Celebrating My Husband’s Golden Milestone: A Quiet 50th Birthday.
Hey there, friends! Guess who just hit the big 5-0? My amazing hubby! I can hardly believe it, but here we are, celebrating half a century of this wonderful man. We decided to keep the celebration sweet and simple, just the two of us. I’m excited to share how we made this day feel extra special without any fuss or fanfare.
From a homemade cake that had us both grinning to a heartfelt gift that’s already found its place in his office, we packed a lot of love into our quiet celebration. Come along as I tell you about our cozy, memorable day marking half a century of my favorite person.
Baking Adventure: From Sugar Geek to Kitchen Experimenter
For the special treat, I used Sugar Geek Show’s Lemon Raspberry Cake recipe, find it here as my starting point, with one twist: I swapped the raspberries for blueberries. My husband adores blueberries, especially during summer, and I thought they’d pair beautifully with the tangy lemon flavor.
The Baking Process: Aromas and Anticipation
I am no professional baker, nor do I play one on tv! Thank goodness for Sugar Geek Show’s recipe – it was like having a friend in the kitchen guiding me through each step.
So there I was, zesting lemons like a pro (or so I’d like to think), and suddenly my kitchen smelled like a citrus grove in heaven. Seriously, lemon zesty goodness was everywhere!
I started with making the filling. Remember, we swapped the raspberries for blueberries. So I put the sugar and the berries in the pot and began the process of cooking the filling so it can be cooled and ready to be used for inside the batter and for putting in between the cake layers.
This part was fairly uneventful, messy, but uneventful. After that finished, I set aside to cool and thicken and went on to making the buttercream. I simply love Liz’s buttercream recipe. It is not over sweet, nor does it have that weird lardy texture.
Making the buttercream is always an experience for me, I only do this recipe once a year. When I first start to whip it up I am second guessing myself that I’m even doing it right. As the first part you whip, and then you nay nay.. just kidding.
The first part is whipping (thank you Kitchenaid, I will forever be grateful for this much loved appliance I received for a wedding gift when hubs and I got married). Then I switched to the paddle and let it go on low for like 15 -20 minis and that is when the magic happens. It transforms into this smooth mountain of fluffy goodness! Insert hubs coming in to quality check said buttercream!
So, while that is fluffing away, I can now get to the cake batter. I simply just can not say how much I adore all of Sugar Geek Show’s recipes, Please head over to Liz’s site and check out all of her recipes, go to her socials and youtubes. She was even a contestant on the Netflix Show Is it Cake?
The batter comes together really well, and at this point, I am starting wonder if I over did it on the lemony zesty goodness, or I just have a perma-smell of lemons due to me being over zealous with the zest. I mean it’s fun to zest things right?
I prepped my cake tins, slathered with cake coop, and parchment paper. I measured out the batter between 2 6 inch cake tins and the batter made the 2 cakes and I had enough to test out the recipe in a cupcake type way as well. Slid the cakes into the oven and then the cleaning began! But, not before I had 2 furry four-legged visitors wondering what all the commotion was.
As the cakes baked, let me tell you, the smell was out of this world. Imagine lemon meringue pie got married to a blueberry muffin and had a baby. Yum!
After the cakes cooled, I wrapped them up and slid everything in the fridge to cool over night, because by this time it was 11pm at night and I was tired. Having spent the day gathering supplies, then out to a celebratory dinner at a local establishment.
The next day, when I finally got to stack those layers with the lemon buttercream? I felt like I was a contestant on one of those baking shows. “And now, the final touch!” I may or may not have provided my own sound effects. I definitely did!
Standing back and looking at that finished cake, I couldn’t help but grin. It wasn’t just a cake – it was a “I love you, happy birthday, let’s eat our feelings” kind of masterpiece. And the best part? Knowing I’d soon see my husband’s face light up when he saw it.
Spoiler alert: It was a hit. I can’t wait for next year!
The Big Reveal: A Priceless Reaction
When I brought out the finished cake, candles aglow, my husband’s face lit up. His reaction confirmed that this cake was the ideal way to kick off his 50th year. The buttermilk gave it that irresistible moist texture that had us both reaching for another slice.
Your Turn: Try It Yourself!
Now, here’s where you get to channel your inner rebel baker: swap out those raspberries for juicy blueberries, or substitute your own favorite fruit pairings. Trust me, it’s a game-changer. It’s like the cake equivalent of wearing mismatched socks – unexpectedly awesome!
