Is it November yet?

The past two weeks have been crazy busy here at home for Kevin and I. Between family commitments, work, cakes, and trying to sort through travel arrangements, there is little time left for anything else. As it stands, I'll be leaving for America on the last day of my busiest month yet, November. There are exactly 37 days remaining until I fly out to my first stop, San Francisco, where I will reconnect with a city I fell in love with 6 years ago, only this time I’ll have a different interest to steer my adventures: All things baked.


I’m so excited to be staying with a warm, bubbly, outgoing and free spirited friend Zeina and her incredibly creative fiance Dave. I’ll be bringing Zeina along to a couple of classes at Baking Arts, where festive pies, cupcakes and cookies are on the menu. I’m especially looking forward to taking our creations home, and enjoying them with hot tea, and then again with coffee the next morning!…( I’ll just leave out the part about me going for a run twice a day to burn off twice as many brownies, cookies and cakes consumed). Before I get carried away writing about what I have planned for San Fran, I must remind myself of my ever growing to-do list right here at home.

Sweet sweet Sydney 
I have this list that seems to be growing to be more demanding each day. As much as I’m looking forward to packing my bags and heading for California, there is so much finalise before I leave. Most of these small tasks seem like a piece of cake, yet when I start knocking something off the list one by one, I remember three times as much that needs to be taken care of.

Here's some fun stuff!...

Something I'm ultra excited about... I'll be assisting yet another incredible cake designer with a workshop at Faye Cahill's cake studio. Take a peek at Faye's website for class details and info on how to secure your place!

In other exciting news, over the past two weeks, I have been working with a great friend named Richard de Stoop to produce a ‘My Sweet Stuff’ logo and graphics. Anyone who knows me can probably sense my fascination with all things 50’s. I love the art and animation, bold use of colour, the femme and oh so sophisticated frocks, the music, the stripes and polka dots, and how us modern day kids are borrowing the style because suddenly, our world grew too clinical over night. I guess I can leak that the logo involves a caricature, sweet delightful looking cakes, and a font of old! I’ve been so tempted to post the pictures of the drafts as they come through, but I guess it may be better to wait until its all finalised.

Considering its currently stupid o’clock on this rainy Saturday night, I’ll leave with some pictures of cakes from the past couple of weeks, and try get some shut eye… I’ve got a massively busy week ahead of me. Busy is good, right?

My most recent cakes

For Danzel's Christening, Giselle's 31st, and Donna's 50th

A decent picture of Lauren's engagement cake

Yummy layers of Chocolate, vanilla and white chocolate ganache

A lovely confirmation cake for Luka and Ivana

A moulded cross cake topper

 

Amanda's fun polka dot 23rd birthday cake

If you haven't already, look My Sweet Stuff up on Facebook!

Love Thy Neighbour

Nearby to my apartment, is the production studio and boutique of one of Australia’s best cake decorators, Faye Cahill. I am blessed to say that Faye has allowed me on many occasions to come in to her studio on my days off, to help out with what I can, and to get a feel for working in that environment. Getting to see how this genius works (not to mention her team of amazing artists), has been the greatest experience of my year in cakes. She has provided me hints and pointers that I probably would have never figured out alone, and has been so generous with her time and knowledge.. such a lady! Faye has a way of creating the perfect cake hybrid - contemporary, chic, classic, timeless.

 

Faye has graciously offered me the opportunity to assist her at her workshops. So far, the workshops have been absolutely awesome, with a couple more scheduled before the end of November. Spending my Sundays in a studio full of creative people who love cake, and love Faye’s style, and only wish to progress and get better?… can hardly call it work! I shamelessly plug her work and classes at every chance I get. If you find yourself curious about this genius, or if you’re all about classes, peep her website and face book fan page. www.fayecahill.com.au

Faye has pointed me in the right direction when it comes to all things cake and supplies. On a few occasions, we’ve chatted about our overseas adventures, and I must say, the more I talk about America, the more I find myself on expedia. Kevin and I knew that we would spend Christmas of 2010 in the states. The thought of a white Christmas, pumpkin pie, herbal tea, and Christmas morning with my American family warms my heart. Since getting serious about cakes, I decided it would be a good idea to take some of the information Faye has provided me with, and research some options for workshops. I was certainly not prepared for what I’d find.

Fly Lola fly!
On the 30th of November 2010 , I will be flying out to the U.S.A three weeks ahead of schedule to take part in some exciting workshops on the west coast. So far, I have planned to take classes at Baking Arts in San Francisco. I’ve heard so many great things about Baking Arts, and in particular its founder, Richard Festen… and best of all, I get to go back to San Francisco! It’s been six long years since having spent time there. Too long!

