Simply Sweets Cake Studio, Scottsdale Phoenix, AZ -custom cakes, cupcakes & chocolates: July 2008

7/23/08

Simply Sweets closed July 23 - August 3, 2008

Simply Sweets will be closed from July 23 - August 23.

I'm headed to Ocean City, New Jersey for a family vacation and then off to Cake Camp in Las Vegas, NV.

7/21/08

Under the sea themed 1st birthday celebration

This 2 tier cake and coordinating cupcakes were ordered for an under the sea themed first birthday celebration that was held at Busy Bodies in Glendale. The cake is a 6 inch and 9 inch rounds which serves approximatly 30 and an additional 14 cupcakes were ordered. The cake is decorated with sand, shells, fish, coral, kelp and a little green sea turtle. A coordinated 1 shaped smash cake was also ordered for the birthday boy.

Pink and black ladybug themed baby shower cake and favors

The cake and favors were design to coordinate with the pink and black ladybug invitation for a baby shower. The cake is a 10 inch square white sourcream cake with 2 layers of chocolate mousse filling and a center layer of raspberry mousse. The decorations are a mix of buttercream and fondant. The favors are fourtune cookies dipped in pink tinted white chocolate sprinkled with black non-perils.

Feedback from our customer:

I just wanted to say thank you for the great job you did on the cake and favors. Everyone thought the cake was incredible - both decorations and taste! The favors were simply darling and so creative. Thanks again.

Blue, brown, and tan Baby Shower cake

This cake was designed to coordinate with the nursery theme - the baby blanket design is sassy circles in 2 shades of blue, tan and brown and the teddy bear theme is also being used in the room. This cake was delivered to the Courtyard by Marriott in Scottsdale for an afternoon shower. This design was inspired by 2 popular cakes:

Pink and Purple flowers

Pink and purple flowers

boxed cupcakes for a thank you gift

These boxes of 4 cupcakes for ordered for business thank-you's. Each box contains 2 white sourcream and 2 double chocolate sourcream cupcakes, iced white and topped with pink flowers.

We are now offering gift boxes of cupcakes in the following sizes: 4, 6, and 12 per box.

7/19/08

A Girlfriend's Guide, Always Busy Summer Fling Event

Looking for something to do this week? How about a girls night out? spa treatments, food, shopping and girlfriends - the Girlfriend's Guide For Always Busy Women, Summer Fling Event at Dolce Salon and Spa. Our friend, Amy R, is the girlfriend behind this great event. Unfortunately, I will be out of town so Simply Sweets will not be at the event but some of our friends will be ther including Two Sisters Jewelry Boutique and My Strawberries. Click here to learn more and to purchase your tickets before they're sold out.

Rosalie's Cupcakes

Goodbye Rosalie Cupcakes, originally uploaded by Simply Sweets.

I created 4 dozen cupcakes for a retirement potluck for one of my husband's coworkers.

Here they are packaged up in one of my cupcake couriers - these are so great and we still have a few available for sale, please email if interested.

Princess Anessa Castle Cake and First Birthday Smash Cake

Princess Anessa Castle Cake and First Birthday Smash Cake, originally uploaded by Simply Sweets.

Our very popular Princess Castle Cake along with a 1 shaped smash cake.

7/17/08

Please vote for us

All Things Cupcake blog is having a cupcake Miss American contest and we entered a photo of an AZ-themed cupcake that we had created for a wedding reherasal dinner.

We think the cactus design and bright colors is very fitting for AZ and chocolate and vanilla are very American flavors!

Please head over to their blog and vote for our creation!

7/14/08

Cake and cupcakes for a Dora-themed celebration

This cake and cupcakes were ordered for a little girl turning 2 who loves Dora the Explorer. This was also a special order, because I got to make her first birthday cake, a Princess Castle, as one of Simply Sweets first orders when we opened for business last year. The cake and 2 dozen cupcakes are part of the celebration being held at Little Gym in Scottsdale. The mom purchased a Dora candle for the top of the cake.

A baby shower celebrating the mom, baby, and a charity

Multiple cakes and cupcakes were ordered for a baby shower that was coordinated by Moments that Matter. Each cake had special meaning. The teapot cake is for the mom-to-be, the first part of the shower was held at a tea house in Gilbert and the mom-to-be's favorite color is pink. 3 cupcakes were added to represent 3 important people to the mom-to-be who couldn't be at the shower. The second cake is for the baby and the colors green and yellow were selected to match the nursery's decor. The final cupcake represents the charity project that was worked on during the shower - the program is for Casa and their project is called "One More" (the reason behind 1 more cupcake) which speaks to how 1 person can make a difference.

Feedback from the coordinator: To say your cakes were a hit . . . would sincerely be the understatement of the year. The women are STILL talking about them! Not only were they beautiful, fun and whimsical – they tasted excellent – everyone commented on that! Thank you sincerely for doing such an amazing job! We also truly appreciate you donating the cupcake last minute – the yellow dress was perfect & fit the theme perfectly.

