cake-ology

test

2011-12-22T15:56:00.001-06:00

2011-11-23T01:02:00.000-06:00

more holiday gift ideas!

2011-11-21T15:44:00.002-06:00

In the shop starting today we have holiday packaging ready for your cakette giving needs! Two sizes to accommodate 3 cakettes or 6 and at $5 or $10 price points.

Perfect for all the little add on's and hard to buy people.

Perfect for teachers. Doctors. Your mailman. Your daycare provider. Podiatrists. Chiropractors. Your lawyer. Your neighbour. Or your friendly neighborhood baker :)

Just for the record, please don't buy me cakettes.

Please.

One baker can only eat them for so long before they become not so cute and fun.

Thanks for thinking of me though :)

who doesn't want cakettes?!

2011-11-17T11:27:00.002-06:00

Well it's that lovely gift giving time of year again. We did dainty platters last year and while we specialize in cakes; the cookies and treats drove us to drink (just eggnogg of course :)

So this year we figured, let's give them what they want.

Cakettes.

Perfect for your customers, friends or family, we haven't had someone yet who doesn't like these darn things.

They come in two sizes and will be packaged up in this lovely box. We have a large one of 30 pieces (for $45) and the small with 15 pieces ($25).

They will both come with chocolate cakettes, vanilla cakettes and red velvet cakettes. The flavours can be swapped out with some of our inhouse varieties if you want to change them up. No custom flavours though please, just the choices we have in house.

24 hours needed for ordering, give us a shout at 612-9866!

sweet.

2011-11-16T19:36:00.003-06:00

Since getting an iphone a couple months ago, I have become obsessed with playing on instagram. A photo editing and posting app that lets you easily make your pictures awesome. I'm loving it. The only problem is I can't adjust the light....

This cake was one of my favorites. I mention the lack of light because you can't really see the detailing of the second tier, just around the flowers you can.

Sweet and pretty to fit their vintage garden theme.

monkey's monkey's

2011-11-16T19:10:00.003-06:00

Next to Lightening McQueen, I think the most requested thing we make are cakes with monkey's on them. Fortunate for us. They are cute and relatively simple.

Add in some other cutey jungle characters and you've got yourself a jungle party. Popular theme this year, we're done a number of cakes.

wedding favour ideas

2011-11-08T16:02:00.003-06:00

You can tell the wedding season is over and we're back into the cycle of wedding planning when I go and check on my emails in the morning. I have gotten a lot of emails lately asking about favours and ideas so I thought I would do a quick blog post about some things we've done. I will continue to photograph the wedding set ups so you guys can see the favour in action too :)

Here are some cakettes in action. There are three delicious balls of goodness in these bags, yes, the bride and groom were fanatics. And I heard some rave reviews from guests who popped in after that wedding. We've done the cakettes as singles wrapped in cellophane (or done in a little box) two wrapped up and even three. We tie them up for you too, because we love.

We've done a whole ton of cake pops this year as favours too. We're currently working on some for a wedding this weekend so I'll be sure to take shots for you all. Cake pops are cakettes done on a stick. We wrap these up individually as well and then tie them with matching ribbon.

One of my favorite favours are imperial cookies. Personally, I would be ecstatic if I were a guest at a wedding and sitting at my plate was a delicious cookie. I don't know about you but the hours before dinner is served at a wedding feel like days and I'm always starving. We can do them in a variety of simple cutouts, usually letters or hearts. We've also done flowers, wedding cakes and circles. Done up with a little design, usually a little sparkling sanding sugar. Again we bag these up in clear cellophane and tie with some pretty ribbon.

Heather & Paul!

2011-10-04T22:17:00.007-05:00

Finally! One of my biggest events of the year for me has come and gone, and man, did we have a blast. My husbands sister Heather was married to her dear Paul last weekend. So many things to do! my girls were flowers girls, and quite frankly, the cutest ever. Great age for them to be involved in a wedding too, they had a great time. My dear hubby was the m.c., and naturally, I was in charge of sweets :)

Of what we could provide for a wedding, well, we did. From seat placing cookies, each custom iced with all of the guests names, to the wedding cake, the grooms cake (the Pug!) pics of him will follow, and a dessert buffet. Cupcakes, cakettes, brownies, lemon slice, and candy. great late night snacks!

We did up a four tier cake, the bottom half is not real, but I wanted to show off with a big cake :) Nice deep brown colour a little different from the traditional white, but was so fitting for this time of year and for their colour scheme. The day was gorgeous and we were able to have the appetizers and cocktails on the patio at Breezy Bend.

One of my favorite things to do for weddings is a dessert buffet. Candy buffets have popped up like crazy, and we added some candy to ours too but the sweets are where we excel. Four kinds of cakettes, four kinds of cupcakes, most gluten free, brownies, lemon slice. The guests were saited!

the groupon experiment

2011-09-26T18:42:00.004-05:00

If you follow my blog, then odds are you already follow us on twitter and facebook, so you'll know today was our 2nd bat at running a Groupon coupon. I had commented throughout the day and got a lot of feedback about what my experience with it was and I wanted to share. I have also read a lot of negative comments on Groupon so I wanted to share some thoughts about that too.

I'll start though, with the disclaimer. No one from Groupon has asked me to write, I am not an expert on, well, anything really, and by no way is my word law. My experience and business is based and has grown on trial and error, and lately a lot of book reading. I don't have a masters in baking nor do I in business management. It's just me, Pam.

Our first Groupon was run about a year ago and was one of the first in the Winnipeg market. It went well. We tracked everything we could really, the date they redeemed, what else was purchased. Other than that not a lot of info could be derived from it. I can't say I know how many people are ordering cakes now because they bought a Groupon, but if I had to guess, I would say very few. Our promo is 50% off a dozen cupcakes, with a little list of restrictions and rules. We've been up for about 10 hours and we're over 500. We capped it at 1000, so we're well on our way. Last years coupons were good for one year and we're just at about 50% redemption. This one will be good for 6 months only. Those are the bones of it, now onto the feelings...

Groupon has gone from a pretty fun-feeling advertising/marketing group, to one that is taking quite a bit of flack. I've been forwarded countless links to articles written online about Groupon and how they're hurting small biz, how people have fallen to ruin because of it and how it's just a plain old bad idea. These articles have made me think quite a bit, thus the need to write. I feel as though I also need to defend myself for running the promo, so I wanted to share how I came to doing it. They received media attention twice earlier this year, once for a poorly timed/badly tasting ad they ran during the Superbowl (really poor taste guys) and then later when Google tried to buy them for like, $3 million and they said NO. Not the wisest decision.

(again, just my humble opinions).

My approach to advertising is to proceed with great caution. I don't run ads in magazines, I don't use billboards, bus stops or ads on the radio. My theory is, I need to know that this money spent will result in an action, the action being people coming in and buying things from me. I could run an ad in a magazine, and I would need to make it trackable (like adding a "mention this add an receive 10% off!) kind of thing to know what that ad is bringing in for me. Otherwise how do you know? I really don't do those kinds of advertising's though because they are SO expensive. I don't have cash. I need to make decisions that are smart and worth my time and energy and the little money I can invest. The other thing for us is that we are already pretty busy. Good thing and bad thing, but mostly good. So when we advertise, it's pointed and intentional. I know who can take the extra pressure and where we can apply it at the shop. Example...I can't run an ad or promo for custom cakes. Siew-Chiing and I decorate and we are at our max each weekend. Adding a discounted promo to this area would literally kill me. I also know what I can afford to discount. Mathing is not my strong point, but I have a good calculator so we get by. (Jenn, along with being a master baker is also a whiz at long division. True story.) So I know what it costs us to make a dozen cupcakes. This is key. You cannot discount something that will end up costing you more in the end. That's bad for everyone. Mostly you.

