A Deft Hand, from Swaddling to Icing

Is there something in the water? It must be raining babies! We’ve been busy in the kitchen, which is why we’ve been a little slow on the blogging front. Last month, we took on seven baby shower projects, helping glowing mamas-to-be welcome their precious little ones into the world.

Baby showers are some of our favorite undertakings. Though we Sarmie sisters have been baking together for over 20 years, it was Cilla’s baby shower (for daughter Ellie) that got us thinking about sharing our work– that’s how our Instagram account was born, as was our first foray into fondant toppers:

Every baby shower host who asks us for sweets is bursting with ideas and themes for the celebration, and it’s our job to help bring their creative visions to life. In the age of Pinterest, people have really stepped up their game with baby shower themes. We’ve worked on some unique requests, including:

whale / Vineyard Vines vibe

 

zoo babies

and woodland creatures, to name a few.

Our most recent project was a Winnie the Pooh-themed shower for a baby girl named Melody Grace. We absolutely loved the planning process, from text threads with the caterer, Shari of Catering 59 , and grandma-to-be, to adding elements of nostalgia with modern whimsy. The outcome was a labor of love, handcrafted with joy in anticipation of baby Melody. Cilla’s signature calligraphy and Geels’ painted elements supplemented Shari’s 100-acre-wood atmosphere, complete with rustic signage, watering cans, and a plethora of “hunny bees”. And her soup / salad / baked potato bar was the perfect meal to warm our rumbly tummies on an otherwise chilly January evening.

Here’s a quick look at what we put together:

A guest sign-in poster, which will make a great keepsake to put in the nursery

Buntings cascading over the new parents’ own baby blankets and the sweet table

A sweet badge for the “Mommy to Bee” (thanks, Cricut!)

And a little woodsy sign to accompany the sweets.

Oh yeah, we made sweets:

Chocolate cupcakes topped with vanilla buttercream rosettes

Vanilla pound cakes with buttercream beehives

Marshmallow pops

A red velvet cake shaped into a honeypot

And, of course, our sugar cookies.

These cookies always tend to be the stars of the show, and with good reason. Much like child-rearing, icing a single cookie takes plenty of patience and a gentle hand. Wanna learn how?

Check out our most recent video summarizing the process!