FLAVOUR

A Friendly Reminder

2011-09-22T22:42:00.002-04:00

FLAVOUR's run on blogspot was discontinued earlier this year (and I totally forgot about this space until now!!). Feel free to follow all future activities directly on the FLAVOUR website: www.flavourcakes.ca/blog

Happy caking!

Hello? It's Me.

2011-02-01T16:43:00.007-05:00

After an extended period of living out of a suitcase and juggling a multitude of projects, I'm back! Yes, things have been a little nuts. Overwhelming. EXHAUSTING even. BUT I'm still standing so that's a good sign.

For those that follow the blog regularly I know I've been MIA and I apologize for my absence. I promise it's for good reason. The most important of which is this: The new FLAVOUR website is on its way...with a completely new look! Although we're still at least a month away from launch, it's been exciting to watch this unfold.

I recently teamed up with two fantastic women who are helping to bring this new vision to life. One of which is Tricia of http://www.triciamariephotography.ca/ who took some time out of her busy schedule to help produce some gorgeous photography for the site. If you're newly expecting or have little ones that you'd like to capture in time check out her work. Her newborn and children's shots are adorable!

Another exciting announcement is that Tricia will be offering Cake Smash packages for one year olds and yours truly will be providing the edible smash art for these shoots. If you don't know what a cake smash is...well it's exactly what it sounds like. A one year old + a mini cake/cupcake = one big mess and a great photo opportunity! Contact Tricia directly for more info on this.

I'll leave you today with a photo of Marisa's baby shower cupcakes. She's due in a couple of weeks and is anxiously awaiting the arrival of her baby girl. I did Marisa's wedding cupcakes in 2009 and have to say I love watching my former couples' lives unfold from one stage to another.

Wishing Marisa and Nik all the best as they embark on this new adventure!

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-10T16:59:00.006-05:00

I can't believe Christmas is only two weeks away. It's shocking actually. In fact, as I sit here I wonder where most of 2010 went. It all seems to be a fast blur, but a fast blur with some captured stills of some truly awesome people.

This was a busy year for FLAVOUR and at some point since my last blog post and now, I disappeared. Not on purpose (o.k., maybe a little on purpose!). But in all seriousness, I needed a break so I took one. Always honour yourself no matter what. Despite my intentional break it became extended for some other reasons beyond my control.

Now I find myself on the other side of the country, nowhere near my kitchen, trying to prepare for the holiday season. By the time I get back I'll have a total of 7 days to finish all my shopping, wrapping, baking, cleaning, and prepare for back-to-back Christmas gatherings. What was I thinking?!? Ahh well. 'Tis the season to lose your mind I guess.

Anyways, I just wanted to jump back on the blog today and wish all my fabulous clients a Merry Christmas and a totally glam holiday season!

AND stay tuned because in early 2011 FLAVOUR will be taking on a whole new look! I love surprises :)

Stay warm people!

Count Your Blessings

2010-10-09T12:35:00.007-04:00

It's a beautiful weekend to celebrate Thanksgiving. The sun is shining and as I drove out this morning I couldn't help but be in awe over the tapestry of autumn leaves lining the trees. The colours were so vibrant and striking that my immediate instinct was to smile.

I'm just as guilty as anyone else of taking things for granted in the craziness of daily life. But when I actually stop to think, I realize that so many things in life are truly amazing and that there's so much to be grateful for on a regular basis.

Take for example earlier this week. I was in a rush to pick up a few groceries after work so I ran through the store, picked the shortest check-out line possible, threw everything in my bag and took off out the door. As I stepped out I noticed a man standing to my left holding up his Blackberry to take a picture. Curiously, I followed the direction of his shot and what I saw stopped me dead in my tracks.

It was a full sized rainbow. But not just any rainbow. It was accompanied by the most gorgeous sunset I have EVER seen. Purples, pinks, oranges and fire reds lined the skyline and were reflected through the clouds in all directions. I was stunned at the beauty of it all and wished I had my camera. It didn't last long, but it was there long enough for me to appreciate it. And luckily the next night's sunset was just as stunning (minus the rainbow) so I automatically knew I needed to stop what I was doing and just observe it.

So this weekend I'm giving thanks for everyday life, for the spontaneous beauty that surrounds us, and for the wonderful people in my life including those that are sometimes a challenge! Finally, a big thanks to the awesome clients I have had a chance to work with over the last 2 years. This includes new client Lara who is celebrating her son's baptism this weekend. Another one of life's true blessings.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone and may you find your own blessings each and every day.

A Good Example

2010-10-03T10:02:00.005-04:00

This weekend's cake is based on Dora the Explorer. I'm sure most people have heard of her, but do you really know anything about her? I didn't. So I looked her up and was pleasantly surprised.

Dora is a young girl who embarks on a trip in every episode in order to find something or help somebody. She has a positive view of the characters she meets, acts against villians only when compromise is not possible (but still doesn't display anger), loves her family, and overall is a teacher not only of Spanish and map use, but on how to be better person. It's nice to know that some shows continue to teach values. (Maybe some adults should be watching this!)

Anyways, Kaitlyn celebrated her second birthday yesterday and her party was themed in Dora. Her vanilla with raspberry buttercream cake was designed after one of the party napkins to match the event decor.

Sometimes I'm asked why I continue to spend hours of my personal time making cakes. And sometimes I ask myself the same question. Well apparently "Kaitlyn loved it and was very excited to show everyone her Dora cake". THAT is what makes it worthwhile.

Happy birthday Kaitlyn!

Fit for a Prince

2010-10-02T10:11:00.006-04:00

Prince is actually a little girl who celebrated her first birthday last weekend. Her mom had planned a pretty big party (which got even bigger as time went on) and requested a cupcake display for the event.

The cupcake tower was to take on a turquoise and orange colour pattern based on Prince's birthday dress which had stripes in the same colour combination along with some gold. The stripes were used in the topper along with a small gold crown to complete the look.

Initially the crown was going to be more like a tiara, but the day before the party I was informed that the theme had been overhauled to "carnival". At that point it was too late to change the cupcake display, but the tiara was altered to represent a more carnival-like look and the much loved "dots-on-a-stick" were also added for fun. Vanilla and chocolate cupcakes were iced in vanilla buttercream also tinted in the theme colours.

Overall it sounds like this was quite the party. I got a sneak peek at the candy apples which were headed to the event and they looked fantastic! Surely all those guests had a blast.

Happy birthday to Prince!

Flower Power

2010-09-26T10:50:00.005-04:00

Ann and her loved ones celebrated her 60th birthday this weekend up at the family's cottage retreat and this was her centerpiece.

One of her daughters emailed me a few months ago about the possibility of creating a gardening themed cake for the event. Ann loves flowers and gardening and the party was set to take place outdoors in a "garden party" kinda way so it seemed to be the most appropriate focus. We tossed around a couple of ideas and settled on a sculpted cake in the shape of a watering can. Gumpaste flowers were to complete the look in fall colours.

I wanted to keep this feminine and bright so I opted for a pale yellow watering can airbrushed in gold shading. Red roses and some orange fantasy flowers were used for a punch of colour and the "dirt" was also edible.

This was probably the tallest cake I have ever attempted to make and proved to be a structural challenge to say the least. Not to mention the stress of having to move it! I was actually terrified at how long this cake would have to sit in the backseat of a car to get to its destination because some cakes get car sick - and this one had the potential. BUT I'm happy to report that I didn't get any frantic phone calls of casualties so it looks like the watering can made it safe and sound.

Happy birthday Ann! Hope you had a great day with family and friends.

Champagne Wishes

2010-09-18T22:13:00.005-04:00

Congratulations to this week's wedded couple Hailey and Derek!

Hailey was referred to me by a former client and despite the many months of meetings, emails and phone calls I never once got the chance to actually meet Derek. BUT regardless, I'm sure he's a great guy!

This couple's event was designed to be a classy affair with black, white, and champagne selected as the colour theme. Both the ceremony and the reception were held at Whistle Bear Golf Course which not only boasts excellent golf, but offers a nice venue for large or small events. A friend of mine got married there several years ago and I gotta say, it's pretty fun getting all dressed up and chauffeured by golf cart to a wedding ceremony! Hopefully the threat of rain didn't rob this couple of their opportunity to experience the same.

When it came to the cake, Hailey and Derek decided to scrap the formality of this tradition and go with a cupcake display instead. There really was no requirement for the decor other than the need to have them match the colour theme so an assortment of black and ivory fondant toppers were used. And with no topper cake needed, three fun black floral puffs were planted in a crystal-filled glass vase to complete the look.

Hailey and Derek, I wish you a lifetime of happiness! Thanks for letting me be a part of your day :)

It's in the Stars

2010-09-11T20:35:00.010-04:00

Every so often you meet a couple who you know were absolutely destined to be together. I don't really know how to describe it. It's a feeling. An energy. Maybe it's the way they look at eachother or compliment one another. Yin to yang. Sun to moon. Black to white.

Chris and Cristina are highschool sweethearts who after many years spent making eachother better people finally sealed the deal. Even through the distance of post-secondary education and conflicting schedules these two made it work. Their fun-loving nature is evident in even the smallest interactions. And Cristina has a smile that could turn the night to day.

When they asked me to create their wedding cake I was honoured. Honoured because the love and appreciation they show for eachother is truly unique and the kind that will stand the test of time.

Take for the example the way that Chris proposed. This guy actually spent hours upon hours creating a scrapbook of their relationship and taped the ring to the last page! That beats a "so do you want to marry me" proposal in a grocery store parking lot any day (true story!).

I've also known these two for a number of years which makes their cake equally special. In fact, Chris has in a way become an honourary member of the family.

The colour theme for this event was rose red and granny smith apple green. Roses and apples were a huge decor element and symbolism is key here. The colours were pulled from Chris and Cristina's birth stones. Having studied nutrition, the apple also tied in with her career path. I assume the roses also have some special meaning, but alas I didn't dig that deep! Everything down to the actual wedding date is in some way connected to their journey together.

The most interesting element of their cake design is the monogram on the second tier. It was actually designed by Chris who has a good eye for detail. If you're also good with details you'll get the message embedded in the design quite easily. If not, I'll just tell you! The monogram is two letter Cs in scroll type, partially intertwined, reading as C squared. In addition, the roses on this cake were entirely made of gumpaste and brushed with lustre dust for a little extra sparkle.

What could be better than the joining of two hearts when both hearts are made of gold? Congratulations Chris and Cristina! Looking forward to watching what the stars have in store for you from this day forward.

King of the Castle

2010-09-05T12:20:00.005-04:00

This weekend's feature cake belongs to Jack who's turning one today. Jack's mom loves to scrapbook and always manages to find the cutest cards for her kids. This little guy's birthday card was no exception.

The concept for his cake was inspired by his card which showcased a tiered castle with a dragon slithering its way through open windows and doors. And the flavour of choice here was chocolate cake with raspberry buttercream.

As an energetic extrovert, apparently this fun theme was quite fitting for Jack. And I'm sure in no time at all he'll grow up to pursue his own adventures.

This is actually my first attempt at anything close to a castle so a big thanks to Jack's mom for pushing me past my boundaries on this one!

Happy birthday to Jack!

Going Dutch

2010-08-30T18:30:00.007-04:00

Meg and Mike are my super-cool cupcake couple. So super-cool that they've decided to pack their bags and move to Holland!

After receiving an offer to play hockey, Mike will be donning a Dutch jersey this winter and Meg gets to go along for the ride. Tonight is their going away party and as part of their celebration Meg wanted some themed cupcakes.

