My husband is a man of many talents. He earns his living as a physician but he also plays the piano, leads the choir at church, teaches a weekly Bible study, is handy at woodworking (redid my kitchen to accomodate my cake pan collection & is currently rebuilding cabinets in family room - actually, right now he is in the garage making cake stands for me). He is a wonderful husband, father and granddad and I want to do something very special for his 60th birthday. Any ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

The only way I can think of incorporating everything would be to do a scene ontop of the cake. For example, you could do a slab cake (maybe a 9x13) covered in fondant and patterned like a wood floor. You can then do a figuring made to look like your husband wearing a doctors coat and wearing a stethescope while hammering something infront of him with one hand and holding a bible in the other with one or two child figurines (maybe to look like your grand children) infront of him. That would cover the wood working, teaching bible study and being a physician. For the piano playing and directing the choire, I would do a gumpaste piano with a choire robe strewn across the piano or across the floor.

How about a bottom tier that's square or rectangle that looks like wood, maybe a tool or two on the corners or leaning up against it, a second tier with piano keys and musical note, a bible on tope with a stethoscope or shot needle or something to that effect on top? My husbands suggestion is a music box with the wind up handle on the side.

I love to incorporate symbolism into cakes as much as possible, and I think the 12/12/12 date is something definitely worth including in some way. 12 x 5 = 60 (the birthday age), sooo... how about a pentagon shaped cake, divided into 5 regions, each containing 12 items related to one of your husband's specialties (you could group the 5 something like this: physician, piano, church activities, woodworking and family). So, in one region you could have 12 patients and/or medical equipment; another region could have 12 muscial notes maybe comprising a song (Happy Birthday??), another region 12 woodworking tools/projects, etc. Your husband could even be in the center with each region of interest radiating outward.

Or you could skip the pentagon shape and do 5 levels, with 12 items on each level, if you are having a lot of birthday guests to serve!

Am I making sense? The idea would be to have a total of 60 significant items on the cake, grouped into 12s to represent the significant numbers for the occasion.

Whatever you decide, post pictures when it's done. Best wishes to you and your husband!

What a wonderful day to have a birthday...
i too will be celbrating on the 12.12.12

Bluehue

I would do a piano key boarder for sure!!

I would think of doing five small cakes (6"-8" round) with his five different activities on the tops. Tie them together by using strips of printed music, or woodgrain bands, or the same base border on all the cakes.

And since 60 is the "diamond" year, maybe work those into the borders? or scatter them among the other symbols?

I'm seeing round or square tiers with scenes going around each level. I'd make the bottom tier the spiritual one as his faith seems to hold him up, the strong foundation that he has built his life on (you describe him as godly.) I would include the bible with a meaningful verse to him, a choir scene, a little church with a steeple, or anything that is special to him. The second tier could be about family, his children, friends, profession. You could add a stethoscope, or other medical tools like that little thingy they check reflexes with. A hammer and nails and wood. You could even do a tier that looks like wood. The possibilities are endless!

HTH

D.