Stacia is Developing Some Mad Skills Or There is FROSTING All Over My Kitchen

We've had  sheet cakes with block letters on it. There have been a couple of years I simply picked up a cake at Walmart and had them write "Happy Birthday Jesus," on top. We've had ice cream cakes  and even cupcakes, but  I am quite certain we've never had such an elaborate "Happy Birthday Jesus" cake.

Stacia volunteered to make the cake this year. I'm blown away. She combined gingerbread figures, cake, fondant, frosting and came up with this. 

Of course, BEFORE she reached this point my kitchen was COVERED with frosting...she DID clean up, but Michael stayed up and did a deep cleaning on the kitchen, picked up around the living room and told me to go get in bed. BEST Christmas gift ever. Y'all there was frosting on the back of my TOASTER. ::Snort:: 

I have learned to smile, nod, and say, "Yes, I think that will work. You can do it!," when Stacia starts talking cakes or desserts....

Sometimes, I wonder....but more often than not, things turn out great. I told her this is more a "panoramic" than a cake. The cake is the part with the stable, pig, hay bales and family....the rest is all decorated "things." 

For the past several years Stacia has wanted to own a coffee/tea shop/bakery. She envisions it being a hub of the community. Seriously, we have places like this we loved in Texas and California but they were always full of New Age/ Eastern Religion lit and advertisements. We often discussed how it would be nice to go into a spot and have our values and an entire community's values reflected and not just one slice of the community showcased....I think that was the start of her dream. 

When we moved here we discovered a church which operates in the midst of a cafe in the midst of our community. Cafe all week - and yet church all week - KWIM? We came to love it over a year ago when we began going out weekly for breakfast and study. We realized they NEVER rushed us to finish our study, the music was Christian or soothing, and we noted several other groups that come and do the same every week. 

One thing led to another and Stacia was offered a job at this cafe/church...two days a week.  Her schedule is full with Algebra 2, Chemistry, Culinary Arts AND working....but she is learning first hand what her dream may cost....she is learning skills that she thinks will complement the path she is on....

In the meantime, we are benefitting from her developing mad skills. She just started "studying" cake decorating in the past 6 months or so. I would love to find her a teacher - but haven't. We asked Autumn, the kitchen manager, at the cafe, if she gives lessons. She doesn't, but offered tips, began looking at what Stacia is doing...and those conversations led to Stacia's first job. 

If any of you are cake decorators or know someone locally who would love to meet with a homeschooler and give her lessons....please speak up! It may be summer before Stacia could fit another thing into her schedule, but we'd really like to find some real time lessons. We believe in her vision and dream. 

And, yes, she DOES love working at the Cafe. She is learning to be more out going, knows how to make fancy coffee drinks, washes lots of dishes, busses tables, takes orders and answers phones...she has been told when she is old enough they'll let her do more things. Meanwhile, she WATCHES and learns and comes home and practices. They have some great bakers at the cafe. Check out Sophia's Cafe if you haven't tried it.