So I still have one more cake to make...

For my SIL's son Alex. It's changed 2 or 3 times but at last count it was supposed to be something to do with Firemen. She's having the party Thanksgiving weekend So after cleaning up the big Thanksgiving mess that gives me the next day to make the cake lol (I almost think they plan stuff this way on purpose) It seems everything my SIL's plan is some big PITA. So I was talking to my husband tonight and I said, "Do you realize that your sister is having Alex's birthday party Thanksgiving weekend?" He gave me this look, because it is one of the very few long weekends he has off from work, so he wasn't thrilled. I also told him that he needed to start picking up supplies for the cake because the fondant for the Fire Helmet part of the cake alone is $16.00 that isn't counting cake mix, eggs, oil, frosting.. A vein in his forehead started throbbing..."for the price of the fondant alone they could get a bakery cake!" he said.. I asked him if he heard his sister at Ethan's party, she said "Kelly's now the official cake maker for the kids birthdays, because she does them so well.." So I don't know, come next year I think I may have to nicely say that if I make the cake that I cannot afford to get a present too. We have so far because we are Aunt and Uncle and don't want them to have a party and open presents from everybody but Aunt and Uncle...

kelly, are you a professional who sells cakes to other people? It sounds like you ARE really good at it, using fondant and all. For next year and thereafter, why don't you make a price list (even if it doesn't reflect the real costs) and list the cake prices, with the names of a few types you do? In that way, it will narrow things down, get you noticed and perhaps a little change in your pocket. You know, people turn their hobbies into profits all the time.

I also took the Wilton cake classes and while fondant isn't hard, it's time consuming.

I think you should be charging, I would be. When i order a cake from a cousin or aunt I pay for it. I would double your cost, for a starting price.

The funny thing is pearly that if I was professionally making cakes for a living, I would be able to get the supplies cheaper lol

I would SO not do a present and the cake. The cake is more than enough. Your SIL's are running all over you and while you may love your family, they should treat you with some respect. It's too late to make a fuss this year, but I would spend some time thinking of what is and isn't reasonable to you and then let your SIL's know well in advance of the birthdays what you are and aren't willing to do.

Figure in the price of your supplies, planning time, creative license, and then the HOURS you put in to make the cake and it really is both a gift and a labor of love. I am truly surprised that your relatives have not offered payment on the cakes. Of course you're the designated cake baker of the family. Where else can they get a gorgeous free cake, that's custom-made especially for them?

So Kelly.. since you are officially the cake maker.. dd's bday party will be the weekend BEFORE thanksgiving and we need a circus cake... oh wait... maybe just an animal cake... nooo let's go with a circus tent after all..

LOL at Connie!

lol, Connie, if you were here I would gladly make one for you or anyone of you here. It just makes it hard because most of the time they are looking down their nose at me and thinking I should be more like them. If I were more like Krishn's sisters, then he never would have liked me But seriously it's hard to take a lot of time to do something for someone like them. When I do something like this, I like everything to look good, and I stress and take forever trying to make it just right. I think they feel like I just slap it all together and it's done. Oh well, lesson learned, maybe nexy year I will be "unavailable".

Forgot to mention that today SIL(the one who came up from Portland her one is the boy that I made the train cake for). She was supposed to e-mail the pics that her and her husband took of the party. So we get them today, and there isn't one of them that have the cake I made in it, not even one of him blowing out the candles, or eating the cake nothing,there were other pics from the party. However, there was a picture of him with the cake that some woman down near their home had made for them on the actual day of his birthday..

I told hubby that I was kind of insulted and he was grumpy..he hates it when his sisters do things like this, it embarrasses him that they can be like that...

Oh, Kelly! That is awful! I would cry over something like that. I would. I mean, you put in all that time and effort and they didn't show any consideration of you at all. I know that it was for your nephew, not his mom, but even so, that was a low blow.

I agree... next year you'll be unavailable, preferably making cakes for paying and appreciative clients.

Well, maybe after a year or so with plain bakery cakes they will reconsider? There aren't any places around here that make anything but the straight laced bakery cakes. So if either SIL wants a cake next year they will have to buy a regular cake and their kids will have regular cakes like everybody else.

Hee. Kelly, email her and ask her how much she paid for the beautiful cake that lady made. Tell her you're gathering ideas and doing research for your own cakes.

I'm bad, I know. But take her bad Karma and turn it around on her.