In December 2008, a couple of weeks before Christmas, the women of my family decided to have a baking competition and that we would present our goodies to be judged on Christmas Day. I made a three-layered red velvet and white peppermint cake. Being that this was my first cake, I wanted it to be extra special. I found small white holiday trees to garnish my creation. If no one else thought so, I thought my cake was absolutely fabulous. 



During this time, my mother was admitted into the hospital. We were told that she would be discharged by Christmas but the doctor's found that her condition was much worse than they initially thought. As a result, we spent Christmas day at the hospital. It was this moment that our bake-off was no longer important. On December 28, 2008, my best friend, my cheerleader, my mother, an ex-cake decorator became an angel.



While heart-breaking and extremely devastating, I was told by many to find a hobby and to stay busy. For months, I did not take heed to the advice that I was given. It wasn't until May 2009 when I decided to make my second cake. I found a keylime recipe and decided to make that for fun. From there, I soon enrolled into a Wilton class for decorating basics and advanced techniques. I found the class to be enjoyable and an opportunity to find hidden creativity.



I have to take this brief moment to thank my higher power for instilling in me such a talent. In addition, a thank you to my mother whose spirit pushes me to move forward with SandiLaine's Custom Creations. Indeed, her love and her spirit surrounds me as I build each and every creation. I guess it is true that everyone has a story to tell. Thank you to all supporters for reading mine.