Okay, Ladies, I feel like it's my responsibility to men, women and children everywhere to make this special public service announcement. Now we're all entitled to our opinions, so this is mine: Enough with Vinyl Lettering & Fondant! I'm totally going to upset so many people here {I love you all!}, but sometimes you've just gotta take one for the team and I'm going for it!
You remember how bad the whole scrunchie-made-from-hair nightmare was/is?
This is right up there, folks. But don't get me started on hair right now...that's for later...
1.) Vinyl: Don't run out and buy those new fandangled vinyl lettering/cutting/pasting/crazy-fad-things just because they're, well, ALL OVER THE INTERNET IN EVERY SINGLE GIVEAWAY!!! Yes, they can do marvelous things with vinyl.....but AREN'T WE DONE WITH VINYL YET???!!! In every room of the house, do we HAVE to have vinyl something-or-other?!
Case in point:
...now I know that there are great ideas done with vinyl......in moderation. But if you have any of the items above in your home, or ready to mass produce for all of your friend's birthdays, baby showers, Christmas gifts, or Just Because...THROW THEM AWAY and get yourself a Pottery Barn Catalog to remind yourself why we don't need vinyl. Seriously. You won't find this crap in there because, well, it's crap.
2.) Fondant. ???!!! Where and how did this rage get started?! The Cake Boss on TLC?? Okay, here's the sad truth of the matter.....your homemade fondant-looking cakes aren't very cute because you're not a professional and fondant tastes NASTY. People don't want to peel away that nasty layer of Play Doh just to eat a piece of cake, anyway! Honestly, which one would YOU rather eat?!
...very hard work, mildly cute to look at...
OR...
...Looks like heaven, I want to dive in head-first?!
Case Closed. Don't waste any more precious time on fondant Play Doh skills.
Okay, let the firing squad begin. I can take it. I still stand by my beliefs!
75 comments:
Altho I do think fondant looks nice on cakes I have to agree it is so gross!
I'm stuck on the scrunchies made from hair.... I need more info, what if I'm doing this... or have it... or don't even know it is bad!
vinyl never made it to my house, we are behind the times. And I'm frightened of fondant, I can ruin regular icing, imagine what I could do with that! :)
Oh. Em. Gee!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I couldn't agree with you more! Vinyl lettering drives me absolutely nuts. I can't stand it. Not one bit.
I completely agree with you on both accounts, but you are way more brave then I am. All my church friends have jumped on the vinyl lettering craze. I just couldn't do it. And you're so right, fondant tastes yucky- especially if you don't know what you're doing and get it super thick. That coconut cake looks fabulous. I so want a piece of that.
AMEN! Can I add one more thing I'm sick of seeing?
The Vintage Pearl. Great shop. But every blog is doing a friggin giveaway. UGH
Dear Abby,
You don't know me, but I've been a follower for awhile now-I can't even remember what got me started. Some little bit of crafty genius, no doubt. But I have never commented UNTIL NOW. And I now comment to say
AMEN and AMEN.
And another A-FREAKING-MEN.
Enough with the vinyl already! Super Saturday projects are what keep vinyl companies in business. And by the way, look real carefully and the word VINYL. I think a simple examination of the word indicates to us that we should not be using it. It's like eating something called SMYFRRYL. Would you eat something called that? No, you wouldn't. Okay, maybe that's just a big tangent on the word 'vinyl' because I see it so often and every time I do it bothers me. Yeap.
Well, thank you for this post. I heartily agree.
Baaahhhhaaaa! I'm so glad I have some support here!!! Melissa, I just posted a pic of the hair-scrunchie-made-from-hair awfulness.
Lindsay Loo said...
A to the men sista!!! Hats off to you, you are a brave women for that is all I seem to hear about these days. Sons 5th birthday coming soon and all I hear is "you gonna make a fun fondant cake" um. no I am not frosting his cake with fondant. same with the vinyl =) It's like when you hear a good song on the radio and your like ooo I like that song and then they play it over and over and over and over and over and then you think "if I have to listened to that song one more time I'm gonna blow!" everything in moderation! =
I like vinyl, but in moderation. I do think that eventually people will look back at it like they do avacado colored appliances. But, eventually people will probably look at most of the decor they currently have in that light. Same with distressed furniture, big flowered headbands on babies' heads, etc, etc.
I've heard some fondant...the homemade kind made from marshmallows tastes pretty good.
I. Am. So. With. You.
AHhahaha! Killing me! I am loving all the comments and the original post! I love it! I live in Utah and it's sold everywhere! Like I would not blink if they started making temple recommends out of it! Thanks for the laughs! I will pray for your safety..as you may have jus put yourself in position for one of "those" callings.
all things in moderation right? or no?
I think vinyl is over used and I am guilty of that but I still love it so there. HA! And I love PB too and try to copy the entire thing. ;)
Vinyl is over used though that is for sure. I think it can be done tastefully.
