Sooo, here's what happened. I have this friend, I haven't known her too long, just a couple of months but she is super cool. She recently had a milestone birthday - one I will have this year, too - and I wanted to help her celebrate somehow. However, I didn't want to be traditional. I really do quirky best so stationary sets and fancy pens really weren't an option for her. Instead I made a cake out of something she loves. Let me just show you the pictures, that may be easier. Now keep in mind, it's a cake in the loosest sense of the word. Some of you may see the "cake", some may not - that's ok.
First, I went out and bought her favorite drink. We have discussions about this often because I really don't like Pepsi - I can tolerate it now but there was a time that I was such a Coke fan that if my only choice in a restaurant was Pepsi, I'd crawl under the table and cry or boycott the restaurant completely. I've matured now though so I can have a friend who likes Pepsi and things will be ok.
When I bought her soda, I had to make sure that I was buying the same amount of soda to equal her years in life - 40 of them. My theory here is that even though I've only known her a few months, we've become fast friends and I'm sure, without a shadow of a doubt, that had we been friends longer, I would have treated her to a Pepsi many other times. So, I decided to buy her 40 Pepsi's for the 40 years I missed out on being her friend. Ya, it's cheesy but that's ok.
Next, I grabbed my freezer paper (it was the only large white paper I had in my house) and I started wrapping the sodas up. I did the big box first.
Then individual cans went into a small box and got wrapped up in white paper as well.
After wrapping the smaller box I stacked it on top of the bigger box, you know, like a layered cake. Can you see it? We'll, this worked great for about 5 minutes. Then my stupidity hit a new level.
I decided to cut a slit in the top of the box so that I could add "candles". The slit worked great. Just a straight line big enough for a straw to fit in. The problem was that the cans had shifted in the box and I needed them to separate a little to fit the straw all the way in and have it hold in place.
This is were my great idea turns to a "what was she thinking, duh!" moment. To make the room I needed, I put my scissors in the slit and attempted to push the cans apart. Do you know what happens when sharp scissors meet an aluminium can?
Pressurized soda can + sharp scissors = HOLY CRAP GRAB ME A TOWEL QUICK!!!
Yes, a soda geyser was erupting in my living room and my family will never, ever let me live this one down.
Luckily, because the sodas were inside a box, it only really ruined the one soda and the box. I just had to start over. The replacement wasn't as crisp looking but the idea still worked so I went with it.
I was able to put the "candles" in place and then decorate the "cake" by wrapping ribbon around both layers and adding a big 'ol 40 to the front. The candles were some of my happy straws with pieces of a sparkly Christmas garland coming out of them. It worked.
And here it is, the finished "cake". Ya, it doesn't look much like a cake BUT I know it is one cake that will stay moist, be fully enjoyed, and hopefully it made my friend smile, that's all it needed to do.
