Yesterday I spent about 5-6 hours (from start to finishing cleaning up) making a cake for a good friend. about half way through the decorating my baby had woke up from her nap and was crying, my two year old was tugging on me, and my four year old was begging to help with the icing, AGGGGGGGG! Well, this was when I was wandering- why in the world am I making this cake. Why didn't I just say NO! I then spent the rest of the evening worrying if my friend would like the cake or not. WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME???? Why do I continue to put myself into these hellish situations? I guarantee you it was not for the 15 dollars profit I made on the cake.
I've thought about this a lot and here is what I came up with:
Despite the stress deep down I really love making cakes
I love the way it made me feel when my friend loved the cake, and everyone at the party was like oh you're the one that makes the great cakes!!!
SO yesterday i hated it today i love it. crazy crazy crazy!!!!!!

lol.. not crazy at all ddog .. I always look at the disaster I make of my kitchen and when I'm totally exhausted, completely stressed out and I see the mess I have to clean up, I always question my sanity as to why I keep doing this to myself.. by the next day, I'm dreaming of the next creation I'll try lol .. we're addicted!!

I'm the same way Cheryl! I was up till 3:30 am this morning finishing up on the wedding cake. I freaked out all morning because I had never done the roman pillars before. Everything went great! I had so many compliments on the cakes! After I finished setting it up I took pics, then looked back & said, "WOW" I MADE THAT???? What a wonderful feeling!!!! Nothing beats it!!! I do it for me!!!!! AND THE MONEY!!!!!!

I have the same problem with my 3 year old son! After he takes a nap he expects me to hold him for at least 30-45 minutes when he wakes up. I also have a seven year old daughter that loves to "HELP" with things! Sometimes I get very stressed! I have also been up till 3:30 when I took too many cake orders. But when it all settles down...and the mess is cleaned up...I can't wait to start all over again!
traci

I understand how you all feel, Been there done that. I now have no or little distractions when I make a cake and all the years of making them with distractions has paid off. I have a lot of experience, supplies and patience. My hand is not as steady as it use to be and I end up with a swollen one on some occasions if there is alot of piping to do. But in the end "I JUST LOVE IT" too.

I'm in the same boat. I have an autistic son who takes a lot of my time and a second grade girl who has at least an hour of homework every night....and you want me to make WHAT for you ? and for FREE???
I get sucked in every time. Even when I charge, I always undercharge. But the look on someone's face when they see I cake I've put a lot of time into is all worth it.

Wow! You guys took the words RIGHT out of my mouth. I worked all day on a practice cake. Not a cake I was hired to do -- a PRACTICE cake. I have a three yr. old daughter that I'm trying to potty train. I have an 18-mth. old son and my husband is AWESOME, but I still feel pulled in 20 different directions while I'm trying to bake and design a cake. I start thinking the EXACT same thing: "Why am I doing this? I should be doing this or that with the kids or for the kids." Then the guilt starts to set in. Anyway, I feel so much better that you guys go through the same thoughts. Thanks for letting me vent.

That sound a lot like my household! I have a 6 month old who is still nursing, a 2 year old who is potty training, and one that just turned 5 and is starting homeschooling in a few days. Things are busy around here anyways, but then I get last minute orders for cakes and everything becomes hectic. I think to myself, "I've got 3 kids. I'm already very busy! Why do I keep doing this?" But I know I love decorating cakes and it's wonderful in the end when the recipient loves the cake too.

I feel the same way. I work a full time job and love cake decorating. I love it so much that I will take a last minute order which will cause me to stay up until 2am and still having to report to work the next day. On top of that I have a 15 month old daughter and she requires my attention until she goes to bed. I often ask myself why I do this but the next day I'm hoping to get more cake orders from the cake I just made. The compliments I get keeps me going and the fact that I love to do it.

I too sometimes question my sanity while taking on another cake, mostly when I have several other orders for pies, cookies, cheescakes and I think I don't have the time to decorate a cake too....but then I start baking the cake and the creative juices start flowing and before I know it, I'm done and am so excited about the whole process that when asked to decorate another cake, I just can't wait.......I like to think of it as not be addicted but being passionate about cake decorating!