And the fondant stuff- it is nasty tasting, but I have never used it myself- and don't have any cake decorating skills myself so I appreciate that others have those skills.
Crafts and decorating....the trends change all the time...and I'm sure most people liked vinyl when it came out like 10 years ago...well some of us still like it. :)
Plus...what is with the gigantic flowers on babies heads that are bigger than the baby's actual head? Isn't the baby's head cute enough? Do we have to put a huge flower on it? Just sayin....
To each his own I say.
And I still like you ...btw
your photos are really pretty.
WOW! Someone is Angry today!
WOW! Someone is Angry today!
oh you're brave!!
i agree on both counts tho :)
All of my teacher friends have adorned nearly everything they own with vinyl monograms, sayings on the wall, flower pots and other things as gifts with vinyl. I have to agree with you, at first I thought that it was cute, but it is a little over-kill!
And I, too, hate fondant!
HA! I love it, and agree wholeheartedly!
we don't have any vinyl in my house, so maybe i'm just not cool enough to keep up with current fads. as far as fondant goes, EWWWWWWWWWWW. the homemade kinds doesn't taste as bad as the store purchased stuff, but i have a hard time getting past the texture of the stuff.
THANK YOU!!
I am absolutely crushed...as I just order more vinyl for every empty surface in my house. Dang the bad luck.
And fondant...seriously. Ewww... Toss some chocolate frosting on that bad boy and pour me a tall glass of milk. I could care less how fancy it looks.
I agree...mostly. I think vinyl labels on my flour, sugar, ect is cute, but that is all. I admire you for being so bold. Fondant and vinyl is all the craze, way to go for sticking to your guns.
(I was at the craft store the other day and they now have a $300 FONDANT CRICUT!!!! what?! What?! people please)
What I don't get about the vinyl is most people just make very plain lettering stuff and for the price of a roll of vinyl & the time it takes to cut it out with a Cricut or Silhouette you could just buy it premade from the clearance section in most craft stores. Save your crafting $$ & time on making the good stuff!
It's like you're reading my mind!!!! I think i'm allergic to vinyl at this point. And i'm with Alex...enough with the giveaways! Just craft and post about it please. :)
love.
I totally agree and honestly vinyl never goes on smoothly and looks home made. What happened to good ol' fashioned paint? And I still love distressed furniture but I LOATHE giant flower/bows on baby girls. I enjoy looking at their faces not this distracting piece of crap hanging off their head. And yes fondant tastes disgusting.
I totally agree and honestly vinyl never goes on smoothly and looks home made. What happened to good ol' fashioned paint? And I still love distressed furniture but I LOATHE giant flower/bows on baby girls. I enjoy looking at their faces not this distracting piece of crap hanging off their head. And yes fondant tastes disgusting.
Can you add fedoras to the list. I just can't take it.
I just saw the mess of stiches that you recieved below. Yikes! I hope that you have healed from that!
As for the hair scrunchies, the only time I ever used those was for Halloween. I bought 4 of them in blonde to place around my daughters ankles and wrists for her costume... then they met the garbage can!!!
Just like everything in life: practice moderation. Vinyl isn't a bad thing, but when your home starts to look like a friggin Cricut commercial, you've achieved obsession status.
Fondant is gross and was created for people who don't feel like frosting a cake. Make cutouts of chocolate and everyone will love you! Marshmallow fondant really isn't that bad either, but when there's a choice between the two, give me chocolate.
But I LOVE vinyl lettering! And fondant is pretty to look at.
But, I can respect what your saying, only give us a replacement! I'd love to see some fresh ideas to take the place of these trends that may be on their way out.
Love your blog.
Too funny...and true. I have a few vinyl things, but mostly I prefer pictures on a wall to words on a wall. And even if the fondant tasted good, it doesn't look edible or resemble cake in any way.
Crack me up!!! Great post! And I am very proud to say that I do not let any lettered tchotchkes into my home. Not for me!!!!
I HATE fondant! It might look nice and smooth, but it does taste like utter crap. Give me a big ole glob of butter cream frosting! Yum. I didn't even have fondant on my wedding cake. Not one drop of it.
The vinyl seems like fun, but like most things, gets over done. Everything is good in moderation.
I own a vinyl cutter and have not one stitch of vinyl on any of my walls.
Oh Abby! Hahahaha! You're hilarious! Although I know "people" that are just beginning to get into the vinyl lettering (and I think it's kinda cute), I am always the last to get into anything! I'm always afraid of joining in on "a fad" that I'd regret. SO, no offense taken here!
AND I don't know how to make or use fondant! I kind of would like to learn, but only because it looks so complicated that I would like to say that I've done it. Ha!
;)
P.S. Think I'll be going to Hobby Lobby tomorrow and I can finish my advent calendar!! :)
LOL! great post!
