Coco Cake Land aka The Journey Of Lyndsanity

AHHHHHH!!! HAPPY CAKE BOOK DAY OF BIRTH!!!!

Coco Cake Land the book is finally here!!!!!! And instead of being watermelon-pooped out of a 10 centimetres dilated vageen covered in afterbirth followed by the birthing of a “sure why not I’ll encapsulate this” placenta, it is actually a non-crying, non-vernix-covered GORGEOUSLY CLEAN CUTE KAWAII COLOURFUL CAKE BOOK OF MY DREAMS!!!

I feel as casual cool as this pineapple dude right now. Just, “wow.” Just like – “give me my sunglasses so I can bask in this amazingness, this craziness.” No, pineapple cake. You didn’t write dat book. You didn’t stress and sweat over Word docs and hate your photos and reshoot all your cakes and cry a whole bunch and get excited a whole bunch and have so much anxiety you wanted to crawl under a large but crawl-out-able rock, pineapple cake. You didn’t emotional eat your feelings and get low-grade fevers over this book, and wonder if you were good enough to produce the thing that felt worthy of a book deal, of someone believing in you enough to give you money to make a book. But you know who did?

THIS BOWL CUT LADY! YOU MAY KNOW HER AS THE CHINESE PUMPKIN, or LYNDSANITY! This lady who is doing a photoshoot casual-bare-foot-style wearing her Cherry Bombe t-shirt for good luck. This lady who no longer has that bowl cut, but has sorta chin-length hair, and is feeling happy and good and healthy these days. That lady. She did that.

These photos were taken last summer in July 2017, on an insanely hot day in a thankfully air conditioned studio, with my awesome and incredible photographer friend Lori as my assistant and spirit guide, with Kendrick playing. These photos were meant to become the cover of my book – the concept was “PARTY SCENE!!!” Bright, colourful, with all the hilarious cake buddies laid out and ready to party. But, in the end, the crew at Roost Books decided on something different and went with the cake that I had felt all along was destined for cover stardom – the turquoise bunny cake, the one I made for my beloved niece Brookie on her fifth birthday – that exact cake, the one that was eaten and enjoyed, with candles plunked into the buttercream and the broken notes of an off-key “Happy birthday” absorbed into the layers, that cake made with love and affection made it to the cover! All the way to the top, baby!!

And here’s an in-real-life photo from that birthday party with that cake, at my parents’ home: me, Brookie and BunBun:

I’ve relayed to a few people the story of when I finally saw my book for the first time. I was coming home from the gym, covered in sweat, my mind occupied with something else. I saw a manila envelope poking out from my mailbox and my heart jumped. I unlocked the front door, sat on the nearest step and just held it on my lap, just so afraid to open it… I think I was scared to feel disappointed, that after all these years and time and hope that somehow it wouldn’t live up to my expectations. I wanted to be proud of it, I needed to be proud of it, in order to stand behind it. I finally tore open the envelope. Just stared at the cover in awe, running my fingers along the smoothness, the newness!!! I slowly cracked it open, fragile as an egg. And then it hit me so hard, yes of course I did some shrieking. I just laid on my bed and carefully went through each page and marvelled and laughed and shrieked some more… it felt like my whole life was in there, cakes made for my family, friends, my dearest son. Teddy and Rich pop up like hidden Easter eggs throughout the book. I cried. I felt happy, and proud.

I think this photo Lori took of me TWINNING with my pineapple-wearing-sunglasses cake might be one of my favourites ever. It’s kind of a weird Weekend at Bernie’s-ish photo and I look more than a little puffy-cankles but these snaps were taken at the end of a long day when we were finally feeling loose and totally idiotic and silly. I’m so happy this picture made it into the book!

To my readers, fans, clients and internet friends – thank you so much for your support! It really really means everything!  I also just want to thank Roost Books SO MUCH and thank the fine people who work there (Sara, Jenn, Liz, Audra, Daniel, Jess, Claire) for all of your hard work, kindness and support in helping me make this book. A life dream turned into reality, and it has become a huge part of the story of my life, a good and happy part.

Of course, huge huge thanks to my dearest family and friends, and to my Rich and my sweet nutbar on wheels, Teddy. I am so looking forward to sharing this book and celebrating its existence!! xo Lyndsay