I've recently begun working with a great lady/company who are very much into party planning and I have become her go-to cake lady, which is super!  She is usually a little vague on her cake requests and I'm usually able to put together something that works perfectly with her overall theme/colors - however, she has asked for a cake order for this weekend and we have yet to iron out a plan and I'm needed some serious cake inspiration.  Here are her requests:

the whole inspiration for the party is a barbie lounging under/on a floating palm tree

Barbie/beach themed pool party for 2nd graders

very upscale neighborhood

colors: blue, teal, aqua, green, with pops of orange & pink

prefers cakes with clean lines

2 tier cake

wants 2 dozen cupcakes with buttercream swirl with a sprinkling of sugar sand and a small fondant/hibiscus/fantasy flower on each

using palm tree motif on the invites

pale green milk glass plate cake stand

lots of straw tablecloths, straw umbrella covers and tiki hut backdrops

likes the idea of a cameo of barbie on a small plaque

The girls will have green and aqua grass skirts and leis and then matching barbies to float in the pool

Thanks for your help!

My immediate thought is a square cake. The pool could be the shape of a Palm Tree? Or just omit that is the only thing that was throwing me off. I would do an upscale think loft pool. The cameo could go on the side. There could be stairs up one corner of the Square cake. The pool in the middle of the cake could be a heart. Anything really. I think the luxury look will impress the girls. You could also make little mini cameos on all the lounge chairs. I railing around the cake with gelatin or isomalt glass. Thats my two cents.
 

Sorry got interuppted in thought up there..lol

I think the girls will love anything and my thought is if you make it too many accessories they may fight over pieces of cake for certain parts and also want to play with the cake not eat it. I think the girls would be amazed by the luxury look..pretty much barbies make anything look good:)

What about a beach scene? With a volly ball net and beach balls and floaties and sand toys to add the color.

you said 2 tiers, make the bottom tier all sandy beach with palm trees and such, and make the top tier the pool, have stairs that go up the side to it, cut out the pool shape and have some chairs and/or little girls playing in the pool. good luck

Thanks ccers!  You've got the juices flowing again - I'm working on some sketches and sending them over to here.  We'll see what she says!

What about a yacht ?

The thing that was throwing me off - was that after sending her some more fun/whimsical/kid friendly design ideas - she poo-poo'ed them all.  So I ended up going with the "feel" of the beach/water/ocean... These are the sketches I just sent over: