It's just a cake. But, to me it's so much more.

For one -and even though I LOVE being a mom- I feel like that's all I am and have been for some time. I don't have many friends here, since we moved abroad, have a very long maternity leave (so I haven't worked in some time) and don't have proper me-time, since my husband works full time and we don't have family around to help. All of it my choice and I stand by it, but that doesn't mean that it doesn't come with downsides.

The other thing is that I have chronic pain in my wrists. I have had 8 surgeries on my right wrist and it's permanently damaged. I used to play the piano (was studying to become a pianist). I have been looking for a new, exciting and relatively pain free hobby for years, without success.

Yesterday was the Christening of our second son and I had decided to bake the cake myself and use fondant for the first time ever. It's by no means perfect, but I'm very proud of the result and best of all, it was so much fun to make! I think I

finally found my new hobby! 🤗😊

EDIT: You ladies are awesome! As per the title I was looking for a confidence boost, but I never expected so many lovely comments - thank you all so much, I truly appreciate it!!!

The cake looks more difficult than it was to make. If you search "Checkerboard cake" on youtube you'll see how it's done. I had to redo the chocolate part, because for some reason it ended up looking like a volcano after baking 😅 I also got some cracks in the fondant, but covered them with decorations. Not downplaying the result, just explaining the reality... definitely entry level, but with some patience and camouflaging a good result. 🤗💕

EDIT: I finally found time to attempt a second cake. Not as nice as the first one, but I really enjoyed the process and intend to keep practicing whenever possible.