Does This Look Like C**p?! Upset!
Decorating By MikeRowesHunny Updated 14 May 2007 , 6:01pm by Kayakado
(1) it looks awesome, that lady is crazy (and I don't give out false compliments)
(2) I run away from crazy people, life is too short. If I feel they are going to be a "bridezilla" or a "birthdayzilla" then I just decline their order. I'm sorry, I'll be unable to complete this for you. (I posted this before but once I left the ladies unfrosted cakes wrapped in foil on her porch at 10pm the Thurs. night before the Sat morning wedding - believe me she pushed me to the edge and that was enough)
(3) No you won't make those changes, you are sorry she doesn't like it and you and your family will enjoy eating it.
(4) Cake decorating to me is about the picture, you got a great picture so if you eat it or she does, what ever 
(5) If you show that pic to anyone else besides the crazy lady those people will fawn all over you about how great it is!!!!!!!
(6) Why is it when we get 1000 compliments we focus on the 1 bad thing some crazy person says, I know I am guilty of this. Ah human nature, you are so cruel
(7) I think you're awesome!
I actually looked at the picture before readig the post. The first thing I thought when I saaw the picture is ... I like that board and all the time and detail you put in to it. After reading your post I saw what the lady meant about the rainbow but come on its a birthday cake. I would tell the lady sorry if its not up to her standards but you put alot of time and extra work that you didn't even charge her for.. If she really feels like its not the cake she was wanting to go to Wal-mart and pick up a new one there. At least you a SO CUTE cake for your book.
Doug gives such great advice. Sending a photo gave the mother way too much time to sit and stare, looking for flaws.
My kids thought it was great and I like the paper. (wondering how you are avoiding grease stains???)
I would maybe have gone ahead and done the cake the way she wanted, and then let her figure out on her own that the toys were too large.
It is a beautiful cake, I love the rainbow.
I agree with the others that the most you should change is the rainbow. I could just see you trying to lift the cake off the board to move it and dropping the whole cake on the floor 
NO WAY! I didn't even notice the curvy line on the rainbow until I read the post. I thought it was cute and what a cute idea for all that grass!
I also think the picture isn't the best quality and makes the light/color look not-as-good. My best cake pictures are taken in a well-lit room w/o a camera flash 
It might be because of the lighting that the cake looks busy to her.
and yeah, I'd say don't send anymore emails ahead of time to customers like this. It just leaves the door open for critique.
I am very sorry, but i do see what she means. The rainbow is a bit.... Well, I would have made another on from the start. And the base, do disturb a little bit..
The rest of Your cake (including the grass) is very very adorable, and the girl will love it, and thats what matters.
I guess we just learned, not to mail pictures, but to call instead
I totally agree with everything here, the paper is too much for this cake BUT for a child's birthday cake the paper on the board is not the least of her problems, I prefer silver paper or solid color but this is why I make my kid's cake I choose the cover of the board!
Your cake over all is fine, rainbows aren't perfect either. When I did my rainbow cake for my Wilton class I obsessed about that and my 7 year old said rainbows are perfect lines the colors blend any kid can tell you that!!! 
This lady is probably a customer you won't ever please and no matter what you do she won't be happy and won't come back, even bad word of mouth doesn't always get around. Why would you want her to call you again ?. I think she wants a discount, forget it, let her know this is what she stated in all the emails and it is too late to change anything that she can try changing the paper when you drop off the cake if she wants moron talk about not having any common sense, the cake is already on the board!!!!!!!!!! Don't give her a discount it's what she wants I bet she will love the cake once everyone starts bragging about it!
Good Luck to you relax and focus on your next project.
I would have NEVER noticed a crooked line in the rainbow until I read the email from the lady. She must have sat there studying the photo for ages. The cake is extremely cute! I love the extra touch of the tiny leaves.
I find that usually photos do not do a cake justice so I agree with Doug....don't send photos on ahead. Just let the person pick it up and if they are going to gripe, they can gripe later.
I agree it is crazy to be like "Oh yeah and can you change the BOARD?" Ohhhh kayyyy....
The only thing I would have done differently is that any time I have to make changes I warn the customer. If the customer would have given me toys that were too big I would have called or written explaining that the design was not going to work, and I would have had the customer choose whether she wanted mountains or a stream, or choose to pay more for a larger cake including both designs. I know some customers are a pain, writing fifteen bazillion emails over one 15 serving birthday cake but such goes the business I guess. I always try my best to make sure that what the customer expects is what I give them. There was one main time that what I sold was not what the customer expected, and that was a horrible feeling, and it was my own fault not taking the time to double check. So I always try to double check, even the details, to the best of my ability.
Doug gives such great advice. Sending a photo gave the mother way too much time to sit and stare, looking for flaws.
My kids thought it was great and I like the paper. (wondering how you are avoiding grease stains???)
I would maybe have gone ahead and done the cake the way she wanted, and then let her figure out on her own that the toys were too large.
