tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37820287851844265262023-12-23T01:41:37.140-08:00cakelavacake 5-0: a blog by cakelavacakelavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11350705847823534445noreply@blogger.comBlogger675125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782028785184426526.post-58597271750013682872016-08-23T11:31:00.004-07:002016-08-23T11:32:24.944-07:00Wedding Cakes for the Blush-ing Bride <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Brides have fallen in love with blush pink and are using it as a prominent color throughout their wedding, from the flowers to the stationery and decor, their wedding dress, and of course, the wedding cake! The feeling is romantic and soft, and everything is so <i>pretty</i>! For our wedding cakes, this translates to whisper soft colors, pretty textures, and gorgeous flowers with delicate petals and full blooms. These are a few of our recent favorites!<br />
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cakelava was invited by Las Vegas wedding and event planner Emily Reno of <i><a href="http://www.weddingsandeventsbyemily.com/" target="_blank">Weddings & Events by Emily </a> </i>to design a wedding cake for her blush pink garden themed wedding shoot at the Hilton Lake Las Vegas. Emily provided Rick with a color palette and some inspiration photos and he designed a wedding cake that integrated blush pink, soft textures, watercolor painting, and beautiful delicate handcrafted flowers. The wedding cake is shown in the photo above and below and was beautifully photographed by <a href="http://www.kristenjoyphoto.com/" target="_blank">Kristen Joy Photography</a>. The cake was paired with pink and gold floral china plates and placed on top of a gold bar cart. We were proud and honored to work with such a talented group of wedding vendors! The entire list of fabulous vendors can be seen on the post <a href="http://www.inspiredbythis.com/wed/whimsical-pink-garden-wedding/" target="_blank">"Whimsical Pink Garden Wedding"</a> which was featured on the wedding and lifestyle blog, <i>Inspired By This</i>.<br />
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Another way brides are using blush pink is in their wedding dress. Some of our blush-ing brides are choosing to walk down the aisle wearing a pretty pink dress rather than the traditional white or ivory. The model bride in our wedding shoot above wore an exquisite gown of white lace and blush pink tulle.<br />
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Our bride Arielle also wore a blush pink wedding dress (shown below). When we began working with her, she mentioned she would be wearing pink and would like a similar soft blush pink color for her wedding cake. After seeing her beautiful dress, Rick was inspired to incorporate some of the same design elements found in her dress onto the cake - blush pink color with silver "beaded" accents, and made flowers loosely reminiscent of her ruffled skirt. The cake seemed like a perfect compliment to her dress!<br />
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This next blush pink cake was designed by Rick back in the spring and remains one of our most loved cakes this year. It was created for a Boho chic themed wedding photo shoot at <i>Legends Ranch. </i>The styled shoot was designed by <i><a href="http://www.paulinacluteevents.com/" target="_blank">Paulina Clute Events</a></i> and exquisitely photographed by <a href="http://www.kmh-photography.com/" target="_blank">KMH Photography</a>. We loved Paulina's vision for her Boho chic wedding and her color palette of blush pink, ivory and sky, with pops of magenta, teal and forest green. Rick designed a 4-tier tall and narrow blush pink colored cake covered in white lace with a spectacular bunch of his handcrafted flowers placed in the middle of the tier.<br />
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It was very romantic and managed to bring together a feeling that was both soft and bold, and refined and wild, all at the same time. I loved all the contrasts! Our cake and <a href="http://bridalmusings.com/2016/06/pretty-boho-wedding-inspiration-with-rich-hues/" target="_blank">the Boho Chic wedding shoot </a>was featured on the wedding blog, <i>Bridal Musings </i>earlier this summer. <i> </i></div>
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As the Las Vegas wedding season quickly approaches, we have more cakes with blush pink in the works and looking forward to making every one of them!<br />
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cakelavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11350705847823534445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782028785184426526.post-49496026315792022292016-07-09T10:20:00.001-07:002016-07-09T10:20:57.437-07:00Viva the Fabulous Las Vegas Cakes!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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When in Vegas, order a Vegas themed cake! cakelava has been officially open in Las Vegas for less than 6 months, and we're already starting to rack up a nice collection of Vegas themed cakes. We're not complaining, we love doing the Vegas theme! They are colorful, artistic, the design possibilities are endless, and it is all some version of Fabulous! Here are some of our recent favorites...<br />
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Our "Vegas, baby" cake, shown above, is Rick's retro and rockabilly inspired design complete with flames, a classic car with checkerboard flags, dice, devil themed poker chips, and plenty of pin up girls! He went a little crazy with this one, but we're in Vegas, so crazy is totally acceptable, and encouraged!<br />
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Turning 40 can be pretty fabulous in itself, but if you want to really celebrate in style, head to Vegas and order a Fabulous Fortieth Birthday cake, which is what Robbie and his family did. You're turning Forty, you've earned the bragging rights, so why not announce your milestone on your cake. There is no better place to flaunt your stuff than Vegas! Like Robbie, Rick and I chose Las Vegas to celebrate my Fabulous Fortieth Birthday. It was a birthday I will never forget!<br />
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Like Robbie, Rory also celebrated his birthday in Vegas with a Fabulous Vegas themed cake. You can revisit our post of <a href="http://cakelava.blogspot.com/2016/04/surprise-rorys-las-vegas-themed.html" target="_blank">Rory's cake </a>on the blog.<br />
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We're in Vegas, and it was only a matter of time before we got a request for dice cakes, and this order came shortly after we opened. Rick made these dice cakes with the "Married in Fabulous Las Vegas" signage for a gay couple who recently celebrated their marriage at the Neon Museum. If you want to celebrate the fabulosity of vintage Las Vegas, being surrounded by the most amazing neon signs from the casinos, a visit to the Neon Museum is a must! When we arrived at the Neon Museum, we walked past a pair of Vegas showgirls who looked at least 10 feet tall! There was much excitement in the air and it was pretty clear, these gentlemen and their guests were ready to party!cakelavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11350705847823534445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782028785184426526.post-12502390961391384632016-06-24T05:52:00.003-07:002016-06-24T05:55:12.752-07:00Once, Twice, Three Times a Wedding Cake - The Fabulous Trio<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_58_VyLayXyeqCOK4OrFuW-EnR2_BzThSn2_BPK46VXmRhHVb-dNhY_H7DTfX__gC2RlOxQM1Tw0fu62U8gM9DBVIkhGPln-LRvgFGqae6IlvODT3FW6H1_JGg0WEssQuQJtUZ4wf1A1L/s1600/BMtriow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_58_VyLayXyeqCOK4OrFuW-EnR2_BzThSn2_BPK46VXmRhHVb-dNhY_H7DTfX__gC2RlOxQM1Tw0fu62U8gM9DBVIkhGPln-LRvgFGqae6IlvODT3FW6H1_JGg0WEssQuQJtUZ4wf1A1L/s1600/BMtriow.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
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We began getting to know our wedding couple Bronwen and Matt before we opened our shop in Las Vegas. We had communicated with them while we were building out our shop and arranged a time to meet with them once we opened. By the time we met this talented couple, it felt like we knew a lot about them and could jump right into the cake design! The couple are amazing sculptors who appreciate art in all its forms, and their wedding cake was very important to them. Bronwen loves cake and confessed she began collecting cake photos years earlier. She had an extensive collection of photos to share with us. They wanted their cake to tell a story of them as a couple, and provided us a backstory, an introduction to who they were in text and photos that would help explain why they wanted to incorporate certain themes and colors into the cake. While we won't share the couple's private details, we can share the themes and colors they chose to tell their story:<br />
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sawblade<br />
skulls<br />
starry night<br />
turquoise, magenta, black and gold<br />
full bloomed flowers<br />
pearls<br />
anything shiny<br />
vintage<br />
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After discussing their themes and noticing how different they all were, we knew it would be almost impossible to put everything they wanted together on one cake, so we decided it would be best to make a wedding cake trio that together would tell the story of Bronwen and Matt.<br />
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The "story" themed cakes, whether they are for a wedding or a celebration, can be one of the more challenging projects to design for, because it requires the cake designer to successfully merge the interests and personal styles of two different people. The more drastically different the styles of the people are, the more difficult it is for the designer. In the case of Bronwen and Matt, we were initially provided with more themes and inspirations than we could possibly fuse into even three cakes. Not everything would make it into the story, or go together aesthetically, so we worked with them to edit and narrow down the choices. It was a worthwhile process and allowed us to play up the themes they did choose and give them their own starring role in the story!<br />
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A wonderful perk of working with talented sculptors is they offered to build custom cake stands for each of their wedding cakes! Having the couple who can build just about anything (seriously!) meant we would have some truly fabulous cake stands for the cakes, and they could be designed however Rick and the couple would want! When Rick designed each of the three cakes, he also designed cake stands to reflect the theme and style of the cake. Using these ideas, Bronwen and Matt added a few special touches to the cake stands, which we loved, and the results are shown below. It was a beautiful collaboration between the three of them and the stands looked incredible with the cakes!<br />
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Not surprisingly, a couple with three wedding cakes, chose three different flavors to serve their guests. Onto the cakes!<br />
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The first wedding cake:<br />
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Themes/colors: Turquoise, gold, delicate pink (soft magenta), pearls, vintage, delicate handcrafted flower with gold accents. Custom built vintage inspired cake stand.<br />
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Flavor: Lemon Kapow<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.cakelava.com/">www.cakelava.com</a></span></td></tr>
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The second wedding cake:<br />
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Themes/colors: Turquoise, blue and black to resemble Night, flecks of gold for "stars", magenta handcrafted flowers, gold accents. Custom built skulls themed cake stand.<br />
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Flavor: The All-Nighter<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG_TWbIJwxG_RcX4_ztAGTUtqv8mpVprLFb642zJqlKvfAk3wtzr1lfQB5aNNkOxpEgqauMgVvWw9c8OuJeVpwr1ay9qxQJ5zf9BzxXfWGcV4dMx27qoIYpXTYYRfPnsBAfTuQuHN2rU6V/s1600/BMstarryw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG_TWbIJwxG_RcX4_ztAGTUtqv8mpVprLFb642zJqlKvfAk3wtzr1lfQB5aNNkOxpEgqauMgVvWw9c8OuJeVpwr1ay9qxQJ5zf9BzxXfWGcV4dMx27qoIYpXTYYRfPnsBAfTuQuHN2rU6V/s1600/BMstarryw.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.cakelava.com/">www.cakelava.com</a></span></td></tr>
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The third wedding cake: Referred to as "Matt's cake"<br />
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Themes/colors: Magenta, black, white, shiny, silver, skulls, pearls, sawblade. Custom built sawblade cake stand.<br />
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Flavor: Strawberry Shortcake<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_MqiA33oCYmONy_mP9WAG43KI2u7fE7sN4M57HIqSuS54fiv4CkQ8NZSuIvRHuP30bXVEE7DUD7Mk8peihO4IrtD8mMwe6yRxMJNmYEEZY4mAgM2x4F532dtIcur53XabvpWmZbtd9dF4/s1600/BMskullw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_MqiA33oCYmONy_mP9WAG43KI2u7fE7sN4M57HIqSuS54fiv4CkQ8NZSuIvRHuP30bXVEE7DUD7Mk8peihO4IrtD8mMwe6yRxMJNmYEEZY4mAgM2x4F532dtIcur53XabvpWmZbtd9dF4/s1600/BMskullw.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.cakelava.com/">www.cakelava.com</a></span></td></tr>
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On their own, the cakes were beautiful, unique and special, and as a group they complemented each other exquisitely! Each cake told its own story, and together, the trio of cakes told the story of Bronwen and Matt, and it was spectacular!cakelavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11350705847823534445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782028785184426526.post-50427622214152298512016-06-11T11:31:00.001-07:002016-06-13T13:51:27.908-07:00A Glimpse Behind the Desert Themed Marbled Fondant Wedding Cake <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ6lJ5POzadR3Z5jWnoztqrs9RM1eDZrD2rA5BmUZl1YHDFx6s2yfwOk4womwRJT9muZvmvplnux0ptpf1Gz0lnRS79FhWRMKPeICYGaA4lsUHPbHU5mRUnpSbOT1xKVZSAqO1TQ0nf9kL/s1600/desert+marblew.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ6lJ5POzadR3Z5jWnoztqrs9RM1eDZrD2rA5BmUZl1YHDFx6s2yfwOk4womwRJT9muZvmvplnux0ptpf1Gz0lnRS79FhWRMKPeICYGaA4lsUHPbHU5mRUnpSbOT1xKVZSAqO1TQ0nf9kL/s1600/desert+marblew.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.cakelava.com/">www.cakelava.com</a></span></td></tr>
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When Style Me Pretty first approached cakelava to do a Facebook live video for them, we were extremely excited and honored to host them at our new Las Vegas shop! What is often the case with media/social media related project requests, first comes the wave of excitement - you feel giddy about the project. Then the reality sets in. You feel anxious and slightly overwhelmed. You have x-amount of time - often two weeks or less - to design and execute a project that will delight and engage the viewer. No pressure there! You have previous commitments to clients that are just as important and will also need your attention. You only have a couple weeks (or less) to get everything done!<br />
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<a name='more'></a>At this point, I should say that the anxious reactions above are mostly mine, and I'm not the person who has to make the cake, or in this case, be in front of a camera LIVE with many thousands of viewers watching your every move! That responsibility falls on Rick, the cake designer. I'm the detail-oriented one, the multi-tasker who manages day to day
operations, client and media communications, and makes sure we're both where we need to
be at the time we're needed to be there. I'm the project coordinator of the event, and make no mistake, these are definitely events! I've been a partner (and wife) of Rick in our cake business for more than 10 years, and I am continually in awe of Rick's ability to take these project requests in stride. <br />
