Can I share something with you?
I’ve been feeling a little lost lately.
I think this whole new blog has left me feeling turned around and upside down.
Let me explain. I want to take you back to the humble beginnings of Joy the Baker.
See that picture up top? That’s my first site. Oooh me Oooh my. Pretty precious, right? I set this site up two years ago so I could start selling wedding cakes and wholesale baked yummies to coffee shops. I played the wholesale and wedding cake game for a hot minute. I chugged along on my own for a few months before it became clear that food costs and kitchen expenses made it hard for me to even break even. That’s when I started working in other bakeries and restaurants. Phew. That was relief.
Then a magical thing happened. It really did feel like magic. I discovered food blogs. It’s like fireworks went off in my head… as silly as that sounds. Stories plus pictures plus recipes… plus you just get to be yourself at every moment!? Holy heck! In! I wanted in!
Here are some of my very first food photos, taken when I was working as the Head Baker at a tiny bakery in Burbank. These shots? Taken on my camera phone at 4:30 in the morning. You think I’m kidding. I’m totally not kidding. That’s some good glisten on those cinnamon rolls, right? Thank you camera phone macro mode!
Want to see my first post? Ha! I know it’s around here somewhere. Here!
Above is one of the first pictures I took with a fancy camera, a Canon 40D. I propped an Ikea lamp up in the background… that’s what is creating that yellowish glow. Not exactly ideal, I now know.
Can I just say… I was beyond mortified when I discovered that someone had found my blog and left a lovely comment in the days that followed my first post.
Mortified.
The thought of someone finding this space and reading my words absolutely terrified me.
But it didn’t terrify me enough to actually stop posting, and posting, and posting… and posting… and posting some more.
So here I am… almost two years later, still working a day job, cooking, blogging, throwing picnics for hundreds of people like you, and introducing a whole new look with loads of new content into my space.
Can I be honest? That’s what we do here, right?
This whole redesign is a big, scary thing for me. Many, many months ago I thought I might like to start a separate blog… one about my silly life and all the silly things I do. I then thought… ‘Hey! Why not put my food and my life all together into one big ol’ fun site!?’.
Here we are many months later, I’ve hired designers and fired designers. I’ve begged coders to meet deadlines and battled hosting companies to get where I am today. It feels like I’ve built a house, then set it on fire… then had it built all over again… but, really… less dramatic than that and without the fire.
I’ve gone from taking pictures with my camera phone to running an entire site and keeping up with designers and coders and hosting and CSS and CPM and IE6 compatibility and… DUDE! This mess is complicated!!! Bourbon. Where is the Bourbon? Also doughnuts. I need doughnuts!
Am I whining? I’m totally pouting right now, aren’t I?
It’s just that sometimes things become far more than you expected… even when you’re trying to expect them.
I’m telling you all this… I’m showing you where I’ve come from and showing you how we’re right at the beginning of where we’re going, because I have an unreasonable desire to share with you the overwhelming, scary and totally exciting nature of this endeavour. Oooh Internet, how you fussy up my emotions sometimes.
So we’re in this together right? I couldn’t have nearly as much fun with this space if you weren’t here to share it with me.
Thanks for being here for as long as you have… even if it’s only for the past two minutes. Thanks for adjusting to all this change I’ve thrown at you.
Thanks for being patient as I get my footing here, yell at my hosting company, recharge the batteries on my camera…. and do some freakin’ dishes.
And hey! Let me know what’s working for you here… and what makes you sorta wanna yell and scream (in a bad way). You matter. I’m listening, unless it has anything to do with my use of the ‘…’, then I’m not really listening. Holla back.
arundati
what a journey it has been!! and yeah whether you like it or not, we’re in with you…ok lemme speak for myself…i am!!
Laura
I’m glad to hear that I’m not the only one who is completely overwhelmed sometimes with how their internet baby has grown. Though change is good and growing up is better, it can be a bit frightening.
