So my dad is turning 70 in a few weeks and I need a great cake idea! Normally I have tons of ideas but I'm just drawing a blank on this one!
So... the possible "theme" for the party is that he only has 35 years left to live (he was once told by someone that he's live to 105 ). Some 105-70=35 or something like that. At least that's what my mom says anyway. I really don't want to do some grave themed cake though! Any other ideas???? HELP!

when we did my grandma's 70th bday cake we used a bunch of pictures from different times in her life. The cake is in my pics. She really enjoyed seeing the pictures and reminiscing. I was able to get the pics without her knowing about it.

Does he have any hobbies or interests you can draw inspiration from? (fishing, puzzles, chess, sports, cards) Anything he always says? Nickname? Funny moment he talks about? Anything he collects? Favorite TV show or movie? Maybe a hat or shirt he always wears?

I always liked this saying: You know you're getting old when you sit in your rocking chair ... and can't get it started! Draw a guy in a rocking chair.

How about making an armchair cake with your Dad sitting in it? He then can have his hobbies, books and other bits and pieces that are his interests around him.

Alison, you made that cake? It's awesome! Also, welcome to cake central!

Wow, I thought I had it set so I would get email notification, but never got anything for this! I thought nobody had responded!

Anyway, no my dad doesn't really have any "hobbies," favorite shows, sports or anything like that...

He kinda likes golf, but doesn't really play and can't because of a recent shoulder surgery.

He's had a really interesting life, becoming really good at MANY different professions but always moving on before long. He was a painter (houses not pictures), barber, real estate agent, property owner, motel owner, and rancher. One of his nicknames was "Better-way Bateman (his last name)" because he aways has a better way to do something. I can't really figure out how to incorporate that into a cake though... and I'm not sure if I want to.

He's not much of an "armchair" guy though that cake is adorable!

My mom is really pushing with the 105-70=35 years left theme so I was thinking of some kind of clock/countdown cake, but keep feeling it would be too morbid. Gah!

The only other thing I can think of is that he has a habit of taking old "sayings" and somehow mixing them up. Like he'd say "Well... that's a horse of a different kind!" (instead of "that's a horse of a different color") Or "Nothings set in sand!" ("nothings set in cement"), or most recently "the squeaky wheel gets the worm" (a hybrid of "the squeaky wheel gets the greese" and "the early bird gets the worm"). The whole family really gets a kick out of these custom sayings, but I can't think of how to make a cake out of them other than just writing them on a cake and that just seems dumb. I really like doing 3D and carved cakes, or cakes that really look like "something." Any ideas?