Hat Trick Magazine Feb 2013

Inspiring Women to Succeed

Volume 2 Issue 2  February 2013

Single Girl’s Guide To Paris Dime Piece

On A Dime A Lesson In Volunteering

Ask Patti Answers Life Questions Confidence

My Hobby Became A

Business

Faceb ook M arketi ng

Tips & Trick s

Loving Yourself

& Your Body

~Äçìí Hat Trick (noun): 1. A sports metaphor for three achievements by a single player in a game. 2. A magic trick. We like to think that we are a bit of a combination of the two.

Hat Trick Strategies is a Management Consultancy firm, which offers full-service Business Change and Strategic Marketing Services. Our consultants have played a role in the delivery of some of the largest transformation programs within the UK and USA and been inside major corporations in numerous industries. They have first-hand experience of the inner workings and best practice required for a successful delivery to clients, regardless of size. Founded by a Director with a core background in complex business change - Project Management and Planning are at the forefront of all our services, which means we take the time to fully understand and assess your requirements and professionally manage to time and cost. Big 5 success rates at boutique prices.

Hat Trick Magazine is a project made possible by Hat Trick Strategies, and an extension to our dedication to philanthropy and knowledge-sharing for women. Our President joined a rewarding venture partnership in 2011, The Compassion Fashion Project (originally founded by Meredith Corning), which aided domestic violence charities with professional services and marketing. Though a meaningful project, we felt too little was being done to share essential information, inspiration and education in how to leave their circumstances and obtain independence. We love events, but knowledge is power.

With complicated and seemingly endless routes into employment, many of which offer no guarantee to an actual paid position, throw into the mix a challenging economic situation, children (or simply, life!) and it can be difficult to know what skills are valued in the workplace. For those who finally get there, how does one progress up the ladder or perhaps start a business? This magazine is our way of filling that gap, attempting to share what we know, friendly advice, inspiration and humor.

In sharing our skills and expertise, we help those ‘learning to fish’, while recognizing those who have achieved their dreams.

Our writers are internationally based and you will notice that each will write in the English diction and spelling of their region.

Thanks to our partnership with Issuu, achieved in 2012, we have grown our following, reporting 300,000 readers on average per month, spanning US, UK, France, Ireland, Netherlands and Germany, and elsewhere around the world. If you or your business would like to be featured in our magazine, or to contribute an article, please write to us via email.

Hat Trick Strategies Ltd cannot accept responsibility for unsolicited coverage made by our contributors including reviews, articles, manuscripts or photographs of products, services. While every care is taken, prices, details or availability of items are subject to change and we cannot accept responsibility for omissions or errors.

We reserve the right to publish and edit any letters or correspondence received via email, social media or other communication. Unless specifically indicated, all rights are reserved on copyright for photography, by the artist, with non-exclusive license granted to us, for which express permission has been obtained by the contributor, directly.

All advice is given in general terms or as a matter of opinion, for entertainment purposes only, and may not be exhaustive nor suitable for all situations. Always seek specialized professional advice, specifically suited to your needs.

DISTRIBUTION This publication is electronically distributed, with coverage in England, Wales, Scotland and North America and is available in print in select UK locations.

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© Hat Trick Strategies, 2013 All Rights Reserved

Team Michelle Fitz Lindsay Pullen Sarah Alt Joseph D. Phillips Charlene SanJenko Karen Salmansohn Amber Hamilton Henson Brittany Harper-De Staedtler Tanya Jackson Mina Muirhead Patricia Bayne Shalanda Turner Lisa Wynter Ann Pissard Michael Hartley Marina BerBeryan Cherie Brooks DeBurger Sorelle Amore Rosie Mazumder Manuela Wahnon Dara Avenius Christine Ritter Nina Nuru Lorraine Hill Suzanne Perry Patrick Dati Zoha Memari Lucy Drake

Editor-In-Chief & Layout Photography Editor Copy Editor Business Editor Wellness & Lifestyle Editor Self-Help Editor Home & Garden Editor Beauty Editor Food Editor Health Editor Opinion Editor Fashion Editor Product & Style Editor Contributing Designer Contributing Designer Celebrity Stye Expert Columnist Columnist Columnist and Associate Editor Columnist Associate Editor Social Media Social Media Global Planning Broadcast Media Special Advisor Fashion Writer Clairvoyant Columnist

`çåí~Åí=rë Hat Trick Strategies, Ltd Unit 4, Vista Place, Coy Pond Ingworth Road Poole, Dorset, BH12 1JY content@HatTrickMagazine.com

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Our team consists of professionals at the top of their field, many of whom can be found elsewhere online!

Please be sure to explore the hyperlinks associated with their names, for great blogs, businesses and more, from this elite and talented group!

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Cover Photography: Hat Trick Strategies.

Paris at night.

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CONTENTS From The Editor ............................................... 6 Readers Write In ............................................. 8 Paris and The Single Girl ...............................11 Like Magnolias: Quiche Recipe .....................14 Facebook Marketing Tips & Tricks 2013 ........16 I Turned My Hobby Into A Business .............26 A Twitter Story ...............................................34 Analyzing The Project’s Risks ........................38 Spotlight: Women In Leadership ....................44 The Buzz: Gossip & News Recap ...................50 Health Matters: Mina Talks Botox ..................51 Charlene SanJenko Builds Strong Women ....53 Not Salmon: Oprah Columnist Inspires Us ...60 Little Nipper Snappers Cartoon .....................61 Valentine Art by Ann ......................................62 Ask Patti: Answering Your Life Questions ..... 63 Clairvoyant Lucy Talks The Rolling Year ....... 72

CONTENTS Manuela’s Attitude of Gratitude .....................76 A Lesson In Volunteering ...............................78 Life Without Map or Parachute ......................82 What Amber Loves: Grow Food Not Lawns ..86 Posh Brats: Customer Service Revisited .......90 Baking Away Stress .......................................94 Pin Up Passion Interviews Dirty Martini .......100 Shasie’s Picks: Valentine Fashion ................102 Dime Piece On A Dime: Budgetista ............106 Confessions of A Hollywood Stylist ..............110 A Bit Quackers: Joke Book .........................118 Cake Masters Magazine (Special Insert) . .....121

We Love Hearing From YOU: content@HatTrickMagazine.com

She decided to change her life, so she did just that.

FROM THE EDITOR

Do What In this month’s issue, Brittany (Cosmetic Chemist and Beauty Editor), shares a deeply personal story from a point in her life where she found herself at a crossroads, balancing life in a new country with her husband, whilst launching her own bath and cosmetics line.

In this Facebook age, sharing the fact that you struggled, at any stage in your life, is rare. We share our best bits, the best camera angles and the highlights and joys our kids, work and pursuits bring to us and our families. This is human nature. We all want to be perceived as successful.

It takes someone very special to share the fuller picture of “overnight success.” Brittany’s business came about from emotional needs in her life.

She’s an educated, modern woman, with tenacity and desire to leave a legacy, whilst caring for her family and fulfilling other needs to occupy herself with things that can relax, fulfill and invigorate her, spiritually.

I deeply admire anyone who turns their hand at something to find a way to make a living doing exactly what they love. I wouldn’t say the services I provide are things I’m enthralled by, just things I happen to be good at and in which I have experience and training. I fell into my current specialism due to unforeseen changes to the workplace, caused by 9/11. I was a technical writer at a time when corporate America decided people could do their own writing about 60% of the time and I sheepishly admit, the career path I chose after 9/11, was primarily the winning path because it happened to pay quite well. To follow a passion, requires a lot of patience and confidence.

After the birth of my daughter, Katie, I really got into the housewife and new mommy role. Those are precious memories. Daytime TV wasn’t any better then, than it is today, so I spent a lot of my time sketching, designing and crafting. I decided to try my hand at making the Thank You notes for my daughter’s christening. I had bought the invitations for the big day from a beautiful store on State Street in Chicago, the city I lived in, at that time. I also remember the price tag ... almost $200 and worth every penny, I felt.

I’ll never forget the pink ribbon against a crisp, fine whitepaper and the perfect folds. I realised I could do that. What’s more, I realised no one could

say quite what I wanted to say, and certainly not as I could express it.

You Love

FROM THE EDITOR

Whether it’s to save a penny or two, or just to find out how something beautiful is made, for many Southern American girls, crafting is in our blood; it was a mix of those two things that got me interested.

I remember going to my book club and really lapping up the praise I got from my crew, who had received my Thank You notes. Then, one friend needed birthday invitations, another wanted custom cards to use for office stationary ... but when friends of friends and later, people I didn’t even know started asking me to make cards, a light came on and a business was born.

My training as a writer and consultant meant I knew how to get started.

Over time, my biggest customers proved to be old colleagues; men who didn’t know what or how to say the right words to various people in their lives ... So, I left boxes of cards in the lobbies of all the big firms, the main coffee shops and even this cocktail bar in the financial district, and my little business took flight. Love letters, sentiments over the birth of a baby, well wishes on a happy engagement, and pretty much just the loveliest notes to serve most life occasions are what my cards consisted of ... and then one day, I got a call that said “We want to buy your brand and your style”, and not only did I sell it off, but I stopped designing anything, completely, for years.

You might assume I became rich, but not exactly. In hindsight, it was less success and more sell-out. I remember my dad teasing about art and creative professions, noting one might as well study “underwater basket weaving”; choose something practical.

Consulting carried the respect and financial stability and I’d been taught it risky to chase dreams. Who loves their job, We Love Hearing From YOU: anyway? What a silly, misled girl. People content@HatTrickMagazine.com like I was (and, really, still am), black suit wearing, corporate types, are a dimeShe knew it would be a challenge, a-dozen. Whether it’s your and so branding or your profession, choose what represents you. We all work to live, but while you’re busy doing that, don’t quit on your ideas, values or identity. There is space for you, out there. Be a Brittany, not a Michelle.

Michelle Fitz

Editor-In-Chief

What You Said

content@hattrickmagazine.com Page 8

For 10 years, my mother lived in fear that one day my father would track us down. She left in the night with us as children and never looked back at the abuse she (and we) suffered at his hands. Shelter after shelter, we got the help we needed to make a new start. It took me years to get over it. It was the most confusing time of my life. Was it discipline or was it abuse? Did she leave to protect us or were we kidnapped?

In and out of rehab and detox facilities, repeatedly in abusive relationships - for too long I repeated it. I got sober, eventually got a job and moved up to office manager.

Because of Hat Trick, I just applied to my local community college to study an Associate’s Degree and a couple computer classes. I can do this and your honesty helped me start moving past guilt. I know now God loves me and I was meant to do good things. - Monique W., Queens

I used to think that being a single mom who had no choice but to work two jobs, meant that I was a screw up in life. Moms are key to raising a child. We all know that. I did not have it easy growing up, their father chose to never be around and I did my best. Maybe we didn’t have the white picket fence, but my triumph is through two productive children who are well-adjusted, despite it all.

- Mimi Collins, Oakland

Your magazine is fresh to death! I love all the beauty tips and the way your writers keep their products affordable when they recommend items. I also loved the business plan article and thank everybody who shares that kind of information. - Veronica Pike.

Page 9

Everyone thinks of Paris as a city for romance. Symbolised by the Eiffel Tower, perhaps the most (ahem) phallic landmark in the world, a place where lovers go to stroll and share a bottle of red - maybe even re-enact Robert Doisneau’s famous Kiss at the Hôtel de Ville.

But it’s also a great destination for solo travellers, with art, architecture and gastronomic treats that are, to my mind, even better when enjoyed without the distraction of a partner. You may find you enjoy it so much that leaving is a wrench.

Here’s why. Getting there is fantastically easy. Eurostar delivers you right into the heart of things at Gare du Nord, and if you plan a few weeks in advance, it will cost you only £59 return. Getting around is not bad either: underground, you can travel on the Metro between around 5.30am to 12.45am every day; overground, buses are much easier than in London and worth every penny for the view out of the window (Paris really is a beautiful city). Buy tickets in advance from Metro stations or tobacconists displaying the RATP sign. Le Petit Parisien (the French equivalent of our A-Z), available in bookshops and at newsstands, shows routes and stops. Once on the bus, indicator boards and good audio announcements, help to keep track of where you are.

Additionally, the French are generally accepting of lone diners – male or female – so there’s no need to skulk in your hotel room or McDonald's. For a truly gastronomic experience try L’Atelier Joël Robuchon at Hotel Pont Royal, 5 rue de Montalembert.

Robuchon is one of the country’s most famous chefs, but the atmosphere at L’Atelier is decidedly unstuffy. And with individual bar seating around the open kitchen there’s no danger of a waiter seating you behind a potted plant in a dark corner.

Being alone, you will probably want to stay somewhere fairly central. I like the Hotel Bel Ami on Rue St Benoit in St-Germain-des-Prés. Despite its modern, clean and minimalist look, it’s enjoyed previous incarnations as a print works, jazz club and, more recently, a slightly less fancy hotel than it is now. It’s in a great spot on the edge of the sixth arrondissement - famous for its religious, cultural and intellectual past. The 17th-century church of St Sulpice featured in The Da Vinci Code is here, along with Café de Flore and Les Deux Magots, the café headquarters of Sartre, Beauvoir, Gide et al. Fashion is becoming increasingly important, with upmarket boutiques and designer shops abounding.

It’s also handy for many of the city’s attractions and museums, such as the Louvre and Musée d’Orsay. My favourites include the Musée des Arts Décoratifs and Musée de

Paris And The Single Girl 1

1

Graphics & Photography by Hat Trick

By Chloe Bryan-Brown, Travel Professional Originally Featured On SimonSeeks.com

Everyone thinks of Paris as a city for romance. Symbolised by the

Eiffel Tower, perhaps the most (ahem) phallic landmark in the world, a place where lovers go to stroll and share a bottle of red - maybe even re-enact Robert Doisneau’s famous Kiss at the Hôtel de Ville.

But it’s also a great destination for solo travellers, with art, architecture and gastronomic treats that are, to my mind, even better when enjoyed without the distraction of a partner. You may find you enjoy it so much that leaving is a wrench.

Here’s why. Getting there is fantastically easy. Eurostar delivers you right into the heart of things at Gare du Nord, and if you plan a few weeks in advance, it will cost you only £59 return. Getting around is not bad either: underground, you can travel on the Metro between around 5.30am to 12.45am every day; overground, buses are much easier than in London and worth every penny for the view out of the window (Paris really is a beautiful city). Buy tickets in advance from Metro stations or tobacconists displaying the RATP sign. Le Petit Parisien (the French equivalent of our AZ), available in bookshops and at newsstands, shows routes and stops.

Once on the bus, indicator boards and good audio announcements, help to keep track of where you are.

Additionally, the French are generally accepting of lone diners – male or female – so there’s no need to skulk in your hotel room or McDonald's. For

a truly gastronomic experience try L’Atelier Joël Robuchon at Hotel Pont Royal, 5 rue de Montalembert. Robuchon is one of the country’s most famous chefs, but the atmosphere at L’Atelier is decidedly unstuffy. And with individual bar seating around the open kitchen there’s no danger of a waiter seating you behind a potted plant in a dark corner.

Being alone, you will probably want to stay somewhere fairly

central. I like the Hotel Bel Ami on Rue St Benoit in St-Germain-des-Prés.

Despite its modern, clean and minimalist look, it’s enjoyed previous incarnations as a print works, jazz club and, more recently, a slightly less fancy hotel than it is now. It’s in a great spot on the edge of the sixth arrondissement - famous for its religious, cultural and intellectual past. The 17th-century church of St Sulpice featured in The Da Vinci Code is here, along with Café de Flore and Les Deux Magots, the café headquarters of Sartre, Beauvoir, Gide et al. Fashion is becoming increasingly important, with upmarket boutiques and designer shops abounding.

It’s also handy for many of the city’s attractions and museums, such as the Louvre and Musée d’Orsay. My favourites include the Musée des Arts Décoratifs and Musée de la Mode et du Textile at 107 rue de Rivoli. Bursting with beautifully worked clothes and jewellery, these two are a real treat for anyone who appreciates ornamental and functional design (that’s gewgaws and knick-knacks to you and me): one memorable exhibition at the Musée de la Mode et du Textile included nearly 500 handbags.

And talking of handbags, no visit to Paris would be

complete without a twirl around the floors of Le Bon Marché, Paris’s oldest and most seductive department store at 22 rue de Sèvres. Shops in the trendy Marais district and Canal St-Martin area are also great for one-off clothes and accessories.

Sightseeing alone can be exhausting (you always cover more

ground than when you are with someone). So afternoon tea is a must, although, this being France you are better off with a jug of hot chocolate.

The best, in my opinion, is available from Christian Constant at 37 rue d’Assas, also in St-Germain-des-Prés. Delicately spiced and flavoured chocolate cakes and sweets can be bought here too. They make great presents if you can resist dipping in.

Like Magnolias Classic Southern American Recipes

by Tanya Jackson Food Editor

Quiche Is Riche!

Most people would not think the French had much influence on the southern part of the United States, but they did. Louisiana is a great representation of the way our friends across the pond have influenced our culture. Of course Louisiana was named after King Louis and if you have ever been to New Orleans you know of the Cajan. A hybrid of French, Indian, white & black cultures all jumbled up together. They have their own dialect, foods & definitely ways of cooking. Where we live there are only small traces of the French, mostly in names of places; Fourche, Chicot, DeGray, Glaise, Maumelle to name a few. Have you ever heard of the Petit Jean State Park? It’s a story of love and loss all from the French as they explored the territory in the 1700’s. Yes the French have made their mark in the new land, cooking is Laissez les bons temps rouler!

Quiche is what I call Find out what is in the fridge, gather eggs, cheese and make it pretty in a crust.

My favorite quiche is Quiche Lorraine. I have had this recipe a long time and every time, we love it again. The secret to awesome quiche is to let the ingredients whirl together in the fridge the night before. But hey if you are like me you run home, look in the fridge and say what the heck am I going to cook tonight?

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In January we had birthday party where we all get together and eat & visit and just laz around. As my middle daughter says, “I like it when we all get together and eat, cause then we go lay down for a nap.” We were requested to have loaded baked potatoes; and we did. Ham, shredded eggs, two kinds of shredded cheeses, sautéed onions, sautéed mushrooms, ground beef, bacon, green onions, bell peppers, cooked chicken and sour cream. Whew that was good times all right.

Then, I came home one night, found the extra pie crust in the fridge-plopped it down in my quiche pan, (don’t be intimidated by using only the pan some know-it-all tells you to use. Use what you got. It is how things are.) Bake it at 450 for 5 min. to get the crust ready. I hate soggy bottom crusts! Bring it out of oven turn down oven to 400; lay swiss cheese on bottom of crust, along with broccoli, grated cheeses, ham squares, sautéed onions, sautéed mushrooms, ground beef, cooked chicken, 2 cups of milk, if you have cream-use it- 4 eggs stirred, salt, pepper and cause I am married to a southern man, cheddar cheese on the top, cause that is the only cheese that can be substituted for the melty cheese in a box. Whew again. Cook for 40-50 minutes. I like the rim riders for the crust, because it keeps the edges from burning as you try to get all that cooked and not mushy. Let stand 5 minutes so the custard jells.

Whoo! Doggie! That is some kind of eaten’.

And I even had a little nap while it cooked.

Make a quick salad of greens & ‘maters add some bread & you got it made in the shade. And in the south that’s sumpen. (Swallow the p when say that word. See, you can do it.)

Page 15

by Michelle Fitz

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Facebook Marketing OMNPI=qáéë=C=qêáÅâë Hat Trick began offering online marketing strategy in July 2012, representing more than 40 B2B and B2C clients asking for help with social media and PPC marketing.

We’ve helped maximise Facebook Likes and increased the reach they achieve in engaging their current Likes.

Why do they bother? Why hire someone like me or advertise on a silly social network that no one heard of and certainly wouldn’t have taken seriously, 10 years ago?

Because Facebook Likes matter now, more than ever, and in the new digital marketing age. I’ve heard it more than I care to admit: “But she doesn’t even have 1,000 Likes, even though she blogs and her name is all over Google, so she must not be very good.” Likes are this decade’s version of an Amazon review or an Ebay Feedback score.

Why? Bloggers used to be people who at least had a qualification or expertise in the subject matter they were discussing. The traffic these bloggers received, often without even a quarter of the Google advertising investment of a business website, meant that businesses had to take notice and embrace this as a change to their marketing strategy.

The hard part came when everyone else clocked onto it too, and began to flood the internet with free content in their subject of choice, positioning themselves as experts on the basis of their site hit counts and blog subscribers (read: Google Adsense and link backs exchanged with other bloggers to catch up with those who entered the game years prior).