Here are some of the pros and cons and how I think groupon can work for us (and other small biz's) based on the articles and negative comments I've heard about groupon in general. Bottom line, though, it's not for everyone. Especially very specific jobs and business's that are based in custom things and have few resources (like family members who can ice cupcakes)...

Timing- September brings fewer walk in customers to the shop and people are busy with their back to school routines and evening classes that start up again. Wedding season is slowing down and our order book is slim. It is timely for us to run this right now. You have to know how much more business you can take on, how it will impact your day and how it will impact your staff's days.

Product-You can't discount until you know the worth behind the item. What is your discount truly worth? What is your product worth? We chose cupcakes with great intention, and we will not lose money on this promo because of it.

Customers- If I had to guess, I would put my regular customers at about 30-50% of the make-up of who bought the groupon. The other 50% are the couponers. The discount seekers, the ones wanting great deals. They will be new to us and hitting up this demographic may or may not lead to repeat business. Our product is not cheap. It's not an everyday kind of item either (in terms of birthdays and wedding cakes). But through great service we can widen our base to include these new guys and turn them into new regulars. If not, and if they've bought this simply because of the deal, that's fine too. Winnipeg is notorious for bargains and our goal thru groupon is exposure. The grouponers have to literally come to my store to get my product. They must step foot in here, and that's big. We are in a neighborhood that is notorious for bad parking, specific boutiques and art galleries. This is not the mall. I hope to win them over with our quaint little shop and have them bring their friends back to show off the little gem they found downtown.

Discounting your product often is a bad move, and has to be done carefully. People don't trust when discounts are deep and often, they will wonder why they should pay the full price on a regular visit. It also leads to the cheapening of your product. So we do them, but infrequently.

So I will keep you posted, dear readers. Mind you, this kind of thing takes time, years really, I'll continue to analyse it and comment on it. Small businesses are often built around a person loving something they're doing and not a business degree in entreprenuralism (is that even a major?) And like I said above, I don't hold a commerce degree nor will I ever. I'm a baker. I will share what I can and what I have learned to all you other crafty folk so you don't make the mistakes I have and we can all grow together. Aww...warm fuzzies.

Thanks for reading. And if you're new to my blog because of the groupon, please know I'm not always this long winded :) I added pictures just for you.

Under the sea...

2011-09-26T18:19:00.002-05:00

Found some over sized aquatic cakes we did over the summer. Fun stuff! As we plan for a little vacation this coming winter I am struggling with the idea of scuba diving and potentially running into these creatures. The ocean scares me. A lot. I'm a lake girl, born and raised. but the ocean? Man, there's weird stuff out there. Octopuses scare me the most.

I know, I'm odd...

Mobile blogging

2011-09-21T22:48:00.001-05:00

Recently I switched over from my trusty blackberry to an iphone. The major reason? Photos. I thought this topic would go nicely with my last post about having good quality photos taken of my cakes. One of my best friends is a tattoo artist and he would post fantastic quick shots of works in progress and freshly completed tattoos. I was finding it quite onerous to take pictures, upload them, edit them, then sort them so I could later post them and write about them. With my handy dandy little phone, suddenly I found myself uploading pics right after taking them and instantly sharing them on twitter, facebook and instagram. Then it dawned on me. I'll get the blogger app.

Look out, posts will be almost daily now :) Enjoy!

This shot is of our new front doors. A little sad that you can't see the panels of the frencj doors, but it makes for a much better work environment, the number of wasps in the bakery were out of control!

shameless bragging!

2011-09-21T14:52:00.003-05:00

Hi again! Wanted to show off a little to explain why I am as busy as I am. The shop, slowly but surely has gotten to a happy place. We have become very systematic in our procedures, routines and job roles. That, as a small business was really hard to achieve. One really needs the right people in the right spots and finding those people can be hard. We have some really dedicated staff who are helping me get better at what I do and helping the store become a better, more consistent and more organized place. I am also at the point now of meeting with an advisor once a month to review and work on my business. Now that is fun times! Looking at numbers and learning about the fundamentals of my business is down right fascinating. I'm not even lying a little bit :)

Like did you know we sold 32,541 cakettes last year?!

That's fascinating!

And crazy....it also explains Jenn's carpal tunnel issues...

Anyway, the photos are of my little girls on their first day of school. They keep me most busy but have also come to love playing at the shop with me and helping when I do deliveries. Have to train them young!

(That's Claire with her bestie Anthony in the top photo, and Cameron (Wren) on the bottom left with her bestie Isabelle.)

hello hello hello...is there anybody out there...

2011-09-20T13:04:00.002-05:00

Hello all my blog readers! I have taken the summer off from the blog world to focus on gathering my bearings, thanks for joining me again! This summer flew by and we had a really great couple of months. I have a whole pantload of photos to show off, lots of fun stuff!

One of the perks about the wedding industry are the photographers. It's not often that I have access to great settings, equipment, and expertise when it comes to photos. I'd love to learn more and get some backdrops and such but really, I'm afraid I have enough on my plate right now.

So instead, I try to make friends and connections with those who have the expertise, and when they are already friends then I get really excited. Case in point, Victoria Anne Photography. Since Aly has been doing weddings, we have run into each other countless times, Winnipeg is truly a small city. I was able to recommend her to one of my couples (which never seems to happen!) and she took these fantastic shots of one of my favorite cakes from the summer. Why one of my favorite? A couple of reasons. This cake is completely gluten free. No wheat. None. Possibly the most requested thing this summer. Second, there is no fondant (short of the little flowers). It's all butter cream :)

Stay tuned! Lots of fun photos and such coming your way, including a new site!

xo-pam

Fathers Day!

2011-06-16T18:41:00.002-05:00

Available at the shop on Saturday!

limited supply...

Guest Post!

2011-06-09T15:29:00.001-05:00

Madeline’s Weddings & Event s – Winnipeg Décor Design & Planning

Are you looking for Décor, Linen Rentals, Wedding Day Coordination or Planning? Look no further!

Madeline’s Weddings offer complete décor design and rentals for your special day! If you are looking for chair covers, floor length linens, head table décor, ceiling décor, a backdrop or just want to WOW your guests, contact Madeline’s Weddings. With Manitoba’s largest linen supply and over 7 years of business this IS the place you want to go to for your wedding day needs.

The MWs Team has hundreds of rave reviews behind them and our gorgeous weddings have been featured all over North America. We are proven leaders in the Wedding Industry, Winnipeg and beyond.

Complete décor packages starting at $1349!

Complete décor & wedding day coordination starting at $1999!

*** Pricing INCLUDES design, set up, take down etc.

Set up a complimentary consultation to meet with our wedding planners to discuss all the options for your wedding day!

Looking for Daily Inspiration for your wedding? Check out our blog where we feature several great segments including Signature Drinks, Sweet Indulgences, Celebrity Weddings, Tips, Trends and everything DIY! http://madelinesweddings.com/blog/

Top 5 DIY Stationery Projects

We love diy projects! Here’s our picks for the top 5 best diy projects!

