Attack of the Brain Slugs!

Every year I ask Huz what he'd like to do for his birthday and every year it's the same: he doesn't think of anything until a few days before and finally settles on asking friends to go out for dinner. Counting on this, I decided to throw him a surprise party in 2011...nice and unexpected for a 29th.

On his birthday he came home from a walk with our eldest to discover the house transformed into the Brain Slug Planet and a group of his friends and extended family had fallen prey to the infamous brain slug race from Futurama!

I made us all brain slug headbands using cut up egg cartons, green paint, googley eyes, glue, wire and elastic. When Eale entered the house there we were wearing these slugs, droning "welcome to The Brain Slug Planet" lol.

 

The whole party was inspired by Alicia Policia's original brain slug cupcakes of pure awesome.

Practice brain icing: butter cream with a dash of rose food dye

White fondant dyed green with food gel, molded into brain slug shapes

They're made using fondant, green food gel, royal icing, black food gel, rose food dye, butter cream icing and vanilla cupcakes. Their antennae were not edible. I spent a fair bit of the party reminding people not to bite down on their fondant brain slug before removing the antennae (which were made from cut up wire, painted green).

For decorations I sourced green balloons and painted white eyeballs and black pupils onto them to turn them into brain slug balloons. I ran out of time and only ended up painting half of them.

One of our old college friends got in on the Futurama theme and made Slurm for the party.  I believe the recipe included apple slurpies, mountain dew, and red bull as well. The finishing touches: two green straws, like the antennae of brain slugs. 

For his birthday card I made a big carboard brain slug for everyone to scrawl their wishes on. I added messages from friends who couldn't be there on the day.

For his birthday present I got some yarn and commissioned my friend Saree to whip up a crochet brain slug beanie as his birthday present from both of us (which I believe was based on this pattern + a double crochet stitched beanie).

It was quite a fun afternoon. I was satisfied that the festivities left Huz feeling the full wrath of my love and appreciation for him, brain slug style :D