I can’t thank you enough for the most “…sensational, inspirational, celebrational, MUPPETATIONAL…” cake. The characters were spot on and me on top as well, just made it over the top AB FAB! And the cake itself after all of the looking, glowing comments and pictures – was absolutely delicious and enjoyed by many. Thank you again Monica, you will get many recommendations. Warm Regards, K.

This event is in the very beginning stages of being put together, so, I think Shastin (organizer) could use any kind of help available. If you have organized an event like this, participated as a baker/competitor, or attended as a guest, let her know what you liked and didn’t. If you want to participate, judge, donate, volunteer, get in touch with her. If you are a vendor, baker, food truck, blogger, or foodie, give her a ring. I know there are some big things in the works for this event and I think if we all pitch in it will be a huge success. Shastin’s email: shastinf@hotmail.com

Here’s the info that was sent to me:
Hello!

Thank you so much for your interest in being a part of Sugar Rush: a cupcake extravaganza that will be held January 29th, 2011 from 11am-3pm at Piecemakers Country Store in Costa Mesa. 

The Sugar Rush event will be hosting a cupcake competition with three different categories; Best Taste, Best Design and People’s Choice. There will be 1st through 3rd place winners for Best Taste and Best Design and there will be one winner for People’s Choice. There will be a framed certificate to all first place winners as well as ad space on Piecemakers website and an ad in Piecemakers quarterly schedule for one month. 2nd and 3rd place winners will receive goody bags worth up to $50.00.

In addition to the cupcake competition, there will be food, music, misc. Vendors, activities for children as well as adults and cupcakes and other sweets for sale. 

There will also be an opportunity to donate to Orangewood Children’s Foundation. Each cupcake vendor is required to have 200-300 mini cupcakes which will be given away to guests with a ticket. A guest will receive 4 tickets for every $5.00 donated to Orangewood Children’s Foundation and each ticket will represent one mini cupcake from a booth of their choice. The donation box as well as the tickets will be held inside the day of the event. 

In addition to the required 200-300 mini cupcakes, bakers are welcome to make as many more, regular or mini, to sell at their booth. Other confections are welcome as well. The vendors keep 100% of their profits. 

This will be an outdoor event so a tarp may be necessary and if the weather happens to turn and rain on us, we will have a back-up plan to bring the extravaganza indoors. There are three different sizes of booths available and each are limited so first come first serve. All sizes are $100.00. We have tables to rent if needed as well as an option for electricity. 

*Please make your checks payable to Piecemakers Country Store and send them (along with registration form) to: 

ATTN: Shastin Fletcher
1720 Adams Ave. 
Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Thank you and we can’t wait to see you!

-Shastin & Kris

I know what you are all thinking….ANOTHER baby?!?!?!?! Hold on, she’s got a 4 year old, a 2 1/2 year old and a 9 month old….she owns/runs a business and she’s pregnant again? My answer to you: YES, another baby. While we had planned on another (maybe another 6-12 months from now), we certainly did not plan it this soon. BUT, we could not be more thrilled! I’ll admit… notifying all of our family and friends about baby #4 seemed a little more mellow than baby #1 (plus, it is early and there can be complications). I am just as excited as I was when I got pregnant with Ricky…but for some reason when I thought about telling everyone, it just kinda felt like a broken record. LOL! Everyone was super excited and I can’t believe I am going to have another little munchkin to hold and love. 

So there you have it …this CRAZY baker, “stay at home” mom, party planner, soccer banner maker, wife, crafter, team mom, seamstress, delivery woman, maid (although I’ll admit, not a very good one), blogger, photographer (again kinda sucky in this area), Halloween costume maker, and probably anything else you challenge me with is adding one more thing to her plate. Cannot wait for baby number 4!