It is so wonderful hearing everyone talk about their stressful situations. Even though it takes a lot out of you, you all have one thing in common, you love what you do and I can't wait to share my first cake experience with you all. (I'm sure it'll be stressful as well)I recently discovered this website but I haven't made my first attempt just yet. I'm still doing some reading first because I don't want to try it until I completely understand what is involved. !!!

That is exactly why I didn't get the cake I was making for the contest here done. I had the cake all baked and crumbcoated and then my daughter got strep throat. I am also trying to potty train the two year old. My husband is now out of town on business, but at least my daughter is better so I am going to try and finish it today, just for the practice. Pictures coming up sometime after midnight tonight.

I go through the same thing. It seems like everytime I get in the middle of a project that all heck breaks loose in the house. I too am trying to potty train my 3 year old son and I have an almost 8 month old who is now crawling everywhere. Not too many chances to get the kids away for an afternoon to finish a project. I was up until after midnight finishing my last Harley cake and after all was said and done, I hated it! I've been thinking about putting the kabosh on all future projects until the kids are old enough to wipe their own bums and make their own PB&J sandwiches!

I've got way too much $$$ invested in my cake decorating supplies to just let them sit dormant for that long so I just limit my projects to two a month.

You are not the only one who feels that way. Just keep at it when you can and first and foremost, LOVE YOUR CHILDREN!!!!! I have to keep telling myself that on occasion and all is well!


Amy

I'm with everyone else in this topic. A 4 year old who will stand on a chair and watch my every move and has to help but everything in the mixing bowl, half of which ends up on my counter top. I also have a 16 month old who is my little devil. She will take everything out of the cabinets I just but everything back into, and when I tell her no no, she laughs in my face. Although once I get started decorating it's worth seeing my kids happy being part of something I love doing.

With the exception of the baby, I could've written this post! Glad to know others feel the same!

Whew! I thought I was the only one who feels like they're going off the deep end when meeting a cake deadline! I too have a six month old, a two year old potty training, and several other *helpers*. Cakes are scheduled for AFTER 9 pm to make sure no little hands ruin my work. Of course I bake during the day so I have hours of angst over someone doing something to a fresh cake. Than after it is decorated I can hardly wait until it's out of the house and safe at last! On the upside, I have many little admirers who 'oooh' and 'aaah' over the creations, and who tell me that I'm the best cake decorator in thr whole world!

It is like you all are reading my mind!!!!!


I feel this way everytime I am in the middle of my orders. I have to say that in order to keep sane I do organize my day. My daughter goes to preschool so I try to bake when she is in school. (so I don't have to listen to ....can I have some cake for 3 hours and tell her "no" because its for an order) I wait to decorate my cakes until they are in bed at night. During the day I make batches of frosting.

I try to make everything while the kids are asleep. It helps me keep fingers out and piece of mind.

Thanks to the author of this post!!! I am glad I am not the only one

I couldn't just read and not post to this one, but really can't and much. I think everyone here touched alittle on my household too. I guess next time I get to freak out at my kids, I'll think of you all and know it's going to be alright!

Rose

I try to bake the cakes when my 2 year old is taking her nap, and I decorate them when she's asleep, after 9 pm. I always make one cupcake for her out of the cake batter, and she loves that I do this especially for her. Once I tell her that she'll be getting her special treat, she doesn't botter me while I work.
Emi

Thank you so much to all of you who replied to my post. I am so relieved that there are so many others out there who are in my situation, and it is good to know that I'm not that crazy after all!!!! OR--if I am I have a lot of people who are crazy with me, so I can handle that!!! Ha HA HA LOL

I have three kids too! I could have written your post even what all 3 of your kids were up to while you worked on the cake.

It is addicting to decorate cakes.

My daughter is grown now...but,ditto to the rest of the above.
Sherryb

ok - I wasn't going to say anything before - but I think I need to , just to see if I'm being really silly or not -

This is kind of "deep", but I'm hoping some of you can relate on some level and maybe it will help me see that I'm not the only one...lol.......