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Rick's approach is very different. Like me, he feels honored by the request to create for someone and gets excited during the design conceptualization phase of the project. What is different about the way he processes these requests is he is able to maintain his focus on the current project at hand - whatever cakes he is making that week - and as time permits, he returns to a project and works on it. The most important cake to Rick is usually the one he happens to be working on at any given moment. He puts his full focus into<i> that </i>cake. Whether it is a cake for our client, a celebrity, or a media project, it will get his full undivided attention while he is working on it. The part that always amazes me is that his timeline for starting and working on a project is drastically different than mine, but he always manages to produce something beautiful and meets his deadlines everytime.<br />
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I was completely smitten by the marbled fondant wedding cake Rick made for Style Me Pretty's Facebook live shoot. We knew shortly after we got the project that he would do a marbled fondant cake, but the color palette and desert theme weren't decided until much closer to their arrival. The cake was originally going to be a blush pink marble, and at some point that felt like just days before, I found a beautiful color palette that I approached Rick with, and he loved it! We would go with sage green, grey, and hints of blush pink. With our relatively new status as Nevada residents, we were both taken by the desert themed weddings and also the boho (bohemian) style, which has a wildness about it, and wanted to combine those elements on the cake. I hoped to do a run through so I knew what the cake would look like, but Rick had other cakes to make that week and the extra time was a factor. He felt confident in his ability to produce the cake without a formal run through and would be prepared for their arrival. He colored his fondant to save some time, did a test on a small fondant piece to see what the color would look like, then started making his handcrafted flowers. We decided to do the cake out of styrofoam rather than real cake so he wasn't using a client's cake to demonstrate, and also so we could keep the cake for display in our shop. Originally we thought about having him paint the flowers on camera but opted not to do that to save on time.<br />
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Style Me Pretty showed up at our studio on Saturday, April 4th. We were ready for them! Shortly after they arrived, the live video for facebook began! It ran for about 25 minutes and documented Rick making his desert themed marbled fondant wedding cake. It was his first time making this exact cake design, and we were all extremely happy with the result! In case you missed it, you can watch <a href="https://www.facebook.com/stylemepretty/videos/10154283878334974/" target="_blank">cakelava's Facebook live video for Style Me Pretty</a> here! Since Rick's video went live, it has been viewed almost 30,000 times! After it aired, those feelings of excitement started all over again, but this time it was coupled with a huge sense of relief. Everything went well, we had a great response from the viewers, and afterwards, we could breathe a little easier! At least, until next time...<br />
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<br />cakelavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11350705847823534445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782028785184426526.post-75502275222690238092016-06-05T14:01:00.001-07:002016-06-11T08:51:05.012-07:00Style Me Pretty Comes to cakelava for Facebook Live!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqqyBjqMriqd41T5jM9lJD5mG2f3va7Wo8G3D7tmyNcfP3QOSRqSSc86BrH6LZvvoyX1OYw6KOmxsiPE8IV3QKj36jeP2ALNWy9w2dbk56kfEghf6nyEjw_oA0MPQ2vdkF6ty3DwyC1Q81/s1600/SMPvidw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqqyBjqMriqd41T5jM9lJD5mG2f3va7Wo8G3D7tmyNcfP3QOSRqSSc86BrH6LZvvoyX1OYw6KOmxsiPE8IV3QKj36jeP2ALNWy9w2dbk56kfEghf6nyEjw_oA0MPQ2vdkF6ty3DwyC1Q81/s1600/SMPvidw.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/stylemepretty/" target="_blank">Style Me Pretty at cakelava for Facebook Live!</a></span></td></tr>
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Yesterday, cakelava had a very special visitor come through our kitchen - <i><a href="http://www.stylemepretty.com/" target="_blank">Style Me Pretty</a></i>! Yes, <i>that </i>Style Me Pretty! They came to shoot Rick decorating a marbled fondant desert inspired cake for Facebook live, and we all had a great time! We've had a mega crush on the site for years, and it was an honor to host them in our new Las Vegas shop. You can watch the whole experience unfold by visiting <a href="https://www.facebook.com/stylemepretty/videos/10154283878334974/" target="_blank">Style Me Pretty's Facebook Videos</a>. We've also shared their video on the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/cakelava" target="_blank">cakelava Facebook page</a>. We'd love to hear your thoughts, so feel free to like, comment, share, or just say "Hello!"cakelavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11350705847823534445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782028785184426526.post-76847702891196742392016-06-04T10:44:00.000-07:002016-06-04T10:44:57.112-07:00A Desert Inspired Wedding Cake <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Nevada's Valley of Fire State Park </span></td></tr>
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My list of Must See places to visit in Nevada is ever growing! Currently, at the top of the list is the magnificent Valley of Fire State Park, which is just over an hour drive from Las Vegas. I'm constantly seeing incredible photos of the Valley of Fire, and hearing from our clients getting married there how amazing this place is! I'm <i>dying </i>to see it in person! With the scorching desert temperatures this time of year, it will have to wait until the cooler temperatures arrive, so for now, I will appreciate its spectacular beauty from afar.<br />
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The Valley of Fire is a popular wedding destination with unbelievable natural beauty, whose landscape and colors are a perfect muse to inspire artists and designers to create and people to fall in love. I'm feeling fluttery just thinking about it!<br />
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If you are planning a desert wedding, the Valley of Fire State Park provides an array of colors, textures and patterns that would be a perfect starting place for a bride or wedding coordinator's inspiration board. When our clients Sarah and Joe provided their inspirations for their wedding cake, we were told they would be marrying at Valley of Fire and wanted Rick to incorporate that element into the cake. Like many couples marrying in Las Vegas, they were having a destination wedding and worked through the design process with us from afar.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.cakelava.com/">www.cakelava.com</a></span></td></tr>
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Rick's design of Sarah and Joe's desert inspired wedding cake started with a similar shape and floral placement borrowed from one of his earlier designs, called "Alana", (shown below), which Sarah said she loved! He included the Valley of Fire desert inspiration on the middle tier. Continuing with the desert theme, Rick made delicate handcrafted flowers that the bride's florist planned to use in her bouquet. The cake turned out beautifully and both the couple and we were extremely happy with the result!<br />
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Rick and I enjoyed exploring the desert theme, after working so often with the tropical theme in Hawaii. In our short time living in Nevada, we have really grown to love the beauty of the desert here, in the same way we fell in love with the tropics. We have to remind ourselves, as we did in Hawaii, how important it is to take time away from work to enjoy and explore the beauty that surrounds us!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.cakelava.com/">www.cakelava.com</a></span></td></tr>
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<br />cakelavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11350705847823534445noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782028785184426526.post-88632052187069182932016-04-26T09:52:00.001-07:002016-04-26T09:52:33.872-07:00cakelava Las Vegas is on Instagram!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1aZfTl4cYhj7mdJsPeh6EnttmeZYnyrhtpACpZt431O5oboBRxlfnSsiC-jaBCOICGVCrxgeHpLr3Q4icE2ouKdFeqCnUSfG2R5EvAHlzSi6H9kxhBglPCJ1yLkFgNcl_sSCCMXvjlqR2/s1600/13043644_10154094837323498_2208973590904316657_n.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1aZfTl4cYhj7mdJsPeh6EnttmeZYnyrhtpACpZt431O5oboBRxlfnSsiC-jaBCOICGVCrxgeHpLr3Q4icE2ouKdFeqCnUSfG2R5EvAHlzSi6H9kxhBglPCJ1yLkFgNcl_sSCCMXvjlqR2/s1600/13043644_10154094837323498_2208973590904316657_n.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.instagram.com/cakelava" target="_blank">@cakelava</a></span></td></tr>
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About a week ago, cakelava joined Instagram <a href="http://www.instagram.com/cakelava" target="_blank">@cakelava</a> . If you are wondering why we waited so long to join, there is a little story here. Several years ago I looked into putting cakelava on Instagram, and I didn't get very far. Not getting very far is an understatement. I didn't get past choosing our username, because someone with no association to our company, or to cakes, already had it. At the time I could have chosen another username, but decided to put the process on hold. It wasn't meant to be. I was also turned off by the idea that the photos posted on Instagram don't belong to the individual or company posting them, so I treaded this avenue carefully. We already had a few other social media accounts to maintain and I thought "why add another one." My hands were full with running a cake business and various social media accounts. Why make more work for myself?<br />
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Then, our company and cakes started getting tagged quite regularly, which has been the case on Pinterest for many years. People were making comments and we weren't seeing them until much, much later. Sometimes, years! These were clients of ours, students of Rick's and many appreciative bakers in the cake community. It was important to be a part of the dialog and let the people leaving comments know we appreciated them taking the time. In addition to the cakes getting tagged, our clients began asking us if we were on Instagram. "No, but we're on facebook, twitter, and pinterest". cakelava was still based in Hawaii when this began happening.<br />
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If you've been following our cake adventures, you know that we moved cakelava to Las Vegas from Hawaii and spent part of last year building out our new custom cake studio at the Montage Shopping Center in Las Vegas. We opened earlier this year. During the period we transitioned cakelava from Hawaii to Las Vegas, we took a hiatus from making cakes and also largely from social media. If there was a time to join instagram, it certainly wasn't then.<br />
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We finally decided to take the plunge and join Instagram after we had established our new cake shop in Las Vegas. It was time. We were settling into our new home of Las Vegas and were regularly making cakes we wanted to share. We're enjoying being a part of the Instagram community and happy to see many friends there as well. We're excited to see what Las Vegas has in store for us and invite you to come along for the ride! See you on Instagram!<br />
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<br />cakelavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11350705847823534445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782028785184426526.post-59155344099009653412016-04-01T10:09:00.002-07:002016-04-07T13:14:35.675-07:00Surprise! - Rory's Las Vegas Themed Birthday Cake <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDZqw6QVf3xCfouitFHEccsUzASA_8Kpr6O8Iaw_CIQcIJnBMRQij6nL-TvOvSOp6UuzU64XF0LzuAQFAzrqvme-YrTub7T3wbSl_rIctmyFyqYcGvC5kHjAghD8FjrezqpCJQRGWxMdAu/s1600/vegasneww.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDZqw6QVf3xCfouitFHEccsUzASA_8Kpr6O8Iaw_CIQcIJnBMRQij6nL-TvOvSOp6UuzU64XF0LzuAQFAzrqvme-YrTub7T3wbSl_rIctmyFyqYcGvC5kHjAghD8FjrezqpCJQRGWxMdAu/s1600/vegasneww.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">cakelava of Las Vegas, <a href="http://www.cakelava.com/">www.cakelava.com</a></span></td></tr>
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I love surprises! (Who doesn't, right?) One of the many perks of being married to a cake designer is my annual surprise birthday cake. Unfortunately, we couldn't observe our tradition my past two birthdays because our lives were too hectic with moving preparations for the first one, and this year, we were completely occupied with opening the shop. In both cases, it was a mutual decision to not do my surprise, and it was a missed opportunity for both of us - a gift that was lost, for both the giver and receiver. Having missed out on both of my birthday surprises, I was excited when we received the order for Rory's Las Vegas themed birthday cake, which would be a surprise gift from his family.<br />
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Rory and his family were flying in to Las Vegas to celebrate his 26th birthday, and were taking him to dinner at the uber popular Tao restaurant. This lucky combination of factors added up nicely - super nice clients to work with + surprise cake + an artistic Las Vegas theme + delivery to Tao = Jackpot!<br />
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I worked with Rory's mother and sister to plan his surprise cake. They provided us some photos for inspirations and requested a Las Vegas gambling theme, specifying the games Rory enjoyed playing and some of the elements they would like to see on his cake. We knew how special this cake was to them. They gave as much thought to the flavors of the cake as the outside, and after careful consideration, they chose our Peanut Butter Fudgey and Neon Lights flavors. Rick worked hard on the Las Vegas cake and looked in his element when he was making all the decorations. He wanted the cake to be a surprise the family would always remember! I could see how satisfied he was to be making a Las Vegas themed cake - in Las Vegas! He's made many before, but it's a little different making Las Vegas themed cakes when you are in Hawaii. I'm happy to say that Rory wasn't the only one who was surprised the night we delivered his cake to Tao! Our clients left the entire design of the cake up to Rick. Witnessing the reaction of the client upon seeing their cake is always the best part and I was lucky enough to see Rory's mother's face when she first saw his cake. Her face lit up and she looked ecstatic - the surprise was a huge success! We were told after the party that the cake was loved not only by Rory and his family but by many of the diners at the restaurant who approached their table and asked about the cake. What's higher than Jackpot? Is there a double jackpot, because I think we just won it!<br />
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<br />cakelavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11350705847823534445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782028785184426526.post-13623216844612216832016-03-05T11:37:00.000-08:002016-03-05T11:37:08.003-08:00Opening cakelava, our new Las Vegas Custom Cake Studio!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtXPvr5TpZf32uP0_GePznHTT8XUvJS7QirXIETw4I0uZMlkOIe3ITZua-YHrcOpqIIlj4hLya-jDP8Tos0dYVRGYqeqvIkE7T7NcaoOkgXJMyD_uVr2kZ5syAUH-N6wHVHJ1UsRjavQrg/s1600/outsidew.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtXPvr5TpZf32uP0_GePznHTT8XUvJS7QirXIETw4I0uZMlkOIe3ITZua-YHrcOpqIIlj4hLya-jDP8Tos0dYVRGYqeqvIkE7T7NcaoOkgXJMyD_uVr2kZ5syAUH-N6wHVHJ1UsRjavQrg/s1600/outsidew.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.cakelava.com/">www.cakelava.com</a></span></td></tr>
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In late December 2015, we shared photos taken towards the completion of our shop build. While most people were busy celebrating Christmas and New Years with their families, we were hard at work creating new cake flavors, (and gaining the 5 extra pounds from all the tasting!), making display cakes, and getting our business established in Las Vegas. This was all in preparation for our actual "Opening." If you missed our previous posts, or would like to revisit them, here's a quick recap! In <a href="http://www.cakelava.blogspot.com/2015/12/building-cakelava-our-new-las-vegas.html" target="_blank">Part 1, we hunt for and find the perfect space</a>. <a href="http://www.cakelava.blogspot.com/2015/12/building-cakelava-our-new-las-vegas_21.html" target="_blank">Part 2: The build out continues</a>. In <a href="http://www.cakelava.blogspot.com/2015/12/building-cakelava-our-new-las-vegas_28.html" target="_blank">Part 3, the kitchen gets installed and our space begins to resemble a shop</a>!<br />
