Back in the days I used to do wedding consultations in addition to decorating cakes, a lot of brides or grooms used to say something that would make me giggle: "Sorry I'm asking so many questions--I've never done this before!"
If this is you--don't apologize! For many, many people, their wedding cake is the first and perhaps only time in their lives they will order a cake so large and, in many cases, so specialized. It's much different than ordering a birthday or other everyday celebration cake, and it's completely normal no to know how one goes about it. There are some general things that are good to know and, as someone who works in this industry, I'd like to share a series of some things that books probably don't tell you!
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Friday, August 16, 2013
My Cross-Country Journey, Part 5
By the time the offer was made, I'd known I was going to accept. I'd already been mentally distancing myself from my job months beforehand, and upon coming back, knew that--no matter what--I wasn't going to be staying at the Santa Fe job. Whether it was Baltimore, or another place in New Mexico, I was ready to leave the place in Santa Fe for hopefully greener pastures. It was only a matter of time.
3 weeks' time, it turned out. Once I'd been offered and accepted the Baltimore job, they told me they needed me the first week of April, which gave me 3 short weeks to figure everything out. I told my family, told my friends, and started my research.
Turns out, moving is HARD. And expensive. Finding an apartment in a city you don't live in and aren't familiar with? Scary and stressful. Condense all that in with a time crunch? Given my body's past reactions to stress (ulcers, rashes...) I'm surprised the flu didn't come roaring back with a vengeance.
I tried to keep a level and pragmatic head. I looked at furniture I'd collected and held onto over the years (an impossibly heavy armoire I particularly loved, procured at Target for 75% off; a baker's rack and dining set I'd bought for $50 and repainted to look like new), and made harsh cuts, selling a large amount of it on Craigslist (though, at a very nice profit from what I'd originally paid for it all, so that was a nice bonus).
I packed. I made reservations for a moving pod. I found an apartment and signed the lease, having only their website and Google street maps to go off of. I finally put in my notice with 2 weeks to go, giving them no more notice than I had to. I notified brides and hotel contacts, many of whom seemed genuinely upset to see me go. I watched as days ticked by, and the Santa Fe bakery failed to make any provisions for wedding cakes once I'd left. I enlisted my amazing family to help me move my things and painstakingly arrange them into a moving pod that looked entirely too small to fit everything (and yet it did, with a bit of room to spare).
With the help of my mom, I cleaned out my condo, packed the last of my belongings and my cat into my car, and headed down to Albuquerque for a last few days with my family before my Monday departure. I was feeling the stress: the stress of change, of money, of leaving the support system I'd had close by all my life. Up until that point, my parents and younger siblings had pretty much never been more than a 3 hour drive away. This was to be the first time I'd live so far from them.
My lovely younger sister was coming on the road trip from New Mexico to Maryland with me--we had a plan, hotel reservations, roadside attractions to visit--we were ready. Monday morning came, the car was packed, the GPS loaded up, the treats stashed away...and I was bawling. Thinking about it now, even, I tear up. It was one of the hardest things ever to get in that car and drive away, and pretty much the only thing that spurred me on right then was knowing that--at that time--I was at a point of no return. My stuff was on its way, I had a years' lease signed that I had to honor, and a new job to start. I had to be a grown-up and see it through.
3 weeks' time, it turned out. Once I'd been offered and accepted the Baltimore job, they told me they needed me the first week of April, which gave me 3 short weeks to figure everything out. I told my family, told my friends, and started my research.
Turns out, moving is HARD. And expensive. Finding an apartment in a city you don't live in and aren't familiar with? Scary and stressful. Condense all that in with a time crunch? Given my body's past reactions to stress (ulcers, rashes...) I'm surprised the flu didn't come roaring back with a vengeance.
I tried to keep a level and pragmatic head. I looked at furniture I'd collected and held onto over the years (an impossibly heavy armoire I particularly loved, procured at Target for 75% off; a baker's rack and dining set I'd bought for $50 and repainted to look like new), and made harsh cuts, selling a large amount of it on Craigslist (though, at a very nice profit from what I'd originally paid for it all, so that was a nice bonus).
I packed. I made reservations for a moving pod. I found an apartment and signed the lease, having only their website and Google street maps to go off of. I finally put in my notice with 2 weeks to go, giving them no more notice than I had to. I notified brides and hotel contacts, many of whom seemed genuinely upset to see me go. I watched as days ticked by, and the Santa Fe bakery failed to make any provisions for wedding cakes once I'd left. I enlisted my amazing family to help me move my things and painstakingly arrange them into a moving pod that looked entirely too small to fit everything (and yet it did, with a bit of room to spare).
With the help of my mom, I cleaned out my condo, packed the last of my belongings and my cat into my car, and headed down to Albuquerque for a last few days with my family before my Monday departure. I was feeling the stress: the stress of change, of money, of leaving the support system I'd had close by all my life. Up until that point, my parents and younger siblings had pretty much never been more than a 3 hour drive away. This was to be the first time I'd live so far from them.
My lovely younger sister was coming on the road trip from New Mexico to Maryland with me--we had a plan, hotel reservations, roadside attractions to visit--we were ready. Monday morning came, the car was packed, the GPS loaded up, the treats stashed away...and I was bawling. Thinking about it now, even, I tear up. It was one of the hardest things ever to get in that car and drive away, and pretty much the only thing that spurred me on right then was knowing that--at that time--I was at a point of no return. My stuff was on its way, I had a years' lease signed that I had to honor, and a new job to start. I had to be a grown-up and see it through.
Thursday, August 15, 2013
My Cross-Country Journey, Part 4
The interview in Baltimore came toward the end of my visit and, all too soon, it was time for me to go back to Santa Fe. The night before I was due to leave, I helped make a dinner of an oven-baked "fried" chicken recipe I'd made and loved in Santa Fe, accompanied by some mashed potatoes. The chicken didn't turn out as good, and the mashed potatoes were gluey--not my best meal ever. Especially not when we all got sick the next day. Lovely older sister insisted it wasn't the dinner, as the chicken had cooked far too long (while we waited for brother in law to come home) to have been undercooked. I maintained I must have somehow contaminated the mashed potatoes. However it happened, we were all feeling ooky--myself moreso than I had been. Enough to not want coffee--big mistake.