1. Candy Bar Wrappers: If you’re thinking of having chocolate bars as your wedding favor but not crazy about the packaging they come in, you can easily change that by making your very own wrappers right at home!

2. Cupcake Toppers: These fun little toppers are a great way to dress up your cupcakes! You can create almost anything you like and customize them to suite your wedding style!

3. Edible Favours: There’s nothing better than leaving with a bag of goodies! If you’re skilled at baking then whip up your favourite cookies, homemade fudge or caramel corn! Homemade edible wedding favors are a great way to say thank you!

4. Mason Jars: Cluster several jars together on a table and fill them with flowers! Fill them with candles and hang them from tree branches – how amazing would they look all lit up at night! Or use them along a pathway and have the candles light the way for guests.

5. Save The Date Cards: Take pictures of yourselves either on your own or during your engagement session with your photographer. You can even hold up numbers or a blank poster board and fill in the date in a photo editing software!

Tons of ides, tips, DIY projects and more!

Check out our website for real weddings, all of our services and much more! www.madelinesweddings.com

Come and check out our wedding show at Delta Winnipeg June 12^th. Get all the details and your FREE tickets http://madelinesweddings-eorg.eventbrite.com/

*Mention this blog post when booking any décor package and receive 100 FREE Custom Designed Thank you Cards. Expires July 31, 2011.

Madeline's Wedding Show!

2011-06-07T09:46:00.000-05:00

Calling all couples!! Madeline’s Weddings & Events is hosting a fabulous show for all brides and grooms to be! You will be able to interact with quality vendors one on one, see gorgeous table and linen designs and sample some delicious treats!

Every bride or groom attending will have a chance to win the Grand Prize Give Away full of free services and discounts for your big day!

There is no charge to attend this event, but we ask that each person attending bring a non-perishable food item that Madeline’s Weddings & Events will donate to Winnipeg Harvest.

All brides and grooms are welcome to attend but you MUST register for your FREE tickets herehttp://madelinesweddings.eventbrite.com/

Here is a preview of some of the vendors participating in this years show!

Joining Hearts Wedding Services
A Moving Pictures Studios
Luxury Plus Limos
King Cole Catering
Michelle Zerr Photgraphy
Fine Eyes Makeup
The Floral Fixx
Cake-Ology
The Sugar Cookie Shoppe
Sun Life Financial
Afterglow
dconstruct jewelry
Madeline’s Weddings & Events
Delta Winnipeg

We hope to see you there!!

Here’s a look back at one of our previous shows at the Delta!

above photos: Michelle Zerr Photography

mother's day 2011

2011-04-28T17:26:00.001-05:00

call the shop at 612-9866 to order yours today!

ONE YEAR!

2011-04-12T14:44:00.002-05:00

It's our birthday! We are turning one.

One!

Seriously, this little shop has been like having another little baby. Lots of work and it seems to get a little easier with each stage. Each stage is new mind you, uncharted territory, new people, new ideas, but the basis (the baby) is here. Puttering along.

If you are able, we would love to see you Saturday, we are having an open house kind of day, cake, balloons, party hats. All the things typical of a first birthday. We'd love to see you!

Thanks for the love, support, and kind (and sometimes not kind) words. It's been quite the endeavor and I'm very pleased to say we are all still having fun doing it :)

destination weddings

2011-03-30T15:03:00.002-05:00

Our good friend Jaime, over at My Way With Style, planned an afternoon of helping brides plan their destination wedding. She got us to do the treats :)

We have had a lot of requests for our cakettes to make appearances a weddings as favors for guests. How great is that?! No more stale mints or trinkets, why not give your guests a sweet little treat! Jaime has some great packaging ideas, as shown above, but they can even be as simple as cello wrapped with some pretty ribbon.

They are also showing up more and more often on dessert spreads and nestled into cupcake towers. Even plated as they are above, simple and so pretty.

We can do them in chocolate and white chocolate and the design on the tops have lots of options. Sprinkles, sparkling sugar, matching coloured chocolate, or even little flowers.

empty promises

2011-03-21T16:27:00.008-05:00

Alright, back to the wordy blogging. I've veered away from chatting too much as we've been really swamped. My poor little blog has really taken a back seat and as I'm writing this, I know I've written that same line over and over. Time gets tight, the blog seems to be the first thing to go. Weeks later, I write an apology blog post and promise I'll do more, promise I'll do it weekly, promise I will stay on top of it. My game plan this time is to get help with it and have our shop girl, Jaime post pics too. I'll do the wordy thoughts-in-my-head posts, she can do the pics. Fair trade. I'll sprinkle in some cake pics too for you, as I can't imagine you're just here to read about the life of Pam....

Business has been booming like mad over here at the shop, and we are super thankful for that. It's also a nice problem to have when it comes to advertising and people wanting us to put ads out. I can simply say "no thanks", and that's not a usually easy thing for me to say. We did do a couple promo's though and I have to say there is nothing quite as satisfying as seeing your work in print. I'm making a scrapbook :)

And it's not just print. We've done a couple cakes for wedding planners, event coordinators and the like and seeing them on blogs and twitter feeds and websites is also super exciting. Just yesterday a wedding shoot was featured on a blog down in California. Fancy.

Signing off now, but we will chat soon! Thanks for following us!

cats and dogs and cats and dogs

2011-03-03T12:26:00.002-06:00

I like making dog cakes. I really do. Fortunately I've never been invited to a birthday party where there has been a giant dog MADE from cake though, as I'm not sure that I'd be able to actually eat the poor thing...

This one I could probably eat. I wouldn't be jumping for the dog part, like I do for butter cream roses. Or cake corners, that one was heavily fought over at our house. Those heavily coated Jeanies cake corners....extra chocolate shavings...

Correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think this thing is a dog. Come to think of it, I have no idea what it is.

Any of them.

I'm so out of touch....

This one is super sweet. I especially love the little terrier on her back waiting for a belly rub.

holy giant cupcake batman!

2011-02-21T10:30:00.002-06:00

One gigantic cupcake, coming right up!

dedicated to Mr. Sheldon Cooper

2011-02-20T22:34:00.003-06:00

I'm trying to make a book to help when it comes to ordering cakes at the shop. A nice little picture book; step by step questions, examples, photos. Have been wanting to do so for months. The problem is selecting pictures of cakes for the book, we've amassed quite a number of them, and sometimes I've even forgotten about them.

Not sure how I could forget this one.

Really.

I don't even know what it is. But I have seen it in the background of Big Bang Theory. So it's at least nerdy-cool.

I think.

2011-02-10T20:56:00.002-06:00

We were asked earlier in the month if we were interested in submitting some photos to Chatelaine for their 14 days of cupcakes. what did we say? Well heck yes, of course!

Who doesn't want to be featured?!

After taking shot after shot i reread the email where it (clearly) states- one shot looking down, one looking straight ahead.

Boo.

Jenn went to town with her artistic creativity and her fancy camera.

So here are just a few of the shots we took that we couldn't submit.

Yum!

Check it all out here!

2011-02-03T18:08:00.002-06:00

Ever have the urge to eat your purse?

I haven't.

