But I can't because she's a colleague of my DH and he views her as "good practice" for dealing with difficult people. Except that if she wasn't a colleage (notice I don't use friend) I wouldn't have done this for her.
She is having a 50th birthday party for herself on Oct 2. Back in March she came to me (us really because she roped him into helping her with music) because she wanted me to make her cake. Yet back then, she didn't care what it looked like and no one would eat it as there was lots of dessert. I questioned why bother, but she wanted it for effect. She had no idea what it might cost and didn't ask.
Over the course of a month I had no less that 23 emails between us with her constantly changing her mind on what the cake should look like. She kept sending me pictures that she liked. Finally settled on one that I hated. In any case, she's the customer... So because she's a colleague DH says that we will give her the cake as our gift but she will pay cost.
She has decided she wants a 3 tiered cake in black, red and white, with the flags of Canada and Trinidad in the place of bows on the original design and a red 50 topper. Still hate the cake with the flag but I go through everything and figure out the cost to her. The cake would be covered in buttercream with fondant accents in red and black, a gumpaste 50 on top and these two flags made of gumpaste. She wanted marble and went on repeatedly about fruit in the filling.
Calculating all required boards, dowels, cake and icing costs, I gave her a price of $200 for a 6/10/12. I think she fell on the floor because she asked if this was just for the cost. I confirmed it was, reminded her that the actual price for the cake would have been $430, provided a breakdown of the costs and asked her budget. $100!!!!!
At this point I wanted to tell her to find someone else but DH doesn't get it, and said 'good practice'. This was all based on her original date of Sept 25. When she had to change the date, I had a perfect opening to cancel on her but didn't. Stupid me. LOL.
So, she then said that two tiers were fine, no filling necessary, size didn't matter as there were other desserts and fondant wasn't necessary and she insisted she never wanted fruit (I quoted her email and told her the date she sent it)..
I provided her with pictures of 3 different cakes, two that were 2 tiered and one just a 12" square. Anyway, I sent her new costs based on all buttercream, fondant, 6/10 tiers, buttercream filling to meet her budget. And all seems well.
Fast forward to this week. We are now 4 weeks away from the party. She gives me the cash and starts asking me a) what are you putting on the top? (the cake in the picture had inedible foil stars and ribbons) b) what about a candle I have to blow something out and c) how big is it going to be.
I remind her about the 50 topper (she wants something more fun party-like), tell her the candle has nothing to do with me, that's her issue and c) that the cake will be about 7-8 inches in height when all done + the 50. She leaves and I think she's fine with it all. Until yesterday when I get an email and want to kill her.
Pam, how high are each cake, 4" standard size? Are they homemade cake? I do not want boxed cake at all. Would these not have the standard filling in the middle to join both cakes? I would like with the 50's on the cake the possibility of having canadian and trini flags as a decoration. I am not sure about the topper, I want something that looks different and fabulous.
I do like the toppers from the cake as it looks more like a celebration cake. If you only doing a 50 topper that would look a little boring
. Please let me know what else you were planning for the top of the cake. Also how much would it cost to have a 4" cake added as another layer to the top? I would like to take that one home to enjoy the next day
My guess is that she's been talking to a friend. So now, she wants to know how much it will be to go back to a 3 tiered cake.
I tend to bake with a mix as a base as there can be more error with a scratch cake. Now she's talking "standard filling"...she has no clue. She's back to the friggin' flags again which I had told her did not fit the design. And I'm not planning anything else for the top! (Can you tell I'm pissed off? LOL)
Oh, and I made it very clear to her that I wasn't copying another decorators work. I could tell she didn't get this. She also doesn't remember that I said in my emails that I would not be copying but would use as an example of what her was look like.
So I've now spent several hours finding a vanilla cake recipe that I can make into a marble cake, and costing out the revised cake both with a cake mix base and with a scratch cake. I've also added in a contingency amount for the scratch to cover any failures that require additional materials.
I've attached the picture she liked. I can't find the original link as I stupidly saved the image to my hard drive not marked it as a favourite.
I can't find similar items at our local party supply store, and considered going to Michaels to see if they had. But now I'm thinking, 50 topper in red, and fondant/gumpaste stars on wires in red and black. I had thought originally silver using a shiny dust (not sure which one) painted on. But I so don't want to do the flags. I think it's not appropriate to the design and my name is attached to this cake.