Brother in law drove me to Union Station to catch a train up to BWI, as planned. On the train, I started to feel it--the onset of headache. I attributed it to my lack of caffeine, but still didn't feel I could stomach coffee or the like. Got on the plane to go home feeling the continued flu symptoms, now expounded (as the flight went on) by a severe caffeine headache and the general nastiness of air travel. All I wanted was to sleep, but had managed to sit in the one seat on our full flight that didn't recline, and spent the entire flight miserable contorted in various ways, trying to find a way to nap.
When we finally arrived in New Mexico, I was picked up at the airport by my mom, who drove me back to her house to retrieve my car. I was due at work the next day, and felt I couldn't call in. We had 3 cake decorators--one part time, and one who had pulled 13 continuous days of work to allow my vacation (as that was, according to our manager, the only way to make it happen). Even if I'd wanted to call in, I had no idea who to call or what to do if the other decorator refused. I figured I would tough it out, miserable as I felt.
My mom was urging me to go to the urgent care clinic--she didn't say so at the time, but she apparently thought rather strongly that I had flu that had progressed to the borderline edge of pneumonia. Working in a hospital, it was something she saw happen, and apparently something that could quickly become bad.
I, again working that extreme denial, refused. I just wanted to get back to my apartment, sleep in my bed, and tough it out. She did impress upon me a Z-pack (a course of antibiotics designed to hit hard and fast), and thank god for that. In hindsight, she was probably right (as most moms usually are) and goodness know what would have happened had a pushed myself to keep going to work without any sort of treatment. As it was, I had just started to feel like myself again 2 and a half weeks later when I got the call from Baltimore, offering me a job.
Brother in law drove me to Union Station to catch a train up to BWI, as planned. On the train, I started to feel it--the onset of headache. I attributed it to my lack of caffeine, but still didn't feel I could stomach coffee or the like. Got on the plane to go home feeling the continued flu symptoms, now expounded (as the flight went on) by a severe caffeine headache and the general nastiness of air travel. All I wanted was to sleep, but had managed to sit in the one seat on our full flight that didn't recline, and spent the entire flight miserable contorted in various ways, trying to find a way to nap.
When we finally arrived in New Mexico, I was picked up at the airport by my mom, who drove me back to her house to retrieve my car. I was due at work the next day, and felt I couldn't call in. We had 3 cake decorators--one part time, and one who had pulled 13 continuous days of work to allow my vacation (as that was, according to our manager, the only way to make it happen). Even if I'd wanted to call in, I had no idea who to call or what to do if the other decorator refused. I figured I would tough it out, miserable as I felt.
My mom was urging me to go to the urgent care clinic--she didn't say so at the time, but she apparently thought rather strongly that I had flu that had progressed to the borderline edge of pneumonia. Working in a hospital, it was something she saw happen, and apparently something that could quickly become bad.
I, again working that extreme denial, refused. I just wanted to get back to my apartment, sleep in my bed, and tough it out. She did impress upon me a Z-pack (a course of antibiotics designed to hit hard and fast), and thank god for that. In hindsight, she was probably right (as most moms usually are) and goodness know what would have happened had a pushed myself to keep going to work without any sort of treatment. As it was, I had just started to feel like myself again 2 and a half weeks later when I got the call from Baltimore, offering me a job.
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
My Cross-Country Journey, Part 3
As my sister and I drove up to Baltimore from DC, I was pretty quiet, I think. I was pondering possible questions, and how I'd respond. Thinking of which cakes to point out to best highlight skills of mine I thought might help me get hired. Mentally calculating my finances, and trying to piece together how I might pull off a cross-country move, while at the same time trying NOT to think about that, lest I jinx myself.
Also, I was steadily working my way through 2 travel packs of tissues, and my voice was all but gone from the illness that continued to plague me and wreak havoc on my body. We got there early, thank goodness--early enough to track down the nearest Starbucks so I could procure a venti peppermint tea with honey, in the hopes it would let my voice sound halfway normal, rather than the scratchy, raspy thing it had become at the time.
My sister dropped me at the interview, then went to entertain herself for an hour--the place was small enough that her hanging out in the lobby would have been extremely conspicuous and odd. I met with two people: the decorator supervisor and the office manager (not their official titles--just the best descriptions of what they do, as I've been able to suss out). We talked cakes, we talked frostings. We looked at my photos, and we talked about what techniques I was familiar with, my speed, my job duties at my Santa Fe job, and how this job would differ.
At my job in Santa Fe, I was IT when it came to weddings. If someone so much as mentioned the word wedding, they got bounced to me, no other questions asked. I handled the inquires, baked the cakes and made the frostings for them (after too many bad batches from the people who were supposed to do that, I took it on myself to ensure they'd be right), built them, decorated them, and delivered them. At this job, I'd be doing nothing but building and decorating--no face-time with the client (they had consultants), no deliveries (they had drivers). And where my busiest weekend at my Santa Fe job had been 4 wedding cakes (couple with the other duties they had started piling on me), this place regularly did upwards of 30 weekly, and sometimes as many as 60. In one week, with 3-5 decorators.
Woah.
I put on my best interview face--joked/apologized about being a little sick, answered all their questions, showed off my work, expressed how much I wanted a challenge and wanted to learn (and how that was never going to happen at the Santa Fe bakery). We'd been talking awhile (and I was feeling it), and I felt the interview was winding down. But then they asked if I could build a cake for them.
I shouldn't have been surprised. For cake decorating, it would be all too easy for someone to slap together a book of photos pulled from the internet, claim it as their work, and try to get a job with it. Bench tests (or "bench trials" or "working interviews") are common--you have to prove your skills, your familiarity with kitchen standards, and it's also a chance for your potential employers to see how your work style might fit in.
But I was startled, a bit. The woman who had scheduled my interview hadn't mentioned the possibility (she'd forgotten), and I had forgotten to ask. I was in completely inappropriate clothes for it--slacks and a button down shirt and (if I remember right) my fake Ugg boots (while my sister and I share clothing sizes, we do not share shoe sizes, and those had been the only black shoes I had with me). Usually, if I know I'm in for a working interview, I'll dress in "work" clothes: jeans, non-slip shoes, and a chef's coat. I'll bring an apron, and a kerchief for my hair, and sometimes my favorite tools (better to have what I need, than not). But I pulled my hair back, tied on a borrowed apron, and built the little 6-inch cake according to the directions they gave me (and was relieved--I had a moment of terror when I thought they'd want me to construct a tiered cake--I could have done it, of course, but my energy at the time was so low, it would have been rough).