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We opened cakelava, our Las Vegas custom cake studio during the week of January 10th, 2016, or, as we more commonly referred to it as, "sometime in Mid-January." The last time we opened cakelava in a new city was in March 2005, almost 11 years earlier, in Hawaii. After a year long hiatus from making cakes, we couldn't wait to open our cake shop in Las Vegas! Unlike many food businesses, we didn't have a Grand Opening or even an official Opening Day. cakelava's actual "Opening Day" became a little joke between Rick and I because we kept getting asked by people when we were opening and we didn't have a definitive date for them. We answered with "when Rick is finished making display cakes" or "when we're done testing flavors". In other words, we would open for business when there was something tangible for customers to see and <i>taste</i> at our shop.<br />
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If you are a baker, you know that baking in a dry climate and at higher altitudes is different than baking in say, Hawaii, where we moved from. A place that is hot and humid and higher altitudes are not an issue. It takes a lot of experimenting, and plan to gain at least a few pounds in the process, but don't worry, the stress of opening a business in a new city will likely cause you to lose those few pounds which you just gained. Our new menu for Las Vegas is a combination of our tried and true flavors we offered in Hawaii and a selection of flavors honoring our new home Las Vegas. We are excited about the menu and have had great feedback so far on the new flavors!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY-BmfOIYxCMHhoM99JCWXMnA7aJIkFlmzWBpzTzKUE_DHibRlVyE_pAdb70gGbqx3_MUiahu7Gymg6QK6QCndcFgqbXvSk48xQLEiHjV2lmfc_gJH3AEpNxrj7XqqbYvgu495VX7WBcOS/s1600/open.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY-BmfOIYxCMHhoM99JCWXMnA7aJIkFlmzWBpzTzKUE_DHibRlVyE_pAdb70gGbqx3_MUiahu7Gymg6QK6QCndcFgqbXvSk48xQLEiHjV2lmfc_gJH3AEpNxrj7XqqbYvgu495VX7WBcOS/s1600/open.png" /></a></div>
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"So, how will we know when you're open?" .... We had people ask us if we will have a neon OPEN sign when we Open. We have no neon OPEN sign in front of our shop, or even an "Open" sign. Our doors says "Open by Appointment", so technically, we have the word "Open" in front of our shop. cakelava's new shop opening was more like one day our shades were up, there were display cakes in the window, and we began meeting people at our new studio rather than just talking to them on the phone or by email. To us, being "Open" was just a formality. As far as we were concerned we were already Open. Our business and creative minds were open, we had started taking cake orders, we were excited and ready, and everything was in place! We had been corresponding over email for a number of months with customers prior to opening our doors, and delivered our first cake order in Las Vegas before we officially <i>Opened</i>.<br />
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After "Opening" I was quickly reminded how tough it was to establish a new business in a new city. In Hawaii we were there for 10 years, we were a known business with a reputation, and here we were starting from scratch all over again. With every new inquiry, I had to pull up a map of Las Vegas and see where the heck we would be delivering to - it was all new and there is so much to learn! We had requests to go to California to deliver cakes. It's been over a decade since we had to drive more than an hour and a half for a delivery. We are learning fast here! We've already made our first delivery to the The Strip at night, and for the uninitiated, the traffic can be quite the adventure, though so far, not nearly as bad as delivering a cake to the North Shore during a surfing competition. You haven't experienced fun until you've done that! So far, we are enjoying doing business in Las Vegas. We've met so many kind people, many of whom have taken us under their wing, acting as mentors, and showing us the ins and outs, and the ups and downs of Vegas. We're also learning why Las Vegas is called "The Ninth Island" - we are constantly meeting people who are from Hawaii or have some connection to Hawaii, and we love that!<br />
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cakelava, after Opening.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTehkYzMIhjDKgpPoaqDLdmvk-F9VqzYuwwTOj-rb5DGuQZmx2LpbBFsp4QgGjUID1lqROAK1zIoe7s91tsf5EHzo4wXJeBdWKc7J8ab1pb1KwuRPB8xZe2ajpIDHZh_JrWCd1MgEaXOhH/s1600/cakelavaview1w.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTehkYzMIhjDKgpPoaqDLdmvk-F9VqzYuwwTOj-rb5DGuQZmx2LpbBFsp4QgGjUID1lqROAK1zIoe7s91tsf5EHzo4wXJeBdWKc7J8ab1pb1KwuRPB8xZe2ajpIDHZh_JrWCd1MgEaXOhH/s1600/cakelavaview1w.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.cakelava.com/">www.cakelava.com</a></span></td></tr>
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Here is a glimpse at part of the front room of cakelava's Las Vegas custom cake studio. It is completely different from our Hawaii cake studio which was painted green and had wood furniture and a client area that resembled a living room. For our Las Vegas studio, we chose a clean, modern, white, grey and silver palette, mixing metals, wood, stone and glass for a rustic industrial feel. Our client meeting area has white countertops and wood and metal barstools. We chose concrete flooring and an open ceiling with exposed ductwork. The studio feels like a gallery filled with beautiful artwork and it is such a nice place to come to work every day! There are eye-catching cakes displayed in the front window and spotlighted on floating shelves above the client meeting area. We also have framed photos of cakes on the wall and a handpainted sign of our Flavors, which we absolutely adore!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiARxMp522hd9ZCTv8sbjhKh5l9IOY1UbA_xG992tZACUCqUI5NnthyFKrc7j-s3H-pH9W6CWkZlXT3MLbxRW3Pnn0J6wsWSVSaI2ianhA0Shf0kFjt2H72b9BBdUyvmHICWWzf4J_PsTJh/s1600/flavorsignw.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiARxMp522hd9ZCTv8sbjhKh5l9IOY1UbA_xG992tZACUCqUI5NnthyFKrc7j-s3H-pH9W6CWkZlXT3MLbxRW3Pnn0J6wsWSVSaI2ianhA0Shf0kFjt2H72b9BBdUyvmHICWWzf4J_PsTJh/s1600/flavorsignw.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.cakelava.com/">www.cakelava.com</a></span></td></tr>
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Like every single item in our studio - even something as simple as a chair, or a light, or a clock - Rick and I labored over how to present our new flavors. We were proud of our new flavors, many of which were created specifically for Las Vegas, like our Red Velvet Elvis, "Jackpot!!!" and "The All-Nighter" to name a few. We wanted a sign that was artful and preferably handmade. After spending a good amount of time researching different shops on Etsy for a handpainted sign, we encountered the super wonderful Tessa, who owns <i><a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/ChippyPaintDesigns" target="_blank">ChippyPaintDesigns</a></i>. We collaborated with her to create a handpainted sign for our flavors, and she created the beauty shown above! The sign fits with our shop decor perfectly! Thank you, Tessa!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJUQm_IZOrbDVvz8x7NvKhacvYJaMxBkpzrLKGKrD6hgkzPhm3SUKDvbEQcfXoklm-2aVX_GuCi-sU9tWLf4QSs0uHJXtCsQJhBbmmcuiI2gJzYwLvOSabrweO2t38FI6v29n-5T0QhEYI/s1600/inside2w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJUQm_IZOrbDVvz8x7NvKhacvYJaMxBkpzrLKGKrD6hgkzPhm3SUKDvbEQcfXoklm-2aVX_GuCi-sU9tWLf4QSs0uHJXtCsQJhBbmmcuiI2gJzYwLvOSabrweO2t38FI6v29n-5T0QhEYI/s1600/inside2w.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.cakelava.com/">www.cakelava.com</a></span></td></tr>
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The front room of the studio has a lot of light coming in and continues the clean, minimalist look we were going for. We selected a handful of photos of our favorite cakes to display on the wall and Rick designed some gorgeous cakes for our storefront window.<br />
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Now that our shop is Open and we've begun meeting with new clients and have some cake deliveries under our belt, we are starting to love working in Las Vegas! A huge thank you to everyone who has supported us in our journey and efforts! We're excited to see what adventures await us and look forward to sharing them with you as they happen! Stay tuned! ...<br />
<br />cakelavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11350705847823534445noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782028785184426526.post-32148543620594700802015-12-28T10:38:00.001-08:002015-12-28T10:38:21.059-08:00Building cakelava, our new Las Vegas Custom Cake Studio, Part 3 <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAm7SAzfA0SY1jnv__7rugUP7G-9DjrpfCxIS-WxuHXnmy3u4sY6eT-SUbI84K5yoUoX2_4U6k_F089RqUmeEr61rvPahUklZE2RnwhPJx5A-gejsJ_eJH901RCaKW5mKYrY0hFlJUaKh7/s1600/shop17w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAm7SAzfA0SY1jnv__7rugUP7G-9DjrpfCxIS-WxuHXnmy3u4sY6eT-SUbI84K5yoUoX2_4U6k_F089RqUmeEr61rvPahUklZE2RnwhPJx5A-gejsJ_eJH901RCaKW5mKYrY0hFlJUaKh7/s1600/shop17w.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://cakelava.com/">cakelava.com</a></span></td></tr>
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In today's post, we're quickly approaching the end of our new Las Vegas cake studio build-out. In case you missed Part 1, you can read it <a href="http://www.cakelava.blogspot.com/2015/12/building-cakelava-our-new-las-vegas.html" target="_blank">here</a>, and Part 2 can be seen <a href="http://www.cakelava.blogspot.com/2015/12/building-cakelava-our-new-las-vegas_21.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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When we took the above photo of the shop after our new illuminated sign was installed, there was still plenty of building commotion going on inside, as witnessed by the large workman's vehicles out front. In much the same way we dealt with all the photobombing ladders on the inside of our shop, having obstructions in our photos was part of the build. Embrace it or fight it. Capture <i>the</i> moment, or wait for a picture perfect moment. I wasn't about to ask our hard working team of contractors if they could move their trucks so we could get a unobstructed photo with the new sign. So here it is!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTXkBkXAnOGFXuIq5niVwyZiv5aUov2oAN9Y1zNxjsLNGZqTfatDE3pC0CDoIPYQlAsFKJkD9SyeMorErt38wtQhkcwg5pJM24y1DLlAOxJszbUKFkWYkzHU5w5hbUgs14Skoo2v1F73pE/s1600/shop16w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTXkBkXAnOGFXuIq5niVwyZiv5aUov2oAN9Y1zNxjsLNGZqTfatDE3pC0CDoIPYQlAsFKJkD9SyeMorErt38wtQhkcwg5pJM24y1DLlAOxJszbUKFkWYkzHU5w5hbUgs14Skoo2v1F73pE/s1600/shop16w.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://cakelava.com/">cakelava.com</a></span></td></tr>
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Whether you have built your shop from a grey shell, as we did, or moved into an existing space for your business, chances are, at some point you had to purchase a sign, or two, or maybe even three. Prepare for your jaw to drop clear down to the floor, as ours did, when you begin researching the cost of signs. Those illuminated signs you see everywhere cost a pretty penny! Consider it an investment into your business and advertising costs, and then take the time to bask in the glow of your company name in lights, because it is really quite spectacular! We made a nighttime pilgrimage to the shop to see both our lighted signs - the "Monument" sign in front of the shopping center and our main sign above the shop. We have a different kind of sign on our front door, and another on the inside of our shop, because you can never have enough signs!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMOG1wKTK8Ved34lFoPwLyy5ffkhomLq7Ne97yF7EwdsFsxLv7Hqtb5vTJJnBSeJiGXp2afDtNCMjYwxA3pR7Nx5gwvhxk3BoEaPlK5O6s3mLjZ_5mk3yz4wouajWQC1CFyQBsQG-8F3Q8/s1600/shop15w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMOG1wKTK8Ved34lFoPwLyy5ffkhomLq7Ne97yF7EwdsFsxLv7Hqtb5vTJJnBSeJiGXp2afDtNCMjYwxA3pR7Nx5gwvhxk3BoEaPlK5O6s3mLjZ_5mk3yz4wouajWQC1CFyQBsQG-8F3Q8/s1600/shop15w.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://cakelava.com/">cakelava.com</a></span></td></tr>
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Meanwhile, back on the inside of the shop, we walked in and saw the walls were painted, the pendant lights were installed, the concrete flooring had been polished, and there was a giant ladder obstructing our view as we looked at the wall. We had already had discussions of what would go on that wall behind the ladder.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgsv9CHyUraAyMkcBCT4NDImdFczBIC4NiU8PtIn-cUYmlzEszKRgfJfNQThwsBG_2PYLp7Tc-d-pGxSFM0NOaox2mZH-9VRsDlqyIN77afVNUdV3o055XpRP30zMR__FhEp7LcRf7CT5I/s1600/shop18w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgsv9CHyUraAyMkcBCT4NDImdFczBIC4NiU8PtIn-cUYmlzEszKRgfJfNQThwsBG_2PYLp7Tc-d-pGxSFM0NOaox2mZH-9VRsDlqyIN77afVNUdV3o055XpRP30zMR__FhEp7LcRf7CT5I/s1600/shop18w.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://cakelava.com/">cakelava.com</a></span></td></tr>
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Once our kitchen build was finished and it began to resemble a kitchen, the equipment began arriving, and it was chaos once again! We could feel the excitement building as we watched every piece of our carefully laid out kitchen plans taking shape.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjksgDdtbNi_5m4fC6T5sW2KThaucSp067b5rJ3tg_jnIcu1pvg5JOknebrkDz-kwRhONaMAO2c97OQImLbJ43AisdHAWgE6Yzg_UYLwSzgPp_rA6jucEgTPjTPmxnMPQhDw2-hNCb_cAyy/s1600/shop19w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjksgDdtbNi_5m4fC6T5sW2KThaucSp067b5rJ3tg_jnIcu1pvg5JOknebrkDz-kwRhONaMAO2c97OQImLbJ43AisdHAWgE6Yzg_UYLwSzgPp_rA6jucEgTPjTPmxnMPQhDw2-hNCb_cAyy/s1600/shop19w.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://cakelava.com/">cakelava.com</a></span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0B7txJNoPT7qWnvUoIFM7cqS_9hiDN7cRyShek4kf0uWmIvQace1hdE4QW_J06ndFsIz0d2aSi6b8yM-uddqEFRxaAYp1rhTIFLDlU-vIe_CSmqUZ8lWweudKYwvaefHeErZhMkQwT_ny/s1600/shop20w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0B7txJNoPT7qWnvUoIFM7cqS_9hiDN7cRyShek4kf0uWmIvQace1hdE4QW_J06ndFsIz0d2aSi6b8yM-uddqEFRxaAYp1rhTIFLDlU-vIe_CSmqUZ8lWweudKYwvaefHeErZhMkQwT_ny/s1600/shop20w.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://cakelava.com/">cakelava.com</a></span></td></tr>
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Then, one day we walked into our kitchen and it looked exactly like the kitchen we imaged, only 10 times better. It was perfect for our needs, fully functional, and it was GORGEOUS!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV7-_6QJ8UpEv9lP-tXUbiscdrHE328OMvJHcjNod-C_7AH9cuQYaeimBVjI-FTHrJfxHCgme8Y1c0U0vxY8bhFukfQ2GHCWqQZMNo8yHSb19jTwfu4VLaIQESEf9BK8GJsvFX4WlH5lt6/s1600/shop21w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV7-_6QJ8UpEv9lP-tXUbiscdrHE328OMvJHcjNod-C_7AH9cuQYaeimBVjI-FTHrJfxHCgme8Y1c0U0vxY8bhFukfQ2GHCWqQZMNo8yHSb19jTwfu4VLaIQESEf9BK8GJsvFX4WlH5lt6/s1600/shop21w.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://cakelava.com/">cakelava.com</a></span></td></tr>
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We went to great efforts to make sure everything was color coordinated in the shop, even in the restroom, which is very nice inside. We were surprised how many of our contractors, vendors, and even our inspectors, were impressed with the restroom...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDiaZbFJEgCwW7oSjn-_86HD8Xid1MnIeo8WHlKjVO14JU_KVv8_APgYBbr6vMZzjHVKv_evqFkw52r8FSjr4K577VP35D97JXE_WxgJu5yJYEYphLQQSiLYQ5zGOsxrRQPk8AmZlWRTCD/s1600/shop23w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDiaZbFJEgCwW7oSjn-_86HD8Xid1MnIeo8WHlKjVO14JU_KVv8_APgYBbr6vMZzjHVKv_evqFkw52r8FSjr4K577VP35D97JXE_WxgJu5yJYEYphLQQSiLYQ5zGOsxrRQPk8AmZlWRTCD/s1600/shop23w.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://cakelava.com/">cakelava.com</a></span></td></tr>
