What a weekend!

Even though Singapore maybe a little more like home to me than Jakarta, I have never visited the Singapore Zoo, in spite of the fact that the infamous, notoriously cute Ah-Meng is a mega tourist reel-er..

So, it wasn't till last weekend, many years after Ah-Meng has deceased (RIP), that we got a chance to visit the zoo..It was a busy day for us, with 3 separate events lined up back to back. So, our very nice friends picked us up bright and early, and we had breakfast at Han's on the way to the zoo. Looking up at the weather, we are all filled with sense of wary...Is it going to rain today? Is it coming? Prepared to face what comes our way, we continued our way merrily to the zoo...There was such a crowd at the zoo regardless of the weather, and we headed straight to watch the shows. There are 3 shows, the Safari, Elephant show as well as the Splash show. There is something pleasantly surprised about the animals here...THey are so SMART and entertaining! I was just laughing and clapping away happily with every antics those animals showed..Could it be that they come from some super GENIOUS Lineage or is it the DHA fortified animal food that they are fed with? or maybe it's the trainers that are just very diligent in training the animals? WoW!!! I was just very entertained!! Bravos to all the elephants, and the sea lion that was so spectacular! After the elephant show, Abby remarked " Mommy, I want to bring home the elephants!" Imagining the sight of Abby and her 4 humongous elephants in her tiny crib...i could only shake the thoughts off...:)

After the enjoyable Zoo trip, we went home to shower and rest for a while before getting ready for the next event line up "Birthday party at Grace Kids Gym! This event was no more entertaining than the Smart elephants and Sealion!...The instructor got the kids moving and jumping to the different beats and rhythm with tamborines and drums. And the highlight of the party, that Abby enjoyed most was when the lights are dimmed and disco lights and smokes filled the room, and they get to dance with the neon lightsticks to the beat of I gotta Feeling..oh wow! the kids had so much fun bouncing and dancing away with the colourful sticks in their hands..
Abby was such a dancer that one dad, stretched out his arms ready to catch her any moment, she loses her balance! :)

Right after the dancing, we had to quickly moved on to our very last event of the day, Wijaya's Hwa Chong JC Reunion. We went to Marche at Somerset 313, and we were greeted with a long table of 20 other people already chattering and laughing away in the room. Luckily, I had recognized several of Wijaya's friends, so, it wasn't that awkward for me. Since it has been a while that Wijaya met his ex classmates, this was a fun reunion for him. Abby, just like a star, bonded right away with several of the kids in the room, and they are running around with balloons, and smacking the head of the other diners with balloons as well. Oopps!! Sorry...

After the events, we all headed home and crashed in our beds..We have exhausted every part of our energy..But it was a truly enjoyable and fun filled day with great companions! However, maybe we could only afford 2 events and not 3 in a day...

Handbag Gift

My next challenge came on a very short notice, just 3 days before the pick up date!
It was one lazy afternoon when I was browsing the internet, and my phone rang with a request for a handbag cake for a girlfriend's birthday. When I was asked if this is possible, I checked my calendar and jumped to my feet and readily said YES! I could almost feel the sudden adrenaline flowing through my body as I hanged up the phone.
I am very excited about this handbag challenge! I have never done a handbag cake and this will be my first!

I laid out my game plan to attack this assignment and got into work almost instantaneously! Talk about efficiency! Waste not the time, idle not..

Having done several carved cakes, I am beginning to enjoy the process of it, and the sense of gratification from working on a plane other than a circular cake or a square cake. It feels like you can grab the cake and sling on your shoulder! :)
To further personalized the cake for our career minded recipient, i have added a blackberry phone, an over sized sunglasses as well as bag tag with her initials on it.

Overall, it is one delicious edible HANDBAG!..Happy Birthday to you!

Abby's BAck to school

When we first reached Singapore, our first and foremost priority was to look for housing, and secondly, was for Abby's school. Seeing so many schools around Singapore, and also the ones listed under preschool on the internet, one would think its not a big deal, and surely getting into those big schools is an easy thing. But to my dismay, I had almost exhausted my list of schools before I finally got a call informing me that there is an availability for Abby in May! Yay!! And this is for the school right next to our Condo. Sweet deal! And its for morning session, just like we wanted..Without wasting a second and a breath, I said "YES, we will take it!!" and sighed loudly! :)

Abby was a real trooper in braving the new school situation, in spite of the fact that we are in a new school with new friends. She went in to her school with such readiness and smiles that I concluded, she deserved a celebration cake! And the inspiration came from a comment that came out of her mouth one day, while I was doing the mickey Mouse cake, she said, mommy, i want to have a school bus too!

