Seek Seek, Seek and You Shall Find

Sometimes in life we look so hard for things that we totally MISS them. Most times they are right before our eyes but in our search for them we overlook them, bypass them. Some are so close that it would BITE if it were any closer. In my line of business I am always doing research.ALWAYS. I try to educate myself as much as possible. The trends in the baking industry are ever changing and I have to stay on top of my game. Keep my ears to the streets. There are so many things to learn but sometimes getting money to take classes to learn these things can sometimes be challenging. I have send to send a HUGE 'THANK YOU" to God for allowing me to learn all the things that I wish to learn. For putting EVERYTHING in my path. With the internet there is a plethora of information at your fingertips. That is one of the reasons I constantly research my industry. Funny..I have been researching this particular technique for quite some time. A little over 1 year to be exact and then becoming frustrated but not giving up...BAM..There it was. Step by step illustration on how to execute this technique. I was about to buy the DVD for $40(plus shipping and handling)but there it was on the internet for FREE. It wasn't on the 1st page nor on the 2nd. I found it somewhere on page 7 or 8 via a Google search. I looked and BOOM there it was. God sees when you are persevering. He sees all your hard work and sacrifices. Never feel defeated and never, ever give up. Seek and you shall FIND INDEED....

ThIS Woman's Place...In The Kitchen

Back in the 1950's a woman's place was in the kitchen and at home with the children. Since then we have evolved and we can basically be what we want and where we want. I didn't choose to be in the kitchen but that is where God saw fit for me to be. How can I fight against that? LOL. To not use God given gifts is a sin and although I am not perfect and nor do I try to be, I definitely want to at least be obedient to utilizing the gifts that God has chosen just for me. One of them just happens to call for me to be in the kitchen. Do I feel like I have been taken back to the days of the kitchen being "THE" place for a woman to be?? No. Absolutely NOT.
Being in the kitchen creating the things I create gives me a tranquil feeling. I find it very therapeutic being in the kitchen. I hear nothing when I become engrossed in decorating my tasty creations. Everything outside of the kitchen becomes nonexistent. I go into a zone. I hear nothing and only see what I am creating. I don't like being interrupted by nothing and no one. I black out,wake up and coming to with a creation in front of me. That explains it in a nutshell.I am sure there are other artists go through the same or similar hypnotic like trance that I do. Every designer probably has their own ritual of how they begin creating. Cake art like any other form of art is interpreted differently by the person who is viewing the work.You may create something that you are not totally in love with and someone may be in complete awe of your work and vice versa. Never in a million years would I have guessed that my profession would be domestic related. What I can tell you is this WOMAN'S place is definitely in the kitchen......

When There's Nothing Left To Do.....

When you've had just about everything go terribly wrong and you felt like you did not have the strength to go and and continue that "Good Fight" just SMILE, take a deep breath and look up. As you ca see in my photo I am looking up. Not at the rolling pin but higher up where my help comes from. I have been going through like I sometimes do. This time the things were more painful, more disruptive and overall made me feel defeated. I had to remind myself that the closer I get to where God wants me to be the more I will be tested. It was like walking down the street on a warm sunny day feeling marvelous and then have someone trip you, watch you fall and then kick you while you are down on the ground.
I had to pick myself up, dust myself off, tend to my wounds and Pray. I know where my help comes from and who I belong to. I had to remind myself that if Jesus went through then I am not exempt. Did that lessen the blows? No. Did I make the wounds less painful? No. There was nothing left to do but pray and smile. I will not let the enemy think he has won. I come from a long line of fighters. I was born for this. Bred for this. So I plan to stay prayed up, stay the course and keep my head up because When There's Nothing Left To Do , the only thing you can do is pray and smile because God's got this...
This fight is not mine alone. I had to remember to get quiet and to go into deep prayer and let God heal me. Strengthen me. Refuel me. When There's Nothing Left To Do.....PRAY.....

