Cut a cube of caramel in half and shape each piece into an ear shape with your fingers. 

The eyes were made of tootsie roll.  I just sliced off a little nubbin and rolled it into a sphere shape with my fingers.

There ya go, zero-stress dog cupcakes!!

I highly doubt that I will be finishing his gift anytime soon.  My little Husq-y is still in the repair shop.  So maybe I'll just share what I've got so far.  Next time.