Friday, April 28, 2017

Luxury, Art, The Joule

In my last blog post I stated that I am one of 102 winners of the SCORE Mentors and Sam's Club American Small Business Championship. What I didn't mention was that as a winner I would receive an all expense paid trip to Dallas, Texas for a Regional Celebration and symposium, where I would receive a gift card of $1,000 from Sam's Club, network with the other winners, and learn how to successfully grow my business.

Now, let me fast forward to the trip. I flew American Airline and my flight was very smooth and easy. There was a shuttle that was waiting for me upon my arrival that transported me from the airport to the hotel. THE HOTEL!! OMG!! Let me tell you about my stay at, The Joule.

I arrived at the hotel, which is in the heart of Downtown Dallas and only a few feet away from Neiman Marcus. On the outside, the building looks sort of gothic, but, the inside is full of art! As you enter The Joule, there are mosaics that were created by California Artist, Millard Sheets. You can read more about Millard Sheets here.

After checking in with the concierge I was upgraded to a Terrace Suite. The view was AMAZING! The room was AMAZING!!! It was like a one bedroom condo. I was nervous about being on this trip alone, thousands of miles away from my family, and not knowing anyone to connect with.  However, once I walked in my room, I was in heaven!

In the bathroom there was a his and hers sink, a jacuzzi, and a glass shower. The toilet was in a small area of its on with a glass door. There was a walk-in closet with a floor length mirror and a safe that blended in with the shelf. There's also a 3-mirrored vanity that allowed me to apply my make-up and I was able to see my face from all angles. The bedroom had a velvet sofa and chair with a foot stool, a king sized bed, a 50 inch or more flat screen tv mounted on the wall, in which you had access to Apple TV and FREE on Demand movies and television shows. There was also a lot of storage space for clothes, a mini bar, refrigerator, and a balcony that allows you to look up and down Main Street.  There is also an eight foot heated pool that's on the tenth floor of the hotel and allows guests to swim over the edge of the hotel, and, if you decided to just "hang out" by the pool, there's also a bar where you can purchase a cocktail or two and enjoy the view. Let me mention that the view is gorgeous at night. The buildings along Main Street are all lit up and across the street there is a giant eyeball art piece that gives a new meaning to "ALL EYES ON ME".

I was able to take a few pictures while staying at The Joule. Check them out below. You can also book your stay,  find out more about the hotel and the mosaics by clicking the link. The Joule and Salvaging The Mosaics
















So, the next time you plan your trip to Dallas, consider booking your stay at The Joule, I promise you won't be disappointed!

Saturday, April 22, 2017

I WON!!!

I am proud and honored to announce that Cakes & Desserts by Monica,LLC has been chosen as an American Small Business Champion by SCORE and Sam’s Club.

The American Small Business Championship http://championship.score.org/ awarded this title to 102 small businesses, two in every state and the District of Columbia, for their dedication to the success of their businesses. Each state winner will be awarded a $1,000 Sam’s Club gift card, an all-expense-paid trip to a training and networking event in Dallas, TX, SCORE mentoring and publicity throughout the year. Each Champion is also eligible for one of three $25,000 grand prizes.

I am honored to have been chosen for this award. When I began my business in 2013, my dream was to open a boutique bakery. I hoped to serve the community by providing gourmet and specialty cakes and desserts. 


The prizes, training, publicity and SCORE mentoring I have been awarded will help me take my business to the next level, and better serve you, my customers. I look forward to attending the training event in Dallas, Texas, and will be sure to check back in and let you know how it goes. 


Unicorns, Rainbows, & Sparkles

Unicorns are no longer a fairytale. They've seem to become a reality with everything, literally, EVERYTHING trending on the Internet and in stores. There's unicorn bagels, unicorn poop, unicorn ice cream, unicorn macarons, unicorn snot, unicorn cakes, and Starbucks even has a limited edition Unicorn Frappuccino.

Below we've listed our favorite unicorn trend items along with some family fun activities and recipes for you to try at home.

Unicorn Poop Cookie Recipe by Nerdy Nummies


Unicorn Cake Video Tutorial by Sugar Geek Show


Unicorn Slime by Gillian Bower


VERY IMPORTANT! Gillian stresses how IMPORTANT it is to make sure that you dilute the Borax mixture PROPERLY! I mix 1 Teaspoon of Borax with 1 Cup Water! ALSO you can wear rubber gloves when mixing/playing with the slime if you don't want your skin to come into contact with Borax. ALSO wash your hands after playing with the slime! Thank you and have fun! Parental supervision recommended!



Unicorn Cupcakes Tutorial by Tikkido


Unicorn Bark Milkshake by Beth Cakes

KEEP CALM AND BE A UNICORN!!!