I worked as quickly and cleanly as I could while still maintaining an eye for the finished project and let them know when I was done. The frosting was new to me--full of air bubbles due to the chilly temperature, it wouldn't smooth out, and I obsessed about it (even though they assured me that was normal). They told me they'd get in touch, and left me to get back to work while my sister and I waited for a decorator to finish making a 6" version of her wedding cake flavor they'd very, very nicely agreed to do on the fly. She quizzed me on how it had gone and I, not wanting to rehash it right there in the lobby, quietly told her I thought it had gone very well, indeed.
Also, I was steadily working my way through 2 travel packs of tissues, and my voice was all but gone from the illness that continued to plague me and wreak havoc on my body. We got there early, thank goodness--early enough to track down the nearest Starbucks so I could procure a venti peppermint tea with honey, in the hopes it would let my voice sound halfway normal, rather than the scratchy, raspy thing it had become at the time.
My sister dropped me at the interview, then went to entertain herself for an hour--the place was small enough that her hanging out in the lobby would have been extremely conspicuous and odd. I met with two people: the decorator supervisor and the office manager (not their official titles--just the best descriptions of what they do, as I've been able to suss out). We talked cakes, we talked frostings. We looked at my photos, and we talked about what techniques I was familiar with, my speed, my job duties at my Santa Fe job, and how this job would differ.
At my job in Santa Fe, I was IT when it came to weddings. If someone so much as mentioned the word wedding, they got bounced to me, no other questions asked. I handled the inquires, baked the cakes and made the frostings for them (after too many bad batches from the people who were supposed to do that, I took it on myself to ensure they'd be right), built them, decorated them, and delivered them. At this job, I'd be doing nothing but building and decorating--no face-time with the client (they had consultants), no deliveries (they had drivers). And where my busiest weekend at my Santa Fe job had been 4 wedding cakes (couple with the other duties they had started piling on me), this place regularly did upwards of 30 weekly, and sometimes as many as 60. In one week, with 3-5 decorators.
Woah.
I put on my best interview face--joked/apologized about being a little sick, answered all their questions, showed off my work, expressed how much I wanted a challenge and wanted to learn (and how that was never going to happen at the Santa Fe bakery). We'd been talking awhile (and I was feeling it), and I felt the interview was winding down. But then they asked if I could build a cake for them.
I shouldn't have been surprised. For cake decorating, it would be all too easy for someone to slap together a book of photos pulled from the internet, claim it as their work, and try to get a job with it. Bench tests (or "bench trials" or "working interviews") are common--you have to prove your skills, your familiarity with kitchen standards, and it's also a chance for your potential employers to see how your work style might fit in.
But I was startled, a bit. The woman who had scheduled my interview hadn't mentioned the possibility (she'd forgotten), and I had forgotten to ask. I was in completely inappropriate clothes for it--slacks and a button down shirt and (if I remember right) my fake Ugg boots (while my sister and I share clothing sizes, we do not share shoe sizes, and those had been the only black shoes I had with me). Usually, if I know I'm in for a working interview, I'll dress in "work" clothes: jeans, non-slip shoes, and a chef's coat. I'll bring an apron, and a kerchief for my hair, and sometimes my favorite tools (better to have what I need, than not). But I pulled my hair back, tied on a borrowed apron, and built the little 6-inch cake according to the directions they gave me (and was relieved--I had a moment of terror when I thought they'd want me to construct a tiered cake--I could have done it, of course, but my energy at the time was so low, it would have been rough).
I worked as quickly and cleanly as I could while still maintaining an eye for the finished project and let them know when I was done. The frosting was new to me--full of air bubbles due to the chilly temperature, it wouldn't smooth out, and I obsessed about it (even though they assured me that was normal). They told me they'd get in touch, and left me to get back to work while my sister and I waited for a decorator to finish making a 6" version of her wedding cake flavor they'd very, very nicely agreed to do on the fly. She quizzed me on how it had gone and I, not wanting to rehash it right there in the lobby, quietly told her I thought it had gone very well, indeed.
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
My Cross-Country Journey, Part 2
When I came to DC in February of this year for my visit, it was just to be a vacation. Watching my niece all day (fun for me--I got so little time with her during the year, I was happy to watch her all day to try to get my fill in the few days I got to be there), hitting up the Smithsonians, running on the National Mall, and just hanging out with my sister and brother in law and having fun.
And, for the most part, that was was happened. Sort of.
As I'd mentioned, it turns out I'd picked up a rather nasty bug somewhere along the line days before my vacation was to start (naturally--isn't that how it always happens?). And, despite my dedicated use of nasty ZiCam dissolving tablets (dear ZiCam--please bring back the nose swabs! Seriously!), my symptoms just progressed leading up to and during my trip. But I am stubborn and, when I feel like it, particularly good at denial.
I was sniffley, had chest congestion I had never before known the likes of, had fatigue like woah, and often felt extremely short of breath (the cold air felt like FIRE in my lungs), but still insisted on pushing my niece the mile or two to whichever museum I thought would be a fun visit that day. So while I had the presence of mind to forgo running on the National Mall, the repeated field trips into the cold weather were--in hindsight--also not helping my case. My symptoms got even worse as my visit went on--one afternoon, I found myself lying face-down on my air mattress at my sister's condo while my niece tore pages from a magazine next to me. It occupied her, and I honestly hadn't the energy to get up and try to entertain her myself. I figured if she was happy doing that, I'd let her. Of course my sister came home right around that time--I'm sure I looked like Auntie of the Year.
So that was the state I was in when I received an unexpected phone call. During some downtime, I'd hopped on my laptop and perused the DC and Baltimore Craigslists, just seeing what cake jobs were around, if any. I'd found a couple Baltimore jobs that looked interesting, and had sent off virtual copies of my resume, photos of my work, and notes explaining very clearly that while I was not living in the area, I was visiting for the week and very much considering a move. I figured, worst case scenario, I would just never hear back, and I would head back to Santa Fe and ramp up my search out there.
But then I got a call from a well-established Baltimore cake shop--they'd gotten my e-mail and wanted me to come in for an interview! I agreed--I didn't know exactly how I'd get up there (it was about an hour's drive, and nowhere near the Metro lines), but I was determined to rent a car if I had to. Luckily, when I told my lovely older sister about it, she excitedly told me they had provided HER wedding cake years back, and she would be happy to drive me (and get some cake after).
