Cheers!

Or should I say, "have a frosty one on me"?

A fun little cake for today's pick up. This little bugger(er...mugger?) is on it's way to a surprise party for the client's 80 year old mother.

I typically find out what the client or recipient likes to do for a hobby, or maybe even their occupation, or I'll ask for favorite colors or flowers, etc. We didn't really know what direction we were headed with this order, those questions were met with little response. When I asked what does she like to do..."she loves beer" was the response.

With a little laugh I suggested a big ol' beer mug and boy was I surprised when that comical idea was met with an overwhelming YES! Of course I wondered if this was the most tasteful way to go and the response was a very clear "have you met my mother?!"

Indeed I have...we think she'll like her cake. I hear it's been fun keeping the party a surprise. The countdown has started, we'll see if she is blown away by the effort her family made to make today special.

Of course she'll love it, who wouldn't? I love it when I can be part of such a terrific event, comical or sober (bad pun sorry). Clients who work hard to make an awesome surprise party for their mom....hey, I'll drink to that!

Meet and Greet Arts in the Valley 7/13/08

You know what they say...well some folks anyway; sometimes you find the best stuff in the most out of the way places. Then again maybe I just made that up, but it's true.

This weekend, in my tiny little home town of South Otselic about an hour south of Syracuse, our local artists will be taking part in a "meet and greet" day in the town park. From acrylic paintings to woven textiles, quite a bit should be represented here. The Otselic Valley is home to so many talented people that have been undiscovered or unseen before. We also have a few accomplished artists as well. Sunday should prove to be a day of discovery and good family fun. Lots of info, plenty of eye candy and even some activities for the kids.

She Takes The Cake will be just one small part of this look into our talented community. I'm baking up some fresh cookie blanks that will be used as mini canvas for your own edible masterpieces. Even some cupcakes too! With edible paints, icings, and decor on hand, I'll show you or your little Van Gogh some ideas for fun and tasty artwork. You might not want to eat it, but go ahead...my cookies are yummy! We'll also have some of our cakes on display and the portfolio too.

Lori Wood, an incredibly talented muralist, will be "Creating Young Artists", music will be in the air, food will be available, and some artists' items will be available for purchase.

More information about Arts in the Valley can be found here; this is a new organization that already has contributed greatly to community involvement and activity in South Otselic. We're happy to be a small part of it!

Not familiar with how to get here? If you want to check out the map I made up for directions on how to get to my shop, the park is just down the street! Of course, you can also contact Arts in the Valley for more precise info on how to get here and what to expect this Sunday from 1-6pm. Hope to see you there! The event is free, but bring some cash for an inspired purchase or two.

jackson + gwen = FUN CAKE

Just winding up some Gwen and just having fun with a cake this morning. The bride, an art teacher, sent me her color swatches and at one point a description of some splashes of color. Immediately I asked if she meant Jackson Pollock and she said yes! She gave me artistic freedom for how far to go.

Most of the time, I really like what I do. This morning, I loved it! I hope she loves it too, I'll find out when I deliver it.

This is my fist attempt at a video, so be kind. It's just a quickie fun look at my world;-)

You can't get there from here...

Or perhaps we should have named it "She's in the boonies but Takes Your Cake anywhere you want".

In an effort to help out my prospective brides, and at the risk of unannounced visitors, we've finally done a map of our location in reference to Syracuse NY. It will be linked to the website for easy access. Please note; as always has been the case with Jen's datebook...you must have a prepaid appointment for a consult OR be picking up a cake when you visit. Please, do not just show up to try some samples...it's not gonna happen. Things are baked fresh...no frozen cake, no case full of goodies, no samples on a whim! Got it? Good!
So, there you have it, directions to my little slice of heaven. It's gorgeous here - just ask anyone who has made the trip and thought they were lost. I always tell my brides to just hang in there for about 5 more minutes if they think they made a wrong turn, and it works every time.

And hey...where'd we get that cool map?! Well, I made it. Kicking and screaming and swearing along the route I made it. But I totally followed the tips and directions over at wedding mapper to figure it out. I had a little trouble, but admittedly didn't follow their map to a "T", mostly because I was impatient, but hey...I suggest you do it their way. I also didn't have a whole wedding party to design invites and maps for, I recommend this site for those couples that do. And if you can't figure it out or want them to do it for you, they will!

Enjoy the ride! Oh and by the way...we make the trip ALL THE TIME, so I don't want to hear any of those lame-o "we're choosing a bakery closer to our venue" excuses ;-) Besides, didn't you hear, it's totally worth the trip!

Head on back to my partners page on the She Takes The Cake website if you weren't done browsing the site. Thanks!