So,  last Saturday I had 2 delicious orders….and it was my eldest daughter’s first soccer game. In case you all don’t know, I am such the soccer mom. No, really. I make the team banners, whip up the coolest snacks for half time and after the game, make team soccer hair clips, you name it. So, you can only imagine how thrilled I was for the first game. I arranged the deliveries for 7:00 am and the other for 12:30…Rick’s game was at nine. The first delivery was in Garden Grove. Having broke my navigation system (which I lived by) two days prior I was a little on edge, but had my iphone to help. So, I plug in the address and was on my way…right on schedule. I took Ani and Snooks with me and left Ricky with Poppa. On the freeway, passing Garden Grove. I am THAT bad with directions….thinking to myself how big is Garden Grove. Well, finally after driving for way too long the phone announces I have reached my destination. I WAS IN SEAL FREAKIN BEACH! I know, cut me some slack..I’m a baker not a delivery person. So, now, I’m freaking out because the clock is ticking. I try to re-input the address and my phone is just not loading. Crap, I was lost. it was now around 7:45 and I was in full panic mode. I call the hubby (who is wondering where I am) and explain…in tears. What? I did not want to miss my baby’s first game. So, the hubby laughs that I am in tears and tries to help….no luck. I’m driving around who knows where and it’s now 8:15…..EF it, I’m going home. 

You have to understand I love ALL of our customers, EVERY single one. You all are what made Two Parts Sugar what it is. This, this was a very special customer though. I’m not sure if any of you remember back when we auditioned for Cupcake Wars, but on lady really pulled through for me and literally got me on the show. You can read about that here. This order was for her….I feel I owe her a lot. So, I snap out of it, call the customer and get directions. 8:30, delivery done. YES! On my way to the game. Huh…not so fast. About half way there (Ladera Ranch) my car dies. You read correctly, died. So, now I am on the side of the road waiting for AAA. Then, AAA ends up on the 405 instead of the 5 and I’m still waiting. I guess it was the alternator…whatever fixed it and I was on my way. Parked the car in the handicap spot (hubby graciously volunteered to move it once I got to the field…awwwww) ran down the what seemed like a mile long hill with both girls in my arms, only to see the game end. Typical Monica luck. 

I was so bummed. You know those movies where the dad misses the big recital because he’s stuck in a meeting….yeah, I was so THAT parent. NEVER again. I talked with the hubby on the way to lunch and told him I was done. I was not going to be THAT parent. I was convinced there would be no more cakes/cupcakes for me. Well, I think we all knew what bologna that was. I was serious at the time…I wanted to shut it down. But, I started thinking about what it has taken to make this what it is.

Yes, it’s very difficult at times to manage the business and family life. Yes, I hate that I NEVER get to sleep. I hate that I have to drag my girls to the cake shop or deliveries. Yes, it gets frustating that I can only do so much because I am not in LA, or because I don’t have Mom and Dad to shell out a lump of cash to get a storefront. I can’t bake every single day and get samples to everyone I can think of. I can’t take every order that comes my way. The most frustrating thing is that I know what I am capable of, but cannot fulfill my potential. I can’t do all the things I want to with the business…and it sucks. Then, while I am getting down on myself for not doing more…I realize, now’s just not the time. As much as i want to “do it all” now, I’d rather be the soccer mom, the mom that spends every possible minute with these girls, cause they are growing fast. I’m not gonna lie, I do wish I had more time in the day. Plus, it totally bugs me when I see these single gals (with no family, or other responsibilities) hustling half as much as I would. I am struggling with my competitive nature daily and constantly turning to my girls for reassurance that I AM doing enough for both the business and them. 

So, that’s that, I got my cupcakes delivered, but missed a very important game. Just another day in the life of a baker trying to raise her girls and balance life.

.

So the only changes really were to eliminate Stawberry Shortcake and incorporate the age and message “Happy Lula Day”. Otherwise from our discussion I felt I had “creative liberty” on this one. So, here’s what we came up with:

Cute right?….WRONG! By cooinsidence, the customer sent me a ext and asked what colors i had used so that she could purchase the party supplies to match. I excitedly told her I had a picture I could e-mail her. Well, i sent the e-mail and the response was not what I expected. She said it was really cute, but just not what she envisioned. OK…don’t panic, how can we fix this? I asked what she liked and didn’t like and we went from there. It was a mad dash to change it to what she wanted. It really was no biggie. I realized more today than ever, why I LOVE my job. I get to be  a part of memorable occasions in people’s lives and help bring their vision to reality. We added some darker colors, and some bows and TADA…a brand new cake and a thrilled customer!

