Pink Ribbon Bakery was featured on Thursday’s episode of Shaw TV’s go! Vancouver. Thank you Christine Vu for giving me the opportunity to tell my business story. I felt all awkward and nerdy on camera, but I think it turned out well. Here’s the video. I come [...]]]> WOOOOO HOOOO! Look dad I’m on TV

Pink Ribbon Bakery was featured on Thursday’s episode of Shaw TV’s go! Vancouver. Thank you Christine Vu for giving me the opportunity to tell my business story. I felt all awkward and nerdy on camera, but I think it turned out well. Here’s the video. I come on about 4 minutes in. Enjoy!

Here are my top 20 favorite cakes over the last little while.

This was [...]]]> One question I am asked all the time is “What’s your favorite cake you’ve ever made?” It stumps me every time because I love all my cakes… like as much as I love my pets (and sometimes more).

Here are my top 20 favorite cakes over the last little while.

This was a cake I made for a wedding in September. It was located at Roma Hall in New Westminster and it was made for a fantastic couple. I love it because it’s a great combination of traditional and modern. The lace pattern was definitely a lot of work but I was so happy with how this one turned out.

My friend Anthony (aka DJ Physik) is a poker junkie. He recently participated in the World Series Of Poker in Las Vegas. When he plays, he always uses a little Tokidoki unicorn or whatever that thing is to “protect” his chips and cards. I made a cake for him to bring it all together. He loved it and so did I!

The color combination, the cameo, the hint of gold, the elegance. Talk about my dream cake! This cake design has inspired me to make a beautiful vintage winter window display for my bakery. Say that 3 times fast. Stay tuned for pictures in the next coming months.

Obviously! These cupcakes helped me meet the one and only Snoop! What an awesome experience.

This was my second “life-size” dog cake. These are the times when I love my airbrush. I would have not been able to get him to look like that without it. And check out the blinged out collar! I’d like to make a pug, or a bulldog next. I want to recreate those wrinkled faces!

Yes I know, super simple right? But I just love it! Maybe it’s the rocker in me that likes the skull design so much. I’ll tell ya… any 4 year old girl who wants this as her birthday cake is pretty damn rad in my books!

Who doesn’t love the art of Dr. Seuss? Being able to recreate his images into cake form is really something special. I grew up on his books so I look forward to every order like this that I get.

I think what I love most about this cake is the color combination. There’s something about teal and red together that is so appealing to me. And of course the sock monkey is just adorable too!

This cake was made for a company who has a summer picnic every year. This was their first time ordering a custom cake for their event and man were they ever pleased. Although the details were tiny and tedious, it’s cakes like these where I take a step back when I’m finished and think “F#*$ YA!”

To be honest, if I got a birthday cake like this when I was younger I would have probably asked my dad “Where can I smash in my Ninja Turtle?”. To see the look on those little girls faces when I deliver it though totally makes my day. I used a pattered mat to roll over the fondant to get the texture in the bows, and a pillowed texture guide for the sides of the cake. I may be helping in creating some future divas by making cakes like these, but I love them!

Now these are my kind of cupcakes! Not only did I get to personally deliver them to Kat Von D, but I had a blast making them as well.

I think this is another example of me just loving the color combination. This was such a unique design for a wedding cake. The combination of fresh flowers and the ribbon trim added the perfect touch to such a vibrant colored cake.

This order was made for a bridal shower. I love the tea party feel to it. The pastel colors with hints of gold and silver looked fabulous together.

These cupcakes were a surprise gift for a doggy daycare center from a very happy customer. Making each little dude was super fun. Being a basset owner myself, I had to throw one of those guys in the mix. The daycare staff loved them!

Baby gender reveal cakes! SO FUN!! The couple goes to their doctor and has the baby’s sex passed to them in a closed envelope which they immediately bring to me. I dye the cake inside either pink or blue depending on what they’re having. Then, they get together with their family and experience the big reveal together. I think the gender reveal cake is the best way to go if you’re planning on finding out the sex of your baby before it’s born.

Another simple design, but one that I adore. The diamond ribbon trim is the perfect way to bring a little bling into such a simple design. This cake looked beautiful at it’s destination. The newlyweds were very pleased.

This was a cake that I made for the crew over at Real Weddings Magazine. The pop of bright color against the fresh white fondant is really what I love most about this cake.

Talk about a milestone! What an opportunity for me to make such a special birthday cake. The design here is simple and elegant which I think was perfect for the celebration.

Possibly my favorite wedding cake to date. This was the wedding cake for the same bride as the bridal shower cake above. Unfortunately, the lighting was not fabulous at the venue but you can totally see why it’s my fave! This 1920′s Marie Antoinette design is now my new favorite cake to make. There are so many possibilities when it comes to designing a cake like this and the delicate colors can be made in any combination. These cakes will never get old to me.

So there you have it folks. It’s obvious that I can’t just pick one favorite. I have a favorite part about every cake, whether it be the design or the story behind it.

