In an Instant YOU Were GONE...and I'm Scared.

Ello Baykahs-
I KNOW!! It's NOT Sunday, and I'm bloggin'!!!! I can't guarantee how long this post will be...but it's a post...and it's not Sunday, so it's NEW AND FRESH for us....

I wanted to update you on how things are going in the CAVE (AKA our kitchen at Retro). It is FULL FULL FULL. Three interns who are all REQUIRED to work 50 hours a week PLUS Margeaux (in the afternoons) PLUS Brian PLUS me PLUS Lucy Bean....makes for TIGHT quarters. SO, I've been in the front most days....working the counter. And guess what? OUR SALES WENT UP!

*FULL DISCLOSURE: our sales HAD to go up...they were SO LOW, the only place to go was UP. Ok, not really, BUT they were slightly better because people are in the FRONT. Most of the time we have to be baking in the back, and can't be up front to "WAVE 'EM IN" (or guilt people into coming in...I joke).

So, yes. We've been busy this week. We had some corporate Christmas orders to fill and LOTS of school functions. That always keeps us hoppin'. Cakes are a little LIGHT this week...it really is ONE or the OTHER.

The interns are doing great. They are ALWAYS working...when I see NOTHING for them to do, they're doing SOMETHING that I would have never asked them to do (CLEANING DRAINS?!?!?! Yes. They did that!!). I am so happy to have them...even just for some NEW CONVERSATIONS to have....I can only talk to Margeaux about Vodka and BOYS for so long....

ANOTHER JOKE!!! My God. I'm in a good mood. It's a CHRISTMAS MIRACLE.

In all reality, I haven't been in a good mood lately...and I really didn't want to blog about it. Who wants to read a blog about a sad, bored, scared woman runnin' a business?

Oh. You do???

It IS reality....But, that's where I've been. I've been scared. Businesses are closing ALL AROUND ME, and it's scaring the living SH*T out of me. You'd think that it would motivate me to MARKET like CRAZY...RUN around town with cupcakes...put up posters...SOMETHING. But no, I've been STUNNED and SCARED and HIDING...So unlike me. BUT, I've never had my ENTIRE life IN something like this...I didn't know what to do. I just had absolutely NO extra energy to do ANYTHING....so, I didn't.

THANK GOD things picked up (but, yes. I realize that the phone could still stop ringing like it did last week), but it feels like things have changed. Holidays are here. People like to eat...and they like to eat CUPCAKES.

Runnin' this business is STILL a roller coaster. There is NO way to predict who will walk in that door. I know what days will be better than others...but, you never know when someone will need 15 dozen cupcakes by tomorrow......or NOT.

After almost two years, it still hasn't changed. I think THAT is the hardest thing to deal with....

THAT and tight kitchen quarters.


LAYTAH.

Welcome to the Greatest Show...Greatest Show on Earth...

Ello Baykahs-
Happy Happy HAPPY Sunday!!!!

I REALLY wanted to blog all week...since we were SO SLOW, but we were BUSY with other stuff...LIKE TRAINING OUR NEW INTERNS!!!

We have THREE new interns that are FRESH from Le Cordon Bleu School of Pastry, and they are FANTASTIC. Here's the funny thing: two weeks ago I was so busy I couldn't SEE straight. I was PRAYING for interns to help us....fast forward two weeks, and we've been SLLOOOOOWWWW...and here comes my help. OF COURSE.

Oh well.

Now we've had PLENTY of time to show them the ropes, and our three interns have become quite a WELCOME addition to our Retro Family. Here they are:Meet Reagan, Megan, and Genevieve (I HOPE I'm spelling their names right...Bri does the paper work). They'll be at Retro for the next 6 weeks, so if you see them say, "HI INTERNS!!"

As for the Cakes/Cupcakes O' the Week, there weren't many (told ya we were slow), BUT they were COOL:

Snowflake-topped mini cupcakes for a wedding:


Pink Quilted Bow cake for a birthday:AND the BIG DADDY OF THE WEEK: AHOY MATEY!! The Pirate Ship Cake!!!WOW...nice detail on that one, Brian!

MAN. I SO need a new camera. The pics are getting a little FUZZY and YELLOW...although it could be all the buttercream on my finger gunkin' stuff up....Either way, Santa knows what's #1 on MY list this year.


Now, I'm OFF to a day OFF watching the air show...from Nellis Air Force Base.

I love this town.

LAYTAH.

But if I Have to Walk the World, and Make You Fall for Me...I Promise You...I Promise YOU...I WILL

Ello Baykahs-
HAPPY SUNDAY!
I got bad news and bad news:

BAD NEWS FIRST:
We were a little SLOOOOOOW this week. I think being the week after Halloween had a LOT to do with that. SO, I only have four CAKES O' the WEEK this week.