Reminiscent of their wedding, cookies and cream and vanilla cinnamon were the preferred flavour selections and in a "Hockey meets Holland" kinda way their cupcakes were decorated with fondant tulips and windmills along with monogrammed hockey pucks and jerseys. Yellow and red were also used to represent the colours of the land.

Best of luck Meg and Mike! See you post-hockey season :)

Dare to be Different

2010-08-22T15:17:00.019-04:00

Congratulations to this weekend's couple Katie and David! These two are near and dear to my heart so I had to be sure that their cake was as special as they are.

Katie and David are as laidback and easygoing as you can get so I wasn't surprised when they went outside of the box for their wedding. There was no hoopla to surround this day. Just an informal gathering of friends and family to enjoy some food, drink and good times.

The reception and ceremony were held at The Tannery in Kitchener which now houses an event centre and leasing office that can be rented for small functions. They chose the leasing office which gave their wedding an urban-chic feel with its exposed brick walls, contemporary lighting fixtures, polished concrete floors, and rustic wall prints.

There were no assigned dinner tables here - only an array of sofas and black linen draped cocktail tables to encourage guests to mingle. In fact, this felt like a gallery opening. The ceremony itself didn't take place until 8:00 pm after a standing dinner was served courtesy of Chef Peter Martin from 41 King.

The cake was inspired by the couple's wedding invitations to take on a non-traditional design which worked well with the overall look of the venue. This three tier was flavoured in lemon raspberry, banana raspberry, and chocolate fudge.

Congratulations Katie and David! May your adventure continue for many years to come!

For any of you getting married, check out The Tannery for something a little different http://www.thetannery.ca/.

It's the Small Things

2010-08-15T21:47:00.006-04:00

Kids have a unique way of looking at the world. When in doubt, have a conversation with a 5 year old. To them, life is simple. As adults we just complicate matters.

They know that life is meant to be joyful and fun. That true joy is experienced in the moment. Quite possibly the moment before mom and dad find them in the kitchen covered in chocolate syrup, but in the moment no less!

Kids find happiness in the smallest of things which is why I thoroughly enjoy working on a cake for a child and then watching them light up when they get to see their cake for the first time.

They get that it's for them and that it's special. It doesn't have to be perfect or made of gold, it just has to be. Something to think about as you go through this next week.

Happy 5th Birthday to Abigail and Happy 2nd Birthday to Liam!

Fancy That Cupcake!

2010-08-07T22:37:00.011-04:00

I like to experiment with new techniques and cake processes just for the heck of it and that's kinda how this wedding order came to be.

Brandie contacted me several months ago about putting together a simple cupcake display for her wedding. She actually sent me a sketch of what she was looking for which was fairly basic: a simple white cake on top of a white cupcake stand and white on white cupcakes. Fresh orchids were to be used as accents.

After meeting and discussing the various options available in the world of cupcakes, I put together two samples for Brandie to test based on the options she liked (these were posted on the blog last month). The end result was an elegant display of fondant covered cupcakes still in line with the original desire for simplicity. The plain cake which was to sit on top of the stand was also dressed up with fuschia ribbon and a brooch accent (a little bling never hurts!).

This is actually the first time I've covered cupcakes in fondant for an event and I have to say I've become a huge fan of how they look when they're on display. They give off a nice, clean look if executed properly. The only downside is that covering these types of cupcakes is a two-step process which really takes a significant amount of time if you attempt to fully cover the edges. It's even more of a downside when you're still decorating at 1 am!

For Brandie and Preet's event, we also constructed a custom cupcake stand using some basic cake boards, styrofoam rounds, fancy wrapping paper and ribbon. It's a nice touch when you're trying to coordinate a look.

Congratulations Brandie and Preet! Thank you for giving me the opportunity to try something new!

Jennifer & Mike's Big Day

2010-08-01T21:58:00.009-04:00

Congratulations to this week's wedded couple Jennifer and Mike! It was definitely a hot one today, but perfect for an outdoor wedding.

Personally, as much as I like outdoor weddings I would be terrified to commit to one as relying on Mother Nature to take your side is a bit of a gamble. And that's something which I don't seem to be good at! Luckily for Jennifer and Mike the gamble paid off and I'm sure their ceremony was beautiful.

Both the ceremony and reception were held at a local golf course which was decked out in the couple's wedding colours of pink and grey/silver.

Their 3 tier cake was fashioned in a simple design with two-toned pink flowers and hand painted silver ribbon all made of fondant. A custom made stainless steel monogram finished off the look.

For the inside of this cake the couple chose banana cake with raspberry buttercream. I had never paired these flavours together before, but can now say they do work well for anyone who wants to experiment.

Best of luck to the happy couple!

New Beginnings

2010-07-24T20:46:00.009-04:00

This weekend's cake belongs to Stephanie and Cory who tied the knot today! Their event took place at a local golf course and was themed in blue and purple with butterflies being the predominate symbol.

Over the past couple of months butterflies have seemed to play a more significant role in my life so I secretly smiled when I placed the last one on their cake. In some cultures, butterflies are linked to the human soul whereas in others they represent a long life. Interestingly enough, in Japan they sometimes represent marital bliss which is quite fitting in this case.

Whatever meaning you derive from them, one thing is for certain. Butterflies are symbolic of change. For what the caterpillar perceives as the end, to the butterfly is only the beginning...

Congratulations Stephanie and Cory as I leave you with this little Irish blessing:

May the wings of the butterfly kiss the sun,

And find your shoulder to light on,

To bring you luck, happiness and riches,

Today, tomorrow, and beyond.

Inspirations in Wonderland

2010-07-18T21:30:00.012-04:00

The last couple of days have been a whirlwind of activity and most definitely busy! A few months ago Icing Inspirations announced they would be moving to a new location and as part of their grand re-opening celebration they held their first ever cake competition today. Courtney Clark and Kendon Smith of Cake Nouveau (and past participants on the Food Network and TLC cake challenges) were also brought in as guest judges for this event.

The theme for the competition was Inspirations in Wonderland based on the popular Alice in Wonderland story with the only stipulation being that pink and green be used somewhere in the design. I love anything enchanting and whimsical so I didn't waste any time sketching out my cake as soon as the rules were announced. WELL time got away from me and all of a sudden it was two days before the delivery deadline and I had yet to start! NOT GOOD.

At this point I had two choices: (1) withdraw from the competition fully knowing that I wouldn't have enough time to finish the original concept OR (2) change the concept all together. I chose the latter because when you say you're going to do something, you should. Especially knowing all the work that Chrissie put into organizing this event.

So with only a day to spare I went back to the drawing board. Twelve straight hours later, a few extra hours on the day of delivery, and many moments of nearly caving to the pressure yielded this.

Where a lot of entries focused on the literal story, I chose to take elements of it and symbolically display them in a clean and simple whimsical design. It may not be Alice in Wonderland the way it's known, but it was inspired by Wonderland. And after all was said and done I was quite happy with how it turned out aside from the competition.

After seeing some of the other fantastic cakes displayed I really wasn't too hopeful going into this - thinking that I had diverted too far from the original theme. But I was pleasantly surprised to find that this cake won Honourable Mention in the Professional Division (next after 3rd place). And I'm totally happy with that!

Did I learn anything from this experience? I sure did. That I'll be working on my next competition cake at least a month in advance!!

The Golden Years

2010-07-11T18:22:00.008-04:00

It seems almost rare in this day and age with the current statistics on divorce and the average age of marriage increasing, but long lasting love does exist out there.

My godparents just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary and I was given the honour of making the cake for their celebratory party. The design was kept white and simple with only a bit of gold accenting in the flowers as requested by one of their daughters.

Additionally, a custom cake topper was designed in the likeness of the couple when they first married (based on an old wedding photo). However, this was only to be displayed next to the cake.

The topper was created by artist Nicole Clark and it was absolutely amazing. Everything from the dress to the flowers and physical features were very detailed and you could tell a lot of time went into making it. I wouldn't hesitate to use her for future weddings.

If you're a soon-to-be married couple or looking for a unique gift for someone this would be a fantastic keepsake. You can find Nicole at http://www.minicouples.com/.

A Fashion Statement

2010-07-09T18:54:00.015-04:00

Jennifer is awesome! She's also this week's bride. A referral from a past client, this girl knew exactly what she wanted when she came to see me. In our initial consultation she pulled out a picture of a cake originally designed by Roxycakes and featured in Wedding Bells magazine last fall/winter. The photo inspired her to be different and it's definitely different, but my understanding is that Jennifer has a degree in fashion so I could see where she was coming from. AND this is SO my forte so I was pretty pumped to take this on!

We took the original idea and made a few changes to personalize this cake for Jennifer and her fiance Eric. The two suitcases were styled in Louis Vuitton print, however, the LV monogram was replaced with the bride and groom's initials instead. The second suitcase included a handle and hang tag with the bride and groom's name and wedding date, and we also added a date stamp to the top crate. Instead of a crate full of flowers Jennifer wanted the top filled with feathers, a boa, pearls and minimal flowers just to add some contrast.

The overall colour theme for the event was "peacock" so there was a lot of turquoise/teal and bronze used throughout.

The event itself was held at the Liberty Grand in Toronto and I have to say it was absolutely stunning! I wish I had taken some photos to show you the site. The couple used Manzanita tree centrepieces with hanging crystals which really made this place look like a million bucks. I'm almost afraid to ask, but chances are that's how much it costs to hold an event here!

This was also the first time I got to use my new airbrush. Oh. My. God. If I could be in love with an inanimate object, this would be it. I don't know how I survived this long in cake decorating without harnessing the power of the airbrush! Definitely my new FLAVOUR-ite thing!

Jennifer and Eric - all the best to you both!

Simply Stated

2010-07-04T19:08:00.005-04:00

One of my couples this summer chose cupcakes for their wedding (yes - more cupcakes!) and over the past couple of weeks we've been working to finalize and tweak the design and set-up of their display.

As a final stage of preparation I worked on two decorated samples for them to review. This is the first time I've decorated a cupcake entirely in fondant and the results were fantastic! I LOVE the way these look.

The couple wanted something simple with white being the predominate colour and silver being used as an accent. They're also using some pink in their decor so I combined all three to get these beauties. I was so impressed with the flower cutter I used here that I ended up using these flowers on my last order as well!

Anyways, one of the cupcakes was embossed while the other remained smooth. Personally I like the embossed version, but both are equally nice. Combined together they'd make a gorgeous display. Definitely looking forward to the finished product for this event!

A Fairy Tale You Can Eat...

2010-07-03T21:00:00.013-04:00

This is how one person described these cupcakes. I should hire her as my creative assistant as that was a pretty out-of-the-box reaction. I like it.

In the last few weeks I've been bombarded with cupcake requests which is awesome as I seem to be finding greater joy in smaller packages these days. Cupcakes are fun - period. Although the downside is that there are usually leftovers which don't last too long around here - especially when chocolate is involved. Now that I think about it, this could be a dangerous line of work!

The event this weekend was a 55th birthday party for Sue. It was supposed to be a surprise, but like many things in life the plan derailed quite unexpectedly as the cover was blown mere days before the party. I guess some people just can't grasp the concept of a surprise party. Although this in itself probably caught the organizers by surprise. Not exactly what they had in mind! Regardless of what transpired before the actual event, I heard it was a huge success.

Sue's cupcakes were dressed in floral fondant toppers along with some whimsical leaves and vines. The only request was that they be "pretty" which I think was accomplished. Flavours included cookies and cream, lemon raspberry, and chocolate caramel and each cupcake was dressed in a white and pink cupcake wrapper prior to delivery which complimented the look.