Often I've wished for better snacks to be IN my purse, but even that's a little risky with my kids :)

oh little princess

2011-01-29T13:20:00.006-06:00

One of most requested themes.....princess's.

And who can blame you all? Our darling ladies in our lives are all princesses, no?

Some queens...

you know who you are...

Cakettes!

2011-01-19T14:06:00.004-06:00

cakettes- noun, verb

cakette, caketting, caketted

noun: baked cake mashed up with butter cream icing, rolled into a ball and then dipped into chocolate

verb: the act of making or eating cakettes (caketting)

related words: cake balls, cakelettes

Ditch the store bought chocolates this year, get them some made from scratch, handmade goodies from your favorite little bakery.

Our cakettes are wildly popular and for Valentine's they make a special treat all dolled up with x's and o's. Done in chocolate and vanilla.

$13/dozen

No pre-order necessary, but always appreciated.

We'll have them ready to go for February 1st

Valentine's cookies!

2011-01-19T13:31:00.004-06:00

Valentine's Day is certainly not for everyone. I know, by having little ones, that it can be fun, but for the most part, it can be tiring to hear about love, roses, chocolates, kissing, blah blah blah...

Sound like you or someone you know?

Then these are the perfect little treat for you. They make a great gift idea for friends, relatives and especially co-workers.

(so long as they have a smidge of a sense of humor about them...we're not taking the blame for workplace crying...)

Regardless!

Cookies are done by the dozens and are $13. We are taking orders for them up until Monday, February 7th for pick up on Friday (11th), Saturday (12) and Monday (14th).

Why not make them custom? Come up with your own words you'd like, any language! We can custom them for you and really piss off your friends....

Isn't that what Valentine's is all about?

Give us a call at

612-yumm (9866)

or email at

orders@cakeology.ca

Valentine's Cake!

2011-01-19T10:48:00.003-06:00

I made this little cake as a valentine's promotion two years ago and it went over so well we thought we'd do it again this year.

Dense chocolate cake, covered in a mocha butter cream and then enrobed in rich chocolate ganache.

Then decorated in the classic "birds holding a banner" motif.

At 4"x4", the cake is perfect for two (or perfect for yourself with leftovers to take to work the next day :)

$20

We will be taking orders for these until Monday, February 7th and they will be available for pick-up on Friday (11th), Saturday (12th) and Monday (14th).

Drop us a line at

orders@cakeology.ca

or call us at 612-yumm! (9866)

some stuff we've been up to lately

2011-01-15T16:04:00.002-06:00

We did some of these cakes so long ago I'm embarrassed to tell you how long.

I've been blessed with great staff and our new addition Jaime has gotten me so far ahead that I am actually able to sort and file pictures. There are literally hundreds!

So stay tuned, the updates will come sooner than the past month, for that I am sorry by the way. I know it's fun to pop in and see what's new and get ideas and it can be frustrating to not see anything fresh.

2011-01-13T16:49:00.000-06:00

c is for cookie

2011-01-12T18:11:00.002-06:00

Some lovely shots by the ever talented Michelle Zerr.

(Click her name to go to her lovely site...)

And the set up by the awesomely fun Madeline of Madeline's Weddings...

And cookies by little 'ole me.

(and of course my hard working and dedicated staff...)

hello kitty!

2011-01-10T14:14:00.000-06:00

short and sweet

2011-01-07T16:43:00.001-06:00

Monkey's and banana's.

'Nuff said.... now back to work.

2011-01-07T16:35:00.002-06:00

Here are some pretty shots care of Bond over at BLF Studios, one of Winnipeg's talented photographers. Man, we've got talent in this city, let me tell you...

2010-12-21T21:38:00.001-06:00

Thought it was pretty silly to post summer pictures, so to counteract it here are some seasonal favs. Hope you are all ready for the gathering of friends and family.

Take some time to enjoy it all!

out of context

2010-12-21T20:36:00.003-06:00

I'm in the process of sorting pictures.

Sigh.

Digital photos to me means 15 shots of the same cake, one or two useful ones. Then hours of sorting and tweaking, labeling, tagging, filing.

As you can see we're working on a summer month...

A little out of context for three days before Christmas, but with this weather I like to think of warmer times.

And of course, random uploads to the net. These particular are for a fellow caker, who wanted to see some of the not so fancy cakes. The fun ones, like she does over here on her blog...Check it out, awesome cakes :)

variations on a theme

2010-12-14T21:49:00.003-06:00

These guys aren't terribly exciting, but wanted to get them up as an example for a couple who would like something clean and modern, but pretty.

I love the whole theory of "less is more", and I love doing cakes that way.

My favorite one at the shop right now is similar, black and white, 1 large flower cluster.

Anyway, off to caking, we have one of our busiest weekends since the summer wedding fest.

Seems this is the weekend to have Christmas parties so have a safe and happy holiday weekend!

45 years

2010-12-14T21:07:00.002-06:00

I get really nostalgic whenever I do cakes for anniversaries. I love making wedding cakes as well and I look forward to doing cakes 30, 40, 50 years down the road for them.

Wait...

That'll make me like 80...

Well shoot. That won't work at all. I plan on retiring soon.

Very soon.

Not going to happen, but hey, a girl can dream...

2010-12-11T00:30:00.000-06:00

wordless friday anyone?....

2010-12-10T14:49:00.002-06:00

Up to my ears in cake and fondant, but wanted to keep at the ole' blog.

Thanks for all the wonderful feedback, thanks for coming by!

wordless wednesday

2010-12-08T13:02:00.003-06:00

aceart

2010-12-07T19:36:00.005-06:00

Being part of a lovely neighborhood means we should have lovely neighbors.

And we do.

Aceart is just over here at 290 McDermot and we're pleased as punch to have made friends with them. They hosted their Winter Warmer a couple weeks ago and asked us to make a cake for them and so we did.

On a side note we also whipped up over 40L's of whipping cream for them to (lovingly) throw in each others faces.

Now that's a staff party...

Lady wha?....

2010-12-02T21:42:00.002-06:00

Can you make a Lady Gaga cake?

usually, with out hesitation, it's yes.

Sure.

Anything.

Google it, get some ideas, find some inspiration, sketch it out, get to work.

But Lady Gaga?

I don't even know what that is. Except that sometimes she wears meat....

So, I had to call in some help on this one.

First suggestion- crystals. Seems to be a reoccurring theme with her, so it needed to have crystals. Another suggestion? That giant bow of hair she wears sometimes. Well, quite frankly, I'm not replicating hair, so we went with a matching bow.

Last suggestion- orbs.

What?

Sheesh.

Had to go away from the cake world on this one and made it from cutouts.

Add some lightning, fancy writing and boom...

Lady Gaga cake :)

wordless...

2010-11-30T19:19:00.000-06:00

wordless wednesday

2010-11-30T19:17:00.000-06:00

wordless wednesday....almost...

2010-11-30T19:16:00.001-06:00

In lieu of it *not* being Wednesday yet, I'll do a couple posts for ya ;)

One Sweet Affair!

2010-11-23T17:45:00.004-06:00

I had the honour of being asked to be a part of the

Seven Oaks General Hospitals

"One Sweet Affair"

fundraising gala again this year. Such fun! It's really a great way for us bakers to catch up and chat as well :)

This year I was super-dooper nervous, as I read thru the competitors. Chef Don Pattie (from Red River College), Nina Notaro (of Cake Studio), Geoff (from the Fort Garry) (sorry Geoff, your last name is slipping my mind right now...) and then the one that made my stomach drop the second I heard it. Michelle Bigold (from High Tea Bakery!)

