Pixies Cakery: May 2014

The name 'LEGO' is an abbreviation of the two Danish words "leg godt", meaning "play well".
The LEGO Group was founded in 1932 by Ole Kirk Kristiansen. The company has passed from father to son and is now owned by Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, a grandchild of the founder.

It has come a long way over the past almost 80 years - from a small carpenter’s workshop to a modern, global enterprise that is now, in terms of sales, the world’s third-largest manufacturer of toys. The first LEGO automatic binding brick

The LEGO brick is their most important product. They have been named twice – “Toy of the Century”. Their products have undergone extensive development over the years – but the foundation remains the traditional LEGO brick.

The brick in its present form was launched in 1958. The interlocking principle with its tubes makes it unique, and offers unlimited building possibilities. It's just a matter of getting the imagination going – and letting a wealth of creative ideas emerge through play.

I have wanted to make a LEGO Cake for a very long time. :-)
This LEGO Cake start with homemade marshmallow fondant & gumpaste. They are made a month to a few weeks prior to the time I will need them for decorating.

Gel food coloring is added to replicate the traditional LEGO colors.

Traditional colored Lego blocks are made using a form. They need to be made days ahead of the cake so they can stiffen up for decorating.

I decided to add colored blocks to the bottom edge instead of an icing edge on this cake.

Next comes making the LEGO Logo. This is also how I made the name of the birthday boy. Each of the four layers are glued together with edible gumpaste glue.

Here is a shot of the very large bowl of green buttercream icing.

Now comes the fun part - The finished LEGO cake!!!

I added some molded LEGO People in the same traditional colors to match the bricks & placed them on the top. I added the "Birthday Boy's" name to the front. Happy Birthday Alex!!!

Here is another picture with some old LEGO's that were my children's. LEGO's were one of their favorite toys & I saved lots of them. They are always surprised when I show them some of their toys that I saved from their childhood.

LEGO TRIVIA:

1961

LEGO Sales start in the US and Canada.

1978

The first LEGO Road Show takes place in Dayton, Ohio.

Later, this becomes the LEGO World Shows.

1980

According to a survey, 70% of all Western European families with kids under 14 now have LEGO bricks in their home.

1992

The world's largest LEGO Castle is built on Swedish television. Over 400,000 LEGO bricks are transformed into a castle 4.45 m x 5.22 m castle, measured for the Guinness Book of Records.

2002
The brand statement "Play On" replaces "Just Imagine...".

The LEGO DUPLO brand is replaced by the LEGO EXPLORE brand covering all pre-school activities.

2011
LEGOLAND Florida opens. The world’s largest LEGOLAND Park.

2014

The LEGO name celebrates its 80th birthday.

In the beginning of February, The LEGO Movie premiered in a number of countries. The movie was written by Phil Lord and Chris Miller and produced by Warner Brothers. It is the first time the LEGO universe has been pictured in a movie.

"Play On" LEGO fans. . . . . . . . "Play On"

You won’t find them in the Bible, but many cherished Easter traditions have been around for centuries. The most prominent secular symbol of the Christian holiday, the Easter bunny reportedly was introduced to America by the German immigrants who brought over their stories of an egg-laying hare. The decoration of eggs is believed to date back to at least the 13th century, while the rite of the Easter parade has even older roots. Other traditions, such as the consumption of Easter candy, are among the modern additions to the celebration of this early springtime holiday.

Easter is a religious holiday, but some of its customs, such as Easter eggs, are likely linked to pagan traditions. The egg, an ancient symbol of new life, has been associated with pagan festivals celebrating spring. From a Christian perspective, Easter eggs are said to represent Jesus’ emergence from the tomb and resurrection. Decorating eggs for Easter is a tradition that dates back to at least the 13th century, according to some sources. One explanation for this custom is that eggs were formerly a forbidden food during the Lenten season, so people would paint and decorate them to mark the end of the period of penance and fasting, then eat them on Easter as a celebration.