Expo Part 2 - Young Business in Hobart

Hurro again :)

I just want to spend a bit telling you about the fab people and businesses I encountered in both the leadup to the expo and actually while we were there. I had no idea this supportive, friendly, encouraging culture existed in business, but now that I've experienced it firsthand, I can't wait to throw my hat in the ring with these chaps and chapettes!

While I was organising photos of my cakes to display at the expo, I realised I needed to ask some of the wedding photographers around if I could grab some of their pictures of my stuff. I had no idea how this kind of thing worked, so in each email I offered to buy the photos, but I was pleasantly surprised when they all sent me pics straight away and brushed off my offer to pay, saying they love to support local small business.

I love knowing and being known by people in small shops here in Hobart - I think it's a pretty unique thing to be able to walk into a shop and have the person greet you by name and know what you're after. Yes, you sometimes pay a premium for shopping in these places rather than the internet, but you know what - it's so worth it!

Sorry this post is a bit jumpy and scattered, but I'm excited to get to the good part - sharing about the actual people and companies! But first things first....

At the expo we met so many friendly faces but it was so busy for most of the day that we basically just exchanged smiles with them across the aisle. While the fashion show was on in the last hour or so, I took the chance to chat with some other girls around our area (ok, so, I mostly listened and smiled - they were chatting about staff and running their companies and I felt rather out of my depth!). I just found myself thinking how lucky Hobart is to have brilliant ladies like these running some wonderfully unique and gorgeous local businesses. 

So, onto who I met!

Fred & Hannah, from fred+hannah - this fun, crazy pair are such loons, you can't help but have a huge grin from ear to ear when speaking to them (who else would wear a lion onesie to a wedding expo!) They would make you feel right at home in front of the camera, whether you love photos or hide from them like they'll steal your soul (for some reason, I just got the urge to watch Buffy) and of course I am raving about them, they have taken amazing photos of my favourite wedding cakes (yes cakeS) to date - one of them even ended up a full-page photo in the Pure Bride mag.

Image by fred+hannah

Lisa, from LisaK Photography - Lisa has some beautiful photos, and I was so happy when she sent me her photos of a wedding cake I did in September - they were so freaking gorgeous!! Not having met face to face, but having communicated via email, watched her photograph a friend's wedding plus reading her blog and just gazing at her photographs...she's the softest warmest person you ever did come across!

Image by LisaK Photography

Helena, from Occasion By Design - I hereby declare Helena has the most fun shop in Hobart! HUGE balloons, masses of colour and Helena herself with her huge grin greet you as you walk in, and as someone who appreciates order, I am comforted by the beautifully organised colour wall. It's all so much fun to look at. Head in-store or online for any party needs, and rest assured if you're at a loss for inspiration, Helena will jump right in and suddenly, you'll have one hell of a party sorted!

Gem & Jules, from Bunting By Design - I came across these ladies via Instagram, they commented on a post I saw and I looked at their Insty and immediately fell in love. I basically just told them my style ideas for cakes for my expo booth and they came up with the fabulous design of the bunting I used - which even included chevron, which I'm SO loving right now. They may be based in Perth, but they're so very accessible to anyone wherever you might be, and they do make some gorgeous custom bunting for weddings!

Fiona & Tess, from eb&flo - I had worked with these ladies before the expo - they've made some of the prettiest fresh flower cake toppers you ever did see! I literally just sent them some pics of stuff I was using as inspiration and trusted them to come up with the flower design - and they were all perfect! You really need to go and visit their shop - you won't leave empty-handed, I guarantee it! 

Image by fred+hannah

Hannah, from Francesca Collections - ok so this one doesn't have anything to do with cake, but I've loved Hannah's jewellery collection since my mother-in-law discovered her at Sala market 18 months ago. She was exhibiting her bridal range in a booth opposite ours on Sunday and so we took the chance to have a chat or two. I am in awe of her - someone around my age who has had the courage to follow what they love and create their own career out of it. Seriously, do yourself a favour and pop into her boutique in Harrington St ready for some sparkle and individuality.

Chloe, from Ethos - I have heard HEAPS about this little restaurant but to be honest, haven't been there myself....yet. I just haven't had the chance, however with the addition of a brand spanking new cocktail bar, it won't be long until you'll find me there! When I spoke to her on Sunday, Chloe was full of information about the hospitality industry in Hobart - something I need to learn alot more about! - and very graciously offered me lots of hints and help at getting started. (Ohmygosh I almost forgot to tell you about the cookies! Chloe had the MOST AMAZING chocolate cookies at the expo that you've EVER tasted. Apparently the recipe was originally created by accident, but hey, that's how the best things come about! It's definitely worth showing up at Ethos for lunch every single day, on the off chance they have those cookies on the menu one day!)

Natasha, from Lily May Cake Design - Natasha & her husband run this little cake design business from their home in Margate. She has the most clean & precise technique you've ever seen, seriously, her cakes are just flawless! They've just spent 2013 getting a commercial kitchen installed in their house and are full of hints and ideas for someone on the other side of that big step, even though I could be considered as The Competition.