HIGH TEA!

I was so nervous to meet her, and man alive, her cake kicked some serious ass.

Seriously!

Check out that phenomenal cake! It was literally like five feet tall. Such attention to detail and creativity, seriously inspiring. And the very best part? Michelle is so nice.

So nice.

Belinda and Mum were there too; all such inspiring, talented and genuine people. Why am I loving them up do much? Well, when they opened up shop, it was originally right down the street from me. I've watched them grow and expand and have poured over their cakes and dainties.

My little shop wants to be like High Tea when it grows up :)

Michelle won the people's choice award for her cake by the way.

This one here is from Nina Notaro, of Cake Studio. Tall and fancy and topped with breath taking flowers. Nina's a genius when it comes to flowers, and no one can do them like she does. Her "labour of love", I can't even imagine the hours she has logged making them. I heard people constantly commenting "those are sugar?!" all night :)

Fancy pants Geoff from the Fort Garry won the judges panel award again this year, as I recall he won last years as well. What the heck this cake is, well, I have no idea. But there are a ton of complex flavours, complex techniques and loaded with mad epicurean skills. I imagine eating it slowly, letting the flavours melt away in my mouth. It was stunning and would expect nothing less from him or the Fort Garry. Very cool stuff. (there are shiny balloon like things towards the back of the cake, made of blown sugar!?)

I was really excited that Chef Pattie agreed to compete again this year. I have had the honor of taking his classes from the college in the past and I love talking shop with him. Chef won the people's choice award last year (and rightly so, he made this incredible chocolatey butterfly sculpture thing) and wanted to lay low this year. He described his creation as going back to basics, making each component of his cake the purest and richest it could be. Was dark chocolate, ganache, apricots and pure fanciness.

And then there was me.

Presenting the "Cakette Croquembouche"

I thought long and hard, as to what would be the perfect combination of tasty, creative and that was a good representation of what the shop has become over the past year.

A couple of cakette-fanatics have mentioned this idea to me in various fashions..."you should make a cake out of cakettes", "wouldn't a tower of cakettes be cool", "is it wrong to just eat cakettes and not even want cake?"...

you get the idea...

Thus the cakette croquembouche was born. A combination of our cakettes (cake mixed with butter cream, then dipped in chocolate) and a croquembouche (a traditional cake made of a tower of cream filled profiteroles, built up with sugar). We decorated it with little gum paste flowers. Didn't win any awards, but I was super pleased with it and the whole event overall.

Already thinking about next years!

holiday baking!

2010-11-23T09:09:00.004-06:00

Holiday baking trays are ready to be ordered!

We are doing smalls (2 dozen/24 pieces) for $30 and larges (4 dozen/48 pieces) for $50.

Order before December 1st and we'll take $5 off!

Perfect for gift giving and for the office, it comes with a variety of cakettes, eggnog twists, oreo cookie fudge, chocolate caramel slice, sugar cookies, peppermint meringues, gingerbread and coconut orange snowballs.

Add on an extra dozen for $10!

Please call the bakery to place your order 612-yumm! (9866)

Wondering about your friends with dietary restrictions? We have a number of gluten free items (the meringues, the chocolate slice and the fudge) can all be done without flour. The fudge we would need to substitute oreo to Irish Cream or chocolate pecan, but otherwise the other two are good. Just let us know and we will be sure to include gluten free items with your order.

have your cake and eat it too

2010-11-22T09:18:00.001-06:00

Yum.

Nothing cuter than babies and cake.

Photo c/o Lana of Artsy-Fartsy Photography.

(best name ever by the way...)

quicky

2010-11-17T20:42:00.002-06:00

I have come to a realization. I find myself not blogging because I find I don't have the time to come up with a whole blurb about something clever. So I think what I shall do is something I've seen on other sites, blogs, facebooks and twitters; and start the ritual of

"Wordless Wednesday".

I've already ruined it. Said too much.

I'll just describe the cake for you, that part won't count.

4 lovely tiers, pumpkin cake and red velvet I believe.

Finished in chocolate brown fondant and fresh flowers.

Stunning fall wedding!

Sam I am.

2010-11-07T18:20:00.008-06:00

lots of cakes being shown off tonight.

they are all wonderful however the subject content may be questionable.

you will see both cute and graphic, you've been warned...

Introducing Sam!

I leave specific instructions with the staff, "my camera is on the desk, when you're done, please photograph your stuff".

Cakes, cookies, anything.

Sam's gonna kill me when she see's I've posted this one for all of you to see :)

She's the shy one

But I found it fair and square and when I went to format up some photos it made me smile.

Sam's super-duper talented. She came to us as a baking student, and as we set up shop, I was excited to have her and Melissa (from the Pastry Chef program at Louis Riel)

Sam does cute REALLY WELL.

So cute.

Doesn't that make you want to swoon? C'mon, everyone now....

"awwwww...."

The next one needs some warning though, you will probably NOT coo over this cake. You may vomit. Just sayin...

Ready?....

So fantastically gross!

Isn't it gross and wonderful all at once? We all couldn't stop being grossed out by it. Love it.

She's awesome at figurines.

Check out these two that sat on the top edge of one of our wedding cakes this past summer...

And knowing that one day we would have to do the infamous "fancy shoe" cake, I enlisted her help for this one.

And the Wiggles.

And she had a hand in helping with my favorite wedding cake yet. Hand rolled pearls :)

Thanks Sam!

gettin famous

2010-11-01T12:50:00.004-05:00

Oh my!

I follow this blog and let me tell you, so do like a million others.

So imagine my surprise to see little ole me carving my cupcake pumpkin.

Then, minutes later this pops up! our little ghosty's!

And then wormies here...

All thanks to tumblr. Which after spending a little time looking into, I still completely do NOT understand.

Whatsoever.

But seriously, with a blog, facebook, website, and twitter, do I really need another outlet? Me thinks no.

Well...for now.

I also think you want to see some pretty cakes. So here's one I did for one of my staff's parents who got married a couple of weekends back. Gave me free reign on the design :)

lace appliques, satin ribbon and bling.

Lovely.

happy movember!

2010-11-01T12:21:00.003-05:00

doing our part to help save the boys we love!

grow a stash to help raise awareness, or buy a Guinness stout cupcake with Irish cream butter cream to show you REALLY care.

everyone we sell we will donate $1 to Prostate Cancer Canada

check out movember.com to see what you can do

(should growing a stash not be your cup of tea...)

happy halloween!

2010-10-26T12:21:00.006-05:00

here comes the halloween cupcake parade!

I remember in elementary school that we would dress up and then parade through the other classrooms to show the other kids our costumes.

So cute.

These little ghost ones kind of tie in with our weather here this week.

They look so cold.

Sitting in a little snow pile.

Shivering.

And the best purchase this season was our chocolate molds, one set of skulls and one set of eyeballs. The trick though? having enough time to make them. So we opted to just do white skulls.

These toppers are available all week on our regular cupcakes, no pre-orders necessary for them, but always appreciated.

We'll stock up lots for Saturday!

wedding show!

2010-10-25T15:09:00.003-05:00

This week will go by quickly, as they always do when there is LOTS to do!