Happy birthday Sue! Surprise - you got cupcakes!

More Cupcakes!

2010-06-30T23:00:00.014-04:00

These little bundles were made for a bridal shower and oddly enough they were pretty much the same flavours as the previous week's cupcake order.

Granted, not everyone likes chocolate mint, but this is the bride's favourite and had to be included. I can't complain as it's also one of my favs and as a guest at the shower I was more than happy to have one!

The theme here involved specific colours - namely teal and brown which are also the chosen wedding colours. I tried to incorporate the same into the stand which I admittedly threw together quite quickly (not knowing if anything would be provided onsite).

Word of advice. If you're going to make your own stand try and get some complimentary paper to cover your boards. I didn't have time and would have preferred a more cohesive look than I got here. Overall it still works, but I'm picky!

Anyways, with no specific request made, I used this as an opportunity to try out a new flower mold which I purchased last week. It worked well, although I'll probably try it with gumpaste next time or at least add some CMC to the fondant as I found the fondant sagged a bit once the flowers were set in the buttercream. Lesson learned!

Despite the little nuances I'm happy to report these were still consumed in full force. Gotta love cupcakes :)

Madeleine's Confirmation

2010-06-19T23:39:00.003-04:00

These cupcakes were made in celebration of Madeleine's confirmation which took place today. Surprisingly, this is only the second time I've been asked to take part in a confirmation event and both times the recipients have asked for something a little different than the typical religious symbology.

In fact, Madeleine herself took an active role in this order and specifically requested "fluffy" icing. Since all my cakes are covered in fondant, the next best thing was cupcakes which would give her exactly that.

Madeleine chose a selection of vanilla cupcakes with raspberry buttercream and chocolate cupcakes with mint chocolate buttercream. Some were adorned with purple butterflies and white flowers, others with pink flowers or vertical crosses, and a few were simply monogrammed.

And lucky for me, there were a few extras kicking around after the order was filled. Breakfast of champions? Probably not. But trust me, a cupcake can taste darn good at 9:00 am!

Hope you had a great day Madeleine!

So Many Cakes, So Little Time!

2010-06-18T18:31:00.008-04:00

Just a quick update today as my inbox always seems to be crawling with inquiries and time is scarce these days!

2010 has turned out to be quite an eventful year. As a result, FLAVOUR has NO AVAILABILITY for any more cake orders until OCTOBER.

Now, if you're totally and completely desperate, and have resorted to crying in a corner because the thought of the local grocery store scooping icing out of a bucket and placing a plastic clown on your child's birthday cake horrifies you, shoot me an email anyways. I'll see if I can squeeze something in. BUT I can't make any promises. I love my fans, but I also love my sanity! Not to mention the fact that I desperately need to squeeze in a real vacation at some point this year! If all else fails, rest assured I will do my best to recommend another local baker to handle your event.

Now back to the kitchen...

The Railway Series

2010-06-10T16:44:00.003-04:00

Can you believe Thomas the Tank Engine has been around since 1942?? I remember watching episodes of Thomas on television as a kid. Little did I know he'd been around decades before I made my appearance in this world.

I can't say I was a huge fan as this show seemed to be geared more towards boys. But Thomas did have some good lessons to teach on cooperation, friendship, and generally on how to be a "useful" citizen. Some important stuff even some 68 years later.

Mateus celebrated his 2nd birthday this weekend with a Thomas the Tank Engine themed party and I was asked to prepare the cake in the same theme. So here's what I came up with. The inside of this one is chocolate cake with Oreo crumb buttercream.

Happy birthday Mateus!

CareTOONs

2010-06-09T17:15:00.003-04:00

Sometimes I come across some really neat things and I like to share my excitement! A friend of mine had a baby girl just a few short weeks ago and I wanted to get something memorable. As much as typical baby items are useful and needed, I didn't want to buy baby clothes that the little one would grow out of far too soon or a stuffed animal that would be slobbered and torn to shreds over time.

Well, I got what I was asking for because this memorable item seemed to pop up just when I needed it. I found Becky from CareTOONs Illustrations quite by chance as I saw an illustration she had made for another friend of mine when she had her baby. The print was absolutely adorable and I knew this was the gift I needed to get.

I contacted Becky, gave her the baby details and within a week she had a fully framed and customized illustration ready to go. I'm SO pleased with how this turned out that I had to write about it. And the recipient was equally as thrilled!

The great thing is that Becky doesn't just make these for babies. She also creates illustrations for weddings, anniversaries, housewarmings - basically any event that you can think of. If you're interested in getting a CareTOON for someone you know you can reach Becky at caretoons@hotmail.com.

Five Years and Counting

2010-06-05T15:52:00.002-04:00

This is a very special birthday cake for a very special girl named Marissa.

I've been making cakes for Marissa even before she was born. The first fondant cake I ever made was for her mother's baby shower (who happens to be a friend of mine) and I owe a lot to this family who trusted me enough to let me practice my cake skills on them!

Now 5 years later FLAVOUR is alive and kicking and Marissa is no longer the tiny little girl I remember. In a way, we're both celebrating an achievement. And I can truly say this is one cake that will be remembered for a long time to come - for many reasons.

For Marissa, each birthday takes on a different theme and this year she requested a Hello Kitty cake. But knowing her mother, the entire house is probably decked out in Hello Kitty everything so the cake is only a small part of this! I was sent a photo of the decorations purchased for the party so the cake was partially designed to compliment the decor. And here it is.

Happy birthday Marissa! What a great day to be 5!

Around the World

2010-06-01T21:07:00.009-04:00

Oh to travel....how I love to travel! I was bitten by the travel bug many years ago after experiencing my first all-inclusive Caribbean vacation. What could be better than 7 days of sun, sand, and surf? And how about the fact that someone else is cleaning your room and cooking your meals?? Now that's heaven. But of course I'm a spoiled traveler. Where some people consider camping a vacation, to me that would be work. Bathe in a lake? Are you serious? My idea of camping is a 3 star hotel.

I'm well aware of my limitations when it comes to traveling. I'm also well aware that I have friends who will forgo luxury and relaxation in the name of adventure. Irena is one of them. Although not in the extreme sense as I'm pretty sure she adores a bit of luxury as well! Everytime I talk to this girl she's getting ready to jet off to another part of the globe. This is life experience at its best.

Irena just celebrated a milestone birthday - the number for which is apparently "unlisted"! But besides that, this is also a big travel year for her. Maybe the two go hand in hand.

Soon Irena will be setting off for Asia on an extensive tour of what this great continent has to offer. The idea for her cake could've gone down two different paths. Of course she loves to shop, but she equally loves to travel and because THE big trip is looming her family decided that this would the most appropriate theme to celebrate.

The result? Edible luggage, complete with hand drawn travel stamps of some of the places she plans to visit and a map of the continent itself. Just a small reminder of the adventure that awaits...

Happy birthday to one fabulous lady! Hope this year fills you with a lifetime of memories.

Pretty in Pink!

2010-05-24T16:07:00.005-04:00

It's the long weekend and a gorgeous one at that! Saturday may not have lived up to the best expectations, but the last two days have definitely been worthwhile. I'm just sorry that it's quickly coming to an end.

And although I had vowed to keep my long weekend free and clear of any baking, I inevitably caved when a friend of a friend called asking for cupcakes earlier this week. It wasn't a huge undertaking by any means so I put aside a few hours of my Saturday morning to bake Avery some cupcakes for her 3rd birthday. Frankly, what else was I to do in the rain anyways??

Her mother said that she liked girly/princess-y things so I came up with these for her party. Chocolate cupcakes with vanilla buttercream and cookies and cream cupcakes with Oreo buttercream were interchangeably tinted in pink and then decorated with a 5-petal flower cut-out.

You can't really write happy birthday on cupcakes so I opted for little princess wands with As and 3s to tie into the event. The cupcakes were also placed in some cute cupcake wraps I purchased and had yet to try out. I'm liking the look and will probably invest in some more of these for future use!

Happy birthday Avery!

The Moose is Loose

2010-05-09T16:10:00.007-04:00

FACT: Moosehead Breweries Ltd. is the oldest and largest surviving independent Canadian brewery spanning 6 generations. It's currently based in Saint Johns, NB.

FACT: Moosehead Pale Ale officially hit the markets in 1931.

FACT: Through a series of different brews, Moosehead beer was brought to life by a WOMAN in 1867. Oh ya.

There's your history lesson for the day. See - blogs can be educational.

Moving on. Andy is celebrating his 25th birthday today. Actually, I think the big day was yesterday, but the festivities were reserved for a birthday/Mother's Day tag team event today.

Andy's mom requested a special cake to celebrate her son's milestone birthday and in conversations about his interests and likes it was uncovered that Andy likes to drink beer. Not an unusual hobby for a 25 year old!

Initially we were going to model the cake after the beer bottle itself, but from there the project morphed into a replica of the logo and finally to the logo on a cake featured as a bottle cap.

I have to say I really enjoyed working on this project. It was fun. And once I had wrapped it all up it even took on a rustic undertone which made me want to hang it on my wall. O.k. not quite, but it did look cool.

The inside of this cake was the infamous cookies and cream which apparently is Andy's favourite. Happy birthday Andy! Hope you got to celebrate with the real deal as well.

Cheers!

Cupcake Bling!

2010-05-09T12:26:00.012-04:00

Today I'm blogging about my new FLAVOUR-ite thing! I stopped in to see Chrissie at Icing Inspirations yesterday and she had just received her first shipment of the cutest little jewelry pieces.

Handmade out of glass by The Glass Chef in Minnesota, Chrissie is the first to supply these fun little cupcake cellphone charms and necklaces in Canada. And the necklace charms are hung on a sterling silver chain which is nice. A perfect gift for the baker in your life - or for yourself!

The neat thing is that the lady who makes these also takes custom orders so if there are specific colours you like there's a good chance you might just be able to get them.

I couldn't resist and walked away with my own little cellphone charm, however, I've found an alternative use. A little purse bling perhaps??

If you're interested you can get in touch with Chrissie at http://www.icinginspirations.ca/.

Old McDonald Meets Noah

2010-05-02T12:36:00.005-04:00

This weekend I found myself buried in little animals with two cake orders back-to-back requiring hand-molded characters. The first cake was for little Brodie. His 1st birthday took on a farm theme and his mother Tiffany made sure I was booked WAY in advance for this special day!

We did a two tier cake and centered the theme around the predominant red barn. A little party of farm animals were added around the cake along with the oh-so-farmish wooden fence. Brodie was also provided with his own personal cupcake which was topped with a little piggy. Can't wait to see some pictures from this party!

The second cake was for Jack's baptism. His mother Megan, a long standing cake client, requested a non-traditional baptism cake themed around Noah's Ark to at least provide SOME religious connotation. Jack's a playful little guy so she wanted a cake that would really represent him. I have to say, I LOVE the sheep on this cake!

Anyways, Megan is so easygoing that she tries to make her cake orders simple for me, only I usually manage to go overboard...lol...like right off of Noah's Ark. Anyways, I had no idea where I was going with this cake until I had it covered with fondant - and frankly that's just the way I like it. I tried to stay simple which in this case I think I actually did, maybe because I had 2 other cakes to attack!

Happy birthday to Brodie and happy baptism (??) to Jack!

The Purse-uit of Happiness

2010-05-02T11:36:00.029-04:00

The search for the perfect handbag is similar to the search for the perfect mate. It has to be aesthetically pleasing, display quality workmanship, and have the capability of hauling around all your stuff!