AND, I skipped one day of SHREDDING. I found it a little too hard to incorporate on a Saturday...BUT, I'll do my best to get BACK ON IT on Sunday. I promise.

That's it...So, let's see those CAKES!

Swirl Wedding cake (buttercream on buttercream):

Skull Wedding Cake (fondant on fondant):
Las Vegas birthday cake (fondant pieces on buttercream):

And the BIG DADDY of the WEEK the MOST decadent chocolate cake ever (chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream, drenched in ganache and TOPPED with CHOCOLATE CURLS!!! OOOOH YEAAAAAAH!):I had a couple cupcake weddings, but they were just standard designs...
Next week? I have orders for CHRISTMAS CUPCAKES!!

Yup. It's THAT time of the year!!

Laytah.


OH YEAH! Happy Birthday to my SHELBY in OREGON. MISS YOU!!!

Seems it's My Destiny...for Love to Cause Me Misery

Ello Baykahs!
Oh, how I WISH that I could say that I am feeling 100% better since I've started this 30 Day SHREDDING, BUT I have to be honest here. (otherwise it just doesn't WORK, right?) I am F'N MISERABLE.

I guess that if I had a "regular" job where I didn't have to be on my feet for 12 hours per day, moving around, lifting heavy trays of cupcakes it would be COOL for me to start HEAVY working out...BUT, since I DO have a job that requires A LOT of physical labor, I am MORE TIRED THAN EVER...not to mention SORER THAN SORE! I am SO not any help to Brian...no quick movin' Kari anymore. (I've been in the corner whimpering...since I've been so sore).

Yes. I know that I sound like a complete BABY here, but it's true. I'm HURT. I REALLY hope that my body will adjust. It HAS been feeling SLIGHTLY better now that I'm on day 4, but LEVEL 2 is coming....and that means NEW MUSCLES to use and get SORE!

Boy, oh BOY! This is FUUUUUN.

I love getting old....and whining about it.

To all of you following ALONG with Porche and me, how are YOU feeling?????
Leave a comment...

LAYTAH.

Whenever! Wherever! We're Meant to be Together...

ELLO BAYKAHS!

I am BARELY able to type this because I have started working out again...and I am HURTIN' FOR CERTAIN!!!!

Here's the deal: I haven't been able to carve out any time* to work out since Abbi started school late in August...SO, I've been doing NOTHING for two months.


*FULL DISCLOSURE: I've been BORED with my regular workouts, and frankly, didn't WANT to do it anymore!!

SO, I've been very unhappy with my body lately (SHOCKER, I KNOW!!). I'm just tired of being FLABBY LADY, so I decided to join up with the ONLY girl I know who works harder than me, Porche, from Lovely Confections Bakery in Denver. We have NEVER met, but we email or chat online almost daily, and we're BOTH carrying around extra flab that is hindering our ability to be ENERGETIC!! So, she suggested the Jillian Michaels'* 3o Day SHRED dvd....

*MORE FULL DISCLOSURE: I am a HUGE Biggest Loser fan (on NBC), and Jillian is one of the trainers for the show. Jillian scares me....she's ROUGH, and she's a TRUTH TELLER. There is no BULL SHIT with her. She will NOT let you stop YOURSELF from CHANGING your body into what YOU WANT. So, I love her and FEAR her for this...

For the next 30 days, Porche and I will be SHREDDING away the pounds "together" in two different states, hoping for some SERIOUS results by HER birthday on Dec. 1! I'm very excited to have a partner in this because I tend to just BLOW IT OFF and start eating cookie dough....You know me. BUT, with Porche's help, I may just make it 30 days (STRIKE THAT) 29 days (since I did the work out this morning)!

If the FIRST day is any indication, we're in for a PAINFUL transformation!

Don't worry. I'll keep you posted.


OH WAIT!!
I forgot to tell you about the NEW t-shirt I got!!!! THIS is the t-shirt I received from Natalie at BAKE AND DESTROY! She is a KILLER baykah and blogger and has the CUTEST stuff for sale!!

Let's consider this my BEFORE picture, I guess...

Laytah.

It's too Late to Apologize! It's too LAAAAAATE...

Ello Baykahs!!
I KNOW I am late with this post, but HEY, it was HALLOWEEN NIGHT, and my kids would have HAD MY HIDE has I said, "Hold on girls, Momma's gotta post the blog!" I think I would have REALLY been a BLOODY BAYKAH...not just a FAKE one.

We had a GREAT Halloween Week at Retro filled with TONS of spooky cupcakes, some wedding cakes, and THE BEST CAKE Margeaux has ever done!