Voila!! that was a perfect cake for the event! going back to school cake with a school bus cake and a school on the little hill!

Her eyes opened wide when she saw the school bus, and beaming a wide smile, she proudly said "that's MY bus!"..

Yes Abby..that's your very own personalized school bus..I guess I owed it to her that she gets her desire of her heart..She is definitely not shy about letting her wants be known. :) that;s my little Abby..

Minnie Mouse

March 2010

Shortly after our relocation to Singapore, I received an email inquiry from a friend in Singapore who has seen some of my previous cake creations. She was interested to order a birthday cake for her daughter's 2nd birthday cake. The timing could not have been more perfect as her birthday is 2 weeks upon the arrival of our container! That leaves me with 2 weeks to get my entire house in order, before I could work on the cake. Thanks to my parents who are here to help out with the unpacking, it went pretty smoothly, and before soon, our house is filled with familiar furniture and Abby's toys again.

The theme of my first Singapore client, was to cater to her liking of Minnie Mouse or Hello Kitty. Having done neither characters, I decided to go with Minnie Mouse, since I am more well versed with it (Abby is a Mickey Clubhouse Fan too). And I have decided to do a 3D convertible car for Minnie to sit in, depicting her ride to the Land of 2! :)

The cake turns out as imagined, and after much molding and remolding, Minnie's face finally takes its proper shape. :) phew! never did realize that there is so much to that little cute character's face.

I am real glad that my very first client in Singapore was happy with the cake and do does her friends in school!

Merry Christmas 2009!

Christmas marks the favorite season of the year for me. There are sounds of jingle bells on the streets, in the malls. Everyone is celebrating friendships and families with the act of giving, and everyone is reminded once again that we are just blessed because Christ is born!

Merry Christmas everyone..Ho-Ho-Ho!!!!...Have a white, Wintery xmas!

Transformers!

December 2009

Since the day I experimented with fondant, and discover the world you could do with it, and how much delight those treats bring to people. I couldn't resist to put this baking interest of mine at work, at each possible time. Just looking at the sheer delight on those recipients eyes, makes every bit of time spent on the treats just very worthwhile.

While I was carpooling with a family to a famous Japanese bakery, I overheard the mom told her older son that he is free to pick out any desert he would like from the store. Turns out that the boy is not really into cakes, however, he responded as such "mom, do you think they have a transformer cake??" i couldn't miss the hopeful sound in his voice, very much longing to have a cake after his favorite super hero...

on the following week, I got cranking on my little sequel of transformers cupcake for this boy. my little way of saying, Yes, you can have your transformers cake..everything is possible, if you put your mind to it. :)

cheers!

Princess Aurora

November 20, 2009

This cupcake series on "Princess Aurora and her Forest friends" is dedicated to a very special little girl that loves Princess Aurora and Sugar Treats!

Being older and not keeping up with the Princess lineup, I remembered going into the Disney store to check out who is Princess Aurora. I looked and looked and couldn't find the name on the shelves. Surely this is not a Made up Princess name, she has to be a real character under Disney. So, I pulled a store lady to the side, and quietly asked, is there a princess aurora? without having others hear me ask this stupid question. She chucked and said, yes,...She is otherwise known as Sleeping Beauty! Aha!
That is a familiar name...Did she just adapt a new name recently to Princess aurora...too confusing to me!

So, that same night, I went about creating this cupcake sequel. There is something charming about creating a cupcake series, where each one is different from the others but yet, together they weave a beautiful storyline.

That day when I arrived with the cake, the little birthday girl, eyed me shyly from the corner of the room. She recognized the sugar treats from a mile away, but, rather shy to be devouring it at my sight. She is after all, a little fine lady. :)

So, the highlight of the event was, when I saw her, sitting down in her chair, with the squirrel in her hand, and she literally stuck the animal into her mouth, and chowed on the sugars slowly, letting the ears and eyes melt in her mouth..My oh my....that was quite a sight... :)there is such joy and satisfaction witnessing how my treats really made her day..