Pink and White Damask Wedding Cake

I have always admired damask.  For some, it may look a bit oldish (so back in the days) but in my eyes it exudes so much class and style.  I love seeing it on wallpapers, scrapbook materials, notebooks, on pretty much everything.  Oh and most specially on the cakes, wedding cakes.

When this wedding cake project came along, I couldn't instantly think of anything more perfect to complement sugar flowers with than a picture of damask on the background.  Of course I had to get the client's thoughts about it first before getting too excited in finalizing the design, although I was hoping she'd say yes to it.  Lucky enough she did approve my ideas.  Yes!

A week before event date, parcel arrived.  This cost me nearly $30 from Ebay (including postage).  A bit pricey but it was the cheapest I could find.  It came from Melbourne while some of the ones I've seen would have to come from the UK and US.

As for the sugar flowers, I wanted to make something different than the frilly roses I always do.  They're pretty but I find them a bit difficult to attach on the cake when they have already dried.  

Pinterest always has an alternative when you need one.  Found this very helpful tutorial.  

I must haven't done it as perfectly but this is my version.

Now all set for the big project.  Bottom cake is chocolate mud and top is vanilla.  Excuse the low lighting. These photos were taken at around 12 midnight.

Australian Citizenship Pledge Day

Me and the Mayor of Albany, Mr. Dennis Wellington

I'm officially an Australian Citizen!  

Last Thursday, the 16th of this month, I was one among the group of Filipinos together with other nationalities who took part in a very memorable event where we made an oath...

"From this time forward, under God,

I pledge my loyalty to Australia and its people,

whose democratic beliefs I share,

whose rights and liberties I respect, and

whose laws I will uphold and obey."

Becoming an Australian citizen is a choice and I truly believe that this has to be one of the best choices I have made in my life. 

But whatever I have become, wherever I may be, regardless of this transition, I know I will always embrace and live up to the values I was brought up with.  

Outfit on Pledge Day - OOPD

As soon as I learned that I successfully passed the Citizenship test, my imagination started to wander on what to wear for the ceremony, already.  Don't give me that silly look.  I was just getting intoxicated seeing those ladies on INSTAGRAM showing off their beautifully put together clothes, shoes and accessories.  I envy them.  Envy often connotes evil desire, I might just use the word ADMIRE.  I admire them because they could afford to buy expensive brands.  I admire them because they have the creativity and style to mix and match pieces and still look good.  I admire them because they have barbie-like waistline and hair.  I admire them because they look so chic and fashionable.  I can go on and on saying every little things that I admire about them.  And I think it's a good way to inspire women, ladies and girls to feel good and be more confident about themselves, in one way or another.  

Just for a day, allow me to blog about what I was wearing on my Citizenship Pledge Ceremony.  

Dress: Temt , Necklace: Vintage shop,  Earrings: Guess,
Watch: DKNY, Bracelet: DKNY, Rings: Guess,
Shoes: Guess

The look I was aiming to achieve was more of a classic-vintage.  I opted to wear black because it always gives that "slim" illusion.  So when we went to Perth last month, I looked at every store in Harbour Town for the style I had pictured in my mind.  I wanted something that has lace details but black specifically, but couldn't find any.  Nearly gave up but when I spotted this dress hanging on the rack and thought it would be a perfect substitute for the style I was looking for.  The shoes came later as a bonus when I was doing some online shopping one night.  I already had a pair to wear but it was the lace design that caught my attention.  Didn't waste another minute to think, they were delivered at my doorsteps two days before the date of event.  Some of the accessories are part of my Guess jewelry collection.  The pearl necklace I bought from an antique shop ages ago for only $2.00.

Lipstick: Dior, Mascara: Revlon, Eyeliner: Estee Lauder
Blush: Maybelline, Eyeshadow pallette: Cover Girl

A friend of mine did my hair and make up for the day.  Believe it or not, she did all of it in not more than 30 minutes!  The end result was surprisingly good.  I love that it complements my overall look.  

Project: Barbie cake and cupcakes

I was recently given the privilege to do a cake and some cupcakes for one of our friend's daughter who turned seven on January first.  It's a common knowledge that Filipinos love celebrating birthdays, most especially kids birthdays.  But it still remains unclear to me why the 7th for the girls is always given as much importance as the 18th.  Could someone please explain that to me?  

Hazel, the mom, personally came to our house a few weeks back to discuss with me the kind of cake they would like.  Barbie was the chosen theme for the party so somehow I could already picture out in my head some bits of ideas.  A 3-tier cake with barbie sitting on top would be the main design, while pink being the primary color. 

