FINALS: Wedding Cake and Graduation!!!!!!!!

I DID IT!!! Yesterday I graduated from the French Pastry School of Chicago’s L’Art du Gâteau Program!!! The graduation exercises were lovely, in a WAY fancy building called the Union League Club. FANCY SCHMANCY. We had some great speakers, we got our certificates on beautiful plaques and pictures!

And my mommy was able to come out to celebrate!! My uncle James came as well!! John was not able to make the commencement exercises but was able to take a long lunch to see us for the reception (and DESSERT buffet!!!)

Sorry the pictures are a little blurry, the lighting wasn’t all that great…  The dessert buffet was AWESOME. When I graduate the pastry program, I will be helping MAKE the buffet!! AND the totally awesome showpieces!! This first one is made of BREAD!
There was SO. MUCH. FOOD. It was all so delicious. Can’t wait for next year’s!!!

And now, what you’ve all been waiting for, I know. I’ve kept you waiting far too long. The final project wedding cake!!! All our cakes were on display at the reception, but these pictures are from when I finished it. So happy with the way it turned out!!!!!!!!!! (Warning: LOTS of pictures. I was kind of obsessed. Still am, actually ;) You can click on the pictures to make them bigger. Better to see, you know? ;)
  Now, I want to say this without sounding cocky, but I love it. I totally love it. I’m so proud of myself!!! It really turned out exactly the way I imagined it and I’m really happy with it. I ended up leaving it at the school, they wanted to keep as many as possible to display at the school!! Maybe in the spring I’ll take it home, but hey, on display at the school? Sounds pretty good to me!! It took me three days to get all the roses done. I made 30. I had some left over, but still. 30. I had a really good time putting it together.

And that is the L’Art du Gâteau program!!! Can’t wait to start up again in January!!! Thanks so much to everyone for your love and support, especially John and my family!! Couldn’t have done this without you!!