It reminded me of the Christmas I wanted a cash register. A real one with the round buttons that clicked when you pressed them. I had seen rows and rows of them in a liquidation store. They were changing over to the new types of electronic registers. You can imagine my disappointment when under the christmas tree I found a plastic purple and yellow cash register. How did they expect me do serious business with a toy?
I now realize that to do what you love as a career is play. When the two merge I am most fulfilled. So it's no surprise that with this drive, inspiration hit again. The stand concept would be perfect for upcoming shows.
Here you have it, although my purple and yellow cash register and cardboard counters have long since been replaced, the energy and drive still come from the same place.
The other day while minding my own business at a spring market, a customer asked me if I knew where the croiffles booth was. Pardon me? Never heard of those...A quick google solved the mystery. Basically, when croissant met waffle and said let's get together, the croiffle was created! Is there anyone that doesn't love croissants and waffles? Perhaps but with my two favorite things combined, I had to give them a try.
So what's all the fuss about? Essentially, they are croissants cooked in a waffle iron. Not too complicated, I thought. I have a delicious croissant recipe in my Bake Something book.
Turns out they were very easy to make, did not heat up the house in the heat wave and were an interesting option to basic waffles or croissants. Although crispy and flavorful, they did loose the flakiness of a traditional croissant. They could even be stuffed before cooking, with anything from cheese to chocolate. As a purist, I opted to go plain for this test batch.
My verdict? Although the multi-layers of buttery flakiness are the selling point of croissants for me, I would make these again but stuffed with savory breakfast ingredients as a fun brunch alternative!
I have always seen art, career and experience as a work in progress. To say that I would never change anything I have done because of where I am today would be false. Learning and evolving unveil new perspectives that were not available in the past. In my view to have a second crack at changing the good, the bad and the ugly would always be welcome if only to experience something different.
This leads me to the first book I wrote, Bake Something, The Book of Sins, Easy Dough Recipes Made From Scratch. Sometimes, if you don't show up, flaws and all, you won't show up at all. So it was with this project. After thousands of edits, eyes crossed from too many hours on the computer and blinded from the repetitive task, I realized that if I didn't press the publish button, I would never take the chance and so I did. The intense sense of panic I felt each time I came across a typo or another error made me question my decision to publish...but anything worth doing is worth doing badly.
Amazon is a print on demand service which is great in these kinds of situations, no stock to burn or relinquish to the dust bin, just files to update and republish.
As time passed and I kept resubmitting corrections to update the file, the title seemed clumsy. It no longer fit for me. Also, having published a second book, Nourish, Real and Simple Everyday Recipes Made From Scratch with its playful, whimsical cover, I felt that style was more a reflection of who I was as an artist. It became obvious that it was time for a major redo so here you have it, a refreshed perspective, a few updated photos and a new cover with a shorter title.
The former file is archived and now a limited edition but for those not familiar with the book, here is the updated version of Bake Something, Easy Dough Recipes Made From Scratch. It's also available on Amazon as a paperback or an ebook. Hope you enjoy it!
]]>Arthur Ashe said "Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can."
We have had some tough ones....years of change, but transformative on many levels. While acknowledging the incredible challenges for all of us in the last few years, I wanted to wish everyone more moments of joy.
We have had to deal with considerable grief from losses in all shapes and forms, but in some instances we have had incredible opportunities to spend more time with those we love, and by contrast, so little with others we care so deeply for. We have had to rethink how we work, how we socialize, basically, how we live.
Many have reached for their usual comforts and crutches, others have sought to help where they could even if all it meant was making or wearing masks for the good of all or staying home to stop the spread of this merciless virus. It has been a mind boggling reality, but perhaps perfect timing in a world filled with underlying cries for change and a necessary time-out for a planet out of control, with the hope of resetting for a healthier, kinder, more peaceful future.
Wherever you are at, moments of joy need not be complicated, expensive or few. They weave into the daily fabric of our lives and noticing them makes times like these somewhat bearable. So let me share a few of those moments for me.