Legitimate professionals who took the time to build a real career, obtain qualifications and a real-life client base, are left to compete to get their business and skills out there in a sea of “wanna-be experts” who have more time than the average professional to weave a web presence across the countless social platforms springing up year after year.

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It’s difficult to tell who is a real professional and who is merely an unemployed dreamer with time to tinker about with SEO, write nifty musings (opinions formed via Google research) and attest expertise in subject matter for which no proper company is willing to hire them to perform. Why not? Because the moment they’re given an opportunity by someone who knows what it’s like to desperately want a chance, that loyalty is too often shown the door and your name is but a listing forever engrained on a resume (or worse, a website). Indeed, even today, opportunities still must be earned - and this is not 2007, love.

They posture as entrepreneurs, but let’s be honest, it’s been a hard economy for a long time and blogging has become this generation’s lottery ticket to a career. Can you blame them? Whole personas have been built online, in the hopes of Google-ability and maybe tinkering up a few references along the way.

Fab to show initiative, but don’t pose as something you’re not and certainly, if you call yourself a professional, be one and produce original work made by you and based on your training and experience.

Customers are tired of it and let me tell you something: as a professional who has been busy working her tail off, both with 11 years of hard grafting in the freelance world and complying with what feels like constant professional development being required to stay relevant in that field, I’m tired of it too.

So that’s the long answer in reply to why businesses bother with Facebook marketing and why smart professionals now incorporate articles into their websites (blog), to demonstrate their knowledge, demeanour and expertise.

Before I go into my Tips & Tricks, there are a few other things you need to know about Facebook. First of all, the user environment and newsfeed is upgraded once or twice a year without much consultation or announcement.

Staying on top of it all requires some time and effort on your part.

What’s changed? You know those fans you brought to your page through witty posts, hard graft and paid advertising? The fans you have been meticulously engaging and entertaining every few hours? Well, Facebook changed the newsfeed to show your posts to a fraction of the fans who liked your page; you pay to promote key posts. What’s more, negative feedback about your page will impact your page’s Edgerank score, calculated by Facebook, and even fewer fans will see your posts in the newsfeed. That was a blow which has upset a good number of the business community as it is kind of like being forced to pay twice for advertising. Since last Autumn, Facebook has slowly begun to roll out another change: a new Pages Newsfeed. With all the noise about ROI, you can appreciate why at least for now, many companies with a decent Like count, will no longer be investing in Facebook - especially not to engage with fans they proactively campaigned to obtain, in the first place.

It’s like any other form of advertising though. TV, Print, Billboards. Not every media is effective for all markets, there is no play book, and each has a price.

I think the emphasis placed upon Facebook Likes, as a means of ascertaining legitimacy, is here to stay for now; but I don’t think this is the final state of play for Facebook and therefore this article can’t be a rehash of my best tricks from 2012. Nor can you invest in Facebook as you once did in 2012 - not quite, anyway. Time to up the clever factor!

Like any interface attempting to integrate our psyche, loves, beliefs and friends, it continues to grow and evolve. They’re teetering on a fine line here. On one side, the ant farm experiment whereby we knowingly share almost everything we are doing or love, with the people we love to share the timeline that guides our lives.

On the other, you can see the gold mine that retailers and marketers have clocked onto, and could slowly tug the world toward something just a little bit like Minority Report. Not that Retina recognition marketing doesn’t sound cool, but only the consumer really has the answer to how Facebook will pan out.

For now, for those who want to understand and at least present some street credibility to perspective customers, here are some free Tips & Tricks to Facebook Marketing - as we know it today.

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First, Some FB Basics

* When someone likes or shares a post, it appears to their friends in their newsfeed. This is how a post “goes viral” and viral posts lead to free, new Likes and publicity for your brand. * There are numerous Facebook Pages called “Like Ladders” or “Silent Tagging” marketing consultants. They regularly post status updates offering businesses the opportunity to tag their FB pages. Some businesses pay to get featured, which means as part of the rules of the ladder, you must like their paid client’s pages and everyone else’s pages on the ladder. It’s a free way to get your likes built up - but manage your expectation carefully... no one wants a newsfeed full of spam. Many just unlike a few days later. Growth is slow, you clog up your own newsfeed with junk, and you risk upsetting real fans and losing likes. This can impact your score in Facebook’s new Algorithm - known as Edgerank. Repeat after me : More Harm Than Good. * When people unlike, hide a post, hide your page, or report your posts as spam, this counts negatively against your Edgerank score. That means fewer actual fans will see your posts in the newsfeed without you having to pay for them. Although Like for Like exchanges were a good concept 2009-2012, I would not recommend participating in them at this stage. * Many people set up a Facebook Profile for their business, but you want to set up a Facebook Page to get the best result. * Obtaining Likes is easy. The trick is engaging with people after they Like your page to avoid losing your reach and influence calculated by Facebook’s algorithm. * Some people will Like your page because they like content they’ve seen in the newsfeed, but many will never become a customer because of lack of targeted comms on what you have to offer and perhaps even that you are indeed a business!

Our Top 2013 Tips & Tricks You won’t find these in any dated $7.99 eBook for Kindle!

Here are some clever tricks to get your Likes up and to engage with fans, old, new and perspective, fit for 2013: 1. An image plus words and perhaps a shortened link to content to your website, will attract interest from the newsfeed and the fan’s friends more effectively than text or a simple link with auto thumbnail alone.

Fact.

2. Don’t just paste a link alone or with a photo, and run. Be engaging! Call them to action and make it urgent. “Click here for more info!” “Just 24 hours left in the sale! Act now!” these are far more effective that simply a copy paste. Instead of just seeing a photo, they’ll be more inclined to CLICK THE LINK! 3. Decide which platform will act as the starting point for driving social media traffic and originate your content there, and sync your other accounts around the web so that you only have to post content once and the rest automatically populates.

4. It’s OK to drive traffic to a Facebook page, if Likes are your objective but do try to consider driving it toward a website to remind traffic that you’re a business with more to offer than witty thoughts and amusing images.

Doing so can increase your traffic substantially (and your chances of picking up some sales). That goes for video as well, Amazon hosted, Vimeo or YouTube.

5. If you notice a particular post has performed well, people are liking and sharing and commenting like crazy, it’s worth investing a bit of money to promote it. If your fans are finding you rather clever today, there’s an excellent chance that others will see it and Like your page.

6. Similarly, you should check your statistics and if you notice you that a post you’ve paid to promote is getting negative feedback, immediately stop the ad/promotion. All you're doing is spending money to hurt your Edgerank and remember, that means that fewer existing fans will see your posts in the feed without having to pay for them.

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For Facebook Marketing 7. Did you know that effective from January 2013, your page’s cover image and all ads must comply with a new 20% text limit rule? Yes, indeed, this is another recent change and no advertisement or Facebook cover may exceed this limit; those that do are eventually found, rejected and deleted.

8. Your profile picture must be a logo, or something instantly recognisable which can distinguish you from other pages & sponsored ads, and drill into the Facebook community’s heads who you are and what represents your name. It’s worth doing now before you promote, share or pay for anything else. You want to engage fans, you want new likes, but you also must ensure that people recognise you and remember your business.

9. There is one new feature we are RAVING about to our clients and that is the brand new Nearby feature for mobile! I know, I know, another thing to monitor? Another mechanism for so-called engagement? Check ins and ratings are the name of the game, love, for 2013. Check ins are powerful tools which drive you up the searches on mobile phones of potential clients nearby now. It means that for those with a premises, new customers are made aware of who you are & where you are - and they go ahead and drop in! Yes really! Hop on board this hot feature and get ahead of others in your local area now (and take the lead on the rank). ;o) 10. Another brand new, amazing, promising gadget to hit our pages is Graph Search. So what’s the fuss? Well, Google has always indexed pages but it has been on the basis of page name, keywords in the about, your custom URL and of course the name of your page. Graph Search is a game changer because it takes all of the above and syncs it with connections to your page, to calculate suggestions to how searches actually are conducted. We’ll run some tips on this later in the year, I’m sure, but you MUST optimise your page to take full advantage of this juicy feature. Edit your basic information to include category, choose concise key words which are on point to what you’re offering, and start tagging photos with your page name.

Legal, Copyright and Liability Notice: Facebook, Edgerank, Graph Search, and other terminology are proprietary trademarks registered to Facebook, and are in no way affiliated with Hat Trick. The advice provided in this article is not exhaustive in terms of explanation and recommendations and opinions belong to the author, alone.

Page Page21 21

We watch her, that tiny girl, barely up to her coach’s chest, the one who is all cuteness and muscles, as she stands at the edge of the big, blue mat. She stands there for a moment, looking down to the other corner of the mat, and then she stands tall and signals to the judges she’s ready.

Suddenly, she takes off, this little ball of energy, performing feats of acrobatics that are unbelievable to the viewers at has Byhome.

DaraShe Avenius jumped to high heights, flipped her body in waysAssociate that seem impossible, Editor and performed with a grace, elegance and focus that is remarkable for such a young girl.

On Confidence

Who is she? She’s a gymnast performing at the summer Olympics, that bastion of athletic dedication that reminds us all of just what the human body is capable of. I was a gymnast from the age of two until fourteen. I was never in Olympic contention, but the lessons I learned from gymnastics are still with me and I want to share them with you.

1. Visualize your goal.

The young woman on the edge of the mat is taking the time to visualize her goal. She is psyching herself up and seeing herself achieve the height necessary to perform the acrobatics. When you have a goal in mind, it is important to take time to visualize your success. How many times have you gone into an interview or a client meeting and said to yourself “I WILL get this job/client”. That boost of positive thought radiates and infuses itself in your outward presentation, which others respond to. Your back gets a bit straighter, your head held a bit higher, and your face reflects your confidence.

Confidence comes from seeing yourself achieve even the most impossible-seeming goals.

2. “Your body follow yours head.”

My coach reminded me of this advice over and over, and it’s true. After all, they are connected, no? If I was on the balance beam and looked down as opposed to out and forward, it was guaranteed I’d end up falling. It seems contrary, doesn’t it? To walk on a narrow beam, one seemingly should look down to make sure one is stepping on the right path, but the gymnast trains herself to feel the beam with her foot and to utilize this touch to guide her. By looking forward and ahead, her head guides her in the way she should go. She has the confidence to know Page 22

We watch her, that tiny girl, barely up to her coach’s chest, the one who is all cuteness and muscles, as she stands at the edge of the big, blue mat. She stands there for a moment, looking down to the other corner of the mat, and then she stands tall and signals to the judges she’s ready. Suddenly, she takes off, this little ball of energy, performing feats of acrobatics that are unbelievable to the viewers at home. She has jumped to high heights, flipped her body in ways that seem impossible, and performed with a grace, elegance and focus that is remarkable for such a young girl.

Who is she? She’s a gymnast performing at the summer Olympics,

that bastion of athletic dedication that reminds us all of just what the human body is capable of. I was a gymnast from the age of two until fourteen. I was never in Olympic contention, but the lessons I learned from gymnastics are still with me and I want to share them with you.

1. Visualize your goal.

The young woman on the edge of the mat is taking the time to visualize her goal. She is psyching herself up and seeing herself achieve the height necessary to perform the acrobatics. When you have a goal in mind, it is important to take time to visualize your success. How many times have you gone into an interview or a client meeting and said to yourself “I WILL get this job/client”. That boost of positive thought radiates and infuses itself in your outward presentation, which others respond to. Your back gets a bit straighter, your head held a bit higher, and your face reflects your confidence.

Confidence comes from seeing yourself achieve even the most impossible-seeming goals.

2. “Your body follow yours head.”

My coach reminded me of this advice over and over, and it’s true. After all, they are connected, no? If I was on the balance beam and looked down as opposed to out and forward, it was guaranteed I’d end up falling. It seems contrary, doesn’t it? To walk on a narrow beam, one seemingly should look down to make sure one is stepping on the right path, but the gymnast trains herself to feel the beam with her foot and to utilize this touch to guide her.

By looking forward and ahead, her head guides her in the way she should go. She has the confidence to know that her coach has given her good guidance, and that she can walk on the balance beam without necessarily looking down. So, when you’re walking on what may seem the narrow path of life, keep looking up and forward.

Confidence comes from always looking forward and upward.

3. Fake it till you make it.

Oh, I know, that old one again, right? But do you think athletes always feel in the mood to work out and perform? No, definitely not. But they know that half the battle is just showing up to practice. They’re tired, want to go out with friends, or maybe sleep. They have homework or work to do and just don’t want to be there. But they know it’s important to just show up and fake it until they made it. And this magnificent thing happens when you just put on a smile and pretend you want to be there when you don’t – you slowly find youself actually morphing into doing a good job.

Confidence comes from feeding yourself positive messages and putting in efforts even when you aren’t quite feeling it.

4. Don’t be afraid to make a mistake.

Do you think gymnasts are born knowing how to do a back handspring? No. One has to learn it. When I first started gymnastics and was learning how to do a cartwheel, I kept falling on my head.

There’s nothing more humiliating than that! But I kept at it, adjusted my techniques through practice, and finally became excellent at the cartwheel. But I would never have become excellent at it had I not allowed myself to fall on my head more than a few times. I could have given up after the first time I fell on my head, but I didn’t. So, don’t be afraid to make a mistake. It’s all part of the learning process.

Confidence comes from making mistakes. It’s that first step that’s the scariest. Once you’ve achieved that, keep moving forward.

5. Stretch yourself.

Have you ever watched a gymnast do a split and cringe thinking about doing one yourself? Well, let me tell you a story. Whenever we did middle splits, if we weren’t pushing ourselves hard enough, the teacher would come around and lean on top of you, pushing you further into the split. The thoughts that went through my head were a combination of a strong desire to hit my teacher, throw up, cry, and scream – all at once. It was NOT a pleasant feeling in the least. But after we were let up, there was a wonderful endorphin rush that came with it and a feeling of accomplishment. Even better was the next time I would go to do a split and find myself able to go that much farther without issue.

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Confidence comes from stretching yourself and achieving goals you didn’t think were possible to achieve.

6. Strength takes time to build.

I recently went back to the gym. As a kid, I could do fifteen pullups without breaking a sweat. In fact, I made all the little boys jealous and I loved every minute of it. Who said girls can't be strong? I was going to prove them wrong! And I did. So imagine my surprise as an adult when I went back and found myself flat on my face after three pushups. Let's not even go into my complete lack of ability to do one pullup. It was embarrassing to say the least. But after going back to the gym again and again, I found myself able to do 10 and then 20 pushups with no problem.

Did I enjoy them? Of course not. But did I enjoy the results that came with them - the definition and the striated muscles and the increased ability? Yes, yes I did. But more so than that, I remembered what I loved so intensely about my body as a child - its strength. I was always amazing at how much my body could do and what it could handle. But it took time to build that strength. It definitely didn't come overnight. But as long as I kept going, those three pushups soon enough became ten and then twenty full pushups that would make an army captain proud.

Confidence comes over time from building up your strength. Have patience and keep going.

Photo: Howard Barnett

With Lisa Gair

The Yummy Yank –

How This Hobby

American food is very trendy in the UK right now. Walk down

any street in London and you will find a new shop or restaurant opening up with an American theme or menu. However, in beautiful Yorkshire, this trend has only recently started to take off. But Lisa Gair, aka The Yummy Yank, has been ahead of the trend for a while now. In fact, Lisa began introducing Yorkshire to her American delectables nearly five years ago.

Lisa bakes authentic American desserts. Yes, they are authentic, as she, herself, is American and has been living in England for 16 years. With a background in art and a love of all things food related, especially baking, The Yummy Yank grew out of her desire to combine the two. After all, baking is an art and trust us, her desserts are nothing if not art.

The Yummy Yank began as a hobby. Her local village started a farmers market and she thought it would be fun to take part. It was right up the road, meaning it was easy for Lisa to transport her baked goods. It also meant that she would probably know most of the customers. It was a win/ win situation. As she herself says, “None of my neighbours would criticise my baking to my face. After all, I live in the village, so I figured everyone would have to be polite”.

The Yummy Yank stand was there from the market’s beginning and, from the off, it was bustling. The village hall was filled with stallholders and Lisa loved the camaraderie of it all. She made cakes, cheesecakes, bars or tray bakes of all descriptions, brownies, cookies, granola and the list goes on.

Everything was sold by the slice and by the individual bar. Cookies and granola were pre-bagged. Lisa loved the buzz she felt knowing people really enjoyed her desserts. What was even better was that people were actually paying money for them. She was slowly watching her passion turn into a business.

In the early days, Lisa thought her local village market would be enough to keep her satisfied. She did not want to lose the passion of baking – a hobby she found so relaxing. For two years, the local market was enough.

Lisa baked for a week leading up to the market on the second Saturday of every month. With time though, the market grew quieter and a decision on the future of the Yummy Yank had to be made.

Turned Into A Successful

Business

Page 27

Lisa decided to set up shop at another village market. It was

outdoors with around 40 stalls. For the first time, she (and her husband who has come to be known as Mr Yummy) had to erect their own stall.

They arrived by 7am to get ready. But the hard work was paid off immediately when the onslaught of customers arrived on her first day.

They raved about the products and Lisa said it was the best ego boost possible. Plus, she nearly sold out.

New opportunities started to arise. Lisa was asked to do other markets.

Even those with existing waiting lists were making room for the Yummy Yank. Very quickly this small hobby was becoming a full time business and Lisa was baking round the clock.

Her product list became more extensive. Sticking to her signature look and taste, Lisa now makes layer cake/cheesecake combinations, which sell out quickly at every market and are her best sellers for private orders.

They tower above a British cake. These cakes aren’t made big for bragging right. These cakes are simply what she grew up with in America. Cakes like Lisa’s are in every diner across the USA. They sit in window displays at the front of the restaurants and it is this sense of drama that The Yummy Yank tries to recreate. Their mission? To grab your attention when you approach her stall.

One example of an attention grabber is their amazing Chocolate Cake/ Peanut Butter Cheesecake combination cake, which is legendary. It’s two layers of the moistest, most divine chocolate cake with two layers of a New York style peanut butter cheesecake.

It’s then frosted with rich chocolate frosting and drizzled in chocolate ganache and peanut butter, topped with peanut butter candies. This cake helped put The Yummy Yank on the map.

Word quickly spread about Chocolate Cake/Peanut Butter Cheesecake Combo Cake The Yummy Yank, including the “All American Bars”, “Red Velvet Cake/New York Cheesecake combo”, “Heaven Sent Brownies”, “Peanut Butter Brownies”, “Pecan Pie Bars” and “Butterscotch Caramel Bars”. With all the unexpected (but welcome) attention, The Yummy Yank ventured into social networking to help spread the message even further. Tweeting and posting photos to Facebook of her astounding cakes (when a cake reaches 8 layers and still slices like a masterpiece, that is astounding), Lisa began to inject a bit of American personality into everything The Yummy Yank produced. From the name “Yank”, a common term for American, to adopting her image into her logo and marketing, and incorporating a full social media marketing strategy, people began to recognise her brand and, most importantly, her cakes and bars in and around the Leeds area.

Demand grew. Moving beyond just Leeds, she now bakes her indulgent works of art for different markets, food fairs, farm shops, cafes and private orders all over the Yorkshire area and further afield as well. Bars are now sold, even available via mail, all over the country and has a very loyal following.

As her customer base has grown, so too has the creativity. One particularly outrageous and delicious dessert was created for a regular customer who couldn’t decide what flavour cake she wanted for a special birthday, so Lisa created the “Island Fantasy Cake”. It was made up of two layers of chocolate cake, two layers of banana cake, two layers of lime cake and two layers of coconut cake frosted with a creamy marshmallow frosting. Oh but it doesn’t stop there. It’s topped with toasted coconut, crushed lime crystal candy, banana chips and drizzled in chocolate ganache.

Page 29

As Lisa states, “It was a taste of the islands!” Only The

Yummy Yank can pull a cake like this off and the customer was thrilled.

When the customer sent Lisa a photo of the cake being cut, she laughed about how it looked like a machete was used.

There’s nothing she won’t try. Throw Lisa a challenge and she will rise to it.

She caters for weddings, providing dessert tables and, of course, the wedding cake. But this cake will not be a traditional wedding cake. It’s a firm no to fruitcakes. They simply aren’t American. The Yummy Yank cakes will be made of layers, not tiers, of gorgeous sponge flavours.

Lisa readily admits she is not a decorator. She doesn’t do pretty little flowers or characters, but yet, she does have a signature style of decoration.

She doesn’t work with royal icing, fondant or marzipan. She only works with authentic American frostings, true to what The Yummy Yank represents.

The Yummy Yank’s appeal lies in the woman herself. She is an honest baker making homemade spectacular cakes, which are easily recognisable and instantly devoured. Each cake or bar is delivered with a smile and, of course, the obligatory American send off, “Have a nice day”.