 

If these people are a true representation of small business in Hobart - I can't wait to join their ranks!! Make sure you check them all out and support local business :)

Cheers for sticking with me this far!

Nadia x

Expo Part 1 - Done and Dusted!

Welcome back :)

So, in case you missed the ten million posts in the last few months, you know that the Pure Bride Expo was yesterday. What an amazing experience it was, preparing for it, meeting some lovely brides and their entourages and also meeting some amazing local business owners.

Long story short, the lovely and super-friendly Kate from Pure Bride found some photos of some of my cakes (specifically, the naked cake buffet below) on her desk and hunted me down to ask me to take part in their annual Expo and magazine. Of course, I had no choice but to say yes - cakes, wedding stuff, things to organise...some of my favourite things to do!!

Image by fred+hannah

So began my summer of ideas, organisation and changing my mind 358653 times a day. Eventually I decided to keep to the naked cake/rustic theme and so decorated display cakes and found booth decorations to fit. We thought it came together nicely!

Yes! We had free samples. As it turns out, I have no qualms when it comes to bribing people with food! I had to chuckle several times when a bride-to-be would have her fiance in tow and he would have that glazed-eye look that you see on husbands in shopping centres....then he would see the plate of samples, then he would see the sign telling him that not only did we have free cake, we had free cake that had BEER in it! They couldn't believe their eyes. Judging by their reactions, I'm really happy with this recipe I've doctored in general, as it offers the comfort o chocolate cake that everybody knows, however has this little hint of something different to it. I do think though that maybe I could have a light and a strong version - the strong version with alot more stout in it. I foresee some experimenting now that I've got a little more time!

Now, I'm not an outgoing person by anyone's standards...I am really shy when it comes to people that I don't know. Let's face it, I've worked in the same place for over 6 years and I still don't know the names of half the people there. This was one thing that was worrying me leading up to the expo. How would I not only stop people in their tracks (something I personally hate about attending an expo!), but actually hold a conversation with them and be charming enough that they'd remember me and think of me when it came time to organise their wedding cake?? 

Turns out I really should'nt have wasted time thinking about it. Also turns out that when you're talking about something you really love and introducing others to that world, shyness has no place in it whatsoever. I found myself chatting away to hundreds of people, explaining things and suggesting things and making jokes. No pauses, no silences, no awkward 'ohmygosh what do I say now!' moments. Who was this person?! I like her!! 

I know it sounds so mushy and airy and so un-me, but everyone needs to find something they truly love to do in life. Whether it becomes your job, or your hobby, or it's your family, friends, travelling...find it, hold on and let it make you your best self!

Everything about the expo was a learning experience for me and I'm grateful to Kate for the opportunity, and also forever grateful to my friends for giving up their time to help me out (especially after being part of a conversation with some others about staff and Sunday award rates!). 

Until next time,

Nadia x

Getting started - for real this time!

Hey there!

Thanks for stopping by. As is probably expected, I'll use this first post as a bit of an intro...so let's dive in!

My name is Nadia and I am a cake decorator. A wife. A scientist. A lover of all things butterscotch, all things organisational (note the justified alignment on this post!), and all things decorative. I relax by watching those tv shows and movies that people are embarrassed to admit to, and you know what? I love them. I love escaping into the suburban world of Gaby Solis on Desperate Housewives, performing surgery with McDreamy & McSteamy on Grey's Anatomy or kicking some zombie ass with Daryl on The Walking Dead.

I have always loved baking, even though in my earliest memory of doing such, I was in early high school and served a chocolate cake to my family, who'd gathered to celebrate my mother's birthday. They ate small bites politely and mumbled about how cute the cake was, how talented I was, all the usual family kind of comments. I took a giant bite and was instantly so embarrassed I wanted to crawl under the table. This supposedly delicious morsel in my mouth was actually a pasty mess and I couldn't taste chocolate at ALL. Not one person finished their piece, politely pushing bits of cake around their plates to make it seem like it was disappearing. I discovered I'd used plain flour instead of self raising flour....although to this day I swear to God there was more wrong with that disaster than just a little flour mixup.

Aaaanywho, here I am 15 years later and I'm proud as punch to say that I've not yet repeated that mistake. I LOVE to create things, and I've found I'm not too bad at this old cake decorating thing. I don't claim to know it all, this business is constantly changing and new techniques pop up every day! I'm HUGELY thankful I stumbled across MyCakeSchool to help me out with all this learning! I have started up a small business selling my custom cakes (found here) - mostly to cover my costs! This is one expensive hobby!

This year I have been mulling over what I'd like to accomplish in the Wide World of Cake and I have come up with SO many many ideas. Firstly I am taking LoveCake to the local Pure Bride exhibition on Feb 23 (one week away - eep!) so stay tuned for a post or two about that experience! Hopefully a commercial kitchen will follow later in the year (our garage is full of junk so it might as well be full of baked goodness!) I also wanted to have a place to share my thoughts, ideas, recipes and other general musings - so what better format than a blog to cover all that!

So please enjoy, and let me know if there are any recipes, techniques or things that you'd like me to research and write about!

Cheers,

Nadia x