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On another visit, we were greeted with the orange ladder, which was now moved to a different wall. I could have moved it. I decided not to.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkFiaqnJKrJAUbZGRjlu2seMN1-_CDyDJ-nkpjFYuQUKjX-x_-Rn0334caFAD-861L3OY2Xu-LmrLEG-NWGgcLW5aFqfjhKzcz_gO8yhYpsclUrlzH6vqpRqwnXUcEo_psSbhe7Lvf-qny/s1600/shop24w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkFiaqnJKrJAUbZGRjlu2seMN1-_CDyDJ-nkpjFYuQUKjX-x_-Rn0334caFAD-861L3OY2Xu-LmrLEG-NWGgcLW5aFqfjhKzcz_gO8yhYpsclUrlzH6vqpRqwnXUcEo_psSbhe7Lvf-qny/s1600/shop24w.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://cakelava.com/">cakelava.com</a></span></td></tr>
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Since our shop didn't have electricity at the time, we often saw the front room in this light. Here is a view looking out into the parking lot.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIdbraoRwak2VId8N8I_l4Ebrvvp-Q8wd0ZZntMAe7aU7eqg7H5Ouu66Zv4z6OFYnGa8zxcqzbVzZaMcibU336TQRPCgPq-_RTDLa37778Wz4avnHF1H4q36QhWNCMRQZqLj3nbV20Dl4a/s1600/shop25w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIdbraoRwak2VId8N8I_l4Ebrvvp-Q8wd0ZZntMAe7aU7eqg7H5Ouu66Zv4z6OFYnGa8zxcqzbVzZaMcibU336TQRPCgPq-_RTDLa37778Wz4avnHF1H4q36QhWNCMRQZqLj3nbV20Dl4a/s1600/shop25w.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://cakelava.com/">cakelava.com</a></span></td></tr>
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As more of the decorative components were installed, our excitement level started going through the roof! In Part 4 of this series, we'll share how it all came together!<br />
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We would love to hear if others have been through a similar experience with a build out of their shop and what their experience was like. We hope you have enjoyed reading about ours!cakelavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11350705847823534445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782028785184426526.post-45145874151934137542015-12-21T14:39:00.001-08:002015-12-21T14:39:42.495-08:00Building cakelava, our new Las Vegas Custom Cake Studio, Part 2<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI8UkIW_o1_Z5Pggec3hoxJ23FvB5izeuC8XiwgiQZdIxsBncJ1D5tag1JNMnKGBMeeM3nuSGLeXasnL72LuAlZSQUCyAZJ0S09F3vX-Qj5i3SbY8HgE8_z5DnI0bshW0g6EDhshMA00Yo/s1600/shop6w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI8UkIW_o1_Z5Pggec3hoxJ23FvB5izeuC8XiwgiQZdIxsBncJ1D5tag1JNMnKGBMeeM3nuSGLeXasnL72LuAlZSQUCyAZJ0S09F3vX-Qj5i3SbY8HgE8_z5DnI0bshW0g6EDhshMA00Yo/s1600/shop6w.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://cakelava.com/">cakelava.com</a></span><br />
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In today's post, we're sharing the process we went through to build out our Las Vegas custom cake studio. If you missed Part 1, which focuses on how we selected our space, you can read it <a href="http://www.cakelava.blogspot.com/2015/12/building-cakelava-our-new-las-vegas.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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Building a shop from the ground up is like making a cake from scratch, and selecting your contractors is like choosing a cake designer. You either spend the time to do the research and allocate whatever finances you can afford to do it right, or you can take your chances and hope for the best. Given that we moved our 10-year old, well-established, cake shop 2800 miles to a new city, we opted for the former. Relocating a business is enough of a risk, so we approached our shop build cautiously, with eyes wide open, and made sure we were at least 90% comfortable with any architect, designer, or contractor associated with it. Without having worked with our team of contractors before, being 100% comfortable would be nearly impossible, but we felt confident enough that the remaining 10% would follow. We didn't jump right into a build once we fell in love with our space. We took a few months of diligent research, and hired the best, most experienced craftsmen we could afford - who understood every aspect of their industry and came highly recommended. We ended up with designers and contractors who knew the importance of spending the time to build a structure that will provide support and safety for us and our customers, and we discovered it came with a bonus - they have a passion for what they do. Our comfort level jumped to 95%.<br />
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As with any cake, or project, the first step when you are ready to move forward is to hire an experienced architect and designer to customize the space to suit your needs and provide the plans that the contractors will work from. If the place is not properly designed, it won't pass code, and it will extend your timeline for the build and the inspection process, and time equals money. We thought about trying to design the place ourselves to save some money and we know best what we need for our shop, right? Wrong! Unless you are skilled at architectural renderings and know all the codes, you won't have the drawings you need, your contractors won't know what to do, the Health Department won't give you approval to build, and basically you will be screwed! Following code is one of the trickiest things about a build because the codes are constantly changing. It is the contractors' job to know the codes which will save you many headaches in the long run. Hiring a competent architect and designer is as crucial as having a great team of contractors. You'll sleep a lot better at night knowing your project is being done right. We've seen cakes that look pretty on the outside but sometime during the night they start to lean because of structural issues. We didn't want that for our shop, and hired the architect and designer. By now our comfort level was around 98%.<br />
Once we had the plans finished, and they were approved by the health department, and the permits came through, we began the build!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Fh5lpMh3Hx1BkMvfyjzSaNPGJDhfJkhN7ud-_2yEhxa3PUXr2LSKLmhrhSa1OrhRYYdcz0NbOihms22fPE9jYPpWUOoF8HvkVToea8RDhpEVy9PKmQhN2T0ACcGN_O2ERv995Vwv7Aro/s1600/shop7w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Fh5lpMh3Hx1BkMvfyjzSaNPGJDhfJkhN7ud-_2yEhxa3PUXr2LSKLmhrhSa1OrhRYYdcz0NbOihms22fPE9jYPpWUOoF8HvkVToea8RDhpEVy9PKmQhN2T0ACcGN_O2ERv995Vwv7Aro/s1600/shop7w.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://cakelava.com/">cakelava.com</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">This was the first time we built out a grey shell, and we didn't know what to expect. We knew we wanted to witness the birth of our shop from start to finish, and made it a point to stop by almost every day while we were out running the day's errands. We were so glad we did because we got to know our contractors on a personal basis and really see all the hard work they were putting in. We were truly impressed with Tom Santoli, our General Contractor, along with Rocky, Randy, and the rest of the crew. They always went the extra mile for us and it definitely did not go unnoticed! In the early stages of the project, we would show up and there had been subtle changes, like a portion of the floor was dug up, or new slabs of material had been dropped off. Then, in what felt like an overnight transformation, we walked into the shop and there was framework and ductwork, and exposed pipes everywhere. There was banging and drilling and men standing on ladders. It seemed like everywhere we went, there was a man on a ladder. </span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSzGUlrxn8IbXL2zz6GB13z68DvT1jXVtCabrr3nMUh-14ewjtzqvBr-nLwOGEJfBlS4P3JODXRZPz-kPzXthvzjdAWKk2jQzzAsGfWyb9b-IlKlzoBOY5rjVjNOCJT0Eh8BsZvNyhmv3x/s1600/shop8w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSzGUlrxn8IbXL2zz6GB13z68DvT1jXVtCabrr3nMUh-14ewjtzqvBr-nLwOGEJfBlS4P3JODXRZPz-kPzXthvzjdAWKk2jQzzAsGfWyb9b-IlKlzoBOY5rjVjNOCJT0Eh8BsZvNyhmv3x/s1600/shop8w.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://cakelava.com/">cakelava.com</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Part of the reason for stopping by the shop almost daily was to photograph the whole experience. Walking into the place, we would get so caught up in what we were seeing that we often forgot to take photos, and when we did, there were always obstructions in the way, usually in the form of a giant ladder or multiple ladders. We have countless photos that were photobombed by ladders. I saw no point in moving them, because it was part of the experience, afterall. </span></div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig7OkrOv1OeaQU0fcEMVuKwB2P2FyYeoP9eU63orgxrJO0zjD2QYabLuRWkMZkWiyKJVBaRJVZphliW_VIACURoNF88YOW2zOhF9EQGqvEEWZTxxK9wBxsFhFMlBWx4LTDkALoW6lt1oD-/s1600/shop9w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig7OkrOv1OeaQU0fcEMVuKwB2P2FyYeoP9eU63orgxrJO0zjD2QYabLuRWkMZkWiyKJVBaRJVZphliW_VIACURoNF88YOW2zOhF9EQGqvEEWZTxxK9wBxsFhFMlBWx4LTDkALoW6lt1oD-/s1600/shop9w.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://cakelava.com/">cakelava.com</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">The photo above shows the view from the front of the shop looking out. Nothing but shoes belonging to the workmen, shop drawings, permits on the window and of course, a giant ladder.</span></div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJm8gvU98J50LWUH0HiRlEa0qpoVX-yGnO83rPkWmP4bJhtqBUNW_wQUxfes6UvNLabwwhZxE5fUqw8aJPmGM88cCsfKQx4qH0ws_-BUWNRx2e7GJIiXsQZowIyao_TfH8u8B3_888Hx2n/s1600/shop10w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJm8gvU98J50LWUH0HiRlEa0qpoVX-yGnO83rPkWmP4bJhtqBUNW_wQUxfes6UvNLabwwhZxE5fUqw8aJPmGM88cCsfKQx4qH0ws_-BUWNRx2e7GJIiXsQZowIyao_TfH8u8B3_888Hx2n/s1600/shop10w.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://cakelava.com/">cakelava.com</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Another photo (with a different kind of ladder) taken in the front area of our shop. This was the drywall phase.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZg1GGRJS8JCPXWis-9CEbQiNxpTVrAcBeCo8MMrpbbhEQlSYS4qzjtUJIMPQf7u2V_ABGaG7V5Bt1c0HyXXYgistxbryAPpQQ9pgGIM6n5yigwLYEHtODxBHg4IEDo6hoEVUZQM21DOzV/s1600/shop11w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZg1GGRJS8JCPXWis-9CEbQiNxpTVrAcBeCo8MMrpbbhEQlSYS4qzjtUJIMPQf7u2V_ABGaG7V5Bt1c0HyXXYgistxbryAPpQQ9pgGIM6n5yigwLYEHtODxBHg4IEDo6hoEVUZQM21DOzV/s1600/shop11w.jpg" style="cursor: move;" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://cakelava.com/">cakelava.com</a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;">For the duration of the build out, we always brought a measuring tape with us, and it always came in handy. Every contractor had their own measuring tape but it was often in use. </span></div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlfjNa0ZgUrJLY7PQvHd2lEvRZSeegBXR7TTx-efGfthheNBlGNsTJbWRc7PTI7TOHGEnfpxF2udbRnAQKoNmBnWOSX5x_SHJtBgvaMiXYD86xCCipPwVx0Biox5xMrHdklS0aaLN0AzAd/s1600/shop14w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlfjNa0ZgUrJLY7PQvHd2lEvRZSeegBXR7TTx-efGfthheNBlGNsTJbWRc7PTI7TOHGEnfpxF2udbRnAQKoNmBnWOSX5x_SHJtBgvaMiXYD86xCCipPwVx0Biox5xMrHdklS0aaLN0AzAd/s1600/shop14w.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://cakelava.com/">cakelava.com</a><br /></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;">We worked on our signage for the shop at the same time as the build. Our "Coming Soon" banner went up while our permanent illuminated sign was being made. The sign wasn't small. You can get an idea of sizing in the photo we took at our sign vendor's workshop. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Once the banner was installed above our shop, we envisioned what the permanent sign would look like, and we started getting very excited! There was still so much more to do, but we were in the home stretch! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Coming Soon, Part 3! </span></div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCkQm6TPKsm3sLH-GscouQ4p8PXqCzpspLAN3XxR7bLVqvvgeWWWHaOE_A3zlnXoflczf7SE6ESw1lB5QMYierHi4ue3k-ZM3FgZgk8JEQF5GDyF_B6iLKy6KMh9rMJx3dYqrsAJ-RVkTw/s1600/shopwb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCkQm6TPKsm3sLH-GscouQ4p8PXqCzpspLAN3XxR7bLVqvvgeWWWHaOE_A3zlnXoflczf7SE6ESw1lB5QMYierHi4ue3k-ZM3FgZgk8JEQF5GDyF_B6iLKy6KMh9rMJx3dYqrsAJ-RVkTw/s1600/shopwb.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://cakelava.com/">cakelava.com</a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">
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cakelavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11350705847823534445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782028785184426526.post-74491666436778382412015-12-19T09:59:00.000-08:002015-12-19T09:59:06.613-08:00Building cakelava, our new Las Vegas Custom Cake Studio, Part 1<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Vn0t-gX9D3E44-fwaI2gnn6mv4fttaeZ7-nK_QsZk2vtQj5Ncd17IMBuh4Y46UQ7-5Mf6jIBWxp0GfGnS_chrLa96hm9EbiDtGes9TrxzihfLAHOdMNtQzxnAfGYmg8bcLGykdqgeTCs/s1600/front2w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Vn0t-gX9D3E44-fwaI2gnn6mv4fttaeZ7-nK_QsZk2vtQj5Ncd17IMBuh4Y46UQ7-5Mf6jIBWxp0GfGnS_chrLa96hm9EbiDtGes9TrxzihfLAHOdMNtQzxnAfGYmg8bcLGykdqgeTCs/s1600/front2w.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://cakelava.com/">cakelava.com</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">It's been three months since I last documented our life in Las Vegas. At the time of my last blog post, we had already begun the long process of creating cakelava Las Vegas, and had found our perfect location, the Montage Shopping Center. It would be such a nice place to call home, nestled between a nail salon and a surfing/snowboarding/skateboarding shop. I had to question fate. What were the odds that two people who moved their business from Hawaii to a desert environment like Las Vegas - would end up next to an awesome (and HUGE!) surf shop? This was only one of a number of indications that THIS shop was meant to be! We'll return to those other indications later.</span></div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSEei4h6-8IhcCWQis8pCy4ghlJK02e-4DmT5sCi5H-vjvjfLw89OEDV2w8JLK9Y0T1xTtHCqa5ROWAtFZNfLayhefHz6n4SD2OBvntSLng50aHLvme-fHDI0mN6QNjJntMfAWSGS0Vlwd/s1600/front3w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSEei4h6-8IhcCWQis8pCy4ghlJK02e-4DmT5sCi5H-vjvjfLw89OEDV2w8JLK9Y0T1xTtHCqa5ROWAtFZNfLayhefHz6n4SD2OBvntSLng50aHLvme-fHDI0mN6QNjJntMfAWSGS0Vlwd/s1600/front3w.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://cakelava.com/">cakelava.com</a></span></td></tr>
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Let's rewind a bit. Our hunt for cakelava's new location had begun many months earlier. Shortly after we decided to move the business to Las Vegas, we got a great referral for a broker and started looking at listings from afar. This process was much more different than moving a business to another location in the same state, where you are familiar with the neighborhoods and roads, and know where to go and more importantly, where not to go. In Hawaii, the "where not to go" isn't nearly as much of a factor as it is in a bigger city where crime is more rampant. So that's how it started, by figuring out the areas we wanted to live and the area we wanted to put our business. Location, location, location was an enormous consideration for us when shopping for a space, and it quickly narrowed down the unbelievable amount of available retail vacancies to... not all that many.<br />
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I remember one of the first times we went driving around looking for shop spaces, we couldn't believe our eyes. Almost every shopping center had at least one vacancy, it was like having your pick of spaces, and as to be expected, the less maintained a shopping center looked, the more spaces were available. That was a while ago, and things have a changed a lot since then. You don't see nearly the amount of retail vacancies in Las Vegas anymore, and rents aren't exactly cheap. In contrast, our experience looking for a shop in Las Vegas was the opposite of how we found our shop in Kailua, Oahu 8 years ago. Once we knew we wanted to put the shop in Kailua, we jumped on the ONE restaurant vacancy that was the size we needed and amount we were able to pay, and that was where cakelava would go.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkft-zYGoby4BPfoIUm67_6Z0AhSwl6OZtbXj3j6546rkuUfFTE6wFs-Ay4AnNuI6MRHrfRi37-VGaH5Cb-kyKM49hn2e3gAvzMqauTjf3DpVKwit5DjmXafy4foKFXpZHscPLA2ZY9go7/s1600/front1w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkft-zYGoby4BPfoIUm67_6Z0AhSwl6OZtbXj3j6546rkuUfFTE6wFs-Ay4AnNuI6MRHrfRi37-VGaH5Cb-kyKM49hn2e3gAvzMqauTjf3DpVKwit5DjmXafy4foKFXpZHscPLA2ZY9go7/s1600/front1w.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://cakelava.com/">cakelava.com</a></span></td></tr>
