Faria - The Bookish Bakery

Writer + Baker 🎨 I teach cake artists how to paint on cakes with buttercream 🎨 I'm also a freelance copywriter! Find me on insta @thebookishbakery, let's work together :)

[thebookishbakery]

Look at this floofy fox with its floofy tail. 🥺💕🦊 Does this cake remind you of "Colors of the Wind?" Because if so, same. SAME. 🍂🍁 This adorable floof is my entry to this month's edition of #monthlycolorcollab2, in which our wonderful host, Wendy of @ww_bakes, asked us to create a bake using complementary colors! Click the hashtag for some complementary cakes & co! 💙🧡 💚❤ 💜💛 I chose blue and orange, although I'll confess some red and green snuck in there too. But blue and orange are complementary, and red and green are complementary, so I hope that counts as a pass this time around?  I've been so grateful for this monthly challenge. Thank you, Wendy, for continuing this behemoth of a collab. 💕 Every month it forces me to create at least one cake for no reason other than to push myself creatively!  Since my forte is primarily buttercream, my color collab cakes are usually made of fondant, so I can teach myself skills I'd otherwise never learn (namely - painting on fondant). And what do you know? It's actually a lot of fun!  _ In other news, I've been in a bit of a creative slump as I plod my way through boring behind the scenes work for the Buttercream Painting Academy. BUT once I get all my systems and processes in place, I've got the CUTEST buttercream paintings just waiting to be taught! You're going to love them!! 🎨🖌🐿 I haven't announced an official launch date yet because I've been slammed with unrelated work outside of this little cake bubble, but if things go as planned, I'll be launching in November! (Shhhhhh don't tell anyone. Also pass it on pls ❤️) _ Last thing - I'm taking a page out of @cotybeth_cakedesign's book! I think I want to name this little floof. What do you guys think would make for a suitable name? 🤔 . . . . . . #cakelife #woodlandcake #foxcake #pocahontascake #colorsofthewind #complementarycolors #cakegrid #cakecouture #paintedcake #autumncake #fallcake #paintedcakes #paintedcakeclass #instacaker #instacakes #instacakeart #watercolorflorals #watercolorwreath #watercolorfox #ediblewatercolor #edibleartwork #blueandorange #blueandorangecake #beyoutifulcakes #cakers #ediblepainting #cake_trends #cakeinspo https://www.instagram.com/p/CFaOKxwJyX7/?igshid=1v3xb5q9pg9iv

[thebookishbakery]

I hosted my first workshop for the Buttercream Painting Academy on Monday, and I was absolutely blown away by my talented students! Pictured here is the curious corgi I taught my students to create. Swipe to see each of their cakes! My students, in the order their cakes are posted: • Sarah, of @sarahscakesandsweets  • Cory, of @heycakethis • Jujhar, of @jujharsdessertbar I could not have asked for a better bunch of inaugural students. As my beta testers, they were tasked with the charge of critiquing me at every turn, and I was really worried that my teaching skills wouldn't be up to snuff.  Wonderful group that they are, they assuaged my fears and pointed out the things they enjoyed and the things they'd like more instruction on. They taught me so much. The entire workshop proved invaluable in so many ways! The atmosphere was relaxed. When things didn't quite go to plan, my students would say, "That's why we're beta testing!" Overall, we all had a ton of fun! I did have two major takeaways from the workshop:  𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝟭 Usually, I paint part of my background, then the showcase animal, and then I finish up the rest of the background.  My students had so much fun painting their backgrounds that I let them take more time than I'd initially intended before we started the corgi.  That proved to be a mistake.  Towards the end, my students had to rush to get their corgis painted, and didn't have the time I wanted to give them to add final strokes and details. I also didn't have enough time to shoot proper photos of each of their gorgeous cakes.  Next time, I'll flip the order of the course - statement animal first, background and embellishments after, and plenty of time at the end for photographs!  𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝟮 The joy I feel when I create a cool cake is nothing compared to watching my students succeed. I can't even begin to tell you how fulfilling it was to watch their designs come to life! I'm so proud of all my students for pulling through the beta workshop with awesome results!! Aren't they just amazing?? Suffice it to say, this workshop was only the beginning. Stay tuned for the next one! What animal would you like to see next? https://www.instagram.com/p/CEYcLmvJXyg/?igshid=40g3t1g5jba2

