Sugar Diary by Sugar Shey #3: Internet Cake Friendships

Dear Sugar Diary,

Hey again! How is it going?? Things will be back to normal soon and I will blog more I promise! Thank you for still finding time to email me ! You all are always so encouraging and just awesome! I have been at my table making decorations while having my “forever full”cup of coffee and answering all your emails makes me smile. I know we are all online and in different parts of the country and world even but it really has sparked some friendships that make me wish I lived everywhere! A true cosmopolitan citizen of the world! I laugh with you via “lol’s” and “ha ha ha’s” and we are sad together via “=( or =’(” We even get happy for each other via “Yays! and Hooray’s!” We exchange pictures and critique each other and even just chat about whatever…not even cake related.

A couple of weeks ago I asked a question on my Facebook Fan page asking what group or clique you belonged to in high school….I was looking for a common thread ….something that may link all of us even if we didn’t bake or decorate cakes back then….and the most common pattern that kept recurring in answers and in emails was this: Most of us weren’t the “cool” kids….or the most popular kids…..we were creative types…band geeks…and the ones that had friends in many circles. I myself was a friend of every group…..and very artistic and creative. It is nice to NOT be in High School anymore..but sometimes Facebook makes it seem like we still are huh? You start noticing certain cliques and friends that “hang” together online…like popularity contests….and rivalry. It really is all so funny to me now that I am in my 30’s. I don’t bake to make anyone upset and I don’t bake to get approved by anyone. I don’t post pics because I am striving to have a pic “liked” the most …. I have friends and family and clients that really do want to see what I am up to…so for them I post. Pictures and video are the only way to get noticed for what you do online. I mean …I could describe a cake in words but I don’t think it would have the same effect as a pic…LOL!

All in all the online caking community has been amazing….a place to go where EVERYBODY knows what you are talking about all the time. If I was to call a non-caker friend and say:

" I just spent 2 hours answering email orders and then spent 2 more hours re ordering supplies online…and 4 hours making batches of fondant"…..they would (and have) most certainly look at me and say “Well..Shey it sounds like your life is very HARD…chit chatting with friends…shopping and playing with play-doh..while some of us actually get up and GO TO WORK” =\ …=\