With The Yummy Yank growing every day, Lisa has trademarked her name, had her logo redesigned and, in February, will launch a new and improved website. The Yummy Yank is becoming a name recognised across the country. She will be taking on even more wholesale over this coming year and is now employing people as well, to help her do even more farmers markets.

Beginning as a one-woman show with a single market, the Yummy Yank has now become Lisa’s full time career, which she loves. She finds it hard to let go and allow other people to help, although she is realising she needs to for the business to grow to its full potential. She is very protective of both her recipes and the quality she provides. She sources only the best ingredients and, where possible, uses locally sourced ingredients such as Yorkshire honey from a honey farm outside of York and Yorkshire free-range eggs. This is what sets The Yummy Yank apart from others; there is no skimping on quality. New packaging for her products is next on the agenda and a cookbook will be in the future. This woman knows no boundaries and she is raring to go!

For more information, follow Lisa on Twitter (@TheYummyYank), Facebook (The Yummy Yank), her blog (www.theyummyyank.blogspot.com), or visit her website, www.theyummyyank.co.uk

Triple Chocolate Cheesecake

At an age when most women begin to think about slowing down, Lisa is going full speed ahead. She’s says it’s the most fun and rewarding thing she has ever done, albeit very hard work. It isn’t glamorous. She is covered in chocolate and flour most hours of the day.

She stands on her feet from early morning to late at night. She is selling in wind, rain, snow, sleet, freezing temperatures and the occasional sunny day. But she does it with a smile on her face and a passion that is second to none.

Yes, there are American restaurants and shops popping up across the country, but as for a Chocolate Chip Cookie Bar or a Triple Chocolate New York Cheesecake, we are scratching our heads as to who’s better to turn to than The Yummy Yank. We’ll certainly be following her every move so we can pick up one, two (or maybe even three) pieces of her Sea Salted Caramel Brownies at the nearest opportunity.

Page 31

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Some of Lisa’s most popular sellers are her range of bars.

Top Left: Peanut Butter Brownie Bottom Left: Pecan Pie Bar Top Right: The All American Bar

A Twitter Story

abial

by Sukh P ditor Careers E

A while back I decided I was going to get involved with Twitter. It was in part because the company I was working with seemed to be obsessed by it and I wanted in on the action. It was partly because I was looking for a way to connect with other people and talk about things outside of family life and kids.

That was three years ago. In the early days Twitter was a fun distraction. A way to pass the time when time allowed. I tried to find some people I thought I could connect with. Folk in the L&D field, HR field and the likes. It took time and I eventually found some few people that I started connecting with in small ways.

Page 34

From there it progressed quite rapidly. Suddenly there was a tweetup is Twitter folk who used a hashtag called #connectinghr.

There was an unconference which attracted a lot of attention. There were these blogs being written about all sorts of fascinating topics and I started paying attention to them. Even my writing in those early days was mostly just rants and the odd post about something worth talking about. #hrblogs became a core source of finding some brilliant writing.

Then there was another tweetup I decided I’d try attending, and suddenly met all these people. And that’s where life started to become really interesting. These people were actively interested in supporting each other and creating a much more refined community. It was seriously attractive and very compelling. I bonded with various other Twitter users and forged friendships with some, ongoing discussions with others and the network kept growing.

Through all this time I was encouraged. I found my voice in a world I didn’t know I was going to be part of. I grew more confident in wanting to be more involved and supportive where I could.

The time came where I felt there was enough people I had connected with that I could put forth the idea of the L&D

community to come together and forge their own path. #ldconnect and #ldblogs was born and we’ve started to really help move the L&D conversation in some interesting ways. Opportunities for partnering and progression have developed with industry bodies and groups.

Somewhere along the line I started to gain a following independent of the mutual I follow you, you follow me thing. It’s been nice to see how that happens. Sometimes I lose followers. Sometimes I gain them.

It all works itself out and I just quietly muse about the way these things unfold.

I’ve enjoyed this unfolding of Twitter life. It’s created a sense of purpose I didn’t expect to find, and a way of being I didn’t expect to be. The people are what makes it a continuing pleasure and what motivates me to keep at it.

Tonight was a chance to meet up again with people who use Twitter, and I’ll be doing it in a different way on Monday. It is affirming to know the community still wants tolve forward, and I like being part of it.

In time life will move on and other things will take priority. Until then I enjoy connecting and talking with you all who choose to honour me with your presence and dialogue.

Page 35

Working with Sukh I’m available for consultancy and associate work in the field of learning and development and positive psychology. Read on for more details…

Learning and Development. My chosen career path for the last ten years, and I’m not stopping yet. Designing and developing solutions to make workplaces successful through the skills and abilities of their people is the core role of any L&Der. I take this seriously and am actively involved in being a key part of the continuing thoughts and developments in this field. I’ve done everything from interpersonal skills training to management training to leadership development to basic behavioural skills like time management. It’s all interesting, but importantly it’s about getting it right for the business. I’ve developed L&D strategies, been involved in culture change initiatives, delivered whole programmes, and more.

Raising self awareness. This is what I live and breathe. We can all learn about ways to influence and encourage others to do things, but until you learn about your own style and what this means for you, how can you expect to do the former? In learning about your strengths, and your weaknesses, you gain strength of mind and conviction that you have a clear path ahead of you. This is what I will help with, and I’m qualified in the MBTI and 16PF to help you.

Conversation. That’s what I help to enable. I’m a collaborator, facilitator, and interested in the challenges you’re facing. Through bringing people together, ensuring the right conversation is taking place, and bringing to front of mind better ways of working with others, I want to be part of making it happen.

Making things happen. That’s what I enjoy too. People can achieve great things, either on their own or with the collaboration of people around them. I will use what I know to help you make things happen. There are good ways of achieving your goals and ambitions, and there are bad ways. The good ways mean you enjoy the work you do, you have a reason to be motivated, and the output you produce will be better. The bad ways mean none of that happens, and generally things are very selfish. I’m in the camp for doing things the right way.

I can be contacted for consultancy and associate work on any of the above. Have a look at the About Sukh page for contact details.

Sukh Pabial is a learning and development professional and if you like what he says, he writes a regular blog.

Page 36

READER QUESTIONS

Have Your Say!

We love hearing from our readers!

If you have a question or comment for one of our writers, please feel free to write to them content@HatTrickMagazine.com

Q. We want to hear your stories of triumph and achievement!

Whether it’s school, work or balancing school lunches, bedtime stories and little league games, your life is fully of wins and scheduling tricks and we want to know how you do it! Write in and be sure to sign your message in the way you would like to be credited in the magazine, including your location.

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Analyzing The Project’s Risks by: Joseph D. Phillips Business Editor

Page Page38 38

Risk is an uncertain event or condition’s outcome that may help or hinder the project’s ability to reach its objectives. You read that correctly – help or hinder. Most of us think of risk as something negative - the outcome of risk may be negative, but not always. When you invest in the stock market there’s a risk that you may lose your investment – but there’s also a risk that your investment returns a profit. The risk could go either way – up or down.

As a general rule, projects are riskiest at the beginning and less risky as the project reaches its conclusion. In other words, the closer a project gets to completing the more likely the project will actually complete and reach its objectives. This is not to say that the risks with the largest impact on the project are going to exist in the beginning of the project, but just that a project generally becomes less risky as it gains traction and moves toward completion. The concept of risk distribution is a complex topic but the idea is to visualize the peaks and valleys of risks events throughout the project and then to react to the risk events.

There are two giant categories of risk events: 1.

2.

Pure risks – these are the dangerous, negative events that may cause loss of life or limb, fire, and the old standby – acts of God. Think of a construction project and all the pure risks that can be associated with construction work. There’s no upside to a pure risks.

Business risks – these are the general risks that may have a positive or negative outcome. Examples include discounts, time saved, bonuses, loss of data, delays, and fines.

When it comes to project management most of your thinking as a project manager will be focused on the negative aspect of a risk event – but some risks may promise a positive outcome so they’re worth considering as well. I’ll talk more about risk consideration in just a moment; let’s chat about risk identification first.

Risk identification is an iterative process that happens throughout the project – always, always, be on the lookout for new risks. The initial risk identification meeting is a free-for-all. The project manager, the project team, even the key project stakeholders are involved. Through Page 39

Since planning can’t go on forever – there’s a project to complete after all – at some point the majority of the risks will be identified and the project team and the project manager can go onto qualitative risk analysis. This initial analysis of the identified list is very quick and subjective. The goal of qualitative risks is to identify which risks may have a high probability of occurring and which risks events may have a high impact on the project’s success – or both.

You can use red, amber, green, (sometimes called RAG rating), very low to very high, or do what I did in the example and just use low to high. See how it’s subjective? Some risks will be obviously low impact and/or low probability while other risks will warrant a more heated discussion among the participants that’s doing the qualitative analysis.

The result of qualitative analysis is to “qualify” the more probable and more serious risks for additional analysis. This doesn’t mean that you get to dismiss the risk events which are scored as low. All risks, including the low risks, are entered into a risk register – a database of all the risks within the project. The conditions and status are monitored as the project moves into execution. Certainly a low-level risk can change to a medium or even high-scoring risk if certain conditions in the project come true (and then someone gets to say, “I told you so.”)

Quantitative analysis aims to quantify the risk exposure and often ties a dollar amount to the risk event. The process of quantitative risk analysis isn’t as quick or nearly as subjective as qualitative risk analysis.

The project manager, project team members, risk specialists, and business analysts will take the identified risks and complete testing, Page 40

l a Re rld Wo

Real World Note: You can use the

WBS to help identify the project’s risks – in fact a similar structure can be created, it’s called the risk breakdown structure. It visualizes where risks may be lurking in the project work to create the project deliverables.

complete testing, business cases, root cause analysis, and other studies in their attempt to quantify the risks.

The results of quantitative analysis are recorded in the risk register and are usually mapped out in a quantitative risk matrix like in Figure 1.

Notice how the last column of the risk uses the abbreviation Ex$V? That means the expected monetary value of the risk event. Some risk events are negative and some are positive – the positive risks events are conditions that could, if they come true, work in the project’s favor.

The sum of the Ex$V is the risk exposure for the entire project. Now you could really fancy (or geeky) and create a quantitative risk matrix for each phase of the project.

Figure 1: Quantitative analysis qualifies the risk exposure.

The inverse of the risk exposure indicates the contingency reserve for the project. The contingency reserve is part of the project’s budget that is set aside just for the identified risk events. When I teach project management I often hear objections from class participants. They’ll say, “Wait just a minute there, professor. The actual impact of the risk events is considerably larger than the contingency reserve the matrix tells us to create.”

Exactly.

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The contingency reserve is to offset the risk exposure – not the sum of the risk impacts. We’re hedging our bets that some risk events are going to happen and that some risk events will not happen due to measures that we’ll take for to alleviate the risk impacts. An evaluation of the distribution of risk events is needed here. If our project has a risk event early in the project and that event could wreck our project’s contingency reserve that’ll help us determine what actions we could take to reduce or eliminate that risk. This is where the concept of a project is more likely to reach its objectives the closer that the project moves towards completing. If we can get by more and more risk events without them affecting the project then we’re more likely to complete the project.

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Author Bio Joseph Phillips is a leader in the project management and adult education community. He is a PMI-certified Project Management Professional, a Project+ Professional, and a Certified Technical Trainer. Phillips has consulted on project management, business analysis, and adult education for hospitals, architectural firms, manufacturers, and information technology consultancies. He’s consulted organizations on project management framework, process engineering, change management, and the principles of project management.

As a leader in adult education, Phillips has taught organizations how to successfully implement project management methodologies, information technology project management, risk management, and other courses. He has taught more than 10,000 professionals through seminars, conferences, and presentations in the United States, Belgium, Germany, France, and the Netherlands. He is a member and of the Project Management Institute and speaks often for chapter meetings throughout the world. He has taught for Columbia College Chicago, Vincennes University, and Ball State University.

Phillips is the author of several top-selling books, including IT Project Management: On Track from Start to Finish, PMP Project Management Professional Study Guide, CAPM/PMP Project Management Certification Allin-One Exam Guide, Project Management for Small Business, Vampire Management, The Lifelong Project, and others. Contact Joseph Phillips

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Page 43

Spotlight: Women Emma Warren

Emma Warren FCMA, CGMAÂ began her career as an assistant accountant for a food processing firm. She then spent 15 years in the manufacturing industry, reaching senior management level by the time she was 26 and becoming a finance director by the age of 28.

She subsequently worked as strategy adviser for, and eventually owner of, a precision engineering business.

In 2007, she set up her own company, Portfolio Directors, to provide support to ambitious entrepreneurial businesses, which she serves as managing director. As an employer, she aims to support working mothers, allowing them to work flexibly so they can juggle family commitments without guilt. She speaks below about how she has overcome challenges to achieve her success.

Juggling work and studies Working hard at the same time as studying has been one of my biggest challenges. When I studied for my CIMA qualifications I was working long days during the week then travelling from Cambridgeshire to London at the weekend for lectures, plus sitting exams every six months. Since then I’ve completed an MBA with the Open University and become a chartered director, all while holding down director level roles. The trick is to study for qualifications that and develop your role. For my MBA, for example, I chose to study modules in international enterprise (our company was being sold to an American corporation), operations management (I wanted to move over to run the factory), and creative management (I was project managing a companywide system implementation and wanted to know how to get the best out of people).

'I have been subject to discrimination but bigoted people have become more isolated' Page 44

In Leadership Brought to You By

Chartered Institute of Management Accountants cimaglobal.com/women

Working in a male dominated industry I’ve always worked in a fairly male dominated environment and I have been subject to discrimination at times. However, the most bigoted people usually had issues with lots of elements of society and I feel these types of people have become more and more isolated as the years have gone on.

I can categorically state that if I had made a big fuss over some of the issues that came up, I wouldn’t be in the role that I hold today. My view was that I could either become consumed by what someone was trying to prevent me doing or work on it in a positive way so that their irrational positioning was exposed.

There have been times when I was potentially a better candidate for a role, but wasn’t offered it because of my age. I was in my early 30s and had just got married and there was a concern that I might leave work to have children. I was always very open and honest about my intentions and often answered the unasked question by saying, ‘I do want a family, but my career is also very important to me, so I will give as much notice and be as flexible as I can to ensure that it is a good experience for me and the company’.

Getting on the board At the age of 24, I was working as part of the senior management team in a small division of a big manufacturing organisation. I was already presenting budgets and strategic plans to the main board (in a boardroom that only had a gents’ toilet!) I was headhunted for my next role by my previous boss and when she left the American parent company appointed me as finance director.

To gain a real understanding of how the business worked, I took secondments in other departments and disciplines, and I project managed the implementation of companywide manufacturing and accounting systems. The insight I gained meant I became a sounding board for my board colleagues, helping them to develop their ideas and plans.

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Learning from others I worked for a couple of extremely good leaders early in my career and they taught me the importance of setting your standards high and, more importantly, about the self control you need as a leader as you can unwittingly have a negative effect on the people around you.

We have some great female business role models, and they’re very inspiring, but I think the important thing is to be open to learning from all sorts of people. Sometimes the best lessons are from the people who are most unlike you.

'I’m a great believer in maintaining a learning culture' I’m a great believer in the importance of maintaining a learning culture. I think you develop as a leader in stages, and each change point is usually heralded by a catalytic moment. If you’re up for learning, you can move forward through each of these stages and become an inspirational leader yourself.

Focusing on solutions Women often think they’re not good enough or not ready for the move to senior management. A great quote I heard early on in my career was, ‘Why would you give anyone a position of responsibility when they’re not even taking responsibility for themselves?’

From that moment on, I realised that I was the one who had the ability to make things happen and to do that I had to take responsibility for my career. Therefore, I always encourage people to set goals, believe they can do it and – when faced with challenges – focus on the solution, not the problem.

The importance of empathy I always try not to forget what it was like on the other side of the door, when I wasn’t involved in the meetings that decide what goes on where. I believe that maintaining that empathy is what creates ‘followership’ among your team, and when your team is happy and motivated you will be more able to progress.

The strengths of women leaders I think that female managers tend to have a bit more emotional intelligence.

Since I realised (during my creative management course) that this was a strength, I’ve used it many times to sense and guide a situation. I like to call it intuitive leadership – knowing the right way to be to get the best results out of a particular situation.

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Numerous Supermarket outlets across the UK and fast food chains, including Burger King, were found to have inadvertently packaged and sold horse meat to customers, labeled and advertised merely as beef. The meat was tested to reveal equine DNA in products and was removed from consumer shelves.

In another food scandal, pork DNA has been found in allegedly halal meat used as an ingredient for muslim prisoners. The UK Ministry of Justice immediately suspended one of its suppliers upon discovery of the report.

Hillary Clinton, 65, was treated for a blood clot this month following a concussion suffered in December.

Reports indicate the surgery was successful and she has been recovering with her family at her side.

President Obama was inaugurated this month to serve his second term as President of the United States.

Beyonce sang the national anthem and faced criticism for having lip synched the performance.

David Beckham has announced he has signed with French football club Paris Saint-Germain. Taking to his Facebook page, to share with fans that he had purchased new football shirts for the children.

With a collective “yawn”, the world was made aware that Taylor Swift and British pop star Harry Styles of One Direction are now kaput. No word yet on what song Taylor will dedicate to the mop-topped Brit.

Fingers crossed it’s at least catchy.

After a string of school shootings across the US, we’ve lost count, President Barack Obama began talks with officials, experts and leaders to begin a dialogue about gun laws in the USA. The nation is currently polarized, with seemingly equal voices heard demanding controls as those who are opposed.

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LOVE THY SELF, BOTOX THY SELF? Valentine’s Day is upon us once again. The idea is nice. You have a special holiday devoted to love. It is encouraged that you shower your affection to your significant other in the form of flowers, a nice dinner and even maybe some jewelry. My husband and I have been together for almost 20 years. We rarely celebrate Valentine’s Day. This is

by Mina Muirhead, R.N. because more often than not it falls Health Editor on a week night, tables at restaurants will be hard to come by and the kids have homework anyway. The day is not just for the lover’s of the world, however. It is fun to give gifts to our children, take a box of chocolates to work. But what do we do for ourselves? I propose this Valentine’s Day is a day to celebrate our love for the body and the being that is you.

Health Matters

Taking care of your self can come in many forms, exercising, going on a mini vacation, buying a really nice bottle of wine. Let’s take a look at the most important piece of your outward appearance, your face. When you feel good about your appearance the whole world takes notice. Why? It’s all about your confidence. My 8 year old daughter came out of her room the other day dressed cute with her hair done. When I commented on how good she was looking, she said, “And I’m feeling good too!” Her confidence made her glow. Sometimes all we need is a good haircut and a fantastic outfit. But as we get older sometimes we need a bit more.

The worry and stress of our life can be etched into our faces. For instance, frown lines are common. That 1, 2 or 3 lines that are between our brows and make us look tired, mad or even mean. A lot of times this is the main reason someone will first walk into my clinic. For the client the comments are coming more frequently, “Are you ok? You look mad about something.” The Page 50

client is happy and satisfied with life and does not appreciate being seen as a negative individual.

In recent history 2 medications have been found to help soften the dynamic expression lines on our faces, Botox and Dysport. These neurotoxins have been studied intensely for over 20 years. They are safe and very effective in improving our rough edges, so to speak. Not only are they used for softening the lines on your face, but also for migraines and excessive sweating. Botox and Dysport work by blocking the acetylcholine receptors on the muscle side of the junction. When the nerve sends a signal to the muscle to contract, acetylcholine is released as before, but it can’t bind anywhere on the muscle. When the nerve impulse is temporarily halted, the muscles don’t contract. When the muscles don’t contract, the lines soften. Often times very dramatically.

One of the reasons these medications are so popular is that it is easy to hide that you have done anything at all. You can have a treatment completed on your lunch break and no on would be the wiser. The lines will continue to soften over the course of 10 days and the results will last approx 4 months, depending on the amount that you used. There are long term benefits as well. Over time the muscles, from lack of use, will continue to be weaker and therefore the lines continue to be softer.

This is one of many ways our science and technology of the day can give us a little ego boost. Dermal fillers, laser treatments, peels and even medical skin care products fall into this realm. I encourage you to celebrate this Valentine’s Day remembering how very special you are. If the love you feel for yourself comes in the form of a little Botox or Dysport, I say go for it!

Mina

Mina graduated with honors with her BSN from the University of Northern Colorado in 1997. She is a member of the American Society of Laser Medicine and Surgery. Have a question for Mina? Please write to content@HatTrickMagazine.com and include “Mina” in the subject field.

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iBuildStrongWomen Getting to the Heart of the Matter Valentine’s. For most of us Valentine’s means a nice dinner, some good

wine and hankerings for fine chocolate and sweet romance. I’m going to encourage you to expand your meaning of Valentine’s this year to include an opportunity for you to rekindle another very important relationship – the one with yourself, including your body and the life you are enjoying at this time.

