I am so excited! My church has asked me to do a cake for the pastor and his family. They are adopting a little boy from China - he has been living in the states for a while, but just went back to China to finalize things. This is a very special family and we all love Tian - the cake will be for a reception for the family.
The request was to do something that would respresent his Chinese heritage as well as welcome him permanently to his new country/state. His nickname is "T-man" - I'd like to put that in somewhere too. Any ideas oh creative cake muses?

that's hard, i don't know chinese culture really well, could you incorporate some writing in chinese, like his name or something? everything i think of seems too girly for a boy (chinese apple blossoms, etc) isn't red a color for blessings/good fortune? (symbolically). maybe incorporate that color into it. good luck. i'm sure they'll love it, after all it's for their new baby!!!!

I am Chinese.

YOu can try cake with picture of the CHinese lion dance, the lion dance is believed to bring luck and happiness
more about the lion dance :
http://home.worldonline.nl/~rlion/lkdancee.htm

Or feature the peony flower. Chinese likes to hang pictures of peony at home.. Peony is flower of riches and honour, symbolises wealth and distinction, a sign of good fortune..

You can try chinese folding fans in red, with words like 'Welcome' in Chinese. search for 'huan ying' under google images and you'd find images of the chinese characters.

hope this helps

Dragons and fireworks for a celebration? and use the Chinese characters for the greeting. Lots of red/golds and black...that is what I think of when I remember China town in San Francisco!

how's about this -- based on 12x18 sheet cake

anything yellow or gold -- hit w/ gold luster dust

fill in the two blank squares w/ something of significance to Tian or his new family. (outline of FL?, a cross?, part of American flag?, etc.)

the yellow dragons at the bottom -- change to red and do as border around the side of the cake . maybe put cross between repetitions.

message based on the ideographs in white squares

could also do a message taking off on his being a new light in the family.

great idea -- that could go in the two blank boxes

or be the main message instead of one suggested

or could put image of fan behind main message as given

or could replace the lantern with the fan and welcome.

what about a globe and have plane flying from china to the states or something

Thanks everyone -

Geez Doug - you always put so much time and thought into ideas for people!!!!!! Wow! Where do you come up with this stuff ?