She dredged up some interview worthy clothes for me to wear (those, I had not packed--I honestly had not thought I would ever get an interview, despite my hopes), we dropped my niece off at daycare for the morning, and headed up the 95 to Baltimore.
And, for the most part, that was was happened. Sort of.
As I'd mentioned, it turns out I'd picked up a rather nasty bug somewhere along the line days before my vacation was to start (naturally--isn't that how it always happens?). And, despite my dedicated use of nasty ZiCam dissolving tablets (dear ZiCam--please bring back the nose swabs! Seriously!), my symptoms just progressed leading up to and during my trip. But I am stubborn and, when I feel like it, particularly good at denial.
I was sniffley, had chest congestion I had never before known the likes of, had fatigue like woah, and often felt extremely short of breath (the cold air felt like FIRE in my lungs), but still insisted on pushing my niece the mile or two to whichever museum I thought would be a fun visit that day. So while I had the presence of mind to forgo running on the National Mall, the repeated field trips into the cold weather were--in hindsight--also not helping my case. My symptoms got even worse as my visit went on--one afternoon, I found myself lying face-down on my air mattress at my sister's condo while my niece tore pages from a magazine next to me. It occupied her, and I honestly hadn't the energy to get up and try to entertain her myself. I figured if she was happy doing that, I'd let her. Of course my sister came home right around that time--I'm sure I looked like Auntie of the Year.
So that was the state I was in when I received an unexpected phone call. During some downtime, I'd hopped on my laptop and perused the DC and Baltimore Craigslists, just seeing what cake jobs were around, if any. I'd found a couple Baltimore jobs that looked interesting, and had sent off virtual copies of my resume, photos of my work, and notes explaining very clearly that while I was not living in the area, I was visiting for the week and very much considering a move. I figured, worst case scenario, I would just never hear back, and I would head back to Santa Fe and ramp up my search out there.
But then I got a call from a well-established Baltimore cake shop--they'd gotten my e-mail and wanted me to come in for an interview! I agreed--I didn't know exactly how I'd get up there (it was about an hour's drive, and nowhere near the Metro lines), but I was determined to rent a car if I had to. Luckily, when I told my lovely older sister about it, she excitedly told me they had provided HER wedding cake years back, and she would be happy to drive me (and get some cake after).
She dredged up some interview worthy clothes for me to wear (those, I had not packed--I honestly had not thought I would ever get an interview, despite my hopes), we dropped my niece off at daycare for the morning, and headed up the 95 to Baltimore.
Monday, August 12, 2013
My Cross-Country Journey, Part 1
Or, "Why Baltimore?" I get this question a lot--not so much from the few readers who happen onto here, but from my co-workers, a lot of whom have never lived anywhere BUT Baltimore, and can't seem to fathom someone purposefully coming out here. :-) So, be warned--this series of posts has very little to do with cake, and more to do with personal life. Maybe this is evolving into a combination of the two!
Earlier this year/late 2012, things at my job in Santa Fe had been...let's say strained. They'd promised me a lot of things when they'd hired me, and then conveniently forgot those things/delayed indefinitely delivering upon them. I'd been trying to push them to follow through for some months, and had reached the end of my tether when, after all that, they cut my hours and started scheduling me as though I were some sort of fill-in baker/decorator. Instead of having more wedding cakes than I could handle, as I'd been promised, suddenly I was relegated to early morning shifts of baking cakes and decorating cupcakes--not what I wanted to be doing.
The kicker was that even the wedding work I DID have (returning e-mails, taking consultations, creating invoices, etc.) suddenly was to take a back seat to this other work. The owner claimed there wasn't enough wedding work to meet the hours I wanted (the full-time 40 hour workweek I'd been promised, which--even with the grunt work--I was falling FAR short of). But he also refused my repeated requests to purchase booth space at local wedding events, claiming he only did the shows that were free for him to attend (BTW, these don't exist or, if they do, they don't bring in the clientele he would be aiming for anyway). I saw the writing on the wall: while I was bringing in a fair share of work from the referrals sent by hotel and coordinator contacts I'd made, it was clear to me that they would do anything they could to avoid fulfilling the golden job opportunity they'd claimed to want to give me a year prior.
I'd asked for and been granted time off in February of this year (unpaid, naturally, as paid time off was one of those things they conveniently forgot having offered me, and I--trusting as I was--had never gotten the details of my offer in writing). My plan was to visit my sister, niece, and brother-in-law in DC--in the weeks leading up to my trip, the manager (a clueless, micromanaging "I want to help you, but only if it doesn't inconvenience me" types) kept alluding to how much fun she was sure I'd have, and how I'd be so much happier when I came back (as though my trip would magically erase my memory of just how much I felt I'd been screwed over by this particular business). My response was usually the same: "yeah, sure--if I come back at all." To which she'd always chuckle, as though it were a funny joke.
Thing was: it wasn't. I'd been thinking for some time about a change. At that point, I'd actually interviewed with a couple other places in Santa Fe, but nothing yet had been something I was willing to leave my wedding cakes for. Because while I had definite feelings against the owners and management of the Santa Fe bakery, I felt a strong connection and obligation toward my wedding clients--both those I'd booked, or was even just in the process of getting to know. Most of those clients had only ever worked with me--I was the person they e-mailed for first contact, I was the person they met with for tastings, I was the person who helped guide their design, and I prepared their quotes, took their payments, and answered their questions. In my mind, though I worked for this bakery, these were still MY clients--my responsibilities.
Nonetheless, I went out to DC for my visit, armed with gifts for my niece, the beginnings of what I now believe was severe flu, and...my cake portfolio.
Earlier this year/late 2012, things at my job in Santa Fe had been...let's say strained. They'd promised me a lot of things when they'd hired me, and then conveniently forgot those things/delayed indefinitely delivering upon them. I'd been trying to push them to follow through for some months, and had reached the end of my tether when, after all that, they cut my hours and started scheduling me as though I were some sort of fill-in baker/decorator. Instead of having more wedding cakes than I could handle, as I'd been promised, suddenly I was relegated to early morning shifts of baking cakes and decorating cupcakes--not what I wanted to be doing.
