tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43545567468751453432011-11-27T18:50:05.115-05:00Custom Wedding and Occasion Cakes located in Eastern North Carolina www.thesweetlifedirect.comJen Loftushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09368789324858387872noreply@blogger.comBlogger161100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4354556746875145343.post-25988762015080198722011-02-20T00:01:00.000-05:002011-02-20T00:01:51.974-05:00

I just signed my two youngest ones up for a great site - education city DOT com. If you sign up and use a  code that I am giving you here, Tell A Friend Code: H4C5GC5B we will get three free months towards our subscriptions! It is worth checking out. I came upon it from studyisland.com (used by schools here) where I discovered ABCReadingEggs.com. I have a 5 year old in Kindergarten who hasn't

Jen Loftushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09368789324858387872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4354556746875145343.post-39006264124155332062010-08-13T08:06:00.000-04:002010-08-13T08:06:18.258-04:00

If you've come for cake or cake related words you will not find them here, at least for today. About a week ago I signed up for The 21 Day Meditation Challenge here.  I have meditated in the past, but it didn't 'stick', so when I saw this opportunity, I jumped on it. Lately I have been feeling out of balance, as I am sure a lot of mothers and wives do. I'm not much different from all the rest of

Jen Loftushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09368789324858387872noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4354556746875145343.post-4976911097559530492010-06-26T10:00:00.000-04:002010-06-26T10:00:52.983-04:00

I love local vendors who are not too big to provide outstanding customer service. I often email photographers to ask for a copy of a photograph that they shot, of a wedding cake I provided.  The idea is they email the pictures to me and in return I put their link on my website and with the picture of the cake. Fair enough. Who couldn't use more exposure? Well, apparently a lot of people. Of the

Jen Loftushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09368789324858387872noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4354556746875145343.post-87883293747907166152010-05-28T13:15:00.000-04:002010-05-28T13:15:33.802-04:00

This is such a bittersweet holiday for so many. For some of us, Memorial Day loses the meaning if you've never said goodbye to someone in uniform not knowing if and when they'll return. So this year, make it more about what it actually is and less about the barbecue. And if you need to get into the real spirit of it, head on over to Pioneer Woman who's new photography assignment is titled

Jen Loftushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09368789324858387872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4354556746875145343.post-61811343696978464012010-05-12T16:38:00.000-04:002010-05-12T16:38:14.596-04:00

Housecleaning. Housekeeping. Blech. Those are dirty words. My house is not messy. It's lived in. When you have children, especially young ones, it's normal that your house looks lived in, right? And when you run a business from your home, it's even worse. Especially when your business is baking. A few words to facilitate a mental image: powdered sugar, flour, cocoa, buttercream, eggs, cream,

Jen Loftushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09368789324858387872noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4354556746875145343.post-23605600960935965812010-05-09T19:14:00.002-04:002010-05-10T14:37:14.367-04:00

Happy Mother's Day!   I am a procrastinator. I need professional help. I am a rotten, rotten child. I fully intended to send my mother a card early last week. I went shopping, I forgot the card. I realized this on Thursday night. My mom lives in New Jersey and if I mailed it Friday, she never would have gotten it in time. I know what you're thinking, I should have sent it anyway. But I thought 

Jen Loftushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09368789324858387872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4354556746875145343.post-7501281344320566512010-04-20T14:41:00.000-04:002010-04-20T14:41:20.248-04:00

I've done a lot of First Birthday cakes recently and mom's are going all out for parties. First Birthdays are one of my favorite occasions. For me it usually means the beginning of a special relationship. I become 'The Cake Lady' for a family - a priveledge not too many get to experience. I also love being reminded of First Birthday's. It usually goes like this 'Hi. You did a cake for my little

Jen Loftushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09368789324858387872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4354556746875145343.post-22710322196338073202010-03-17T15:51:00.000-04:002010-03-17T15:51:26.702-04:00

I am excited to tell you that in the coming weeks I will be delivering cupcakes to Greenville and Winterville, NC.  I am currently ironing out the specifics. If you work/study/live with people who might enjoy a cupcake (or two!) on Mondays and/or Wednesdays and you would like me to add your location to the route, please let me know ASAP. I will be stopping at the ECU campus, residence halls,