Another 3-tier would then be added to my portfolio.  Praise the Lord!  

Monday, the 31st, while most of you were probably busy preparing for medya noche, I, in our own little kitchen, was working under pressure.  Had two cakes to decorate, cupcakes to bake and a myriad other tasks to do.  Sigh.  

Surprisingly, covering this cake went all smooth and easy.  Stacking didn't give me any trouble this time. 

I certainly had fun working on this project.  The combination of pink and white gave it a very feminine touch. 

And Barbie, isn't she the prettiest in her deep black hair?

As for the cupcakes, I had to waste one batch of red velvet cupcakes of about 18 pieces because for some reason they didn't rise properly.  It might have been caused by the warm weather that day or there could be any other.  But when I tried another batch lowering the oven temperature from 170 degrees Celsius to 150, somehow the cupcakes came out much better than I expected.  

Didn't get the chance to take some nice macro photos of these cupcakes.  I was too busy working all day trying to finish these projects and then cooking for our New Year's Eve party. 

Coming home at 1 o'clock in the morning, I still had to frost these cupcakes.  Went to bed at 3AM and started work at 8AM.  Such a great way to start a new year!

Cakes by Sheryl is all smiles for 2013

Fresh start of the year for Cakes by Sheryl as it welcomes 2013 with a broad smile, positive outlook and fervor to do its utmost.

Looking not too far back at the year that was, I can't help but feel overwhelmed at all the wonderful things that have come my way.  So many doors of opportunities have opened up for my craft to be known by far greater people than my usual Filipino community, which I am, and will always be, very grateful for.  This has likewise helped me gain just a little bit of confidence, in myself and in my talent.

First quarter of 2012 when Cakes by Sheryl was born.  Took me a long while considering the idea of generating my very own Facebook page.  Do I have what it takes?  Are my cakes even worth a spot in the social media platform?  Would it be able to keep up with the other pages out there? I assumed the answers were yes.  In no less than a week since launching it, I was able to get 50 likes.  90 people have clicked like, at present.  Believe it or not, I have never been so proud of my name than before.  I've always wished I had a different name growing up.  Now more than ever, I just want to embrace my name wholeheartedly for all the recognition it has given me.  I would never trade my name for any other names. 

This isn't an easy task, as you all know, and heaven knows how much effort, patience and hours are required for every single project to get done.  At times I feel like quitting.  But I know deep inside I can't just let my dream, my life, slip away.  I would often complain of physical pain and not having enough sleep but I will never get weary from doing what I love.  Whenever a new client come to me and tells me good words about my cakes, I could just melt in joy.  When I get a simple "thank you" from a pleased client, my hearts gets easily filled with glee.  One way or another, I find sense of achievement and peace of mind.

For 2013,

• Will "try" to learn new techniques in fondant 
• Will improve on handcrafted figures
• Will manage work load wisely
• Will "try" to learn cake decorating using piped icing
• Will try out new and exciting cakes and cupcakes recipes
• Will try as much as possible to be updated with my cake blog posts 
• Will try to be as organized as an OCD with my baking tools and utensils

There you go!  I hope and pray that my bucket list, as far as cake making is concerned, would all be ticked off by end of this year.  Crossing my fingers *wink*

I look forward to more constructive challenges that would help me bring out the best of my ability.  To make this happen, I trust the Lord that more people will continue to believe and appreciate the kind of work that I do.

May the new year bring forth abundance and goodness to us all. Happy new year!

BIG Project for 2013

It's official.  I just accepted an order for one big project - my very first wedding cake.  Woohoo! 

It took me a long while and a lot of persuading before finally saying yes.  I had to think through a million times.  Am I ready for a project this big?  Am I equipped with the right skills and technique?  I can't confidently answer that with a yes but I can guarantee that my passion and determination will help me become prepared.  It's all that motivates me since day one. 

To be very honest I still can't imagine myself being in this position.  Who would have thought that someone like me who has never had any formal training could actually make cakes and sell them too?  Not even in my wildest imagination.  I tell you I've had so many failed attempts in the past that almost made me give up.  But there's always a reason why we make every effort worth a try.  It does help a lot when you love what you do.

Now three years after, here I am more positive than I have ever been.   

"What the mind can conceive and believe it can achieve"

This project may seem intimidating to begin with but I know in my heart this is going to be one exciting and remarkable first for me.  

Thank you Lord for your blessings! 