And every girl has a favourite handbag. Despite owning a collection there's rarely more than one purse that becomes the daily staple. As much as I love walking into a COACH store and drooling over their new lines, I know that I will always revert back to my fav until the day it's seams shred or the zipper breaks.

Luckily my fav has stood the test of time. As it should when you fork out anything over $150 for a sack of leather or branded material that you throw over your shoulder, into the back seat of your car, onto the staircase in the front hall, off the metal rod in a washroom stall (or God forbid the floor!), in the child seat of a grocery cart...you get my drift. My purse is always with me, supporting my need to carry the world on my shoulders - as should the perfect mate. And lucky for Jen, she's found hers.

To celebrate, her sister-in-law ordered a purse cake to be themed in the new COACH Madison pattern using Tiffany blue, light fuschia and pale yellow to coordinate with the bridal shower decor. This purse slightly frayed my nerves at times throughout the process, but thankfully I've developed nerves of steel and am somehow becoming accustomed to the late nights! Anyways, hope you had a great day Jen!

Just for fun (and seeing how this fits so appropriately with this post) here are some interesting facts about handbags sourced from Shop ETC September 2006:

3 in 4 Women

Have a favourite handbag.

1 in 10

Number of women willing to spend $150 or more on a handbag.

$24,500

The highest price that a luxury handbag (the Hermes Birkin) sold for on eBay.

22%

Percentage of women who would splurge on a handbag if they could choose only one designer item. Only 9% would choose shoes.

3 lbs

Weight of the average woman's handbag.

6

Number of handbags the average woman owns.

$42

Amount the average woman spent on her last handbag. (I obviously don't qualify here!)

"Man Purse"

The name might have negative connotations now, but back in the 1800s, purses were small bags used to hold coins. Only men carried them.

Handbagging (v: to bruise)

Origin: Margaret Thatcher's no-holds-barred debating style and her lust for handbags.

Meaning: Her words had left her opponent as metaphorically bruised as if she had swung her handbag at him.

Happy handbagging ladies :)

UPDATE: Laurie sent me a photo of the aftermath - take a look at that. All that hard work...reduced to nothing but scraps! I guess my work here is done.

Life Lessons

2010-04-28T20:17:00.007-04:00

This week has continued to throw me curve balls - some that you definitely can't plan for. But in many ways I think we're put into these situations so that we understand what's really important. If you're reading this, give thanks for the loved ones in your life today because you never know when they might not be here tomorrow. Luckily mine will.

On a lighter note, Kim's son just turned 18 and he plays in a band. She thought it would be the coolest thing if we could replicate his guitar in cake and despite never having attempted a project of this scale, I was curious to give it a try.

I've made purses which in themselves can be tricky, but a guitar? There's a lot more detail than you would think. What I initially estimated at about 6 to 7 hours of work turned into a cake marathon of sorts. From start to finish this piece took nearly 13 hours - that's an entire waking day! Of course now that I've done it I could probably knock a few hours off the next one by knowing what to do differently.

The structure was put together in segments cut from 3 cakes and the whole thing was edible with the exception of the guitar strings. It was also nearly life size and finding a board big enough to hold this cake was an exercise in itself. Techniques used included handpainting the wood grain on the sides and neck of the guitar as well as handshading the waves on the face of the guitar body. This would've been easier with an airbrush, but alas I have yet to own such a wonderful tool.

When this cake was finally completed I was relieved. Not relieved because it was done (o.k. maybe a little!!), but relieved because it actually looked like it was supposed to.

Hope you enjoyed your party Kyle, and your cake!

Expect the Unexpected

2010-04-24T18:00:00.018-04:00

I'm a planner by nature and I like to be organized mainly because for me the anxiety of not having a well laid out plan is frightening. Kind of like arriving at the third busiest airport in the world, in a city you've never been to, and pulling out of the rental car garage only to realize that your GPS is still searching for a satellite signal. AND you have no idea where you're going because you didn't print directions (thinking that technology would not fail you). AND you can't stop and ask for help because the locals don't speak English (o.k. well here they did, but that would just be the icing on the cake so to speak!).

Yes, welcome to my recent nightmare. Of course it was only the start of an onslaught of misdirection, detours, and botched planning over a multitude of days and weeks. And as if to test my patience even further, last night was a pure example of how it doesn't matter how organized you might think you are, sometimes you're just not - despite trying!

Sandy contacted me many moons ago about a cake for her daughter's first communion. She sent me a picture of how she wanted the cake topper to appear and the rest was up to me. BUT after agreeing to fill this order something came up which had me leave the country for an extended time - not returning until the day before the cake was needed. And since I had already given my word I was going to make it work.

A week before I left the planner in me sat down, made a list, and purchased everything I would need so that on the day I returned I could just get down to work without any further hassle. Then came Jayna's cake request (see the previous post)...which required all the same ingredients. So what did I do? I used them...and didn't replace them. Awesome.

I started working on this cake shortly after 6:00 pm when I returned from the airport. And to make a long night seem short, I didn't realize that certain ingredients were missing until the moments I actually needed them. This in turn had me running out as late as 11:15 to search out supplies (thank God for 24-hr grocery chains!). On a side note, how many people out there actually do all of their grocery shopping after 11:00 pm?? Based on what I saw, more than I would have expected and that was no plus for me standing in line with 2 items behind two shoppers with loaded carts! I think I may need to start storing vats of butter and sugar onsite from now on.

Anyways, by 2:00 am the cake was 98% complete. At 8:30 am I wrapped it up and she was ready to go. Yes I'm tired today, yes I would probably do things differently next time, and yes I'm happy with the way it turned out and I hope Sandy is too :)

All the best to Mercedes on her first holy communion! I'm honoured to have been a part of her special day if only by playing a very small part.

Under the Sea

2010-04-13T18:21:00.018-04:00

Things are beginning to get chaotic in my cake world...not that I'm complaining. It keeps me busy on nights when I'd probably end up spending my time watching useless reality TV. In fact, anything that keeps me away from that is a good thing.

I'm currently on a hiatus...far, far away from my kitchen. But it's just as hot here, and no I'm not on vacation by any means. So with a little time on my hands I thought I'd post an update of a cake I had LOADS of fun making!

Jayna, my friend's daughter, was celebrating her 8th birthday last weekend and the theme of her party was Under the Sea. Apparently Jayna is obsessed with all things waterborne so why would anyone argue a request to host an under the sea party? My friend asked me if I could make the cake and of course I couldn't say no to Jayna so off I went.

I actually used this opportunity to make a first attempt at a topsy-turvy style cake. I have yet to take a course in this method, but I figured how hard could it be? The answer is not very. Yes it takes a bit of skill to figure out the placement and how to create the crooked illusion, but I somehow got it to function without breaking a sweat. Not to say that I'll never take a course in it just to perfect the REAL method, but for now I have an idea of how it works!

Anyways, colourful fish, coral, an octopus, starfish and accompanying sea shells added to the look of this cake along with an edible sea floor. It wasn't until a couple of hours before pick-up that I found out Jayna's favourite sea mammal is the killer whale. Uh-huh. How could I give her a cake without THAT?

So off I went yet again to try to form a killer whale. Ask me how hard it is to place a feature on a completed cake...considering it wasn't supposed to be there in the first place! I eventually found a spot for Shamoo and maybe it's not where I would have put it from the start, but that's where it landed in the end.

Happy birthday Jayna! I'm glad you liked your cake :)

It's a Dark Knight

2010-03-27T18:13:00.013-04:00

"Y'see, my life is really...complex." Of course it is Bruce Wayne. You moonlight as a man dressed in a bat suit. In real life, you'd be committed. BUT in make-believe it makes for great entertainment.

I'm old enough to remember the REAL Batman. The Adam West version (in television reruns). I've mostly blocked out those memories because for those of you who also remember, Batman could've been a candidate on What Not To Wear. And his sidekick Robin, even more so. Stacey and Clinton would have gone to town on those two. But in their defence, it was the 1960s.

So when I initially started to piece together ideas for this cake I quickly abandoned the thought of implementing the old school Batman with its POWs, KABOOMs, and legendary bat symbol. Instead, I fast-forwarded 40 years to the age of The Dark Knight where Batman actually became cool and the bat symbol - much more streamlined.

Overall, I found this cake to be quite difficult to complete. Forget the fact that it took 8 hours, the issue was how to work around such a dark theme without making the cake look inappropriate or blah (black and grey can only go so far!). Because the cake was for a child, Gotham City's skyline silouettes were kept fairly simple and I chose to use red, orange, yellow and green to spike up the black and grey. At the age of 1, I hardly think Hunter will remember this cake. But in 20 years when he happens upon a picture of his first birthday, hopefully Batman will still be a force to be reckoned with.

Thank you to Laurie who offered this challenge up to me. I should also mention that Laurie is a graphic designer which put some added pressure on this cake! I'm actually making her sister-in-law's wedding cake this summer which is THE coolest cake, but you'll have to wait patiently to get the digs on that. Check out Laurie at http://www.paperbliss.ca for everything from invitations to candy buffets for your special event.

Happy 1st Birthday Hunter - from one Batman fan to another :)

Boys and Their Toys

2010-01-24T22:07:00.012-05:00

It's been an eventful weekend and for that reason I will make this brief as the sooner I finish up the sooner I can get some rest. Damir is turning 25 tomorrow...on the 25th! I think 25 was my ideal age. Not too young that you feel immature, but not old enough that you feel like you're aging either.

Anyways, making cakes for guys is usually a bit more challenging as they tend to have unique interests to try and play off of such as riding motorcycles and fishing. However, lucky for me Damir loves his XBOX360 so I didn't have to work too hard to come up with an idea for his cake.

I don't own an XBOX360, nor have I ever played one so attempting to recreate the game console was interesting in the sense that I had to try and piece together the look from random photos I found online. All in all, I think it works - although the photo doesn't seem to do this cake any justice. Everything on this cake was edible including the game cases which used edible ink for the labels.

Happy birthday Damir! Hope you enjoy basking in your quarter century celebration.

A Fresh Start

2010-01-17T17:36:00.010-05:00

A new year brings with it opportunities to start over. To reprioritize, implement new strategies, focus on new goals, and in general, follow a new path in order to make us better people (if only in our own eyes).

Then again, there are those of us who choose to remain the same - which is fine. But just remember, your rewards in life are directly proportional to the risks you take. And if you don't take that first step, you'll never know how far you could've made it. Just something I've been thinking a lot about these past few weeks as I contemplate my own path.

Anyhow, January initially promised to be slow and steady, but I quickly learned that the universe abhors a vacuum. And where you think you have breathing room, something will inevitably come in and fill that void! So besides catching up on social activities, I've been busy planning my weekends for the entire YEAR. How's that for planning ahead?

One of my projects this month was a baptism cake for Noah. His mom Jen was referred by another client and contacted me a couple of weeks ago to see if I could work this into my schedule. Jen wanted the cake to take on a more contemporary look, but still include some minimal religious symbology. So I kept with the "less is more" theme, choosing only to include a cross and statement to identify the cake as a baptism cake. The selected colours of brown, blue and white were also chosen to bring a modern colour element into it. I must say, I'm glad Jen picked these three as I love the colour combo!

All in all, it's been a busy weekend with ups and downs, but Noah's cake was definitely an "up". Hope the day was memorable for both Noah and his family.

Tis the Season...

2009-12-12T16:50:00.008-05:00

...to fly south! I think mother nature was issuing payback the last few days over the unusually mild November we had. BUT despite my dislike of the cold, I find it doesn't really feel like Christmas without snow. Maybe that's why I still haven't been able to wrap my head around the idea that Christmas is only 2 weeks away. There just hasn't been enough snow to provide warning! However, if you'd like a blatant reminder take a drive out to your local mall and try to find a parking spot around noon. I dare you.