The kicker was that even the wedding work I DID have (returning e-mails, taking consultations, creating invoices, etc.) suddenly was to take a back seat to this other work. The owner claimed there wasn't enough wedding work to meet the hours I wanted (the full-time 40 hour workweek I'd been promised, which--even with the grunt work--I was falling FAR short of). But he also refused my repeated requests to purchase booth space at local wedding events, claiming he only did the shows that were free for him to attend (BTW, these don't exist or, if they do, they don't bring in the clientele he would be aiming for anyway). I saw the writing on the wall: while I was bringing in a fair share of work from the referrals sent by hotel and coordinator contacts I'd made, it was clear to me that they would do anything they could to avoid fulfilling the golden job opportunity they'd claimed to want to give me a year prior.
I'd asked for and been granted time off in February of this year (unpaid, naturally, as paid time off was one of those things they conveniently forgot having offered me, and I--trusting as I was--had never gotten the details of my offer in writing). My plan was to visit my sister, niece, and brother-in-law in DC--in the weeks leading up to my trip, the manager (a clueless, micromanaging "I want to help you, but only if it doesn't inconvenience me" types) kept alluding to how much fun she was sure I'd have, and how I'd be so much happier when I came back (as though my trip would magically erase my memory of just how much I felt I'd been screwed over by this particular business). My response was usually the same: "yeah, sure--if I come back at all." To which she'd always chuckle, as though it were a funny joke.
Thing was: it wasn't. I'd been thinking for some time about a change. At that point, I'd actually interviewed with a couple other places in Santa Fe, but nothing yet had been something I was willing to leave my wedding cakes for. Because while I had definite feelings against the owners and management of the Santa Fe bakery, I felt a strong connection and obligation toward my wedding clients--both those I'd booked, or was even just in the process of getting to know. Most of those clients had only ever worked with me--I was the person they e-mailed for first contact, I was the person they met with for tastings, I was the person who helped guide their design, and I prepared their quotes, took their payments, and answered their questions. In my mind, though I worked for this bakery, these were still MY clients--my responsibilities.
Nonetheless, I went out to DC for my visit, armed with gifts for my niece, the beginnings of what I now believe was severe flu, and...my cake portfolio.
Monday, June 24, 2013
BANANAS!
I know, right? "Bananas? What does that have to do with cake?" Absolutely nothing, but read on anyways.
So, I've been seeing this idea floating around for awhile, where you take frozen pieces of banana, blend them, and they magically become this creamy, delicious, ice-cream like treat. And my reaction was pretty much like, "hmm...I am skeptical."
But today, I was cleaning my kitchen and found that my bunch of bananas from Sam's has already ripened past the stage I like to eat my bananas at (they were green when I got them 4 days ago!). So I chopped them into little coins, and popped them in my freezer. I figured, if nothing else, put them in smoothies or something. But then I remembered this whole "banana ice cream" thing.
So just now, I take some, pop them in my little food processor, start to blend and get...gritty little frozen pieces of banana--pretty much what I expected. But I decide to keep blending a little more, and add some peanut butter for good measure (because yum). And then...oh, and then. :-)
Does it taste like vanilla ice cream? No, it tastes like bananas--because, you know, bananas are the only ingredient. But maybe add a dash of sugar and a splash of vanilla, and you have yourself some banilla frozen treat. Mine was banana with a kick of peanut butter--I think I'll call it frozen Bananas Elvis. I saw someone online who added Nutella to theirs--OM NOM NOM.
You don't need the silly special machine they sell--I did mine in my little 4 cup Cuisinart, and others apparently have done theirs in a blender. But if you're trying to be a little better about your sweets, or if--like me--you just have some obscene amount of bananas that have ripened ridiculously fast that you need to use up, I would totally recommend trying this.
"Where's a picture?" you may be asking. "I'd like to see photographic evidence of this culinary miracle!" you might say.
Well, too bad. Because I ate it all before it even occurred to me to take a picture. Because it was delicious and melting. Make your own and then you can see it for yourself. :-)
So, I've been seeing this idea floating around for awhile, where you take frozen pieces of banana, blend them, and they magically become this creamy, delicious, ice-cream like treat. And my reaction was pretty much like, "hmm...I am skeptical."
But today, I was cleaning my kitchen and found that my bunch of bananas from Sam's has already ripened past the stage I like to eat my bananas at (they were green when I got them 4 days ago!). So I chopped them into little coins, and popped them in my freezer. I figured, if nothing else, put them in smoothies or something. But then I remembered this whole "banana ice cream" thing.
So just now, I take some, pop them in my little food processor, start to blend and get...gritty little frozen pieces of banana--pretty much what I expected. But I decide to keep blending a little more, and add some peanut butter for good measure (because yum). And then...oh, and then. :-)
Does it taste like vanilla ice cream? No, it tastes like bananas--because, you know, bananas are the only ingredient. But maybe add a dash of sugar and a splash of vanilla, and you have yourself some banilla frozen treat. Mine was banana with a kick of peanut butter--I think I'll call it frozen Bananas Elvis. I saw someone online who added Nutella to theirs--OM NOM NOM.
You don't need the silly special machine they sell--I did mine in my little 4 cup Cuisinart, and others apparently have done theirs in a blender. But if you're trying to be a little better about your sweets, or if--like me--you just have some obscene amount of bananas that have ripened ridiculously fast that you need to use up, I would totally recommend trying this.
"Where's a picture?" you may be asking. "I'd like to see photographic evidence of this culinary miracle!" you might say.
Well, too bad. Because I ate it all before it even occurred to me to take a picture. Because it was delicious and melting. Make your own and then you can see it for yourself. :-)
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Spongebob Birthday Cake!
Today is the 22nd birthday of a very dear, wonderful, and lovely friend of mine. She had her birthday party last night, and I knew as soon as she gave me the invite that I wanted to surprise her with an AWESOME cake for the party. She's a pretty big fan of Spongebob Squarepants--I can't explain it, but we all have our things (Doctor Who and Buffy happen to be mine). :-)
So, as always, let's start with the finished product (for those of you who just want to see with picture, and not so much the lengthy how-to that follows)!
How it all came about after the break!
So, as always, let's start with the finished product (for those of you who just want to see with picture, and not so much the lengthy how-to that follows)!
How it all came about after the break!
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Alex and Andy's Wedding, Part 2!
