Five Years, Baby!!
May 20, 2013 Remember this?
;)
And these?
;)
How about this one?
;)
Or this story?
;)
Five years ago today I started a goofy little cake blog, just for fun. I never intended for anyone other than a few close friends to read it, and I was terrified the first time a stranger found it and commented.
Within two months, though, my goofy little cake blog went viral, garnering about 50,000 visitors in a single day.
;)
It's been a wild ride since then. I realized my life-long dream of becoming a published author not once, but twice, and Cake Wrecks even landed on the New York Times Best Sellers List. John and I got to travel across the U.S. and Canada meeting thousands of you readers, sampling dozens of your bakeries, and only almost-dying that one time.
;)
I was invited on more TV shows than I can remember, including David Letterman, Rachael Ray, and I think even Martha Stewart - and one of my proudest achievements in life is that I turned them all down. I've also turned away TV producers, web content "gurus," and website conglomerates offering a pretty penny to purchase Cake Wrecks and turn it into something else - something less personal, something not ours.
;)
Cake Wrecks has been a labor of love from the beginning, and I've fought - and will fight - to always keep it that way. It's not a vehicle to make me famous, or a stepping stone to get me to where I *really* want to be in my career, because I'm already here. True, it has become my job - John's, too - and like every job it causes heartache and frustration and burnout sometimes. But at the end of the day, I get to check my e-mail, find a cake that makes me giggle, and share it with all of you. That's pretty frickin' awesome.
;)
Five years ago I never would have dreamed my goofy little cake blog would last this long, or that it would amass such a devoted readership. I mean, this blog was supposed to fizzle out four and a half years ago, and yet here you all are! I always told John I'd quit when the readers left, but it turns out you guys are more stubbornly loyal than I anticipated. Curse you.
;)
So here's to us, my dear wreckies, five years, 1,800+ posts, and roughly 8,000 cakes later.
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And if all that doesn't deserve cake, then I don't know what does.
So here's Brent Spiner trying on a Carrot Jockey necklace:
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Let's be honest: it was all downhill from here. :D
Oh, and I have to give a million thanks to John for getting me through these past five years - and also for not dying that one time - as well as to Lindsey, who writes more than half of our Sweets posts these days, and to Sharyn, who helps me write to the wrecks. You guys are awesome, and get a lifetime pass for extra sprinkles.
Reader Comments (278)
Wow, 5 years! It should (and I bet will) go on for as long as you can stand it... cakes will NEVER stop being wrecked!
Thanks for giving me a sometimes-very-needed dose of levity during the day. I always look forward to checking this blog.
Wreck on, Jen, John, Lindsey, and Sharyn!!
I found you just a year ago and am still going to the archives and LMAO. The cakes are great, your comments and your sweetie's notes are great. I always get hooked on the pictures at the bottom and can not cut loose for at least 30 minutes. Thank you, your husband and your crew for the great times....and also Thank you for not selling out to the networks who would just ruin everything and would take and hour to see 3 cakes. We all love you and yours....grandmajer
I discovered your book at the library a couple of years ago and from there I went to your blog. I now make it a point to check in at least every couple of days. I have also recommended your blog to friends, family and acquaintances. Keep up the good work and congratulations on 5 years. I can always count on you to make a bad day better. THANK YOU!!!!!!!
I just want to say that this blog is my happy place. I've been a reader for about 4 years, and on days when I want to pull my hair out, I get on here and realize that somewhere, someone is having a worse day than me. (A bride with a wedding wreck perhaps.) Anyway, thanks for all your hard work, and I look forward to many more years! Long live Cake Wrecks!
I love this blog. You all are both very talented, because it takes a LOT of comic talent to come up with something witty to say, day after day. Thanks for all the laughs!!!!!
Happy 5 year anniversary!!! You blog makes me smile and laugh. We luv it!!! Thank you for continuing with it and making our days more fun!!!!
Happy 5 years! Always a perfect laugh every day here. And a little bit of eyerolling, shrugging, head shaking, disbelief....etc. ;)
At first, I was all, "Awww, how sweet". Then I was thinking, "Ack! Please don't let this be our 'Dear John' letter!". Then I got to the part where it says, "And I fought-and WILL FIGHT..." [emphasis mine] and knew everything was going to be okay.
My doctor gave me a prescription for Cake Wrecks; laughter is the best medicine, after all, and my abs get a workout, too. So, you can never ever ever ever quit, okay? Unless you need to, or get bored, or just don't feel like it anymore. I'm not so good with the guilt-trips, okay. I'd hate to make you feel any unnecessary pressure!
You were offered a mansion and a yacht to give us up to some Blog 'Bot. AND YOU TURNED IT DOWN. I am feelin' the love. Love you, Jen, John(thoJ), Lindsey, Sharyn and all y'all here on the boards.
Congraludashuns Cake Wreaks!
Jen and John,
Congratulations! My day is not complete without a visit to Cake Wrecks. Thanks for the belly laughs and OMG's they didn't really make that in cake.
Woot! Happy 5 year anniversary!
Always makes my day to see Brent Spiner! :D
Congrates to you and then a shinny star. (Okay, I made that up, but you get the idea.) :) :) :)
Cakey Cudos to you!
Stephanie S.
Congrats! I stumbled across this blog about 2 years ago by accident and have been a faithful lurker since. :) Thanks for making me laugh until I spew coffee all over my computer screen!
I've been following since 2008 and I love it! I've had quite a few laughs along the way, but I think sunday sweets are amazing too!
Congratulations to all of you for such a successful first 5 years. May you be equally as blessed in the next 100!
Congratulations! Thank you all for the laughs every day, and here's hoping we get to keep you for at least five more years!