Oh- one other thing! I'm getting a little tired of seeing perfectly good "refinished" furniture scuffed up to look distressed! I saw one on a blog the other day and the girl had sanded in the weirdest spots and it looked awful! :( Shabby chic (or whatever you want to call it) is topping my list of Overkills. And I agree with the giveaways. I've never done one on my blog and wonder if I ever should.
K, well, that's my other 2 cents! Haha!
Wait! The only vinyl I have on my walls I copied from you!!! The "Behold your little ones..." under framed pics of the kids. Augh! Is yours still up?
I think this post was hilarious! And I am too scared to even taste fondant....
Amen Abby! Thanks I am glad someone finally SAID something. Let the craft revolution begin.
lol. Abby you are so ON! We just had our planning meeting and I was just about as vocal as you in my "no-vinyl" campaign.
I haven't done much with fondand and frankly would just rather have yummy buttercream and maybe some sort of sprinkles on top (candy, nuts, coconut-not too picky here ;)
Thanks for taking one for the team!
YAAAAAY!!! You're so awesome. I agree on both counts--vinyl is so overdone and fondant is gross. I'll take a meaningful home accessory and a piece of chocolate frosted chocolate cake over those two imposters any day of the week!
Amen sister! Though I did have fondant on my wedding cake, but that was, ahem, sixteen years ago. Guess THAT is a sign the trend is over.
As for the lettering, I don't really get it. I'd rather not read the writing on the walls.
Amen sista'!
What on earth is vinyl lettering - i am in the uk and have never heard of it. Now fondant I have heard of as I us it on my kids birthday cakes, so much easier than buttercream icing. I must admit that I do peel it off the cake but my daughter loves it :-)
so funny! hate fondant! and no vinyl here.
I have to say, I do love vinyl...but it is getting a little ridiculous, do I really need a reminder note for every action in our family? The thing that I am sick of is seeing the same stinkin' Cricut font everywhere! Seriously, I am ready for some new trends. Great post.
thanks for posting the hair scrunchie. yeah... that is bad. I've never seen those! eek.
:)
The funniest post ever!! I could not agree more with the vinyl. The fad has driven me crazy from the very beginning. Enough with it. Fondant is not so bad. My sister loves doing it and is actually pretty good with fun character cakes. I do agree that it tastes gross. That same sister did a post similar to this one about vinyl and burlap. It was hilarious.
You're hysterical!!! And holy cow, I couldn't agree more. I think fondant is the nastiest stuff that's even edible. Good for you for your bravery!!!
Abby, you crack me up! Just last week I did my very first vinyl project - and I think it turned out so nice! =) But yes, I agree that if you've gone overboard, then it's time to change your decor. You are a hoot! Hope you're doing well.
I have to admit, I just made some blocks with vinyl letters and I don't like them at all. I have to take into consideration that they are not finished, but for some reason, I don't think finishing will help them look any better. I agree vinyl can be done in moderation, but it has gone to far. Fondant should have never been invented. My mom and a few other people I know can make amazing cakes without it, and they taste really good too, because they are not covered with fondant. If you think about fondant is really a way of cheating to get your cake to look pretty. The sad part is that along with a pretty fondant cake comes a bad taste in your mouth.
AMEN!!!
And let us not forget those air brush machines. VBS stresses me out because every other classroom has a million air brushed signs in their rooms!!!!
HAHA - thanks for the laughs!
I love vinyl lettering but you rock! Thanks for the sharing!
I have to make a confession.
It's like having confession with a priest in another town.
I don't know you, you don't know me... I'm pretty safe here. Additionally, I'm not Catholic, so the whole confession thing is new to me.
I have a vinyl decal on my ipad.
:sighs heavily
i feel much better
i have no plans of removing it in the near future.
and i can totally live without fondant. ever.
(except of course, if someone, is making petit fours and they pour a little over the top and it lightly coats them, but that's a different fondant altogether. that would be for, say, visiting martha stewart and she had one of her minions make petit fours for a little dessert after lunch.)
thanks for your post.
i hopped on over from thimbleanna. we started stalking you with your christmas tree advent calendar and i guess she never stopped.
okay, i'm going back to fantasizing about lunch with martha.
Ohh no. I totally disagree. There are hundreds of projects done in vinyl that look so much better than hand lettering/painting. And props to the women who don't do it freehand. And what about etching? Not so easily done with old school stencils.
I say it's not the vinyl, but bad taste that does it. If the thing says live, laugh, love, it's going to be the same overplayed saying in any medium. I think it's about taste, not so much vinyl.
And the fondant - again, disagree. That comes with choosing a good cake decorator that makes her own fondant, and doesn't use Wilton or Satin-Ice. Steer clear of that and you'll appreciate the goodness of a perfectly matte canvas. C'mon. Think about it. Do sprinkles taste good? No. Jimmies? No. How about Meringue? Not so much. Fondant has it's place. It's amazing, and we've all ohh'd and ahh'd over amazing fondant cakes.