34th Family Day (Sep 23)

Guess it's about time I start blogging about our weekly family day again.  For some reasons, I've lost track counting since coming back from our much-spent holiday.  Well, I did try to keep up but I just couldn't find time to sit down and sort them out like I used to do in the past.  There are other more important matters I have to attend to, like going back to reading in between breaks from making cakes and household chores.  Fair enough.

Last Sunday, we were joined by Bunso and family over dinner.  The two kids, Charmelle and Ashlyn enjoyed playing with each other.  Quite unusual seeing them having fun, unlike the old times where they would always quarrel over a toy or just anything.  Now they seem to be in a harmonious relationship.  Somehow they have matured in their own little way.

Please click link for photos:  http://s929.photobucket.com/albums/ad136/sherylsantos31/34th%20Family%20Day/

Goodbye Apollo, Hello Triton

Anekh and Apollo in 2008

Apollo has been with us since October of 2008, at the time I was getting ready to migrate here.  Hubby knows very well the necessity and convenience of having a service car and that was the main purpose of us acquiring one though we opted to just settle for a pre-owned for practical reasons.  He was still in immaculate condition when we got him from another Pinoy who works at Fletcher as well.

In the last three years, Apollo had been a very reliable companion to us.  But it wasn't until early this year when we started to notice minor troubles.  Sorry if I can't elaborate on that.  I know nothing about cars, the same way that I am not interested in learning how to drive them.  The only thing I am sure of was the cause for him to finally breakdown.  According to the report handed to us by the auto mechanic shop, our car got to the point of a blown head gasket and it would cost somewhere between $1500-3000 to have it fixed.  OMG!  That's a lot of money.  We could have used him still to get around town or nearby place, but engine could just stop any moment and we don't want that to happen. 

Hubby was so bothered.  Clearly there was no other choice but to have it repaired.  While discussing what to do best, we arrived at one common decision.  And that was to get a new vehicle then just get rid of the old one (if anyone would want to buy it).  

That same afternoon, we searched various car selling sites trying to find something that suits our budget.  We have always wanted an Isuzu Navara ute.  But if not too expensive, most of them were on manual transmission.  We were losing hope... One phone call changed everything.  Chad mentioned about an add on the Weekender.  Without wasting another minute, I grabbed my phone and dialed the number.  The next minute, we were heading to McKail to check it out. 

The vehicle was parked right at the front of the owner's house and as we were getting closer I had this weird feeling that the perfect replacement was within our reach.  I let the guys do the necessary checks.  As per Chad's recommendation, the over-all condition is remarkable, apart from minor dent and scratches on the body.  Moments later, negotiation was already made.  

The following day, which was a Friday, after I have finished work, Hubby came to fetch me up driving his new big toy.  It seemed so much different from when I first saw it the day before than seeing it again for the second time.  The colors looked more defined now than it was.  And it felt strange having to clamber up the passenger seat.

Meet Triton.

Triton side-by-side with Apollo

It's been two weeks since he moved with us.  Somehow, we are slowly getting used to having a huge ute.  I know Hubby stills needs more practice with the U-turns and in-between parking.  He is improving.

Triton is now officially a member of the household because we had him blessed last Sunday, by our friend Parish Priest, Father Bong.  

Yesterday, on the other hand, the time has come for us to bid farewell to our much-loved Apollo.  He has to seek a new home that will repair and take care of him.  It's sad to have to let him go but that's the least we can do.  If only I have a strong heart to face my fears and finally consider driving, I would have kept him.  Thank you for the wonderful years we shared together...  Adios Apollo!

Anekh, me and Triton

And thank you Lord for all your blessings!

Click link for photos: http://s929.photobucket.com/albums/ad136/sherylsantos31/Triton%20ute%20blessing%2016th%20of%20September/

Project: 50th Birthday Cake

When this order came up, I didn't know whether to accept it or not.  

I've never done a 50th birthday cake before.  Unlike most celebration cakes that I normally do, I find this one a bit tricky.  There isn't that many ideas to choose from, even on the web.  The client has given me free reign but it just makes the planning even worse.  Maybe I shouldn't have said yes to this in the first place.  I was running out of time and initiative.  

Just as I was about to give up, one image from www. flickr.com solved all my troubles.  It wasn't that appealing but with a little bit of creativity it will transform.

And startingly, it did.

Project: Blossoming Daisies Cake

I'd like to share with you this cake I made last Sunday for a friend's mum.  No particular theme preferred, I just thought it might look pretty with cut-out flowers.

Got the idea from the web, I just had to change the colors that I used for the flowers and the cake itself.