Check it out here.

Come on by to see us and say hi!

how do YOU get to work?

2010-10-20T11:02:00.004-05:00

Fancy motorcycle perhaps?

Monster trucks?

Personally, I favor my submarine.

My yellow submarine.

Where we all live :)

Guest Blogging!

2010-10-14T19:16:00.004-05:00

I am as excited as ted is here to be guest blogging to Pink Little Cake's blog tomorrow. Super honored to have had her ask me, there are some other FABULOUS bloggers and cake artists featured. If you need any ideas for Halloween, click on over and check it out :)

paging Captain Morgan...

2010-10-13T13:27:00.002-05:00

Mmmmmm......

giant oversized can of coke....

Next up (should) be a matching bottle of rum.

No?

pretty pretties

2010-10-13T12:55:00.002-05:00

Pretty jewelery done in yummy cake.

Yum!

the variety cake show

2010-10-04T23:17:00.004-05:00

Here's a couple of cakes that were ordered for various parties, a wedding, a wedding shower...you get the idea. Nice sophisticated cakes suitable for any event really...

All three are very different as well. The first is finished in chocolate ganache. Ganache is some nice dark chocolate, melted and whisked with whip cream. You let it set up in the cooler then when you are ready to use it you whip it up.

So divine....

The second and third are both done in fondant, the first showing off some spectacular gum paste roses, the last showing off some lacy cutouts.

variations on a theme...

2010-10-04T20:37:00.003-05:00

Same cake, same Cohen.
I got half way through the first one until it dawned on me I was doing the wrong design. Figured I would at least finish it and take a photo...
Then redo it all...
1st birthday style this time...
Sigh.
At least they are both cute!

prettiness

2010-10-04T14:29:00.002-05:00

Just a quick blog today, must get down to Toad Hall to get something for my darling daughters birthday (5!!). Wowza. Nothing like kids growing to make you feel old...

Anyway, nice party cake, swirls, flowers, I believe it was for a wedding shower. Very sophisticated :)

almost turkey time!

2010-10-01T18:15:00.003-05:00

We hope to see you all down here next week at this time to pick up your Thanksgiving pumpkin pie! Give the shop a call at 612-yumm (9866) to place an order for yours, only $10 for wholesome handmade full of love pie. You can also reach us by email at cakeologycakes@gmail.com

critter town

2010-09-28T22:46:00.005-05:00

I don't have much to say and you may just be here for the pretty pictures, so I'll try not to ramble on...As I was sorting through my photos to see what cakes I want to blog about, I noticed a trend among the latest couple of batches. Four (and six) (and eight) legged creatures. Seems to be a theme lately. That along with the ever-so-talented Justin Beiber...
I'll save that for another day...

bowser fun

2010-09-19T21:31:00.001-05:00

Bowser's so big we had to dedicate two cupcakes for him!
I can't decide which one I like best. Toss up between the mushrooms (so darn cute) and that bullet thing that saves my butt every time I play Mario Kart. Cuz yes, I'm always last.
Damn rainbow road....

old friends

2010-07-30T11:50:00.002-05:00

I have a new found problem with the new shop.
I am easy to find :)
Not so much a problem for you, you now know where I am, most of the time anyway...
Problem for me.
Some days I look at the clock and realize it's already 3pm and I've gotten close to nothing completed for the day.
What have I been up to?
Chatting.
Catching up.
Reminiscing.
Talking to YOU.
And I love it, everyday I come home to hubby and tell him about all the wonderful people that came to see me. YOU took time to come and see me. Me!
This cake above was for someone I used to work with. She was darling and when she came in after not seeing her for many years I was guilty of squealing.
Thanks everyone <3

Snap, crackle pop I do!

2010-07-30T11:37:00.004-05:00

How cute is this?
An entire wedding cake made from rice krispie cake.
When my delightful bride and groom asked me if I would consider doing this I jumped at the chance. I love rice krispies! And how fun to be a guest at this wedding...I could so easily bribe my kids to eat their dinners knowing this was for dessert.
We did one trial run with the bottom layer to work out the glitches and it was as easy as we hoped. We used a ten inch pan, the one we would have used for the cake layer, made three batches then stacked them up together. We put some weight on it and let them set, using the extra bits to fill in any holes or gaps. Repeat three times, stack them all up and voila!
A rice krispie wedding cake.
I want to mention as well the custom cake topper they had made, in the likeness of themselves and all their furry family. So sweet!

castles in the sky...no wait, sand?...no wait...

2010-07-30T11:32:00.009-05:00

How's this for fancy pants...the castle LIGHTS UP. One step closer to that ever fateful day where we will be setting off explosives in cakes, lighting them on fire and using fireworks.
It will happen...trust me, in due time...

Here's a close up of the pretties.
Oodles of tiny little flowers, roses and leaves...
Crystal path leading to the castle...
Very pretty I think.
This cake came together so wonderfully, each flower and leaf we added seemed to make it better and better.
And the best part? The thank-you from the happy couple...

Hi Pam... wow was that the best cake I have ever eaten!!!!!! I just want to thank you for all your hard work, and to let you know that my caked looked great and tasted even better. Thank you for the amazing cake.
Melissa and Dan

Our pleasure!

awesome motor home-ness

2010-07-30T11:30:00.004-05:00

Today was a really big day for me. I was featured in a new segment the Free Press is running called Dropping In. Ms. Brit Harvey came down last Friday to chat and then she wrote a lovely article about me and the shop. You can click here to read it too...
Very exciting :)
Thanks Brit!

On a completely unrelated note, there has been a motor home parked in the Exchange over the last week or so. I like to try to guess where it is as I drive to work. It's an older one, but I imagine it's awesome inside. The above cake is also awesome inside.
A different awesome, but awesome none the less...

guitar fest!

2010-07-30T11:23:00.006-05:00

People seem to love giant guitars. I thought this blog post would be fitting since I took yet another order for a guitar cake today. These were all great events too. The top one was for the launch party of a new radio station, Pure Country 94.7 based out of Manitoba's own Peguis First Nation. Very cool. We have a radio ad with them too and it's so neat to hear our name like that on the radio...I'll try to link it onto here for y'all...

This purple guy was a remake of an actual guitar owned by one lucky groom. His bride wanted to surprise him with it on their wedding day, a "grooms cake". Pretty big tradition in the states, starting to catch on here. We've done a couple, I'll do a whole post on grooms cakes soon. Did some pretty fun ones this summer.

This was another for-real remake for a birthday party.
Rock on, you musical cake eaters!

Knitty friends

2010-07-30T11:20:00.005-05:00

My other favorite time of the year?....
Autumn.
Oh man alive, this cold snap over the past weekend had me pining for a cozy blanket, my scarves, hot coffee and knitting.
Over the past couple of years we've formed a nice little group of crafty ladies and I can't wait to see them all again in a creative context as we have stitch'n'bitch nights.
My new friend Mariver from Where the Wool Things Are also hosts a weekly knit night. It's a great opportunity to learn from other knitters, see what everyone is working on and of course, eat. If you've ever thought about starting, fall is the perfect time too, you can make something by Christmas for your sweet baboo :)

babies!

2010-07-30T11:16:00.007-05:00

My brand new baby niece, Adrienne.
Isn't she something? Man alive. She's about 12 hours old in this picture.
Babies are awesome.