The groom's cake post! The couple wanted their groom's cake to have a crawfish boil theme from the get-go--the groom is from Louisiana. I think my favorite part of that meeting was when they started to explain to me what a crawfish boil was, and I was able to hold up my hand and say, "oh, I know--I lived in Louisiana." They looked relieved not to have to try to explain this concept:
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| The groom's cake! |
1) They wanted the cake, itself, to look like a stockpot
2) They wanted the crawfish, red potatoes, and corn on the cob to be inside and around the pot
3) They wanted the board covered in newspaper (a very nice touch, actually--I wish I'd thought of it first)
4) As a last-minute addition, the bride wanted a Coors Light beer can on the side (made of something edible--I suggested just putting an actual Coors Light on there, but she was not down with that)
Alex and Andy's Wedding, Part 1
Last week, I had a wedding order that literally took my entire workweek. I also had the bright idea to throw a couple tasting appointments in there--I've done this before, and you'd think I'd remember NOT to schedule appointments on a week like that but no.
Anyway, let's start with the good news! The end results for Alex and Andy's lovely bridal cake at La Posada de Santa Fe:
Anyway, let's start with the good news! The end results for Alex and Andy's lovely bridal cake at La Posada de Santa Fe:
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| The bride's cake |
The bridal cake was the easier of the two, by far. But it was still one that, when the bride sent me the inspiration photo and asked me if I could replicate it, I was like, "....yeeeeeaaaahhh."
Saturday, January 12, 2013
What?! New post?! After TWO years?
I know, I know...I'm awful about keeping updated, I really am. But see here my attempt to start doing this more regularly, starting after this post!
While a lot of you who may find yourselves here will have seen many of these photos I'll be posting before (thank you, Facebook), maybe some of you haven't! We're in a slump at the bakery, but when wedding season picks back up I really want to try harder to take a few seconds during decoration to take in-progress shots. Because while the final results are fun, sometimes seeing how they GET there is even more fun.
And maybe some other poor decorator out there who is thinking to herself, "I can't believe I agreed to [insert design here]...I don't know how to do [insert design here]!!" And maybe the in-progress approach will help! Learn from my epic frustrations, fellow decorators.
So keep your eyes out--some fun things (hopefully) coming up!
While a lot of you who may find yourselves here will have seen many of these photos I'll be posting before (thank you, Facebook), maybe some of you haven't! We're in a slump at the bakery, but when wedding season picks back up I really want to try harder to take a few seconds during decoration to take in-progress shots. Because while the final results are fun, sometimes seeing how they GET there is even more fun.
And maybe some other poor decorator out there who is thinking to herself, "I can't believe I agreed to [insert design here]...I don't know how to do [insert design here]!!" And maybe the in-progress approach will help! Learn from my epic frustrations, fellow decorators.
So keep your eyes out--some fun things (hopefully) coming up!
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Breaking In the Cricut Cake
Having been given a somewhat unexpected day off today, I decided tonight was a good time to make my foray into exploring the Cricut Cake machine I got for Christmas. I originally thought I would just go ahead and chronicle my adventure on Facebook, then realized that would be way too long, hence the first update in nearly a year on my poor, neglected little blog.
First and foremost, the cast of characters:
That lovely retro red thing in the middle is my Cricut Cake Mini. It's about the size of your average printer, so I've no idea how big the full size is. But it's certainly big enough for my purposes--it can cut up to 6" wide and 12" long. I think the full-sized version does double that in width and length, so it would be nice for bigger jobs or in a production bakery. So, maybe in the future!Also needed: cornstarch, shortening, an offset spatula, fondant (that foil package), toothpicks, the QuickStart guide, a nice little paring knife, and your cartridge and its corresponding book (more on that later). Today's cartridge (the one that comes included with the machine): Cake Basics!
The machine once it's opened. In the middle-right of the machine there (the half-oval shape) is the cartridge. There's tons of them, and they're all cross-compatible. Meaning: I can get a cartridge intended for one of the paper cutting machines, and it'll work just fine on my Cricut Cake. Thanks to Mom and Kristina for that bit of knowledge!Each cartridge has a set of images/phrases/fonts it can cut. You just pop the cartridge in once the machine is turned on, and it loads in that info. (On a related side note: when you turn the machine on, try not to have your face right next to it--it's a bit louder than you might expect!)
This is the keypad overlay. Each cartridge comes with it's own corresponding keypad overlay, which shows you (most of) the various images you can get with that cartridge.
This is the keypad overlay. Each cartridge comes with it's own corresponding keypad overlay, which shows you (most of) the various images you can get with that cartridge. 
Here's a close-up of some of the fancier-looking images. Let's give one a try!
I push the button for my image, and the display notes what I've chosen. Beneath that, you have three more bits of info. The bars on the left indicate the speed of your cutting. My understanding is that slower is better (at least to start)--less tearing of your material. The bars on the right indicate the pressure being used. Obviously for something thicker/more dense, you want to up the pressure. And on the far right is the setting for the size of your image.The front of the machine has silver wheels to adjust each of these.
And here's the cutting mat included with the machine, and the fondant I've rolled out for my first try. Cricut tells you to apply shortening liberally, so I went ahead and did that. I figure it's to both keep it from sticking when you want to take it off, but also to keep it from moving while the machine is cutting it. So, I tried a cut:
...aaaand, not so much. Granted, the image is a bit complex. I figure my fondant was too thick, and my speed was too high for this particular shape. So I re-rolled the fondant thinner, and picked a slightly different shape to try.
The machine while it's cutting. The white housing on the right there has the cutting blade at the very bottom. It's a tiny little thing that rotates all around.
Ahem. While the machine cuts, can we please take a moment to admire my fancy schmancy new paring knife? It's part of a lovely 15-piece J.A. Henckels Classic set that I got for Christmas/my birthday. They're pricey little suckers, but so nice and sharp, and just the right amount of heft in my hand. I heart them. So much that I fully plan to hand-wash them as directed, rather than tossing them in my dishwasher.
OK, back to the Cricut.
Hooray--success! I personally don't understand the flower in the middle of this image, but the joy is that you don't have to use it since it's on its own there. I could toss it out and replace it with something else, if I so desired.So, excited by my success, I decide to get a bit more adventurous and discover you can input multiple, different images to print at the same time (one after another, that is). Let's see how that turned out.
The machine finishing up its cut here. Once it's done, you just hit a button and the roller bar gently ejects the mat from the machine.