I don't remember when it started but I was always a dough girl. Fluffy, pillowy light confections like a fresh loaf of bread or doughnuts, without fail, stole my heart. So imagine my elation when I discovered that a healthier doughnut, if there is such a thing, could be made in an air fryer! Who needs another piece of hardware in the kitchen, my minimalist self asked? Well my law of 3's led me to this joyful discovery. Over a few years, on three separate, unsolicited occasions, the air fryer topic made its way into conversations. Although clearly not a fast mover, that was my cue to pay attention, so I decided to see what all the fuss was about. Well, a total game changer I would say, when I picked up this Ninja beast.
My best guess was that it would be great for fries, fine for meat and ho-hum for dough. I was imagining a doughnut more like a bread stick imposter which undoubtedly would send me craving for a dozen at my favorite doughnut shop. Lucky for me and my loved ones, the outcome blew us away! All my daughter could say was YUMMMM.....YUMMMM....YUMMM with that sparkle in her eyes. Fresh, soft, doughy comfort, a welcome treat, a momentary distraction for all and a huge victory for me since my goal for healthier options has always been a guiding principle.
How can a doughnut be healthy you ask? Well, let's put them in the "healthier than" category for the occasional treat. The nature of the ingredients has a lot to do with this characterization. Selecting organic, non-GMO, free range ingredients where possible with the minimal use of healthy oil, three tablespoons to be precise, reduces the toxic load commercially prepared goods often hide. The fact that these can be made on a whim, reduces emissions from the car driving to the doughnut shop, reduces the risk of spread by staying home and makes them more of a blissful, accessible commodity than a must-have repentful addiction.
As life would have it, I did not include this recipe in my book, Bake Something, Easy dough recipes made from Scratch. I do however cover it in Nourish, Real and Simple, Everyday Recipes Made From Scratch. Although you could argue that there is little nourishing about doughnuts, I would say that with the stars and stripes we have earned over the last few years, anything that provides you with this level of joy is nourishing, if only for the soul.
Here's wishing you all health, peace and many moments of joy!
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I love placeholders. It's easy to feel overwhelmed when an idea sparks a vision that shows up in bits and pieces, with no clear path to completion. It's a myth that you have to wait for the whole picture to appear. You can start where you are, one foot in front of the other, move forward and circle back. That is the best strategy to get an elephant of a task done and that's what placeholders give you the time and space to do. Zig Ziglar said it best "Go as far as you can see, and when you get there, you will be able to see further".
Almost 3 years ago, I published my first book, Bake Something, The Book of Sins, Easy Dough Recipes Made From Scratch. I honestly thought that was the end of my publishing journey. It involved a lot of trial and error in a field I had no experience. I eventually found my way to Amazon and self-published the book in November 2018.
When the inspiration to write a follow up book simmered up, I had no idea what the theme, title or cover would be. Time took care of that with stay-at-home orders freeing up schedules. What else is one to do during a pandemic? Recipe testing, illustrating and photographing food kept me sane and focused even with a blurred roadmap. The theme took a while to clarify and the cover, even longer but the second time around the block was a bit easier with templates already in place. The most rewarding part of this project has been seeing it through to the end and to finally hold a hard copy of this vision in my hands.
Norman Vincent Peale said: "Throw your heart over the bar and your body will follow". And so it did. Introducing my new book, Nourish, Real and Simple, Everyday Recipes Made From Scratch.
I was totally mesmerized as I waited in the checkout line at a local store. A mom with her three little masketeers, ranging in age from 2 to 6 years old, were ahead of me. Just the fact that these little guys were doing their part, wearing their tiny masks without a fuss, in very challenging times was momentous.
As she patiently waited for her turn, I could see her multitasking. She remembered something, shifted quickly, but her antennas well-tuned to her brood, redirected when the youngest wandered off from her side. While she gracefully rallied him back, her turn was up. She loaded the pails, shovels and summer activity tools on the counter. I couldn't help but notice her middle child, standing slightly behind, arms on his back hips. Our glances crossed. Then I saw it. The big lollipop hiding, carefully tucked in his left hand out of view.