Along with the logistical nightmares, the Christmas season also brings with it many things to look forward to including those much anticipated seasonal shindigs. And as a result I, along with many others, spend hours on end in the kitchen. This was one of those weeks. On the menu this weekend, Christmas themed cupcakes and a 50th birthday party cake. Apparently tis also the season to double book! Yes I lost some sleep, but who needs sleep anyways?

On a serious note, this is also the time of year to think of those less fortunate. With the economic climate over the past year a lot of people are having to access services which they might have otherwise been able to do without. And with a spike in demand, many worthy organizations are in need of assistance to keep up.

So next time you're in the grocery store consider donating a few items to the local food bank. Or if you're really feeling generous, here are some ideas:

Adopt a family for Christmas through Family & Children's Services:
http://www.facswaterloo.org/html/TreeofHopeAdoptAFamily.html

Donate a new toy through the 570 News Santa's Anonymous campaign:
http://www.570news.com/more.jsp?content=20091116_153825_5404

...or to the Salvation Army's Angel Tree campaign stationed at local malls.

Make a donation to The Kitchener Conestoga Rotary Club's Turkey Drive for turkeys which will be distributed through the House of Friendship's Christmas Hamper program:
http://www.rotary-kc.ca/public/turkey/index.asp

In the end...only kindness matters. Season's greetings!

A Day at The Spa

2009-12-06T12:38:00.004-05:00

O.k., so when I was 7 years old I don't think I even knew what a spa was. BUT times have changed, as became evident when Emma asked her mother for a spa-themed birthday party. And with that thought, Emma's mother transformed their home into a mini spa retreat for a day - complete with a hair salon, nail station, AND those wonderful cucumber eye treatments.

After checking out the festivities myself I found that the only difference between a real spa and Emma's make-believe spa was the sound level! I think it'll be a few years yet before these little divas discover their inner zen!

Anyways, Emma loves chocolate so that made the cake selection easy. The addition of Oreo crumb buttercream sealed the deal. As for the design, I opted to keep it simple. Bubble bath, a few rolled up towels, lemon water, and cucumbers were my ideas of choice for this cake. And now that it's done I'm thinking a REAL day at the spa would be kinda nice. Hmmm...something to add to the Christmas wish list!

Happy birthday Emma!

The Ultimate Affair

2009-11-13T08:39:00.027-05:00

Hi folks! If any of you remember my post on Meghan and Mike's barn bash back in July, you might be interested in knowing who assisted them in putting together such an original and fun event.

After seeing some of the pictures I was quite impressed. Everything from the ceremony location to the reception site were perfectly arranged for this awesome couple. And it was completely in tune with the style they were going for.

It's also nice to know that the gals at Ultimate Affairs carry emergency kits! That's right. It rained before Meghan and Mike said their vows and Shelley was smart enough to bring towels to wipe down the guest's chairs before the ceremony. Now who would've done that if they didn't have a planner?!

Not only that, they also saved a plate of cupcakes for the bride and groom to take home before they were devoured by their guests.

Why? Because anyone who's been married knows that sometimes you're just too busy on that big day to really enjoy your own cake :) It was definitely a nice gesture that would have otherwise been overlooked.

Check out the ladies at Ultimate Affairs if you think you might want some help coordinating your special day. http://www.ultimateaffairs.ca/

(Photos courtesy of Sarah Hutton Photography)

DELL-icious

2009-10-27T17:42:00.004-04:00

In the realm of cake I believe there isn't anything worse than having to colour fondant black or red. In fact it's downright painful. Thankfully, two days before I had to make this cake I was informed that my fondant producer now makes pre-mixed black fondant!! AND I could get it locally! I couldn't have been more relieved considering how much black fondant this cake called for.

The idea for this cake developed in the process of understanding that its recipient has no real hobbies to speak of, BUT spends A LOT of time glued to his laptop researching everything from the newest gadgets to how to effectively clean a glass top oven. This precious laptop is a DELL model that has for all intents and purposes become a member of the family. SO - it only seemed fitting to include it in his surprise 50th birthday celebration.

In order to get the required number of servings we modeled the bottom layer as a black leather laptop bag. A second cake modeled as his laptop sat on top. Funny enough, this cake display was mistaken for the real thing more than once - a testament to this new fondant that has once again made me love the colour black!

"Par Tee" Time!

2009-10-25T21:31:00.007-04:00

Longstanding cake fan Nancy emailed me a few weeks ago to ask if I could squeeze in some golf themed cupcakes for this weekend. They were requested for a small gathering of a group of golfers who hold their own tournament each year. The winner is awarded with a silver trophy referred to as a "quake" at an annual dinner and this year was Nancy's turn to host.

She did some research of her own and then passed her ideas on to me which resulted in the following display of chocolate cupcakes with green tinted vanilla buttercream as well as banana cupcakes with chocolate buttercream. Both were adorned with fondant cut-outs.

As we tried to finalize the cupcake decor, Nancy requested that some of the cut-outs have golf terms on them which was simple enough despite the fact that I don't golf. It wasn't until I started lining up the completed ones that I found the humour in an unintentional, yet seemingly subliminal message. Let the "Par Tee" begin...

Cold Enough for Ya?

2009-10-04T10:39:00.010-04:00

Holy crap it's been cold this week. Add rain to the mix and it's downright gross. Note to self: Plan to have children in the summer months to increase the odds of having nice party weather!!

This weeks guest of honours are Kaitlyn and Jacob who both turned one. I've never met Kaitlyn, but I made a cake for her sister's birthday not to long ago so it seemed only appropriate to make one for her too. Jacob, on the other hand, is the son of two good friends and I definitely couldn't let his first birthday go by with a store bought cake!!

As for design, Kaitlyn's aunt sent me a pic of the party plates being used at their gathering so I drew a few ideas from there to finish her cake which was flavoured chocolate with strawberry buttercream.

For Jacob, October has been dubbed "monkey" month (he's being dressed up as a monkey for Halloween and his mom thought that a monkey themed cake would be cute). So here I added the three sock monkey "stooges" and baked up some mint chocolate and caramel cupcakes for this afternoon's party.

As much as these little people are in their prime of learning, this weekend I also had a lesson of my own - that there is a very distinct difference between caramel "sauce" and caramel "spread". AND that I should read labels more carefully!

Happy birthday Kaitlyn and Jacob!

"I Want Much More Than This Provincial Life!"

2009-09-27T12:42:00.004-04:00

Don't recognize it? It was said by Belle in the Disney flick Beauty and The Beast. Most of us want more from our lives, but only a handful reach out to grab the brass ring. When I found this quote it struck a nerve, in more than one way :)

Just some food for thought if you find yourself unhappy for one reason or another. Make a move, because deciding not to is still making a choice in which everything will remain the same!

Anyways, enough of my musings on that subject and on to more exciting things. Sydney is turning one this weekend and she's the guest of honour at a Disney baby princess party. Somehow I think the above quote doesn't apply to her as my guess is that babies have it pretty good. And why not when all you have to do it eat, sleep, and play!

Before getting the request for this cake I didn't even know that there were baby princesses, but apparently there are. Makes sense as the grown up versions had to come from somewhere. The character to appear on the cake was baby Belle and here she is.

Happy 1st birthday Sydney!

Courtney Clark is Coming to Town!

2009-09-13T10:26:00.013-04:00

O.k., so it's not Santa Claus, but for a cake enthusiast like me it's pretty close!! Courtney Clark is the master cake artist behind Cake Nouveau based out of Ann Arbor, MI. She's appeared in numerous Food Network challenges and most recently took 1st in TLC's Ultimate Cake-Off. Her cakes are not to be attempted by the faint-hearted. At least not the ones demonstrated on the Food Network challenges.

I've admired her work for some time now. It's modern, clean, fun and whimsical...AND I just found out she'll be in Kitchener teaching a course on internal structure. Sounds like a first year engineering course, but it's very important when attempting to build a spiraling tower of cake and buttercream! And who better to learn from than Courtney?

In addition to bringing Courtney to town, the gals responsible for setting this up have also secured Michelle Bommarito for several days of instruction. Michelle is another Food Network star and talented cake artist.

Mind you the cost of these courses is also not for the faint-hearted, but I'm thinking I may not get this opportunity again so I've decided to bite the bullet and sacrifice a mortgage payment to learn from the best.

For any cake decorators that might be reading this and thinking that this sounds like something you might want to do, check out http://www.icinginspirations.ca/ for further info.

Lightning Does Strike Twice

2009-09-12T11:39:00.010-04:00

It's nice to get compliments. They're even better when they come from people you don't know! That's how this cake came about. Tonia was a guest at Abby's princess party a few weeks ago and was impressed enough to send me an email to tell me so. And to request that I make her son's 3rd birthday cake.

The theme of the day is Cars. Ironically, the same theme as the other cake that was made the weekend of Abby's birthday. I generally don't like to entirely replicate a cake, but in this case Tonia asked that Lightning McQueen be incorporated somehow. So I opted to use similar ideas as the previous cake, but showcased them differently so that Keenan could say this cake was his.

I've recently started experimenting with "pop-up" images on cakes (as opposed to the totally flat) which is what I did with the famous Cars character here. Somehow it brings out the character better so I think it's a method worth sticking to despite how tedious it is! Anyways, here's Keenan's chocolate cake filled with Oreo crumb buttercream. I almost wish there were some scraps of this left over. Although on second thought, with the amount of cake that I see on a regular basis it's probably better that there are no scraps!

On a side note, people often talk about the "small world" syndrome and I've had my share of these "small world" experiences. In an interesting twist, when Tonia showed up to pick up her cake it turned out that we had a mutual friend in common who was in no way responsible for sending her my way. A reminder that maybe I should call this mutual friend sometime soon as it's been too long! Funny how connections are made...

Happy birthday to Keenan! I hope it's memorable!

I Like Bananas...

2009-08-30T09:36:00.007-04:00

And apparently so does Alex who turned ONE this weekend. How exciting! A special birthday calls for a special cake and here it is.

Alex is a proud owner of a stuffed duck, an elephant, a giraffe, and monkey so in order to tie in one of his favourite things I worked to display one of them on his cake. The monkey won by a long shot. Not to mention that a giraffe recently made a cake cameo and I felt Alex deserved his own star.

Party colours were themed in greens, baby blues and yellows which seemed to work well with Mr. Monkey and the cake flavour selected was chocolate with raspberry buttercream. Now that I think about it...banana cake with chocolate buttercream would have been awesome and SO appropriate...but too late for that!

Anyways, happy birthday Alex! Maybe next year Mr. Elephant will join the party!

A Splash of Colour

2009-08-29T23:03:00.016-04:00

Upon getting up this morning the first thing I did was look out the window...and my heart sank. The dreary, wet landscape did not look promising for Marisa and Nik's wedding day (not to mention anyone else tying the knot today). However, by some stroke of luck the clouds parted and the wet pavement dried up just in time to give this couple the day they deserve.

In a weird six-degrees-of-separation type situation, Marisa was pointed in my direction by her mother who I met on a trip a couple of years ago. And in an almost oddly funny way it turned out I knew her fiance as being the son of a couple who had been friends of the family for years. So in this regard I was most happy to help them create their wedding cupcake tower which they knew they wanted from the get-go.

Marisa and Nik's wedding colours centered around black, lime green, and dark hot pink which I thought were fabulous. A much welcomed change from the typical silvers, creams, and whites. And instead of renting a standard cupcake stand we opted to build one so that we could customize the stand colours. Mind you, matching these colours was NOT the easiest task in the world, but after putting it all together I think it worked out quite well.