I got even more adventurous after it finished the first cut (the two images on the top) and decided to play around with the ability to move the starting point of the blade. It has 8 directions you can move it in, so I just bumped it to the left so the other images would cut right below the first two.I enjoy the scroll-y shapes--always have. The butterfly is cute, but delicate. And the cupcake had some issues with where the machine attempted to cut some slits for the wrapper's folds. But here's where those toothpicks come in handy in helping clean out those crevices. Cricut makes a set of tools especially for the Cricut Cake, and one looks like (basically) a fancy metal toothpick with a handle. So--for now--I work with what I have.
Here's the book that comes with the cartridge. What it does is show you each and every image the cartridge has. AND it shows you what the different "creative feature" options will do to said image. For example, you can choose to have a "filled in shadow" of your image, which will result in something like the bottom left hand corner there, if you can see it. Basically, you could place that behind the one I cut out, and have a spiffy layered look.
The creative features are also how you access the fonts and phrases that have come with the cartridge. And here's where this little spiral-bound notebook becomes your Cricut Cake Bible--these phrases and fonts are NOT on the keyboard overlay (I'll wait here while you scroll back up to the keyboard image to verify this). So unless you have a really good memory, you need the book to know which phrases or letters are associated with which keys. 
Here I've decided to go with the two versions of "Happy Birthday" included in my cartridge. This is them fresh out of the machine and not cleaned up.
In the middle of cleaning them up. I started to notice my fondant was cracking and, in general, no longer cooperating. This is fondant I bought back in August, used part of, and have had stored away since, so already it wasn't the freshest stuff. And then--by this point--I'd re-kneaded and re-rolled it 4 or 5 times, so it had lost most of its elasticity.
So that's why these ended up looking a little raggedy. At least, I hope that's why. It may also help to do them bigger--with them as small as I did (2" each), a lot of the connections and details were just too small to maintain, especially with fondant that was cracking and whatnot.And that was the end of my first playtime with my Cricut Cake! I figured I should probably quite before my fondant's penchant for cracking and tearing started getting me super-frustrated.
The good news is that the Hobby Lobby has a 40% off coupon this week, so getting some fresh is no problem. I'll have to make 2 trips, as I also want a pasta rolling machine (they have them in the clay-working aisle). Mom suggested it, and I think it's probably a good idea to help me get the fondant rolled out uniformly--as thin as it needs to be--quickest and easiest.
The Cricut cartridges and accessories are also on sale for 30% off--I'm going to try to resist, but we'll see how that goes. In my research, I've discovered that with a different blade, the Cricut Cake CAN be used for paper, so I'm intrigued by that. Especially since there is also a cartridge that cuts lovely cupcake wrappers (do a Google search for filigree cupcake wrappers for an idea). It would be cool to be able to do those at home, especially since they're so pricey! If I'm feeling particularly entrepreneurial, I could sell them on Etsy!
If nothing else, a few additional cutting mats and replacement blades wouldn't be a bad idea. The mat isn't self-healing, so it carries a little imprint of the cuts you make on it. It'll last awhile, but certainly not forever, and replacements are relatively inexpensive. And I've read that, if you work with different fondant colors, it helps to have a different mat for the different colors. Or at least one for darks, one for lights, and one for white to avoid bits of trapped fondant contaminating one another.
So, next time, I think it'll be time for a different cartridge--I'm thinking the Martha Stewart Elegant Cakes one. It's right up my alley. If/when that happens, pictures and a re-cap will follow.
Goodnight all!
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Cookie bouquet!
My first cookie bouquet--we're hoping these are big sellers for Valentine's. Especially since ours are $20 less than the chain place (and has 3 more cookies, to boot).
New location opening this coming Tuesday--yikes! I interviewed people for the first time today, and came out with two people I'm planning on extending an offer to. And we have some more interviews tomorrow, so I'm hoping we get a couple more people out of those--fingers crossed!
Monday, January 11, 2010
Valentine's Day!
In other news, the bakery opens a new location on (tentatively) January 19th! So if you're up by the new UNM West Campus in Rio Rancho around that time, stop by and see how panicked we are!
Just kidding.
...well, maybe not so much. Lots to do, and not a lot of time to do it in. We'll be one busy crew this coming week.
Adding to that, I'll be moving up in to the bakery manager position (woo-hoo!)--so it's definitely a time of fluctuation right now.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Where did I go?!
I'm awful at this blogging stuff, I've decided. Or, at least, awful at keeping updated. I don't understand how the Pioneer Woman updates at least once per day (and usually, more than that--more like once per day per section of her site). I guess it helps when one lives out in the country and isn't working a 9 to 5?
Where do I sign up for that? :-)
So, Christmas passed with no major catastrophes--and then we hit that awkward period between Christmas and Valentine's Day. Wherein all of us at the bakery were asking the same question, "how should we decorate things?" It's easy when there's a holiday (i.e. Christmas) or an event of some kind (i.e. Superbowl), but these first few weeks of January were kind of a weird transition point.
And, adding to that, a severe drop in the demand for cookies. And baked goods, in general. No people looking for a box of stuff to take to a party, or a couple dozen cookies to stick in the jar to pass off as their own when the in-laws arrive.
And the Resolutioners. I don't begrudge anyone trying to get healthier--I don't. In fact, I'm working on it myself. But please, PLEASE--stop coming into the bakery asking for sugar-free/gluten-free/"something healthier" and then lecturing us on how we should really think about offering it since you're SURE things like that would sell right now. Because I'm barely being able to stop myself from countering that I'm SURE those first 5 pounds you're trying to work off would go a lot faster if you stopped eating baked goods, in general--sugar-free/gluten-free/etc. does NOT equal calorie-free.
Just sayin'.
Aaaaanyway...we've started doing Valentine's cookies to get those out there so people can see what we have to offer and (hopefully) have it in mind when the actual time comes to order gifts. I'll get those photos up shortly (today or tomorrow--I know you're waiting with baited breath).
And I did a few football themed cookies--not realizing what a controversy I would cause when I didn't do one for every single NFL team. More on that when I get those photos up later this week.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
The Santa saga
I know I already talked about it, but I wanted to SHOW the work that goes into these gosh darned Santas. Someone ordered 7 dozen cookies from us last week and, when they had come in to look at what we had to offer, had seen the Santas and specifically requested that those be part of the 7 dozen.
