AGAIN I come to you my fellow cc'ers for advice..
Im doing a cake for a little girls 8th birthday.
I am using a 12x18x2 (2)side by side for the bottom layer & a 16x16x2 for the top layer. On the top i want to do half sand and half water with flip flops on the sand. On the bottom layer the mother wants an 8 with a lei around the 8( hope you understand).

1. Do you think I should make the bottom layer water& the 8 laying completely in water?

Or what else can I put at the bottom so the cake wont look so empty?
I hope you understand what Im trying to say

Thank you in advance

I would do part of both cakes as beach and part as water, either half and half or 1/3-2/3.

It might be cute to make a raft in the water with the 8 laying on it like a person with the Lei around its neck. maybe you could even add a little subliminal face by marking it with a knife or toothpick. I have seen similar cakes where the put a silk lei around the base of the bottom cake board or drum to make it more festive.