Just needing to vent!!!
I know that I can vent to my CWB buddies and you will all understand......many of you I sure have had this issue yourselves. I had a request from someone to do a Sesame Street birthday cake, 30 people, to look like Mr. Hoopers store and the apartment building next to it. Little characters roaming on the street, very detaile buildings the whole 9 yards. When I quoted a price of $100, which I think is reasonable considering all of the hours that would go into: purchasing ingredients, baking, stacking, filling, trimming, covering in fondant I made myself, making all the decorations, trim pieces, etc. by hand to custom fit this cake, etc.....I get "Oh no! That's far more than I wanted to spend!" Okee dokee! Feel free to contact a bakery to see what they would charge or figure out how to do it yourself. Aaaagghh! Thanks, I feel better now. Back into the kitchen.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Tania Laing on
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had a relative tell me recently she'd "do it herself"...After all she had been watching me for 25 years....cake turned out....well...let's just say, she was disappointed. (and it became my fault because I didn't do it.) I just smiled and said..."great job!!"
Twenty five years of this hobby is a labor of love, but they can sure make you feel like it's not worth much.
I think it's interesting how many of us have turned to "gifts for friends and family" to keep from talking about money. Maybe we're take the easy way out...maybe we shouldn't be so uncomfortable with putting a price tag on it. Apparently they need us...they keep coming back. I might have to rethink this.
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Permalink Reply by Joann Gottermeyer on
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I have heard many times from friends and family that I can bring the cake because it's 'so easy' for me to just 'whip one up'. Yep.....get some ingredients and about 48 hours later I have just whipped it up, no problem. No sleep either, but that's ok I suppose. Please don't get me wrong! I LOVE what I do.....I love being creative and making people happy; I just wish that some didn't take it for granted because it comes more naturally to me than it would to them. At least we know how hard we all work and we appreciate each other!!!!!
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Permalink Reply by Sandra I. Vazquez Lossiseroni on
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I guess you are still venting... Lol
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I seem to be a roll, don't I?? Maybe I don't just need a nap - maybe I need a vacation! Who wants to come with?? ;)
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Me, me, take me...lol.
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Permalink Reply by Terry Bingham on
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I can relate, this past weekend an hour before we were to meet with friends for dinner and an anniversary celebration I get a call asking me if I'm bringing a cake. Now, to be fair I have made cakes for birthdays, engagement, etc. for my friends in the past just because I wanted to, but it now feels like I'm expected to do it. I told my friend I did not make a cake, so she said ok she'd pick up one at The grocery store on the way. That made me feel like they really don't appreciate what I do, the time I spent designing, baking, frosting/covering it in fondant, construction/carving, decorating. So, I figured like so many who don't make cakes like we do, that she didn't "get it", and decided to let it go. But then at dinner when she brought out the generic round cake from the grocery store, and someone else commented that it's not as nice as a cake I would have make, I replied that I needed more than an hour's notice. The person who asked me at the last minute if I had made a cake said "we can't afford one of her cakes", which made me realize they do have an idea of what one of my cakes should cost and they probably didn't ask me to make the cake because they didn't want to pay for it, but if I wanted to make one and absorb all the cost, not to mention my time and labor then that was ok. This kind of othered me a bit. Am I being too sensitive about this?
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Ahh! Not at all Terry! It's funny...I have a neighbor across the street who knows waht goes into the cakes, and tells me all the time that I don't charge enough for all my time and effort. Always have made the cakes for her kids birthdays as part of my gift (we've all been there!). Then one day she was planning an event and I overhear someone asking her if she was going to hire me to do the cake. "Oh no - she's too expensive for me". Really?! That's fine...I get more than my share of requests, don't need hers. Haven't had an unplanned weekend 'off' in the last 2 years. A 'cake boutique' opened in town (its a very small town!) last year and I thought that would be the end of me. If anything, I have had more requests, and I have been told that my cakes taste better. Yay for me...that makes me happy! :-)
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Permalink Reply by Katy Nott on
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OK, so while we're on the subject of people taking the mickey.... I heard a rumour (through my granddaughter), that someone was going to ask me to make a Gucci handbag for her birthday. She had been told apparently by my stepdaughter not to expect it to be cheap, because of the work, ingredients, skill involved. I told my granddaughter that I would do it for her and wouldn't charge the earth but would want to clear a bit of a profit, as long as she called and asked me herself. Didn't hear any more about it - wasn't surprised, these people are mostly all talk and no trousers. Anyway, 2 weeks later, I get an email saying someone else has made the cake (including a picture), but had to make it a week before it was wanted. So how did I think was the best way to store it until party day? Well, excuse me, but if she's good enough to make the cake - shouldn't she know how to store it for a week?!*@ I was furious to say the least. My husband told me I was overreacting. I wanted to send back an email saying - how the hell should I know? I don't even know what it's made of......... But I didn't. Just bit my tongue and answered the question (so as not to cause friction in the family). My darling granddaughter told me afterwards - 'the cake was OK Nanny, didn't taste bad, but it was nothing like as good as you would have done. It looked like something out of Tesco's'. That child will go far lol........
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Some people have such NERVE!!! I would have loved to have told them exactly where they could have 'stored' it, but I'm too much of a lady. ;-)
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Permalink Reply by Camille on
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It kills me that people have champagne taste on a beer budget. Drives me mad!
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Permalink Reply by Mandy Nel on
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Hiya gals, it seems that no matter what part of the globe we live in, people are people are people and they all think that because we can do it and do it well, that we should be able to whip something up in a flash when called upon to do so! Well not true - and all I can say is thanks to programmes like we see now on food network challenge etc. now the folks get to have an inkling of what goes in to these cakes (but I suspect they don't have a clue about our sleepless nights ......). It's so good to be able to speak to kindred spirits - thanks for raising this Joann :-)
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So good to be able to share with my caking freinds who understand that although we need to blow off some steam once in a while, we still love bringing our creations to life. I love my husband to more than anything but have learned that with his analytical mind, if I moan to him he makes himself crazy trying to fix my problems. All I want to to is blow off some steam! Then I'm all better....You all understand and I love that!! Back into the kitchen, ladies....a baptism cake, a 2 sided birthday cake for 13 year old freinds celebrating together and a heart shaped birthday cake with a heart - ventricals, veins and all....ew..... - on top all due for Saturday. Happy decorating everyone!
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