It's A Jungle Out There



So, you might remember that my BFF, Ashley is pregnant (click here for back story- Makin' Whoopie).  She is one of those adorable pregnant girls with rosy cheeks who radiates pregnancy bliss.

She is also crazy.

Yeah, I said it C-R-A-Z-Y.

Why?

She willfully did not find out the gender of her baby- GASP! 

I know.  Insanity.

And why not?

Because her husband didn't want to know.  Way to go Dustin.  Way to go.  (Now the rest of us have to suffer- humph!) 

I mean, the next thing you know, she is going to be naming the kid "Hank"  ;-) (See pictures below)

All of this gender talk leads me to the issue of practicality.  The practicality of very important things like, the theme of the Baby Shower and all- duh.  Ashley and I decided to take the easy route and opted to have the same theme for her shower as they chose for the baby's nursery:  Jungle Animals.

After figuring that out, I focused in on what was clearly the most important aspect of the party: the cupcakes and cake pops!  (Riiight Aimee)

Obviously animals were in order, but I have a tremendously hard time narrowing things down.  I get so excited that I want to make everything.  I'm not good at doing 50 lions, or even 25 lions and 25 tigers.  No, no, no.  That would be boooring.  Just can't do it.  So, this is what I ended up with:



The whole layout of cupcakes- but JUST the cupcakes.
Scroll down for the close up shots and descriptions.



I handcrafted these edible adornments: giraffes, frogs, lions, snakes, hippos...



toucans and lizards

Pandas Pops

His Majesty

A young princess lioness

Her Majesty, the Lioness.  I've done lions before.  I like them a lot.

Another toucan

Ssssssss

And even when doing another snake they didn't look a like. 
I have a problem.  It's bad.  Baking OCD or something of that nature.

Meeeeeow!

The cupcakes were rich, moist, velvety chocolate with either vanilla buttercream,
 chocolate buttercream, or chocolate AND vanilla buttercream.  See: my problem.

One of my favorites: the Tigress

Fitting choice for the Momma-to-Be

Reeeeeer- cat noise...

Mamacitas- literally ;-)

I love the simplicity of the froggy

Zebra Pop
The cake pops were Pumpkin Spice Cake
 with Vanilla Buttercream with a Vanilla candy shell. 
Stripes, eyes, etc were hand-painted on all cake pops,
except the ones where I obviously decorated with candy.

Giraffe pop.
Check out the detail on the eye lid!

The mommy got two gorgeous Diaper (and washcloth and onesie) Cakes. 
This one was made by Allison.  Too cute.

Model Kali with her lion pop- fierce!
Haha!

Ashley's adorable, too cute for words nephew, Ryan.
Carrot?  Cake Pop?  Carrot?  Cake pop...

Grandma-to-be, Ashley's mom, in the background with Ashley's sister-in-law Pam (Ryan's momma)
with the precious little helper handing out one of the games to everyone.
Say it with me now: awwww



 

The winning ribbon from one of the games



Can I have another one please?

Baby Daddy, ahem, that is, Ashley's husband Dustin
rockin' his Team Hank shirt

See ya later Alligator!