<p style="text-align: left;" data-mce-style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/593-smash-cake/ry4001-2" rel="attachment wp-att-594" data-mce-href="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/593-smash-cake/ry4001-2"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-594" alt="1st birthday" src="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/ry4001-2.jpg" width="500" height="364" data-mce-src="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/ry4001-2.jpg"></a></p><p style="text-align: left;" data-mce-style="text-align: left;">A while back, I decided to let O play around with a smash cake for a birthday invitation photo shoot.&nbsp; Wow, did we have a blast.&nbsp; But, it didn't start out so well.&nbsp; First, I picked the darkest damn day of the year.&nbsp; It was nearly impossible to shoot, and let's just say that I learned a lot about shooting in low light situations that day.&nbsp; Plus, taking photos of a neurotic, non-stop action little one is WAY harder than immobile food.&nbsp; So, we took things slowly at first.&nbsp; She played with streamers and a party hat before we brought in the big guns.&nbsp; That way, I could get the camera settings just right before the cake was destroyed and I became&nbsp;a distraught mom without any good photos.&nbsp; We did need to bribe her with Cheerios and various other snacks since she wasn't so happy about sitting in front of a wide open patio door on a plastic sheet in the middle of December.</p><p style="text-align: left;" data-mce-style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/593-smash-cake/ry4001" rel="attachment wp-att-596" data-mce-href="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/593-smash-cake/ry4001"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-596" alt="smash cake" src="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/ry4001.jpg" width="500" height="364" data-mce-src="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/ry4001.jpg"></a></p><p style="text-align: left;" data-mce-style="text-align: left;">When we finally did bring out the cake, she took things slowly at first....</p><p style="text-align: center;" data-mce-style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/593-smash-cake/ry4002" rel="attachment wp-att-600" data-mce-href="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/593-smash-cake/ry4002"><img alt="ry=400[2]" src="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/ry4002.jpg" width="500" height="364" data-mce-src="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/ry4002.jpg"></a></p><p style="text-align: left;" data-mce-style="text-align: left;">&nbsp; Why use hands when you can use your mouth?<a href="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/593-smash-cake/ry4002-3" rel="attachment wp-att-598" data-mce-href="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/593-smash-cake/ry4002-3"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-598" alt="ry=400[2] (3)" src="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/ry4002-3.jpg" width="500" height="364" data-mce-src="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/ry4002-3.jpg"></a></p><p style="text-align: left;" data-mce-style="text-align: left;">The candle was a "delicious" starting place...</p><p style="text-align: left;" data-mce-style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/593-smash-cake/ry4002-2" rel="attachment wp-att-597" data-mce-href="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/593-smash-cake/ry4002-2"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-597" alt="1st birthday" src="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/ry4002-2.jpg" width="500" height="364" data-mce-src="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/ry4002-2.jpg"></a></p><p style="text-align: center;" data-mce-style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/593-smash-cake/ry4003" rel="attachment wp-att-603" data-mce-href="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/593-smash-cake/ry4003"><img alt="smash cake" src="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/ry4003.jpg" width="500" height="364" data-mce-src="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/ry4003.jpg"></a></p><p style="text-align: center;" data-mce-style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/593-smash-cake/ry4003-2" rel="attachment wp-att-601" data-mce-href="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/593-smash-cake/ry4003-2"><img class="size-full wp-image-601" alt="smash cake" src="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/ry4003-2.jpg" width="500" height="364" data-mce-src="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/ry4003-2.jpg"></a></p><p style="text-align: left;" data-mce-style="text-align: left;">Eventually, she just got right in there!</p><p style="text-align: left;" data-mce-style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/593-smash-cake/ry4003-3" rel="attachment wp-att-602" data-mce-href="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/593-smash-cake/ry4003-3"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-602" alt="ry=400[3] (3)" src="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/ry4003-3.jpg" width="500" height="364" data-mce-src="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/ry4003-3.jpg"></a>Smug satisfaction.</p><p style="text-align: center;" data-mce-style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/593-smash-cake/ry4002-4" rel="attachment wp-att-599" data-mce-href="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/593-smash-cake/ry4002-4"><img alt="ry=400[2] (4)" src="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/ry4002-4.jpg" width="500" height="364" data-mce-src="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/ry4002-4.jpg"></a><a href="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/593-smash-cake/ry4001-3" rel="attachment wp-att-595" data-mce-href="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/593-smash-cake/ry4001-3"><img class="aligncenter" alt="ry=400[1] (3)" src="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/ry4001-3.jpg" width="500" height="364" data-mce-src="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/ry4001-3.jpg"></a></p><p style="text-align: left;" data-mce-style="text-align: left;">Down went the cake stand...</p><p><a href="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/593-smash-cake/ry4004" rel="attachment wp-att-605" data-mce-href="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/593-smash-cake/ry4004"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-605" alt="ry=400[4]" src="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/ry4004.jpg" width="500" height="364" data-mce-src="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/ry4004.jpg"></a></p><p>Why not just get your whole body into it?&nbsp; Stand up.&nbsp; Turn it over.&nbsp; And, SMEAR.</p><p style="text-align: center;" data-mce-style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/593-smash-cake/ry4004-2" rel="attachment wp-att-604" data-mce-href="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/593-smash-cake/ry4004-2"><img alt="smash cake" src="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/ry4004-2.jpg" width="500" height="364" data-mce-src="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/ry4004-2.jpg"></a></p><p style="text-align: left;" data-mce-style="text-align: left;"><span class="mceItemHidden">I'm pretty sure this counts as cake destruction success.&nbsp; Let me know if you think otherwise.&nbsp; And, if you think your little one can do better, let me know.&nbsp; I'll bring the cake and the camera.&nbsp; We'll have a <span class="mceItemHiddenSpellWord">smashingly</span> good time.</span></p>