And I love making super cute cakes for them. Like the above cake for a family that came together through adoption (that's "family" written in Russian on the left).

And this sweet one, can tell I love birds eh?

This larger one was for a first birthday, super sweet little girly girl.
So pretty!

And lastly this one with those tiny baby feet that you just want to eat.
And in this case, well, you can :)

my most wonderful time of the year....

2010-07-30T11:10:00.004-05:00

Ahhh...weddings...
My most favorite time of the year. This year so far we've (personally) only had one wedding. Which is sad. I love weddings as a guest. I like to look at it as a custom date night, we dress up nice, dinner is already planned out for us, there's a bar, music, dancing and the best part is that there are friends and family there too. We have no other agenda but to take in the evening.
Love it.
And now with our girls getting bigger comes the fun of fancy shoes, pretty dresses and spinning with daddy on the dance floor <3 aww...

the best of both worlds

2010-07-30T11:06:00.005-05:00

Here are a couple great examples of how cake and cupcakes are able to live together in harmony.
(you'd be surprised at how much attention seeking there is between these two)
(like sisters really, the older (cake) being bossy, I'm bigger than you...blah blah blah)
(and then the little sister...but I'm cute! mom said you have to play with me!)

anyhoo...

I firmly believe that cupcakes and cake should live together. When you have a large event, the cake at the top of a cupcake stand gives that special guest(s) of honor a special treat, just for them. They'll think, "aww. so and so think so highly of me, I get my very own cake" and you walk away the winner.
Or if the cupcakes accompany a larger cake, they're the perfect add on for the "just in case" crowd who hasn't rsvp'ed.
(you know who they are...they never tell you, they just show up...wanting cake...)
So voila.
A cake for the estimated crowd and extras in cupcake form for them.
(or for you later when you need a snack :)

sporty sport sport

2010-07-30T11:03:00.011-05:00

One of the things I miss during the summer months is organized sport. Summer is a little more impromptu volley ball games and tackle frisbee in the lake. So I think this fall I may join a team of something.

I think I'd like to play ball hockey again. I liked that.

Definitely not softball or baseball. Not a fan of that at all. Playing, watching, listening.
Not for me.

Hmph. More babeball...

Ah, football. I really like football. However, don't even ask about the CFL...sheesh Bombers, another season of fans scratching their heads saying what the hell...

Mmmm, back to hockey. Must be a sign...

Back to football. Now NFL, there's a franchise of sport I like. Such a smart franchise of sport. Huge.

And more hockey. Seems hockey will probably win. Thanks for your help!

my very first cakewreck inspried cake...

2010-07-30T11:00:00.004-05:00

I used to love Highlight magazines when I was a kid. Those pages where they would get you to try to find a number of things wrong with a picture. There's 6 in the above, can you catch 'em all?

nonsensical flowers

2010-07-30T10:58:00.004-05:00

I have come back to this layered nonsensical flower again and again. I really love the effect of the texture of it and how it creates some dimension. I also LOVE light aqua pale blue and deep red. We have a wedding show this weekend and my feature cake will be in those colours. love them!

sophisticated birdys

2010-07-30T10:56:00.004-05:00

Here's a cutey of a wedding cake that was inspired by the couples stationary they used (invites and such). Two sweet birds; monocle and top hat on the sir and her with her little pearls, so classy they are.
This is a 6" and an 8" cake and perfect for the smaller wedding reception, serving 15-25 people.

simplicity and lace

2010-07-29T23:12:00.002-05:00

I have found a reoccurring theme this year in wedding cakes. Tone on tone (whites/champagnes/ivories) or complete contrast. Here is a nice example of a cake done in all ivory. So elegant and simple, I adore it. And she's tall enough, grand even, that she doesn't need more. This one is a set of 6"/8"/10"/12" round cakes, the 8" layer is doubled in height.

oh those cakettes...what can't they do?

2010-07-29T16:07:00.003-05:00

Who doesn't love a good deal? Two for ones? I'm in! Buy one get one? I'm in for that too. This little photo is both cake AND cakettes. Brilliant, no?
And yes, the worms are edible...

if held, this may melt in your hand...my apologies...

2010-07-29T16:04:00.003-05:00

Thought I'd post some more pics just for fun on this long weekend. If you are like me, you are stuck in the city, covered in paper work, when all I want is to be covered in sunscreen. But diligently, I'm trucking thru. Business start-up is tough but at least it won't be in this phase forever.
And September is so underrated! See you at the beach then :)

Pupcakes

2010-07-29T16:01:00.005-05:00

Mmmm...edible dogs.
And edible chocolate rocks. Probably my favorite snack item when raiding the sprinkle cupboard. Seriously my dentist is a rich rich man...

baby shower cookies

2010-07-29T15:59:00.003-05:00

Aww.
So sweet.
Literally and figuratively :)
We did these up for a friends baby shower, all soft blues and elephants, as thank-you/favours for their guests. Something so sweet about elephants. Well, and babies of course...gotta love babies...

Pam I am...

2010-07-29T15:56:00.002-05:00

Welcome back to a little segment I like to call "decorator confessions".
Often the delicious fun we do in cakes kind of gets glazed over for us. I see and think about cakes all the time. Everyday in fact. I would dare to say hourly.
I mean, it's a little more fun than thinking about actuarial science (don't ask, I just googled "boring jobs" and it was the first to come up. So if you are an actuarial scientist, my apologies and condolences)
But when it comes to cakes, I've seen my fair share and the wow factor starts to subside.
This one brought me back. I love it so much.. I made it for our talented friend Jessica, who starred in her school's production of Seussical, the Musical. Was about 9 layers of cake!

gumpaste goodness

2010-07-29T15:45:00.004-05:00

I have decided I will take some fine arts classes this fall. I need to learn to sculpt. I could use some help with sketching. I'd also like to work on water colours and painting. And of course creating miniature versions of customers children in gum paste.
There's a class for that, no?

monkey business

2010-07-22T15:04:00.002-05:00

When given the challenge of "can you make a monkey cake?"
and then...
"riding a skateboard?"
and then...
"on his head?"
our answer at cake-ology is yes :)

introducing jenn

2010-07-13T22:36:00.002-05:00

So in an effort to make our bakery "your" bakery, it helps to know the staff. I did a little blurb on Ted about a month ago and now its time for our dear baker Jennifer. Our fearless maker-of-the-imperial-cookies.

On Fridays both Ted and Jenn get to wear their "special" aprons. I'm not sure when or why this tradition started, but it's a keeper, that's for sure. Ted has his tuxedo apron (a classic) and Jenn has....well, this little gem.
All I know is it's good for dancing...

So what does my dear Jenn do at this bakery?
That whole display case.
That's all her.
Daily cookies, cupcakes, cakettes, brownies, slices, you name it, if it's for sale on a daily basis here, it's because of Jenn. Saskatoon butter cream? That's her. White chocolate macadamia nut cookies? Her. Rhubarb slice? You guessed it.

Invaluable to me; she encourages me, yells at me and offers endless advice, help and support. Exactly what I need.
And when we're done work? We go home and knit together.

And sometimes we let her out to sweep :)

'bout damn time lady....