Despite the end result this project did not go without a few unexpected bumps in the road and it goes to show that it's better to be over prepared than under prepared. Most notably, the cupcake liners used here are black and not available in your average shop. So I had to do some online searching where I found liners supplied by a Canadian company which I thought would work out quite nicely.

I placed the order and waited...but also made a trip to a Toronto-based shop where I found some similar back-ups. Good thing because those wonderful liners which I ordered online didn't show up...and I'm still waiting...

Anyways, congratulations Marisa and Nik! I hope your day was filled with GOOD surprises!!

Next Stop - Disney World

2009-08-08T14:41:00.008-04:00

I have made it a point to refrain from making character cakes - for a couple of reasons. However, in the last few weeks I had been approached about the possibility of making not one, but two Disney-themed cakes. Now, if a child's favourite character is Cinderella, who am I to tell her she can't have it on a cake unless the evil giants at Disney get a cut? So...I caved....and these were the results.

The first cake I actually made for a good friend who's little guy turned one. Liam's party was themed Disney's Cars and the obvious choice for design was a fondant recreation of the popular character Lightning McQueen. It seemed to work well with the decor which included a stuffed McQueen pineata which ejected a sea of candy for the little ones anxiously waiting below it. Now Gisselle knows how to throw a kid's bash. Always a perfectly themed and decorated event with lots of food, entertainment, and a family that can belt out happy birthday in Spanish like it's nobody's business! Even I was entertained by "Cutie Pie"...this year's clown invitee.

The second cake was for a princess-themed party for Abigail who turned 4. By special request, Cinderella was to appear on the face of this cake. I had to laugh when her aunt inquired as to whether the cake would be a "character pan" cake. Ummm...no. I detest character pans. Although they make it easy to create an image and take significantly less time, they lack the blood, sweat, and tears that go into diligently cutting and molding every individual character piece out of fondant. On second thought...why don't I use these pans?!?

Anyways, happy birthday to Liam and Abigail!

Kathryn & Evan's Big Day

2009-07-25T16:40:00.005-04:00

Is this seriously considered summer weather?? Could've fooled me with consistent onslaught of cloud, cool temperatures, and threat of rain. Seems like the Vancouverites who are enjoying countless days of sun and warm temps are having the last laugh this season. Nonetheless, the show must go on!

Today Kathryn and Evan are tying the knot and despite the not so promising weather forecast, it's bound to be a great day and definitely one to remember. The cake that they chose to represent them is one of classic elegance and in all the cakes I've had the pleasure of making it has become one of my favourites. It's clean, classy, and has a light - almost airy, feel about it.

Their wedding colours centered around bordeaux, orchid green, and silver. However, Kathryn chose a simple colour palate of ivory and white for the cake with slight bordeaux shading in the core of the sugar flowers. She has good taste! In fact, the design of the cake itself was deadlocked between two sketches up until last week and although either would have paid tribute in its own way, I think she made the right choice.

I have to say this cake required nerves of steel taking me from frustration, to exhaustion, to complete satisfaction all in the span of 2 days. Remember this if you've considered cake decorating. Despite the challenges, it is definitely worth it in the end. And I hope Kathryn and Evan feel the same way. Best wishes you two, and thank you for giving me the opportunity to make such a beautiful cake!

And as I finish writing this, the rain has stopped and I can see some sun and blue sky poking through the clouds. In the words of the Black Eyed Peas...I gotta feelin'...that tonight's gonna be a good night...

Meghan & Mike's Barn Bash

2009-07-18T16:42:00.030-04:00

Meghan and Mike wanted to do something a little different for their big day. Instead of going with the mainstream hoopla which surrounds most wedding affairs they decided to take it down a notch. Actually a BIG notch! And by this I'm referring to their reception which was held in a barn. That's right...a barn!

But this wasn't any barn...and definitely not the likes of those decrepit piles of rotting wood you tend to see driving through the country. Somehow, through someone, Meghan was able to obtain use of a facility called "The Healing Barn" (renovated and maintained on a private residence in St. Agatha). I even had the opportunity to speak with the owner and learned that it was a project initiated for a cause near and dear to her heart. That makes it even more special and truly the right place for an event like Meghan and Mike's.

I have to admit, initially I didn't really know what to expect. But upon arriving at the site I was pleasantly surprised. The barn is rustic, but charming and has been renovated to accomodate gatherings such as this including the addition of washrooms, a bar, stone fireplace, and a parade of glass doors in the entryway. It exudes comfort and in a nutshell - it feels good to be here. The wedding itself was also planned to take on a very antique-like theme which tied in quite well with the surroundings.

Because of the low-key nature of the event, Meghan opted to slash the wedding cake from the to-do list and instead set-up a simple cupcake buffet for guests to indulge in. The result was a smorgasborg of buttercream heaven! Chocolate peanut butter cup, cookies and cream, vanilla toffee, snickerdoodle, and chocolate caramel all made an appearance. Now this is a perfect example of Back to Basics in action! (See July 1st's post if you have NO idea what I'm talking about!)

The cupcakes themselves were displayed on an assortment of glass platters, ceramic stands and the coolest cupcake tower I've had the chance to work with. A multi-tiered candle holder adorned with chandelier-like accents added a classic ambience to the table.

In the end it all came together flawlessly to create the look they were going for. Meghan and Mike, I hope you had a fantastic day and that it was all you hoped it would be. You guys have been awesome to work with and I wish you nothing but the best!

A Little Goes a Long Way

2009-07-11T21:46:00.009-04:00

Not to get all philosophical, but I stumbled across this today and thought I'd share the message behind it:

"What if you gave someone a gift, and they neglected to thank you for it — would you be likely to give them another? Life is the same way. In order to attract more of the blessings that life has to offer, you must truly appreciate what you already have."-- Ralph Marston

I couldn't agree more.

So next time someone holds the door open for you or lets you squeeze into their lane on the expressway remember to say thanks. It's a little gesture that doesn't cost a thing, but can make a world of difference - to them and you !

The Label of Love

2009-07-09T23:29:00.010-04:00

Hi...I'm not here, but my shoes are so leave them a message. Only the likes of Carrie Bradshaw would have an answering machine message like that. I'm just sorry I never thought of it first!

So I've spent the last two nights putting together another purse cake...and wishing I had a witty answering machine message to scare off the irritating callers from 1-800 numbers trying to sell me windows. If I wasn't so nice I'd hang up on them...but that would be rude. Now I just let it ring. They can instead listen to the polite, creepy guy who's voice recording came with the phone. And yet they still call back.

Anyways, THIS purse cake is none other than an accessory for a Sex and the City inspired bridal shower. It initially started off as "cute" on paper based on the inspiration of a previous purse cake. BUT it slowly morphed into something more classy and in my opinion, more worthy of being associated with this soiree. The cake itself was flavoured in choco-latte and filled with creamy mocha buttercream.

And to top it off, Erica (friend of the bride) picked out the following quote spoken by Ms. Bradshaw and that seemed fitting for her friend Anna's event:

"...and we were dressed from head to toe in love...the only label that never goes out of style"

Well spoken Carrie. Although she probably wouldn't have been caught dead with a Coach purse (not expensive enough). This was however, the bride's choice. And who can argue with that??

Congratulations Anna! Hope you liked the cake...even though I scrapped the polka dots!!

Make it Bigger, Make it Badder, Make it AWESOME!!

2009-07-05T17:13:00.007-04:00

Duff Goldman is the bomb. If you don't recognize the name then maybe Ace of Cakes will ring a bell?? If even that doesn't tweak your memory my guess is that you don't watch The Food Network!

I, on the other hand, could spend hours...days even, lost in the world of food TV and if Ace of Cakes is on I prepare myself for the long haul as there are usually back-to-back episodes that I can't seem to tear myself away from. There's so much you can learn from a guy who uses power tools as cake decorating aids!

Now, in the last few weeks I've tried to get into a new show called Cake Boss on TLC, but after a few episodes...meh...it doesn't do much for me. It's entertaining to some extent - but misses its mark from a decorating perspective as it seems to focus more on the drama unfolding within the bakery itself. Like...a bride squirting food colouring all over her own cake IN the bakery because she thought it was ugly? Or cakes being delivered to the wrong address - more than once in the same episode?? Seriously now...are we to believe this stuff isn't staged?? There's a fine line between entertaining and clearly overdone. Sorry Buddy, Duff is still #1!

Duff has that laid-back, super cool attitude and you can tell he totally loves his job. Not only that, the little (or big!) things that inevitably go wrong (if only for TV) never seem to faze him. AND in addition to being a chef, he's a sculptor, artist, and musician. Talk about well-rounded.

So what was the purpose of writing this little blurb today? No real purpose at all. Just a high five to Duff for being his big, bad, and awesome self, for loving what he does, sharing his humour and talents with the rest of us, and making it all look so easy!

As a final note check this out...a truly "wicked" cake created by Duff and his team for the Harry Potter movie premiere last year:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kevGvkwvCg&feature=related

Go big or go home!

Back to Basics - Cupcakes 101

2009-07-01T18:09:00.011-04:00

Happy Canada Day everyone! O.k., so mother nature hasn't a clue what to do with the weather today, but hopefully some clear skies make their way in - at least temporarily for the fireworks tonight! If not, well that would just be disappointing. Just as disappointing as having the holiday fall on a Wednesday. Oh joy...a holiday in the MIDDLE of the week! Talk about short-lived excitement.

Anyways, today's post is more of an announcement of sorts. That's right. FLAVOUR is going Back to Basics! What exactly does that mean? Well, let's just say that the cupcake phenomenon is not dead yet. In fact, I've been finding myself making more and more of them lately. Only, as much as I enjoy a fancy cupcake (or two...or three!) I can't help but feel that formal wedding affairs have taken them away from their grassroots.

SO...in an attempt to bring the cupcake back down to earth I am happily launching the FLAVOUR Back to Basics cupcake line-up! No fancy flowers, fondant, or dressed up popsicle stick toppers here (although I will continue to make those for formal gatherings). Back to Basics are cupcakes the way you remember them as a kid...only with a little special FLAVOUR touch. Peanut Butter Cup, Caramel Dream, Rocky Road, and Vanilla Raspberry Swirl are just a few of these new little treats which can make an appearance anywhere from weddings to barbecues.

The idea? To let the cupcake live a little as part of any special occasion without the need to get all dressed up. So let loose and let's have some fun with the basics! After all, does anyone actually eat those fondant flowers anyways?

A Girl Must Be Two Things...

2009-06-27T20:40:00.003-04:00

Classy and FABulous! I LOVE it! Coco Chanel said it best and thanks to Melissa for enlightening me with this jewel of a quote.

Melissa was in the midst of planning a fun-filled bachelorette weekend for her friend and at the spur of the moment decided she needed a cake. But not any cake. No no. This had to be a Chanel inspired purse cake. Of course I couldn't shy away from this one despite the fact that I had less than two weeks notice. (That's right folks - you never know unless you ask!)

So I jumped on this one and did what I do best. Spend half the night baking and decorating, sleep for a good 4 hours (o.k. maybe not so good), and then get up early and do it all again the next day! Too bad "work" actually gets in the way otherwise I may get a few more hours of sleep in there somewhere.

But I digress. Melissa went with pink lemonade for flavour - a lemon cake with light raspberry buttercream filling. The cake definitely took on a diva quality of sorts with the use of Coco's famous quote. BUT diva was the name of the game this weekend and judging by Melissa's reaction when she picked it up, mission accomplished!