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The first Pooh is me, feeling excited about tomorrow's workshop with my very first Buttercream Painting Academy students!  ⬅️The second one is also me, feeling trepidation and a smidge of worry about how things will go. This is ALSO my eleventh hour, suuuper last minute post for the #monthlycolorcollab2 hosted by the amazing @ww_bakes. This month's theme was primary colors (red, yellow and blue). Check out the hashtag for more primary colored bakes! I wanted to stick to my watercolor theme for the collab, but I've been dying to make a Pooh cake and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to merge Pooh and watercolor cakes together!  The torn wafer paper script seemed suitably bookish to me. I love the original Winnie the Pooh books and really wanted to showcase them somehow, soooo here's Pooh, surrounded by fragmented stories (just like the sorts I tend to tell! Ha.)  Which Pooh are you? 1 or 2? https://www.instagram.com/p/CEQ1By6JDYP/?igshid=eklibi83bhlm

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I found this flowy script stencil and immediately pictured this cake in my mind's eye. It didn't turn out exactly how I envisioned but I love it nonetheless!⁣ ⁣ Vision is a funny thing, isn't it?⁣ ⁣ For a long time, when it came to The Bookish Bakery, I had no real vision.⁣ ⁣ I treated it like a hobby, not a business.⁣ ⁣ And then sweet, inspiring Sadra (@sweetographer), reached out and suggested I teach others how I paint on cakes.⁣ ⁣ I liked the idea, but I was riddled with doubt. Who was I to teach courses? I spent a lot of time thinking about all the ways I might fail.⁣ ⁣ But Sadra's stories and posts, and honestly, her enterprising spirit, had an affect on me. Little by little, she started unclogging my limited belief mentality. Her advice took root in my mind and then...things started to fall into place.⁣ ⁣ I began reframing my perspective. When I grew doubtful, she'd make some perfectly timed, serendipitous post that'd kick my worries to the curb.⁣ ⁣ In so many ways, Sadra has changed my outlook and mindset about how to run my business.⁣ ⁣ If you don't already know, let me tell you a little bit about Sadra. She is a cake artist turned dessert photographer turned course creator. ⁣ ⁣ She's an absolute visionary. She shares her clarity, creativity and passion without hesitation or reserve.⁣ ⁣ She's inspiring. Her positivity and growth mindset rub off on you without you even realizing! She inspires you to make real, impactful, tangible changes!⁣ ⁣ Her community-over-competition approach makes you feel less icky about the business side of things. Actually if you pay attention she encourages you to STOP feeling icky about the business side of things. ⁣ ⁣ She's a testament to perseverance and gumption. She's not shy about showing you where her own business flourished and floundered.⁣ ⁣ To follow her, to work with her, to learn from her, is a privilege that you do NOT want to miss out on. TRUST ME. You're life will be better with her in it.⁣ ⁣ Thanks to Sadra, I've finally launched The Buttercream Painting Academy and I am SO EXCITED! Class on Monday can't come fast enough! https://www.instagram.com/p/CEKVfBjJxug/?igshid=f0pamfnn3zve

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𝗪𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁? 𝟭, 𝟮, 𝟯, 𝗼𝗿 𝟰?⁣ ⁣ Not my usual floral watercolor painting, I grant you, but since anything is popsicle when it comes to cake, say hello to this watercolor-meets-pop-art orange creamsicle splash!🧡🧡🧡⁣ ⁣ This is my submission to the #anythingispopsiclecollab hosted by Sarah and Cheyenne (@bossbabebakes.ca and @sugarwillowcakes)! ⁣Click the hashtag for some refreshing, icy goodness. ⁣ P.S. Painting straight lines, freehand, is HARD. I feel like I didn't get the proportions on the popsicle quite right, but there's no going back on a brush stroke with a painting like this. 🤪⁣ . . . . . . . . . #watercolorcake #paintedcake #ricepapersail #summercakes #coolcakes #paintedcake #cakesicle #popsicle #popsicles #cakestagram #cakeideas #caketrend #cakespiration #cakesofig #cakedecorators #cakeboss #cakegoals #cakesdaily #uniquecakes #summercake #cakesofinsta #creamsicle #bakestagram #cakedesign #cakedesigns #cakedeocration #cakegram #cakestyle https://www.instagram.com/p/CDaz1l5psVT/?igshid=iqu1ejx7wz40