I wondered if I should step in and nudge the mom but I decided to wait it out and see how the situation played out. The oldest sibling caught glimpse of the loot and pointed it out to his mom. Very calmly, she gently took the lollipop from his clenched hand and matter-of-factly said," oh no dude, you can't take that without paying, that's stealing. We have some lollipops at home." She continued with her purchase and off she went. They all left calmly and peacefully with no fit, protest or any inkling of a scene. Wow!
Some may argue, that style of parenting could come back to haunt her but I was just reminded of all the Bearenstain Bears books we read to our kids when they were little, trying our best to instill decent values. Life offers no guarantees but these masterful moments of nurturing even in what could have quickly escalated into a crisis, really impressed me.
There are different ways of approaching conflict and this mom modeled amazing restraint and love, in times that are certainly more challenging for her to keep her little ones safe. This was a good reminder, that even in these stressful times, we can choose patience and kindness to make our point, even and especially while we go about our daily business.
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There's something about a pandemic that moves you to clean house, evaluate life and try new things... and maybe that's the best way to stay well and sane during this time. The projects hovering on my to-do pile finally have the opportunity to take root.
One of these progressing along, is a follow-up to my cookbook, Bake Something, The Book of Sins, Easy Dough Recipes Made from Scratch. Like the yin and the yang, the shadows and the light, I felt the call to compile a healthy version to offset my first self-publication of indulgences. Nourish, Real and Simple, Everyday Recipes Made From Scratch is the latest addition to my creative pursuits. While it's still in the works, here's a sneak peak at the cover.
If you would like updates closer to the launch date, drop me a note or sign up to my mailing list and we will keep you posted.
A bit like Tarzan swinging from rope to rope, what makes my path as a maker invigorating is time exploring different mediums, new knowledge and techniques. To that end, I have recently taken on pottery wheel throwing, and wow, what a mind bending task it's been. The things that look the simplest are often the most humbling. I have only been able to continue by accepting my complete ineptness at this new skill.
After decades of easily turning passions into businesses, I started on this new pot making course with personal gratification as my only goal, and the first few classes significantly challenged that simple end. But the effort to push beyond the discomfort and welcome the beginner mind has kept me moving forward. Anything worth doing is worth doing badly a wise man once told me....I am willing to continue making warped pots, for a while at least, to see where that leads me. But for now, while all classes are suspended during this global crisis, the mindset is serving me with this new reality.
This unexpected period of reflection and social distancing reminds me of all who are struggling or suffering. There is so much we take for granted. Even something as simple as visiting a relative who could be vulnerable to us. The unknown is hard, and all the forms of loss we are living is even harder even if it's just a shoulder to rest on. We are creatures of habit. While we don't know what's on the other side of this forced time out, I for one hope that it will not be business as usual when the dust settles and that we can all rethink what really matters and approach things with more kindness, intention and maybe more of a beginner mind.
I recently met two dynamic entrepreneurs who have managed to scale their business to a level I have never done, and this, only in a few short years. Needless to say I was impressed and maybe even a little envious. After questioning and comparing my business model choices full on for three days, I finally landed face to face with my ikigai. Ikigai is where your passions meet your mission. Ikigai is the merging of what you love, with what you are good at, what the world needs and what you can make a living from.
As an artist and an entrepreneur, I stand between two worlds. Technology has completely changed the pace and landscape of business. You can now launch a venture without ever touching a product or seeing a customer. A world of influencers can catapult your bottom line by leveraging social media exposure and maximizing followers. As we have devoloped this instant world, where continual engagement means next day delivery, we are also witness to emerging movements promoting back to basics practices like digital detox, shirin yoku, earthing, meditation and mindfulness, most likely as an attempt to restore balance. It is in these "off" moments that your ikigai surfaces.
So how do you unearth your ikigai?You pay attention to what lights you up. It's the why that moves your idealized vision. My products and services have only been the conduit to advance my "just cause" for connection and compassion, inspiration and renewal. The lure of continual engagement is incompatible with my needs for peace, freedom and privacy. Maybe that's the free-spirited artist needing time and space to create. Or perhaps it's the minimalist in me wanting a boundary from the illusion of more. Either way, it allows me to keep things in the moment where gratitude for my work lives, at a manageable pace, in line with my values. This is less about judgement and more about choice.