Yes, it was a little crazy….but, this is what we do! I would never deliver a cake knowing the customer was not satisfied.  This is what sets us a part from the bakery down the street. We truly value each and every order we create. We are a part of YOUR memorable event and it should ALWAYS be ALL about YOU! We love our customers and strive to deliver smiles every time! 

A very special HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Lula who turned SIX today….Happy Birthday Lula, hope you loved your cake!

When we decided to commit we want to do something big…so we raffled off $1,000.00 in cupcakes and teamed up with Orange Novelty Cake Supplies to raffle off a gift basket of decorating goodies (valued at $200.00).We also baked over 550 cupcakes to pass out! Velma Trevino won the cupcakes and Michelle Gonzaga won the gift basket.  We were able to raise $385.00 for El Pozo. It was a family event for me…my hubby and girls were along for the ride (which was also crazy). All in all it was a stressful day, but lots of fun and for a great cause. Can’t wait until next year! 

I have attended every year for as long as I can remember (the last 15 years at least). It has actually played a pretty big role in my life…no, really. Ahhh, where to start. Well, it was my first job. HA! I actually was one of those people who walked around with a broom and dust pan on a stick (not sure what those are really called)….I even cleaned bathrooms (yuck!). OK, I didn’t really clean them, more like restocked the TP and paper towels…still (double yuck). I worked there two summers and it was actually really fun! Now here’s the real memorable stuff. Your ready? My hubby actually proposed to me at the fair. Was that a chuckle I just heard? Before you judge, keep reading…it’s actually a pretty cool story. 

After dating for 4 years, Fernando (aka RAT) finally popped the big question..at the FAIR?!?!? So, we arrive to the fair after he had been in Boston for a month coaching a wrestling camp at Boston University. I think it was the 2nd day he was back. We get there and we’re walking around and almost immediately he asks if we can get one of those caricatures (those cartoon looking pictures) done. Immediately I was not into it. Why would I want some guy to draw me, accentuating my flaws (um can we say self conscious). We kept walking…and after about 5 minutes he asked again. Um, no thank you! We grab a bite to eat and…yes, he asked again. The day went on like this for a while and finally (really just to get him to stop asking) I give in. “Fine, let’s go…but they better not draw me bad!” He suddenly had a smirk on his face. Whatever, let’s just do it so we can get on with our day (me irritated).

We arrive at the booth and Fernando asks how I would like us to be drawn…you know, like in the jungle, or a fair scene, or riding a flamingo. Seeing as how I was already frustrated with the whole situation, I told him to choose. I go and sit down and wait for him to join me. He plops up on the ripped seat cushion next to me and we wait. We (and by we I mean Fernando) make small talk with the artist and I notice a crowd starting to surround us. Great, he drew me with big ears, buck teeth and a huge forehead…thanks babe! The crowd slowly continued to grow and I start to get nervous. I see people smiling and I just try not to make eye contact. How embarrassing. So, after what seemed like an eternity, the man finishes and Fernando nudges me over to get the picture, while he reaches in his pocket to get money to pay the man with. Great, I have to go get this thing and try to convince the artist that I love it, as to not hurt his feelings (by the way I am the worst liar EVER). So, I approach the man and he hands me the photo. I turn it over to see this:

A little confused, I turn around to get clarification from Fernando and he is on one knee with a ring in hand. He asked me to marry him. I said yes. Remember that crowd that had formed around us (which had now doubled), well they all “got the picture” and began to clap. I was proposed to at the fair and had a picture to remember the moment for ever. (Nice job babe!) Since that day, in an effort to keep that memory alive, every year (for the last 7 years) we have made it tradition to get another picture done (by the same guy!). 

