So Thankful

It's Thanksgiving Eve...and I have so much to be thankful for!

Just for fun, I am thankful that I get to spend my time doing this some days:



And make these on other days:



And these too:



But I am also very thankful to have had these beautiful ladies in my life for so many years before having to say good-bye:





And I am thankful for so many amazing friends, and wonderful and talented colleagues, who support and believe in me, and who are such great sources of inspiration in both business and life!

And I am thankful for my loving family, who have supported my dreams for as long as I can remember. I am proudly who I am because of them.

And I am thankful for my wonderful fiancee who is a kind, loving and generous man, has a love for life that is infectious, and whose encouragement is endless.

**My best wishes to you for a safe and Happy Thanksgiving!**

So Thankful

A Peony for Fall

Just when I thought I had completed the last peony for awhile, this little cake needed one too. Dusted in shades of peach and pink, and paired with some green hydrangea, I needed it to somehow work for a fall-themed cake. I added some chocolate fondant, tailored grosgrain ribbon, and a creamy colored cake pedestal...and ended up with a design that I feel looks warm and appropriate for this time of year:







The most difficult element of the cake design was the ribbon! I had originally planned on a simple brown grosgrain, but it made the cake look like a stacked blob of chocolate with no definition. Delicate green, coral and peach ribbons all competed with the flowers and looked too busy. I think the ribbon I finally chose was just the right balance of color and texture to make the cake look finished, but pretty too.

Ridiculous, I know...but honestly, when I'm working on a cake, these are the things I think about!

A Peony for Fall

The Grace of a Single Flower

It's not much of a secret that I really like the look of colorful bouquets of sugarpaste flowers. It's definitely becoming part of my design style. I love to mix various shapes, sizes and colors, hopefully ending up with luxuriant, full-looking, abundant bouquets that are teeming with flowers, buds and leaves.

Here are several of my favorites:





So, it was a little more challenging for me to make this cake knowing that it would be decorated with a single flower. Happily, the flower was a peony, and it needed to be large and comprised of many petals. Full and ruffled, yet soft and simple at the same time, it was the perfect way to top a cake designed with clean lines and delicate details.

The peony began with a styrofoam center:



Adding petals to cover the center:



Many petals later...the completed peony flower:



And the leaves:



Offset on the top tier:



And the final cake on a coordinating ceramic stand:





As this cake came together, I found myself easily convinced about a single sugarpaste flower as a wonderful choice for decoration. It has its own charm, and the elegant, clean lines are definitely a style I want to keep creating!

The Grace of a Single Flower