New Year's Resolution: Tackling Cake

BAKING and I don't get along.  And I don't get along with its sister: DECORATING baked goodies.  I'm not sure what it is.  I could eat an entire batch of cookies or cupcakes without blinking. But something about the process to create them doesn't mesh well with me and I usually end up with a flat cake. Thank God for Betty Crocker and Duncan Hines because I would be lost without them.  And sure, I design all the time.  But making edible sweets look pretty is a completely different story than making a pretty flower arrangement!  My self control loses and I usually eat it before the frosting comes out to play. 

So, I have decided that 2012 will be the year that I will tackle cake. I plan to bake one and decorate one with all the fanciness a cake deserves. My inspiration? One of my favorite cake designers - Lindsey Sinatra of A Wish and A Whisk Cakes.  Her work is phenomenal!  I've had the pleasure to work with her on a few photoshoots and weddings. Remember that Chanel-inspired photoshoot I designed a while back?  To refresh your memory, this is the cake she made for that shoot:

This is photo of a cake she snapped from a wedding we worked on together:

I will tell you that this doesn't do justice to her amazing work!  Check out her awesomeness on Facebook here. 

I don't plan on making one as elaborate as Lindsey's cakes.  Its obvious her work is WAY beyond my baking/fondant skill level. But I would be happy if I could bake a tasty, simple cake and decorate it well. We shall see.  Wish me luck!

And if my New Year's Resolution doesn't work out for me....well, I just might literally tackle that cake.

Cheers to you and your New Year's Resolutions!

Yours Truly,

Joanna

Chocolate Inpsired Floral Arrangements by Floral Sense Featured on Green Wedding Shoes

Floral Sense recently had the privilege of having our florals featured on the amazing Green Wedding Shoes! This is the yummiest photoshoot that we have participated in so far and I have chocolate cravings each time I look at these photos. Here's a snapshot directly from the Green Wedding Shoes blog post.



The masterminds behind this photoshoot were Leila of Be Inspired PR and Gianna of Chic Celebrations. The FAB photographer, Lane Dittoe, captured these images with film! And the chocolates - OMG - they were delish!!

Check out the blog post for more pictures and info of the amazing vendors involved. Just be prepared to have some chocolate handy to fulfill your cravings.

Scooby Doo Themed Birthday Party

Birthday party requests don't come around as often as weddings do. So I admit that I have a personal project I took on recently. We'll call it "Project Scooby Doo." The challenge for me was taking Scooby Doo and interpreting him into something a little more refined. Here is what I came up with for a 4 year old birthday party. It was a little windy at the park, just in case you couldn't tell.



Try not to drool over the home-made treats of mini-cupcakes and chocolate dipped Oreos by Lisa Le.


Lisa was also responsible for making that awesome Scooby Doo cake and rice crispy pops!



This little personalization idea of the Scooby Doo fruit snacks were from Linda Ly of Grand Soirees. And they were a huge hit!


Doggy treat stations can't be complete without any meat.


And Scooby Doo MUST make an appearance!



Dough A Deer Donuts made this gorgeous contribution to the dessert table!
Trust me, there were no donuts left at the end of the party.


Activities for the kids included these stations:




The kids had a special lunch treat of Scooby Dooby Doo dog bone shaped sandwiches!


Hope this inspired you to dec' out your own kiddie party! Cheers!

Credits
Event Design and Styling: Floral Sense
Photography: D Park Photography
Desserts (cake, pops and cupcakes): Lisa Le
Mini Donuts: Dough A Deer Donuts
Linens: Fusion Linens

Happy Halloween!

Sending a little homemade greeting from Floral Sense to you!

Happy Halloween!

Jay's Catering - A Storybook Baby Shower

Mary over at Jay's Catering in Garden Grove, CA has got a mean, kick-@$$ blog of all the awesome events they service including weddings, private parties and everything in-between. Not too long ago, Mary's post of a Storybook Baby Shower caught my eye and I seriously can't stop thinking about it! Here's a sneak peek but you'll just have to check it out for yourself!




Super cute food-on-a-stick + mini-books in the floral arrangements = Utter Fun!

Erica O'Brien's Fondant Succulents

Can I just say one word?
LOVE!

This cake made by Erica O'Brien was featured on Style Unveiled. You can see the original post here with more great photos. When I first saw the pictures, I thought the succulents were real but instead, they are indeed made with fondant. Wow! Beautiful work Erica!