Another place I’ll be taking some classes is San Diego. Now I’ve never even been to this city, and I can’t think of a better reason than to have one on one lessons with Jacqueline Butler of Petalsweet. After Faye suggested that I have a look at the The Petalsweet Blog, I made the decision to write Jacqueline, and find out if she was able to take me on as a student for a few days in December. Jacqueline has been amazingly accommodating, supportive, and so open to my ideas and suggestions. If she is an indication of what people are like in San Diego, I'm afraid I may never leave!

I'm doing my best to plan a visit to Washington DC too. I have always wanted visit Warren Brown's bakery, Cake Love. That should be easily done considering I'll be spending Christmas with my family in Pittsburgh,d one of my favourite places in the world. Considering DC is about a 5 hour drive away, I don't have any excuses... besides a blizzard... does that count?

I find myself very eager to truly experience the baking culture of the USA. I have always had an attachment to America for so many different reasons. I love that each state has its own flavour and cultural identity. I love its quirky coffee shops and charming diners… the colourful coastal towns that meet the rolling green hills of the country. I love the roaring cities and shopping strips that don’t sleep. I love that no matter where I go, I’ll be able to find an over sized cup of tea and a generous serve of cake to celebrate the 8 pairs of shoes I bought earlier for $12 a pair. I just love the place. It really is that simple!

I have so much to be excited about, and so much to give thanks for. I cannot wait to meet these wonderful people working in the American cake world. I'm so looking forward to discovering whatever is in store for me! In the meantime, I'll keep blogging and keeping myself elbow deep in ganache and fondant.

This weeks cakes

An Elmo and Jungle friends themed first birthday cake

A lovely engagement cake
(Yep... I know. Stop using the iPhone)

A year in the life of cake

My first year decorating cakes...     

I thought it would be a good idea to post a quick few pictures of some of the cakes I've made over the past year. I have so much to write about, so many exciting ventures, to plan for... but unfortunately, time is rarely on my side. So until then, I hope a photographic blog will suffice! I've pinched pictures from all over the place, and they're in no particular time order. Some were taken with great cameras, others with my trusty iphone...seriously - I need to regulate the way I take my pictures!

Here's a few...

Don't forget to become a fan of My Sweet Stuff on Facebook! If you have any information about cake workshops or other amazing cake artists, write to me:)

sweetstuff@live.com.au

Welcome to My Sweet Stuff

So lately I’ve been dreaming of this career in cakes.

I’m no master chef, but I do know a thing or two about edible stuff, and that’s a good start! I live in a quaint little apartment with my awesome best friend Kevin, (who also happens to be my husband), and life with him is nothing short of a blast…so for us, Sydney’s Inner West is a great place to live. Colourful and fast during the day - but quiet enough at night to rest easy. Though we don’t have a big space to work with, I make do with what I have, and so far, it’s been just right. I have enough orders that come from my direct family and friend network to keep me busy, while still working a full time job.

But my dreams keep getting bigger, and reality follows suit. This career in cakes just got very real, very fast. So I guess this is where I’ll share my stories, my advice, my goods, my bads, and of course (the best part) my joy! I'll throw in some pictures along the way... I have so many to post, and I should start here...

Some may think that my plans are ridiculous, too big, and unachievable. But that’s no excuse not to try, right? For now, I just want to connect with as many cakers and bakers, and enjoy the fruits that follow - and a blog has to be one of the best ways to start!

Maybe I should share

a little about me…

I grew up in a large colourful family, my folks, my 5 sisters, and one brother. I was raised by a mother and father who always took pride in their national food. Mum often dabbled in cuisines she knew nothing of, and surprisingly, often ended with some gorgeous results. Dad always had a great respect for what was placed on the table, and struggled teaching us that the word ‘yuck’ was never to be used for anything edible (even if it was raw liver). Eating was positive, fun, healthy, and dynamic -especially with my brother George trying to convert the family kitchen into an Asian food store with an entire pantry filled with a ridiculously large array of soy sauces, sesame oils and fish sauces.

I guess the saying “food brings people together” was something I took for granted… it was way too obvious to be appreciated in our household.

It wasn’t untill I began my life as a young independent traveller, that I truly began to develop a fierce appreciation for that. Spending lots of time with family and friends in Miami and Pittsburgh back in 2004 and 2006, I found myself looking for excuses to cook, and often experimented with the wide world of flavours that reminded me of my mother. Cumin based Middle Eastern spices, fresh garlic, parsley, coriander, sumac… just a few of the aromas that would linger after a day of cooking. This appreciation for all things food has travelled its way through the past few years of my life, and while honeymooning with Kevin in June 2009, I started to get antsy to try my hand at cake decorating… it started as a curiosity, slowly became a hobby, and within a year, has become something I most definitely see myself doing for the rest of my life.

If you’re all about cakes, and are interested in networking, blog-sharing pictures and stories, let me know. I’d love to hear from you...That’s why I’m here!

More Later!

Viola Marie Doyle