Non-traditional Cake Makin'

This is either the weirdest idea I've had, and possibly the strangest thing I've made or it's super smart and I'm thinking outside the box.  You can decide.  Even though I'm finished with the project, I'm still on the fence.

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.