Sandy
Hello Joy the Baker, i’m Sandy from the Philippines, i just recently stumbled upon your blog and to be a honest, i love love love it! I’m also a baker just like you and i enjoy your funny, informative and downright delicious post! I made your fudgy brownie recipe just yesterday and it was so damn fudgy and oh so good! Thank you for sharing recipes and also fun stories about your life. I will keep visiting your site and hopefully re create your delicious recipes. Thanks for being and inspiration. Lots of love =)
Elizabeth
I’m really glad you put up that list thing below the picture scrolling part (BTW, I hope my technical computer jargon isn’t too much for you to handle). It helps me keep track of which posts I’ve already read, something I was having trouble with when only the scrolling picture thing happened. I’m a little sad cause I can’t view the blog at work anymore (our intertubes are too narrow or something, so says IT guy) but it’s ok, gives me something to look forward to when I get home!
On another note, I really love the gusto with which you live life. It is uplifting and inspiring and I hope you stay JOYous…
(sorry, couldn’t help the pun)
joythebaker
It’s great to know that the text below the box helps you out. Thanks for the tip!
Shushmi
I love your blog. I look at it almost every day as it’s really fun and cute and cheery. Foodwise – It inspires me to bake and try new things I wouldn’t normally.
Non-foodwise: I love seeing the fun things you get up to – the cute pictures you take and hearing little snippets about your life all the way across the globe.
It’s fun and lovely and the new site is great. yes I did find the change a little scary at first, but I have since adapted and I love the new look! YAY!
paige
I so enjoy your blog and share it with all my friends. I even have it featured on my blog. When I read Joy the Baker it’s like I’m actually getting out of it whatever a cupcake does after a tough day at work, and when I read today’s post I felt a little guilty like I had been taking this wonderful thing from you and not giving back (aka commenting/thanking you). So, thank you. It’s absolutely delicious. xoxo.
Tom
In this day and age when the internet keeps people separate from one another, you’ve proved the opposite to be true. Your writing, your recipes, your photos, and yes, you yourself bring people together. People who love food – love to cook it, bake it, and eat it – gather here in this space that YOU’VE created, and that will always be something for you to call your own. Everyone who comes here feels like they know you, because you’ve allowed us access to your talent and creativity. For those of us who had a chance to meet you in person a couple of weeks ago, well, that was just icing on the cake. You keep doing what you’re doing, change it, tweak it, keep it the same, it doesn’t matter – we’ll be here no matter what.
Vanessa
I felt to touched reading this. The thing that impresses me most about you is that you’re always authentic and real. I love reading about your life and your love of food because of that. In some ways, it must seem things are getting a little crazy seem strange looking back to where you started but you deserve all your success so much and it’s such a pleasure travelling with you on this food odyssey.
Deanna
Ok you totally impress me more and more every day! Your camera skills at 4:30 in the morning are better than my camera skills when I am fully awake and with a camera phone, dang girl, you are good! I love your new site, its loading smoothly now. Keep going, you got it and I will keep baking and I will keep eating!
Jamie
Yeah, I know how you feel – except for the professional baker part. We do get so emotionally attached to our food blog when the food blog is a mirror of our life. Mine is like that, me and food all wrapped up together as one. But as husband says “Stay focused, do what makes YOU happy and not what you think will make someone else happy. It has to be you, all natural, as you feel.” Don’t get yourself so freaked out by the whole that you lose what is important – the food you love to make, the writing that comes from the heart. You are a fantastic baker and your blog is amazing. Keep it up!
Louise
Your fancy technology is chocolate for the eye and the new site is super cool. But your honest down-to-earth funny SELF is what keeps me coming back to this blog after I’ve abandoned all the others.
Hashi
I hope this means you’re thinking of quitting your day job soon and becoming a full time blogger. Go for it, Joy-baby!
Maryam
Just so you know, I think you’re pretty cute, your blog is kinda awesome, your first post is just as enjoyable as your most recent and those sunglasses suit you like nobody’s business. Thanks for sharing your life and your wicked cooking skills with all of us on the internet. Your recipes are kind of awesome for my impressing-dates skills and super enjoyable for my distraction from work for a few minutes a day.
Keep up the good work, will ya?
joythebaker
Thanks ladybear! For reals.
Jack
Joy, you are the awesomest.
I’m coming at this from the other side. I’ve spent the last 10 or so years making web pages and learning all about HTML, CSS and programming and blogs. It’s only been in the past 6 months that I’ve come to terms with the fact that I am capable of baking intoxicatingly good desserts as long as I have some decent recipes and some photos to inspire me. Exciting times.
Leigh
the new site is shiny, fun and totally what i would hope for from you, ms. joy. sending lots of love from new england!