You may be sensing a little passion here because I own a cake decorating business, and a Silhouette Machine (which I LOVE)
Respectfully,
Becky
See what you have to remember is that most of us who do not live in Utah do not put it in EVERY room in our house!!! I personally have a vinyl lettering business bust mostly sell decor and organizational item with lettering, people in CA do not want to put it ALL over there walls. That is the real problem...everything in moderation and tastefulness people.
Try Fondarific it taste yummy like starbursts...but you do need lessons to make it look cool.
Becky - you've got some GREAT points! And I have ooh'd and aah'd over fondant cakes...but that doesn't mean I want to EAT it. However, you proved my point that you are a professional, you know what you're doing with the fondant, and it does have it's place. What I am mostly referring to are the moms out there who really don't know what they're doing, they don't want to hire a professional, and they want us to eat their fondant crap. And it's all over the blogosphere - which is annoying. You know?
Anyway...Kudos to you for speaking up! I love you!
totally agree!!! fondant is disgusting ... have you tried modeling chocolate? anyways I do NOT like cakes that have been covered in fondant and then layered in fondant and topped with fondant ... just buttercream frosting please
Well put, and even in the few days since reading your post I have to admit, it's really in so many more places than I've realized.
Side note: I love your humor and ideas, and your blog is such a vacation for me when I get to read it! I secretly hope that one day I'll move into your ward or visa versa!
I couldn't agree more!!
But I just want to point out, for my son's birthday cake I bought some of the Fondant by Duff from Ace of Cake's. It was on sale and I had a coupon on top so I got it super cheap. Let me just tell you, this stuff is actually GOOD!! I couldn't believe it myself! It smells great, it tasted great, my kids wouldn't stop eating it while I was trying to decorate a Batman inspired cake. You can see it here: http://www.peaceloveapplesauce.com/2010/08/wordless-wednesday-batman-celebration.html
Yep!
Preach on, sister - I'm with you. Fondant tastes like ass and usually looks like someone dropped the cake on the ground. I don't even know what that vinyl business is all about because I'm apparently the one person in the crafting world who has narrowly averted its universal takeover but it looks like cheesy garbage from over here.
If you want to take a stab at Plushies or amigurami, you have my blessing.
I'm laughing so hard...this is great. I didn't know there was someone out there who felt the same way I do about vinyl and fondant! :)
Thanks for the rant---it made my day!
I couldn't agree more! And am proud to say i never really got to into those fads ! I also have to go on a rant and say if i see any more hobby lobby fabrics i am going to puke!!! There are some beautiful fabrics out there, go try some! Thanks Abby :)
Dangit! Vinyl is out? I was just getting started. KIDDING!!!
Fondant is a pain in the &$@! I've spent years working with it, getting my cakes to look just so and finally decided if I'm not making something that looks human then I'm using buttercream (which is now 99.9% of the time).
I don't have a gripe with fondant except that it doesn't look good. And not sure why people feel the need to label everything to death with those vinyl letters. But a couple of posters really nailed it with the pet peeves. Especially the oh so common shabby look. Painted furniture can be beautiful, but there are soooo many gorgeous colors out there, why does everything have to be white. Seems like a cop out. A couple more trends that I wish would go away - the Martha Stewart pom poms, they were so nice the first few hundred times I saw them. And that totally charmless spa look....
Not all fondant is created equal! Homemade marshmallow fondant is yummy!
I never got into the vinyl craze. Not my thing.
amen. i couldn't agree with you more.
Ha too funny! Glad someone said it!
Hadn't really thought about it - but I totally agree with you. Every time I see fondant creations, I must make a face without realizing it because I know I wouldn't want to eat it and really, would you want to eat something someone has their hands ALL OVER!! Fondant and marzipan have been held and played with in someone's dirty hands.
Fondant is yuck. 'nuf said :-)
oh gosh am so stumped now as we just discovered vinyl in England and I sort of really like it!! Can I play with it for a few years yet if I promise not to cover ALLLL the walls with it?
As to the fondant - ack!!!
Laughed so hard I almost peed my pants. Right on sister! Love it and couldn't agree more!
Jeanette at daiziedezigns
You are so funny. I'm so glad someone is speaking out!
This is my first time reading this blog but I am rolling on the floor with laughter about the vinyl lettering. I hate it so much that I have to literally make an effort to keep my mouth closed when I see it in houses. And I don't like homemade fondant, but the almond flavored fondant on my wedding cake was to die for. I did a taste test before just to make sure it was good enough to be on my cake. It fit the mood, and my wedding was awesome. I'm adding you to my blog list.
Amen! Your rock. We should be friends. ;)
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