Now, this is almost step-by-step. I skipped photographing a few steps every now and then along the way (like where Santa's suit goes from being just a red outline to being totally red AND having the first part of his arm done--there's drying time between those two steps). But just take a look, and remember that between each of these steps is about 30-45 of drying time (if not more) to try to keep it clean. Takes foreeeeeeever.
So, without further ado, the Creation of The Santa:
And there he is--all done and ready to go out! (Until you come in the next day and find that the red has bled into the white and the black had bled into the red and have to do some emergency cover-ups....oh, the epic joys of royal icing...)
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Dipping v. outlining-and-filling
So, first of all, the invitation ornaments. With their phone number blanked out--I don't just have weird spots like that on my cookies, I swear. :-)
In other news...recently, one of our suppliers showed us a recipe and a technique for dipping cookies instead of outlining and flooding. Now, I still prefer the outlining and flooding technique because, in general, it produces a sharper, cleaner look to the edge of the cookie.
These little suckers were dipped in the red, rather than using the outline and fill technique. See those bottom edges there? They make me cringe. And they make me worry at night when I'm trying to go to sleep. I kid you not. Cookie anxiety--it's a real problem, people, and the only solution is to raise awareness and find a cure. :-)
So far, the cure consists of practice and experimenting with this stuff. It's awful--I mean as far as a product to work with. It tastes fine. I swear. Please keep buying my cookies. :-)
But when it gets mixed up (it uses a special kind of sugar), the consistency is kind of like a thick, gloppy glue. And then you have to heat it and thin it down to a dipping consistency. So, more high maintenance than a simple royal icing. And if the consistency isn't juuuuust right--drips. Drips all over the place.
We learned that the simpler the shape, the more successful we are at getting the icing to stay on the cookie. And sprinkles on top of wet icing? Not a good idea--pushes the icing right off the side. I'm sure there's some scientific explanation, but I'm going to go with, "sprinkles are heavy." We have to let the base dry, then put on sprinkles with royal icing afterward.
The bottom line is...well, our bottom line. We have to have sure that we can supply the product being demanded of us and make a profit doing so. And once we get a few people who can master the technique, this is a much more efficient way of getting the base color on the cookies. It goes on faster and dries to the touch quicker than royal icing, allowing us to get through more in less time. And when we have 500+ cookies going out a week, efficiency is our friend, so long as we can balance that with pretty.
Because I refuse to send out not-pretty cookies.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Christmas cookies
I imagine this will be the first of multiple Christmas-themed posts. Our pastry chef found the Elf and Santa ornaments at Williams-Sonoma and brought them in to see how they baked up. They're definitely cute, but boy-howdy do they take some time to decorate.
Santa here consisted of multiple steps. I had to outline the different parts in the different colors, but couldn't do all the outlining at once, lest the colors bleed into each other, so that took some time. And then there was the experiment of creating that arm holding the bag out of icing. I had to let the red fill of his coat dry, then do a chunky line for the first part of the arm. Then I had to let THAT dry before adding the forearm. And then THAT dry before tacking on the hand holding the bag. So, this one definitely won't be a regular in our rotation. Not cost-effective. But he's available for special order!
Then we have his elf who was only slightly less time-consuming. And that darn face. I couldn't figure out a way to make it look any less cartoon-y. But still, available for order if he floats your boat!
And then we have the ornaments. Oh, how I love the ornaments. They fall just below snowflakes as my favorite. There's just SO much you can do with them. For example, I had a woman order 30 of these with a sugar sheet on top to where they were turned into invitations to her Christmas party. And all the info was right there on the cookie. I'll definitely have to see if I can find one of the sample cookies I did and take a photo.
These are so fun. One of my bosses ordered a stencil that you just lay over the (dry) iced cookies, and you just swipe some buttercream over it. Lift it off and...ta da! The unfortunate part is that our bakery's awesome Italian meringue buttercream doesn't crust over like some other buttercreams. So if I want to do this in the future, I'll have to whip up a special batch of the kind that gets hard after awhile (American buttercream, made with shortening, if I'm not mistaken) to make them shelf-stable. Otherwise, they smudge waaaay too easily (see on the right hand cookie down near the bottom?).
And I tried to sub in some white royal icing rather than buttercream....yeah, not so much. It comes out a lot messier and less pretty.
Winter cookies!
Not to be confused with Christmas cookies, which will be right after these little suckers. As you can imagine, this time of year is a pretty popular time for baked goods, in general. And it leaves no shortage of winter and holiday-themed cookies to decorate.
These, though...I think of all the cookies I've been doing for this time of year, these top the list as my favorite. Just like those leaves I played around with before I was hired, I like to go for a more whimsical approach when I do the snowflakes. Hence the swirls and dots and whatnot. And I'm not the only fan! Someone came in and got one of these when they were out for general sale at some point, then came in last week to put in a special order for a dozen of just snowflakes. So, I'll get to do these Monday or Tuesday for that person.
I LOVE special orders. It can sometimes be a little chaotic to balance them with the day-to-day decorating needs, but at the same time, it makes me so excited to know that people have taken note of the cookies and like them enough to put in a special order for more.
The first ginormous order
(Disclaimer: Dear HP, please don't sue me for posting your logo--I just wanted to show off the cookies you commissioned. Since you e-mailed my boss saying you loved them and all. Thanks! Love, Cherron)
Not a week after I started at the bakery, I was told that HP (yes, the computer company) wanted an order of 400 cookies to celebrate the opening of their new branch or something here in ABQ (you can tell I'm real big on the details here). Luckily, they wanted then in two batches--150 packed individually in bags (above), then 250 on platters 2 days later.
The cookies were cut in the shape of NM, iced with plain white royal icing, then topped with a sugar sheet of the HP chrome logo.
Oh, sugar sheets...the love/hate relationship I already have with them. They're awesome in that, by using them, we can put nearly any image a customer would want onto a cookie or cake. they suck in that they don't handle the NM dryness all that well.
As can be seen with these ones. If you look closely at that one on the left, the right hand edge is all jagged and cracked. That's what happens when you try to cut them when they've dried out too much. They just shatter. So I ended up trying to rig a system using damp towels, parchment paper, and baking pans to make them more flexible to make them easier to handle and make them dissolve into the icing better.
This was only a portion of that order. I had some help in the form of our lovely cake decorator and one of the other employees at the bakery. I could never, ever have gotten it done without those ladies unless I was willing to put in some serious overtime and lose feeling in my right hand from all the bagwork.
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