Have a Ball...Beach Birthday Celebration

Today I bring to you only a part of what I am creating for my Mom's 69th Birthday this coming Friday.  Since I have to work Friday we are celebrating Thursday.  She has no idea that I am making anything, so this will be a complete surprise to her.  I bought the red bucket from Michael's for $1.00.  I made the sign from a cereal box, pattern paper and skewers I already had.  I then just painted the sign with the words, "Have a Ball."

What is in the bucket you ask?  Well, I made sand cake...it is just like dirt cake but I just used golden Oreos instead of regular Oreos.

Here's is the recipe for my Sand Cake:

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg. of Golden Oreo Cookies (regular for Dirt cake)
• 1 8oz. pkg. of Cream Cheese
• 1/2 stick of butter
• 1 cup of powdered sugar
• 2 small boxes of French Vanilla Pudding
• 3 1/2 cups of Milk
• 12 oz. Cool Whip
• pkg. of gummy octopus and Swedish fish

Step 1

• Crush 1 pgk. of Oreo Cookies in a Mini Chopper...set aside

Step 2

• Heat Cream Cheese in microwave for 15 seconds
• Soften 1/2 stick of butter
• Mix cream cheese and butter in a large bowl with 1 cup of powdered sugar...set aside

Step 3

• Mix both boxes of pudding, all of the milk and all of the Cool Whip with a mixer
• then mix in Step 2, mixing them together

Step 4

• Layer in your container cookies, pudding mixture, gummy octopus and fish, continue to repeat layers and top with cookies...deocorate as you desire.

We will be having a surf and turf dinner on Thursday and I will also be making a second cake using my Betty Crocker Bake N' Fill cake pan.  The cake will be decorated like a beach ball.  I couldn't make it ahead of time because it will be decorated with sugar crystals and I'm afraid they will run if I make it before Thursday.

I am entering this over at Decorate to Celebrate Challenge #26 - Beach Party
and at The Paper Variety Challenge - anything but a card or layout (must include paper)

Thank you for stopping by and checking out my Have a Ball project and sand cake!