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Doesn't this cake look so 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨? All these colors make me so happy!💐🌱⁣ ⁣ I created this splashy kaleidoscope of color using leftover buttercream for this month's installation of the #freezercleanoutcollab hosted by one of my favorite cakers, @bakester_cat. ⁣ ⁣ I didn't clean my palette knife off every time I switched to a different color, and it kind of shows, but oh well. I was going for a sort of abstract garden party vibe, and I think I got it there? ⁣ How do you use up your leftover buttercream? ⁣ https://www.instagram.com/p/CDFzo0FJRZr/?igshid=lf2evs87obe7

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I took this shot in the soft silvery light of the final moments of Ramadan, which is fitting for a silver cake, isn't it? ⁣ ⁣ I'm sad that Ramadan is over, but I guess the silver lining here is that it's Eid! Eid Mubarak to everyone celebrating!! 🥳⁣ ⁣ For anyone who doesn't know very much about Eid, it's a big deal to Muslims. It's about as big a deal to us as Christmas is to the rest of the world, actually! Having to celebrate in these Cov-Eid conditions is definitely different, but we're all finding virtual ways to stay connected. ♡⁣ ⁣ Okay, back to the cake. I was so sure that I'd have this up by Thursday, but life got in the way, and it seems posting on Sunday has become my #monthlycolorcollab tradition. 🤦🏻‍♀️ Thank you Wendy (@ww_bakes), for tirelessly keeping this massive collab going, and giving us til Sunday every month to post! 😭💕 Check out the recent tab of the hashtag for beautiful silver cakes! ⁣ ⁣ I have done watercolor paintings for every edition of the color collab so far. This time, since the color of the month is silver, I decided to splash some @slofoodgroup silver leaf instead! It's not quite the same, but I like the effect! ⁣ ⁣ I asked my sisters what they thought of the cake, and they told me it looks too much like art. Actually, in one of my sister's exact words, "This looks like a decoration piece. Where's the caramel drip?? I don't want to eat art!" ⁣ ⁣ My sisters keep me humble. 😂⁣ ⁣ What do you think? Are my cakes too artistic? Should I dial it back and make them look more like food? 🤔 https://www.instagram.com/p/CAk_jDaJy3c/?igshid=10t5drvx9f7v7

[thebookishbakery]

Forever obsessed with this cake. 🙌🏻 If this doesn't say 𝐭𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞, I don't know what does!⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ The colors in this cake were all over the place, but then, I'm kind of all over the place too. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Take for example, today:⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ This morning, I was working on a caption writing ebook. But I wanted the colors in the book to match the website I'm still working on, so I went to my website to double check what hex codes I'd settled on. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ My website distracted me. I played around with different font pairings, when I remembered I still need to set up my mailing list. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ I headed over to my email, where I got waylaid once more. I found a webinar replay for a course on profit. I decided to watch it. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ While thinking about my profit margins, it occurred to me that I need to obtain a business address to set up my mailing list. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ That reminded me I needed to google local mailboxes that come with a biz address. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Out of curiousity, I hopped on ig to ask baker friends if they had any experience with mailboxes. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Someone in the group mentioned that Alberta is amending their food regulation to allow for low-risk foods to be sold from home WITHOUT A PERMIT! ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ So I called Fraser Health to see if BC has any similar amendments forthcoming. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ I couldn't get through to anyone at Fraser Health, so I called Vancouver Coastal Health instead. An environmental officer tasked with enforcing regulation told me if I want to lobby for food laws in British Columbia, I should find out how they passed in Alberta. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ So I googled the government of Alberta, and found a number I could call. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ A receptionist connected me to the office for the Ministry of Health. I left a detailed voice mail. ⁣⁣ I went back on ig to update friends on my progress, and came across a post for @thesprinkleacademy 's #TSAtexture photo challenge. I immediately thought of this cake!⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ So here we are. After alll that, here is my submission for the #TSAtexture challenge. ⁣⁣(Edit: I won!) ⁣⁣ Now, which unfinished task should I get back to first? 😬 And I wanna know - are you organized, or are you like me? 😂⁣ ⁣ Ebook, site and online course coming as soon as I sort myself out. 😅😬 https://www.instagram.com/p/CAOZ3yZHwyp/?igshid=1ozllgulj0bbh