It is a beautiful cake, I love the rainbow.
Agree also the pictures are never better then the cake in person!
I find that usually photos do not do a cake justice so I agree with Doug....don't send photos on ahead. Just let the person pick it up and if they are going to gripe, they can gripe later.
yep too busy having then sitting there staring at the cake critiquing away!
I would never let the customer see the cake before they picked it up. You did a beautiful cake with Dora the main idea. That said the paper underneath should have been put on the board tighter. Then she would not have noticed it. The paper make the cake look more like a birthday cake not an occasion cake. The rainbow is perfect. Don't touch any thing. If she wants it she will pay you for it. If not you now have a Mothers day cake for yourself. Don't let her get you down.
im sorry to hear about your day! Ihope that it gets better!
Your cake is absolutely adorable and well decorated.
FEW words for her when she picks up the cake; Take it or leave it. Then walk away and don't look back. You have done a very nice job here and if she does not appreciate it then her nose is so far up in the air she can smell a buzzards @$% a mile high!!!! People can be such a pain!
I am sorry you are experiencing this but I have learned a valuable lesson from it and that is I will NEVER send a photo for approval or otherwise. My customers will see their cake when they pick it up or I deliver it.
Go pat yourself on the back for a job well done!!
Here is A BIG HUG FOR YOU! ((((( )))))
Well your cake is GREAT.....BUT......................But what??????????? Im not feeling the Love here (as Emeril would say) Dont we all beat ourselves up enough when we critic our own cakes. The grass is fine,the rainbow is fine,Dora is fine and your cake is a great childs birthday cake. PERIOD. Some replies accomplish nothing for anyone but ourselves. That woman is miserable and will continue to be miserable the rest of her life no matter what you try to do to please her. It is what it is and thats that. I think its great. If she doesnt like it tell her to make it herself and walk away.
Thank you all so much! She did actually send another email later saying that maybe she has over-reacted and she was sure it'll be fine as it is, it's for her child after all (well duh!). In her words:
I'm sorry to have hurt your feelings. I really didn't mean to. Sometimes I'm difficult to please because I want things so neat and tidy and bug everyone around as well You can leave the same rainbow I think it wouldn't show the straightness considering the different eye level and it's just for a few minutes only. So maybe you could just send the cake as it is. I'm sure everybody will enjoy. I know your recipes are fantastic. In fact, I tasted one recently.
Once again thanks for all your effort.
So, maybe she learned a lesson today too! I will redo the rainbow, just as a sign that I care about my work (and I do anyway!), but I've told her the rest is unchangable and that it really does look better in 'real life' (it does - many of you are right about it not being the greatest of pictures!).
Thanks again for all your support - I love you guys ! My lesson learned is definately no more pictures before delivery. Oh, and as a side note, my bride & groom were lovely, raved about my cakes (in my photos), and I have a 425 euro wedding cake order for 3 weeks today as a result - yay and eeeek!
Well your cake is GREAT.....BUT......................But what??????????? Im not feeling the Love here (as Emeril would say) Dont we all beat ourselves up enough when we critic our own cakes. The grass is fine,the rainbow is fine,Dora is fine and your cake is a great childs birthday cake. PERIOD. Some replies accomplish nothing for anyone but ourselves. That woman is miserable and will continue to be miserable the rest of her life no matter what you try to do to please her. It is what it is and thats that. I think its great. If she doesnt like it tell her to make it herself and walk away.
It's called contructive critism no one is beaing mean, we all I want it and a lot o us need it.
I was gonna say the same thing that Doug said...don't email pictures to your clients in advance. I LOVE the cake! It's perfect. I'd tell her too late for changes and if she doesn't want it she doesn't have to pick it up. She probably fishing for some $$ discount! UGH...you don't need clients like that!
Jacqui
Thank you all so much! She did actually send another email later saying that maybe she has over-reacted and she was sure it'll be fine as it is, it's for her child after all (well duh!). In her words:
Thank God! That first email was just crazy. I think it's a good idea to go ahead and redo the rainbow, if you've got time.
I'm glad your wedding consult went well too
(((HUGS)))
HOO RAH!!! Now you can enjoy the rest of the weekend with peace in your heart. I am glad she stepped up for you!
I'm glad that it worked out in the end for you. That woman was really out of her mind. That being said, I would NOT change the rainbow at all, even after the second email. I think it adds a lovely "animated" effect to the cake that blends with the trees and the chest. It softens the background and makes the characters stand out. I really think it's perfect just the way it is.
-Lisa
I'm so glad everything worked out good for you!! I'm especially glad that you stood up to her & was professional about it!! KUDO's for you!!! Yeah!!! Water under the bridge!! Glad to hear about the wedding cake too!! Happy Baking!!
I'm glad that lady came to her senses. That cake is a child's idea of a dream cake. The child will love it and that's who matters. My sentiments are its a cake by god, it can be perfect and inedible or it can be delicious. The ingredients do have SOME limitations.
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