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NickiKR
Junior Member
Joined: Apr 13, 2008
Posts: 31
Location: Victoria, BC
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Tue May 27, 2008 10:36 am |
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Are you ever completely satisfied with your final results? I am very new to this, so I am still learning and making plenty of mistakes.
When I delivered a cake on the weekend, the client went on and on about how much she loved it. I kept thinking "Can't you see the ding in the buttercream or the off-centre top tier?"
I wonder if the satisfcation with the final product will ever outweigh the need for perfection?
Do you still have cake insecurities? |
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diane
Forum SuperStar!
Joined: Jan 08, 2005
Posts: 2158
Location: travis a.f.b.
Birthday: Nov 23
Gallery Supporter Member
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Tue May 27, 2008 12:41 pm |
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we are our worst critics. we are the professionals, so we can see the flaws...but they can't. they have no idea how you put together and decorated a cake. if she's happy with it, then smile and be happy and press on!  |
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gottabakenow
Forum Addict
Joined: Feb 04, 2008
Posts: 672
Location: Massachusetts
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Tue May 27, 2008 12:48 pm |
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happy with it, yes. i spose so. perfectly satisfied, no. lol |
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cupcake900
Regular Member
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Joined: Apr 02, 2008
Posts: 100
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Tue May 27, 2008 12:51 pm |
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I never think that my cakes look good enough. I haven't been decorating them for very long, but everyone always thinks they look so good. I think the reason I am not happy is because I compare them to all the other cakes I look at. I have to remind myself that the people that are getting my cakes aren't looking at beautiful cakes all day and they are impressed with anything that doesn't look like it came from the grocery store:) I looked at your pictures and your cakes are very nice so you shouldn't be so hard on yourself:) |
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Denae
Frequent Member
Joined: Aug 19, 2007
Posts: 234
Location: Summerville, SC
Birthday: Aug 19
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Tue May 27, 2008 12:54 pm |
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heck yes! i am like that too..my hubby will be like "babe it looks so awesome" and i'm thinking yeah right.."do you not see that there? or there? or there?" but like someone mentioned earlier, we are our worst critics! and i am definately very hard on myself when it comes to everything not just decorating! it's not such a bad thing, you know! |
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CakeBaker
Regular Member
Joined: Jul 16, 2004
Posts: 160
Location: Southeast Kansas
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Tue May 27, 2008 1:00 pm |
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oh heck no -- never completely satisfied, and many times not even completely finished. I just run out of time and have to stop. I would always use up another 10 minutes or 10 hours or 10 days if it was possible! |
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Launa
Regular Member
Joined: Jul 02, 2007
Posts: 154
Location: Conroe, TX
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Tue May 27, 2008 1:04 pm |
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Oh, I can SO relate!!! I keep thinking that when I give someone a cake, they are just being nice and saying how wonderful it is and how perfect everything is....all I can think is, "You're kidding, right???" Oh, well, I'm doing my best, and that's all I can worry about! In my 1 1/2 year of decorating, I've had 2 cakes that I was absolutely thrilled with, and they were both for my daughter's events! Her first being graduation, then her piano recital! I guess I should keep making cakes for her!! |
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NickiKR
Junior Member
Joined: Apr 13, 2008
Posts: 31
Location: Victoria, BC
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Tue May 27, 2008 1:49 pm |
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I am so glad to know I am not alone.