[thebookishbakery]

"𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘢𝘯. 𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘪𝘵." ⁣⁣ -Lora Mathis⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ I took a step back from social media a couple days ago because I needed to reevaluate my priorities. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ I had this massive, growing to-do list that just got... ⁣⁣ ⁣ SO. ⁣⁣ ⁣ OVERWHELMING. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Then it occurred to me--why? Why was I creating arbitrary, unreasonable deadlines with disproportionate stakes? ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ I went back to my to-do list, and for each item on the list, I asked myself one question: ⁣ ⁣⁣ "What's the worst that will happen if I don't do this thing?" ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ I can't tell you how many times the answer was "nothing".⁣ 😳⁣ ⁣⁣ I moved all the "nothings" to the bottom of my list, and my actual priorities surfaced. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ I'm heading into this week with a more manageable list of to-dos, and it doesn't feel like I'm drowning anymore. And I even managed to squeeze in some cake therapy in the form of this painting!⁣🥳⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐤𝐞: ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ This is a painting of sweet peas. Weird name for a flower, but still cute so 🤷🏻‍♀️. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ I sketched the sweet peas out twice. I liked the first drawing more, but I had a hard time visualizing it on this tiny 4" cake. I sketched it out again, more squished together, while actually paying heed to the proportions of the cake, and that made it wayyy easier. ⬅️Swipe for the sketches.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ I also threw in purple watercolor splashes because this is my submission (at the eleventh hour, what else is new?) to the #monthlycolorcollab which is still going strong thanks to our dedicated leader, @ww_bakes . Click the hashtag and the recent tab to see tons of purple bakes!💜💜💜⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Also this style of watercolor is inspired by Isa @poppyandgrayco, who is a botanical watercolor master. ⁣⁣ _⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ If you'd like to learn how to paint on cakes, drop your email in my stories. I'll let you know when my online course goes live! https://www.instagram.com/p/B_LaJNapq_X/?igshid=1co2jmnp3jhxa

[thebookishbakery]

"Yes, Harry Potter!” said Dobby at once, his great eyes shining with excitement. “And if Dobby does it wrong, Dobby will throw himself off the topmost tower, Harry Potter!”⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ “There won’t be any need for that,” said Harry hastily.⁣⁣ _⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Dobby always does his best to do the right thing, and he punishes himself relentlessly when he messes up. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ I don't go smashing my head into lamps or ironing my hands when things go wrong, but as an unrelenting perfectionist, I do torture myself overthinking things, and I'm always 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘺 over the moon when things go to plan. I think an argument can be made that Dobby is a super relatable character. Sometimes, I am Dobby. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ 𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐤𝐞:⁣⁣ ⬅️Swipe to see the poster this cake is based on. I wish I'd made it on styrofoam so I could keep it! ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ I am as excited about this cake as Dobby was when he got a sock from Lucius Malfoy. On the other hand, I think it could be SO much better. Right now I'm posting it because I promised, not because I'm satisfied with it. 😭 Will I keep working on it, and possibly ruin it? Quite probably. ⁣⁣ _⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ "Master has given a sock," said the elf in wonderment. "Master gave it to Dobby." ⁣⁣ "What's that?" spat Mr. Malfoy. "What did you say?"⁣⁣ "Dobby has got a sock," said Dobby in disbelief. "Master threw it, and Dobby caught it, and Dobby--Dobby is free." ⁣⁣ _⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ This cake was originally designed for the #freezercleanoutcollab hosted by the gracious @bakester_cat, but a mix of stress and anxiety coupled with a lack of motivation delayed my entry to the collab (by three weeks). ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ This cake is also part of the #reducereuserecake initiative hosted by @saucybakes and @cupcakesandconfetti1 to help save ingredients during the pandemic! I've redecorated this twice now without baking new cakes or wasting ingredients!⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ALSO, remember how I said I'll be putting together a buttercream painting class? Since I can't do in person beta classes for a while, I'll focus on creating an online painting course instead! Sign up in my stories if you'd like to be added to the mailing list! ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ What do you guys think? Is Dobby a success? https://www.instagram.com/p/B-2X0pWp-OK/?igshid=7wa8ew1xjn9

