In case you hadn’t noticed, I’m a Big Thinker. Or, at least, I consider myself a Big Thinker. I tend to get big ideas, even great ideas fairly often. This would be ideal if only I had the time, money and resources to execute them all. I also like to think outside the box, to use a tired cliche, which I guess explains what I do for a living. I’ve always been kind of a Jane of All Trades… good at a lot of different things, but not necessarily truly great at any one thing in particular. Not like say… a musical prodigy or a chess phenom. I’m secure with this… nay, I prefer it. It allows me a lot of flexibility and avenues to explore in my career. Fortunately, I’ve met someone who thinks similarly. Most of the time this is awesome, until we get into a tangent brainstorming session and talk ourselves completely out of one idea and into something else entirely.
Lately, I’ve been watching Ace of Cakes, a reality series on the Food Network about Charm City Cakes in Maryland. I have no idea why I started watching it other than it’s creative and I like cake. But now, I’m hooked. I do like to bake, but that’s not really where the draw is. This show speaks to me on an “Oooo, goodie! Project!” sort of level. The cakes aren’t just cakes. It’s a cake with a theme or movement or mechanics or spinning lights. The cakes are total works of art and their whole schtick is to take everything to the next level of unexpected with an incredible eye for detail. This… this is my porn.
Thinking back on my childhood, it’s really no wonder I’m like this. For school projects, I could never just write a book report. That would have been lame. If it was a scary book, I’d create an entire haunted house stage set out of refrigerator boxes, dimming the lights and recruiting classmates to use flashlights around the room, creating spooky lighting. Cue Dad with the bucket of dry ice and the fog machine and now, I was ready to read my book report.
Once my childhood best friend, Michael, and I totally redesigned his bedroom to look like the inside of Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland, complete with working “fireflies in a jar”, stars on the ceiling and crates built in the garage. I even came over and recorded the lazy banjo music with frogsand crickets on my keyboard for him. It all kicked on at the flip of his light switch and looked a lot like this.
Hey, I wasn’t allowed to date, what’s a girl to do? 
Holy crap that’s impressive! And yea, maaaaybe a little crazy!
Though dude, I bet it sucked to have to give a presentation after you in class. The traditional oral report just doesn’t seem so impressive after the haunted house!
After seeing your work, it really doesn’t surprise me that you’ve always been super creative and design-y. You are obviously very gifted! Now me, my idea of being creative is coming up with new ways to categorize my bookshelf.
Oh, and PS. I LOVE Ace of Cakes. And I totally would have loved a Pirates of the Caribbean bedroom
i was the girl that covered checkers in foil to make plates for my barbies and put my crayons in order before i could even attempt to color in pages.
i also love ace of cakes.
in other words…..
rock on. ;^)
It’s prolly all that extra hot coffee you’re drinking.
Seriously, though, I can now picture you as a kid, giving a multimedia book report. And it was enthusiastic students like YOU that made underachieving slackers like ME sick to our stomachs.
Joelle! Again you have got me! I am OBSESSED with Ace of Cakes.
I think Duff is so creative and fun and I love the enthusiasm he has for what he does. You know that with or without the Food Network show, he’d be creating these amazing cakes. And everyone there has such a passion for it and welcome the challenge of each project. And Geoff? COME ON! That guy is fricking incredible!
Embarassingly, I refer to Duff as “Uncle Duff” because in my dreams, we get married and he becomes my niece’s uncle. And how great would her birthday parties be? I am such a dork.
Todd was quite shocked when I confessed my love for “Ace of Cakes” since I’ve pretty much managed to avoid the kitchen since the second son was born – but I can’t help myself. It’s so beautiful… Moth to flame, man.