Jen Loftushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09368789324858387872noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4354556746875145343.post-1551189820087678102010-03-10T11:59:00.000-05:002010-03-10T11:59:45.527-05:00

He'll be making an appearance on my cake this weekend! Since I haven't posted in a while (rut roh) I am going to post pictures of a cake-in-progress when I do it this weekend.  The order is for a 9 inch gluten-free yellow cake for a five year old who likes Scooby Doo. I will use the same technique I did for George on this cake.  Isn't he cute? The technique is called run-in sugar aka run sugar,

Jen Loftushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09368789324858387872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4354556746875145343.post-45393949742730956692010-02-04T15:53:00.000-05:002010-02-04T15:53:07.875-05:00

Let me give you a bit of history about this first.  Do you have children? We have three. And if you do have children, you may understand this. You may think I am a horrid, selfish woman akin to Cruella De Vil for doing such a thing but that won't stop me. In our house, the kids mostly like what we like, especially when it comes to snacks. And sometimes we go to great lengths to ensure there will

Jen Loftushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09368789324858387872noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4354556746875145343.post-26253027366420073402010-02-01T12:40:00.001-05:002010-02-01T13:27:03.819-05:00

KS over at While We're Waiting is hosting a fantastic giveaway - A set of TWO Le Creuset Stoneware baking dishes! I personally love anything Le Creuset has but this Bakeware is right up my alley. Choose from a range of pretty colors. I'll take one of each, thank you very much! But if I am chosen as the lucky winner I will stick with the white. I like to keep my dishes neutral so that I can

Jen Loftushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09368789324858387872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4354556746875145343.post-31769213685949516682010-01-28T10:18:00.004-05:002010-01-28T10:57:47.499-05:00

I am getting ready for Valentine's Day and if you know me, that's a miracle. I am THE queen of procrastination. It's terrible, really. Anyhow, this year I am vowing to change certain things, and being a habitual dilly dallyer is one of them. Yesterday I sent out a newsletter to my customers and brides, past, present and future. My newsletter isn't anything grand. I have a contest, but I

Jen Loftushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09368789324858387872noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4354556746875145343.post-91257590607205249112010-01-24T14:59:00.005-05:002010-01-26T13:11:54.799-05:00

Don't hate the team, love the cake! This is what I think is a cute cake done for a Duke basketball fan. I did his birthday cake last year and was told it was by far the best cake they had ever eaten! I love it when customers are that pleased with their order visually, but it's especially flattering when they love the way it tastes. It is a 9x13 chocolate cake with vanilla buttercream.

Jen Loftushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09368789324858387872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4354556746875145343.post-86441771102835681982010-01-17T19:50:00.005-05:002010-01-26T13:12:13.167-05:00

With the holidays behind us it's time to get back to the blog. Feels like confession..."Bless me bloggers for I have sinned. It has been 3 months since my last blog entry." But the time since my last blog entry hasn't been in vain. I have been 'researching'. You see, I got an early Christmas gift from my hubby, a Blackberry, aka crackberry (nicknamed appropriately for good reason) and I can't put

Jen Loftushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09368789324858387872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4354556746875145343.post-59347609083961652962009-10-13T14:45:00.011-04:002010-01-26T13:12:40.841-05:00

I live in North Carolina but I am a native Jersey girl.  When I meet people, one of the first questions people ask is "Where y'all from?" I think the way I say coffee (pronounced CAWfee) alludes to the fact that I'm not a southern girl.  And by the way, in case you were never taught this very important lesson in geographical etiquette, please note the following: I can say 'Jersey' because I was

Jen Loftushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09368789324858387872noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4354556746875145343.post-20108395957324541122009-09-28T12:19:00.006-04:002010-01-26T13:13:00.220-05:00

Here it is, my first post. It's odd to me that I am just now beginning to blog. It's really a big commitment. It takes time. Energy. Thought. Rare commodities these days. Having pages did you wonder what to say? Did you pause and try to think of something witty?  Did you type and then delete it before you committed and actually pressed the ENTER key? Did you hit enter and immediately get cold

Jen Loftushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09368789324858387872noreply@blogger.com0