Planning a Green Event - Part 5: The Food

Food! Who doesn't love great food? And what if the food you served at your party was not only delicious but organic?

While I admit I haven't yet sampled their food, I've heard great reviews about Avanti Natural in Costa Mesa. They use local, organic ingredients for their menu items. And they have received quite a bit of press. I mean, just look at the pictures of their food!


Looking for some tasty organic treats?
Meet Luscious Organic Dessert. They use all natural and organic ingredients with cupcakes that are to die for!


The cookies-n-cream is my favorite!

Doesn't that look delish?
And if you're vegan, this is a great fit for you. If you're not (like me), you can't even tell its vegan.

Now, if you want a bit of a fresh twist to your event, you might want to consider The Pop Shop.

They make ice pops in the most incredible flavors.

You might recall me blogging about them a while back at the You Are What You Eat expo. But just in case you missed it, they use all natural ingredients and even use compostable wrappers. Seriously, what isn't there to love?

Now that I'm hungry, I'll be off in search of something yummy.

Happy planning!

Cookie Monster Inspired Birthday Party

Now, weddings aren't the only special events that call for great decor. Kids birthday parties are perfect opportunities to turn on your creative flair. We decided to use Cookie Monster as our inspiration point. And we've got some great DIY projects for you so stay tuned for the details. Enjoy the pictures!
















And a special thank you to D. Park Photography for snapping these great shots for us!

Butch Bakery's Mancakes - Cupcakes for dudes

What?! Yeah, MAN-cakes.
When a friend of mine introduced me to this mancake cupcake, I had to make sure I was reading this right. Yup. You're just gonna have to check out Butch Bakery's website.



But basically, this guy named David Arrick started a business making cupcakes for guys after reading a girly description of cupcakes being "pink and magical." (Well, there's really more to the story so check out his bio on the webpage.) You gotta hand it to him. Even his tag-line is catchy: "Where Butch Meets Buttercream". Ya can't beat those four words and it describes his entire business. Dying to know what some of the flavors are? Rum & Coke, Jackhammer, Mojito and Beer Run (just to name a few). Is your mouth watering yet? And the cupcakes...'ahem'...I mean, MAN-cakes even look manly.
How hot is this ladies?



What's even more amazing is the fact that he opened last year and business has gone through the roof. Butch Bakery is currently located in New York but keep your eye out for more locations. I can't wait for some mancakes myself...and I mean that in a very sugary way.
Butch Bakery, come to Sunshine State!

Photo credits to Butch Bakery.

Suprise Christmas Treats from Marlowe Berglund Events

Yesterday, I came home to find a neatly packaged little box on the porch waiting for me from Melissa Frank of Marlowe Berglund Events. She's a great event planner in Northern California out of Menlo Park. But not only does she do great events, she's a great baker! So you can only imagine my excitement to these goodies she sent me. And I truly appreciated all the attention to details from the beautiful packaging to the individual labels of each cookie type.
Hope you enjoy the progression of opening my gift as much as I did!

Happy Holidays!

PS - Floral Sense will be taking a break from our blog for the remainder of the year. Be sure to check back!
We can't wait to see you in 2010!

Meet Gabrielle Feuersinger of Cake Coquette

One of my greatest weaknesses are sweets...chocolate in particular. Offer me cake and I can't turn it down. Combine cake with great design and you might hear a 'thud'...as in, I just past out and the 'thud' was the sound of my body hitting the ground. That's how I feel about my friend Gabrielle who is the FABULOUS creative mastermind behind her gorgeous cakes of Cake Coquette.
Here's a little peek:


Yeah, I knew you would love it. Brace yourself for a little gallery of her work.



This peacock one is my latest favorites.


Sprinkles, eat your heart out!

The next three cakes may not look real but they are 100% deliciously edible.




Oh, and did I mention she did not only 1 but 2 cakes for Jack Black?!



Jack Black isn't her only fan since she's been featured in magazines like Your Wedding Day, Gentry and Bride and Bloom. And she's starting to become a regular guest on View from the Bay sharing with the San Francisco Bay Area her culinary decorating expertise.
If you would like to see more of her fantastic work, be sure to check out her website and blog. You can find Cake Coquette on Facebook too. She's based out of San Francisco. Sorry for the tease if you're not in the Bay Area!

All pictures courtesy of Cake Coquette.