Me, my brother Mark, Jennifer M., Elizabeth T., and Jessica M.



It’s never been a secret that my mom prized old photos above most everything else, and each time she evacuated, she loaded up the trunk of her car with as many albums as she could cram in. When Hubs and I moved to Kansas City, she gifted me with several new albums which contained many of her old photos of my childhood. I am so very grateful to have these.
The photos above are from my seventh birthday, which almost seems like it was yesterday. I am posting these because I was just telling my daughters how amazing their GiGi (my mom) is. She baked all of our birthday cakes herself. She had this amazing cake book with photographs of cakes made to look like all sorts of cool things, including a school bus she made for my brother Mark’s birthday one year (sadly I do not have this photograph to share). It had strips of Wrigley’s Doublemint gum cut in half to make the windshield and windows, thin ropes of black licorice for the windshield wipers, Oreos for the wheels, and Red Hots for the taillights. I chose a watermelon cake for my seventh birthday, as you can see here. I invited three close friends to go swimming and sleep over. I got a Cabbage Patch Kid that year, which I promptly named “Holly.”
Love that cake! I always THINK about baking my kids birthday cakes, but then wimp out at the last minute and order the cakes! I am the same way about birthdays. I believe in celebrating.
That cake is AWESOME! I wish I were that creative.
I love looking at other people's old photos. It just reminds me of a simpler time.
Love the photos and birthday cakes! My mom made unforgettable cakes too.. I can remember every teddy bear, princess and wonder woman cake birthday like they were yesterday. Thanks for sharing!
Since moving here I now live in fear of hurricanes. I'm glad your mother was able to preserve photos for you. I love looking back at them too!
And that watermelon cake totally rocks. I posted about a bunny one my mom made (my birthday often falls on near Easter). Our moms rocked it in the cake baking department…
All 3 of my kids birthdays are in August. It's rough to have 3 birthdays within 5 days of each other and always right after school starts!
I just wrote about my trip to New Orleans and posted some photos… wow. Still bad… http://charlottesal.wordpress.com/2009/08/20/fleur-de-lis/
I love the watermelon cake, you look adorable at age 7 and your mother is gorgeous and timeless. My mother made a big fuss over our parties as well… and I'm sure you've noticed that I've followed in her footsteps. Moms and birthday parties are the best!!