My why has never been about making millions. It has always been about providing a service, in the best capacity possible while making a living doing what I love. By definition, both artists and entrepreneurs are risk takers, visionaries and lifelong students. Resilience and adaptability are important qualities to make a living with either one of these. And so in the final analysis, I realized that the artist is the personality i am most at home with. This epiphany put things in perspective with my encounter with these new entrepreneurs. Success has many definitions, and to live by your why, is one of them. It makes work feel like play. To that end, I am very grateful to those who have allowed me to do so.
Since leaving Sussex, I took the time to rest, refocus and explore the different ideas and mediums I had forgone while managing the store.
Where Sussex is concerned, it was my full intention to return, but after two years of frustrating negotiations, it became clear that, that door would not open. I am still working towards finding a location and look forward to reconnecting with everyone to share and hear your stories.
Here's What's New!
The adage holds true that when one door closes another opens and in my case, it seems to be the oven door. I am pleased to announce I will be launching my first book entitled Bake Something, The Book of Sins. I always thought my first book would be written for children and in many ways this one is. It’s filled with easy family favorite recipes. Bake Something, The Book of Sins will be available at Bakesomething.ca and on Amazon this week in soft cover or eBook. I hope you will eventually get to enjoy what's inside!
Please be sure to say hello if you are attending the Nepean Christmas Craft Show, Thursday through Sunday. I will be featuring my collections and my new book, alongside many talented artists.
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There is something about nature...
On a recent morning walk, everything seemed amplified.
I was noticing all the details. The wind, the birds, then right in front of me, hundreds of dandelions at various stages of their life cylcle lined the field.
This one bare dandelion looked so vulnerable. Perfect and perfectly simple. Gone were its breathtaking florets and its wish inspiring blowball. The rawness struck me, the minimalist me.
The breathtaking dandelion next to it was beaming with bright yellow florets opened to the sun, almost saluting the day.
A step away, an afro-esque puffball looked ready to surrender to its upcoming fate with the rising of the wind.
I was struck by how these maligned greens, offer so much more than the reputation they hold. Leaves filled with nutrients, pesky milky residue rumoured to fight off mosquitoes and potentially heal things. And how did I not know that their golden hue can be used to make dye to create masterpieces. Even their nicknames Milk Witch and Pissenlit imply less than positive features.
I am not sure how long I crouched there taking all of this in but something was budding. Wayne Dyer said it beautifully in his quote: "The only difference between the flower and the weed is judgement."
This morning walk shifted something, like the bite of a lion's tooth or dent de lion, which fittingly, is the original word from which dandelion is derived. A moment of inspiration brings a new perspective with the dent de lion collection.
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After 10 years at 463 Sussex Drive, we said goodbye on January 5th to this beloved location as a result of the major year long renovation project planned for our block in between Clarence and Murray.
But for the love of labour, I was still sewing the last few stiches while packing up, knowing that my machines would be in storage for a while. How long, is really not clear as finding the right location is a mix of patience, persistence and trust.
For now it's a welcome rest in off peak season in the market and once all R's are addressed - Rest, Reevaluate, Research, Redesign, Renew - I will hopefully find a new inspiring and energizing space to Relaunch.
I am so grateful for my time here, for all the great customers I have had the privilege of serving, for all the dear friends I have made as a result of being in this beautiful heritage location. However, it certainly has had its challenges.
My first visit at 463 left me unimpressed. Then, like uncovering a treasure, it took shape and sprouted a whole new life. It became home to my creativity, to my collections.
A lot of elbow grease combined with a vision hatched this beautiful nest.
Then every challenge possible tested my resilience with chaos showing up one year after the other in various shapes and forms.
Then in August 2015, after all we had already endured, a notification was issued stating that the whole block needed major life cycle attention and vacating the premises would be required of all tenants in the block.
It's been a long road. But despite all the chaos lived at 463 Sussex Drive, I leave with a heavy heart, a broadened spirit and the hope that what awaits will continue to inspire me, and perhaps offer a little more peace.
A final farewell...lights out...exit stage left.
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