Vicki turns 21

Every culture has their big birthday. For some its 13, others wait for that sweet 16 or the big 18. In South Africa, your big celebration comes when turn 21. Your parents pull out photos of your life to up that point - friends and family tell embarrassing stories, and then inevitably it gets serious at some point in the flurry of speeches and the people around you tell you how much they love you, remind you of how much you've achieved in your short 21 years on planet earth, your mum cries, you cry. Everyone hugs. Its big - and its all about close friends and family, celebrating along side you.

My baby sister just turned 21 this October. She's the kinda gal who has looked forward to this day for years. Sadly, she wasnt home this October. She is finishing up her au-pair contract in Superior, Colorado. SO being her big sister, I took my precious Boy cargo and headed west, to the United States!

We celebrated in style with her lovely host family and amazing boyfriend. I got to make a trip to I Heart Walmart to buy and decorate a cake plate, a trip to Heavenly Whole Foods to get what I needed to make her a sweet cake and to buy general supplies and then we headed home to bake up a little storm.

It was the loveliest day. We opened gifts over Skype with family 9319 miles away and then when babies awoke from nap time we had an English Tea Party.

 She wanted a Hello Kitty cake. I refused. A gingham garland from Walmart and a glue gun turned a $4 glass cake plate into something a little more special.

Some dalia's from WholeFoods Market made her cake pretty in pink. The paisley table cloth runner was just 2yards of folded fabric, also from Walmart, $3.50 a yard, overlaid with sage green netting with tiny pink roses sewn on. 

It wasnt what she'd dreamed of for years. Cordial stood in for champagne and knock knock jokes for speeches. But we laughed, we ate, we loved.

We made precious memories that we will both cherish forever. And we made GREAT cake.