The reality behind my cakes

People ask me all the time, how do you manage to do your cake/cupcake orders with 3 little kids at home? 

Well, here is the honest truth:

I throw mini temper tantrums in my head. The whole time.

Because creating fondant cakes and cupcakes is A LOT of work. It's time consuming, intricate work and it takes a lot of concentration and time alone to get it done. So, with that said, clearly having 2 small kids and a baby doesn't exactly lend to this kind of work. Ever.

But there is something that I just love about creating something out of nothing. There is something magical about having an image in your head and bringing it to life. So I love it. But I would never say it was easy--not in a million years--not with 3 kids, that is.

But I managed to quiet the mini temper tantrums that I was silently throwing in my head as the pressure was on, the kids were driving me bonkers, and time was ticking.

So I worked late into the night while everyone was sleeping in order to get the details of this adorable cake order done, and I thanked my parents and mother-in-law for entertaining our kids during those final hours before it was due for a woman whose sister was finally able to get pregnant. A new mama who finally, after a long road of infertility issues, was able to conceive...so the theme of the baby shower was fittingly "Worth the wait". With turtles, of course.

Adorable.

So I tirelessly rolled fondant through my fingers for hours on end to create teeny tiny turtles to sit on top of cupcakes, and created a big turtle to sit on top of the cake. And to add a little 'pretty' to the cupcake stand, I made some cherry blossom flower toppers and sprinkled edible pearls over others. 

So, yes, I love this work.

I love to be creative. I love to be detailed. I love to be able to feel like I'm being productive and like I've accomplished something.  And I always, always love the end product.

But when I got the news that the caterer who catered this particular baby shower wanted my contact information since she was hoping to use me to make desserts for her catering company, I had a moment of NNOOOOOOO WAY. How on earth would I be able to do more. But then of course, 2 seconds later I changed my mind. Because creative work like this does that to you.

Because, you see, the road to the end is never smooth sailing, it's never just quick and easy. And your fondant pieces become so precious to you since you know how fragile they are, and you know how many long nights you have spent creating them. So when I show up with my large white cupcake boxes full of hours and hours and hours of my work, I hand them over and pray that they make it safely from the customers hands to the table that they are being displayed on.

Because it's all fun and games until you drop a cupcake box.

So to the new mama who I've never even met before--congrats. Your wait is finally over.

Your first steps into the world of motherhood are almost here. And I can tell you with all honesty, it will definitely all be worth the wait.  

But speaking of which, I'm heading to bed. 

Because being a mom is absolutely exhausting. 

Erica xox