I am definitely my biggest critic! |
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Tramski
Frequent Member
Joined: Sep 24, 2006
Posts: 394
Location: Mi
Birthday: Sep 15
Gallery Supporter Member
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Tue May 27, 2008 1:58 pm |
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My hubby tells me that if there ever comes a day where I am happy with a cake I did then he knows I have lost my mind. I am my worst critic and he knows it  |
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ericaann79
Frequent Member
Joined: Feb 09, 2007
Posts: 239
Location: San Jose, CA
Birthday: Feb 12
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Tue May 27, 2008 2:14 pm |
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Just remember that the average person doesn't see the flaws that we see as decorators. No, I am never fully satisfied with my work as I am sure that no decorator is...there is always something. just like when I delivered a cake on Sunday the caterer was placing the final product on the cake table and he asked if there was a "good" side I wanted showing towards the front and I told him that with a cake decorator there is always a good side! but no one else knows that. |
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weirkd
Forum Fanatic
Joined: Jan 07, 2007
Posts: 1663
Location: Hurlock, MD
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Tue May 27, 2008 2:24 pm |
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Oh yes, we are the worst critics out there because we know when something is a flaw. I even get that way when Im looking at wedding cakes in magazines! Ive seen some mistakes and think to myself "How could they put THAT cake in a magazine and not be embarrassed!!"
But I think being never satisfied is also a good thing. You dont want to be THAT person that is so full of themselves that they think everything is perfect! Ive seen chef's like that and all you want to do is smack them! |
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indydebi
Forum SuperStar!
Joined: Jul 07, 2006
Posts: 15085
Location: Indianapolis IN
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Tue May 27, 2008 4:04 pm |
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waywordz
Regular Member
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Joined: Feb 16, 2008
Posts: 130
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Wed May 28, 2008 12:47 am |
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indydebi I hear you! I'm not without an inflated ego probably, but, I used to look at the cakes my big sis did for years and think; Wow! I could never do that beautiful of a job!" I took a couple of courses (ok several) started doing them for my friends and family but, I was always fault finding my cakes. Then my other sis (whom I showed how to do show of the stuff I learned) found some old pics our big sis had done and she sent them to me. My eyes almost popped out! I asked her how could this be? Her cakes were perfection. She said No. I knew that was true. I realized they were just seen through a novices eyes. I know so much more now, than my sister did back then. I've taken more classes on more subjects. But, more, I respect that I thought her cakes were the best, so, how can I complain about mine now. I'm a long ways from what I WISH I could do. But, I try to be more accepting of myself. There is a quote in Jurassic Park II that I live by now "All your life people will try to take your accomplishments away from you, don't you take them away from yourself." I may have misquoted it. But, I follow that. Now, if I can just get up the courage to post them in here. The pic I use is one I made copying a Frances Kruyper design. Sorry this took so long. |
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JulissaMyCakes
Junior Member
Joined: Jan 02, 2008
Posts: 22
Location: St. Cloud, FL
Birthday: Jun 12
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Wed May 28, 2008 1:57 am |
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I've been decorating for 5 years. At the begining I was very hard on my self. I wanted my cakes to be so darn perfect that I was draining the life out of me.
As decorators, we have high standards because we see each others work and compare our work with everybody else.
I had to retrained my way of thinking and lower a bit my so high standards. If my customers are happy and I receive good comments and they still talk about the cake days later... I must have done an EXCELLENT job!
Every cake is a challenge and there is always room for improvement. Accepting the fact that we spend hours decorating a cake and seeing the final result... that's rewarding enough!!!
I have learned that if it looks good in a picture... that's what everybody else would see and not the flaws that we see.
To be sure... I would ask my daughter her opinion and trust me... she is brutally honest!!! |
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Texas_Rose
Forum Addict
Joined: Feb 26, 2008
Posts: 892
Location: San Antonio, TX
Gallery Supporter Member
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Wed May 28, 2008 2:15 am |
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I must not be as much of a perfectionist as everyone else, because I'm always fairly pleased with my cakes when they're done. I will say it's easier to be happy with a fondant cake than a buttercream one, at least for me, and it's easier to know when I'm done.
What's really funny is that my 6 year old is turning into a cake critic...we were at a birthday party this weekend and when she saw their cake, she said, "I really don't like those colors together, and look, it's lumpy right here. You should see my mom's cakes." I was embarassed...but fortunately it was a bakery cake and not one that the other mom had made. |
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