I had a customer order a cake that she wanted for someone that was going into the military. My full time job is a Respiratory Therapist in a hospital. I am lucky enough to get an entire week off every other week. This order fell right in the middle of my stretch off and I was going to have plenty of time to make everything I wanted for this cake. However, nothing ever goes as planned as we all know. The customer called and said she needed the cake a week early. That meant that she needed the cake in the middle of my stretch on (I do three 12 hour shifts one day off and then another three 12 hour shifts). Now the only time I was going to have to make this cake was my one day off!!!!!!! The night before I had a very busy night at work with some very sick patients. The day I was to make the cake I was sooooo exhausted. I am so ashamed for selling my customer this hideous cake... but I had no time to do what I wanted. I'm posting a picture of it. Should I have just told her I wasn't going to be able to make it for her? I really didn't want to put her in a bind and not make it for her. I feel sooooooo bad.

Thank you for letting me vent and for having a shoulder to cry on...

Lazy_Susan

I would like to thank Doug for his kind PM he sent to me to make me feel better about this cake. I thought I was upset before when I posted this and now I am even more upset. So far 33 people have viewed this post and NO ONE has left even the first little comment. Thanks I really feel much better now. I thought that if any one would understand it would be the kind folks here at CC *big sigh*

Hideous and now confirmed.........

well I havn't the faintest idea why you are so disappointed with this cake I think it is awesome!! I ran across the pic by accident while searching for a camo cake, then saw your post after the fact.To be honest I am in shock that you are not beaming with pride. You should be very happy with this cake I would be. The boots are so cute! The shoelaces are to awesome and the camo is perfect! Everything down to the shell border is awesome! You really did a wonderful job on this

I like the cake! I know that it isn't what you had in mind but but I think that it is simple and effective. On another note I know exactly how you feel when people look but don't post it can really kill our confidence.(although I have to confess that I'm guilty of it as well ) Don't worry I know that the next one will go better. P.S. How did the customer like it?

I like it you did a good job. It is disapointing though when it doesn't go as planned. Chin up it will be better next time.

Why in the world are you so upset. It's CAMO. They are going to love it!

I do know how you feel when you get a cake on the 12hr shift schedule. You are just so exhausted that you can't even think straight. I feel your pain!

Now on to the cake. It is just right. You have shown everything that represents a military person.
They will be thrilled with it.

Also when you deliver this thank them for me!!!

You did great!

Lu

The cake looks great!! You are being way to hard on yourself. The boots are excellent also. I'm sure the customer was satisfied and very happy.

This is how I approach my cakes - since I am still very new at decorating -- I am 200% more concerned with the taste and texture of the cake and icing. If the customer is happy with the taste -- then I am 95% happy. If the customer also 'just loves' my design and decorating then I am 100% happy and satisfied. Because face it - who wants a perfectly decorated cake that taste like - cardboard, has no taste, is dry, etc etc etc!!!

Also - please don't be too hard on your fellow CC'ers. I work 40 hours every week - plus decorate well into most nights/mornings. I get little snippets of time to surf through CC's pictures - not near as much time as I would LOVE to have - and definitely not enough time to leave all the comments I want to. Then I very seldom have any time at all to surf the forums for posts waiting for comments. We are all human AND decoraters and we really need more than just a couple of hours to make comments. Speaking of which - I have to get back to work now!!

My son just returned home from Iraq & thought your cake spoke volumes in so many ways. Believe the word he used was "profound." Sometimes less is more & this is one of those instances. Thank you for not letting this lady down & sorry we weren't more responsive right away.

first, I have worked the 12 hr shifts, when you kill yourself one week so you can have the other week free - I would be proud that I remembered to MAKE the cake!
second, I think you did a good job! You got the camo cover and your boots were perfect right down to the laces!
Its hard to let go of our 'visions' of how we want our cakes to look, but with the time crunch AND your work schedule, YOU PULLED IT OFF!
I would chalk this one up in the WIN column!

As long as the paying customer liked it.....that's all that matters

First off.....your cake is COOL! I know it isn't what you envisioned, but that happens to all of us. Camo is a hard look to create but you did an amazing job. The boots rock! Feel good that you did the best you could under the circumstances and don't beat yourself up any longer. The cake is wonderful and I'm sure the customer was quite happy with it. Here's to better days! *cheers*

I think your cake is great and I'm not just saying that. You did great on the camo and I'm sure the hero receiving the cake was thrilled. I would be honored to prepare a cake for one of our military hero's.

