And She Does It Again!

Hey Everyone! Didn't realize it had been so long since my last Blog Post! August/September has just been an absolutely whirlwind of cakes - but no complaining here :) Between weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, corporate events and the like - Country Girl Cakes put out over 60 cakes between the 2 months alone! Did I sleep? Nope! Do I still love what I do? Absolutely! One of the biggest tips I can give anyone when starting up in this type of business, is that you HAVE to love what you do! This business is extremely stressful at times, overwhelming, chaotic and insane, but it's your passion for cake decorating that is going to take you and your sanity to the end of the week, and give you the spark to start all over again the following week.

In amongst all the cakes we've done in the last couple of weeks, I took a bit of a road trip from the little town of Cardinal, to the big city of Kitchener/Waterloo, to what I refer to as my second home, Icing Inspirations! Now I've mentioned Icing Inspirations in a couple of past blog posts, but if you haven't read those - you should - haha, I'll briefly mention again what and who they are! Icing Inspirations/Too Nice to Slice, is a cake shop/cake supply store/cake decorating school, located in Kitchener, Ontario, and is run by two of the most amazing people I know. Husband and Wife team, Chrissie Boon and Justin Kozak are incredible hosts who make everyone and anyone feel like part of the Icing Inspirations family when you go to take one of the amazing classes they host at their HUGE shop! Chrissie teaches classes herself, but what they're really known for, are their Guest Classes. Ranging from James Rosselle, Marina Sousa and Rick Reichart to Carrie Biggers, Karen Porteleo, Michelle Bommaritto, Courtney Clark and more! Classes are typically 2-3 days, and you leave with an incredible work of art to bring back to your home/shop, not to mention priceless tips and tricks of the trade, and memories with new and old friends!

A few weeks ago, I got the opportunity to head back up to Icing Inspirations, to take my second class with the hugely talented Courtney Clark, owner of Cake Nouveau in Ann Arbor, MI. Courtney is one of the sweetest people you will ever meet and is crazy humble about her talents in cake decorating. This girl is amazingly talented, and I am forever grateful that she said yes to coming back to Icing Inspirations to teach another class! 3 years ago, I attended my first class ever at Icing Inspirations. I had just finished up the first couple of Wilton classes at the local Michael's, when my sister told me that Food Networks Courtney Clark was coming to town! As my birthday present, she bought me a spot in Courtney "sculpted cupcake class"! I was SOOO excited! Courtney was, and STILL is, one of my greatest inspirations when it comes to cake decorating! Not only because of the cakes she produces, but because she maintains that "regular person" attitude - making you feel no less talented than anyone around you. When I got to class, she was just as amazing in person as she was on TV. That class 3 years ago, was my first time EVER touching fondant - needless to say I had some issues, but Courtney got me through it - never putting off that she was frustrated with my lack of experience, just really exciting to be teaching someone the skill of cake decorating! A lot of people don't know, but that was also Courtney's first time teaching a cake class! How lucky were we? I think she was just as nervous teaching, as we were learning! Class finished and I ended up with, what I thought, was the best cake ever! I sent it to my mother-in-laws house for her birthday and the whole family went nuts! Since that class, Courtney and I have kept in touch over the years - anytime I had a big question, whether personal or about cakes, I knew I could ask Courtney, and she would always respond :)

When the time came to take Courtney's class again a few weeks ago, I was super excited. This time we were learning a sculpted dog out of cake! I've had requests for dogs in the past, but never had the confidence to try it, so I knew this class would be a huge asset to my business. Class started by watching Courtney stack a few tiers of cake on top of each other, slap on some buttercream, a little cardboard and a couple straws. Majority of the class couldn't believe there wasn't more structural support, but Courtney insisted this was all it needed. This picture shows the initial stages of the cake - doesn't look like a dog yet does it?

Next we watched her carve a chunk here, slice off the head, take out some cake there, narrow out the nose, and all of a sudden the dog started to take shape!

It wasn't until we got the fondant on the dog, started using some tools to make some impressions and marking, and airbrushing the shadows that the dog started coming to life. The eyes and nose were the final touch we needed to make those dogs real. Everyone got to choose a costume for their dog! Of course, being the ridiculously obsessed Christmas-oholic that I am, and having just previous watched a dozen Christmas movies with my sister the weekend before, chose to dress my dog as a Christmas elf! So I made his hat, some little elf shoes, and a scarf and started getting really excited about this project.

 Other costumes included: a geek, superheros, princesses, ladybugs, clowns, and much more! It was unreal seeing all the dogs together at the end. This class in particular was filled with mixed levels of experience and years of cake decorating - but you would have never known. Courtney has a way of teaching class so that everyone understands and helps you to make sure no one falls behind or moves onto the next step before fully understanding how the previous step was accomplished. She makes everyone feel like they're on the same playing field (or dog park). Those 2-days felt like spending a weekend away with family - it was incredible. Reminiscing with old friends, and making memories with new ones!

 

It's hard to believe that it was only 3 years ago that I first started playing with fondant in Courtney's first class - I feel like I've come such a long way and have learnt an incredible amount of tips, tricks and knowledge. Not only with regards to cake decorating, but on a personal level as well. I am, and will be forever grateful to the amazing people that I have come in contact with over the last 3 years in class, at competitions and through work - and to think, I have "cake" to thank for that? Is the last 3 years has been this amazing, I can't wait to see what the next 3 years will bring! All I know, is that I am ready, prepared, and super excited!

In closing, don't ever be afraid or hesitant to take a chance on something you love. If you have a passion or a dream for something that may seem a bit crazy or "out-there" at the time, try it! Doesn't mean you have to stick with it for the rest of your life, but you don't ever want to see your years pass, and continuously think "what if"? Try it, Take a Chance, Live, Dream, and Make Cake!

Stay tuned next time, for more Cakes From The Country! :)

Miranda xoxo