Sorry about the long vent.
She is having a 50th birthday party for herself on Oct 2. Back in March she came to me (us really because she roped him into helping her with music) because she wanted me to make her cake. Yet back then, she didn't care what it looked like and no one would eat it as there was lots of dessert. I questioned why bother, but she wanted it for effect. She had no idea what it might cost and didn't ask.
Over the course of a month I had no less that 23 emails between us with her constantly changing her mind on what the cake should look like. She kept sending me pictures that she liked. Finally settled on one that I hated. In any case, she's the customer... So because she's a colleague DH says that we will give her the cake as our gift but she will pay cost.
She has decided she wants a 3 tiered cake in black, red and white, with the flags of Canada and Trinidad in the place of bows on the original design and a red 50 topper. Still hate the cake with the flag but I go through everything and figure out the cost to her. The cake would be covered in buttercream with fondant accents in red and black, a gumpaste 50 on top and these two flags made of gumpaste. She wanted marble and went on repeatedly about fruit in the filling.
Calculating all required boards, dowels, cake and icing costs, I gave her a price of $200 for a 6/10/12. I think she fell on the floor because she asked if this was just for the cost. I confirmed it was, reminded her that the actual price for the cake would have been $430, provided a breakdown of the costs and asked her budget. $100!!!!!
At this point I wanted to tell her to find someone else but DH doesn't get it, and said 'good practice'. This was all based on her original date of Sept 25. When she had to change the date, I had a perfect opening to cancel on her but didn't. Stupid me. LOL.
So, she then said that two tiers were fine, no filling necessary, size didn't matter as there were other desserts and fondant wasn't necessary and she insisted she never wanted fruit (I quoted her email and told her the date she sent it)..
I provided her with pictures of 3 different cakes, two that were 2 tiered and one just a 12" square. Anyway, I sent her new costs based on all buttercream, fondant, 6/10 tiers, buttercream filling to meet her budget. And all seems well.
Fast forward to this week. We are now 4 weeks away from the party. She gives me the cash and starts asking me a) what are you putting on the top? (the cake in the picture had inedible foil stars and ribbons) b) what about a candle I have to blow something out and c) how big is it going to be.
I remind her about the 50 topper (she wants something more fun party-like), tell her the candle has nothing to do with me, that's her issue and c) that the cake will be about 7-8 inches in height when all done + the 50. She leaves and I think she's fine with it all. Until yesterday when I get an email and want to kill her.
Pam, how high are each cake, 4" standard size? Are they homemade cake? I do not want boxed cake at all. Would these not have the standard filling in the middle to join both cakes? I would like with the 50's on the cake the possibility of having canadian and trini flags as a decoration. I am not sure about the topper, I want something that looks different and fabulous.
I do like the toppers from the cake as it looks more like a celebration cake. If you only doing a 50 topper that would look a little boring
. Please let me know what else you were planning for the top of the cake. Also how much would it cost to have a 4" cake added as another layer to the top? I would like to take that one home to enjoy the next dayMy guess is that she's been talking to a friend. So now, she wants to know how much it will be to go back to a 3 tiered cake.
I tend to bake with a mix as a base as there can be more error with a scratch cake. Now she's talking "standard filling"...she has no clue. She's back to the friggin' flags again which I had told her did not fit the design. And I'm not planning anything else for the top! (Can you tell I'm pissed off? LOL)
Oh, and I made it very clear to her that I wasn't copying another decorators work. I could tell she didn't get this. She also doesn't remember that I said in my emails that I would not be copying but would use as an example of what her was look like.
So I've now spent several hours finding a vanilla cake recipe that I can make into a marble cake, and costing out the revised cake both with a cake mix base and with a scratch cake. I've also added in a contingency amount for the scratch to cover any failures that require additional materials.
I've attached the picture she liked. I can't find the original link as I stupidly saved the image to my hard drive not marked it as a favourite.
I can't find similar items at our local party supply store, and considered going to Michaels to see if they had. But now I'm thinking, 50 topper in red, and fondant/gumpaste stars on wires in red and black. I had thought originally silver using a shiny dust (not sure which one) painted on. But I so don't want to do the flags. I think it's not appropriate to the design and my name is attached to this cake.
Sorry about the long vent.