Players Change but The Game Still Remains the SAME

This is a picture of my Mom and Me. I was 10 and this was taken at my 5th grade graduation. I would never forget that day. It was just my Mom & Myself the whole day doing the Mommy & Daughter thing. I am not that same person you see in the photo. Life's lessons, experiences and time has caused me to change both inside and out. Mentally, emotionally,spiritually and physically. I had an epiphany that caused me to write this Blog.
"The Players Will Change but The Game Will ALWAYS Remain The Same"
You may have had friends as a child but you and them are no longer close or no longer speak. We sometimes outgrow our childhood friends. Even in your walk as a entrepreneur you will have to change the players on your team. Your circle gets smaller but stronger.
Unfortunately you will not be able to take everyone with you on your journey. Be prepared to leave behind some family members, significant others and even close friends. As painful and cold as this may sound it has to be done. I, myself had to experience this this first hand. For every 2 people God removes he replaces them with 1 strong, faithful and loyal person. What's for you is for you. God clears a path for you. Its up to you to pave that path that God has cleared. God will make and clear a path but if you want that pathway to be smooth then it has to be paved. Paving is the work that you will have to do in your walk along this path. It's called WORK.
I have everything I need as a entrepreneur.My Grandmother & Mother equipped me with the proper tools to get the job done. God had put me in contact with the people who I need and who need me. My vision for my company has not changed. It probably has expanded some but it hasn't changed. The payers who were initially in place to help make that vision come alive has changed.I no longer feel bad or sad about the changes that are made in my walk. I take each one in stride and continue along my path. The path that has been cleared for me by God himself.

I Remember When

This is an picture of my Grandmother Annie Mae Moore. One of my greatest inspirations. I have so many memories of her. On October 19,2004, which happens to be 3 days before my B-Day she was called home to be with God. This was a tragic day for our family. She and I had so many things in common. We were both the oldest of 6 children to start. We used to talk about how our younger siblings got on our nerves. There are so may things I miss about her. How she used to have a scripture for ANY and EVERYTHING that ailed me. I loved how she used to sit in her bedroom and do crossword puzzles eating peanut chews. She brought them by the bagful. Every Thanksgiving we would all get together and watch The Color Purple and she would narrate almost the whole movie. I laugh thinking of all these things.It's important to have those "I remember when" moments in life and in your family. I push rewind and I go back to some of the special moments that she and I shared. I miss talking to her 4-5 times a day. I miss how she used to babysit my dog. The list goes on and on. You never know the time or the day when someone will leave this earth so cherish the moments. Be sure to create those "I remember when" moments with family and friends. Life is short and you never know that time or the date when you or they are scheduled to leave here.

I know my Grandmother is looking down from Heaven wondering why am I making such a fuss over her. Naming my company after her, making sure that as a family we never forget her and constantly keeping her memory and her legacy ALIVE.
Mommay(pronounced Mom-May our nick name for her) you were and are such an inspiration to me that there is no way I will ever let anyone in this family forget you. You are sorely missed and still loved. Sending you Love all the way to heaven.

Time To Push The Reset Button

This is a picture of my Mom. One of the STRONGEST women I know. She taught me how to be strong like her. So in this Blog I salute my Mom Asia Moore. I miss you Mommy.

As I write this Blog I am numb. I have had a very trying, challenging and difficult week. All these things just let me know how much closer I am to my DREAM. My building's elevator has been out now for a little over a week. Imagine going shopping for supplies and having to drag(literally) most of the things up 5 flights for an event your catering for 300 people. I could not possibly leave them in my car. So I did what I had to and made several trips up 5 flights of stairs. I then had to drag the things back down to go into the kitchen in Brooklyn. Did I cry about it? No. I just kept it moving without being upset or distressed.. Staying calm and staying focused on the matter at hand. I have learned is not focus on the problem but to focus on finding a solution but remaining calm throughout the ordeal is KEY. I am so used to going from 0-60 in 60 seconds
I use a lot of butter in making my cakes, icing and cheesecakes so I go to my suppliers to only find out that dairy has gone up tremendously. FOR REAL??? There is no time to cry over any of this. I just had to deal with it.
I GRIND so hard that I sometimes have to push the RESET BUTTON. That consists of me shutting down and doing nothing but relaxing. That entails me maybe going out of town. I sometimes have to leave my working environment in order to regroup and get a fresh start. I know when its time to push that button. My body gives me signs and I pay attention to them. I have to. What I do is physical and rather than have my body shut down on me I shut it down and press RESET.....

Comraderie

This week has been a very trying yet ENLIGHTENING week for me. I had a Dessert/B-Day party and I had the honor of speaking at the Divas Who Brunch Event. I had the privileged of meeting some great women and I also shared my thoughts and personal experiences with them. I hope that I was able to inspire at least 1 woman in that room. I believe that if I have not inspired at least 1 person in my journey then my living would of been in vain.
There was a number of attendees at the Divas Who Brunch event but I was asked why don't more women attend.... For a brief moment I was at a loss for words because the information that was given at the event was well worth the admission price but I found it puzzling myself. So my answer to this person was, in my opinion, that there isn't camaraderie amongst women and there isn't much camaraderie amongst women business owners. Men have this unspoken bond that doesn't need to be discussed. It just a natural act for them but for women..Its different. Women have experienced betrayal, back biting and cattiness from other women making it rather difficult to even be receptive to new relationships. I understand this but I want to be one of the women to dispel the belief that women can't get along. It all starts with self. If we would all be receptive. open to new relationships from other women then maybe we can begin to trust and form positive relationships with other women. So ladies I say have an open mind, heart and open arms and be ready to embrace your sister. She needs you to encourage, Uplift and inspire her. If we'd all just adapt this way of thinking there's NO PLACE we couldn't go.

