Something New

Alright ya’ll, in just a few short weeks I will officially be a culinary student! I’m excited and nervous at the same time.  Everytime I watch The Food Network, I realize how much I don’t know about food and cooking.  I wonder if I will have what it takes to be really good…anything less than excellent is just not acceptable.  Funny, I have a degree in Economics and a background as a business and management consultant…I am going to  be shoulder to shoulder with people who have been in the food industry their entire lives!  WOW.  Does eating food count as being in the food industry?   I think I will be a quick study (I hope). 

Right now I am enrolled in the diploma program, since getting another Bachelors for me, doesn’t make financial or common sense.  If I want to go the mile with this, I might as well go for the Masters.  But before I even think about that I want to clear his hurdle first.  So I think that what I want to do is open up my a bakery/catering business.  My plan is to use my Pure Romance and Lingerie Business to fund my schooling.  Maybe I can even work at a resturant somewhere…but I don’t know because I don’t think that would pay my bills even though I need the experience.

Okay, so I took a stab at creating my own logo for the business and here it is…let me know what you think!

Anywho, that’s what I’ve been up to.  Sorry for the sporadic blogging.  But I knew it was going to be like this, see earlier post.

And oh yeah, anyone in school knows that textbooks can be expensive (my books alone for this one class is damn near $200! I found this great site that allows you rent your books (instead of buy)…save money and save the trees at the same time! Who knew!  The site is called Chegg and you can click here to learn more.  If this saves you cash, let me know!

I hope everyone is doing well!

Adventures In Baking Part 2

I’m almost done…

Brownie Lollipops…check
Candy and Chocolate Coated Pretzels…check
Rice Treats…check

Candy Coated Walnut and Chocolate Chip cookies…check
Cupcakes…check
Tiramisu Brownie Cups…check

So I canned my plans of making the veggie bars and the chipotle chicken cornbread cups…that’s just too much work right now.

I still need to ice my cupackes with the pink champagne icing and make my mousse.  Yeah, after that I’m done. I’m only have 2 brownie pops and that’s all they are getting….a sista is tired.  But overall I have more than enough to feed 25.  I like the idea of have a whimsical platter with the brownie pops, peanut butter and chocolate chip rice treats, candy pretzels, etc… and then having a more grown-up platter with pink champagne cupcakes, toffee-walnut and pecan blondies, Tiramisu Brownie cups and chocolate covered strawberries.  The platter’s I am using are too small. I have the right size platters, but I don’t want to use those because I need them.  The platter’s I am using now, I could care less if I get them back.

When I say I am tired, I mean I am tired.  I really love doing this stuff though.  But I have a new found respect for bakers and folks who cater.  It’s about taste and presentation.  Getting it right because as I found out there are some recipes that aren’t very forgiving if you use a little too much or little of one ingredient.

As promised, here are some pics.  I don’t know if I am going to leave it in these platters or use a different one… I will figure that out tomorrow morning.

Tiramisu Brownie Cup...I don't think the whipped cream on this is going to last long...gotta think of another method

Tiramisu Brownie Cup w/ candy coated strawberries. This has Kahlua in it...makes it very yummy

Tiramisu Brownie Cup from the top. I put some dark chocolate shavings on top. hmmmm good!

So I had to fire my assistant…my gf.  She was supposed to get me some Saran Wrap from the store?  What is she doing?
Snoring!   Good help is  so hard to find…  BUT, she did stay up long enough to taste test everything!  Interesting…

Finding ME Again…

This is the second snow day, and I have been home with 4 kids for 4 straight days…school…please open tomorrow!!!

There were so many things that I used to do, that I don’t do anymore that I should start doing again.  Everyone in a while, I will realize that I lost myself…and it will take me about 1 year to realize it and then I will get back on the ball.  Well, I just had a realization!  I haven’t been doing my makeup or my hair like I used to.  Part of that is because I decided that I don’t want to wear makeup everyday and since I went natural the need to run to the hair salon at the sight of new growth has disappeared..yay!!!  BUT, I have lost track of the latest trends and am just in my own little world with kids and kids and more kids. lol.  Hmmmm….I thought I was in control of my life!? Time to get back on track.