2010-07-13T22:15:00.002-05:00

Well well well.
Look who it is....
That girl who used to blog her little heart out and then got all "big-shot" on ya....
Too busy for the little old blog eh?
Well, not anymore my dear blog-reading friends. I have folders chock full of beautiful pics that I need to share with you all!
And of course, I need to also offer up an apology for neglecting this poor little blog.
My sincerest of apologies.
Things seem to get done when they are part of a schedule, so this will become part of my schedule, make it routine. Make sure I'm keeping you coming back for more :)

As I am sure that the guests of this beautiful wedding must have been doing all night to the dessert table. Really, I mean I would. Who doesn't love candy hearts AND cupcakes AND gingham?

Such a beautifully cute, simple and charming wedding. Outdoors, beautiful weather, beautiful setting, awesome couple :)

house of cake, day 56

2010-06-10T00:24:00.004-05:00

Well, it's official.
We're open.
I guess it's really been official for about two months now. And I never understood how business's thought they could get away with having a "grand opening" well past their opening date. Let me tell you friends, oh how time flies. And dear god, should we have hosted an open house in the first couple of weeks.....not cool...
Just ask Andrea how many times I've moved the damn furniture.

So many kinks to work out! So many things to do, think about, plan for, worry about...it's endless. So dates were planned, dates were moved. Finally found one that would work for the masses and it's in less than 48 hours from now.

So on that note, I'm off to make cakettes. Hundreds and hundreds of cakettes....
Hope to see you Friday :)

busy little bee's

2010-06-02T15:58:00.002-05:00

Hi everyone!
Meet Ted.
He's an artist extraordinaire and our little do-bee.
Whether it's painting antique yellow roses on cake (nice eh?), assembling orders and folding boxes or making ridiculously cute little cupcakes....

nothing Ted can't do....pop in and say "hi".
And then tell him that you read about him on the blog.
(he likes to feel famous :)

local love

2010-05-11T17:41:00.003-05:00

Anyone who knows me or that has seen me in the last couple of weeks has either seen me completely stressed out or gushing about our locals.

I prefer the latter, obviously...

Whether it's been Brian from the Exchange Biz getting his hands on anything chocolate, or Bryson from the Line Up, Bonnie from My Secret Garden or Mariver from Where the Wool Things Are; I love the familiar faces and smiles everyday. And you all are so darn nice and supportive! It's so great to work in an area full of hustle and bustle. There are literally hundreds of you already. The couple of young ladies who come in everyday with shiny loonie in hand for their one cakette, the shy guy with what seems to be quite a daily cupcake habit.

One night I even found this...
how's that for awesome? thanks Jessica :)

And then there's the imperialists. I think we may need to start a frequent buyer card.
Or perhaps a support group...
or both...

Anyway, the photo above is a bit of an order I did for the Craft Councils AGM (who are close by, thanks gang!) Super cute little balls of wool (Mariver those were for you :) I've seen all kinds of crafty cupcakes and cakes on line and was itching to do my own and it seemed like the perfect fit.

word on the street

2010-04-29T16:49:00.002-05:00

Hey good cupcake-eating folk. I'm up for air.
Regaining some sanity from what has been a crazy couple of weeks. As you're well aware, we are open for business and baking our butts off.
The exchange is wonderful and the best part of my day is meeting all the locals! So many people down here! It's awesome! And thanks to all of you who have come in as loyal readers and mentioned that you read this... makes my day too :)

Here's a little p.r. that popped up in my inbox from a friend, seems word is getting out! Winnipeg needs more cupcakes! Thanks to whomever that was, I appreciate it!

how ridiculousy cute

2010-04-20T10:27:00.003-05:00

This last smash cake for Artsy Fartsy is too cute for words. From when I did my first smash cake over a year ago I had no idea they would get so cute. Lana has caught some stunning moments with this gorgeous babe and I'm proud that it's my cake that's been demolished :)

You can see more of Lana's stunning work here.
Gorgeous stuff.

phew. 'bout damn time...

2010-04-14T21:50:00.002-05:00

the good ole days

2010-04-12T01:17:00.002-05:00

Well folks, I've gone and done it. A chronic procrastinator and unfinisher of most projects I take on; I proudly have a statement to make.

I have a bakery.

I've stared at these two pictures to have them burned into my brain. We'll look back at them and say "look how young he was" and "remember when it was painted black?".

Below- "that's my Nana's step chair" and "we partied hard that night, remember? it was my birthday".

I hope you come to see us, 85 Arthur.
Watch your inbox and the blog for the opening day announcement.
We'll also have a kick ass grand opening party.
Because really, when am I ever going to do something this big again?

happy spring!

2010-04-02T12:30:00.003-05:00

I find it only fitting that as I post about the arrival of spring that I can hear on the radio in the kitchen that we are expecting snow tomorrow.
Lovely.
With a wind warning.
Glad my sign isn't up yet...

But so many other things are ready to go! I hope to be able to call the health inspector on Monday to come in and check us out.

In the mean time, here are some of my latest cakes. I chose some pretty ones as spring time makes me want to make pretty things. Speed up that whole "cleaning up winter" process.
Have a great long weekend!

you gonna eat that baby?

2010-03-23T21:41:00.007-05:00

I was honored to be asked to help celebrate the Women's Health Clinics celebrations for funding that our government has finally granted. Winnipeg will finally get a designated birthing facility! Very exciting times and much reason to celebrate.

How cute is she with her little Mary Jane's and gigantic belly. The new birthing center sounds so lovely.
Kinda makes me want to have another one....

And a "ta-da" to my newest cupcake stand. It's so versatile and nice, I just love it. I put 100 cupcakes on this set-up, using only half of the tiers that came with it.

house of cake, day 5

2010-03-21T21:13:00.002-05:00

Nothing like charming hostesses to greet you at the door....
I'm really happy that the rest of the newer pictures I have do not have snow in them...
(these are from a week or two ago)

So.
The delay.
All for the bathroom.
Building takes a longer time than I anticipated, but it's done. In all her largeness, the bathroom is done.
(seriously, the sucker is about 1/6th of my entire bakery)
Ridiculous! It's bigger than my bathroom at home!

To my kids I'm pretty sure there is nothing as exciting in the whole world than touching things they are not supposed to touch. So you can just imagine the squeals of joy I get when I say " get your boots on, we need to go to the bakery".
As it is full of things you shouldn't touch.
The yelling of "put down that cookie" will come in a week or so...
A whole new world of "don't touch that"...

That's Tom on the left, Jeff on the right, talking about taking off tiles, putting back said tiles, prepping for drywall, unprepping for drywall (loooooong story), plastering, painting...renos are fun, no?

that's extra...

2010-03-14T21:55:00.003-05:00

Just wanted to toot the shop horn for a sec. Promise I won't get too wordy on ya Mike :)
(mike thinks I chat too much...)
anyway!
Wanted to point out that one of my philosophies about the shop is to go a little further than the average guy.
"extras" make me crazy.
When I was shopping around and searching for wedding things for my own wedding it was infuriating to be quoted one price, then see a total with half a dozen "extras" added on.
I don't do that.
Price quoted is the price.
Period.
I don't charge extra to deliver your wedding cake. I do it. I set it up. Do you really want your soon to be hubby's old buddy from college picking up a four tiered cake and driving it across town?

Have you seen the hangover??

p.s. this cake plate is unreal. Picked it up from Urban Barn a couple of weeks ago and have used it like everyday. I think it's about 12" and I even eat my toast off it for crying out loud...