Venting

that was your warning, so if you'd like to bypass this post, feel free!! :)

SO...My little darling's turning a year old TOMORROW (wow, seriously?!).  I had every intention of making this birthday just a small, no big, no 'theme', nothing crazy celebration.  Notice I didn't include the word 'party' in there :)

WELL...this thing has taken on a life of it's own and is a little more than mama had in mind.  We're not having a petting zoo or blow up jumpy something or other...just the 'little' things are turning in to 'big' things is all.

FOCUS...OK so a while back, safeway had a sale on cakes.  if you bought/ordered the cake within the 'sale' time frame, you can actually pick up the cake anytime.  We've had cakes from there recently and they've been pretty good.  I thought, "sure, why not!  cheap cake!"

When we went in to order, we ordered both Emma's and my sister's cakes at the same time (future post: Ann's surprise 40th bday bash;0).  When we went in to discuss decor for Ann's, they were basically saying, "if it's not in the book, the decorators can't do it".  I'm thinking...."wa?! aren't they artistic one bit?  They are decorators :)"

We were asking for simple things like, red frosting with a little damask swoop.  A pretty 'script' looking font for the name.  We ended up having to get ribbon with damask and having them use that as the 'decor' and they didn't even do the writing in the color we'd specified.  It was a little disappointing.

This am, I went in to discuss Emma's cake decor and seriously, it took 45 minutes, it as a fiasco and in the end they said, "we'll try but it's not going to look anything like it".

With that response, you'd think I'm asking for an intricate design, and that I specified it needed to be flawless or else, yeah?!  Um, NO!  I asked for balloons and presents (to match the invite).  The presents seemed to really stump them.  I'm thinking, uh...A BOX?!  A cake decorator can't draw a square?  They weren't promising to match colors...and they're just gonna give it their best effort.

I know I probably seem a little OB with the cake decor.

I worked at a bakery here in town for like 2-3 years.  They're awesome there (and what I've grown accustomed to)  You take them what you want, they ask you what color for writing, what color for balloons, the bow on your 'present'.  If they can't freehand it they will make your drawing a stencil and trace it on your cake with a projector.  Does not every other bakery work like this?!

...I know, I've answered my own question.

I guess you get what you pay for.  At Olde Tyme Pastries (not the most mod. looking website, but absolutely delicious in all they make and beautiful in all they create!) I probably would have paid double, but would have been in and out in about 15 minutes, and asking for balloons there is probably the most basic decor they do on cakes.

I guess we'll see how it goes with what the final product looks like!

and yes, I know, it's just cake :)  I'm down with simple.  I just didn't think I was asking for too much :(...pray for me.  This is how wound up I am and 1. it's only Tuesday and 2. we're talking cake here folks.  What is going to happen to me when I move on to the other details?! :)

Off I go to gather my AM manna of patience (I shoulda done this before I went to the store ;0)...among other things I need daily from the Lord :)