So for the month of March, here is what I am going to do for ME:

1. Drink more water!  4-8 glasses per day.  On the days I can do 8 glasses, great! Some days I may only be able to get in 4…but I won’t kill myself over it.  Water is soo good for you.
2. Complete a 14 day fruit and veggie fast.  I did this a few years ago and my skin and everything looked so good.  I actually did 3 weeks…not sure if I can do that now though!  I will try for 2.
3. Just eat more fruit and veggies overall
4. Get my brows done.  I goto Red Door Salon to get them done, the lady does a beautiful job…I haven’t been in so long.  It’s so worth the $30 investment!!!
5. Pamper me time — 30 minutes a week on a pedicure, manicure, hair treatment, bath or something that’s just for me.
6. Stop driving! I drive too much. I think I blogged about this before.  If I can commute to work 3x a week, I am doing good
7. Get with it!  Get back into the makeup, hair and all those other things that I like. I feel a visit to the MAC counter coming on soon…
8. Finish a book.  I have 3 books that I am reading.  I just need to finish one of them.  Too much stop, start, stop again stuff going on.
9. Spend $50 on me…just because.  Just $50 without questions, without a coupon or sale (okay, maybe not without a coupon or sale) but you get the point here.
10. Do yoga or pilates 1x a week…I used to do these things and it made a difference in the way I felt.  I think I can do this just one day a week again.

Reading over this list seems so simple, but with so many things going on I will need to set aside time to do it. But I feel good just writing about it, so I know I am going to feel great doing it!  Wish me luck

Penis Confusion…

Mr. Dependable

Last night I had a Pure Romance party and I did the funniest thing.  Which is indicative of my lack of “involvement” with a penis.  I don’t think anyone noticed everyone was too busy laughing and giggling and having a good time.  Or, they did and just thought I was being funny. 

But here is what I did… I was the “bedroom accessories” demo stage and I was showing good ole’ Mr. Dependable.  Mr. Dependable is a non-vibrating dildo that is very life-like (with veins and all!) water proof and has a suction.  You can stick Mr. Dependable anywhere.  On the chair, on the wall, in the shower… You can stick him where you want him and go to town!  The suction is powerful.  So anyway, I was showing how Mr. Dependable can stick to the wall and when I stuck him to the wall, I did it with the balls up (not down).  LOL LOL.  I didn’t even realize it. I totally forgot that the testicles are under the shaft not above it…I wasn’t even thinking! LOL LOL.  I didn’t realize until I was driving home that I mounted him upside down! 

Gee…what do they expect? I’m a lesbian! LOL LOL.  Most of my parties are with straight women.  Even though we are taught to say “honey” or “partner” instead of “him” or “her”  since the ladies are straight people ask about what they can use on him, not her…  But I do have a possibility of a lesbian party as one of the ladies who was there last night sister is a lesbian.  She said they may want their own party!  Outside, I was like “ok, that sounds great, I can accomodate that, we have something for everyone” Inside, I was like yeah, baby!

I think  sometimes when I have parties I love it so much, I forget I am actually selling.  I love the education piece too as I share facts and educational information about women and their bodies and we play all sorts of fun games.  So when I am there, I really am partying.  I was probably too carried away with things to notice Mr. Dependable was upside down.  LOL.  And the ladies probably had too many Jello shots to know he was too! LOL LOL. 

My party last night went from 9pm until 12 midnight and I actually booked 5 parties.  I also play an icebreaker called “Kinky In the Dark”.  How it works is that I read of a list of “kinky” questions.  For example, I say “have you ever performed oral sex on someone while driving” if the answer is yes, you place a sweetheart (heart candy) in a cup.  There are about 30 questions and we do it with our eyes closed.  So you can’t see who is dropping hearts but you can hear it.  Everyone loves it and its just a lot of fun.  One of the questions was “have you ever had sex with someone of the same sex”…and I heard a heart drop. LOL.  I had my head down reading from the sheet, I wish I knew who dropped that heart!!

Pushing Forward…

I have been MIA for a few days, I have just been busy juggling all the ventures that I am running. My weekend started wonderfully…a simple Friday (boss was out) and I had a party Friday evening and will come to an end tomorrow (I will be working from home, which I should do any way because going to DC each day is just a waste). There is something to be said about doing what you love and just living it up. And even though it may be tiring, there is something inside that just keeps pushing you forward.

On Friday, I had my Pure Romance debut par-tay and it was hit! Despite the late start (folks on CP time…since when does 6pm mean 8pm?) And half of the folks who RSVP’ed showed (blame DC traffic)…but I still scored big time in the sales department and booked 2 other parties! I am certainly thankful to the folks who came out in the freezing cold to party. It is interesting how many women feel like they need permission to want to have a fulfilling sex life and how many think that pursing their sexual needs in their relationships is somehow taboo. On Friday night, I heard a lot of bedroom stories, and I can’t believe how many folks opened up to me in the ordering room about their private sexual life’s. Which to me, means I did a good job. I wanted people to be comfortable, relaxed and to open up .  Everyone no matter, how they came into to the party or whatever feelings they initially felt left feeling the way I had hoped. It’s amazing how many women will lay there so their partner can get satisfaction and relinquish all control and hope of being satisfied.   So Friday was a good day for me, from many different aspects.

I also got some really good designs for my company conferences happening in Charlotte and Virginia Beach, so I will begin promoting that tomorrow. My speakers are pretty much lined up, and I am hoping that this one sponsor signs on the dotted line.