My congratulations on your 5th Anniversary! I, too, enjoy visiting your blog every morning. Of all the sites that focus on fails and wrecks, CakeWrecks.com is by far the best!
Congratulations CW Team! Now more than ever I so appreciate all you guys do to entertain us.
Congratulations on your 5 years. Thank you for keeping it real. I love having a blog I can visit religiously every day and be guaranteed of a good giggle.
I love this place, and have been reading on and off since the begining. I know it is a place that I can come on a daunting work day and get a light hearted laugh, even if it does cause my cube mate to look at me funny cause I cant control the laughter. Thanks for keeping it up!
I can't even remember how I happened upon your blog, but I am so glad I did. You love all the things I love, and your sense of humor is in tune with mine. I think a lot of the longevity of your blog is because so many of us feel that way. We have found common ground here...and it makes us feel like the world is a good place, after all. Thanks for that Jen, John and all! Congratulations.
Happy Anniversary, Thank you for the laughter, the grins, and the beauty. May you have many many more.
As long as you keep writing, I will keep reading...and giggling, snorting, coughing, gagging and all the wonderful things your blog makes us do.
Congratulations! While I haven't been there since the beginning (I'm still not totally clear on the whole Epcot joke), over the past year, this site has been a part of my daily routine, not just for the posts themselves, but for all the comments. You haven't just established a blog, but a community. In celebrating birthdays, namedays and other occassions, Orthodox Christians sing "God grant you many years", but in this case, I'll sing "God grant you many wrecks!" :-)
I remember first finding CakeWrecks after a front page Yahoo story in 2009, while I bobbing off the coast of Somalia during deployment. The daily dose of humor kept me going when I really needed it, and I have been here pretty close to everyday since.
I have confidence when I say I don't know how I would have managed without knowing that I would undoubtedly have at least one laugh a day during deployment. My coworkers never got why it was so funny, but this blog has always been right up my alley.
Happy birthday! Keep up the great work! And most of all, thank you!
Happy anniversary guys - you're still my favourite blog!
Congratulations on five years! and MANY thanks for all the giggles! I look forward to seeing your blog (even if I don't post much! )
This blog has been a bright spot on many lackluster days. Congratulations and may you and John have many, many more lovely posts to share with the world!
A fab site that always gives me a chuckle! Here's to the next 5 years! Xxxx
I remember reading my first Cake Wrecks blog, thanks to hearing about it from my sister. I was sick and unemployed at the time. For three days solid I was glued to my computer screen, reading all the earlier posts, and laughing out loud. You guys have a gift of comic genius, and just look at all the joy you bring to others by sharing it with us. I only read one blog. Yours.
As a non-geek, you have helped me understand the world around me a little better, and always with a smile. That is worth more than diamonds. Many thanks.
Thanx for the laughs!
A trip to your site is a guaranteed hour long detour for me. Thank you for that, and happy anniversary!
Harpy bloggyversary Jean! ;)
Happy anniversary, and thank you!
The cakes are only part of the fun! I absolutely adore your writing style, Jen, and your willingness to commit some totally zany thoughts to print! CakeWrecks could never be the same without your own special voice!
Thanks for the Wrecks!
and underneath that
Here's to Many More Years!
Flower.
Love you guys!!
I love you blog! I am almost embarrassed to admit that I look forward to your daily posts. Saturdays are sad, since most of them are postless. :) We love you John, Jen, Sharyn and Lindsey! Please keep it up! We need you to help us get through our otherwise dreary lives!
Congratulations on 5 years of success! You guys are awesome!
I remember the first time I heard about your blog. I had been a cake decorator at Wally World for about a year. One day my asst mgr came up to me with the "under neat that"cake and said, "don't ever do this." Been following y'all ever since. Happy anniversary :-)
Congratulations! (Or should I say "Congradations!") You make me laugh every day. (Except Saturday. Work on that, ok?) Thanks for the joy you bring to our lives.
Juls
HAPPY ANNEVURSARY
CAKE REX
I WANT SPRINKLES
Congratulations on your roaring success and your intestinal fortitude in rejecting the siren songs of the television media's talking heads....
All hail our new cake wrecks overlords!
Congratulations and thank you! One would think that fear of appearing here would deter all future wreckage, but, happily, it hasn't.
I discovered Cake Wrecks roughly 6 months after it was started and it changed my life. At first it was just an enjoyable way to pass a few minutes every day, laughing at the latest post, or a few hours on some days, catching up on all that I had missed. When Jen started Epbot I was there right from the start and enjoyed every minute of it. Cake Wrecks introduced me not only to Jen and John, but also to other great blogs that are out there. I was so pleased to find out that there are others out there like me. People with a crazy, twisted sense of humor. People with social anxiety that have trouble even shopping for groceries. People who enjoy Star Wars, Star Trek, video games, and a wild assortment of other "nerdy" things. Cake Wrecks opened all these doors for me, and now that I am disabled and no longer able to work, all of these blogs help me feel as though I am still a part of something and not quite so alone. So thank you, guys! Thank you for Cake Wrecks. Thank you for Epbot. Thank you for introducing me to so many amazing people. I love you guys! Live long and prosper, and may the force be with you always!
Long may you continue to terrify staff at unnamed supermarket bakery counters with just the hint of a stranger's cameraphone.
EVERY time I'm having a bad day, your site saves my sanity. It makes me cry healthy tears of laughter and, as well, put everything in perspective. How bad can a day be when somewhere, someone is getting a cake that unintentionally looks like a penis?
Congratulations on 5 years. This is an awesome blog!
Thanks for all the work you do on this, Jen, John, and crew!!!
Happy Anniversary! And thank you for making me laugh so hard I've scared my family on numerous occasions.
(Under Neat that)
You (all of you) RAWK! <3