Here is the collection (with the exception of 1 which was lost in the numerous moves)

The “honeymoon” (Alicia was conceived)

The “ball park” (Alicia born)

The “fishing trip” (Anabelle in belly)

“Hawaii” (Anabelle born)…good story to this one! Fernando was in Hawaii coaching for Strike Force and missed the fair. I took his picture along and had him drawn in!

“mermaids” (Angelica in belly)

Notice the blank spot above. This year would have been the 8th year in a row we had our photos done by the same artist…but, he was no where to be found. It was confirmed with 3 of the information booths that there were no caricature artists this year. Bummed doesn’t even begin to describe how I felt. 

So, that’s what the fair is all about to me…memories and fun…and LOTS of good food! Can’t wait to judge some yummy cupcakes!

I’ve been having issues with PayPal…First, they do not allow you to accept money in correlation to raffles. They consider it gambling. Second, in order to accept donations through PayPal, you must have all kinds of documentation. So, after having my PayPal account “on hold”, then activated again, then “on hold” again….well, let’s just say it’s been frustrating. I love PayPal…I know there are rules and regulations for reasons, and rightfully so. Man, does it make things complicated though. Especially when you are trying to raise money in such a short amount of time. Now I know for next time.

THEN, the shirts. I was so excited to finally get some shirts made and Steve from Twizted Teez offered to donate the screening! Sweet right…well, here’s the run down on that scenario. I was in the process of ordering some high quality shirts (you know, the really soft, thin ones) and when I sent over the shipping address, good old iphone spell check turned Pradera into Traders. So, no shirts. Well not just yet anyway. I know, I know, I should have checked, and I’m not making excuses (although I really am)…..3 kids, 4 orders this week, a new recipe in the works, a display and cupcakes for Cupcake Camp OC…well, something was bound to get lost in the shuffle I suppose. 

On to the good stuff. I stopped by my all time favorite shop , Orange Novelty Cake Supplies to pick up some goodies. For those of you unaware, Orange Novelty Cake Supplies is the premiere cake/cupcake supply shop in Orange County. I was talking to the amazing owner Anna about the event, my donation, and the hiccups along the way. I mentioned to her that I could maybe set out some of her cards if she’d like, to possibly help generate business. She decided to “one up” me and offered to donate a gift basket LOADED with cupcake goodies for our raffle.

WIN OVER $200.00 worth of decorating supplies!

Including over 700 baking cups, 16 bottles of sprinkles, 3 jars of disco dust, 8 Americolor color gels, edible daisies, decorating bags and tips!

What does this mean for you? Well, when you purchase a $5.00 raffle ticket you are not only entered to win our GRAND PRIZE of $1,000.00 worth of cupcakes/cake, but we will be drawing a second winner who will win this fabulous gift basket! That’s right 2 chances to win!

Simply e-mail me: monica@twopartssugar.com or stop by the Two Parts Sugar booth and purchase a ticket the day of the event! 

Thank you Anna and Orange Novelty Cake Supplies for your generous donation!

So, here’s the run down: while the event is technically FREE, a suggested donation of $10.00 is asked upon entrance. Remember this is for charity and you’re lucky to get 3 cupcakes at some bakeries with $10.00. Already a win/win if you ask me. You’ll have access to cupcakes from lots of local bakeries as well as others participating who just love to bake! I have to tell you I was giddy with excitement when I found out Cupcake Camp would be happening in my backyard (not really in my backyard…..well, you know what I mean). I knew we had to participate and do it BIG!

We will be organizing a raffle where you could win BIG! I’m talking $1,000.00 BIG! 

The Two Parts Sugar GRAND PRIZE raffle will consist of the following:

100 decorated cupcakes

100 accent cupcakes (sprinkles/colored icing)

A 6″ decorate cake

A custom cupcake stand

-OR-

A cake valued at $1,000.00 

Not only will you be entered to win the GRAND PRIZE, but with every ticket purchase you will receive a coupon (coupon code if purchased on line) for 10% off you next order from Two Parts Sugar.