Whether it’s with your mate, a good friend, yourself or your body, taking a relationship from good to great requires three key ingredients: time, space and energy.

Time: Relationships are interesting things. We wish for our relationships

to improve and pray this possibility somehow magically occurs even though we fail to schedule regular time to prioritize it. Strengthening relationships requires time – time to talk, time to laugh, time to have fun and enjoy new experiences, and time to remember why it was in the first place that this special relationship began.

Space: Relationships need space ~ breathing space. We pack our lives so full of commitments and responsibilities that require our energy and attention and hope that our relationships can thrive (let alone survive) in, around and jammed between our over-stuffed, anxiety-breeding environment. Space away from it all to decompress, re-assess, communicate and be present is critical. Exhale. Hug. Repeat.

Energy: Energy is our most valuable commodity ~ our breath, our chi, our

vibrancy. Without energy, all the money, trinkets and toys in the world mean nothing. We rush from day to day typically without adequate water, fuel and exercise expecting copious amounts of ample energy for those we love… in the home we love… doing the activities we love. Wishful thinking?

It doesn’t have to be.

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Have you ever considered that the better you feel about yourself, your body and your energy, the better, stronger and more positively you’ll contribute to a successful relationship. Let me say that again, “The more you love yourself, who you are at your core and how you feel in your own body, the more freely you’ll be able to share love with those who matter most.”

So where do we start? How about with an analogy. Your body is your vehicle in which you are meant to experience this lifetime. You only have one vehicle, and it needs to last. You can’t trade it in if something goes wrong. It’s yours to keep, and it’s yours to keep strong, energetic and as pain-free as possible. That means regular fuel and maintenance, quality care and even a little babying and polishing from time to time.

It’s time to take our concerns about fitness to the next level. Thoughts about ‘weight loss’ are so limiting. Think of the bigger picture and give yourself the solid reasons you need to stick with a consistent and accountable lifestyle of eating and movement to increase your energy, vibrancy and magnetism!

A starting point. Let’s assume your New Year’s resolutions are waning.

Here’s my Top 5 tips for getting them back on track and an invitation to join me later this month for a check-in: 1. Re-affirm the why: Anchor your commitment in a solid reason or it won’t last.

2. Re-frame your resolutions: Focus on what you can eat rather than what you can’t, on how you feel after exercise, etc.

3. Realign your success strategies: Here’s a tip – if you haven’t succeeded in January, change your strategy.

4. Realize you may need help: There’s nothing wrong for asking for a little motivation, guidance, support, expertise and accountability. A little goes a long way. I’m here to help. Most people just need a simple and doable framework, some structure in which to succeed.

5. Remember how amazing you already are! You are polishing a jewel, strengthening something that already is amazing!

In February I’ll be hosting a FREE webinar on the topic, “Stop Fighting Your Weight and Start Loving Yourself and Your Body!”. I invite you to join us for this tele-workshop. To register, please email me at charlene.sanjenko@gmail.com.

Find Out More Click Here!

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FR

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Join Charlene

Stop Fighting Your Weight and Start Loving Yourself and Your Body A Common Sense Approach to Fat Loss, Increased Energy & Maximizing Your Metabolism (not to mention your Happiness!)

February 13th 7-­‐‑8:30 pm PST February 27th 11-­‐‑12:30 pm PST Register Now: charlene.sanjenko@gmail.com

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You know her from her inspirational books and posters Karen Salmansohn, Oprah columnist and happiness guru, has launched a brand new shop and now YOU can get her best loved posters, and slogans featured on handy notebooks, mugs, tank tops and more!

Believe/Materialize Keepsake Box

Jr. Ringer Tee “More love in the world please”

Mug “The cure for procrastination is caffeination!”

Visit Karen's fabulous new shop!

Here's your chance to get some of Karen's awesome posters and slogans on everything from notebooks, to mugs to tank-tops! Treat yourself today, or share the love with somebody who deserves it!

Don't forget to check out Karen's main website NotSalmon.com for more wisdom, humor and fantastic freebies!

by Karen Salmansohn Self Help Editor

Check out Karen’s latest books for inspiration on being happy and insights and tools to break bad relationship patterns PRINCE HARMING SYNDROME & INSTANT HAPPY Page 59

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Joey Phelps & Michael Phelps Cartoonists Hat Trick Magazine

Happy Valentines’ Day Happy Are Two

Hearts

Who Share One

Soul

By Ann Pissard Graphic Artist

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by Patricia Bayne Opinion Editor

AskPatti Dear Patti, Hi Patti, my name is Tammy. I'm 17 and I'm trying to pick colleges. My dad's on my case saying I should pick a place that is good for my major but there's a problem. I don't know what I want to do yet! Money's not a problem because I've got a college fund. I don't want Ivy League and I want a balanced place. Should I just go where my friends are going?

Tammy

Tammy, Choosing one’s college is one of the most formative experiences of one’s life. Having said that, it’s not one of those decisions that can never be undone. Let me lay out some pros and cons to consider that may help you narrow down a selection. (continued) Page 62

First, how far from home do you want to be? You may think it’s no big deal whether you are an hour or a continent away, but homesickness can cause serious problems with adjustment.

Second, majors are flexible. Most students enter college not knowing what their major is, and once they figure it out, they can easily transfer to another school or program.

Third, friends can be good and friends can be not so good. I had friends who stuck together on their way to college and the ones who adopted to much of the party attitude who wound up back at home in a semester or two. Others saw those friendships dissolve when living arrangements became stressful due to immaturity or responsibility problems. It is said the best friends of your life are formed in your college years, so don’t put too much stock in choosing the same college your high school friends do. With all the social networking opportunities available, you are never more than a few clicks away from a good friend.

Choose a college that is well-accredited, comfortable and offers programs that will help you grow into a productive member of society.

There is nothing more gratifying than that.

Patti xo

Dear Patti, Patti, I've been contacted by this guy in my town who says he does modeling stuff. I checked him out and he is legit but his company supplies images of models for calendars. Guy calendars, basically, if you get my drift. I want to be a model so bad. Is this a bad idea or is work better than no work? Signed,

Olivia Stevenson, Tampa, FL

Dear Olivia, In my experience, calendar work for models falls into one of three categories: Charity work, promotional work and cheesy work for ogling.

Personally, I only did one calendar my entire career, and it was to raise money for a children’s hospital charity in Pittsburgh…. so it was for no pay. Even when you get paid, you’re looking at maybe a $50 to $75 (continued) Page 63

with limited exposure to the audience you want to reach.

That is NOT how a modeling career gets launched.

Do your homework. You live in a great area to be able to develop a career. Find a modeling agency. If one turns you down, go to the next one. And the next one. Often it’s more about your look and what they are looking for than the stereotypical straight up “model” look.

The modeling agency I worked with for more than 10 years even turned me down the first time I approached them. My hair was short and curly (think Madonna’s circa 1987). After about 10 months, the agency called me back and asked me what my hair looked like. When I told them I had grown it out, they asked me to come in, and when I did, they signed me right then. I was working the next day. From there I was in the newspaper nearly every day modeling for a major department store account in Pittsburgh, PA. Plus, I did lingerie, which paid double, so I really hit the jackpot. Taking advantage of those added opportunities is how you are able to maximize your modeling career.

In review, I’d say skip the calendar, find an agency and be PERSISTENT. A good agency will tell you what’s legit and what’s not, and will get you paid the proper going rate for your work.

Patti xo Dear Patti, I've been in a loving relationship for about a year but he's unemployed and has no drive. He's supportive and loving. I just want something more but I'm scared to throw it away. Guys like him are hard to find. I'm 26 and I know I've got my life ahead.

Help! Emma, PA Page 64

Dear Emma,

Relationships are complicated. Everyone has qualities we love and those we don’t like so much. Be careful not to attach yourself to good qualities in a partner at the expense of qualities that are not acceptable. Perhaps your man needs a little support and help and understanding. If you feel you have been there for him long enough, you're not doing yourself any favors by sticking with him. This type of unhappiness changes over time into resentment and other emotions that are quite negative and powerful. If you wish to remain friends, you would serve yourself, and him, better by being honest with yourself and letting him know you have reached your limit, and it’s time for a break.

I hope that this advise helps you. I know it's difficult to break off a relationship if you decide to go that route. If you have that urge to call him, have a plan. Call a girlfriend instead. If you are really down and need a friend….Call a friend and ask her to go to go to the latest movie or window shop at your local mall. Make a list of ALL the things that that may happen tugs at your heart strings to call him and set up plans of action. Be prepared for anything Emma. I know you say men like him are hard to find, but from my experience, there are plenty of fish in the sea. You may want to take a break from men all together fro a bit….But, once you're ready to get out there and meet new people with your friends, you just may enjoy it and have a blast! Good luck Emma….I'm rooting for you!

Patti xo

Dear Patti, I have been in the same job for 3 years and I'm stuck. I hate it. I want something more fulfilling but I don't have the courage. I've become a negative person and I'm sick of it. I've been thinking about doing meditation. Have you done it and does it work?

Jill, Virginia Beach

Dear Jill, To answer your first question, yes I've tried mediation. Meditation is a very helpful tool when it comes to centering yourself, or sorting out a complicated day. However, using words like ‘stuck’ and ‘hate’ when (continued) Page 65

describing the aspect of your life, that occupies nearly 80 percent of your energy cannot be rectified with a few moments of quiet reflection.

What meditation CAN do is to help out of this negative situation.

Change is required in order for you to grow, flourish and become the person you wish to be. Careers, friendships, relationships, addictions and even family can become toxic influences on a person. Even if a job seems unsuitable due to low pay, or other factors that may make it seem as if you cannot leave your current job…You must make a change if you want to find happiness and satisfaction. Also, making that change enables you to be yourself and present yourself more favorably when the next better opportunity comes along. Also, I'd like to suggest finding a great therapist to talk to regularly. Talk therapy is a wonderful tool to express yourself and get feedback from a neutral party. I hope you find the happiness that you're looking for, Jill.

Patti xo Patti, When you were modeling, what made you decide to stay in school? I want to be a cover girl or Victoria's secret model but my mom says if I blow off school I will regret it later.

Patricia, Los Angeles, CA * (and I love that we have the same name! You are my idol!)

Dear Patricia, I stayed in school for a couple reasons. One being I LOVE to learn just about anything! That's just my personality. If you were a fly on my wall in my home, you would catch me watching The History Channel, The Learning Channel, Discovery Network, & CNN. The other being ….

Modeling only lasts so long. Yes, companies are using older models.

But the peak of most modeling careers is most likely between the ages of 16-26. It's so important to get your education Patricia. I remember when I was in college wanting to be a Victoria's Secret model too, since I mainly modeled under garments. You have to remember….Those girls (continued) Page 66

have been to New York first, then worked over seas, back to New York, then maybe they are chosen to work for Victoria's Secret. I knew every model's name from that time period! But, heck sweetie, you're living in a MUCH better market than I was. I worked in Pittsburgh, PA mainly (I attended The University of Pittsburgh)….But I also worked in Cleveland, and Cincinnati. (ONLY for day rates) I think your Mother is correct on this one. When you get older, you'll see that your parents were only looking out for you and have good intentions for you, and are usually right. (I remember thinking,…How did they know….Then it hit me, they had MUCH more life experience!) You live in an awesome city with great agencies! So, you can attend college and model at the same time. And, don't forget, you can also take college courses online, too. I was modeling so much that I dropped down to 9 credits one semester, but then took classes in the summer to make up for that.

To succeed, it's all about time management and drive. The things that can get in your way are social media, clubbing and basically nonproductive time. I remember calling my agency all the time asking for work, so they KNEW I had the drive for modeling. I made enough money to pay for ALL my living expenses. (housing, food, electric, everything that goes along with renting an apartment.) One semester I just paid for college tuition because I had the money, and believe me, my parents could afford to pay for my education….it just made me feel good about myself being able to do this.

Please take your Mother's and my advice, and go on to college, and if an agency wants to sign you, do that, too! I wish you nothing but the best!

Patti xo

So Many Modeling and College Questions This Month! Ladies, college is only a four year experience; take opportunities as they come but always check them out and keep a fall back plan.

Patti, I have developed into a very negative person. I read your column and it helps me remember it's not just me. I grew up in a toxic house. I have had a struggle my whole life. On paper, I have the world: nice car, nice house, a boyfriend who spoils me rotten, great job, but inside, I can't be happy for others and I can't seem to shake off feelings of hate for my parents. I need help. I feel like I can't relate to people who had the perfect set up with the mom and dad who loved them and the easy ride. Can you do a top tips for ridding negativity? I'm going to be 30 this year and I want to leave it behind me.

Meredith, New South Wales - Australia

Patti xo

Dear Meredith,

I highly recommend therapy. It is a process and takes time for it to work. It's not a one shot cure all.

Think of it this way - you have collected a lifetime of emotions that make you feel the way you do. Therefore it will take a good amount of time to try to cope with your emotions and develop skills to manage them.

As we are impacted by challenging situations, we basically need tools to get through them. It's like having a tool box and we need to have the right tool for a specific situation. A good therapist helps us put tools into the tool box and teaches us which ones to use at what times.

It's important to find the right therapist for you. Shop around. Like many relationships, a good fit is the most important quality one can find in a therapist. They have to be able to communicate with you effectively, and you have to feel comfortable working with them.

Often the concept of "therapy" carries a stigma. Don't let it. There's nothing wrong with you. Plenty of people who are "healthy" use therapy to remain balanced and productive. (continued)

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As you grow older, you will begin to notice that life is speeding up.

When it comes to your parents, you have to find a way to let go of the negative feelings, and focus on the positive feelings. In situations with abuse or serious betrayals, it's understandable if the connective bonds have been broken forever. But if the problems in the relationship are forgivable, the act of forgiveness needs to be reached sooner rather than later. Time is fleeting. We only have so many days with the people we love, so it's important for us to take stock in how we wish to spend those days, and choose which memories we want to make.

Here are a few tips that may help you shed some of your negativity:

~ Smile frequently. Even if to yourself, or better yet, in a public setting.

You'll see the response, you'll get a smile back. It's an infectious cycle. ~ Connect. Join a yoga class, or a hiking club, or a place where you will connect with people or nature. Almost right away, you will bond in ways that make you feel valued. ~ Judge less. That means yourself and others. Don't be so hard on yourself. If one day doesn't go well for you, put it behind you and begin the next day positively. ~ Be spontaneous. Have lunch with a friend. Walk the park. Play tennis. Do something out of the ordinary and away from your routine to discover how liberating freedom can be.

~ Love more. Be sure to love unconditionally. Pets are a great source of unconditional love and are great listeners, too. I have two cats and they pick up on my emotions. They actually have two different personalities that foster different types of interaction, which is helpful and refreshing.

A good therapist will help you tremendously. But, always keep your appointment and develop a good working relationship with her or him. (before your appointment, jot down some things you've been thinking about so you don't forget once you're in the office) I'll be thinking of you and hoping these negative feelings go away. If after 3 weeks into therapy you still feel very negative, please see a doctor. You may be suffering from depression or another illness. But, you still should continue therapy if they do find you are suffering from depression for example. This is not uncommon, especially around your age. Good luck Meredith….I wish you happiness and peace in your life.

Patti xo

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Patti is a model and experienced counsellor with a Masters degree from the University of Pittsburg.

She welcomes questions from readers for her column, though we note that she does receive quite a few each week!

Your question will be selected and answered by Patti personally via the magazine. We request that you sign your question in the manner you wish it to be credited in the magazine.

We are happy to accept signatures using a pen name, first name only or moniker like “confused in New York� in support of your privacy. content@HatTrickMagazine.com

Lambing Season. Growing up on a farm this was a special, stressful, hope filled, sadness filled time. I will never forget the twin lambs soaked through from freezing rain that it's mother had left. Their limp grey bodies looking dead and the sound of them waking up inside our oven as they finally got warm enough and dry enough.

They both lived. It was magic. The first few days they needed feeding constantly and in spite of school, I did it. Soon they were too big and naughty for the kitchen, so into the stable they went. I feed them until they weened and they went back into the field.

People talk of "traditional food". We drank alot of milk as the goats were giving milk again, and eggs too, also lots of tea, sometimes with some whiskey in it to keep out the bitter cold. You can't wear gloves to help a ewe birth.

We would have potato's with peas and bacon, maybe Welsh rarebit.

The colours were always grey and vivid green, it was always sleeting. You couldn't feel your face. You would lift up your face and pray to no-one in particular, let this one live, this one live. Then there would be a rush of blood and a small slimy wobbly creature would enter the world.

They would ask me, always me, "will it live?" and I would know and either nod or shrug.

Nature is the best teacher of all and any book I have read never expresses what I feel about this season. It is about hope. About the fragile cold tipping point and warm flooding relief. It is the sound of lambs crying and sleet against the window.

This is the time of year to try new things, start new projects and give help and support to those creatures in your life that a little wobbly.

This time of year is hard and not everything started will be finished. Not every grand idea will pan out. That is the way of all things. Some live, some die. Morn what you must. Light a simple candle in remembrance of lost and dying dreams. Grieve them so that new dreams, new hopes can enter your life and with the warmth of your candles fading light can revive or mark it's gentle passing. It is a time to let go of "if only's" they clutter up the space inside you to create.

I asked someone yesterday, what would you do today, if you knew you were going to die tomorrow? How would it change your behaviour? Who would you want to be near?

We spend a great deal of time in life doing things that are not important. Some of them (like dishes) need to be done as part of life. However sometime we cling to things and people to "tide us over" and we do less and less of what makes us happy, because being comfortable seems less scary than actually living.

These questions (if a touch morbid) bring into focus what we really want, what and who we really hold dear. Part of my work, my life as a witch is to ask those questions, to bring new space and light to people's lives and try and get them to see the world with hope and wonder and possibilities.

The Rolling Year

by Lucy Drake Clairvoyant Columnist

Lambing Season.

Growing up on a farm

this was a special, stressful, hope filled, sadness filled time. I will never forget the twin lambs soaked through from freezing rain that it's mother had left. Their limp grey bodies looking dead and the sound of them waking up inside our oven as they finally got warm enough and dry enough. They both lived. It was magic. The first few days they needed feeding constantly and in spite of school, I did it. Soon they were too big and naughty for the kitchen, so into the stable they went. I feed them until they weened and they went back into the field.

People talk of "traditional food". We drank alot of milk as the goats were giving milk again, and eggs too, also lots of tea, sometimes with some whiskey in it to keep out the bitter cold. You can't wear gloves to help a ewe birth. We would have potato's with peas and bacon, maybe Welsh rarebit.

The colours were always grey and vivid green, it was always sleeting. You couldn't feel your face. You would lift up your face and pray to no-one in particular, let this one live, this one live. Then there would be a rush of blood and a small slimy wobbly creature would enter the world. They would ask me, always me, "will it live?" and I would know and either nod or shrug.

Nature is the best teacher of all and any book I have read never expresses what I feel about this season. It is about hope. About the fragile cold tipping point and warm flooding relief. It is the sound of lambs crying and sleet against the window.

This is the time of year to try new things, start new projects and give help and support to those creatures in your life that a little wobbly.

New Beginnings.

This time of year is hard and not everything started will be finished.

Not every grand idea will pan out. That is the way of all things.

Some live, some die. Morn what you must. Light a simple candle in remembrance of lost and dying dreams. Grieve them so that new dreams, new hopes can enter your life and with the warmth of your candles fading light can revive or mark it's gentle passing. It is a time to let go of "if only's" they clutter up the space inside you to create.

I asked someone yesterday, what would you do today, if you knew you were going to die tomorrow? How would it change your behaviour? Who would you want to be near?

We spend a great deal of time in life doing things that are not important. Some of them (like dishes) need to be done as part of life. However sometime we cling to things and people to "tide us over" and we do less and less of what makes us happy, because being comfortable seems less scary than actually living.

These questions (if a touch morbid) bring into focus what we really want, what and who we really hold dear. Part of my work, my life as a witch is to ask those questions, to bring new space and light to people's lives and try and get them to see the world with hope and wonder and possibilities.

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Lucy is a professional psychic and clairvoyant.

She welcomes questions from readers for her column, though we note that she may not answer reader questions in every column.

We request that you sign your question in the manner you wish it to be credited in the magazine, should Lucy wish to include it in a future issue.

We are happy to accept signatures using a pen name, first name only or moniker like “confused in New York� in support of your privacy. content@HatTrickMagazine.com

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a’s uel an

M

Attitude of Gratitude

By Manuela Wahnon Columnist

The Story Of A Blind Girl

I am blessed, There was a blind girl who hated herself beyond measure, to just because she was blind. She hated have Facebook friends everyone, except her loving boyfriend. in all corners of the world He was always there for her. She said This Particular Story was that if she could only see the world, Published she would marry him.