A Personalized Touch: The Football Sign
For my husband’s 50th birthday gift, I wanted something personal and meaningful I am a crafter after all… Given his lifelong passion for college football, particularly Notre Dame football, a custom sign for his office seemed perfect – a daily reminder of both his favorite sport and this milestone birthday.
This is a two fold project, as I had originally started it last year before we moved from Michigan to North Carolina. So, this year I dedicated time to finish the sign so it can stand completed in his office.
The DIY Process: Crafting with Love
The DIY Process: Crafting with Love (and a Little Help from Technology)
Creating this sign was definitely a labor of love, with a side of modern crafting magic. Let me walk you through my creative journey:
First things first, I started with a large wooden board. I’d actually begun this project a while back but got sidetracked (fellow DIYers, you know how it goes!). But my husband’s 50th birthday was the perfect motivation to finally bring this baby to life.
Next came the fun part – design inspiration! I dove headfirst into the wonderful world of Pinterest. Let me tell you, I went down a rabbit hole of vintage sports decor and cool typography. Hours later, I emerged with a phone full of screenshots and a head buzzing with ideas.
Now, here’s where things got interesting. I had to marry my Pinterest-fueled dreams with the reality of what I’d already started on the sign. It was like solving a puzzle, but with fonts and notre dame related slogans!
Time to raid the craft stash! I dug through my vinyl collection like a kid in a candy store. Found some perfect colors, but realized I needed to order white, it’s always the white vinyl that we can never keep enough of. Pro tip: always order extra vinyl. Always.
Then came the tech part. Armed with my ideas and materials, I fired up Cricut Design Space. Let me tell you, laying out this design was like playing Tetris with letters. I tweaked, I adjusted, I may have muttered a few choice words under my breath, but finally… perfection!
As I watched my Cricut machine whir to life, cutting out each piece of the design, I couldn’t help but feel a little giddy. This wasn’t just a sign anymore; it was becoming a time capsule of my husband’s passions and our shared memories.
The whole process took way longer than I’d anticipated (doesn’t it always?), but seeing each element come together was so worth it. By the time I applied the last piece of vinyl, I knew I’d created something truly special – a one-of-a-kind piece that celebrated not just my husband’s love for football, but our journey together.
The Big Reveal: His Reaction
When I presented the sign, my husband’s face lit up with surprise and joy. It was nothing like he had ever imagined and with a sweet kiss, he said it was perfect and he loved it!
This sign is more than just art. It’s a symbol of years of passion, both for the game he loves and the life we’re building together. I hope it will always remind him of this special birthday and how much he’s loved.
A Day of Simple Pleasures
Kicking Off with NASCAR
The day was all about the hubster, I asked him what he wanted to do, and he wanted to spend the day relaxing together and watching the race, football not being his only passion. We set up shop on the couch in the afternoon as the race started and set in for what turned out to be an eventful race day.
Pit Stop Snacks: Fueling Our Race Day
Throughout the race, we enjoyed an array of his favorite snacks. From chips and dip to hot dogs and mac n cheese. (His choice of meal selection). We cheered the drivers, we took cat naps, because that is what you do while relaxing on a Sunday. We got through a rain delay and saw the very eventful and late finish!
Gear Shift: From Racing to Comedy
To wind down the evening, we switched from fast cars to fast laughs with a Netflix stand-up comedy special. We hadn’t seen The Roast of Tom Brady yet, even though it’s been out for some time. We curled up together and ended his birthday with hearty laughter, proving that joy comes in many forms.
Reflecting on Fifty: More Than Just a Number
As the day wound down, I couldn’t help but reflect on how perfect this low-key celebration had been. It proved that sometimes, the most meaningful celebrations are the simplest ones.
Watching my husband laugh at the comedy show, his eyes still bright with excitement from the NASCAR race, I was struck by how youthful he remains at heart. Fifty years have given him wisdom and experience, but they haven’t dimmed his enthusiasm for life one bit.
Looking Forward with Gratitude and Love
I’m filled with gratitude for the years we’ve shared and the man he’s become. This birthday wasn’t just a celebration of age, but of the life we’ve built together.
As we step into this new decade of his life, I’m excited for what’s to come. If the first fifty years were this good, I can only imagine what adventures and joy the next fifty will bring. Here’s to my husband, to fifty incredible years, and to all the NASCAR races and comedy specials in our future!