Hope you gals had a FABULOUS weekend and maybe the bride will someday be lucky enough to have the real thing!

Over the Top

2009-06-26T21:35:00.006-04:00

If you've ever seen Alice in Wonderland you most certainly remember The Mad Hatter's tea party. How could you not? It was a little different. A little bizarre. Yet entertaining and mildy amusing.

In the cake world The Mad Hatter theme has been associated with colourful, whimsical, and wonky cake styles. Today's project touched on this to some degree, but in the form of cupcakes.

Danielle was hosting a bridal shower for her brother's fiancee this weekend. The theme for the party - obviously Mad Hatter. I was instructed to provide a batch of cupcakes with brightly coloured icing and in some way incorporate the saying found on the cookies that Alice ate in her Wonderland travels.

These were fun to make. I could pick whatever colours I wanted and accent the tops as I saw fit. My only pet peeve was the number of times I had to wash my piping bag (note to self - buy more piping bags!!). Instead of writing on the top of each cupcake I opted to make little flags. Good call because the humidity would have turned them to mush considering the weather these past few days.

Anyways, here are the finished products brightly awaiting consumption.

Christmas in July?

2009-06-06T23:18:00.021-04:00

If you grew up eating shortbread cookies only during Christmas holidays then yes, now you CAN have Christmas in July. I recently stumbled across an article about a mother-daughter team in Halifax, N.S. who paired up and took a popular family recipe for shortbread and turned it into a recipe for success. They named their venture Susie's Shortbreads.

I'm a major shortbread fan and I've got a real soft spot for the ones that just melt in your mouth the instant you take a bite. BUT I was always distressed as a child when family would show up at Christmas with shortbread covered in huge clumps of green and red maraschino cherries. I always picked them off and to this day I'm not sure who, if anyone, actually ate them.

Anyways, going onwards. These two had a game plan. Experimenting with everything from peanut butter cups to toffee, they've turned a holiday treat into a sought-after year round sensation according to their fan base in Halifax. AND if these shortbread cookies are as good as the hype says they are then rejoice shortbread lovers because these gals will provide next-day delivery across Canada. You'll even get your cookies in pretty little Chinese take out containers.

For the die-hard fans, you can actually sign up for their "cookie of the month" program and have a dozen cookies shipped to you EVERY month! How's that for service? Brides and grooms out there, you can also purchase these treats as wedding favours (two cookies to a box). I'm thinking these favours wouldn't last long, unlike the kind that end up in basement storage rooms never to see the light of day. Just something to think about!

So I guess I'll have to order me some shortbread and take the true taste test. In the meantime, you can order your own at http://www.susiesshortbreads.com/.

It goes to show that all you need is a good idea to get you started. And if it's close to the heart, all the better.

It's a Surprise...

2009-05-30T21:45:00.003-04:00

A friend of mine asked me to help her out by making a small cake for a baby shower she was hosting for her sister-in-law. Despite the craziness that has been my week I happily agreed. Because remember - I love what I do. Although sometimes when I'm utterly exhausted I have to remind myself of that!

I was happy to do it because a) she's one of my best friends, and b) I couldn't take the thought of her having to go out and buy a store-bought variety where the icing could make your teeth fall out.

The only snag I ran into here was that the couple had decided to wait for the surprise of having either a boy or a girl. I have to admit, I thoroughly despise having to shop for "unknown" babies as green and yellow outfits just don't do anything for me. In these cases I resort to a gift card.

So what do you when it comes to a cake? I decided to go simple with this one and yes I used green and yellow...but it works. And no one has to wear it...unless of course a food fight breaks out.

Congratulations Jeff and Jen (2)! Hope your little one brings you much joy.

The Wild Side

2009-05-17T20:45:00.009-04:00

It seems as though I'm attracting a younger crowd these days. And by younger I'm referring to the pre-toddler years crowd!

Celebrating his 1st birthday on the May 2-4 weekend is Benjamin. While others are gone camping or are sticking around the house to do some much needed post winter clean-up, Ben and his family braved highway 400 and made the long trek up to the Muskokas to spend a few days at the cottage to celebrate in style.

Ben's a huge fan of the book Where the Wild Things Are. I remember it as a child and can't say I blame him. Although the "wild things" never left as good of an impression on me! Anyways, using that as a springboard we opted for a jungle style cake. After all, where else would you find the REAL wild things?

Happy long weekend folks and a big happy birthday shout-out to Ben. Cheers!

It's a Beautiful Day!

2009-04-18T15:14:00.007-04:00

In fact, it's perfect. The sun is shining, it's warmer than it has been in months, and it gives hope that the snow is finally behind us! And how better to spend a beautiful, perfect day than to have a party.

Today is Adam's birthday celebration and he's reached the ripe age of 1. I'm sure a lot has happened to him since he entered this big, wonderous world twelve months ago. For kids, every day is an experiment. An opportunity to discover something new. Now, if we as adults could reclaim that same attitude we'd be much better off!

Adam's cake was actually based on a birthday card which his parent's absolutely adored. One of those very EXPENSIVE birthday cards that you can only find in specialty stores. I have to admit it is pretty cute, but not as cute as little Adam who I had the pleasure of meeting face to face this afternoon. And based on the grin on his face, I'm pretty sure he thinks today is quite a beautiful day as well.

Happy Birthday Adam!

Blast From The Past - Circa 1969

2009-04-14T18:36:00.011-04:00

Flashback to April 12, 1969. Joan and Ron tie the knot. It's now 2009 and I'm provided with a scanned photo of the two of them cutting their wedding cake. Why? Well Joan and Ron now have three sons who took it upon themselves (with their significant others) to plan a surprise party to help them celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary.

As part of the surprise they wanted to recreate the original wedding cake - but on a slightly more modern scale. After all, a wedding cake should be remembered for what it is. Any cake after that should pay tribute rather than try to recreate the moment.

I have to admit I generally would not take on an assignment like this because frankly a cake made in 1969 is nowhere near the kind of cake I would make today. However, their cake was quite the piece for the era. Four tiered buttercream with enough piping to cramp up not one, but two hands! Not to mention the pillars, ribbons, roses, and all the bells and whistles you could possibly want - in 1969.

So how do you pay tribute to such an extravagant piece? Easy. Start with a blank slate and only pull in what you can without making it look totally outdated! The original cake was all white. The new cake - an ivory fondant base with white accents to provide a classic look.

Instead of overdosing on piping, I opted for a stenciled effect and used some of the original decor and placement including the roses, ribbons, and one set of the infamous pillars. Happy Anniversary was imprinted on each side of the cake board and their initials were tied into the stenciling on the bottom tier. The original cake topper was abandoned completely and in its place an oasis of fresh roses was placed on top (which are not shown).

In hindsight, I'd probably do it again. Not because of the way it turned out, but because of the reaction of its recipients. Joan and Ron, I hope you enjoyed your special day and that the cake gave you something new to remember!

The Best of Both Worlds

2009-04-13T20:38:00.014-04:00

As a baker I am constantly on the lookout for tasty, crowd pleasing recipes. That's why I couldn't help but share the newest addition to the FLAVOUR "flavour" line up. I've wanted to try a cookies and cream cake for ages, but never got around to it - until last week.

Granted this is not a new or groundbreaking recipe in the world of cake, but it was for me. And seeing as Oreo cookies were always one of my favourites it was a "must try" in my books. It took two attempts, but I'm happy to report that a winner was born! From the reaction of those who had the opportunity to be my test subjects, this one is obviously a keeper and is quickly skyrocketing to the "Best of" list.

Mr. Christie...you make good cookies...which in turn make really good cake!

"It's All About Her"

2009-03-02T17:15:00.016-05:00

This is the one phrase that I remember clearly from the number of emails that I exchanged with Andy as we planned the surprise he wanted to unleash on his wife for her birthday and their 7 year wedding anniversary. Having never met either Andy or Jennifer the one thing that was clearly evident was how important she is in his life.

In hindsight I guess my job was easy as all I had to do was come up with a concept whereas he had to somehow attempt to extract the information to give me ideas to work with! I'm not sure if she ever got suspicious, or wondered why he would ask her, hypothetically, what flavour of cake she would have if she were to eat cake tonight! By the way, if you're looking for a suitable anniversary phrase to write on a cake, card, or any other medium, don't waste your time on Google. Corny, cheesy, and unnatural come to mind...

Seeing as we were dealing with two special occasions we opted for a handbag cake. Something that would be memorable. The cake was to be presented to her on her birthday and Andy had thoughtfully ordered her a Kindle as a gift after remembering that she had shown interest in one. Unfortunately it would not arrive in time for her birthday, but a little fondant work gave her a sugar model as a precursor to the real thing. I admit, I had no idea what a Kindle was until this project came along. In short, you can read electronic copies of books on it. Now that's something you can Google!

Happy Birthday Jennifer and Happy Anniversary to the both of you. I hope the next 7 years (and beyond) are as great as the first.

Do Me a Favour

2009-01-25T19:45:00.006-05:00

I like to shop local when I can. After all, if we don't support small businesses in our own communities we have no one to blame but ourselves when things go sour and doors start closing. So in light of that I'd just like to pass on an FYI about a new business which was brought to my attention this week.

Do Me A Favour was started up by a friend of a friend and is based out of Kitchener, ON. I don't know her well, but it doesn't matter. From what I've seen she's quite talented and because she offers some pretty cool handmade alternatives to your mainstream wedding invitations and favours, I think she deserves a spot on my blog.

Her offerings are not restricted to invitations and favours either, as she works to custom create a variety of informative and gratuitous items for any event. From weddings to bridal showers to baby announcements and more, she does it all.

Check out www.domeafavour.ca for further info.

Fun and Fashionable

2009-01-13T19:02:00.010-05:00

I confess. I get excited about little things. After all, even the little things can make life interesting. Today I'm excited about my *NEW* apron. Yes...an apron. When I saw the CANPAR package I couldn't wait to tear into it and try it on!

I know it sounds lame, and I'm fully prepared to bear the brunt of the lameness. BUT for any style conscious bakers and cooks out there, you get me. I know you do. For others, have you SEEN some of the aprons for sale in your local department or kitchen store?? Come on - now THOSE are lame. Once in a while you'll come across a style that you might consider to be decent. These are generally of the solid coloured variety, but in reality most are pitiful. Made for the 1960s happy homemaker or the I-couldn't-care-less type. However, I'm neither. And to me style is important - even in the kitchen. EVEN if my cat (if I had one!) was the only one to see me in it.

So when I came across Domistyle on a recent business trip I was immediately smitten. Only...I hesitated and didn't buy one at the time. Well, a month later I was still thinking about it so I jumped online and began my search. Luckily the gals at Domistyle understand the power of online shopping. Even better was the fact that Domistyle is NOT based out of Western Canada as I had thought - but right here in Ontario. An added bonus because I got my apron within 2 days of placing the order. AND I got their buy one get the second half off deal. How satisfying is that??

Finally, two style conscious and creative young women who noticed an obvious deficiency and did something about it. Thank you Domistyle!

If you like spending time in the kitchen and are looking for your own fashion statement check out www.domistylegifts.com. Definitely something that you won't be ashamed to wear to the front door when those uninvited guests show up.

To Hell and Back...Through a Pothole

2009-01-01T20:25:00.010-05:00

The day I met Denae I realized that she had an energy unlike anyone I've known before. For this reason I was not surprised when she announced her plans to host a masquerade ball at her new home on New Years Eve. Nor was I surprised when she approached me about making a unique cake to celebrate the same occasion.