One day, someone donated a pair of on Facebook eyes to her, and then she could see this morning by my Indian everything,including her boyfriend. Her Friend, boyfriend asked her, “Now that you can Yuvraj Chauhan see the world, will you marry me?”

The girl was shocked when she saw that her boyfriend was blind too, and refused to marry him. Her boyfriend walked away in tears, and later wrote a letter to her saying: “Just take care of my eyes dear.”

This is how human brain changes when the status changed. Only few remember what life was before, and who’s always been there even in the most painful situations.

Life Is A Gift Today before you think of saying an unkind word–think of someone who can’t speak.

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Before you complain about the taste of your food–think of someone who has nothing to eat.

Before you complain about your husband or wife– think of someone who is crying out to God for a companion.

Today before you complain about life– think of someone who went too early to heaven. Before you complain about your children– think of someone who desires children but they’re barren.

Before you argue about your dirty house, someone didn't clean or sweep– think of the people who are living in the streets.

Before whining about the distance you drive– think of someone who walks the same distance with their feet.

And when you are tired and complain about your job– think of the unemployed, the disabled and those who wished they had your job.

But before you think of pointing the finger or condemning another– remember that not one of us are without sin and we all answer to one maker.

And when depressing thoughts seem to get you down– put a smile on your face and thank God you’re alive and still around.

Life is a gift –

Live it, Enjoy it, Celebrate it, and Fulfill it.

A Lesson In Volunteering

By Ann Pissard

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I am part of a small and caring group of women (Good Friends Group) who on a few specific occasions enjoy serving our local veterans at Cottage 16 in Union Grove, Wisconsin. Our mission statement is, "Full Circle Giving" Volunteering to support our Veterans.

A few years ago our Good Friends Group planned a special hot home cooked meal and brought it in. We graciously served 18 men and 3 women who all were very grateful for "our serving them!"

It was a warm summer night and the only time I brought my two Ggirls with me, which I don't normally do. But, God had other plans that night.

Now, I have to explain the personality of my two granddaughters, because it was they who made the night special and memorable.

My youngest granddaughter, Kaydence, was six then. She is a girly girl. She loves pretty “bling bling” things from her long shiny beautiful brown hair to pretty frilly pink dresses! She has a big and bright contagious smile and is always singing and dancing to anyone who will listen!

Her older sister, Ciera, then 12, is a young natural budding artist who spends her time drawing. She is a gorgeous young lady. Ciera is much more quiet and shy in her Tom boyish, sombre personality.

On that particular night both girls were at my house waiting for their grandma to come home from work. They didn't know they were coming along with me. I set the tone for a positive evening in a happy note saying, "Who wants to go to the vets with me tonight?"

Both girls jumped up and raced to put their shoes on ready to go. Kaydence was so excited and began singing, "I'm going to the vets and I get to play with the animals!" Ciera looked and smiled at me, then fell to the floor laughing knowing we weren't really going to a veterinarian. We didn't have the heart to tell her differently, yet.

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We were only fifteen minutes away from Cottage 16, Kaydence was the first to remove her seat belt and up in my face to get out of the car. You can only imagine the dumbfounded look on Kaydence’s face when we walked in and there were no animals for her to play with. But that all changed when I told her the real purpose of “volunteering’ and what we came here to do. Being the forgiving spirit she is, said, “That’s okay, I like helping in the kitchen.”

Kaydence’s second love...is playing in a kitchen. Once we were placed in our kitchen work stations, Kaydence skipped into the kitchen and found the hair nets, she quickly rolled her very long hair up into her hair net and was the first person ready to serve. She giggled as she slipped on the plastic gloves that didn’t quite fit her little hands. She giggled again as she wiggled her plastic covered hands for all to see.

The kitchen was just big enough for the two girls and four women to serve a special hot meal to our deserving service men and women this evening.

I sensed that Kaydence intended on leaving a life long impression in all the veterans hearts with her serving spirit at such a young age. She sang with such love in her soul and a skip in her walk, while serving her favorite chocolate fudge brownie, especially when they asked for seconds. It didn’t take her long to conduct herself as a professional waitress/server.

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Some how Kaydence disappeared from the kitchen as we started to put the leftover food away and cleanup in the kitchen. We heard laughing and singing in the dining room. There she was at a table with a wet dish rag... singing along with the boom box and vets while cleaning the tables. A seven year-old turned into a dancing and singing busboy. I scanned the room to see the men and woman laughing and singing along. It turned out to be a very good time for all!

After all the cleaning and fun was over we left Cottage 16 to go home. It was quiet in the car, so I had to ask what they liked about tonight.

Kaydence spoke up first singing, "I loved the cool hair net and plastic gloves, and quickly added, “Oh and the fudge brownies were the best food!" Then she added in a more serious tone, "I'm happy to meet the vets and I think they liked me too, it was a fun time!"

Then Ciera shared her calm reflective thought, "Nena, (her pet name for me because she could never pronounce grandma when she first learned to talk) my favorite part of tonight was hearing every vet saying thank you to "me" every time I "served them" there food and again when we were leaving."

She continued to ask in a misty-eyed and caring manner: "Can we please go every night to serve the vets their supper?" "I never felt all those feelings of gratitude before, it meant a lot to me and I know it must have meant a lot to them that we came to volunteer our time for them to eat tonight."

I smiled and reached over the car console to touch her arm in understanding and explained to both girls how important it is to help and volunteer not only our veterans, but anyone who needs help. Then she said embarrassingly "I didn't know that those people were called veterans." I took the opportunity to explain why and what they did in service for our country and the sacrifices they made for our freedom. Listening to my explanation both simultaneously said, "Wow, they did all that for us?"

Their happy and blessed hearts touched my soul with a deep sense of honor for Gods plan of teaching all of us on "love and service" tonight.

Life, Without Map Or Parachute

by Cherie Brooks DeBurger Opinion Columnist Without inventions where would we be?

Over the years brilliant minds have made our lives easier and saved us time and trouble with their innovative ideas. As a mother of five I couldn’t image life without a washer and dryer, a refrigerator and, maybe most importantly, the disposable diaper.

Some of the inventions that were given patents amazed me not only because of their absurdness but the fact that the inventors were worried someone else would be as twisted as they were and think of the same thing. I have to admit that some inventions leave me scratching my head and saying, “What were these people thinking?”

In August of 2005 Kimberly Clark received a patent for a special kind of diaper to help toddlers in their journey down the long and winding road of potty training. An effervescent agent was added to the diaper so basically when the wearer of the diaper urinated they would experience a popping and crackling sensation. I guess it would be like having Pop Rocks in your pants or Rice Krispies, not that I would know what that feels like I am just assuming.

Safety A Question On Some Inventions For Children

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A Life Lived Well

Regardless it wasn’t a winner and just fizzled out, pardon the pun.

by Cherie Maybe they were focusing on the wrong target Brooks market DeBurger and it could Opinion Columnist have been used as an novelty item in an adult store.

The Pros Of Cancer

There is a child's potty design that was patented in December of 2004 that works using the reward method. A motion detector is built in under the seat of the potty and when it senses movement a candy is dispensed. This is intended to reward childcome for using Lifethe doesn't with instructio and when bad. What the device properly and give incentive toboth usegood it again the makes all t in the road. I have discovered that a need arises. At first I thought it was a pretty good idea but given a physically and emotionally. This maga little more time to ponder the product a few problems canand to aid mind. strengthen, inform each one w

attempt at helping those women who against cancer.

Sometimes lau First of all eating at the potty can't be the most breast hygienic practice, In January of 2009 I hit a bump i hopefully the germophobic people reading this article regain bump and one that, until later, I would consciousness sooner than later. As well diagnosed as the fact withthat a very once aggressive the brea cancer contained and had sp kids figure out how the sensor works, and yes was you not know they will, known when I found the lump in my ar everything from toy cars and cups of juice will be poured or that even our d runs through my family dropped into the potty so they can get just one more bias; candy.

I "enterta We aren't we have father's family my mother's family would end up refilling it fifteen times a day.

Could theand inventor of ovarian and even tongue cancer. this product possibly be a dentist looking to get a few new clients?

My prognosis was not good and and intense and even then no one was After wrapping A lot of children want a dog instead of a fish or gerbil, theirmy head around outpets how for many womenWell werenow struggling argument being they can't take those little a walk. had a story of a sister, best friend, mo that has all changed with Pet Display Clothing.

Now youlifecan take battling the same threatening disea your small pet where ever you want, out with Iyou to dinner, a of us hav figured with so on many at the of breast cancer in and some country drive, or even to the grocery store.

A pros patent was issued journey.

May 1999 for a vest that a child can wear which is covered in When I was told that the biopsy plastic tubes big enough for a gerbil to run There are two wasthrough. only a mental vacation but it was wore realized theand first laugh w pockets on the vest, one opens to put the petoffinI or take that it out the other pocket holds food. Just think diagnoses of the petsI had thatgotten couldmy hair cut an my hair go down the drain along with become portable, snakes, rats, tarantulas. The on andabout on. all th Thatlist gotgoes me thinking Really, who thinks of these things? chemo. I had long thick hair down to shampoo and conditioner, haircuts an take a real vacation instead of just a m Fighting cancer gives you Page 83a type One thing you have in abundance is m

A Life Lived Well

Braces for kids usually are very expensive. There are months and months of tightening, discomfort, and even the restriction of some foods until the braces have done their job and the teeth

by Cherie Brooks DeBurger Opinion are straight and picture perfect. Of course after Columnist the braces are removed a piece of head gear has to be worn for a period of time to keep the teeth from shifting back into the unwanted position. After spending that much money to fix your child's teeth a parent would hate to see it all go to waste by not Life doesn't come with instructio wearing the headgear. Now parents can rest easy because both good and bad. What makes all t there is now a way to be sure that the headgear place. in the road.is Iinhave discovered that a physically and emotionally. This maga There is an invention called the Reminder and Enforcer strengthen, inform and aid each one w Apparatus patented in August of 1988. attempt An alarm is actually at helping those women who against breast cancer. The Sometimes lau implanted, yes surgically implanted, in the child’s mouth.

In January of 2009 I hit a bump i alarm will go off if a magnet in the headgear isn’t in place after a bump and one that, until later, I would certain amount of time. The alarm is loud enough toaannoy the diagnosed with very aggressive brea wasI’m notthinking containedwhy and had sp wearer or embarrass them if they are incancer public. known when I found the lump in my ar not program the alarm to go off when you your then runsclap through myhands, family that even our d We aren't bias;on! we have "enterta you could also use the device as a child locator.

Come

The Pros Of Cancer

father's family and my mother's family ovarian and even tongue cancer.

The invention that, in my opinion, takes the My cake prognosis is one was thatnot was good and and intense and even then patented in June of 1984 called the Tricycle Lawnmower.

Yesno it one was After wrapping my head around is exactly what it sounds like. Someoneout actually putwomen lawnmower how many were struggling had aso story a sister, friend, mo blades between the back tires of a tricycle as of their childbest rode battling the same life threatening disea around the yard they cut the grass at the same time.with Sharp I figured so many of us hav at the pros of breast cancer and some blades and a three year old; does this sound wrong to anyone journey. else??

When I was told that the biopsy was only a mental vacation but it was worebeen off I realized that the first laugh w I think some of these inventors might have on medication diagnoses I had gotten my hair cut an and if they weren’t maybe they should’ve At least this along with my been. hair go down the drain That is gottheir me thinking about all th tells our children the only thing that limits them chemo. I had long thick hair down to imagination. I can’t wait to see what the next generation comes shampoo and conditioner, haircuts an up with. take a real vacation instead of just a m Fighting cancer gives you a type Page 84 One thing you have in abundance is m

WWW.BADGIRLBOUDOIR.COM Page 85

What Loves By: Amber Hamilton Henson Home & Garden Editor Spring will be here soon. Pre-ordering of fruit trees and perusing seed catalogs has begun. Are you lucky enough to have neighbors that share plants? Are there seed swaps in your area? If you look, I think there are! You know why I think that? Because more and more, people are realizing that sustainability matters. Growing food matters. Growing lawns . . . Umm, not so much.

As a US citizen, we can be environmentally friendly and grow our food or we can grow lawns and have watermelons from the southern hemisphere of mother Earth in every grocery store during the middle of winter. We can support our celebrity television chefs that recommend eating what is seasonal, locally or we can listen to some of the other irresponsible chatter.

What chatter you ask?

Well, it has sort of stuck with me that a few months ago, I was watching a celebrity chef’s show, and the chef made a comment about using fresh berries and how great it is that they are available year ’round.

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The chef then started adding all of these strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries to the dish she was creating for the television audience. I cringed. Here in Arkansas, I know when fresh blackberries should be available.

Mid January is NOT that time. In this context, I’m using the term “chef” a bit loosely; as we’re all aware, some of those shows are as much (or more) entertainment than they are about actually creating a meaningful dialogue about food.

The truth is, buying fresh berries in Arkansas this time of year means the berries have travelled a great distance. This is not environmentally friendly. Second, during January, instead of buying these “travelled” berries, the frozen berries are usually going to taste better than the travelled because the frozen berries were picked at peak of ripeness then frozen instead of being picked early in order to accommodate travel time. Regardless, the “chef” was correct; you can, in fact, buy fresh Page 87

berries in the middle of January that have been trucked in from distant states or shipped from foreign countries.

Times have changed. I’m not that old; I’m only 34, but I’m certain that when I was a kid, we weren’t buying fresh blackberries and watermelons in January. What has caused this dramatic change in our markets? Is because we CAN, we do, despite the inferior quality compared to having local when it is in season? Are they made available to us because a few celebrity chefs tell us these things should be available whenever we want them? Despite living in a farming state, it’s astounding to me how much of the produce isn’t local or regional in our area grocery stores.

I’m aware that if you live in a Northern state and enjoy pineapple or avocados, shipping produce huge distances is the only option to get these items. So, for that, I’m grateful we live in a global economy. Enjoy your pineapples and avocados. I mean that. I enjoy mine. My complaint genuinely is with fact that local seasonality doesn’t seem to receive as much acclaim as it deserves. So, I’m asking of you and me, “When possible, can we all try to eat a bit more of what is actually ‘in season’ for our region?”

Let’s be aware of what we’re eating and where it was grown. Our choices are affecting ALL of us that share this planet.

Ok, I’m off my “seed box” for now. Well, sort of. Nevermind, there’s actually quite a bit more of being on my “seed box” to come. . .

If you’re lucky enough to have a yard, are you using any of it for garden space? Is there an edible plant in your yard? If there is even one that was planted by you, I celebrate you and your effort!

I’m not a professional gardener. However, I’m trying to be more responsible than being a “lawn-er.” I’m planting. I’m learning bit by bit, one plant at a time. YOU can do it, too!

Our old house that we sold two years ago had a few impressive garden features, especially given its small lot size. There was a huge pecan tree in the backyard, and in addition to that existing tree, during the 13 years we owned the home, we planted an apple tree, Page 88

two plum trees, multiple figs, 3 grape vines, blackberries, rosemary, and a decent size vegetable patch in addition to all of the ornamental and fragrant plantings.

This new home we purchased sits atop a hill. Gardening this space has its challenges, but I’m determined. It may take me the next 13 years to transform it, like our last house, or we may move on before it is “full,” but regardless, I know one day if/when we leave it, it i will leave knowing it has become a piece of property much improved by the addition of fruit trees and herbs and garden patches.

I truly, at a very fundamental level, think it is important to grow something you eat. Even if it is just one thing, perhaps start with planting rosemary. You’ll love having it available year ’round. Or chives; they just keep coming back. Grow something.

I’ve found this really motivating Facebook page about sustainability gardening, called Grow Food Not Lawns. I say that I’ve “found” the page, but in actuality, there are over 100,000 other people that have found it before me.

Unfortunately, Pinterest isn’t able to “pin” directly from Facebook, but I would like to share these cute images and spread a message thoroughly support, so I am adding a few of those images to this post!

As for me and my lawn? Well, there is still more than enough lawn to spare *sigh*, but we’re working on it! YaY! To date, in addition to the existing walnut tree, because we believe sustainability matters, I’m proud to say we’ve planted a few edibles: an apple tree, three types of peach trees, two grape vines, rosemary en masse, sage, chives, and roses.

Click here to read all about my peach trees and click here to see some of my rosemary and one of my uses for it.

I’ll let you know what else I plant this year. I’m thinking figs along the back fence, for sure. Do you have anything that you recommend for me, here in zone 7?

This coming Saturday, I’m attending “Organic Farming & Gardening Seminar” featuring the Nuffers of Armstead Mountain Farm and Sam Hedges, Director of Arkansas Sustainability’s Local Food Club.

Muddy hands cleanse the spirit!

Get out there, dig a hole, and get dirty!

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Posh Brats Brittany Harper-De Staedtler Beauty Editor

How To Humble An American Expat It's no huge secret that I'm an American living in the UK. I've been here for 7 years now, married to a British fellow.

This has been one of the biggest adventures of my life and sometimes I forget that when I get caught up in the day to day life stuff.

When I started Posh Brats and opened my first retail shop here in the UK I had to re-learn everything I thought I knew about sales.

I was always told I could sell dirt to ditch diggers.... and I believed that.

My experience had told me that I was good at talking to people and truly LISTENING and that I had an almost sixth sense about knowing what people wanted.

I also was full of myself (As most of us Americans are truthfully.); I believed that my Southern girl charm, warmth, and friendliness would only benefit me here in the UK. That first day I opened my shop for business; I dressed carefully and made sure I projected a professional appearance. The hair, clothing, make-up and nails were all perfect. The shop was shining and spotless. A freshly ground and brewed pot of gourmet coffee was sitting at the back waiting to be offered free to customers. Baskets of free product samples sat out waiting for enthusiastic people to snap them up.

About 4 different people came in at once and in my overblown 'Howdyya'll- Ellie Mae Clampett' kinda way I greeted everyone.

Before the words, Free Coffee, Free Samples, and Try This could leave my mouth; Every. Last. Person had hot-stepped it OUT of the shop.

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Customer Service Revisited

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I shrugged it off and waited for more people, someone else came in and the same thing happened. Then again. And Again. Finally, my husband who had been quietly sitting back by the cash register, spoke. "Sweets, maybe you're being TOO friendly?"

Too friendly? Really? In Sales? This went against everything I had learned over the years and I quickly told him he didn't know what he was talking about. After all, he's a lawyer...I'M the sales person by heart...right? By mid-morning I began to wonder if, for once, he was right. He very gently pointed out to me that as a rule British people are not terribly talkative, friendly, open or even USED to great customer service.

The fact is, bad customer service is what this country seems to run on. It's what people expect to the point of it being almost a joke. Furthermore, he pointed out to me, they aren't exactly used to full-blown American girls with syrupy Southern accents suddenly popping up in a small village in northwest England.

I was just traumatized enough by the fleeing customers to realize that perhaps he was right. When the next person came in I said "Hello, my name is Brittany. If you have any questions or need anything, please let me know." and left it at that.

The person walked a couple times around the shop picking things up and sniffing, then smiled at me and asked where in America I was from. Well then it was easy....a conversation started. A connection was made with personal details and THEN I was able to slip easily into sales mode.

It took me a few weeks but as I came to learn about different walks of British society; I also came to learn instinctively how to speak to them. As they got to know me, they encouraged more of my 'Americanism' to emerge by engaging me as a friend.

What I NEVER let go of was my level of customer service. THAT part of me was and is distinctly American and I believe it's been one of the biggest reasons Posh Brats has grown so quickly. Yes, it helps that we have amazing, natural products BUT.....always putting the customer first and speaking to them as a real person and a friend makes all the difference in the world.

A few tips I learned from inspiration author, Robin Sharma: 1. Talk To Your Customers: A problem is nothing more than an opportunity to engage and wow the people who keep you in business.

2. Say You’re Sorry: I’m a fanatic about leadership language. Words have such power. Better to just give the facts – and hold off on the emotion. But even more importantly, say “sorry” when you need to say sorry.

3. Show Your Customers a Little Humanity: Decency amidst adversity. If there is a problem you can't come to agreement on, think of the situation from their side.

Sometimes being right isn't as important as being kind and decent.

4. Go Beyond Expectations: Most businesses don’t even deliver on what they promise in their advertising and sloganeering.

Business brilliance is pretty simple. Maybe not easy. But pretty simple. And it begins with caring about the people who keep you going.

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Baking Away Stress Page 94

Brittany Harper-De Staedtler Beauty Editor

M

ost anyone that knows me even a little bit knows that I LOVE to cook. People often wonder why I chose to make soap and bath products for a living when they know how much I love to cook (and feed others).