Know that when you are on THE PATH that you are suppose to be on, the one God has paved for YOU, that you will be attacked. The closer you get to your Glory the more you will be attacked. Knowing this I try to stay suited up and prepared. Some attacks are going to leave you wounded, emotionally and mentally. "What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger". Each wound or battle scar should be viewed as a lesson learned. You will be attacked by those you least expect. The enemy is ruthless and will use anyone to break you down. Don't allow the enemy to use you to try to tear down others.

A Piece Of The Pie

In this everyday GRIND that we all are a part of we must keep in mind that we are just a small piece of this HUGE pie. Each and every one of us plays an important role. Each of us are like ingredients. We are fine on our own but when combined with other essential ingredients we make for a great recipe. We should bring out the best in each other. That's what being a part of this PIE is about.
I am a firm believer that this is not just about ME. Its about WE. As an artist I can appreciate art in many form. We are all meant to be artistic be we each posses a God-Given gift that is meant to be shared with other. Whether its writing, painting, decorating, photography, etc, express yourself and be supportive of others. What you put out into the universe is what you get back. Most times you get it back ten fold. It's like a bank account you can't expect to withdraw funds if you have made any deposits. There are many who are unclear on how the laws of the land operate. Its not based on religion its based on the laws of nature. Laws of the land
Support others in they're endeavors, events and projects we can all use it. Each of us are only a small piece of the HUGE PIE. There's enough for everyone.

Keeping Your Ear To The Streets

As a Pastry Chef I make it my business to research my industry as much as I possibly can. Its about staying ahead of the game, improving on your craft and most importantly KEEPING YOUR EAR TO THE STREETS. Being a Pastry Chef consist of 60% being in the kitchen,10% being in the class, 10% researching your industry and 20% being out and about networking. If you are not networking then whats the point of being in business? Networking allows people to know who you are and what you do. It also give you the opportunity to learn about others and what they do. Form relationships with others so that both your businesses can grow. Its also about connecting people to one another that can utilize each others services/products.
Many don't know this but I have quite a few Chef's who ask me questions about various things. Not bragging but its about sharing knowledge with one another. In this industry I've heard that there are those who refuse to pass along info to others. Me, I'm not one of those people. Information is to be shared with others even if they happen to be in the same industry as you are. What I do is a god Given Talent that can't be taken away by anyone except God Himself. I do what I do and the next Chef may do the exact same thing very differently. Information is like a baton, to be passed onto others and hope that they pass it along to someone else. I have no fears, concerns or worries about the next Pastry Chef because I am me and they are them. My hat goes off to all the other Pastry Chef's because although what we do is SWEET our journey to get where we are and where we need to sometines isn't!!!

By Any Means Necessary

I think everyone knows my favorite word is GRIND. To me grinding means envisioning something and working towards making that vision come alive in color. Keyword is WORK. In the Bible's book of James it says Faith without works is dead.
In my GRIND I have adapted a Malcolm X philosophy..."By any means necessary". So whether I am sick or not feeling 100% I still work. Work towards that vision. I look at and meditate on my vision board daily along with constant prayer. When nothings happening I make it happen. Again back to that Malcolm X philosophy. Mail carriers deliver mail through rain, sleet, snow or hail. I want to be able to produce no matter how I am feeling or what is happening in my life. Whether it's working on my Reality Show, Baking, Creating Cakes Designs, Blogging or writing my book, I want to produce. I want to produce quality products. In order to do that you have to be in a certain mind set. I create while playing jazz or in total quite depending on my mood. Part of the GRIND is attending events and supporting others in what they do. So you may see me attending a play, supporting someone's music project, attending parties in support of someone else because in this GRIND its not just about me. It's about being supportive to others. Support is like Karma..Give it and it comes back to you. I don't support others to in turn get support its just something that I do. Its in my nature. Art comes in all forms painting, music, poetry and cake design just to name a few of the many forms.
I ABSOLUTELY love what I do and I hope you do too