Now this is the type of assignment I live for. A totally unrestricted cake. Although ideas come and go in planning stages, I find that the best cakes are made in the moment. HOWEVER, any seasoned baker will have a horror story to tell. And this has become one of mine. I call them battle scars. And for those who think cake decorating is all fun and games, think twice!

Weeks ago I sat down and drafted out a general plan of attack on the back of a grocery receipt. Why a grocery receipt? Because you never know when or where an idea is going to strike. The key is not to lose it! So the day of construction I headed out to the grocery store and upon returning to find the new buttermilk to be curdled (even though it wasn't expired) I should have known that things were going to derail rather quickly. After nearly 12 hours, 4 trips to the grocery store, 2 trips to the Bulk Barn and 4 attempts at baking...a cake was finally born.

Sometimes there's no rhyme or reason to why things happen the way they do. I still don't know why this cake refused to set - despite the fact that the recipe was tried and true. We just accept the circumstance and persevere. I could have thrown in the towel after the third collapsed cake (which has now been dubbed the "pothole"), but I changed the game plan and kept going...with a new cake flavour! So here I "unmask" the finished product which shattered my nerves, but left me (and Denae) content at the end of the day.

Happy New Year to all and be sure to paint 2009 in your own FLAVOUR - even if you have to go back and paint it with a second or third coat! Maybe it's just the universe's way of asking you how far you're willing to go to get what you want. Or perhaps a sign that you need to tweak your original game plan. Cheers!

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-24T16:35:00.013-05:00

I can't believe another year has come and gone! As you get older each day seems to blend into the next. We inevitably fall into a routine which makes us predictable, but can also stunt our growth. We get up, go to work, come home, pay bills, finish chores and start all over again the next day - barely finding time for ourselves along the way.

I clearly remember this time last year as I sat in this very same chair brushing up on my HTML skills. Eight months later FLAVOUR was launched. It was a busy year, but it took me out of my comfort zone for a while and the new task gave me a change of pace which I thoroughly enjoyed.

As the holidays are now in full swing I just want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who helped me along the way, including those who have randomly come across this site and have taken a look or passed on their greetings.

I wish you all a happy holiday season filled with much love and gratitude. May 2009 give you new paths to explore and the opportunity to uncover your true passion. When it doesn't seem like work, when time is no longer a factor, and when you can feel the joy within you and see it in others - you know you've found it.

And break the routine - even if it means taking a new route home at the end of the day. You never know what you might find. Because in the end, it's the experiences that really count.

Celebrating Milestones

2008-12-14T01:29:00.020-05:00

Well I guess it's time to share again. As much as I've hesitated getting too involved in small celebration cakes I find myself constantly fielding requests for the same. It's not that I don't like them, but the frequency of these events far surpasses the frequency of a wedding - leaving very little breathing room!

However, seeing as the winter months are much more manageable I've finally given in. Because no matter how big or small, every celebration is important in its own way. Plus, I love what I do and it gives me a chance to escape into the creative realm for a short time.

Over the years I've heard the same story told by family and friends. When you have a child your life changes in many ways. But time flies and before you know it your little baby is not a baby anymore. All the more reason to cherish the special moments you have with them before they're all grown up.

Hannah turned one last weekend marking her first major milestone. As a winter baby it only made sense to give her a winter cake. She even got her own cupcake to dive into. Her mother let me run free on the design with only one request. She wanted snowflakes. And she got them...on the cake AND outside!

At the same time that Hannah was celebrating her first birthday, little Adam was being baptized marking an important day in his calendar too.

So the moral of this story? It can be a wedding, a birthday, a religious celebration, or just because - there's always a reason to have cake! And for me? Just another reason to put on my apron.

Christina and Andy's Cake

2008-10-15T08:16:00.005-04:00

Christina and Andy hosted their guests to a Big Fat Greek Wedding this past weekend at Liuna Gardens in Stoney Creek. Backing on to Lake Ontario, this beautiful banquet hall with its over sized windows and manicured gardens was the perfect venue for their celebration. And with Mother Nature providing lots of sun and a temperature in the low 20s who could've asked for more? As for the couple, not only did they look great, but their appreciation and love for each other was radiant in itself.

Christina chose to go with the flow when it came to her cake and good thing because this project became a chameleon of sorts, morphing from one colour and idea to another over the course of time. Apparently "eggplant" is not a colour in Mother Nature's floral pallet!

She chose a simple three-tiered design and after much consideration on the flowers we decided to dress the tiers in cool water roses and white orchids which matched her bouquet. Completing this cake were flavours of carrot cake with cream cheese icing, vanilla cake with vanilla buttercream, and banana cake with chocolate buttercream.

All in all, it was a 5-star day filled with good food, good music, and good friends. Christina and Andy, thank you for letting me be a part of your special day. I wish you two a lifetime of happiness!

A Hidden Jewel

2008-08-24T10:28:00.010-04:00

If you're getting married in the Kitchener-Waterloo region here's a venue that you may not have heard of before. Hidden away at the far end of Union St. E. in Kitchener, La Hacienda Sarria (which once housed a steel factory), brings character and charm to the most unexpected of places.

I was a guest at a Hacienda wedding last night and was blown away by its unique beauty. Walking through the over sized wooden doors easily transports you to a different time and place, and the central courtyard with its massive pillars and glass roof set the stage for a night to be remembered. Reminiscent of an old castle, it gives you a small taste of Europe...if only for a night.

I tried to locate a website to share, however, it seems that La Hacienda Sarria is destined to remain a hidden jewel for the moment. In the meantime, I did find this article...

http://www.grandmagazine.ca/grandmagazine/may2007/
grandmagazine_070509144756.html

...as well as the blog for a photographer that has shot a wedding here. He's taken some fantastic shots of the courtyard:

http://roelphoto.com/blog/2008/04/second-shooting-for-ralph-
deb-and-dave.html#comments

For you ladies that might have the chance to attend a Hacienda event - the cobblestone flooring is beautiful, but leave your stilettos at home!

Up and Running...

2008-08-17T14:37:00.003-04:00

Just a heads up - the official FLAVOUR website is now up and running! Check out www.flavourcakes.ca.

Christine and Joost's Cake

2008-08-17T11:17:00.015-04:00

I met Christine through a friend and had the pleasure of making her wedding cake this weekend.

The wedding took place in London and I have to say these two lucked out - getting an absolutely gorgeous sunny day to celebrate.

The cake design was chosen out of a bridal magazine, but we changed up the sugar flowers and added some ribbon and stray petals to make it hers.

The inside? Chocolate cinnamon, lemon, vanilla raspberry and chocolate raspberry were her flavours of choice. I am now officially on cake vacation...

Something to Think About

2008-08-15T21:42:00.002-04:00

A friend sent this to me earlier today. It's short and sweet - and worth sharing.

Five Simple Rules to Being Happy:

Free your heart from hatred.
Free your mind from worries.
Live simply.
Give more.
Expect less.

I've Died and Gone to Heaven...

2008-08-10T12:48:00.013-04:00

Of course not in the real sense, but that's the only way to describe taking a bite out of a Dee's Bakery buttertart. That's right. This post has absolutely nothing to do with cake, but was so worth writing. If you've never heard of Dee, you've probably never had one of her buttertarts and that's really a shame.

I first heard about her little shop from a friend who found it quite by chance driving through the backroads just outside of Cambridge, Ontario. The only way you'd know that this small general store makes these treats is by the mobile sign parked out front which has kept a running tally of the number of buttertarts sold - now over 1 million!

These are not your typical store-bought buttertarts. They're huge in comparison with a perfectly gooey filling that will make your eyes roll into the back of your head. Not to mention the variety of flavours available. Everything from No Raisin (for you raisin haters) to Caramilk, S'mores, and Maple Walnut. My absolute favourite - SKOR.

These sinful sweets are made fresh daily which is no surprise as they seem to fly off the shelves even at $1.75 a pop. I think it might be worth the drive to Valens....or if you're miles away good news, she ships anywhere to North America. So by a resounding YES, Dee's Bakery has earned a spot as one of my FLAVOUR-ite things for making THE BEST buttertarts EVER.

Check out www.buttertartstodiefor.ca if you want to try them yourself.

It's The Final Countdown

2008-07-27T20:10:00.006-04:00

Well I'm down to a few days before I push the button and officially launch the FLAVOUR site. It's been a very tedious and time-consuming process for a number of reasons, but I can finally say that I'm content. I guess that university website design course I took actually came to good use for something besides providing an elective credit. Just a few little things to take care of and then it's good to go!

The Crowd Has Spoken

2008-06-03T09:52:00.027-04:00

It's Tuesday again (seems I like to write on Tuesdays) and I'm home sick. Blah. But in typical restless fashion I can't just sit in one spot and relax....no no....I have to blog! I figure maybe I'll feel better after this as it'll take my mind off my stomach which is auditioning for Cirque du Soleil this morning.

So to fill in the time gap it's been a very busy few weeks - again. Between work, the planning of a charity BBQ, and preparing for the cake competition I'd found my schedule jam packed with activity. As a result, my competition cake became an object of major procrastination. When I did find time to work on it I'd find myself tweaking the original design to the point where it became something entirely different. Call it being immersed in the the creative process. If at first you don't succeed, go back to the drawing board.

Being my first competition I have to admit I was a bit unsure of how I would "stack up", however, good news! My stress-inducing showpiece placed 1st in the Professional division! Not only that, I had won Best of Show! Very exciting indeed.

Ironically I had originally planned to launch FLAVOUR on June 1st...and although I had to push back the date, it looks like it may have launched itself.

A Sign Perhaps?

2008-05-06T20:58:00.009-04:00

O.k., so life's been busy. However, this morning I received a phone call from a good friend who woke up with an "Oh my God!" moment. AND it involved me. Weird? Possibly. Vaguely intriguing? ABSOLUTELY! What was the "Oh my God!" moment? Something to do with a cake competition and how I needed to get on it...like...NOW. Probably more like...YESTERDAY, as there was a sense of urgency about it. You'd think she was psychic or something :P

This isn't new. In fact, this is an idea that I've been toying with for a while now. My first thought at attempting this in March resulted in a canceled competition. However, in my stumbling across The Cake Spotters Guild I found that they are also holding a competition within the month.

The theme for their first annual event is "Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue" so the entered cake must include one or more elements of this theme. I was stumped at first, but finally came up with "something" special. So I guess it's time to get building...and if I win I guess I owe "someone" a big thanks for giving me that much needed kick in the you-know-what.

Stepping Out...

2008-04-01T19:47:00.017-04:00

Hello and Happy April Fool's Day!

Well it's been a busy few months and I have a feeling it's only going to get busier from here. After much debate I've finally decided to share my love of all things sweet with the world - specifically cake!

For the past few years I've dabbled in cake decorating as a hobby - just something fun that I could immerse myself in for hours on end. But a funny thing happened. I began to really enjoy it. And not only that, I was consistently being told that I was in the wrong line of work! You see, I'm not a pastry chef or a graduate of any culinary program. In fact, far from it. I graduated university with a Commerce degree of all things. Which in hindsight was probably a smart move regardless of what turn my career might take.

So how does someone with a Commerce degree get into cake decorating? Flashback - my very first job EVER was working the counter in a small bakery. When it was slow and when I got bored I would experiment...and I guess this is where I got my first taste for confectionery art. It would be almost 8 years before I would once again pick up a piping bag. Which brings me to today.

On June 1, 2008 I will officially be launching a little project I like to call FLAVOUR. Not to say that I'm quitting my day job right this very minute, but stay tuned....for the journey has only begun.