Before I started Posh Brats, I was having a heck of a time finding work in the UK. For a short time I worked for my husband's law firm but I quickly saw that it wasn't going to work. I was too new in the country and he was too intense for me. We fought constantly and frankly...I hated the work!

So I went back home and made extra money the best way I knew how.....

Ebay and baking! I would comb thrift stores, charity sales, estate sales, car boots...just about anywhere I could find vintage clothing. Then I would bring them home, mend what needed mending...clean, press, measure, photograph and then write beautiful descriptions and list them on Ebay.

I wasn't going to get rich off it but it gave me money that was mine......Mad Money my grandmother used to call it. Just doing that made me an extra £200-£300 per week on things that probably cost me £50.00.

To do my share of household contribution....I baked. All week long I'd bake all manner of goodies... cookies, cakes, bars, candy, bread....you name it.

On the weekends I'd pack up the car, load up some folding tables with pretty tablecloths and baskets and sell my wares at church sales, flea markets and craft fairs. I developed a following and pretty soon people wanted things made for private functions. I was exhausted but it was a pretty tidy income AND I got to stay home with my then 3 year old son.

What I learned pretty quickly was once I was doing it full-time a business I didn't enjoy it as much. Perhaps if I had an actual place I could GO to do my baking there would have been more of a separation of work and home.

Having the two combined just started to stress me out. The house was too small for industrial sized sacks of ingredients, everything felt cluttered and manic. NOT a good combination for someone like me.

And I learned my lesson about keeping home and work separate. Even if you have a workshop within your home; you NEED a place where you can close the door and step back into your real life.

Baking has again become my hobby and stress-relief.

Page 95 I dust it off occasionally for special private clients and every Christmas I

On the weekends I'd pack up the car, load up some folding tables with pretty tablecloths and baskets and sell my wares at church sales, flea markets and craft fairs. I developed a following and pretty soon people wanted things made for private functions. I was exhausted but it was a pretty tidy income AND I got to stay home with my then 3 year old son.

What I learned pretty quickly was once I was doing it full-time a business I didn't enjoy it as much. Perhaps if I had an actual place I could GO to do my baking there would have been more of a separation of work and home.

Having the two combined just started to stress me out. The house was too small for industrial sized sacks of ingredients, everything felt cluttered and manic. NOT a good combination for someone like me.

And I learned my lesson about keeping home and work separate. Even if you have a workshop within your home; you NEED a place where you can close the door and step back into your real life.

Baking has again become my hobby and stress-relief.

I dust it off occasionally for special private clients and every Christmas I bake for a different charity, sell the goodies and donate the monies made.

Baking is relaxing for several reasons. There is the aromatherapy: Anytime you combine ingredients such as vanilla extract, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, chocolate and so forth.

Your house is sure to fill with a scent that reminds you of childhood, holidays, loving grandmothers, and other pleasantly nostalgic associations.

Most anyone that knows me even a little bit knows that I LOVE to cook. People often wonder why I chose to make soap and bath products for a living when they know how much I love to cook (and feed others).

Before I started Posh Brats, I was having a heck of a time finding work in the UK. For a short time I worked for my husband's law firm but I quickly saw that it wasn't going to work. I was too new in the country and he was too intense for me. We fought constantly and frankly...I hated the work!

So I went back home and made extra money the best way I knew how..... Ebay and baking! I would comb thrift stores, charity sales, estate sales, car boots...just about anywhere I could find vintage clothing. Then I would bring them home, mend what needed mending...clean, press, measure, photograph and then write beautiful descriptions and list them on Ebay.

I wasn't going to get rich off it but it gave me money that was mine......Mad Money my grandmother used to call it. Just doing that made me an extra £200-£300 per week on things that probably cost me £50.00.

To do my share of household contribution....I baked. All week long I'd bake all manner of goodies... cookies, cakes, bars, candy, bread....you name it. On the weekends I'd pack up the car, load up some folding tables with pretty tablecloths and baskets and sell my wares at church sales, flea markets and craft fairs. I developed a following and pretty soon people wanted things made for private functions. I was exhausted but it was a pretty tidy income AND I got to stay home with my then 3 year old son.

What I learned pretty quickly was once I was doing it full-time a business I didn't enjoy it as much. Perhaps if I had an actual place I could GO to do my baking there would have been more of a separation of work and home. Having the two combined just started to stress me out. The house was too small for industrial sized sacks of ingredients, everything felt cluttered and manic. NOT a good combination for someone like me.

And I learned my lesson about keeping home and work separate. Even if you have a workshop within your home; you NEED a place where you can close the door and step back into your real life.

Baking has again become my hobby and stress-relief.

I dust it off occasionally for special private clients and every Christmas I bake for a different charity, sell the goodies and donate the monies made.

Baking is relaxing for several reasons. There is the aromatherapy: Anytime you combine Page 97 ingredients such as vanilla extract, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, chocolate and so forth.

Page 98

Also, baking keeps your hands busy, making it nearly impossible to multitask. With your fingers covered in gooey dough, running to the computer to check your email is pretty much out of the question. When you are up to your elbows in batter and chocolate, you are much more inclined to let phone calls roll over into voice mail.

Simplify.....let every aspect of your life have it's own place and you will find so much peace within that.

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Love reading the Posh Brats column? Find them on the web! From amazing tips and tips on the blog, to offers and announcements you don’t want to miss a beat!

See the links below. www.herbratness.com

blog

https://twitter.com/poshbrats

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by Sorelle Amore Columnist

Click Here & Follow MY Website!

Di!y Ma!ini

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Shasie’s Picks

Follow Me: Twitter Facebook Welcome to my favorite month of the year: February! I’m a tad biased with my love of February, since it’s my birthday month! It’s also the shortest month of the year, and the month with the holiday of love: Valentine’s day! Whether you are celebrating the holiday with a significant other or your friends & family, here are my picks for your special day!

I’m going to start with your favorite little black dress to prove that you don’t need to spend a fortune to look cute this year. Mix and match with some feminine accessories and you have an inexpensive revamp to a wardrobe regular!

1.

by Shalanda Turner Fashion Editor

2.

1. New Look Tar Red Bow Front MaryJane Platform Shoes

2. Bath & Body Works Forever Red Body Lotion Page 102

2.

Stay Warm & Infuse Your Favorite, Classic LDB With A Pop Of Valentine Red 1. Women's Adi Designs Formal Gloves - Red 12" 2. Merona Red Buckle Felt Cloche

Winter Warmer

1.

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Accents

1.

2.

1.Nailwear Pro+ Nail Enamel 2. MICHAEL Michael Kors Large Pyramid-

Stud Zip Clutch Page 104

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Cosmetics

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1. Bath & Body Works Signature Collection Rollerball & Lip Wand Duo Forever Red 2. Bath & Body Works Signature Travel Size Fine Fragrance Mist Forever Red Page 105

What’s A Dime Piece?

A Perfect 10

Click Here To Find Out Page 106

About Lisa

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I'm just a lil ole married lady living in New England with my amazing husband and our 5 year old cat Mei-Ling. I have a master's degree in writing (don't laugh), so I guess that makes me some kind of academic. But I gotta tell ya, NOTHING moves me more than a killer pair of heels paired with a bright pink lip gloss!

Dime Piece On A Dime is rooted in my firm belief that every person can look her best (you decide what that is) without having to spend a lot of money to do it. I celebrity stalk as much as the next girl, but I won't ever pretend I have the $$ to do what they do. I also know myself well enough to know that I couldn’t care less about "classic pieces." I want what's cute N.O.W.! Right??!

So keep reading my posts here, and following me on twitter and Facebook to learn about beauty and fashion trends on the C.H.E.A.P! I'm new to this whole experience so I want to hear from you all day EVERYDAY. I won't sleep until I make this blog one of your routine online hot spots!

xoxo,

Lisa

It’s Not About Brands

It’s About Style

I have been IN LOVE with the faux fur vest look for months no and I've been on a hunt to find the perfect one. As a selfprofessed cheapskate $20 was my limit, so I was pumped wh saw the one below for $19.99 at H &M.

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I have been IN LOVE with the faux fur vest look for months now and I've been on a hunt to find the perfect one. As a selfprofessed cheapskate $20 was my limit, so I was pumped when I saw the one below for $19.99 at H &M.

Outfit Details: Vest H&M: $20 Turtle Neck H&M: $12 Shorts Forever21: $11 Tights Forever21: $7 Shoes Marshalls: $29 Necklace H&M: $6 Purse: H&M- $20 (On Sale), now $50.

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Marina

Confessions of A Hollywood

Stylist

By: Marina BerBeryan

Page 110 MarinaBerBeryan.com

My Amazing Mon"

Click Here!

I am a proud Armenian woman, so you can imagine how thrilled and honored I was when Hayer Magazine contacted me for a feature.

Check out the video for some behind the scenes action from this shoot!

Also, don’t miss my tips on dressing up your favorite purse over the page.

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Hollywood Style ALERT

Accesso"ze Y#r Handbags!

Take your purse to the next level by adding cute and fun embellishments. One of the super ways to style your handbag while making your personal style statement for 2013 includes these cute and stylish charms that can easily hook on to your purse/handbag.

Handbag accessories definitely bring some accent and color along. This is the perfect way to showcase your personal style. They also dress up a plain or vintage bag to switch up your look.

Another great idea is simply using vintage jewelry such as brooches, clips, pins, and event earring. There are so many styles to choose from and you’ll be spoiled for choice if you start shopping around - and at a range of prices.

Just like I accessorize my LV purse. The accessory doesn't necessarily have to mach the brand name.

For instance, if it's a Louis Vuitton bag the accessory can be a cute little teddy bear with crystals and not a Louis Vuitton charm.

The beautiful charm shown on my bag (at left) is

by I.D. X-Change and were a gift from Jaimie Hilfiger and Igal aDhal.

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Link

Page 115

A Bit Quackers

Q: What did the DNA say to the other DNA? A: Do these genes make my butt look fat?

Submit your jokes to Content@HatTrickMagazine.com

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To Do Book T ra Tickets in Pen re fill Cat Fo s od

Charlotte

Katie

Have Your Say! Write to the Editor or any of our writers on content@HatTrickMagazine.com We are also seeking an Entertainment Editor and a Technology Editor. Email us for more information.

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Bespoke Jewellery

Fully hand-crafted jewelry, custom made according to your specification in Great Britain. Beautiful custom metalwork with a focus on metal patterns combined with beads, pearls or gemstones. Completely unique Visit the website for more details on creating your Inner Fyre experience.

www.innerfyre.co.uk

Proudly Serving Scotland & The United States by Appointment For rates, bookings and enquiries, please contact us.

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B AKING ~ DECORATING ~ S H A R I N G

50

Shades of Cakes Showcase SPECIAL: Afternoon Tea with Jen

Featuring your best cakes of 2012, Interviews, Edible images feature, “fifty” cakes, Competitions and much more!

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ISSUE 6 JANUARY 2013

follow us on facebook

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From the Editor

ISSUE 6 JANUARY 2013

B AKING ~ DECORATING ~ S H A R I N G

Cake Masters January Issue Happy New Year! What a year is has been!

We wanted to do something a li8le different, and wanted this issue to be a visual delight-­‐ cakes of all colours from across the spectrum.

There are several special cake features in this issue but the best one is the 50 Shades of Cake Feature. We searched high and low for cakes to feature in what is pages of coloured cakes -­‐ we have the whole spectrum of colours, from Purple to Blue and from Green to Gold.

We hope you enjoy this feature, as it looks amazing in the magazine.

I have to say a massive thanks to Jen from Jen’s Just Desserts who is for the first Rme wriRng about her amazing cakey experiences complimented with her awesome photography, personally these are the best pages in the magazine for me.

One thing we try very hard to do is talk not only about cake, but about you -­‐ the creator.

Interview features are a must in this magazine and are a great way of geUng to know you all.

Many thanks to Molly and Richard who we have interviewed and have featured in this issue of our magazine.

We have so much planned for Cake Masters this year and we hope to have our magazines in print soon too! I really hope this does happen, it would be a dream come true to see hard copies!

Thanks to all our contributors who make the magazine simply awesome - we do have badges that you can use on your facebook page and also websites, so please do get in touch if you would like one.

Looking forward to a fantastic 2013

Rosie x

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CONTENTS

ISSUE 6 JANUARY 2013

From the Editor ~ Page 3 Your Best of 2012 Cakes ~ Page 5 Interview: Richard’s Cakes ~ Page 13 Feature: The Best 50 Shades of Grey Cakes ~ Page 16 Competition: Valentines: WIN VIP passes to Cake International ~ Page 20 Feature: Printed image cakes ~ 21 Feature: Afternoon tea with Jen ~ Page 27 Competition: Fairytale: WIN VIP passes to Cake International ~ Page 33 Feature: Winners Acceptance Speeches ~ Page 34 Tutorial: Cupcake Topper Tutorial ~ Page 39 Competition: Floral Cupcakes: Win a set of 3 topper moulds ~ Page 42 Interview: Molly’s Creative Cakes ~ Page 43 News: Snow Cakes ~ Page 49 Feature: 50 Shades of Cake 52

50 Shades of Cake

52 Printed Cake Feature

21

Award Acceptance Speeches 34

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Highlights Best of 2012 2012 was a great year for cake design and innovation.

We asked you to share your best cakes of 2012- here are a selection of some of our favourites!

By Cakes by No More Tiers (York)

By Cakey Creations Cakes

By Cakey Love

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Highlights Best of 2012

The Yellow Bee Cake Company

BEST OF THE BEST

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Highlights Best of 2012

By the Hobby Baker

By Cakes-n-Crafts

By Alicia’s Cakey Buns

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Highlights Best of 2012

By Man Bakes Cake

Heavenly D’lights

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Highlights Best of 2012

By www.cakes4celebrations.co.uk

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Highlights Best of 2012

By Magda’s Cakes

By Paul’s Creative Cakes

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Highlights Best of 2012

By Elizabeth’s Cake Emporium

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Highlights Best of 2012

By Cakes by Tony

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Interview The theme of this issue is 50 shades of cake - lots of lovely different designed cakes in an array of colours...which is coming later!

When most people hear the words 50 shades,they are of course referring to the best selling book of 2012. We think it is easy to say that the most shared fifty-cake was made by the fantastic Richards Cakes. It would only be fitting to have an interview with the man behind the cake.

MEET

RICHARD from Richard’s Cakes

The 50 cake >> 13 13

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Interview My full name is Richard Day and I am 48 years of age.

My first childhood memory was watching my mother bake and so I attempted a butterfly shaped cake at the age of 6. This was made using a chocolate flake as the centre and nestle smarties as the wings.

Above: Richard shaking hands with Prince Charles at a Princes Trust event

We have 7 people in my team.

Myself, Emma the manager, Vicky (cake decorator) , Hannah (cake decorator), Hallam (Baker), Melissa (who is front of shop, and also runs our facebook and website) and Hayden (Baker and helps with orders).

Since Melissa set up facebook less than a year ago, the power of the internet has helped us go from strength to strength with people traveling miles for cakes and classes!

We have also started selling tutorials off our website www.richardscakes.co.uk which people have found via facebook.

Richard with one of his first cakes

IniRally I worked in an elderly care home and people started asking me to make them cakes. I started making them for friends and family as a hobby and people kept telling me to start a business.

So in 1993 I was lucky enough to get a loan off the Princes Trust and opened a shop .

We have transformed our first floor into class workshops where people have travelled from as far as Athens to a8end.

About the cake...

The cake was iniRally made for the window display in the shop. It took just under an hour and a half to make and was just vanilla.

The cake was made by Emma, a pastry chef and confecRoner, who came into the shop one weekend and asked for a Saturday job -­‐ the rest is history!

Emma enjoyed the last book the most as it started to have more of a story line and you got to know the majority of the characters in more depth. It was also interesRng to see ChrisRan's side in the last chapter and we are very much hoping that E L James (the author) writes the books again from his side.

We had no idea the cake would go so viral and we were completely overwhelmed by the whole response we had. It got shared over 1500 Rmes on facebook with a total of around 13000 people liking the photo.

It has been featured in magazines, broadcasted on the radio, published on Fiey Shades of Grey facebook page and we have also done numerous phone interviews with people in the States.

Since then we have made numerous cakes for customers with the same design and with it proving that popular, also run and sold out classes on it.

Emma has won a Gold at Hotel Olympia for works in marzipan.

She has also received another Gold, 2 Silvers and 2 Bronzes for various categorys in work with marzipan, sugar paste modeling , novelty cakes and carving with lard.

<<< Emma made the 50 Shades cake

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ISSUE 6 JANUARY 2013

Interview

Meet the

Richardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cakes

team

Melissa who runs the Richardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cakes facebook page

Hannah with a cast member from Coronation Street

Emma the manager with her birthday cake

Hallam the baker with his birthday cake

Group photo - Hallam Emma, Richard and Vicky

Thank you Richard Cakes!

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Feature

50 Shades of Grey We thought that as we have talked about one of the most recognised “fifty” cakes, it would only be fair to share a couple more - here are a selection of the best!

Cake made by Rosie Cake Diva

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Feature

Cake made by OfF ThE CuFf CaKeS

Cake made by Arty Tarts

Cake made by Daisy Chain Celebration Cakes

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Feature

Cake made by Mrs. Sunshine Cakes

Cake made by Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a Cake Thing

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Feature

Cakes made by Gillâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cupcake Corner

Cake made by Eskbank Cakes

Cupcake made by Mon Cottage Cupcakes This cupcake even got a tweet from the author!

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Valentines Competition

Cake Masters has teamed up with Cake International to run a fantastic Valentines Competition! The prizes for winners of the competition in both categories are as follows:

- Two VIP passes for the winner and a friend to Cake International MANCHESTER â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Saturday 9th March 2013 - Fast Track Entry so you will be first through the door and avoid the queues - Free Show Guide - The chance to get a front row seat at the Bakery Theatre - VIP Lounge Access which includes light refreshments - The opportunity to mingle with the celebrities of the cake world in the VIP Lounge, including Marry Berry and Paul Hollywood!!

- There will be two categories in which you can enter a cake, Hobby Baker and Professional Baker.

- A hobby baker is defined as someone who has never sold a cake for money.

The reason why we have this category is to ensure we include all abilities and not only those people who bake and decorate regularly.

- You can enter a cake of any size (including a maximum of 12 decorated cupcakes or 12 cake pops) or 12 iced biscuits.

- There is only one entry per person and judging will be done by a panel of judges.

To enter please email us a good quality photo to bookings@cakemasters.co.uk with: - Your full name and Business name - Your category Hobby or Professional - Your facebook page name and website - Contact number - Optional â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Tell us a bit about your entry and the inspiration behind the design

DEADLINE: 22nd February 2013 in association with

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ISSUE 6 JANUARY 2013

Feature

Printed Cakes

Printing images onto icing is a wonderful way of decorating cakes, especially when personalising cakes.

Here are a few of best places to get your toppers printed which come recommended by you!

The Cupcake Company

partycakes4u

TipTop - Edible Cake Toppers

Simply Topps

The Cake Decorating Company

Shells Edible Cake Toppers

Or...you can print your own images!

Edible A4 Imaging Starter Printer Kit

A3 Edible Printer Imaging Starter Kit including Edible Ink

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ISSUE 6 JANUARY 2013

Feature

Printed Cakes

As well as asking you where you got your images printed, we asked the lovely community on Cake Masters, to share their best edible images cakes. Over the next few pages you will see a showcase of the best edible image cakes shared.

Starry Delights Adding small printed detail to this cake gives it the perfect finishing touch

Sugar Sweet Cakes We loved this comic cake with printed parts of comic strip across the cake- great idea!

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Fat Cakes Love the printed cut out heart placed on top of the wedding cake stunning wedding cake

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Heidiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cakes of Lechlade Loving the bright colours on this cake. The printed skyline going round the middle tier is great!

Cupcake Carousel Printed images have been used for the playing card on this superb poker cake

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Rosie Cake-Diva Printed images can be used to make personalised cakes.

We love this cake that has all the favourite books of the recipient.

Cakes by No More Tiers (York) Printed images have been used here to recreate the play tiles from an actual Mahjong set beautifully made!

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Starry Delights And last and by no means least...we have left our favourite for last. We love the use of the edible image on the camera screen, such a lovely idea!

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Feature Travel ~ Taste ~ Try

by Jennifer DeGuzman-Rolfe Jen’s Just Desserts www.jensjustdesserts.co.uk

Jennifer DeGuzman-­‐Rolfe, is an ex-­‐pat Californian foodie now based in the UK. Jennifer (known as "Jen" by her friends, and as "Jay-­‐Jay" by her family) is the owner of Jen’s Just Desserts.