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If I were to talk about our experience from the time we began looking for a retail space to when we settled on our current location, I would have enough material to blog for a week! Places were either too far from where we wanted to be, too expensive to lease, if it was an existing restaurant, it was too large or didn't have a grease trap, or the shopping center wasn't attractive. Forget about finding an actual small bakery with equipment still inside. Well, we actually did find a couple. One was in a retirement community, and further than we wanted to be, and another was located in a shopping center barely visible behind the car wash in front of it, on a busy street where a bunch of freeways converged. The rent was nice and cheap and it had a grease trap, so we had to at least consider it, that is, until our broker drove by on our behalf and put the kibosh on it immediately. Grease trap, or no grease trap, we had to keep looking.<br />
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About that grease trap. Anyone that owns a food establishment knows that finding a place with a grease trap is like finding a treasure, and that treasure can be worth about $20,000, and that is just for installing a grease trap! It doesn't include sewage fees, which can be enormous. We had a grease trap at our Kailua shop, and it definitely helped make finding a new tenant there very easy. Since there were so few food establishment vacancies that 1) had a grease trap that were 2) affordable and 3) in a location we wanted to be, we expanded our search to ... almost anything. This led us to the "grey shell" and "vanilla shell" territory.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp8rQvXQJWCnqjQVNs6AwoKBTgkkW9SsdWjE_khD4XHSzwjPu_lLQUVrWSG_zbBQ2ZtgY-U1PgukO16c34DEMgCu_L6zyKhqiVrDVvt_xUju6JiX_8M7QXrif-ZgeSyUhV-5L6Nzq-Ep3B/s1600/shop4w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp8rQvXQJWCnqjQVNs6AwoKBTgkkW9SsdWjE_khD4XHSzwjPu_lLQUVrWSG_zbBQ2ZtgY-U1PgukO16c34DEMgCu_L6zyKhqiVrDVvt_xUju6JiX_8M7QXrif-ZgeSyUhV-5L6Nzq-Ep3B/s1600/shop4w.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://cakelava.com/">cakelava.com</a></span></td></tr>
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There is no reason the average person should know what a grey shell or vanilla shell is, or the difference between the two. We found out very quickly. A grey shell is essentially a new construction big empty box with the frame and a floor. It lacks heating, A/C, ventilation, plumbing, electrical, lighting. Sometimes there are no ceilings or interior walls. It looks a lot like the photo above. A grey shell is a great option because it can be your blank canvas, but can also be expensive to build out because you are working from scratch. Finding places that are already built out has its disadvantages as well because unless the place is already outfitted for your type of business, you end up spending a lot of money taking everything out you don't need and reworking the place. For example, a pizza place can easily move into another pizza place, but try moving a custom cake shop into a previous pizza space, and that can be a huge headache. You also have to consider the health department's requirements for your type of business and that can require costly modifications. A vanilla shell takes the grey shell a major step forward, and includes lighting, electrical, plumbing, a restroom, heating, A/C, a floor, a ceiling. After considering all our options and "must haves", and looking at both grey shell and vanilla shell options, and places with and without grease traps, we ultimately chose a grey shell that just <i>happened</i> to have a grease trap! Remember those indications this shop was meant to be? This was a huge one! Grey shell it is, and cakelava will be built - just like our cakes - from scratch!<br />
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It didn't look like much at the time, but inside this big, empty, beautiful box, dreams, and amazing cakes will be made!<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhYAMSsbRH_7LgVv2wXdQ-HA-0qwcIQPa7dCrHnElEU5SGI3vIoov2gcQAQqVJ8zczKZP_oc9ItD4813rykfXb5a-NJ2KO39TSZmomPKNoVvqjFUhk6P30oz9rENAq4auD5bd7ajqlHZDh/s1600/shop5w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhYAMSsbRH_7LgVv2wXdQ-HA-0qwcIQPa7dCrHnElEU5SGI3vIoov2gcQAQqVJ8zczKZP_oc9ItD4813rykfXb5a-NJ2KO39TSZmomPKNoVvqjFUhk6P30oz9rENAq4auD5bd7ajqlHZDh/s1600/shop5w.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://cakelava.com/">cakelava.com</a></span><br />
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There were many preparations to do in the time between finding a shop and starting the build out of our grey shell. Las Vegas is a highly organized, highly regulated city, and very expensive city to open a business in. Here again, I have enough material to blog for a week just describing the whole educational - for lack of a better word - experience of preparations to open a shop in Vegas. It's something any business owner here can relate to, especially those with food businesses that have to deal with the various regulatory agencies. Three words. High. Learning. Curve. Unless you know exactly what you are doing and which steps to do first - which we did not - there is a High. Expensive. Learning. Curve. This was our second time starting a business - we did it 10 years ago in Hawaii - but Vegas is a completely different animal than Hawaii, and once we accepted that, and rolled with it, rather than fought it, it felt empowering. At some point when the fear of the new challenges and acceptance that no matter what you do, it is almost impossible to stay on budget during a build, we began to embrace the experience of building from scratch. What an experience it was!<br />
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Stay tuned for Part 2!<br />
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cakelavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11350705847823534445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782028785184426526.post-74217903756337037032015-09-13T08:05:00.001-07:002015-09-13T08:16:30.805-07:00From the Gathering Place to the Ninth IslandIt's been seven months since we relocated our lives from Oahu ("The Gathering Place") to Las Vegas. The decision to leave Hawaii and move to Las Vegas, AKA the "Ninth Island" was not an easy one for us. We spent ten years creating a life on Oahu and building cakelava from the ground up. We left loved ones, Kailua - a town we loved, our clients, the wedding community, the people of Hawaii, and a place of unbelievable natural beauty. Leaving all this to start over again in Sin City. It sounds crazy, and it was! People often ask us why we left Oahu, and the answer is, it's complicated and also very personal, but we made a decision that we felt would be best for ourselves and our business. Seven months later we have no regrets!<br />
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Life in Las Vegas has been an incredible experience thus far, filled with one unpredictable adventure after another. The learning curve has been tremendous! If you think it is difficult to open and run a business in Hawaii, try doing it in Las Vegas! After being here, I honestly think it is one of the hardest, most regulated, and most expensive places to have a business, but if you are willing to put in the effort (and finances) to make it happen, it can also be very rewarding. I think back to when we opened cakelava on Oahu and had that same crazy feeling we're having here, a combination of exhilaration and fear, not knowing what the coming years would bring. Ever since we arrived in Las Vegas, we've been working on our shop. Nonstop. Las Vegas is full of diversions and caters to every vice known to humans. It is truly a 24-hour city, but we've had our nose to the grindstone so we can open cakelava here as soon as possible! Stay tuned for the progress. There is an insane amount of planning to open a business here and it took months to find the perfect space for our shop, but we did it! We feel excited and anxious and can't wait to see what our new island, the Ninth Island, holds in store for us!<br />
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From the Gathering Place...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrBQ6QDzPU4JsxoDlkXoXSbE1CAeokp5_Q2qn01oGeV14qAVyB9blzMB5eGUpQphx1PAd6yCHapNIplplPi4W9WPXXzZD02i0NbjaRGnGYomETatMj2wnfjEoE4vXuZCONupZ5RWooCgsf/s1600/hi1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrBQ6QDzPU4JsxoDlkXoXSbE1CAeokp5_Q2qn01oGeV14qAVyB9blzMB5eGUpQphx1PAd6yCHapNIplplPi4W9WPXXzZD02i0NbjaRGnGYomETatMj2wnfjEoE4vXuZCONupZ5RWooCgsf/s1600/hi1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Oahu the Beautiful </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Another day by the beach </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUcgXT0HrRdP5zxLN0feKAnuBNr6oNIia331sbpBcRki0wunmSw2_d0a-tygr7-pbxaRRse5MNqsQXQWSu4s05FwGrcE_Mvr94n9dWUo54eDzR_-NSVT6eCAeehGe00eNnWHNPPkwjD-JS/s1600/hi3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUcgXT0HrRdP5zxLN0feKAnuBNr6oNIia331sbpBcRki0wunmSw2_d0a-tygr7-pbxaRRse5MNqsQXQWSu4s05FwGrcE_Mvr94n9dWUo54eDzR_-NSVT6eCAeehGe00eNnWHNPPkwjD-JS/s1600/hi3.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Pulling on the Banyan Tree at Kapiolani Park </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sigh!... </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjjYjd6-zMLkiGtGM3XzFeBfcoAUJIST9aTligg1dqGP4g5MDDz9X8jRRBpFZRFR-35TFmPAtu6ixxdbxT0OsfIXXvNgoMCc8_xleVav9Brha3bzLK_0_Tqe-W8OvmIzqEua3AZfPa1kgF/s1600/hi5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjjYjd6-zMLkiGtGM3XzFeBfcoAUJIST9aTligg1dqGP4g5MDDz9X8jRRBpFZRFR-35TFmPAtu6ixxdbxT0OsfIXXvNgoMCc8_xleVav9Brha3bzLK_0_Tqe-W8OvmIzqEua3AZfPa1kgF/s1600/hi5.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sending Aloha to Uncle Clay's House of Pure Aloha!</span><br />
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To The Ninth Island...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCiPQ6PQGoVKKfpiWsZBIWEwS0RtxYQOMO1nsSjqPwkT5GdCkwd5X0nfXPK_f2uUM0LXdrjUjQcqeLJBF-Cb3hxuJvZRBw7VOrt-UYSf0fPyldzJftaJsPsgAV2H7T0-p8eNiFcOQeYVKW/s1600/lv1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCiPQ6PQGoVKKfpiWsZBIWEwS0RtxYQOMO1nsSjqPwkT5GdCkwd5X0nfXPK_f2uUM0LXdrjUjQcqeLJBF-Cb3hxuJvZRBw7VOrt-UYSf0fPyldzJftaJsPsgAV2H7T0-p8eNiFcOQeYVKW/s1600/lv1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Welcome to Nevada, and the Pacific Time Zone!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzJkE30VKTzauJjCFFQxYUwxDdmPmdPk78d59Qhj9TQq0wA740r95uj5qoTd0bpXOIDptC8VqxmjkXH97bdEAchEug-vW6nFZm1M9hFtOJm85bHm9-zJiWsbGlp84tXFj2XE9PX9zTuwF0/s1600/nv2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzJkE30VKTzauJjCFFQxYUwxDdmPmdPk78d59Qhj9TQq0wA740r95uj5qoTd0bpXOIDptC8VqxmjkXH97bdEAchEug-vW6nFZm1M9hFtOJm85bHm9-zJiWsbGlp84tXFj2XE9PX9zTuwF0/s1600/nv2.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Dam! The Hoover Dam is awe-inspiring!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGFlw6poQvO10OnsAJJj0bGsEz3okWHXuqFewVa-GCJUZAoAaX8J0NAv58mBuw6V_8eP2_udwc3I97dv0y6SNcAmDFMbNX1ncEuZXN6GBCKoKGK8jzln_yscqyRQOy1Az1WrvQnPBs9bs9/s1600/lv3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGFlw6poQvO10OnsAJJj0bGsEz3okWHXuqFewVa-GCJUZAoAaX8J0NAv58mBuw6V_8eP2_udwc3I97dv0y6SNcAmDFMbNX1ncEuZXN6GBCKoKGK8jzln_yscqyRQOy1Az1WrvQnPBs9bs9/s1600/lv3.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Lake Mead. The Ninth Island's beach</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7HHKn-tBDyVmXQNu6STP4nDkZgkispkSUU5SPwDDEBQzHHsFoWgDQEus92jUMAoxT2sEohgNux40KUyoPcaQB9fuuextO33Kg557y8W0w8VeyMxn84T2K6nI88c0Pwyn5UpB8U8N6UUGl/s1600/lv4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7HHKn-tBDyVmXQNu6STP4nDkZgkispkSUU5SPwDDEBQzHHsFoWgDQEus92jUMAoxT2sEohgNux40KUyoPcaQB9fuuextO33Kg557y8W0w8VeyMxn84T2K6nI88c0Pwyn5UpB8U8N6UUGl/s1600/lv4.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Amazing signage at the Neon Museum!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc-dplXgzQGIVww1kwQAJpAvQGCvBIUSMdKJPP-vdigrBOEhwgo9av5G02rZykqQWqdZI6IV10iaxyM1D6k7x219nVdOxEH1fpaGek2DI8HYjg-WShV6TTbx5DZ_MrpXlJuFIGl9FIN5c5/s1600/lv5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc-dplXgzQGIVww1kwQAJpAvQGCvBIUSMdKJPP-vdigrBOEhwgo9av5G02rZykqQWqdZI6IV10iaxyM1D6k7x219nVdOxEH1fpaGek2DI8HYjg-WShV6TTbx5DZ_MrpXlJuFIGl9FIN5c5/s1600/lv5.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Bellagio Underwater scene, Vegas style! Once we're open, maybe we'll attempt it in cake! </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigDfAe1j5FhhW2cSeSIHFdKLakCu-ReRHvgMZ0PiVgADay2-dXm2DO0avKJCxzEnJCTZWBt50GC2pmPtYBDKElHJk83wtRhaqEysMb_wwsh0xtE4azx1VCCMBFovihCTGQ2I51xDpieWuZ/s1600/lv6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigDfAe1j5FhhW2cSeSIHFdKLakCu-ReRHvgMZ0PiVgADay2-dXm2DO0avKJCxzEnJCTZWBt50GC2pmPtYBDKElHJk83wtRhaqEysMb_wwsh0xtE4azx1VCCMBFovihCTGQ2I51xDpieWuZ/s1600/lv6.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Visting Mount Charleston</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht6t_sO0rDPEb2OPJNCMqenuSTXIuDEQG6Z2spdpbC83LCHMk6L16dw3rDWQ1Uih_S-WkuFWTF1gtR1JJ5LO8-MvNao3dCyuy9GNoLsNN2ATl5GOwl43UCefazhuvjMpKUsWwWmRs41FqM/s1600/lv7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht6t_sO0rDPEb2OPJNCMqenuSTXIuDEQG6Z2spdpbC83LCHMk6L16dw3rDWQ1Uih_S-WkuFWTF1gtR1JJ5LO8-MvNao3dCyuy9GNoLsNN2ATl5GOwl43UCefazhuvjMpKUsWwWmRs41FqM/s1600/lv7.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Red Rock Canyon - Heaven in Las Vegas!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL3z6LHk2-4JF4gmpuCmoz6acD_y46eQbZxnVKSMn-AkHlbe4BPS_eiP2RS8XRBZTt1O2ujn8dLonU70zLGo5UeKInhgiY0tdsmzPFzxnrpwPF9N_MaGOI9_PgybVV8yiNWA-AgeaaMz1H/s1600/lv8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL3z6LHk2-4JF4gmpuCmoz6acD_y46eQbZxnVKSMn-AkHlbe4BPS_eiP2RS8XRBZTt1O2ujn8dLonU70zLGo5UeKInhgiY0tdsmzPFzxnrpwPF9N_MaGOI9_PgybVV8yiNWA-AgeaaMz1H/s1600/lv8.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Because one photo of Red Rock Canyon is not enough!</span><br />
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<br />cakelavahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11350705847823534445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782028785184426526.post-26516050348552744912014-08-26T10:44:00.000-07:002014-08-26T10:44:27.887-07:00GO.... Mascots! <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmaRX2iFjEfg0sQdRIGlzW6dEl6cKeDOKI3iGhw9he1OqxaqyOI3hsNrB6Kii8Qd0Ej-0FasMYoxUBKqFZfYEy0Yb5hcppIqQwd9inqK-IN715pm4q2hv4xhwnRArb3p7tNop_lZwYktc/s1600/Uofduckw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmaRX2iFjEfg0sQdRIGlzW6dEl6cKeDOKI3iGhw9he1OqxaqyOI3hsNrB6Kii8Qd0Ej-0FasMYoxUBKqFZfYEy0Yb5hcppIqQwd9inqK-IN715pm4q2hv4xhwnRArb3p7tNop_lZwYktc/s1600/Uofduckw.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cakelava.com/"><span style="font-size: small;">cakelava.com</span></a></td></tr>
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A little over a week go we delivered a beautiful wedding cake with handcrafted peonies along with a surprise groom's cake of "Puddles" the Duck, the University of Oregon's school mascot. The Puddles the Duck cake was absolutely the perfect gift for the groom, who is a die-hard fan of his alma mater! We recall when we met with the couple to design their wedding cake, the University of Oregon came up on a number of occasions. If the groom was solely in charge of planning the wedding, green and yellow would be their wedding colors. Seriously! In one of my communications with the bride about her groom's cake, she mentioned it was becoming difficult to keep the secret from her fiance, especially when he kept asking if they could have ducks on their cake. I thought this was pretty hilarious! Somehow I don't think the green and yellow duck cake toppers would have <i>married</i> well with the pretty peonies.<br />
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Can you imagine the ducks on top of this beauty?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipXcXhJHGfL-FmJBkex1ViRQqZ8ITG1FHU5Y3ntjDaKzyM8eye-NPgm9mMKjGTv9bmYwMFv-hdhi1JmoJ3CG24SD0PC911LFLXxdg_Yh05kPaqiEdJCaCfqlb5eolEq_66ZX7abhy68-Y/s1600/trishapeoniesw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipXcXhJHGfL-FmJBkex1ViRQqZ8ITG1FHU5Y3ntjDaKzyM8eye-NPgm9mMKjGTv9bmYwMFv-hdhi1JmoJ3CG24SD0PC911LFLXxdg_Yh05kPaqiEdJCaCfqlb5eolEq_66ZX7abhy68-Y/s1600/trishapeoniesw.jpg" /></a></div>
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I certainly can't. <br />
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The groom's cake grabbed a lot of attention that night, as to be expected, but Rick and I were smitten with their gorgeous wedding cake as well! Their wedding cake was inspired by their invitation, which had a lovely print of peonies on it. Rick's handcrafted peonies complimented the design. <br />