I know how hard it is to have an idea of how you want something to turn out only to have it not look the way it was pictured in your head. I worry about that each time I make a cake, including some nights not being able to sleep over it (I know, silly!). It does look great and I love the boots! I'm sure that your customer's newly active friend will definitely love it. Not to mention just the thought and love that went into it is touching.

As the other said, I too am guilty of looking without posting a comment. Most of the times it's not because I dont like what I see (though I didn't see this cake) it's just that I get drawn away or am looking for something in particular. Hang in there, hopefully your customer loved it which in turn hopefully eased some of your aprehensions about this one! GREAT JOB!!!

I'm sorry the cake did not turn out the way you wanted it to. It really stinks when our visions aren't executed to our own standards. It's hard to deliver a cake that you do not love.

That being said, I like your cake. It is simple, yet it says a lot. I imagine your customer was pleased.

I really understand about the 12 hours shift work..and hospital because I do the same thing..but if a customer had asked me to change the date and it was when i was working..I would have apologized and told them I couldn't do it that week.. So you are the better person..to put yourself thru that stress. Ithink the cake is very appropriate..and you did a great job...

I agree with everyone else.. the customer will love it. We are the only ones that are hard on our creations. I am always thinking "i should have done this, or that".

Your cake looks great!!!!

U did great! I have done the 12 hours shifts at the hospital and I am AMAZED you had the energy to do that, ESPECIALLY after 3 in a row, WHEW!! The cake turned out awesome! Don't be so hard on yourself!

Especially with the circumstances you are under- you should be very happy with how it turned out- I love it!! Especially the boots!!She should understand also- we all know what you mean with pushing yourself for that perfect piece of work- life sometimes gets busy & hectic and cuts all your time short. You're definitely being too hard on yourself on its looks, but I think all cake decorators are somewhat perfectionists & we set very high standards for our work; we wanna blow the customer away every time . I say don't worry, it's great!! And these not-quite-what-I-wanted-it-to-look-like incidents just happen sometimes!

Try not to be so hard on yourself. We all have cakes that don't meet our expectations. I imagine the customer loved it...I think it looks great.

As for the no comments on your pic...I posted a pic that has since received over 300 views and 1 comment! That is a whopping 0.3% of people felt it was worthy of a comment

KEEP BAKING!!!!

I think it looks very nice. I think it can be hard not to expect immediate responses. We all have a desire for immediate gratification, unfortunately we often have to wait until others to get off work or find the time to find your post. I'm posting now, and it's the first I have seen this.

Kathi

I would like to thank everyone for your wonderful comments. I'm sorry for the post about no one commenting. I've been under a lot of stress and very depressed lately. I know that isn't a good excuse for my behavior so all I can say is I'm sorry.

You're right. However, I would rather someone say to me that they agree that the cake isn't the best but considering the circumstances....blah...blah...blah... You know what I mean? I'm not looking for people to tell me that it looks good. But I guess I was looking for people to try and make me feel better whether they liked the cake or not. Even a *huggggg* would have been simple and nice.

I like your cake. And I'm sure your client will too.

As a newbie decorator I don't think any of my cakes have turned out as I have envisioned them! Oh well I only wish that I coul dmake a cake look like your "hideous one". You put yourself out for your customer and I am sure that she appreciated it adn so did the recipient! Chin up! Remember that just because we are used to seeing amazing creations on this site not everyone knows what "cakes can do". If your customer could have she would have made her own but she came to you. We are our own worse critics. I know how stress can wreak havoc on our systems so here's a hug! You will feel differently once you get some rest! Coreena

Cake? What Cake? There was a Cake?!??!!

WOW your camo-cake must've worked because I totally missed it!!!

I have military buds who would d-i-e if i could figure out how to do a camo-cake! Don't even go there with those boots.

Y'all are sooo very talented, ya don't know what hit ya!

((((((((HUG!!!!)))))))))

I don't think I have ever made a cake that I was entirely happy with - Cakes have a very nasty habit of taking on a life of their own - and doing their OWN thing!!!

That said, I have also been lucky enough never to have had a recipient that wasn't delighted with their cake - just because it didn't match my mental image, doesn't mean that it wasn't good!

Your cake is awesome!! Especially given your timetable!! You should be very proud of it and of yourself.

Here's another to be going on with .... (((((((((HUG!!!!!!!))))))))

Whoever you made the cake for probably didn't know what you had in mind.
They asked for a camo cake - they got a camo cake. They've got to be happy about that.

Don't doubt yourself and under the conditions, with you being in the middle of your shift I think you did quite splendidly.!!