On Friday, my husband and I went and joined our friends in celebration of a birthday. I was so excited to help in getting the occasion organized. I especially loved how to two items came out. One is the birthday boy's banner which says, "Happy Birthday Jefe," which means "boss" in Spanish. I've been spending a lot of time at Disneyland, eyeing the old-fashioned signs that dangle in the window displays. This birthday gathering was the perfect chance to try my hand at making one of my own. Another first was this cinnamon stencil...

I had already promised the birthday boy a pumpkin cheesecake but when I found out that a special get-together was in order, I thought about how to spruce up the cheesecake "tastefully." Not that I have anything against sprinkles and frosting but decorating a cheesecake with that stuff would ruin a perfect dessert. So I opted for something I had seen in the Martha Stewart aisle at Macy's...except this stencil was customized to this specific occasion. YUM!