never got to finish the cake - Page 2

sorry your feeling so down ,im sure your friend understands she will if she is a true friend, as for your grandchild money cant buy the love we have for them or the love we get back from them they are precious.

First of all, Ms. aundrea, can you be MY grandma? lol. I'm sick (cough, cough ) Really though, your grandaughter is SO lucky to have you. My only grandma doesn't really care to have a relationship with us. She's really into herself and her sympathy needing hypochondria As for my kids, we live too far from my mom since DH is in the army. Thats a good thing tho, cuz my baby sister is their age, and my mom has "dysfunctional favortism" issues. Oh well, I'm sure thats more than you wanted to know. lol.

As for the cake, I saw your cake and if you hadn't said something, I would never have thought something was wrong with it! As a matter of fact, even though I know you said it was messed up, I just can't see it! I don't know about the shifting, but in the picture it looks great. You definitely should NOT give 1/2 back. All of your cakes are beautiful. I kinda agree with your family. You SHOULD get paid for your beautiful work! I'm glad you feel better.

This is a great point. I am very particular that on certain days certain things must get done and if not, I don't go to sleep until they do. It's the only way I can keep on schedule.

I'm sorry things didn't work out this time. Live and learn.

Aundrea, I gotta be honest with you....I like the elmo cake more than I like the castle cake (not that the castle cake is bad, cuz its great)...so you definitely are being too hard on yourself. And, I think this is what makes you a wonderful cake artist...you ran out of time, you improvised, and still ended up with a beautiful product.
I hope you stop beating yourself up about this, and instead start reminding yourself about what talents and blessings you have.
Looking forward to seeing more of your cakes!
Sandi

We could say the same thing about lots of other hobbys that don't even have the illusion of making money!

Golfing? Walking around on a big yard for miles and miles in the hot sun to hit a little ball into a hole? And pay a big fee for the privilage of doing so? And you're going to spend all day Saturday doing it?

Deer Hunting? You mean you're going to get up before the butt crack of dawn just to sit in a tree hoping to shoot a deer? And for all of that uncomfort, you still might come home empty handed? And you paid HOW much for that equipment?

Puttering in the Flower Beds? You mean you're going to kill your back and legs and hands by digging in dirt and messing around with flowers in the hot son on a Saturday? why would you do all of that work and not get paid for it?

Scrapbooking? You're going to spend a butt load of money to put pictures in an album in a 'fancy' way just so they can still be just some pictures in an albums? (In my personal opinion, this has GOT to be the biggest waste of time that I'll never get back in my life!)

Camping? You mean you're going to pay a fee to go to a camp site, leave an air conditioned comforatble home to sleep on dirt and cook in a primitive way? And you paid how much for the euipment to do this?

You're going to spend ALL DAY volunteering in a soup kitchen? And not get paid for it?

Yeah .... we're going to do all of that. Because we ENJOY it! And when we're all done with our soup kitchen duty, and our scrapbooking, and our camping with our family, and making our house look pretty with the flower beds, then we're ALSO going to enjoy the time we spend making our cakes.

And we're going to do it Just Because!

i love you indydebi!!!!!!!!!! preach on girl

I have to agree with Leah. My daughter was in the hospital for 5 days and my mom stayed with her because she got sick during graduation. I had commited to those customers and there was no going to be with DD til the last order was done.
Though I have to say that as pros we still get interrupted a million times a day while working on a cake. It is not our family and friends it is other customers. They all think they have to personally talk to me and that my employees are props that are incapable of writing an order up.
I started as an out of the home baker and expanded to my own shop so I have played both sides and have to say both sides have distractions. I like to get into a cake zone and not be bothered. Many days you will see me ipod earbuds in and volume LOUD!

I get grief about all of that, but also I have gotten bit by the challenge of "trying" to compete in some of the cake shows....okay, i want to challenge myself and see what I can do and how well (or not) I do against other cake designers out there....so I get complaints from my family why I am spending so much time working on a dummy cake that isn't for sale and can't be eaten...most of the complaints originate with DH (do I have to say dear?), but honestly, why is caking not taken as seriously as any other interest or hobby or talent or job? Honestly, the amount of work and time and talent it takes to make a successful cake rivals a lot of hobbies and day jobs that I know of, certainly my day job and I went to college for that! Having cake and cookie decorating as creative outlet is what saves me!

aundrea - I just had a look too and I also think you are being WAY too hard on yourself! Maybe dont think of it as an un-finished cake, but rather one that you changed the design along the way. Part of the creative process, often times my cakes look alot different to what I had originally planned! Haven't we all had a cake we just wanted to see the back of! It's really cute and it was afterall for a little girl who I bet thought it was the best thing ever!