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This month's theme is all things green for the #monthlycolorcollab hosted by the wonderful @ww_bakes ! Click the hashtag and check out tons of awesome green bakes! 💚💚💚⁣ ⁣ ⁣ 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦? ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ When do you say 𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡? ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ When left to my own devices I have a hard time stopping myself. The curse of perfectionists everywhere, am I right? 🤣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Then again, sometimes perfectionism can be a boon. For a long time I told myself I couldn't paint on cakes, for a lot of reasons:⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ 𝐎𝐛𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐥𝐞 𝟏: I told myself I wasn't talented enough. Who was I to think I could paint anything worthwile?⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ 𝐎𝐛𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐥𝐞 𝟐: Online tutorials led me to believe that painting without alcohol was futile. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ This was a 𝘣𝘪𝘨 barrier for me. As a Muslim, I stay away from alcohol, period. Every tutorial online explained that gel food colors needed to be diluted with alcohol, because it evaporates as one paints. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Some tutorials had caveats: yes, you 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 use water, but the colors wouldn't be vibrant, and the water would stay wet and be more difficult to paint with. ⁣So disheartening.⁣ ⁣⁣ 𝐎𝐛𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐥𝐞 𝟑: For the most part, I am a buttercream baker. Cake artists on television painted on fondant. Buttercream wasn't considered as versatile.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝟏: I ignored the self doubt and decided to just try. I really, really wanted to paint on cakes.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝟐: I decided water would have to be good enough. To combat the wetness, I blotted at my buttercream with small scraps of paper towel. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝟑: I made my cakes with buttercream 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘸𝘢𝘺, and refrigerated them until the buttercream was firm. I painted little by little, with multiple trips to the fridge. And the results were so worth it.💕 **⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ **This particular cake is actually a dummy covered in fondant. I'm adapting to ingredient shortages in the area. 🤷🏻‍♀️ ⁣⁣ In some instances, deciding not to draw the line can yield great results! ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ In 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘪𝘪𝘪𝘴 case, I'm undecided. Should I have stopped myself from adding the gold? 🤔 What do you think? https://www.instagram.com/p/B-BDCQyps4C/?igshid=1iv7z7ru213r0

[thebookishbakery]

Starry night, but make it ~𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘨~ ✨⁣ ⁣ ⁣ This cake is my laaaate submission to the #rotatingtipcollab hosted by the gracious @luciflycakes and @cimakethings. This month's tip was the grass tip. Check the recent tab for some grassy goodness! ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ This cake had all the odds against it, but I think it pulled through okay. ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦: I lost my grass tip. I was ready to give up right there. After all, this was for a 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘪𝘱 collab! But I did a little research and learned that some shag cakes are made using the #3 tip. ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ Problem one? More like problem 𝘯𝘰𝘯𝘦!⁣ ⁣ ⁣ 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦 𝟐: I was stuck on the design. I told myself to pick something simple, something geometric. ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ But I had a smattering of different colors of frosting, and not enough of any specific color to completely cover this lil cake. ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ It just so happened that most of the colors I had on hand were exactly what I needed to recreate starry night! But that caused a new problem. ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦 𝟑: I only had one #3 tip, and I could only find two couplers. This cake had at least 10 different colors! And I couldn't find any piping bags either. ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ The #3 tip is a round tip, so I decided to try using tipless bags. Tipless 𝘻𝘪𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘤 bags. And it worked for the most part, even if some of the little dots came out kinda blobby. ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ Despite all the obstacles, I persevered, and I think it paid off. I could see this being someone's rug.🤷🏻‍♀️ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ I still prefer painting though.🤣⁣ ⁣ ⁣ What do you guys think? Does it look like a rug? Did I pull it off? https://www.instagram.com/p/B92VLNaJcfq/?igshid=nzugppes1b2w