LET'S GET TO IT!

Here are the CAKES/CUPCAKES O' the WEEK:

PRE-HALLOWEEN:
Sailor Jerry-inspired wedding cake (all hand-painted fondant):

GoodYear tire cupcakes for a 40th birthday:

Baby Shower butterfly cupcakes:
Mac makeup cake:
Carved 25th birthday cake:

ON HALLOWEEN:
Look at those BLOODY BAYKAHS!

and their BLOODY CUPCAKES! (these were actually for a Halloween WEDDING!)
ANOTHER Halloween wedding (this time a fondant covered cake with hand-made bows):

And NOW the BIG DADDY OF THE WEEK:

Margeaux has been wanting to do a DAY OF THE DEAD cake ever since she started here...and she FINALLY got her chance!! This cake was for an 18th birthday, and Margeaux did the ENTIRE cake herself (including designing and hand-piping each skull!):
Awesome, right???? We are SO lucky to have her.

Our week was SO FULL of fun and craziness that I didn't even have time to take pics of my OWN kids in their costumes (the were both dancers. Lucy was "Dancing with the Stars," and Abbi was a Go-Go girl...FULLY covered, I might add). I apologize for that...

It was a long week that is only going to turn into LONGER weeks now that the holidays are coming!!! Better start resting now....


LAYTAH.

Honey, I Just Wonder What You do There in Back of Your Pink Cadillac...

UPDATE on 10-26-09: Here is BRIAN WITH BETSEY!!!!!!



Yes. I'm jealous. But LOOK how happy they both are!!!! We are SO thankful!!!



Ello Baykahs!

Happy Happy Happy Sunday! Another week...another CELEBRITY CAKE.

CELEBRITY CAKE???????

Oh Yeah. We've NEVER done a CELEBRITY CAKE!!! Until now.

Let's REWIND.

On Monday, there was an email from the Betsey Johnson store at the Miracle Mile shops asking us if we'd like to make a cake for Betsey's PINK CADILLAC TOUR across America raising breast cancer awareness.

I-OF COURSE-answered back RIGHT AWAY with a "HELL, YES! I would LOVE to make a cake for Betsey Johnson!!!" I've been a HUGE FAN for almost 25 years.

*FULL DISCLOSURE: I am lucky enough to own only ONE Betsey item which was recently purchased for me by my hubby last year (the cupcake purse!!). I don't own any clothing...yet?

SO, I got right to work going on her website and looking at her current and future collections. WELL, her FALL 2009 collection is called "BETSEY CROCKER" and it's RECIPES for dressing. It's adorable and PERFECT for cake. I pulled some ideas from the patterns, got an image from her PINK CADILLAC press kit, and sketched some stuff for Brian. Then, he went online and checked out images of stores and snagged her logo.

After HOURS of hard work, we came up with THIS:

It is Margeaux's and Brian's BEST WORK. It was a complete success, and we were so proud. Brian got to deliver the cake, and he got to MEET BETSEY JOHNSON!!!! She absolutely LOVED the cake, and was very thankful. She wanted Brian to stay and cut the cake with her, but OF COURSE we had TWO WEDDINGS in less than an hour after THAT delivery, so he had to BOUNCE.

*FULL DISCLOSURE: I realize this would be the PERFECT place to now put the picture of BRIAN and BETSEY with the cake, but there IS NONE. Brian didn't take his camera (yes, I'm still kicking him), and he had to drop and go...BUT, Betsey's people DID take a picture, and will be SENDING a SIGNED picture SOON!!!!!! So, there is a silver-lining.

We were SO proud to have this opportunity. We'll be flyin' high on this one for a WHILE!!! I promise to post the picture of Betsey and Brian WITH the cake AS SOON as I get it.

What ELSE did we do this week??? Here are the CAKES/CUPCAKES O' the Week:


40th birthday cake for a Snoopy Lover:30th birthday cake for a poker lover:

Card suits wedding cake with mini cupcakes:



Mr. and Mrs. fondant-topped cupcakes (for another wedding):

*FULL DISCLOSURE: I missed the chance to take a pic of our LAST wedding cake of the day because we were so CRAZY busy...it was SO CUTE, and I am sorry that I didn't include it (picture a two-tier, white fondant, square cake with black fondant ribbons and a side bow...adorable...oh well).

Next week starts HALLOWEEN WEEK at Retro...which means I've CHANGED the names to all of the cupcakes (added some SPOOKY to each one), and they'll ALL be decorated to celebrate our favorite holiday! We've ALSO got some SUPER killer cakes to do for folks GETTING MARRIED on Oct. 31! Just WAIT until you see THOSE!

LAYTAH.