Having never taken any professional culinary or baking/ decoraRng courses, nor any photography courses, Jen has been mainly self-­‐taught, but also lucky enough to learn about the fine arts of caking and photography from talented family members and dear friends. With inspiraRon from her father: Chef "Uncle Jimmy Ain't No Joke!" Jimbo, and memories of her mother's wonderful home cooked meals, it was only a ma8er of Rme before she collided with the kitchen! Jen found comfort in the kitchen just a few years ago, aeer the death of her beloved mother, and has been encouraged by loved ones to share her talents.

Jen loves being in the kitchen, baking and experimenRng with new flavours and techniques when she can. Jen has been so lucky to have traveled around the world, and is inspired by the different cultures and cuisines she has encountered, as well as by other bakers, arRsts and photographers. Jen loves that moment when simple (or someRmes not-­‐so-­‐simple) ingredients combine to create something magical, and she tries her darndest to capture that magic with her camera."

Cake Masters is lucky to have Jen come on board to share her experiences from her travels, we eagerly look forward to her monthly installments in the magazine -­‐ Welcome Jen!

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Feature Travel ~ Taste ~ Try

by Jennifer DeGuzman-Rolfe Jen’s Just Desserts www.jensjustdesserts.co.uk

A"ernoon Tea wi# Jen

Ahh… aeernoon tea, the most wonderful of BriRsh tradiRons!

Although aeernoon tea is so popular that it’s served all over the world, there is nothing quite like aeernoon tea in Britain. In my case, it’s go8a be London, baby! (and yes, ‘coz I’m a rubbish driver and it’s the next nearest big city to me that I can easily get to by train).

My love affair with aeernoon tea (I’ll shorten it to “AT” from here on in) started about a decade ago, when my mum-­‐&-­‐ dad-­‐in-­‐law gave my husband & me gie cerRficates for AT at Claridge’s. I mean, seriously laaa-­‐tea-­‐daaa… I was hooked!

It’s then been a succession of ATs all around London and the world: from the Ritz, to the Mandarin Oriental, Browns, Fortnum & Mason and even AT on safari! I’ve been to fancy ones, casual ones; even some crappy ones and yes, some that were so unremarkable that I can’t even remember them. But hopefully you’ll indulge me in my selecRon of my favourite ATs in London, which are all places that I have been lucky enough to visit recently to enjoy some amazeballs aeernoon tea.

OK, so I hate lists that start with the least-­‐best-­‐ first. So I’ll give you my favourite one now: for me, it has got to be: THE PALM COURT at the Langham Hotel.

I mean you walk in it’s like WOW! The food was even more fab and ooh, they had gin and tonic tea, along with many other tea choices and the service was great.

Firstly, they didn’t do just plain ol’ rectangle finger sandwiches; there was a decent selecRon of different kinds of savouries. (I dunno ‘bout you, but I must have savoury before sweet – is that weird?) If you’re not afflicted by this savoury-­‐before-­‐ sweet thing, not to worry, ‘coz the cake stand is served with both your sweet and savoury selecRons. Scones are provided in a separate basket when you’re ready, so they’re kept nice & warm. Not that I even needed the scones aeer sampling everything on the cake stand -­‐ get this: YOU CAN HAVE MORE! Yes, this it the bonus of aeernoon tea at most fancy-­‐ schmancy places: it is ALL-­‐YOU-­‐ CAN-­‐EAT sandwiches and scones! Some places even offer you addiRonal pieces of the mini-­‐desserts/tarts/cakes, etc!

Speaking of the desserts at the Palm Court…definitely a case of tasted as good as they looked.

They provided a great mix of tradiRonal types of mini-­‐cakes, fancy religieuse, jelly-­‐mousse things and of course, a macaron.

When people ask me to recommend where they should go for AT in London, the Palm Court is always first on my list!

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Feature Travel ~ Taste ~ Try

by Jennifer DeGuzman-Rolfe Jen’s Just Desserts www.jensjustdesserts.co.uk

Next on my list of faves has got to be a Re between BEA’S OF BLOOMSBURY & the ‘PRET-­‐A-­‐ PORTEA’ at the Berkeley Hotel. If you know both of these places, you might think I’m a lil’ nutso to say they’re as ‘good’ as each other. But that’s just it; they are very different establishments, but, when considering the food, service and ambiance, well, they are both just as fabulous as each other, but in different ways.

So I went to Bea’s with friends visiRng from out of town (well, Prague, to be exact) and I knew they’d likely be in casual aUre aeer doing the tourist-­‐y things ‘round town, so there was no way we were going anywhere with a dress code.

A few people had raved about

Bea’s, so I tried to book a table at their Holborn locaRon. Li8le did I know that even this most casual of tea establishments had NO AVAILABILITY!?! (Oh yes, please note that some London AT places will require at least a few weeks, if not months, of advanced-­‐booking).

But the lovely woman who answered the phone said: “Just walk in, I’m sure we’ll be able to seat you, but you may have to wait.” No kidding – we arrived at around 4:30 PM, and it was PACKED! Then, aeer us, the queue just grew and grew, certainly a testament to its popularity, well, and the fact that there were literally only maybe a dozen tables.

At least we got to ogle the goodies before we were sat, which was only like a 15-­‐20 minute wait. There’s

nothing too fancy on the menu and I did love the homemade appeal of all the goodies on offer. The tea selecRon isn’t 10 pages long, but what you do get for ‘only’ around 20 GBP per person (which is about half the price of the fancy ATs) is your choice of cupcakes, scones, mini-­‐dessert bites, and anything else you may wish to order a la carte. The staff were super-­‐sweet and you can really enjoy a relaxing AT experience in your jeans and tennis shoes. Ooh almost forgot to menRon ‘coz I only recently found this out – that Bea is none other than Bea Vo of Asia de Cuba and Nobu, both of which I LOOOVE, but that aside, her cupcakes are yumm-­‐ azeballs and my friends and I who tea’d there all agreed that Bea’s scones were the best/lightest/

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Travel ~ Taste ~ Try

PRET-­‐A-­‐PORTEA’ at the Berkeley Hotel 30 30

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Feature Travel ~ Taste ~ Try

by Jennifer DeGuzman-Rolfe Jen’s Just Desserts www.jensjustdesserts.co.uk

As for the ‘PRET-­‐A-­‐PORTEA’ at the Berkeley Hotel, well, wowza, what a very unique, fashion-­‐y and delicious experience! I had seen a friend's snaps of her birthday AT held there and whilst all the pix of ‘Pret-­‐a-­‐Portea’ look incredible, a part of me did wonder if it would taste as good as it looked. I was not disappointed! This is one of the most fabulous AT establishments where it’s “all you can eat sandwiches and all you can drink tea.” I was not limited to just one tea choice and the lovely waiter who served me kept asking if I wanted more sandwiches, or if I wanted to try another type of tea.

Whilst the sandwiches and tea were yummy and filling, it wasn’t unRl the cake stand arrived with the three Rers of addiRonal savoury bites, plus two Rers of the “fabulous darling!” creaRons that I was truly wowed. The menu described every scrumpRous morsel and explained the designer associated to each item. The cool thing is that as the seasons/ collecRons change, so does the assortment of sweets. But you don’t need to be into fashion to enjoy this experience. There were families there, couples, and most notably, a number of mothers with their daughters sharing AT together. It’s definitely somewhere I would have loved to take my own mom. Unlike some of the other hotels offering AT, there was no rush to leave so they could make room for the next booking, and you do get to take home some of the non-­‐perishable goodies you aren’t able to finish in a gorgeous hot pink “to go” box.

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Feature Travel ~ Taste ~ Try

by Jennifer DeGuzman-Rolfe Jen’s Just Desserts www.jensjustdesserts.co.uk

Last on this list, but definitely not ‘least’ is AT at THE ATHENAEUM HOTEL. What’s their claim to fame? As it says on their site: “Our sumptuous aeernoon tea scooped the Tea Guild's presRgious award for "Top London Aeernoon Tea 2012".

Considered the 'Oscars' of the tea world, we competed against world-­‐famous London hotels and tea rooms and gained the Rtle having impressed the judges.”

OK, their tea was awesome! It really did feel like an exclusive seUng for AT as there are far fewer tables at the Athenaeum, but each space really felt quite private. The AT is not convenRonally served; there is no cake stand with various layers of different, dainty savoury and sweet items. You are hand-­‐served a selecRon of sandwiches (again, all you can eat!), then scones are served next.

Then, if you can even eat any more, a humongous dessert cart is wheeled towards you so you can select your own sweets and cakes. I somehow staggered through to this course and did manage to cram in a good selecRon of some yummy treats.

I have this on my list because I do hold stock in the Tea Guild’s awards; they did award Best Aeernoon Tea in London to The Palm Court at the Langham Hotel in 2011, aeer all.

I, for one, hope the tradiRon of aeernoon tea never ends. In this fast-­‐paced world, where it’s all “go! go! go!” it’s such an indulgence to sit, relax and enjoy a leisurely, delicious, someRmes decadent experience. Whilst some may be put off by the prices of some of the higher-­‐end ATs in London, just know that there are less expensive alternaRves and great offers to be had from various websites. You will also be given enough to eat to feed you for lunch AND dinner. Eventually, all this aeernoon tea-­‐ing inspired me to host my own aeernoon teas at home!

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in association with

Cake Masters has teamed up with Cake International to run a fantastic Fairytale Competition! The prizes for winners of the competition in both categories are as follows: - Two VIP passes for the winner and a friend to Cake International LONDON â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Saturday 13th April 2013 - Fast Track Entry so you will be first through the door and avoid the queues - Free Show Guide - Chance to get a front row seat at the Bakery Theatre - VIP Lounge Access which includes light refreshments - The opportunity to mingle with the celebrities of the cake world in the VIP Lounge, including Marry Berry and Paul Hollywood!!

- There will be two categories in which you can enter a cake, Hobby Baker and Professional Baker.

- A hobby baker is defined as someone who has never sold a cake for money.

The reason why we have this category is to ensure we include all abilities and not only those people who bake and decorate regularly.

- You can enter a cake of any size (including a maximum of 12 decorated cupcakes or 12 cake pops) or 12 iced biscuits.

- There is only one entry per person and judging will be done by a panel of judges.

The cake must have a fairytale theme.

To enter please email us a good quality photo to bookings@cakemasters.co.uk with: - Your full name - Your category Hobby or Professional - Your facebook page name and website - Contact number - Optional â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Tell us a bit about your entry and the inspiration behind the design

DEADLINE: 31st March 2013 33

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Winners Acceptance Speeches

We at Cake Masters have been amazed by some of baking and caking talent out there and awarded some super talented ladies our Cake Masters 2012 Awards.

We announced the winners in our December magazine and thought it would be a lovely idea to have some acceptance speeches from our winners.

Lesley Wright @ The Royal Bakery - Personality Award 2012 I started The Royal Bakery Facebook page after I made my husband a Father's Day cake. A few of my friends asked me how I'd made it, so I wrote a very quick, and not very good, tutorial and published it on my Page.

Now I create free tutorials as often as I can, and occasionally write up something longer and more specialized for my online shop.

The cakes I make are only for friends at the moment, but the California state cottage food law was passed last last year, so I am hoping to start a licensed home bakery very soon!

I am utterly thrilled to be the recipient of the Personality of the Year Award! I'm lucky that I don't have a 'proper' job and can devote lots of time to my Facebook Page and the people that hang out with me there. It is very humbling to know that people went out of their way to nominate me for the award, I can't quite believe they see me as a personality! My Page has a theme every day, where we have fun, share our work, pause for thought and stir up some drama.

Nicola Tomkinson Sweet Creation - Special Mention Award 2012 Thank you for my award , What a truly amazing achievement My very first award since becoming a cake baker and decorator 5 years ago , Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to say a huge thanks to Allison Henry from Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Eat Cupcakes for spreading the word about what I had done. She really got me this award and I am truly grateful. Secondly I'd like to say a massive thank you to my staff Sarah and Luke, some of the wedding cakes achieved wouldn't have happened with out them. I was just personally honoured we managed to help so many brides with their cakes on their special day no thanks to the wedding company brides of Portsmouth going bust. I'd also like to say a huge thank you to my husband Stuart Tomkinson because with out him I wouldn't have been able to work the long hours to make the wonderful designs for my special brides and lastly Cake Masters for my award :)

I couldn't do what I do without the support of my husband Neil, and my son Will, who have learnt that saying, 'what's for dinner?' isn't always the best idea on a Friday night at 6pm. My mummy is my biggest fan and goes to any lengths to send me cake goodies from the UK that I can't buy here. I must mention my fave cake girls, Peggy, Yahaira, Isabelle and Joanne, who I've never met, but can rely on for top cake talk at any time of the day or night!

Thank you so much, Cake Masters, for rounding of 2012 in such a fabulous way for The Royal Bakery!

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Speeches

Winners Acceptance

ISSUE 6 JANUARY 2013

Lou Lou P’s Delights - Cake Pop Award 2012 I am a baker going by the name of Miss Insomnia Tulip AKA Lou Lou P’s Delights.

Like many of us my Grandparents were my baking Inspiration, both village bakers during the Second World War. Learning all the traditional techniques from them as I grew up this has given me a firm grounding on which to base the creative pieces I now create. In fact I still use my Grandmothers Mason Cash ceramic bowl that has to be well over seventy years old. Indeed it is only recently that I have relented and brought myself a mixer, for years I worked exclusively by hand and still do a lot of the time.

Whilst I have been baking all my life it was only a few years ago my amazing friend Nicolette Wells suggested I shared some of my work on Facebook. The reception was incredible and I became part of an online baking community that helped me build my confidence and portfolio of work. I have now been baking for little under a year and can’t imagine doing anything else for a living.

I enjoy applying the techniques and disciplines I learned from my fine arts background to my treats, especially my trademark cake pops. I see each of my pops as their own individual tiny sculpture, each with its very own individual personality. In fact my portraits of key players in the Leveson Inquiry featured in the Guardian and on Have I Got News For You. I am so thrilled that others seem like them too, and to win an award for them is both humbling and exhilarating at the same time. For me it was never about winning awards, so for something to happen so organically makes it even more special to me.

There are too many people who deserve a massive thank you and hope they know who they are? All my Facebook ‘fans’ and customers are of course very important to me and played the pivotal role in driving my business forward. Valeri & Christina from Queen of Hearts, they were the first girls I ‘bumped’ into online – although we have yet to meet in person they continue to offer support and are always there to offer advice and give me a shove. ‘Love Laura Lane’ ,‘Emily Made a Wish’ and ‘Jen’s Just Desserts’ raised my profile by sharing my work in the early days, and continue to do so, so massive hugs to them. Not forgetting ‘CakeMasters’ of course who expose my offerings to thousands who continue to give me the confidence to try new ideas.

I have to reserve a special Thank You to PR goddess Miss Cakehead and all my ‘Eat Your Heart Out’ colleagues, there are too many to name check so I hope they don’t mind me referring to them en masse? Life wasn’t brilliant until I bumped into this crowd, then things changed dramatically. Working with them offers boundless opportunity and is both inspirational and fun. Often challenging our work certainly isn’t to everyone’s taste, but it definitely gets people talking.

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Seeing that this is an acceptance speech, I cannot help myself...I have to pepper (or ice) it with Academy Award acceptance speeches...for these are the Oscars of the cake world!

Firstly, you asked about a brief introduction about me and my business. I quote Hillary Swank from the 2005 Academy Awards; "I'm just a girl from a trailer park who had a dream. I never thought this would ever happen."

Okay, I never lived in a trailer park...well, I did once, after my house washed away in a flood during 1996, but I have always had more than one dream. This one I have been pursuing for the past 5 years. I started off a business making 'picture cakes' (the ones with edible printed paper), and this evolved into experimental baking, lots of flops, batter on the ceiling and an absolute hate of baking...which turned out to be a false hate. I started making cupcake wrappers using exquisite imported paper...but I missed baking. I didn't miss 'ordinary baking', I missed the freedom of making a hundred mistakes to come up with a gem. So it started...why should anyone have to endure what I had to go through when I could write them the tutorial?

How do I feel about winning this award? Well...I quote Sally Field from her 1985 Academy Award acceptance speech; "I haven't had an orthodox career and I wanted more than anything to have your respect. The first time I didn't feel it, but this time I feel it and I can't deny the fact that you like me - right now, you like me!" It is nice...it is more than nice...it is very special to me!! It reminds me that I am not just a girl in a South African outpost messing around with colours and textures and cakes and stuff! It means that people all over the world who may be stuck in a position where they cannot express themselves or be creative now have an opportunity to do so without going to the expense I had to. I love that...from Belgrade to Moscow to London to Los Angeles...everyone can have a Giraffe in their lounge or a garden in their cake...even if they cannot have a real one.

Speeches

Cakes and Cookies Cupcake Wrappers - Creative Award 2012

Winners Acceptance

ISSUE 6 JANUARY 2013

Any people I would like to thank? There are plenty of those...Mr. Mark Elliot Zuckerberg for inventing Facebook (the platform enabling me to share my ideas with you), Mr. Defy for making my oven, Mr. Bosch for my mixer, Mr. Golden Cloud for the flour, Ms. Chicken for the eggs, Mr. Royal for the baking powder...my mom (Milly) and dad for liking each other enough to have me...my Producer, (Karel du Toit), My Scientist (Karel du Toit), My Agent, (myself), My 25 year old daughter Sarah who started my love of baking, Mr. Sunshine for my garden (which serves as great inspiration), and my three cats for running away when the mixer explodes...and then licking up the residue without complaining.

To quote Gwyneth Paltrow; "I don't feel very deserving of this in your presence." But...it is nice!

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Rosie Cake Diva - Wedding Cake Award 2012 Gosh…. It’s hard to know where to start in thanking people for my AMAZING award.

Having only made cakes for my 4 children it was a huge leap for me to set up a business making cakes for others. Baking cakes for strangers is daunting enough, but to be responsible for someone’s 6 tier wedding cake, as one of my first proper commissions? Well I have to admit that I nearly turned it down! I am so very glad that I didn’t.

I have to tip my hat to Peggy Porschen, because it was definitely her floral style that inspired the design process for me and the bride. But in all honesty, I couldn’t have had such a successful result without the help and patience of my family. There were so many flowers to make and I had so little time. I hardly slept and I don’t think my kids had a proper meal for a month. That said, they have become well versed at fending for themselves and Charlie (age 10) now makes a mean cheesy pasta! There’s always an up-side!

This has all been extremely new to me. My first ‘paid for’ cake was only in May 2012 and the ‘award winning’ wedding cake was only a couple of months later…so my learning curve has been ridiculously steep. I’ve always been artistic …..and I definitely have a love for the dramatic and extreme….so that has all driven me to make cakes that have a bit more ‘Wow’ factor!

Carina’s Cupcakes - Cupcake Award 2012 Carina's Cupcakes was launched in June 2010 and I started my business having never even cut a butterfly or bought a pack of sugarpaste!! I am completely self taught and now teach the techniques and methods I have taught myself all over the country. This year we will also be teaching internationally in Spain and the Netherlands. Our online shop provides tutorials, equipment and inspiration for hobby and business bakers alike with new and exciting products always being sought.

When I won the Cupcake award from Cake Masters I was extremely flattered! There are some awesome cupcakers out there and its a real honour to have such recognition within the Facebook baking community. It really topped my year nicely following our Cake International Gold and best in class!! Plus the award is totally awesome and has pride of place in my kitchen!

Thank you so so much Cake Masters

There are lots of people who have helped me along the way but there is one group of ladies in particular who have seen me through my darkest AND brightest days!! My Cakey Godmothers!!

This group of 30 odd ladies have provided undying support and in particular id like to thanks Liah of Custom Cupcakes, Lisa my Glamorous Assistant at Cupcake Boutique, Susan Title and Vicki Murray of Vicki Murray cakes and Pastry's without these ladies i would be nowhere!!

P.S. Mr Cake-Diva (who is actually called Jamie BTW) has just said…’have you explained to Cake Masters that the ‘Wedding Cake’ was the second most time consuming thing you’ve ever done in your life? The first being you writing your acceptance speech for your Cake Masters Award! (Cheeky sod).

Thank you Cake Masters for being totally fab and giving a little added recognition to the Facebook cake community our environment has its pro's and cons but you guys definitely add a little gratitude and happiness to the Cakey World!!

For me 2012 was the most AMAZING year - The Queen’s Jubilee-The London Olympics - but my Cake Master’s Award was without a doubt the big fat cherry on the icing on the (6 tier)cake!

Winners Acceptance Speeches

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The Cake Decorating Company - Best Retailer Award 2012 The Cake Decorating Company are innovators in cake decorating and chocolate making supplies. We source unique and contemporary products from all around the world and are UK Distributors of many, such as Dinkydoodle Airbrush and paints, The Mat, SugarVeil and Silicone Plastique. We are also one of the leading providers of bespoke edible imagery.