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Puddles the Duck was sculpted out of chocolate cake, a very popular flavor choice for groom's cakes. Rick spent many hours sculpting the duck and had to create a special support structure. We needed to make sure that under all the pressure to dazzle the groom and bride and their guests, Puddles didn't lose his head, feet or ruffle any feathers!<br />
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The couple were thrilled with their cakes and sent us a very nice thank you note shortly after their wedding, part of which I've included below:<br />
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"<i>... wanted to send you an email to thank you so very, very much for the STUNNING cakes for our wedding!!! The wedding cake was absolutely beautiful and the peonies were amazing. It looked exactly like our wedding invitation! And Puddles was OUT OF THIS WORLD!!! It was beyond anything I could have ever hoped or imagined...Scott was blown away and was so incredibly happy with the surprise!!! <br /><br />Both cakes were supremely delicious, moist and full of flavor -- we received many compliments from our guests that they were the best wedding cakes they ever had</i>"<br />
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Doing the Puddles the Duck groom's cake got me thinking about another mascot themed cake we made years earlier. (circa 2008) It was also a surprise gift from the bride to her fiance. Both mascots were from Universities in Oregon and they are rival schools! Rick has now made "Puddles" from the University of Oregon and "Angry Benny" Beaver, also called "Angry" Beaver, from Oregon State University. If Puddles and Angry Benny had to duke it out in all-out cake fight, who would win? That is a fight I would love to see! We'll be rooting for them both! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLdpZ6acQk4NIIp3mpd14tsN-OKIhIJ4gDLoMsNdB29Q_mhK1diL3Z-YGEeh7p1_keCvU8zYykDCgu-cduIm2NxNNwBp-igAEij3-CoC47OQbEViLKI82qMI2uk43qvIqNe6kVgfAmLsM/s1600/osu+beaver.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLdpZ6acQk4NIIp3mpd14tsN-OKIhIJ4gDLoMsNdB29Q_mhK1diL3Z-YGEeh7p1_keCvU8zYykDCgu-cduIm2NxNNwBp-igAEij3-CoC47OQbEViLKI82qMI2uk43qvIqNe6kVgfAmLsM/s1600/osu+beaver.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cakelava.com/"><span style="font-size: small;">cakelava.com</span></a></td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782028785184426526.post-38962706372322399312014-07-28T10:41:00.003-07:002014-07-28T10:41:24.887-07:00Happy 75th Birthday Batman!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhpUcFoZ0-Xjk6Zx-K0icaGcypyqufb9O0dotkZPg0FsZ88wYiqnNQmnGiD3a-4tGubipyecSP4XS2j2uqPO2OXTOZBYRYqLEMl0WvhxCqZXdY99NZ4gOk4f2oqQ9ghVcvlz99ipKtGSc/s1600/batsyw.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhpUcFoZ0-Xjk6Zx-K0icaGcypyqufb9O0dotkZPg0FsZ88wYiqnNQmnGiD3a-4tGubipyecSP4XS2j2uqPO2OXTOZBYRYqLEMl0WvhxCqZXdY99NZ4gOk4f2oqQ9ghVcvlz99ipKtGSc/s1600/batsyw.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cakelava.com/"><span style="font-size: small;">cakelava.com</span></a></td></tr>
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On the evening of Wednesday, July 23rd, 2014, an enormous four-day pop culture media festival called Comic-Con opened at the San Diego Convention Center. Comic-Con is a much anticipated event each year with more than 100,000 attendees coming together to celebrate the best in pop culture film, comics, video games, costumes and more. Coinciding with the kick-off of Comic-Con, DC Comics, the publisher of the Batman comic book franchise, declared July 23rd as "Batman Day" honoring the 75th anniversary of the creation of the Bob Kane and Bill Finger comic book hero. <br />
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Outside of Comic-Con, Batman Day was celebrated throughout America. Local theaters showed special screenings of Batman movies. Fans of the caped crusader threw parties in his honor, and at cakelava, Rick was hard at work making a special cake for a woman who adores Batman! <br />
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Our client wasn't kidding when she said she loves Batman more than
anything. She said she has felt an affinity with Batman for years and has a
Batman tattoo. She calls her apartment "The Batcave" and has Batman items throughout - pictures on the
walls, Batman tchotchkes on the shelves, and
Batman dolls. In honor of Batman's 75th birthday, she and a group of her friends would attend a special film screening of the original "Batman" movie (with Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson) from 1989, then going back to her place to celebrate with treats and cake!<br />
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For her cake, our client knew exactly what she wanted - a 3D sculpted "Chibi" Batman modelled after a doll she owns. We didn't know what a "chibi" version of Batman was but thankfully, Google does and was all too happy to help. Our client brought her coveted Chibi Batman doll to our shop, still in the box and sealed. We knew what this doll meant to her and when she told Rick he could open the box to access the doll, we felt honored. <br />
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Rick sculpted the Batman out of chocolate cake. He spent a lot of time sculpting the body and it's gigantic head. The doll had subtle nuances in its shape that required special attention to get the look just right, and he had to build a specials structure for the standing figure. We were thrilled with how it turned out and thought our client would think it was too cute to cut. It turns out she did!<br />
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She greeted us outside her building wearing a sleek black outfit with a patterned jacket and leggings - Batman themed of course - and squealed when she first saw the cake! As far as reactions go, a big grin is a huge plus but a squeal is an impulsive, kid-like reaction that cannot be contained and it is the ultimate reaction for us to witness! The cake was well-admired as we walked through the building to her apartment. We didn't know her guests were waiting inside and when the door opened, we were swarmed with a room full of people who instantly pulled out their phones to snap photos. This was one well-photographed cake!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh-f337unaOeZCkaAg8RT_hNk8ot_rvfQlojI0MjN75Q5zjjqZOYX1WfLeogAduCH6SBpIWGfCQqw2lATqKamj1awgOdE0wGNvlEGVQM6hbmxVVn0v4ga70xGpmBElxRf7ojDYvccQ2pI/s1600/batfdw.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh-f337unaOeZCkaAg8RT_hNk8ot_rvfQlojI0MjN75Q5zjjqZOYX1WfLeogAduCH6SBpIWGfCQqw2lATqKamj1awgOdE0wGNvlEGVQM6hbmxVVn0v4ga70xGpmBElxRf7ojDYvccQ2pI/s1600/batfdw.png" /></a></td></tr>
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In addition to her amazing Batman cake, party guests enjoyed her homemade Batman sandwiches and black lemonade served in mason jars with chibi Batman heads on top. How cute!<br />
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That's one happy Bat-group posing with the cake!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782028785184426526.post-65865748401809952992014-07-25T10:22:00.001-07:002014-07-25T10:24:17.059-07:00Feeling the Blues<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cakelava.com/"><span style="font-size: small;">cakelava.com</span></a></td></tr>
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It wasn't long ago that I read a tweet by a popular wedding site announcing that blue wedding cakes are trending. It was a timely announcement because we had made 2 blue wedding cakes that week. I had noticed we've been making more blue colored cakes both for weddings and birthdays in 2014 so I figured it must be a trend, and now I had validation from the wedding powers that be, we will probably be seeing more of them! The cakes posted here were made this year. <br />
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For the cake decorators out there, are you also getting requests for blue colored cakes? What other color trends have you been noticing in 2014? <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cakelava.com/"><span style="font-size: small;">cakelava.com</span></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cakelava.com/"><span style="font-size: small;">cakelava.com</span></a></td></tr>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782028785184426526.post-77340448042253119622014-05-04T11:47:00.001-07:002014-05-04T11:56:44.924-07:00It's International Star Wars Day - May The Fourth Be With You!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1VDrGacwxkW9bhEGEtdATpJGDATJ92Cyd0z__XUssAEyNMyHh3HOGlgLgIkPw89su6_6adwaJlQ2Fe-L9Bk8K1-yF-BGT9iPpAiAVTHZ6MQfDyct6DuopI_jibrpS37QHO8dEWdfioLU/s1600/eb395e8964f9289eaf4ec92dbf910d13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1VDrGacwxkW9bhEGEtdATpJGDATJ92Cyd0z__XUssAEyNMyHh3HOGlgLgIkPw89su6_6adwaJlQ2Fe-L9Bk8K1-yF-BGT9iPpAiAVTHZ6MQfDyct6DuopI_jibrpS37QHO8dEWdfioLU/s1600/eb395e8964f9289eaf4ec92dbf910d13.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cakelava.com/"><span style="font-size: small;">cakelava.com</span></a></td></tr>
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The force is strong today! In honor of International Star Wars Day, we're sharing some of our favorite cakes. . May the 4th Be With You!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDNvSwMEveXHAnysNo42QhwDE5Z3wrcgKRqSgb9TfXNxQXNCvMFlKglDFv4HYr7EzfoLvM2PufOAajFbXILMafhThFgYdF_659eRgQq6e7Xa8jLpyoP_FcXFF7YxJNNy8VCXrC4YaFAY0/s1600/098c5cca74cc0d34616b3755dfd0447a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDNvSwMEveXHAnysNo42QhwDE5Z3wrcgKRqSgb9TfXNxQXNCvMFlKglDFv4HYr7EzfoLvM2PufOAajFbXILMafhThFgYdF_659eRgQq6e7Xa8jLpyoP_FcXFF7YxJNNy8VCXrC4YaFAY0/s1600/098c5cca74cc0d34616b3755dfd0447a.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cakelava.com/"><span style="font-size: small;">cakelava.com</span></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyN1rxmgBW2zj8gY4RPeIZnd5Ib-0BhZS_l-ocm0CjAYEp6pqRRIUjqfHdJURf_MncuPc2qoOj8XNmD6l2sE7cZnXarIrXpAVZXQEvKhh5kMy3g95WrSrl75WAg7dxGMquyaPV7GS5c_o/s1600/6ad20a0b957a9484d89e3df4b92a9d97.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyN1rxmgBW2zj8gY4RPeIZnd5Ib-0BhZS_l-ocm0CjAYEp6pqRRIUjqfHdJURf_MncuPc2qoOj8XNmD6l2sE7cZnXarIrXpAVZXQEvKhh5kMy3g95WrSrl75WAg7dxGMquyaPV7GS5c_o/s1600/6ad20a0b957a9484d89e3df4b92a9d97.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cakelava.com/"><span style="font-size: small;">cakelava.com</span></a></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJKIvm3PJ9lT9PxjYWAJPmb0Tg7wbK0rcbRhNFl0twNEAVA9Y-Jtr_tFV_Qg4ghHGxz2o4THJAWhuAnE00ZHjvpre33g0fSAb6FGA2R9JNQ9mAX_Uhk7LYrn2dAZuJw1wGFEBZAziQAe4/s1600/r252.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJKIvm3PJ9lT9PxjYWAJPmb0Tg7wbK0rcbRhNFl0twNEAVA9Y-Jtr_tFV_Qg4ghHGxz2o4THJAWhuAnE00ZHjvpre33g0fSAb6FGA2R9JNQ9mAX_Uhk7LYrn2dAZuJw1wGFEBZAziQAe4/s1600/r252.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cakelava.com/"><span style="font-size: small;">cakelava.com</span></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKGfs_Z2g_wEejzRVZZmjTdojJWxmPSz3mtMwGaClv_-TKg7pMr_cmEkNZEhDfW0yGdiczz09AzwhpfKWXDQYuZdNYLQ8wkf5NtNgf9MJYjXrwqEtsPebc92rsnI2xyHN1KoEHtn7glUI/s1600/a140d8a7af6154b197137a0c8568878b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKGfs_Z2g_wEejzRVZZmjTdojJWxmPSz3mtMwGaClv_-TKg7pMr_cmEkNZEhDfW0yGdiczz09AzwhpfKWXDQYuZdNYLQ8wkf5NtNgf9MJYjXrwqEtsPebc92rsnI2xyHN1KoEHtn7glUI/s1600/a140d8a7af6154b197137a0c8568878b.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cakelava.com/"><span style="font-size: small;">cakelava.com</span></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaYhjrgbpOpULN7Ob-Vr6ze7lMMx1pF19GUAcoWINCWlYmh8ruljWXbrdDk-rBwMGClKLIuCk9mhg1SxZXrtB25lTOPGqfSR-Y4O-lm-wCNbm6-m5rLlz4Yhh2T8pD5-KcoKO0wePTgPE/s1600/33cccc3badffa2ce04df5cd040141c8f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaYhjrgbpOpULN7Ob-Vr6ze7lMMx1pF19GUAcoWINCWlYmh8ruljWXbrdDk-rBwMGClKLIuCk9mhg1SxZXrtB25lTOPGqfSR-Y4O-lm-wCNbm6-m5rLlz4Yhh2T8pD5-KcoKO0wePTgPE/s1600/33cccc3badffa2ce04df5cd040141c8f.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cakelava.com/"><span style="font-size: small;">cakelava.com</span></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhObsFonqunz2dh-YxgHZu_IEN9FAoDTVqa73WKSew9R68NMyCsos-tFdRenW5O6SUPDAtrxw8pJ7lDrL3ZmC1G4db5jLAAE-y7JdsNyVz5qIFZbv4t9kNn5AW5eft-ZVYqlucsVkAakso/s1600/c3e864f0b2114af9fb32da26b9c3a3c4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhObsFonqunz2dh-YxgHZu_IEN9FAoDTVqa73WKSew9R68NMyCsos-tFdRenW5O6SUPDAtrxw8pJ7lDrL3ZmC1G4db5jLAAE-y7JdsNyVz5qIFZbv4t9kNn5AW5eft-ZVYqlucsVkAakso/s1600/c3e864f0b2114af9fb32da26b9c3a3c4.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cakelava.com/"><span style="font-size: small;">cakelava.com</span></a></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhklsjsYmkUqQKmM6dinfwl_kJqGcElZYUxyIlG1NmtJ8FslpoxSxHakvJO-298zCHkJAfE3a37Ji5CBGC2YSYDVHvtmwm06nrblt4Y3aLU7loJ7ApFudl_5jzl9yny9AHCcbEkOSqQYPo/s1600/swcupcakescakelavaw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhklsjsYmkUqQKmM6dinfwl_kJqGcElZYUxyIlG1NmtJ8FslpoxSxHakvJO-298zCHkJAfE3a37Ji5CBGC2YSYDVHvtmwm06nrblt4Y3aLU7loJ7ApFudl_5jzl9yny9AHCcbEkOSqQYPo/s1600/swcupcakescakelavaw.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cakelava.com/"><span style="font-size: small;">cakelava.com</span></a></td></tr>
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A long, long time ago - roughly 6 years - back when cakelava still did custom decorated cupcakes, Rick made this Star Wars cupcake tower with Death Star top tier for our client's son Lane in celebration of his 9th birthday. Each cupcake had a different Star Wars character, that was handmade by Rick. He spent a crazy amount of time making the cupcakes, but it was worth it when we saw how happy the family was! Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782028785184426526.post-76787414410920297732014-05-01T15:13:00.000-07:002014-05-01T15:16:01.309-07:00In Celebration of Those 90 Years Old, and Above <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeOKg59NrNkIbFWNkALX_qdR_gIY6hq7IwPvGvan7lOh6srOKXL-RXRgMn0ma6oBC3_PN-I_RdOuVl7ZpkGerwCM7TE579C7Jlir7X2jelRFP8wljdkOPmO2HHUKdvYK19kbH52nH8XVs/s1600/hawaiian+scenew.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeOKg59NrNkIbFWNkALX_qdR_gIY6hq7IwPvGvan7lOh6srOKXL-RXRgMn0ma6oBC3_PN-I_RdOuVl7ZpkGerwCM7TE579C7Jlir7X2jelRFP8wljdkOPmO2HHUKdvYK19kbH52nH8XVs/s1600/hawaiian+scenew.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cakelava.com/"><span style="font-size: small;">cakelava.com</span></a></td></tr>
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In all our years of having a custom cake business, Rick has made only a handful of cakes for people celebrating their 90th birthday. It seems the older someone gets, the less likely they will have a custom cake made, at least that has been the case with our company. I would be curious to know if it is the same is true for you. We've made more birthday cakes for people turning 70 or 80 than 90, and even more common are birthday cakes for the big 5-0 or 6-0. I haven't kept track of which decade is the most celebrated with a custom cake, but if I had to guess, I would say the 40-year olds would probably be the winner in the most celebrated decade category. For us, the age that really takes the cake are the 1-year olds. The first birthday celebration is a huge deal in Hawaii. Parents often begin planning the baby's first birthday party way in advance, and we've had clients contact us within days of the baby's birth to order their first birthday cake. It's clear people think turning 1 is extremely important, and it is, but I also think that people who have lived long enough to reach a milestone like 90 - just 10 years shy of 100 years old - deserve to be celebrated as much as those with a whole life ahead of them. <br />
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I remember the joy I felt when we were hired by the company's president to make a 95th birthday cake for Lex Brodie of <i>Lex Brodie's</i>, a well known tire company who prides themselves on service, "Thank You, Very Much!", with a long history in Hawaii. Rick sculpted <a href="http://cakelava.blogspot.com/2009/10/happy-95th-birthday-lex-brodie-thank.html" target="_blank">a cake in the shape of a tire</a>, complete with a real rim, provided by Lex Brodie's, of course! Since Lex Brodie was a household name when I was growing up, I felt honored and excited when my husband was hired to make his cake. Lex was a hugely accomplished businessman who lived a very long life and deserved to have an amazing cake! I recall during the time when Rick was working on Lex's cake our client said we'll have to do something special for his 100th birthday, and we all looked forward to it. Sadly, Lex passed away last year at the age of 98 and the custom tire cake was the last cake we would make for him. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cakelava.com/"><span style="font-size: small;">cakelava.com</span></a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cakelava.com/"><span style="font-size: small;">cakelava.com</span></a></td></tr>