I had a sort of epiphnay yesterday. I had a bday party , which I did the cake for, for my 3yr old son and his cousin who's bdays are 4 days apart. I planned and organized the whole thing, that's just something I like to do. Doing parties - from the conception of the "theme" to the activities, food and cake - is something that I truly enjoy. It gives me the feeling of accomplishment that I'm otherwise lacking. I have 3 kids as well: 5 & 3 yr old boys and an 11 month old little girl. I know that being a mom is the most important job anyone can have and it is definitely the most rewarding, but for the past couple of years I've been struggling with "losing myself" - you know - just disappearing into everyone else and what you do for and because of them. So I started really getting into this party thing - well, that led to wanting to do cakes and here I am. As much as I say that I do it to make "them" (whoever that may be) happy, I am doing it for myself. I feel satisfied that I can do something, even though it's alot of work for me, that makes others happy and is something that is purely about the fun for them. I love the feeling it gives me and the fact that it boosts my self-esteem.

Speaking of which - that's something else that I've been struggling with for a while. Needing to find something to do that made me feel good about me and what I can do - outside of changing the diapers, cooking the meals and doing the laundry...lol. That's what doing cakes has begun to do for me.

I realized yesterday, while looking at my cake that I worked so hard on and saying to myself: " I wish it were a little straighter; my handwriting needs to be better; I need to do this or that better next time" - the thought came to me that: "Yeah - that's all true - but it's still a GREAT cake! Look at how happy your son is. Listen to all of those compliments you got!" What I came away from it with was this: Even though there's lots of room for improvement, it's okay. Which for me translated into: Even though you (me) need to lose weight, even though you have lots of faults, and no matter what other people think of you, you're still GREAT! It's ok that there's some lines that aren't perfectly straight on that cake, or on me!! It's ok that the handwriting is a little off kilter, or that I'm not the best at keeping up with the laundry. It's ok that the cake doesn't resemble something out of a Martha Stewart magazine, or that I don't resemble June Cleaver.....I'm still GREAT!!

I'm sure some of you think I'm nutty: She got all of that from a silly bday cake?? lol But, yes I did. It was just one of those "moments" that happen when you see something that translates into what you're feeling aobut yourself or in your life at the time.

And something I've learned about this site in the short time I've been a member - No matter how messy or how crooked or how horribly ugly a cake that's posted might be.....everyone here has nothing but encouraging, happy and positive remarks!! Ya'll even offer criticism or advice with a lot of tenderness and thought. It's just a shame that more people in the world, even those closest to us, don't treat others as well as ya'll do here.

Ok - I'm done!! lol Thanks for reading and thanks for the encouragement!!

Jennifer

Jennifer,
I can relate to the whole "losing yourself" thing. Being a stay at home mom with one income in our family, if I can hand over a $100 check to my hubby for a cake I've done, I feel a true sense of accomplishment! Like I've contributed in a small way to our family. I know it sounds so 50's housewife, but I am truly that way.
So no, you are not nutty, and I think its great that cakes do that for you, cause they sure do it for me!!!

thanks, cakegirl! now I've just got to figure out how to start making money at this...lol. My husband would be shocked if i started giving him money that i make! lol but very, very happy nonetheless! thanks for sharing....btw - your cakes are really awesome! you've inspired me to try a few of them, too! hope you don't mind.........

Jennifer

I don't mind at all....have fun!!!

Jenn, thank you for that post. I think I needed to read that. I struggle sometimes with losing myself too. I think it is a very easy thing to do when you are a stay at home mommy. I truly think it is the hardest (but very rewarding) job.

abbey - you're very welcome....good to know I'm not nutty!! lol

Jenn, that was very thought provoking, and I think any mom, especially SAHM's are giving you big cyber hugs right now! Really makes me feel better about it all. I love doing the cakes, but it always seemed like a trivial side thing. But now, I realize it is something for me (to do, not eat ). Something to display my creative side, something that distinguishes me from "mommy".

Thanks so much!