Aloha! Adam's Hawaiian Birthday (part 1)

My oldest son turned nine a few days ago.  I still have not accepted the fact that he is growing up.  He is half way to being a legal adult....nope not thinking about it.  Every year, I let the children pick their party theme.  This year Adam picked a Hawaiian party.  We will be celebrating with family tomorrow.  Here's how the party planning is shaping up with the sweet treats:

Aloha!  We heard this so many times throughout the day when we were in Hawaii.  It has several different meanings, but basically it's a friendly greeting.  Another meaning of Aloha is embodying a spirit of kindness.  The locals will say a kind and generous person, has the spirit of Aloha.  This is the sentiment that Adam really loved. 

While we were in Hawaii, back in February, Adam said he wanted a Hawaiian birthday party.  He was thinking five months ahead, that's my boy!  His only request was he wanted a Ukulele cake.  OK, I can do that.  I have a guitar pan from when he was five.  We also brought home two ukuleles, so I have a model to go off of.  Adam settled on a red ukulele with pink palm trees on it.  Here is the finished cake.  (It's not my best work, but I still think it came out cute.)

Cake made...check! 

Now his cake is vanilla (his absolute favorite, just like mommy), but we have way too many chocolate lovers in our family to let that flavor go unrepresented.  I decided to make cupcakes with a beachy/Hawaiian theme.  I found this idea on Pinterest and it was too cute to pass up.  I made beach cupcakes with a sunbather. 

 

The cupcake is chocolate, frosted with blue vanilla frosting to look like water.  I used crushed animal crackers for the sand.  The beach towel is a fruit roll-up, topped with a teddy graham sunbather.  To complete the cupcake a few fish shaped sprinkles in the water and an umbrella. 

 

Chocolate lovers taken care of...check!

 



The last sweet element of the party planning is a take home favor.  Adam really wanted our guests to have something to take home as a "thank you".  He asked me this on Thursday....hmmm.  Well, I can whip up sugar cookies.  After perusing my cookie cutters, I found a shape that I could make into a sun.  They are all bagged up, ready to go home with the party goers.

Favors done....check!

Now I need to get some sleep.  I will finish up a few loose ends in the morning.  Check back soon, to see pictures from the party and a great appetizer recipe, Buffalo Chicken Puff Pastry Cups!