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Our most recent 90th birthday cake was requested by our client, who is one of the sweetest people we know, and we have made many cakes for over the years. She wanted to honor her mother with a special 90th birthday cake. I thought of the 95th birthday cake we made for Lex Brodie and the 90th birthday Sun Conure bird cake for "Granny" and how honored we felt to be included in their milestone celebrations. It is truly special to create for someone who has lived life for a decade (or less) shy of a century. The request alone was worth getting excited about, but then we heard what our client wanted and we were ecstatic to make it!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOfA8FZrpqiU8KVNIEOW41ti3idUEO_rYT4kgDQWbjOR2wv2tbSw3iYcN2GeoEo0-KKwQkbLOgcObrTIgC-idbUzBbkoJEVSclBNuhOVUDEDse9oxuz9KSLNn-PzfsE3r1UyIPyX0n2-E/s1600/postcardw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOfA8FZrpqiU8KVNIEOW41ti3idUEO_rYT4kgDQWbjOR2wv2tbSw3iYcN2GeoEo0-KKwQkbLOgcObrTIgC-idbUzBbkoJEVSclBNuhOVUDEDse9oxuz9KSLNn-PzfsE3r1UyIPyX0n2-E/s1600/postcardw.jpg" /></a></div>
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The cake would be based on vintage postcard photos of her mother shown in her youth. In one of the postcards she gathers ferns and in another one, sitting on a wall. Our client asked Rick if he could make a cake with her mother sitting on a rock wall surrounded by the foliage. We were immediately smitten with the idea and proposed a design, which she loved! We thought the postcard images were so beautiful. It was classic Hawaii in all its natural beauty and we knew this cake would be very special, both to our client and her mother. We couldn't wait to get started!<br />
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Every decoration was important because we had to convey a specific location, but the most important component was the custom figurine of our client's mother. When modeling a 3D figure, you need many photos to work from. In addition to photos taken during that same time period, Rick studied photos of her mother taken at a later age so she would be recognizable at any age. When archiving photos from 60 to 70 years earlier, there isn't the convenience of the digital family archives so common in today's world, so we had fewer references to look at. Our client spent time researching the photos, which we are grateful for, and sent us whatever she could find of her mother back then and current phtotos. <br />
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When the cake was delivered, our client and her family loved the cake and couldn't wait to show it to the guest of honor. The family couldn't have chosen a more appropriate venue for the party, which was at a well-known restaurant with a lush tropical setting that feels like you stepped into old Hawaii. After the party, we were told the cake was a big hit and her mother said "that's me" and instantly recognized herself at the location she was photographed for the postcard. We were so happy to hear that. Those words meant <i>Everything</i>!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782028785184426526.post-73540000311950708522014-04-23T11:59:00.002-07:002014-04-23T12:01:21.510-07:00A Grand Wedding Cake in Black and White <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuSJNdeCQNISZDfED3bUSjyB0adkhKZPK9rzgw_I6VkhlhvZtyzZg7DJuZCSAzb-KEHDAo76qfdG1qXqlhMjqrZkytXdK40mUTt5S4RLKjAksCPBToQX44Yaepy7VVtDRADOd3E4U5r48/s1600/aren1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuSJNdeCQNISZDfED3bUSjyB0adkhKZPK9rzgw_I6VkhlhvZtyzZg7DJuZCSAzb-KEHDAo76qfdG1qXqlhMjqrZkytXdK40mUTt5S4RLKjAksCPBToQX44Yaepy7VVtDRADOd3E4U5r48/s1600/aren1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cakelava.com/"><span style="font-size: small;">cakelava.com</span></a></td></tr>
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This 3 foot tall towering black and white squares wedding cake made for Aren and Dustin is one of our favorites so far this year! The couple were married back in February, but I held off writing about it until we received the professional image of the cake from their photographer, <a href="http://www.mikephamphotography.com/" target="_blank"><i>Mike Pham Photography</i></a>. Our jaws fell to the floor when we saw Mike's photo - it's a beauty!<br />
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We first met Aren and Dustin last fall, when they asked Rick to design for them a grand and elegant wedding cake that would be the center of attention. The cake would be done as all squares in black, white and silver - their wedding colors - and have a damask pattern on some of the tiers. Rick would also integrate elements from the bride's second dress, which was
silver with a black lace overlay. Since the cake would be designed with a
striking pattern on each tier, Rick kept the use of handcrafted flowers to a minimum
with a single bunch on top with the couple's "G initial of their
married name.<br />
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Making a wedding cake of all squares is more difficult than round shapes. Squares have precise edges and demand perfection in their shaping and placement. When the tiers are as tall as these were, they must be very straight, and it requires a confidence in your craft to apply the fondant. One not-so-perfectly placed tier can affect every cake above it. Having a black on white precise pattern on each
tier, left little room for error. It is worth mentioning that Aren is an architecture student, which added pressure to make the edges as straight as can be and the pattern be ultra-precise. We took our responsiblity to the couple seriously!<br />
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After the cake was made and decorated, there was one more hurdle - the delivery! The couple's reception was at an outdoor venue on the hotel's property that was located, in delivery terms, <i>very </i>far from our vehicle. The 3 foot tall cake was transported e-x-t-r-e-m-e-l-y carefully on a cart down a long hall with uneven cobblestone flooring. Then, once outside the hotel, we carted the cake to the reception venue, which was also a trek. I'm sure any cake professional can sympathize, but it felt like the color had escaped from our face and we couldn't breathe normally until the cake was safely delivered to the cake table. Lifting the cake and placing it on the cake table felt AMAZING, and seeing the expression on our bride's face when she saw her gorgeous cake made all the efforts so worth it! <br />
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I'm thrilled to report that we and the couple were tremendously happy with their cake, as were their guests. Just a couple days after their wedding, we received the sweetest thank you note from Aren and Dustin! <br />
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<i>Dearest Rick and Sasha,<br /><br />Words cannot express how thankful we are for the gorgeous wedding cake you designed for us. Every guest was in awe. They couldn't believe the cake was real, we were even complimented by the hotel staff as they had never seen a cake so grand. On top of that it was delicious! Of all the pieces of our wedding the cake was the most exciting piece for me, I couldn't stop talking about it to my new husband. I am so grateful to have found you. Thank you for helping to make our wedding day so much more than we could've ever imagined.</i><br />
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Congratulations to Aren and Dustin, and we wish them our very best!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782028785184426526.post-44688617911371284252014-04-21T11:05:00.000-07:002014-04-21T11:05:46.723-07:00A Rainbow Connecting Hawaii and New York<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBnQYqlbDuBFs2RdW3gBdePFkq5RHk5K2K2FvTW-CHcqPMB0VH37DpJKkkbI2bjEMQa7WwzCiaodya3-1SdAa8Gu9wgsP0f4UyilFEjP_BYiHf0nIw_Ygt8t54JtQtuyt3Axj6DuvvfwQ/s1600/hawaiinyw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBnQYqlbDuBFs2RdW3gBdePFkq5RHk5K2K2FvTW-CHcqPMB0VH37DpJKkkbI2bjEMQa7WwzCiaodya3-1SdAa8Gu9wgsP0f4UyilFEjP_BYiHf0nIw_Ygt8t54JtQtuyt3Axj6DuvvfwQ/s1600/hawaiinyw.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cakelava.com/"><span style="font-size: small;">cakelava.com</span></a></td></tr>
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On November 13, 2013 Hawaii Governor, Neil Abercrombie signed a bill legalizing gay marriage, and same-sex couples were allowed to marry starting December 2nd. Having spent my childhood through high school years on Oahu, I recall back in the early '90s when Hawaii was at the forefront of states allowing same-sex unions, but then later amended its constitution to ban those same unions in 1998. The topic of gay marriage is a divisive one, and if you are in the wedding industry in one of the 17 states plus the District of Columbia where same-sex marriage is legal, it is likely at some point you will be approached by a couple wanting to hire you. If you live in Hawaii - one of the most popular wedding destinations in the world - that point will be sooner rather than later.<br />
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Ever since we opened our doors back in 2005, cakelava has welcomed any couple to have a special custom cake designed for them. Most recently, we had the pleasure of designing this beautiful wedding cake for Val and Susan who celebrated their marriage after more than 20 years of being together. When we started communicating with Val and Susan, they desired to have Hawaii and New York, where they were both from, represented on the cake in some way. Their requests were simple - Hawaii, New York and a Rainbow, to symbolize their union. Rick decided to take a very stylized, colorful and artistic approach to their cake, bringing together elegance and a traditional shape with an unconventional and playful design. He decided to have a night time scene for New York City, because that is when the city comes alive, and a sunny beach scene for Hawaii, combining the best of two of our favorite places in the world, into one beautiful cake!<br />
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Val and Susan adored their cake and wrote us shortly after to say how much they and their guests loved it. Apparently, the kids at the wedding were drawn to the little taxi cabs, which we thought was so cute! I love this cake and the cute NYC taxi cabs make me smile every time I look at them! Congratulations to Val and Susan!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782028785184426526.post-62165639461518738352014-04-19T13:24:00.000-07:002014-04-19T13:24:27.867-07:00Dragon Cake - The Cake Bucket List Gets Shorter!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGMKJ5e6L1a8LPQGDqNyiI12ya9kKC-UaKZDsof-SRZgciPpjsHozijsTDJKGFRyC1hYpUVFlUp5mTUQp20l7fSs6fWaWrtMqviQcXG58WASflyX6ygWcB57TPJ9c4y9Vcl-38e-9CPcw/s1600/golddragoncakelavaw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGMKJ5e6L1a8LPQGDqNyiI12ya9kKC-UaKZDsof-SRZgciPpjsHozijsTDJKGFRyC1hYpUVFlUp5mTUQp20l7fSs6fWaWrtMqviQcXG58WASflyX6ygWcB57TPJ9c4y9Vcl-38e-9CPcw/s1600/golddragoncakelavaw.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cakelava.com/"><span style="font-size: small;">cakelava.com</span></a></td></tr>
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Last month, cakelava observed 9 years in business! In each of those 9 years, Rick made hundreds of beautiful custom cakes, and I've had the pleasure of communicating with each and every client. Those hundreds of cakes each year, has turned into thousands of unforgettable memories that we will treasure as we move forward towards our first decade! <br />
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About a week before cakelava's 9th birthday, Rick sculpted an amazing gold dragon cake for a client who gifted the cake to several of her male friends for their birthdays. The cake was delivered to a huge catamaran near Waikiki on a Friday night. We had been excited about this dragon since the order came in! It was the first time Rick had the opportunity to make a stand alone dragon - one that wasn't painted on or supported by a cake. We knew it was going to be a challenge, but after all these years of making dragon themed cakes, he was well prepared to do it!<br />
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Making the sculpted gold dragon cake was symbolic for us. Artistically, it was a feather in Rick's cap - a challenging design he's always wanted to make - and we were waiting for the <i>right</i> client to do it. As fate would have it, the request fell into our lap when a previous client of ours wanted a dragon cake as much as we wanted to make it! This has happened on many occasions throughout the years. Eventually, a design on Rick's cake bucket list is requested and the client's budget can support the request. As any cake designer knows, having the budget to accommodate a labor intensive request is important, and without it, the cake doesn't get made. It remains on the bucket list. When the stars line up and you have that winning combination of desire to have and desire to create, and able to afford, the magic begins and the cake is just <i>meant to be</i>. The cake bucket list gets shorter! This was the case with our <a href="http://cakelava.blogspot.com/2013/02/a-stroll-down-memory-lane-2010-part-3.html" target="_blank"><i>Star Wars</i> Yoda</a> cake, the <a href="http://cakelava.blogspot.com/2013/08/monster-truck-birthday-cake.html" target="_blank">Monster Truck</a>, the <a href="http://cakelava.blogspot.com/2013/06/divers-helmet-cake.html" target="_blank">Antique Diver's Helmet,</a> and the <a href="http://cakelava.blogspot.com/2012/06/gold-buddha-cake-for-vow-renewal.html" target="_blank">Gold Buddha </a>cakes, among others.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjna5kQf3q8n9-440kmggzQpNdHIe91Pm8ePoHXPsLQqmiuz2q-Khj3BBBDZnGAhmpGk9erXkW8lAEaxE7wT7g7ZiLGldMOMAPK1jhnKNEnCKezCPUDRWvEfq-N25eWdHbSWjtJuz7ZzQQ/s1600/yoda41.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjna5kQf3q8n9-440kmggzQpNdHIe91Pm8ePoHXPsLQqmiuz2q-Khj3BBBDZnGAhmpGk9erXkW8lAEaxE7wT7g7ZiLGldMOMAPK1jhnKNEnCKezCPUDRWvEfq-N25eWdHbSWjtJuz7ZzQQ/s1600/yoda41.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cakelava.com/"><span style="font-size: small;">cakelava.com</span></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJb_D3yRsK84iFWbd5wsEWfWb9uVeJJtzbDwJl55bCDTPHrcUklcKkFuc8iN4GIe9HQEEOsU0qiMfwaVhAGkoe-mY-vfnq1hwFBV7ReV0QFRjVFnvWVqlGe9_nJXjeC_-wU03CB4IZKqU/s1600/stylenw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJb_D3yRsK84iFWbd5wsEWfWb9uVeJJtzbDwJl55bCDTPHrcUklcKkFuc8iN4GIe9HQEEOsU0qiMfwaVhAGkoe-mY-vfnq1hwFBV7ReV0QFRjVFnvWVqlGe9_nJXjeC_-wU03CB4IZKqU/s1600/stylenw.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cakelava.com/"><span style="font-size: small;">cakelava.com</span></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLNY_eU-HaoqbNZ9G0hRk3UJWIHPnmyx851cRM3jG9869Za-N49lauQ-O3lIBB4AueKFCJUDTb9IrcDyv9ozZeYhLFTZxG8yv9zyFvvnmUeDcbIcSRf-rH7-EZeMlRmgzGsNev1KKGFjw/s1600/divershw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLNY_eU-HaoqbNZ9G0hRk3UJWIHPnmyx851cRM3jG9869Za-N49lauQ-O3lIBB4AueKFCJUDTb9IrcDyv9ozZeYhLFTZxG8yv9zyFvvnmUeDcbIcSRf-rH7-EZeMlRmgzGsNev1KKGFjw/s1600/divershw.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cakelava.com/"><span style="font-size: small;">cakelava.com</span></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzEHoznPHmp7KgfrPmK2OQzsyhrR3Z8tBjJSHBz6y8Yuc-Qbl6J-79D73sn90UXRr1zRzHey8Tk0T93L0kRMhHKUAbjffDUi68pIaTqhkLngcwbRwYVtOj5vwa9HC6mw8vd6VDgsYMPH4/s1600/cakelavabuddhaw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzEHoznPHmp7KgfrPmK2OQzsyhrR3Z8tBjJSHBz6y8Yuc-Qbl6J-79D73sn90UXRr1zRzHey8Tk0T93L0kRMhHKUAbjffDUi68pIaTqhkLngcwbRwYVtOj5vwa9HC6mw8vd6VDgsYMPH4/s1600/cakelavabuddhaw.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cakelava.com/"><span style="font-size: small;">cakelava.com</span></a></td></tr>
