Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Slice of Life - Let Them Eat Cake

 
I love participating in Slice of Life, started by Two Writing Teachers and writing a story, reflection, or musing at least once a week.
 
     We couldn't help but giggle a little.  It was the day before Thanksgiving, and it was time to shop for a wedding cake.  We pulled up in two cars since Libby, Jamie, Libby's best friend and Maid of Honor, Hannah, Katie, and her boyfriend, John, and I were all there to taste cake.  Sandy, the owner of the bakery, hadn't exactly expected that many people.  I think I had told her 3 of 4 of us were coming.  When we pulled up, we were a little shocked by the small storefront.  How were we all going to fit in there?!
 
     It was tiny!  The warm little waiting room was crammed full of beautiful cakes and smelled of delicious sugar and pastries.  A little wrought iron table and 3 chairs were set up in the middle of the room.  We were looking around, craning our necks to look at all the masterpiece cakes.  Out came Sandy, who also giggled when she saw us, saying, "Well, there isn't enough cake for all of you!"  She was wearing an apron, had a high and cheerful voice, and was sprinkled with flour.  Even though she might have been a little annoyed that we all came, she hid it well with her sense of humor.  She got us settled, propping Katie and John up on stools by the window, and situating Jamie, Libby, Hannah, and I around the tiny table with big, fat scrapbooks full of pictures of cakes to browse, and bustled to the back of the bakery to set us up with cake samples.
 
     Well, I don't know what she meant by not having enough for all of us because we got a huge plate for the four of us sitting at the little table, and she gave Katie and John their own plate of cakes!  We were feeling a little woozy from the sweet-smelling sugar that wafted under our noses.
 
                                            The happy couple and Maid of Honor, Hannah
 
                     Cakes, cakes, and more cakes                                      Katie and John
 
     YUM!!  We loved tasting each one, experimenting with combinations of cakes, icing, and fillings.  Sandy gave us great advice and was SO helpful.  We had another cake-tasting appointment booked in December, but there was no doubt at the end of this consultation that Sandy and DessertWorks Cakery were the ones we'd choose.  We decided right then and there.  Libby and Jamie chose a beautiful design, and we decided on three flavors for the layers: the white, fluffy icing, vanilla cake with strawberry mousse filling, chocolate chip cake with caramel filling, and Libby's favorite cake flavor, red velvet, with Bailey's Irish Cream filling.  Oh my!
 
     We had to look back at Ed's and my wedding cake when we got home.  I have to say, I wouldn't choose it today.  It seems a little tacky now that I see it again, but we loved it at the time!
 
 
     What a great time we had that day!  Sandy's cheerfulness, infectious laugh, and delicious cakes made a wedding consultation fun and memorable.  I can't wait to see (and eat) the actual cake in June!
 


 
 
    
 
 

14 comments:

  1. I think everything about my wonderful wedding would seem tacky today. Funny how the traditions don't change but the style certainly does. I don't think any of my girls would choose to wear my dress. I love reading your wedding prep stories. I admit I'm a little jealous. I know it will happen one day, but when!?

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    1. You're going to have so much fun when it happens, Margaret! :-)

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  2. Holly! Reading your stories about the wedding completely takes me back to planning mine. It was so fun and I loved every minute of it! Thanks for sharing your stories with us. (My cake was made by a mom of my a best friend in high school. Best baker ever!)

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    1. How fun that you had someone you knew bake your cake!

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  3. I was so bad about all the wedding stuff when I got married - my mother arranged everything. I was even bad about choosing a dress, which I didn't get around to until two weeks before the wedding. My poor mother did suffer such anxiety - which is what you get for having a "why can't we just elope?" kind of kid. Reading your posts makes me see that there is genuine excitement and joy in the planning...although I still kid my own children that they will get an "elopement bonus" if that would save me from all the planning! The cakes look yummy - but the smiles on the faces of the young couple were where I lingered, Holly.

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    1. The smiles were from all the fun we were having! :-) That's funny that you didn't get into wedding planning - it's not for everybody, but we're having a great time!

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  4. Sweet - title, experience, your words, pics, memories, and hopes for the future.

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  5. Your title hooked me in. I thought it would be such a fun slice and it was. Wedding planning is just so much fun, I never wanted it to end, and when it did I was a bit lost. The cake choice sounds perfect for the lovely couple. :)

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  6. Wow, with all those choices and opinions...that was probably a hard decision. I can just picture this very happy person by the way you wrote this. I was a terrible planner so long ago. But I do remember my choice of cake...strawberries in the middle, my favorite and it still is! xo

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  7. I have good memories of choosing just the perfect cake with my daughter and her fiancé. What a special time for all of you. The cake plates look divine, as do your choice of flavors sound so good. Yum!

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  8. Your post was filled with SWEET memories! So many decisions - and so much work - in weddings...I sure can attest to that with our own family wedding now 12 days away!

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    1. Anita - WOW!! Best of luck and well wishes! It must be quite a whirlwind to plan for a wedding and the holidays all at once!

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  9. Holly, your wonderful recounting of choosing a wedding cake story brings me back to a couple of years ago as I prepared for my daughter's wedding. The day we had at our bakery with Greg, a master baker, was filled with oohs, ahhs and yummy tastes. This is such a special time in your daughter's life so I am glad that you are sharing it with us through your wonderful gift of storytelling.

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  10. This is so cool! It feels like forever since I went through this process (okay, if forever is about 22 years). Those cakes look delicious!

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