A Painting, a Person, a Story

Inspiration is a funny thing, a fleeting, combustible, goosebumps-inducing funny thing. Oddly enough, cakes rarely inspire me.  Most often for me, inspiration comes from other art forms: paintings, fashion, sculpture, home and textile design.  And, of course, people and their stories always light a creative spark.

A painting, a person and a story inspired this cake.  

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Lily of the Valley

I always feel nostalgic about May 1—today is the first day of my birth month, as well as May Day in France.  Did I mention I am a bit of a francophile?  Maybe a bit more than a bit, and here’s why….

I remember struggling to take deep breaths, coughing uncontrollably anytime I moved around too much.  Having asthma as a child left a mark on me, as did the time I was sent “down the bayou” with my grandparents for a week because my asthma had flared up and both of my parents had to work.  I was five years old and my grandparents spoke only French.

No television.  No music.  No children.  No English.  
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