Tickets will be sold for $5.00 in the Two Parts Sugar booth the day of the event (please stop by and say hi even if you are not purchasing a ticket). You can also purchase tickets by contacting Monica via e-mail: monica@twopartssugar.com. We will then send you a confirmation and throw a ticket with your name on it in our raffle jar (to be drawn day of event). ALL proceeds go to EL POZO. Contest is open to all Orange, Riverside, Los Angeles, and San Diego counties. But wait, we didn’t stop there!

We will also be offering our signature “I bleed buttercream” T-Shirts (photo coming soon) at the event and on-line (until 7/31/10). Purchase a shirt for $20.00 and we’ll throw in a raffle ticket and a 10% off coupon! Again, ALL proceeds got to EL POZO.

Available in a variety of colors with white print.

Yes, there’s MORE….we will be debuting a NEW FLAVOR we have been wanting to do for over a year now(just waiting for the right occasion)! Not only that, but any cupcake we sell in that flavor from now until the end of the year, we will be donating a percentage of the proceeds to EL POZO!

So, let’s sum it up…$5.00 raffle ticket gets you a chance to win $1,000.00 worth of baked goods and a 10% off coupon towards a future purchase. Or buy a T-shirt for $20.00 and we’ll include the raffle ticket and coupon. You’ll be sampling a brand NEW FLAVOR and if you order some goodies in our new flavor, a percentage of proceeds goes to EL TOZO. You’ll meet lots of cupcake lovers and taste lots of yummy cupcakes. BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, you will be helping great cause. 

Diabetic, don’t like sweets, on a diet, no worries, you can still participate. The organizers of Cupcake Camp OC are accepting donations! LOVE to bake? Don’t be shy, sign up and bring some cupcakes down to help raise awareness and money! 

Those of you not on a diet can enter the CUPCAKE EATING CONTEST!

Bottom line, a bunch of wonderful people are coming together to do something selfless and raise money for a good cause. Be a part of it and I’m living proof, karma will thank  you later.

*Grand Prize is valued at $1,000.00. Can be redeemed for one cake OR a 6″ cake, 100 decorated cupcakes, 100 accent cupcakes, and one decorated stand. Decorations subject to difficulty/time involved. Delivery/set up may or may not be included depending on circumstances. Open to Orange, Riverside, San Diego, and LA counties. Date of redemption dependant upon availability.

For questions feel free to contact us here or call Monica 714.651.9769.

So, Parker’s cake…Laurie tells me he requested a “Big Pink Cake” as seen in The Cat in The Hat. The flavor….cherry chip. She attached an image and let me run with the flavor. I had no idea where to start with the cherry chip. I started thinking of the ice cream, chunks of cherries and chocolate chips. Then, I noticed a box of Duncan Hines Cherry Chip cake mix while down the baking aisle in my local grocery store. It would be perfect. I scowered the internet for cherry chips and experimented with icings until I thought what I had was just right. So, here’s the new flavor:

Parker Cherry Chip (yes we named a flavor after him, cause he’s just THAT rad!)….vanilla bean cupcake with cherry chips mixed in, topped with vanilla bean buttercream and cherry ganache drizzle….So Yummy!

Me, cake, Parker and daughter

Laurie is SO sweet, she made it a point to get in touch with us the following day, here’s what she ahd to say!

“I just wanted to thank you again for the wonderful cake! Parker and all of his family and friends LOVED it! Even the caterers were asking about it! Parker’s youngest daughter said, “Daddy, it looks like a cartoon!” which was the point! And the flavors were sooooo delicious! You did the most amazing job! Everyone raved over your cake, and I mean everyone!” -Laurie

“One of the most amazing things about the party was this CAKE. It was PINK & Suessy. The most delicious cherry chip & vanilla bean cake… So Good!! It was a Parker dream-cake…My favorite…And you know me and cake…     So, I’m a fan….” -Parker Jacobs

It was so special to me to be able to create something for someone who has created something so special for my girls (yes, YGG was created for MY GIRLS…lol!). Parker, from our family to you…we wish you a very happy birthday and a big thank you for being a part of our favorite show!