Month of Memories - December 2nd

 Today I am decorating a cake for a friend's daughter.  As I am doing so, it makes me remember when I first began decorating cakes...years and years ago.  Actually, I baked my first cake all by myself when I was 7.  I remember that my mom had left the mixer out for me the night before with a note on it that said, "Good luck, Amelia Bedelia!"  I must have baked first thing in the morning, before everyone else got up.  Isn't it amazing that I remember that....when you think of all the things I have forgotten?!  I can even remember which counter the mixer was on. :)  I was recently scanning hundreds and hundreds of photos for my parents' 40th anniversary slideshow and photo book and ran across a few of those early cakes that I made.

Here I am with my 7th birthday cake, which I can only assume I decorated:

 

 

And I know this one is my handiwork, as I distinctly remember doing many in with the half-color method:

When I was 11, a homeschool mom offered a cake decorating class and I thought "why not?"  So, I took it and began my "real" decorating career. :)  I decorated like crazy for about 7 years, before heading off to college.  It looks like I didn't scan (a few years ago), my really early work, but here's some of my favorites from when I was 14-16.

From 18-24, I didn't decorate a single cake.  Never really even thought about doing one.  I was little busy going off to college, traveling the world, getting married, having baby, but hey...I am busy now, too. :)  Anyway, out of the blue in 2004 I offered to make a friend's baby shower cake.  Looking back on it now, it was pretty sad, but it reignited the cake decorating fire.  I think this was partly because despite having not touched a cake in 6 years or more, I realized I did a nicer job than I had in the past.  I believe this was because my hands had "matured", as had my decorating eye, if that makes sense.  And so, it began again.  I actually took a couple of classes at Michaels because I was planning to become an instructor.  In fact, now that I think about it, I was actually offered a job by Wilton to teach at the AC Moore in Ashburn.  But, I turned it down for various reasons and have never seriously considered teaching in that format again.

Sometimes Philip asks me why I decorate cakes since they seem to often cause me a lot of stress.  It's true, it is a stressful hobby, but it's one of the few things (maybe the only) that I do that has within a relatively short period of time (a few days), I have created, in its entirety, something beautiful.  I love the sense of satisfaction that completing something brings.  And, I am (usually) very happy with the outcome.

Here are a few of my favorites from the past 6 years.  Oops.  It's kind of a lot...and I still left out some I really liked!  Oh well.  Enjoy!

This was the final cake for the first Wilton class I took at Michaels.  Look at all those flowers!

I have always loved this cake.  I think if I had to pick an absolute, very favorite ever, it would probably be this one.  

This is one of Philip's all time favorites.  It was a birthday cake for him back in 2005.

 I just loved these little penguins!

Yes, I made my own shower cake.  But anyway, this was a favorite, not because of the appearance so much as the taste.  Oh my was this cake good!  It was a chocolate mousse cake with rich chocolate icing.  :)

Joshua's 3rd birthday cake.  I have a feeling we'll be seeing a reprise for Andrew's 3rd birthday in May.

I have always thought this cake really needed a top tier (in denim blue!), but even so I really like it because it's so different from what I usually do.

Love these little booties.  I did another set around that same time for a little boy shower cake.

 Definitely my favorite wedding cake I've done, but since I didn't arrange the flowers, I don't know that I can really take credit for it!

This was my birthday cake last year.  I was very grouchy about having to do my own cake (long story), but I did like how it turned out.  My sister helped with the gumpaste flowers.

 These monkeys turned out sooo cute!

Pink & black....always a favorite combo.

 I've done several variations of this cake.  I am not sure which one is my favorite, but I did like this one a lot.

Black icing is a pain to make, but I really like using it as a backdrop.  I've done several black cakes and really like all of them.

What will 2011 bring in the cake world?  Who knows.  Stay tuned. :)

And look....I finished today's cake, despite all the procrastinating!