30/04/2022
Sometimes things don't turn out the way you planned, but you just keep moving (and try to enjoy the process 😅). My birthday cake was supposed to look a little different, but I ran out of buttercream for the flowers and had to improvise. 😆 And I did enjoy the process of just doing freehand palette knife designs instead of piping flowers - not a bad way to spend an evening. The little guy on top is what I call the Hallelujah Raccoon; he's always raising his little arms to celebrate and be thankful. And I have a lot to be thankful for this year, as I officially announce that I'm closing Cheryl the Baker (so if you've been following me for my cakes, so sorry but you might want to unfollow now 😅). Some of you may have guessed it already due to my lack of posts, but I have moved on to something else. Will I still bake? For fun, yes.😬 The occasional weekend or public holiday thing, but I won't be taking orders.
If anything, baking has taught me to appreciate food more. Fun Fact: I used to have a pretty unhealthy relationship with food. While I never actually went into eating disorder territory, I did watch what I ate to the point where there was a lot of guilt when I even thought about eating cake or chips. I guess it was always thinking that I looked fat (even though I've never been overweight). Going to culinary school changed that. The food was always good, especially for family meal (aka school lunch) and I was surrounded by people who just loved food.
I've gone back to what I was doing before I embarked on this great adventure. Making the decision wasn't easy. In fact, I cried the whole night when I first acknowledged that it was time to move. The Covid pandemic changed a lot of my business - with the smaller group sizes, no parties...it was tough. At the same time, I've been wanting to do something in the mental health field for a while. The job-hunting took a few months, with many bumps in the road (people who have re-entered the workforce after years of being self-employed...I totally get it). But I think, by God's grace, I've found the right place for me now. I saw a quote that I can't for the world remember who posted (if it's yours, please let me know and i'll credit!). "You're not starting over. You're starting from experience." It resonated with me when I was feeling so loser-y (yes, I like this word and I'm sticking with it) about giving up on what was my dream for so many years. But I'll always have baking - as my own therapy. As I was making my own cake this week, the movements felt so familiar and calming (although the muscle aches I won't miss 😆).
Thank you to everyone who has given me the chance to bake for you over the last 6 years. Will be posting cakes from my archive over the next few weeks (I have a huge backlog 😅).
