WINNER!!
Dena (#1258) who said: Hi Mel! I believe that I am a professional cake decorator hiding in an amatuer’s body just waiting to bust out! I would love some tools of the trade to boost my skill level. I just love your website. It has helped me in so many ways to prepare new and exciting foods for my family. Thank you for all your help!

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Usually, January isn’t my favorite of the 12 months. Just not a lot to look forward to, if you ask me, with the holidays over and spring still months away (at least in my neck of the woods). But this year, I’m actually excited for the dreary, blustery month…because…for the next two weeks, sprinkled amongst the new, fantastic recipes I have to share, I will be hosting giveaway upon giveaway. Oh yes! And I can’t tell you how excited I am to give away some of my favorite things. I purposely avoided the blog giveaway craziness and fun over the last few holiday weeks in order to selfishly save the giveaways for now!

A moment of heartfelt sappiness: I really, really adore all of you. I know, you are rolling your eyes, but it is true. I wouldn’t have the continual energy and motivation to keep up this here food blog if it wasn’t for all of your comments and support. It keeps me moving in my lazy state, so seriously…thank you! These giveaways are for you! So may the force be with you and your entry(s).

Tomorrow I promise you a new, delicious recipe. Promise! But today I want to give away something I’ve been so very excited to put together.

I am by no means a professional cake decorator, but I have somehow developed a tradition of taking birthday requests from my kids and decorating things like snakes, sharks, bats, monsters…you know, boy cakes. I gladly took on the challenge last year to decorate two more girly cakes for my sweet neighbors:

Completely self-taught (and it kind of shows, I know!), I have a habit of pulling all-nighters to finish the cakes (like I said, I’m not a professional and have to redo things, like, 20 times to get them right sometimes), but I have loved learning little techniques.

What makes my life easier? This Wilton Tool Caddy that my fabulous cousin (and long ago roommate!), Camille, gave me years ago when we went to an amateur cake decorating class together (um, I was the only one that left class each session with frosting stuck in my hair).

I have loved this caddy and have gradually added supplies to it over the last ten years as I’ve ventured out trying new cake styles. Besides my loving husband who graciously stays up late with me every time I take on a cake project, this caddy is my #1 partner in crime when it comes to cake decorating. We’re tight, me and my caddy.

I want to give away ONE of these awesome tool caddies (yes, they kind of look like an old school plastic makeup carrier I had when I was, like, 13, but oh well) filled with many of the same things I have in mine – my favorite gel colors, no less than 15 of my favorite tips, decorating bags, couplers, and lots of other goodies, including an offset spatula or three. I’ll put it all together and ship it off to you lickety split!

To enter, just leave a comment on THIS post telling me what kind of cake decorator you are (professional, slap on some canned frosting to a cake mix kinda person, experimenter extraordinaire) – whatever the case may be! I’ll announce a winner before the next giveaway goes up, probably in a day or two.

{Giveaway and details and opinions all sponsored by me (a.k.a. Mel’s Kitchen Cafe), like it or not!}