Tomorrow, I am having a phone party and by all indications it will go well considering, I just pulled it together about 1 day ago. I am still learning to work my other blog, I am self-hosting it and learning all that code and techy stuff has been quite the experience. But I haven’t blew up anything yet, so I think I am doing OK   Plus, I want to take my other business completely to a blog format (and can the website) among other changes that I want to make, so this will be good practice for me.

Going back to work…I am not looking forward to.  But I know it is just a temporary means to a greater end…so I will hang in there and work rapidly to get out of there.  Like is too too short to settle for the okey doke.

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions…

I posted about me being stuck last week, and I think, finally I am starting to see the light.   I am starting to think being stuck isn’t always a bad then, especially if it causes you to pause and prevent you from making a wrong turn.

My problem, to an extent is that I try to put myself in a box.  And I can’t do that because there will never be a box that fully captures me, who I am, what I do, my interests, my goals, my dreams…  I am a constantly shifting paradigm, and, thats OK.

I may have several businesses, but I can never really be defined by one.  I am not a consultant, an event planner or a marketing expert.  Yes, I perform those functions but really at heart I am an entrepreneur, an innovator, and idea generator.  That’s who I am.

So being able to free myself of my self-imposed box really helps me to see the light shinning not too far away.  I think, i think I just may have got my mojo back.  I am working on a new venture and it is 1 in the morning.  I haven’t been up this late, this excited about anything in months.  I am reinventing myself and repositioning myself.  I am doing away with the old and embracing the new.  I told my self I would be financially independent by the age of 30, I that I will do.  I decided that it may make good financial sense to stay at my job, not only because the real work I actually do is interesting and will actually help me with my “side gigs” but also because If I can hang out for just another 18 months I will be fully vested in our 401k.  Which means that all the matching contributions my company has made is mine for the keeping and I like free money!!

One of the things that I have been researching for a few months now is becoming a consultant for one of those “sex toy party companies”.  I have been to a few parties (okay, a little more than a few), I have spent hundreds of bucks on “novelties” and I have always had a good time.  So I said, hey, I think I can do this.  In a past life I was a Director in Qualification for Mary Kay, I also was an associate for Pre Paid Legal, both of which I did very well.  Initially, I looked at Slumber Parties and Passion Parties but as luck had it I came across another company called Pure Romance.   And both me and my sweetie decided to do this together and we both love the company and have decided to give it a go.  Even though I have not officially signed up yet (will do that at the end of the week).  I have already created a blog site (I wanted a blog in addition to the company site they will provide) and set a date for a Trunk Show at my house.  When I get an idea, my time to market is rapid! LOL.

So I am excited and feeling good about 2009 and beyond.  On a whole other note,  I am also getting word that they killed Jenny in the next season of the L word.  Can’t say I will miss her, ’cause she was getting on my last nerve!  But that is still messed up.

I am starting to get really excited over here!

Happy Birthday To Her…

So tomorrow is my sunshine’s 28th birthday.  And while I think it would be pretty hard to top her birthday last year, I think I will give it a shot.  The bad news is for me that I waited too late.  I wanted to get her an iPod and Walmart has this great bundle deal available online only.  And while I could get her the iPod at the store, for just $10 more I could get her all the bells and whistles to go with the iPod, but it for sure wouldn’t be here by tomorrow.  So I guess this now becomes a Christmas present.  I also really want to get her a Manhattan Portage Messenger Bag, and there are only 5 stores in the entire state of VA that sells them.  While one isn’t too far from me, I don’t feel like braving the traffic to get there.  I will wait and order online in time for Christmas.  Plus, they have a great online selection so I can find one she would like for sure!

She has made it pretty clear that she want’s to goto Mikes, a resturant she loves.  So  will take her there for dinner.  She also has made it clear that she wants me to make her a chocolate cake with white icing, no problem.

She also is the coldest woman alive, I mean I don’t know how she lived in NY all those years.  This woman is always cold.  So I did pick her up a scarf, hat and glove set but I don’t think that will be enough.  I think I have to make her a “Winter Survival Kit” complete with gloves (long ones), a thick warm scarf, thick socks, hot cocoa and everything she would need to stay warm this winter.  And if she is still freezing, well…I did my best. I know it’s pratical gift…but is it a good gift or a corny one?

She also loves Sweet Pea scent from Bath and Body Works as well as Baby Phat Goddess scent.  I think I will swing past the store and pick the Baby Phat scent up for her as well.

I know she is off tomorrow morning, so maybe I will take off in the morning as well and treat her to either breakfast or an early lunch.  Or make her breakfast like I did last year.

I will also pick up a card for all the kids to sign too.

If anyone has any last minute ideas, please let me know.