Here’s to many more!

Nobody said it was easy. Well… a few people did. But what do they know.

The bakery is a success people! I’m up and running and rocking and rolling. Business is booming and only getting boominger! Yup. My location on 6th Street in New Westminster [...]]]> *Yes a blog post without photos. No it’s not boring*

Nobody said it was easy. Well… a few people did. But what do they know.

The bakery is a success people! I’m up and running and rocking and rolling. Business is booming and only getting boominger! Yup. My location on 6th Street in New Westminster is prime and I love meeting and greeting the locals. I have been embraced by the whole community and I am feeling so welcome. I have come to the conclusion that New Westminster rules. I love living in and owning a business in this kickass city.

*side-note* – A HUGE thank you to Tercera Construction Group for building me the bakery of my dreams. My requests were at times rather fairytale-ish but I literally feel like Alice in freakin Wonderland every time I step into the place. Steve and Dennis, you guys rock. http://terceragroup.com/

Behind the scenes, I am still a bit of a control freak which has led me to this minor little “Crisis of Meaning” if you will. I have put A LOT on my plate. I’m not saying that my eyes were to big for my stomach, but soon I may need a faithful companion to throw a scrap to here and there. My brother has been a HUGE help. He is at the bakery every weekend rockin a big pink cupcake on his tshirt and working his butt off. You know what this kid does? He shows up around 9am after I’ve been there working away for 3 hours and he does all my damn dishes!!! Like… who’s little brother does that? He is a true team player and I can’t thank him enough. Dad raised us well I guess.

As much work as Brandon does though, it’s not enough. I think I have to hire someone… DUN DUN DUN! Do I feel like I’m giving up control a little bit? Yes. Do I feel like I’m disappointed in myself for not being able to handle everything on my own? Yes. Do I have trust issues? Yes. Do I know that I’m being a little bit ridiculous? Yes. Do I need to read the E Myth? I think so.

Yesterday of all random days I realized that in order to be successful, I can’t do everything. Plain and simple. A good friend of mine named Cameron Herold, founder of backpocketcoo.com, just so happened to post a blog on this whole “Crisis of Meaning” yesterday. Can you talk about timing or what? While a lot of the post didn’t apply to me because I think I’m far from panic mode, there were a few key notes that really hit home. When talking to him later about the post he simply said “Delegate everything except genius”… This makes so much sense! Especially to someone like me who most importantly wants to keep control of creativity. I really want to keep control of everything because I’m just like that, but creative control is priority. The link to Cameron’s blog is at the bottom of this one. You can read it AFTER you’re finished reading mine.

Needless to say, you will be seeing a job posting come up in the next little while… as soon as I figure out how to hire someone. *learning every day*

As crazy as this ride is, I wouldn’t want to be in any other position right now. I’m thankful for every experience I have encountered and have yet to encounter along the way. Not only have I grown in the last year as a cake artist, but as a business owner as well. I am truly valuing my position as an entrepreneur and embracing my community and fellow entrepreneurs so tightly that their eyes may just pop out of their skulls. I am taking advice and making the right moves and moving forward, and forward, and forward. I might just take over the world.

MUCH love,

Sheila (the crazy bitch who just needs to give her head a shake sometimes)

http://www.backpocketcoo.com/blog/emotional-roller-coaster/what-to-do-during-a-crisis-of-meaning/

On Friday morning I received a call from a girl who who wanted to order a custom birthday cake…. for that day! Normally if someone tries to order a same day cake, especially on a Friday, I am [...]]]> Yes, that’s right everyone! I made Matt Damon’s birthday cake! Here’s how it all went down.

On Friday morning I received a call from a girl who who wanted to order a custom birthday cake…. for that day! Normally if someone tries to order a same day cake, especially on a Friday, I am not able to accommodate on such short notice. However this day was a little different. I was already finished making my orders for the day and was in the middle of delivering them all when I got the call. I thought to myself “I can do this” and then accepted the order. My client was so happy!

So I asked her for the cake details. She said she wanted the cake to feed 100 people, and to be in an outer space theme, and for it to say “Happy Birthday Matt”. She finally mumbled something about the cake being for their lead actor in the movie they were filming. I automatically assumed it was a local, independent film and didn’t ask any more questions.

Closer to the end of the call after confirming all of the details, my client says “Yah…. the cake is for Matt Damon” and I stopped what I was doing and said “What?” and she repeated “The cake is for Matt Damon” Obviously I said “Are you serious” and then she said “Yes, please be here with the cake by 5:00.

This was the cake I came up with.

Matt Damon's Birthday cake

I delivered the cake to his assistant’s office right at 5:00 as requested. I never got to meet him, nor did I get to have any of the photos of him with the cake. The reason is, they all surprised Matt onset with the cake, and no one is allowed to see the props or his costume for this movie yet.

I can’t even believe that Matt Damon, an actor who I absolutely adore, ate the cake that I made for him on his 41st birthday. I was told he loved it and that’s all that matters.