On our website you can browse over 6,000 items, keep up to date with all the latest products and buy from our online shop. We also run a wide range of affordable courses that are suitable for all skill levels in a friendly, relaxed atmosphere with award winning teachers.

North Star Cakes - Novelty Cake Award 2012 I trained as a painter and sculptor and studied fine art and art history at university before working for a private collector and then two of the largest fine art auctioneers in the world based in London. Leaving the art world in 2006 to start a family I was a stay at home mum until October 2011 when North Star Cakes began trading. I am based in Maidstone, Kent and I make bespoke cakes, I am often asked to make cakes based on the natural world but I also like to make pretty cakes, and I adore making sugar flowers.

Having been trading for only 9 months when the snake cake created as much interest as it did I was completely overwhelmed and surprised by the reaction it got, I could never have anticipated that anyone outside of my local town would ever hear my name and it was a bit of a roller coaster ride, however the interest in the cake has presented so many opportunities that never would have materialised otherwise, and for that I will always be very grateful. When I won the Cake Masters Novelty Cake Award in December 2012 it was a complete surprise, I was obviously delighted to have won and I'm very thankfull for all the support I've had from Rosie and the Cake Masters team in my first year. I would like to thank my husband and children for being chief tasters at North Star Cakes, and for putting up with my cake obsessed nature, questionable taste in music and long working hours. I would like thank all the cake community for their support, for visiting my page and for leaving comments, I have admired so many of you. I would also like to say an extra big thank you to Lesley Wright at the Royal Bakery, Jacqueline Butler of PetalSweet and Peggy at Peggy Does Cake for kindly sharing their knowledge and supporting me early on; thank you to Anabelle, Joanna & Rob at Confection Perfection in Maidstone, Kent, for their brilliant sugar flower course and well stocked shop not to mention great advice. Thank you to Lara at the Kent Family Magazine who believed in me and gave me my first editorial; and thank you to my friends and design team Ramona & Eugen Hanusch who were prepared to work in exchange for cake when I first started; and lastly a special thank you to my cake idols Peggy Porschen and Duff Goldman for inspiring

We will also be at the Cake International shows at Manchester, London and Birmingham as well as the Cake and Bake shows in Manchester and London, please feel free to pop by our stands and say hello.

We were all over the moon at winning the award for Best Retailer from Cake Masters. It was an honour to be considered and an even greater honour to win.

We feel very proud of our achievement as it means that we are fulfilling our goal in striving to be the best.

We would like to thank all of our loyal customers, without their support we wouldn't be where we are now. Their feedback is always welcomed, be it good or bad. Constructive criticism allows us to improve our service and give the customers what they want.

We would also like to thank Cake Masters for their support and having the faith in our company to nominate us.

Lastly, we would like to all of our staff for all of their continued hard work and dedication.

(Below - Gemma with our fantastic award!)

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Cupcake Topper Tutorial

Tuto$al

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Cupcake Topper Tutorial eed: n

l l i w

u Yo

Step 1

cake Using a brush dust your p u C

e u S -­‐Katy cupcake topper mould ould M

r e p p lightly with corn flour To r u -­‐Corn Flo -­‐Brush Pin -­‐Rolling ste -­‐Sugarpa knife

e t t e l a P -­‐ stres, u l

, s n e p -­‐Food aint p

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s g n colouri with Step 2 Place sugar paste into the mould and press firmly to fill

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Cupcake Topper Tutorial

Step 3 Roll over the sugarpaste will a rolling pin to flatten

Step 4 Trim off any excess sugarpaste with a palette knife

Step 5 Release from mould and decorate with pens, lustres and colouring

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Competition!

The lovely people at the award winning Katy Sue Designs are giving away a set of 3 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Victorian Gardenâ&#x20AC;? Cupcake topper moulds as a prize for the winner of this competition.

All you need to do is send us a picture of your best floral cupcakes. One entry per person.

Please send only one photo, with your full name, business name (if you have one); contact number and address to bookings@cakemasters.co.uk GOOD LUCK!

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Interview Molly is a talented young baker and artist who impressed the cake community with her impressive white bengal tiger last year.

We caught up with Molly to find out more about her and her passion for baking and decorating.

MEET

Molly

from Molly’s creative cakes

Q: Tell us a bit about you and your family I live at home with my parents and older brother, in the small village of Crawshawbooth in Lancashire.

I recently graduated from Manchester University where I studied Special Effects Makeup. I have always been somewhat arRsRc and studied art at A Level. Art and Design is my main passion in life, and I believe cake decoraRng allows me to channel my creaRvity in a more accessible way. I come from a 'showbiz' family; my dad Ted Robbins is an actor and comedian and presents the main show on BBC Radio Lancashire every day and has shows on Channel 4 and CBBC, it’s fair to say our house is a mad one, and my cake decoraRng only adds to the chaos -­‐ and mess!

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Interview

Q: What is your earliest memory of baking?

My earliest memory of baking was with my gran, using a Cadbury's baking book from the 80s which was AMAZING! I have actually been looking for it for the past two years.

Q: What is your baking story?

I enjoy sculpture and painRng and watching various cake shows on food channels which inspired me to have a go at cake making.

I made my first cake 18 months ago for my cousin's 18th, and people seemed impressed with the likeness of the caricature model on the cake. Since that very first cake I have tried to improve with every cake I make and like to think I am bringing something new to the cake decoraRng world with each one. I am self taught, and I love individual-­‐lising designs for each of my clients, so they feel like each cake is personalised for them. As well as cake, I have also branched out into fimo topper modeling, and have learnt and developed techniques such as hand painRng onto sugarpaste, and working with chocolate too. My speciality is making animals, and one day I would love to only specialise in animal cakes!

Q: What have you learned about yourself?

I have learnt that I cope well under pressure, oeen coping with up to 20 orders a week, as well as never turning anything down. Even if what the customer is asking for seems daunRng and I don’t have a clue about how to go about it, I will always say yes, even if it means teaching myself an enRrely new skill. This means I learn the techniques as and when I require them, giving me confidence in my own skills with each cake I create.

Q: Where do you get your baking inspiraRons from: I was iniRally inspired by cake decorators such as Duff Goldman and the bakers at Charm City Cakes, as well as Ashley Vicos, Buddy Valastro, Bronwen Webber, Norman Davies and the rest of the 'food network' decorators, but as I develop as an arRst in my own right I find inspiraRon all around me I am greatly inspired by nature and animals.

<<<<<<<< Cakes made by Molly Molly Robbins >>>>>>>> 44 44

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Interview Q: Who is your role model: There are so many incredible cake decorators out there, and I am inspired daily by individuals' work, as well as fine arRsts, painters and sculptors. American decorators such as Ashley Vicos, Duff Goldman and Norman Davis will always inspire me with their innovaRve creaRons, but I like to say I am inspired by people from all walks of life. Cake Masters also gives decorators a playorm to share their work with likeminded people, and I think we all have Rosie to thank for that!

Q: What has been your biggest challenge?

I created a top table wedding cake for a wedding last summer, which included 40 wedding guests as well as the bridal party. The Bride and Groom found out what each guest was wearing, and provided me with a photo of them, I then created each individual character out of sugarpaste in true likeness. The cake took over 2 weeks in total to create and was nearly 5 feet long! I have a wonderful supporRve boyfriend Martyn, who is always around when I need support, he helps me especially with structural issues and problem solving too.

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Interview

This is the cake the Molly entered into Cake International There was just so much detail on each animal that the we decided to have a whole page dedicated to our favourite parts of the cake.

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Interview The animals up close and personal...

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Interview Q: Who is your role model: There are so many incredible cake decorators out there, and I am inspired daily by individuals' work, as well as fine arRsts, painters and sculptors. American decorators such as Ashley Vicos, Duff Goldman and Norman Davis will always inspire me with their innovaRve creaRons, but I like to say I am inspired by people from all walks of life. Cake Masters also gives decorators a playorm to share their work with likeminded people, and I think we all have Rosie to thank for that!

Q: What has been your biggest challenge?

I created a top table wedding cake for a wedding last summer, which included 40 wedding guests as well as the bridal party. The Bride and Groom found out what each guest was wearing, and provided me with a photo of them, I then created each individual character out of sugarpaste in true likeness. The cake took over 2 weeks in total to create and was nearly 5 feet long! I have a wonderful supporRve boyfriend Martyn, who is always around when I need support, he helps me especially with structural issues and problem solving too.

Q: What has been your proudest moment?

Definitely winning silver at Cake InternaRonal in the Wedding Cake category! I made a three foot high wedding cake which was decorated in a rainforest theme. It featured bamboo, tree bark, orchids, lilies, tropical frogs, a sloth, bengal Rger, parrot, chameleon and giant tortoise!! This was the first cake I entered into Cake InternaRonal and my first ever cake compeRRon, I really wasn't expecRng to win anything -­‐ so silver was absolutely incredible, especially when I got such great feedback from the judges who gave me great construcRve criRcism as well as praising my creaRvity.

Give us 3 top baking Rps: 1. Using vodka instead of water to sRck sugarpaste decoraRons together and also to using vodka to 'clean' cakes of icing sugar means it evaporates quicker and prevents the cake from becoming water logged and sRcky.

2. Adding tylo powder to regular fondant icing creates a medium strength paste to make models from, it is a much cheaper alternaRve to mexican modelling paste or flower paste.

3. Madeira sponge (with the addiRon of plain as well as self raising flour) creates a more stable base for carved cakes, and has a longer shelf life!

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Cake News Snow Cakes... yes...cake made from snow So we all got snowed in this month and boy did the UK look pretty! It was nice for a few days... but then the snow didn’t go away! I hope you all managed to stay safe and that the snow wasn’t too disruptive to your daily routines.

On our travels online during the snowy season, we came across these awesome snow cakes and had to share them with you.

Gorgeous snow cake from Lynda-Jane Sharp. We at Cake Masters, wondered if a smoother was usedlook at those flat sides! Great 5 tier cake finished with ribbon!

We loved this three tier cake from Levi’s Cakes.

This cake was made by Levi and her 4 year old daughter Fraya (pictured) how pretty!

Fabulously deep three tier cake made by Sugar Mummy Cupcakes.

Love the fancy ice heart in the background and the little snowball decorations down the sides of the tiers!

Share your news with us! magazine@cakemasters.co.uk

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News Guest Coloumnist ~ Kirs0e Phillipson Hi I'm KirsRe Phillipson, 35 years old I'm a full Rme mum to 4 wonderful kids andI live with my long term fiancé Nic. Ok so I'm not your cake internaRonal winner "I wish", but I'm a keen baking fan and love new designs and a challenge.

I normally get an idea in my head then have to see it through to compleRon -­‐ yes there's a lot of research and pracRces before I get it right I think cake bakers are there own worse criRcs I know I am.

I love trying new ideas out and tesRng new equipment-­‐ cake supply shops are like toys r us to me and I'm sure you have a few good sites that are like bible shops for finding what you need.

The tools I am finding most useful and a must at the moment are my Cricut machine, digital scales that can measure liquid too, piping nozzle set, cocktail sRcks a handy tool for everything, disposable piping bags which are so easy to use, "the mat" this is fab for pre rolling icing for a beginner like me worth every pound, a hi wa8 hand mixer nothing flash yet but hopefully in Rme and lastly a small sugar paste rolling pin a lot easier to work with than a huge heavy rolling pin.

As it’s all new to me, the more cakes I bake

I planned to add a filigree design around the cake so ordered the extra Damask cartridge, li8le did I know that the basic one had the template I would use in the end.

It was trial an error at first trying to get the best results which turned out to be rolling the icing very thin and chilling before and aeer I had cut before removing with the most useful tool in cake making "a cocktail sRck".

Since then, I've been researching lots and have discovered hundreds of sites and groups on the Internet and Facebook. They are a blessing if you have a problem or quesRon you can ask and within no Rme you have all the advise help you require.

I'm coming across a lot of places that run courses, I wish I could a8end but the prices are very steep I find Google or YouTube to be a cheaper alternaRve for teaching myself although I'd love to have the money to do all the courses.

I hope you follow me with my cakey adventure from start to finish and I will keep you posted on how I progress, its the council health and safety and sugar glass next spiderman and an 18th cake Rme so wish me luck.

I can be found on Facebook KirsRe's Cakes and my blog kirsRescakes

the be8er. My mo8o is "let the cakey adventure begin" My recent creaRon was a cake for my daughter 19th birthday which I had planned in my head and went well. I managed to use my new cricut mini for the first Rme which I found simple to use and gave brilliant results.

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BU

YN OW

BU

YN OW

BU

YN OW

www.thecakedecoratingcompany.co.uk

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Shades of Cakes Showcase

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BLACK

Netty’s Cakes

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Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black

Fat Cakes

Rock Cakes

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Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black

Hilary Rose Cupcakes

Sweetlake Cakes

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Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black

Gifted Heart Cakes

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Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Black

Black Cherry Cake Company

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BLUE

Wedding Cakes Liverpool

Cakes by Suzanne

Fat Cakes

Cake Pop Parlour

Cake Land by Nivia 58

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Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue B Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue B Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue B Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue B Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue B

Jen’s Just Desserts Rachel Green Sweetie’s Cakery and Catering

Cake by Kim

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ISSUE 6 JANUARY 2013

Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue B Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue B Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue B Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue B Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue B

The Clever Little Cupcake Company

60

ISSUE 6 JANUARY 2013

Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue B Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue B Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue B Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue B Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue B

Couture Cakes by Rose

Bakey Bakey

Flourpower By Nina & Pisha

Bake Me A Cake Heavenly Cupcakes

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METALS Hilary Rose Cupcakes

Truly Madly Sweetly Cupcakes

Vicki’s Cuppa Cupcakes Cakey Bake

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ISSUE 6 JANUARY 2013

Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Meta Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Meta Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Meta Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Meta Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Meta

Way Beyond Cakes by Mayen

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ISSUE 6 JANUARY 2013

Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Meta Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Meta Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Meta Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Meta Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Metallic Meta

Fat Cakes

Consumed by Cake

The Clever Little Cupcake Company

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ISSUE 6 JANUARY 2013

GREEN

Hey there, Cupcake!

Amazing Floral Sugar

Fat Cakes

Delicia Designs

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ISSUE 6 JANUARY 2013

Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green

Cake Mamma

Cakes by Helen

Osedo L Cakes

Bake Me a Cake

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ISSUE 6 JANUARY 2013

Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green

Tea Party Cakes

The Chocolate Strawberry

Shaniâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sweet Creations

Truly Madly Sweetly Cupcakes

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Orange

Iced4U

Man Bakes Cake

Dolly Bird Bakes

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Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange Orange

Elegant Cake Art

The Chain Lane Cake Co

Cake by Kim

Cakes by TD Bakers

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White

Osedo L Cakes

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ISSUE 6 JANUARY 2013

White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White Whi White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White Whi White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White Whi White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White Whi White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White Whi

Cupcake Creations Inverness Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a Cake Thing

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ISSUE 6 JANUARY 2013

White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White Whi White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White Whi White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White Whi White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White Whi White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White Whi

Cupcake Creations Inverness

72

ISSUE 6 JANUARY 2013

White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White Whi White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White Whi White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White Whi White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White Whi White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White Whi

Toni Grainger

Lorraineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cakes Doncaster

Cake - n - Crafts

73

ISSUE 6 JANUARY 2013

White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White Whi White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White Whi White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White Whi White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White Whi White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White Whi

Cupcake Creations Inverness

The Pukka Cake Parlour

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ISSUE 6 JANUARY 2013

Rainbow Rainbow Rainbow Rainbow Fat Cakes

75

ISSUE 6 JANUARY 2013

Rainbow

Rosie Cake-Diva

Nikkiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cakes

Asma Anjum

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Rainbow

Shereen’s Cakes & Bakes

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Rainbow

Alicia’s Cakey Buns

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Rainbow

Tea Party Cakes

79

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Rainbow

Cake by Kim

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Yellow

Tea Party Cakes

Cupcake Creations Inverness

LoveZee Cakes

81

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Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow

Wendyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Character Cakes

Alico Crafts

Mon Cottage Cupcakes

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ISSUE 6 JANUARY 2013

Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow

Cupcakes by Louise

Sheryl Chapman

Carolineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cakes Middlesex

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ISSUE 6 JANUARY 2013

Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow

Baking Passion

Cakes by No More Tiers

84

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Purple Type to enter text

Bake Me a Cake Cakes by Raewyn Cheryll’s Cupcakes

Vicki’s Cuppa Cupcakes

Cakes by No More Tiers The Cake Ace

The Pink Cake Box

Deliciously Edible Art

85

ISSUE 6 JANUARY 2013

Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purp Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purp Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purp Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purp Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purp

Sweet Jeelees

Sugar Mummy Cupcakes

Raghad Bake House

Sugar Pocket

86

ISSUE 6 JANUARY 2013

Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purp Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purp Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purp Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purp Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purple Purp

The Little Cherry Cupcake Company

87

ISSUE 6 JANUARY 2013

Pink

Cake by Kim Tea Party Cakes

Cake Land by Nivia

Alison Lawson Cakes

Cakes by Raewyn

88

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Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink

Wedding Cakes Liverpool

Cake by Kim

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a Cake Thing

89

ISSUE 6 JANUARY 2013

Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink

Caroline Hogg

Eat Me Cupcakes

Couture Cakes by Rose

90

ISSUE 6 JANUARY 2013

Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink Pink

Truly Madly Sweetly Cupcakes

Cakes by Minel

Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Eat Cake by Charlotte

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In our next issue: -Valentines Showcase -More from Jen -Interviews -Charity Bake Off event -Key dates for your diary -Product wish list -Tutorials -Interviews and more!

We would love to hear from writers who are passionate about baking to get content included in our magazine; or if you have a crazy story behind the making of a cake; if you are baking your way through a recipe book; baking or cake events or even tutorials to be featured in our magazine - we want to hear from you!

Issues coming later this year: -All About Cookies - if you have made some awesome cookies and would like them featured, please get in touch -Fashion, Shoes and Handbags -Macarons -Floral issue -Business Issue- setting up, highs and lows, trolls, how to get started, costing

2013

If you think you may have suitable content for our magazine please contact magazine@cakemasters.co.uk

Register now for London Cake Crawl 2013 www.cakecrawl.com

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are you following our boards?

Cake Masters Boards 93

THE ART OF STATEMENT LIGHTING

www.kandabi.com

info@k

INJECTING TRUE CHARACTER INT

89 Causewayside, Edinburgh (Scotland) EH9 1QJ Eva Hammerson is a Spanish professional interior designer based in Edinburgh, with a passion for lighting, vintage finds, and mid-century-modern iconic design. After the successful launch of Kandabi, her quirky brand of statement lighting wall luminaries, Eva was itching for the right space to branch out onto every aspect of home interiors including lighting, furniture, accessories and wall art. Destiny, for the shop ‘found’ her, not the other way round, put the most perfect environment and opportunity in her hands to painstakingly and lovingly restore a jaw dropping Georgian space into a dream retail space in a sought-after and ‘left-bank’ area known as Causewayside in the South side of Edinburgh, Scotland.

“After pealing 7 layers of vintage wall paper, I came across the original wall plaster and found the most incredible luminescent turquoise swirls of colour ever imaginable. I nearly cried with joy for it is precisely what gives my shop a highly distinctive and unique signature look. Next, I found an antique original stone fireplace in the back room no-one knew existed, which will provide a warm live fire in the winter, adding extra cosiness and much needed warmth in this northern climate”.

Eva Hammerson’s shop is not really a shop, it’s a ‘private world’ where everything on display is up for sale, including its owner whose services as a professional interior designer can be put to the very best use. “Being Spanish, I wanted to create a true ‘Mi casa es su Casa’ (My home is your Home) welcoming feel-good factor. I think I have succeeded judging by the number of clients who sit comfortable in the sofa playing the guitar, taking inspiration from artfully displayed objects or having fun with my Spanish maracas”. Eva’s goal is to encourage people to be far more adventurous and have fun when decorating their homes, with a ‘no rules’ instinctive approach to putting interior schemes together. “I believe that if you only buy what you absolutely love, your home will somehow come together, pulled by the invisible but powerful thread of your personal taste. My mantra is follow your instinct and be brave for your house is an extension of your persona, and thus a blank canvas waiting for you to put your own unique stamp on it. The most successful interiors are always those with an eclectic mix of vintage and contemporary furnishings, which results in a more relaxed and authentic aesthetic, and avoids that ‘too studied’ and contrived show-home look”.

*****

Rated 5 Stars By Industry Experts For

Whether you are looking for that one-off unique piece to inject individuality and character into your space, or a special present with authenticity and ‘wow factor’, visit

Magazine

www.kandabi.com

info@kandabi.com

+44 (0) 131 667 7915

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