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Aside from making the cake bucket list shorter, the sculpted dragon cake was symbolic of our company's beginning 9 years earlier when Rick made a large wedding cake with a gold dragon on it for our booth at our first bridal expo. We thought the dragon would make a huge impression at the expo and it did! It was such an unusual piece, especially for a wedding, and couples as well as other vendors were drawn to it. The cake which was made faux, was later put on display at a local country club we were working with, and also brought many subsequent requests for a cake with a dragon on it. 9 years ago, cakelava was a fledgling company with big dreams, (and an ambitious bucket list!) working out of an incubator kitchen with no air conditioning and rented space by the hour. Thousands of cakes, (and many dragons later), we cross the sculpted dragon off the cake bucket list, and look forward to more cakes to come! Thank you so much to our wonderful clients who have brought us years of inspirations and supported our creative endeavors. Here's to 9 amazing and unforgettable years! <br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782028785184426526.post-81380972448938025872014-02-19T17:33:00.000-08:002014-02-19T17:33:04.273-08:00Maya's Kangaroo Birthday Cake <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRO-YpWvgiW2AACiyW0ZR5fwfjK1UE7iw96ubyGRpj7I3z0t8L2I8Mdq_mKCR8nA3cftyWFJ2z0PnHd5m9ZQHtF1VLvceXphGvx_9BUJ6FVGGrmK7yattS2UtVRviGqfpjiMJivrXRwL4/s1600/kangaroow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRO-YpWvgiW2AACiyW0ZR5fwfjK1UE7iw96ubyGRpj7I3z0t8L2I8Mdq_mKCR8nA3cftyWFJ2z0PnHd5m9ZQHtF1VLvceXphGvx_9BUJ6FVGGrmK7yattS2UtVRviGqfpjiMJivrXRwL4/s1600/kangaroow.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cakelava.com/"><span style="font-size: small;">cakelava.com</span></a></td></tr>
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We have a long history of making cakes for Maya and her family. Six years ago, Maya celebrated her 3rd birthday and Rick made a <a href="http://cakelava.blogspot.com/2008/07/getting-messy.html" target="_blank">"messy cake"</a> for her party. It was a fun and colorful cake that Rick designed to look intentionally messy and like it was created by a child. The colors were bold with plenty of contrast. The following year, our client ordered <a href="http://cakelava.blogspot.com/2009/01/maya-gets-messy-again.html" target="_blank">another messy cake</a> for Maya. The first one was such a hit with everyone, she decided to keep the same theme for her daughter's 4th birthday. This time, she asked if Rick could do a pretty "messy cake" in girly colors fit for a princess. We knew that could be a challenge given the theme and colors, but once again, Rick designed her cake through the eyes of a child - a little girl (as best as he could) and we were all happy with the results!<br />
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Shortly before our book <a href="http://www.extremecakeovers.com/" target="_blank"><i>Extreme Cakeovers </i></a>was released last year, Maya's mother wanted to order a cake for Maya's father's birthday. We were already committed, unfortunately, but wished we could make the cake. We later learned Maya had made Rick's "Aloha Shirt" cake from our book and her mother sent us some photos. We were blown away by her ability and were so proud of this little girl we have grown to care about! Here is one of the many photos we have. You can view the rest of the photos of <a href="http://extremecakeovers.com/a-readers-cakeover-aloha-shirt-cake/" target="_blank">Maya making the cake</a> on the Extreme Cakeovers website. Little did Maya know at the time that we already had an order for her 9th birthday cake. We were all so excited about what we had in store for her!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDWy4qjMaJ6QjwFPNwFald5j0B20nxw8n6T570wZ5xhLmIv-TKF0UYTSKpJEUl0cFwFJTq_mLcOxTa6a2TROGoi2AxPYtErJgTl40ERQKso_wx3YfO6feRMUhswwEYVwOJv_7A2LOv3M0/s1600/mphoto11w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDWy4qjMaJ6QjwFPNwFald5j0B20nxw8n6T570wZ5xhLmIv-TKF0UYTSKpJEUl0cFwFJTq_mLcOxTa6a2TROGoi2AxPYtErJgTl40ERQKso_wx3YfO6feRMUhswwEYVwOJv_7A2LOv3M0/s1600/mphoto11w.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://extremecakeovers.com/"><span style="font-size: small;">extremecakeovers.com</span></a></td></tr>
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We got the request for the sculpted kangaroo cake while Maya and her family were living in Perth, Australia. Rick and I had visited Australia the year before and had a very special kangaroo encounter in the wild where we got to see and feed dozens of kangaroos. Having this amazing experience would be helpful in making the cake. Since the cake was for a 9-year old, Rick decided to make the kangaroo as cute as could be. With the family returning to Oahu to live, Maya's mother thought it would be fun to add a Hawaiian touch to the cake, so Rick put a flower lei around the kangaroo and a plumeria flower in its ear. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIpBLy7Z7yQSPQ53HrRvKyTRWM1ozkGi7ENCr8R3-hXzARIz5t1Xsow6oUQgDKKUwjUIwyZ75XjSv0vSuzZQ1qon9L210rHtI_E6ifOCWhMFsKXsXkKyB3h5ZIaO5WU1rBqb_bZMFavcA/s1600/RickMayaw.jpg" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cakelava.com/"><span style="font-size: small;">cakelava.com</span></a></td></tr>
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I've said on many occasions, it is always such a pleasure to share in the experience of the "reveal" - when someone sees their cake for the first time. Their reactions are often priceless and it is one of those special moments that remind us why we do what we do. This was one of those moments Rick and I will never forget. When we arrived at the family's home, Maya saw her cake and immediately started grinning and making the cutest giggly sounds. She was in awe of the kangaroo and it was like heaven for Rick and I to be a part of this. Her mother took the photo of Rick and Maya. As you can see, the kangaroo was not small. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2kiC6wgwcqnJS867Fg5PYBNP2rZ3vOSj0OOU65uvri8wsNiLGUQdjD_7bETKhHLXXW6g_2P1TuPM6MpZDUpKdiFnBukCCRgJbktSdjgufXA1dqaHVRKXLv3MejVQaZc-jm-oUT1I9hd8/s1600/roowk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2kiC6wgwcqnJS867Fg5PYBNP2rZ3vOSj0OOU65uvri8wsNiLGUQdjD_7bETKhHLXXW6g_2P1TuPM6MpZDUpKdiFnBukCCRgJbktSdjgufXA1dqaHVRKXLv3MejVQaZc-jm-oUT1I9hd8/s1600/roowk.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cakelava.com/"><span style="font-size: small;">cakelava.com</span></a></td></tr>
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When the kangaroo cake was delivered, her mother made a comment about how she would send the kids into the other room when it came time to cut the head of the kangaroo. We all thought this was hilarious and I visualized a room full of kids running into the next room while the parents beheaded the poor kangaroo. We've heard this many times before that people can become emotionally attached to their animal cakes and don't want to make that first cut. Our client had a great sense of humor about this potentially traumatizing moment and sent us this photo of her laughing as she's about to lop off the kangaroo head. We laughed out loud when we saw the photo, but were also happy we weren't there to have to witness that moment in person. Just as they can grow attached to their cute cake, so can we, and it's hard to see the little fellow go. A huge Thank You to Maya and her family for giving us so many memories over the years. We look forward to many more!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782028785184426526.post-42708778472491525352014-02-08T13:12:00.000-08:002014-02-08T13:12:04.044-08:00Non-Traditional Wedding Cakes: Plants vs. Zombies<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_nFCEGGQTbw4xhXAPUKrZhgyPX8XHsn5PF5JkV_6_jamFnyOnUgHa1EycZlv3mfcuKjCtq9YGZyRNA_sIRlp8i6t6ovm56d7MsfSxDtH6XzZ4CFxishgNW1RYalYoi6f7Y_GJhU-JSIE/s1600/pvzw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_nFCEGGQTbw4xhXAPUKrZhgyPX8XHsn5PF5JkV_6_jamFnyOnUgHa1EycZlv3mfcuKjCtq9YGZyRNA_sIRlp8i6t6ovm56d7MsfSxDtH6XzZ4CFxishgNW1RYalYoi6f7Y_GJhU-JSIE/s1600/pvzw.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cakelava.com/"><span style="font-size: small;">cakelava.com</span></a></td></tr>
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In the past few months, we've been regularly posting non-traditional wedding cakes, most recently a <a href="http://bit.ly/1fTqcoi" target="_blank">stack of books</a> made for Regi and Jeff who were married on December 29th. That was one of the last cakes we made in 2013. Just two weeks later, Rick made one of his most unusual non-traditional wedding cakes to date, a "Plants vs. Zombies" video game theme for Jovi and Brandon. The couple approached us months earlier to make their cake. At the time, neither Rick and I knew much about "Plants vs. Zombies", but all that changed as soon as we accepted the order. Like most gaming fanatics we've worked with, they come very well
prepared and provided more photos and references than we knew what to do
with. Jovi and Brandon had a very good idea of what they wanted, but also encouraged Rick
to let his imagination run wild and create the cake he felt worked best
for the theme.<br />
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We all knew as soon as the cake was booked, this project was going to be a doozy and we allocated a large amount of time the week of their wedding to work on the cake. Everything on the cake was handcrafted - every plant, the bride and groom zombie figures, the house - there was a crazy amount of detail on the cake! Rick spent about 40 hours making their cake. After we saw the final product and heard how much the couple loved it, we both agreed it was totally worth it! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAhw5IPePc-lKQye_jWjNRb2QyBy6_m-rHukFR4d4sD9CMhm-OhbwnosYQNxIqQh-GDvcf9jyw07yRyPhAir1C26k8PACAY0SY1BgAAWA7-gpYfw6-lvNcrY_r8_Mr0G7dFfEXxAcmT8o/s1600/homesidew.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cakelava.com/"><span style="font-size: small;">cakelava.com</span></a></td></tr>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782028785184426526.post-54896001337907986462014-02-06T13:42:00.000-08:002014-02-06T13:42:17.992-08:00I Scream for My Ice Cream Cone Cake!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVM8lHHennEWrIIk_61NDimdWY627YE7QLtxeXq0IzJQk1pNik_MF1QSHb6v_TdZ-ZmdsNBP5cIJ72-pldmkgQtH5HnC7YSChC51HK16XJFGsoGxXaTpmnKuTrQHSn4qNiX2AVBM6hrMc/s1600/sashasw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVM8lHHennEWrIIk_61NDimdWY627YE7QLtxeXq0IzJQk1pNik_MF1QSHb6v_TdZ-ZmdsNBP5cIJ72-pldmkgQtH5HnC7YSChC51HK16XJFGsoGxXaTpmnKuTrQHSn4qNiX2AVBM6hrMc/s1600/sashasw.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cakelava.com/"><span style="font-size: small;">cakelava.com</span></a></td></tr>
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For 364 days of the year, minus a couple major holidays, my focus is on other people's special celebrations. Their birthdays, their weddings, their graduations, their cakes. It's the part of my job I love the most, getting to work with our clients as they plan some of the most memorable days of their lives. I feel honored to see their cake being designed and made before its big reveal and think about how elated they will be when they see it!<br />
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There is one day during the year when the tables are turned and I'm left completely in the dark during the cake design process. That one special day is my birthday, and I look forward to it every year! <br />
Being married to a cake designer has many advantages, especially during the month of January, when 1 have another amazing cake to look forward to. Usually part way through the month, I start to wonder what cake Rick will be making for me. My birthday cakes are usually a complete surprise, and tend to coincide with a prominent theme at the time, or designed after wherever we happen to be eating that night. One year we dined at a Moroccan restaurant in L.A. and Rick made an incredible Moroccan mosaic birthday cake for the occasion. Last year I got a vintage style popcorn popper and a cake that looked like a big box of popcorn. This year, it was all about the ice cream!<br />
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Ice cream has been an obsession of mine since childhood. It probably started with our family's regular outings to Baskin Robbins, which I have fond memories of. Over the years, it's been almost impossible for me to pass up a homemade ice creamery, and it's something I always seek out when we're traveling. During the latter part of last year, we started a tradition of going out for an ice cream sundae together once a week. It was such a fun tradition and one we would have continued if we didn't have to think about Real Life concerns like watching our cholesterol and eating too many calories. We decided the once-a-week ice cream sundaes should probably be a lot less frequent, sadly, and ended the tradition before the new year. We reluctantly agree it's for the best.<br />
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Early in January, Rick started talking about how excited he was about my birthday cake this year. He kept saying "you are going to LOVE it!" and "It's so perfect for you!" and I began guessing what it could be. Of course, I had no idea. He said it the cake design was something he's been wanting to make, which made me happy. If my birthday can give him a reason to make something he's wanted to make, then all the better! The week of my birthday, Rick started sneaking around our studio. Doors closed in front of me and I was given warnings not to come into the kitchen at certain times. It was all very exciting and made me wonder even more what he was making. <br />
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When I saw the cake, I was absolutely amazed! I standing up ice cream cone cake, with hot fudge, whipped cream and a cherry. Life just could not get any better! I agreed with him that it was perfect for me! I knew exactly how our clients felt when they said they didn't want to cut into it. I stared at the cake for a long time, looking at every inch, (and salivating over the thought of eating ice cream). It was gorgeous and one of my favorite birthday cakes he's made for me. I wonder how he will top it next year. He probably wonders the same thing! <br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3782028785184426526.post-73693442908395575842014-01-23T15:21:00.001-08:002014-01-26T10:10:48.991-08:00Non-Traditional Wedding Cakes: Regi and Jeff's Stack of Books <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWuw23tyAKrWZRg5SHx_dK41kRe6CY7s5p9waB3_eH1slbJolX6bsgYCf-TEQxHxMS7JXDvk_BA4KvZCOMcd4q7oHTFc6z4h6icRt5BJl5WSvrfUhD4USwv8J04UlIjpxVkIA_iLU7reY/s1600/bkswedw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWuw23tyAKrWZRg5SHx_dK41kRe6CY7s5p9waB3_eH1slbJolX6bsgYCf-TEQxHxMS7JXDvk_BA4KvZCOMcd4q7oHTFc6z4h6icRt5BJl5WSvrfUhD4USwv8J04UlIjpxVkIA_iLU7reY/s1600/bkswedw.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cakelava.com/"><span style="font-size: small;">cakelava.com</span></a></td></tr>
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We've been waiting a long time to do a stack of books wedding cake. It had to be just the right couple who was obsessed with books enough to request it for their wedding day. Last summer, we were contacted by Regi and Jeff, who were planning their wedding on the last weekend in December and specifically asked for a stack of books wedding cake. We were excited and knew that their wedding, which would be one of our last of the year, would be a great way to close 2013!<br />
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The couple desired to have the books include their wedding colors - garnet, gold and ivory - and done in a vintage style, with beautiful leatherbound jackets, which we knew would look gorgeous! This couple definitely had great taste! Their other request was to have the titles of the books be connected in some way to love, relationships or marriage. They provided Rick with a list of choices and he selected ones that worked best with the design. We particularly like the title of "Persuasion" and we both had a laugh over that one.<br />
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The wedding took place at the beautiful Turtle Bay Resort on Oahu's North Shore and was an outdoor event, overlooking the ocean. As if their choice of theme, book titles, style, and venue wasn't enough proof this couple had fantastic tastes, they also selected one of my favorite flavors for their cake, Banana Nutella. Congratulations to Regi and Jeff! Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2