40th wedding anniversary

I have some catching up to do for some cakes and cupcakes that were done in June. This cake was ordered by a family that lives in Chicago who came to Surprise to celebrate their parent's 40th wedding anniversary. The cake was designed by their daughter and the color blue was picked because it is the couple's favorite color. The cake is done in white and blue and dusted with a gold shimmer. There is a topper for the cake not shown because it removed for transporting the cake.

7/13/08

Some of my favorite things from local artists

This is a little off topic from my blog but as an owner of a business in Arizona and a mom, I like to support other mom-owned local businesses. Everything that I'm highlighting in this entry, are things that I own, either purchased or given to me as a gift.

This custom painting was created by local artist Kati Walker of Kati Walker Art. She specializes in custom children's artwork and ships nationally. You can purchase her artwork on her website or etsy store. This piece of art hangs in my craft room where the colors of the room are green and orange (my logo colors) with a touch of pink.

This purse (well actually its a large cosmetics bag but its large enough to use as a purse) is a Gina Alexander bag with a photo of my son taken by Jenifer of Jenifer Samaha Photography. Jenifer is an amazing photographer - we had a photoshoot done with my son last December and the images she captured of my son are so precious. Please visit her website and blog to see some of her amazing work. I won the bag in a contest she held on her blog!

The Bon Appetit vinyl lettering was created by Rebecca of Quote the Walls. Besides the designs listed on her website, you can also order custom quotes. Rebecca also created the Simply Sweets lettering that I have on my car.

Nancy is the owner and artist behind Personally Painted Gifts. She surprised me with this Family glass block for my birthday earlier this year. Nancy specializes in custom created gifts (clothing, glassware, buckets, diaper cases and much more) and home pottery parties.

7/12/08

single tier zebra print birthday cake

single tier zebra print birthday cake, originally uploaded by Simply Sweets.

Here's another version of our Zebra print cake - this design is fast becoming a Simply Sweets customer favorite! Birthdays, bachelorette parties, baby showers (wouldn't it look great done in light blue with brown stripes?)....

This single tier 9 inch round version was created for a birthday celebration.

Feedback from the customer:
Hi Dana – the cake was a BIG HIT last night! Thanks so much. We were right there at PF Changs at Happy Valley Towne Center and so many people came up to me and asked me where I got the cake so I told them, etc., ... Thanks again!

I just recently purchased some zebra print cake servers that are perfect to use when serving this cake. These servers are available for purchase or rent. Aren't they just so sassy?

I also have some great zebra print tins that make great centerpieces when used for a chocolate bouquet.

Flip Flop beach themed bridal shower cake

Flip Flop beach themed bridal shower cake red-orange and turquoise colors copy, originally uploaded by Simply Sweets.

This cake is a popular Simply Sweets design that has been ordred for birthdays and bridal showers. This version was created for a bridal shower for a couple getting married on the beach in San Diego. The cake colors were done to coordinate with their wedding colors, red-orange and turquoise. Everything is edible on this cake.

Here are a few of the previous versions:

Just Fab blog

The View From the Top of the Cake

I just discovered one of my favorite places in San Diego, Just Fab, has a blog. I love looking at Beryl's website to see all of her amazing creations so I'm so excited to have found her blog. And if you live in San Diego or are visiting, you must make a stop to Just Fabulous - Kensington, for a meal and dessert.

7/7/08

Simply Sweets Celebrates 1st Anniversary

Simply Sweets opened for business July 7, 2007 and we are so excited to be celebrating our 1st year anniversary. We are working on a celebration party with more details to follow in the next few weeks.

This past year has been exhilarating with each order placed by our wonderful customers. Each new custom order is a fun and exciting new challenge and we love that some of our designs have become Simply Sweets classics like Sassy Circles, Princess Castle Cake and our new customer favorite, Zebra Print Cake have become favorites of so many customers. And lately, its all about CUPCAKES!!!. Highlights of the past year included winning the Martha Stewart Cutest Cupcake Contest and most of all receiving the follow-up phone calls, emails and letters from our customers letting us know how much our creations helped make your celebration a very special event. I'd also like to thank all of our blog readers many of who live in outside of the Phoenix area and our Flickr fans.

To celebrate, I'm posting our most popular photo posted on Flickr which has almost 1700 views and we often get calls from people across the country wanting to know if we ship cakes (we don't).

My wonderfully sweet and supportive husband surprised me with a gift for my business' 1 year anniversary - a Tiffany charm bracelet with a cupcake charm. What girl doesn't love Tiffanys?

Looking forward to an even more exciting 2nd year!

7/4/08

Happy 4th of July

Here's a sampling of some of the treats we made for the 4th of July. I made the mini cupcakes for my family - they're the perfect size for nibbling. Red, white and blue are one of my favorite color combinations for treat - the colors really pop on the chocolate. My other favorites are Halloween colors and St Patricks Day. The treat basket was ordered by a customer who took advantage of our buy 12, get 6 FREE coupon that was on our 4th of July email. Many of our newsletters and email special have great coupons at the bottom of the email - if you're not a subscriber yet, click here.