In October of 1995, I went to my first craft fair in Canton, Mississippi. I had purchased my first house earlier that year and wanted to make it a "home". I knew I would find beautiful handmade goods in Canton and couldn't wait to go!

 

With my girlfriends in tow, we made our way down the aisles of the town visiting the vendors and admiring their wares. AND THEN I SAW a booth with dozens of baked goods, so beautifully made, that I felt the urge to welcome the aroma of freshly baked breads, cakes, pies, and pastries. However, I didn't smell anything. As I approached the booth, I realized that each item was made with the purpose of being perpetually displayed, not eaten.

 

I immediately remembered that I inherited my Grandmother's cake-stand from the early 1930s. (How I LOVED the beautifully cut depression glass!) As a child, I spent endless hours hosting "tea parties" with her cake-stand taking center-stage.​

I knew that a faux-cake would give me a reason to prominently display her cake-stand and not have it look naked. I opted on purchasing a deceivingly deceptive chocolate cake with cherries on top (actual cake picture above). I was certain the acrylic red glaze would look fabulous on the ruby red glass.

​

I was right. Ten years and two homes later, the faux-cake still rested upon Maw-Maw Claire's cake-stand. But on August 29, 2005, a horrible hurricane named Katrina wreaked havoc and 8 feet of water flooded my home.  We were able to return to the house in November and after searching through silt, and debris, I found pieces of cake-stand. It was unrepairable and I was devastated. I thought of my grandmother and felt such a loss. My heart was empty. And then I looked up and saw the most incredible thing! The faux cake, that I purchased a decade before, was lodged in the blades of the ceiling fan. How it got there, I don't know. My best guess was that when the waters rose, the kitchen table floated up and the cake, being made of styrofoam, floated and wedged itself in the fan blades.

 

I moved to the northshore of New Orleans and although my cherished cake-stand is no longer a part of my life, the faux-cake is. It is now perpetually displayed on a cake-stand of no importance. Now, I purposely want the cake to remind me of the love I have for my grandmother and the resilience of my hometown. 

 

On the 20th anniversary of Katrina and now retired, I decided to open the next chapter of my book by recreating faux cakes, pies, pastries for future generations to enjoy. 
Our food service and other industries will still be serviced with the precision and craftsmanship that we strive to create, but now, the public can enjoy our artfully created faux-foods.

 

For the past 30 years, countless family and friends have asked about the faux-cake that is always on display in my home. NO ONE believes that it is in its third decade of bringing me happiness (and sometimes bittersweet memories).

​

It is my greatest wish that you perpetually display your purchase in a prominent location in your home, and when times get tough, remember my story and be reminded that stressed spelled backwards is DESSERTS! 

                                                                                                - Colleen