[thebookishbakery]

This cake is sorta lopsided... 😬 Even so, she's a happy little thing. 🌸⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ I made this cake on the heels of the painted deer cake. You could say she's the deer cake's sister. (Swipe if you want to see the deer cake again without scrolling through the feed. 🤣)⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ For some reason, the two cakes reminded me of this book that hit me hard when I was a kid, called 𝘑𝘢𝘤𝘰𝘣 𝘏𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘐 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 by Katherine Paterson.⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ The book is written from the perspective of a twin who constantly compares herself to her sister. She considers herself inferior. Her sister seems prettier (even though they're identical), smarter, and more popular. Meanwhile the main character is kind of a miserable outcast.⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ As a child, I thought the book was groundbreaking. I really 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵 for the main character. I reread it as an adult, and unsurprisingly, it didn't feel like I was reading the same book. ⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ Where there had once been a misunderstood heroine that I loved, there was now a deeply flawed protagonist who spent way too much time playing the blame game and comparing herself unfairly to others, and who eventually overcame her demons.⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ It made me think a lot about perspective. 𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐢𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮. 𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰. ⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ At first, I felt like this cake was the inferior sister, too. There are no cute animals here. Even her design seems two dimensional compared to the palette knife blossoms and the alluring deer on the other cake. ⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ But, if I stop comparing her, and focus on this cake, she's colorful and lively and has a personality all her own. ⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ 𝐈 𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐚𝐲, 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬. 🤷🏻‍♀️⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ Do you ever feel like you compare too much? ⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ Do you ever wish you could revisit a book and experience the same magic you experienced the first time?⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ ALSO, troubleshooting question:⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ I piped this design out on parchment paper, then wrapped it around the cake, but when I peeled the parchment away, it picked up tiny specks of buttercream. ⁣⁣⁣ ⁣ Anyone have any advice for a cleaner finish? https://www.instagram.com/p/B9jmoqOpdO8/?igshid=15ig4vyfjgdzf

[thebookishbakery]

I worry sometimes that my captions might seem a tad didactic. The truth is, most of my posts are pep talks to myself. 🤷🏻⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ I talk a lot about perfectionism, and learning to trust the process and accept the mishaps and mayhem without taking them to heart. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Tempering my expectations has been a constant struggle for me. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ So this little cake was an exercise in self-trust. A way for me to say "𝘢𝘩𝘢! 𝘛𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵, 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘮! 𝘐'𝘮 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶!" ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ It was nerve wracking. 😅⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ I told you guys about how I sketch out floral designs to get super comfortable with all the strokes before I commit my brush to a cake. Not this time.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ It turned out about as well as I might expect - like, look at that one petal at the top where my brush was like 🥴 and a line came out thick and blobby. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ But I made it through to the other side! ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ And even if the lines aren't perfect and the splatter isn't as controlled as I hoped, even if I missed a bunch of details, i can admit to myself that the cake is still cute. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Some of the things I try to keep in mind: ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ▪️ You can't control everything.⁣⁣ ▪️Your inner critic needs to take a seat and relax.⁣⁣ ▪️Mistakes are human, and it's okay if you make them.⁣⁣ ▪️It's okay if other people notice the mistakes, too.⁣⁣ ▪️🎶 Just keep swimming, just keep swimming 🎶⁣⁣ ▪️Trust the process, accept the outcome.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ That last one is especially important to me. Acceptance is hard. Creating work isn't nearly as hard as accepting it.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ But I'm trying. 🙂 (𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭, 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐦!)⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Do you ever sweat the details? How do you overcome it?⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣___⁣ ⁣⁣ This cake is a recreation of one of my favorite floral pieces by @poppyandgrayco. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⬅️ Swipe to see her original artwork. Isn't it just everything? 😍 If you love watercolor florals, you should to check her out! https://www.instagram.com/p/B9eoetypPaM/?igshid=1ryyzol1c17yj