Life Lessons

Since I last checked in I have started fasting,did an interview with my family from Harlem World Radio, surprised a friend with a custom B-Day cake, planned a T&A Tea Party, an Erotic Dessert Party, planned the whole month of October for celebrating my B-Day. October calls for celebration because it was the month in which I was born. This month is bittersweet for me. Its also the month in which God felt the need to call me Grandmother Annie Mae Moore home 3 days before my B-Day. I am getting through it but I will never get over it. Fasting helps me get clarity, commune with God and allows me to see who I am clearly. I am learning that people will disappoint you both unintentionally and intentionally. Despite this we must love them and love one another. I have learned to control my anger. Not having time to be angry on top of viewing anger as a wasted emotion has allowed me to have more patience. I keep myself GROUNDED. This is extremely important. I don't want to get "big headed" and start thinking that I am "THE PASTRY CHEF". I want to remain that down to earth, funny, beautiful(on the inside where it counts) person that God made me to be. I make sure to LAUGH EVERY DAY. That is a HUGE part of my daily diet.

I thank God for giving me such a talent that I can share with others. Since I'm a giver, giving comes quite naturally for me. I have 2 days until I finish fasting and this has been very challenging. God has been showing me some things that are wonderful and some that are painful. I am working on some cake ideas that will blow you away. I want to thank my TEAM". Without them I could not do what I do. My Assistant Shawna B of Shawna B Events is the GREATEST....Love you Sweets...
You have to take the GOOD with the BAD. That one of LIFE'S LESSONS.

Grind 101

Those who know me know that I am married to myself(AKA My Business). I am in a committed, monogamous and dedicated relationship with myself. There aren't too many people that understand this grind. If I had the choice of being on a tropical island with the most gorgeous, attentive, affectionate and intelligent man or being on my GRIND. Guess what ? I'd choose the GRIND. That's just where I am in this age and stage of my life. I know I am suppose to be talking about what I did for the week but let me just break this down for you, If I may. People make time for what they want and choose to make time for. PERIOD. No if's and's or but's about it, including myself. I will pause my grind for you if you happen to that dude that I feel deserves me to do so. I know that God will send a man when I am ready and when he's ready. Its that simple. In the meantime I will ready myself for his coming into my life. There are things that I must do in preparation for My King. 1 thing is. He must understand and respect my GRIND. That means he must not waste my time because my time is very valuable and can't be brought back once its wasted. Communication i the key to any and every relationship. All I ask if that you communicate to me what I need to know.
Anywho.....
I have been fasting for the past few days trying to get clarity on my business and my personal life.I went out this week in support of other people's events. I have been through Manhatt and to the Bronx in doing so. It's about support. If you were a friend or colleague and you joined the circus I'd be sitting in the audience cheering you on. Its all about supporting others in whatever it is that they do.
We have a BEAUTIFUL addition to our family. I have another niece Madison. I'm preparing for some HUGE events. I am already booked into October. I will be traveling to different cities, Radio interviews and October is my Birthday month. I am planning to raise funds for Cancer Care during this whole month.
New clients, new cakes ideas and more money...I was born and bred to do this.....

It's All About Cake: Week-End Review

It's All About Cake: Week-End Review

Week-End Review

What a WEEK!!!! Anyone can tell you I am ALWAYS GRINDING, seeking new clients, staying on top of the ones I already have and just trying to stay sane throughout all this is challenging. Even with obstacles I always manage to keep persevering. Baking is in my blood. I know this is something I was born and bred to do without a shadow of a doubt. I always keep the main ingredient for all my recipes. That's LOVE. My Grandmother always reminded me that Love is the KEY ingredient to any and every recipe. When I go into the kitchen I pray. I ask God for his guidance. When you have Love & Prayer as key ingredients how can any recipe turn out wrong?
This week was busy preparing orders, getting supplies, and interview with NY1, a local news station here in NYC, working on my my reality show and of course thinking of a MASTER PLAN....I don't allow myself to have a defeatist attitude about anything. I always try to look at the glass half full. I try to watch my thoughts. I try to create a positive environment that will attract positivity. I use the word TRY because of course I am human and as human beings we are subject to era. With all the things I do I have to find a balance with my personal life as well. There are days I choose do just nothing. No Phone, Email, Facebook or Twitter. I go off the air. I take this time to regroup, recharge and get rejuvenated about me, my business and about life in general. I don't take enough of days like this but I'm working on that. So today on a Sunday morning I am working writing this blog and letting the creative juices flow. I added some writing to my books that I began writing some time ago. I got inspired by some friends I saw last night. I love being around people who are inspiring. So I am taking the inspiration that was sparked within me to write this blog and hope that this will inspire someone else. If not today then maybe one day