[thebookishbakery]

How on brand is this bookmark cookie?⁣⁣⁣ 😍⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣ You guys know I'm a bona fide bibliophile. I can't stop asking for recommendations, even when the pile of books on my night table has gotten so tall that it's positively teetering. 😂 ⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣ Then again, there's no such thing as too many books, right? ⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣ I get asked a lot how I have the time to read. ⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣ To that I say, I 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 time. ⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣ I keep my books nearby and allocate at least half an hour every night to dedicated reading. No matter how tired or how late, I go to bed with a book in hand. ⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣ 𝗪𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐛𝐛𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥, 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦. Put them in your calendar. ⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣ Even if it's only once or twice a week, having dedicated time to do the things that you love will make you feel happier. Studies show that people who make time for 'fun diversions' exhibit less stress and have lower heart rates. ⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣ Make time for the hobbies that center you. 💕 ⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣ Tell me, what's your favorite hobby?⁣⁣⁣⁣ .⁣⁣⁣⁣ .⁣⁣⁣⁣ .⁣⁣⁣⁣ .⁣⁣⁣⁣ .⁣⁣⁣⁣ P.s. this cookie styling is just *chef's kiss* ⁣⁣⁣⁣ 📸: @sweetographer https://www.instagram.com/p/B9dD_6ZJV4C/?igshid=18jh1hgn97ro7

[thebookishbakery]

Here it is, at the eleventh hour - my contribution to the #monthlycolorcollab ! Check out the hashtag for over 200 pink cakes and co. waiting for you to feast your eyes! Hosted by the lovely @ww_bakes 💕 (in other words, you know who to contact if you'd like to join for next month 👀)⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ This painting is a recreation of one of @poppyandgrayco 's paintings. I cannot get enough of her work! ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ I find it helpful to sketch out drawings before I paint them. Yes, it takes more time, but it builds my confidence before I freehand on to a cake and discover I've created a line I can't take back. 😂 ⁣ ⁣ A special thank you to @hifsa_ for swooping in and editing this photo and taking it from 😐 to 😍⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ 𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘚𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴: ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ I read this great piece the other day on rethinking success. It was along these lines: ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Rather than thinking in terms of what you want, think in terms of the struggles you're willing to go through, because success requires struggle. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ We're all geared to love positive experiences, but we need to be able to focus and sustain our drive through negative experiences. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ In other words, 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Maybe you want a perfect body. You won't get it unless you can truly appreciate dedicating endless hours to workouts, watching what you eat, and modifying your diet. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Maybe you want to be financially independent. You won't get there unless you can appreciate risk, uncertainty, and failure. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Maybe you want to be an amazing artist. You won't get there unless you can appreciate the endless practice, mishaps, failure and doubt you'll inevitably encounter. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ The question isn't "𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵?", it's "𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵?"⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Learn to handle the negative, and handle it well. That's what'll get you to where you want to go. 💪🏼⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ DM me if you'd like me to send you the link to the article! 💕⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ P.S. I'm setting up those online classes y'all requested and I'm curious - would you like me to teach florals too? https://www.instagram.com/p/B87MIH1pZoy/?igshid=1slt9u56dwup0

[thebookishbakery]

For real doe, I'm really fawn'd of this buttercream beauty. 🦌⁣ ⁣ ⁣ This cake was made for my collaboration with @sweetographer. I provided a subject for her to style and shoot, and got to practice some new skills in the process!⁣ ⁣ ⁣ 𝘈 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘤𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘴: ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ Lately I've been reading up on 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦. If you want to get better at something, you need to be 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵 when it comes to putting in the work. ⁣ And it's not just about being consistent. It's not just about how much time you put into your work. It doesn't matter if you put in 10 hours or 50 hours. It's about 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞, even if you feel like you aren't ready yet. ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ Recognize that not everything you work on will be a success, but it may still give you some valuable insight for next time. ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐩𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞. THAT is how you bolster improvement. ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ https://www.instagram.com/p/B8uXf1fJd-O/?igshid=1t69mhetoeqwh