WELCOME 2010 !

HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!!! and what a year this is going to be ... I have 34 weddings already confirmed .. I even have a 2011 client already. Information requests and my tasting schedule go out daily. Just wait until you see the cakes for 2010 ... they are going to be amazing. Such style, color, and feathers ... yes, feathers !!! My customers are taking me to the next level for sure !

The cover of my annual portfolio is saved for my first wedding cake of the year ... and I'm thrilled to announce that the wedding cake of Liz Kemp and Tim Kelly will grace the cover of my 2010 portfolio !!! Congratulations Liz and Tim ... see you soon.

In an effort to grow my business in 2010, I'm going to try some new things:

Advertising: I've always said that word of mouth advertising is the best advertising .. and that has worked for me for a long time and still does, but an advertising opportunity presented itself. After careful consideration (and an incredible deal), I am thrilled to announce that in addition to word of mouth advertising, I am marketing my business with The Knot Wedding Network and partnering with two top wedding brands: The Knot and WeddingChannel.

Gift Certificates are available !!! You'll see more about this in a separate post, but I think they'll be a hit.

Favors: In addition to the many cakes that are created, I would like to get into providing favors for your guests. These can be wedding favors / baby shower favors / birthday favors / etc. More details to come.

Let me introduce you to the people who make up Eileen Carter Creations:

Eileen (aka The Cake Lady) - my Cake Lady nickname was given to me by my past clients .. and it has stuck. I've been baking cakes for 25 years ... I worked for a major corporation for most of those years, able only to create as time permitted. Until 2004 when I returned home from my honeymoon and got the word that they didn't need me anymore. So I created Eileen Carter Creations and haven't stopped yet. I absolutely LOVE my job.




Clay (The Cake Wrangler) - without his love and support (and brawn) I would not be The Cake Lady. He arrives with a smile and makes all around him smile. He's a hugger ... and often while I'm working on a cake, he can be found giving hugs to his favorite florists, coordinators, and/or photographers.



Shelby - here is someone you will probably never meet as she works hard behind the scenes ... Shelby is 71 and goes to my church ... her job is to make sure I have enough icing to get thru the day and to clean all of the many pans that I go thru in a week. I don't know how I made it before I hired Shelby.



Kelley - let me introduce to you Kelley Statham. Kelley is a former bride of mine (2007) and good friend. I've recently spent some time with her providing cake decorating lessons in an effort to better utilize her skills within Eileen Carter Creations. She has since created KelleyCakes and is off and running with her own business, but will come under the fold of Eileen Carter Creations when needed. I look forward to a great business relationship with her as well as having a close friendship.




Liz - Liz Kemp is another friend (and bride) ... she's a joy to be with. Always willing and able to help with deliveries. I look forward to working with her
more in 2010 (after her January wedding).

VENDOR SUGGESTIONS

I love my job .... I get to meet and work with some of the best vendors in the wedding industry. Some I am honored to consider friends. I really can't say who are my favorites (that just wouldn't be fair), but I can provide a list of vendors from which you can check out on your own. This will be a post-in-progress and all vendors will be listed alphabetically to not show favoritism. Good luck to you as you choose the right vendor(s) for your special event.

CATERING:
Affairs to Remember (http://www.affairs.com/)
Endive Fine Catering (http://www.endiveatlanta.com/)
The Flour Shoppe (www.theflourshoppe.net)

DAY OF COORDINATORS:
Leah Bilz (http://www.thewholeshebangatl.com/)
Ally Haggerty (http://www.unforgettablesoirees.com/)
Nicole Kubon (http://www.littlegirlsbigdream.com/)

ENTERTAINMENT:
Avalanche Entertainment (http://www.avalancheentertainment.com/)
Go With The Flo (http://www.go-with-the-flo.net/)

FLORISTS:
Carla Duncan (http://www.onoccasionsofatlanta.com/)
Angie Gunja www.birchblooms.blogspot.com
Heather Oliver (http://www.stylishstems.com/)
Tamala Scarborough (http://www.southernbouquets.com/)

OFFICIANTS:
Rev. Deanna Lancaster - contact via email @ revdeanna@charter.net

PHOTOGRAPHERS:
Aragon Photography (http://www.aragonphotography.com/)
Ashley Blencoe (http://www.ashleyblencoe.com/)
Blue World Studios (http://www.blueworldstudios.com/)
Cariad Photography (http://www.cardiadphotography.com/)
Our Labor of Love Photography (http://www.ourlaboroflove.com/)
Charlie Pappas (http://www.charliepappas.com/)
Lisette Price Photography (http://www.lisettepricephotography.com/)
RaeJen Photography (http://www.raejenphotography.com/)
Beth Seitz Photography (http://www.seitzphoto.com/)
Shannon Wright (http://www.shannonseye.net/)
Liz Yeakle Photography (http://www.lizyeakle.com/)
Shari Zellers (http://www.sharizellers.com/)
35 Atlanta (http://www.thirtyfiveatlanta.com/)

BOUDOIR PHOTOGRAPHY
Risque by 519 Photography (http://www.519photography.com/)

FAREWELL 2009 !!!

2009 was an incredible year .... Clay and I both celebrated milestone birthdays .... we both turned 50 (with a bunch of other friends) ... it was also our 5th wedding anniversary.

I was given the opportunity to meet many wonderful people ... some just by being in this business and some by being in the right place at the right time.

There was success all around me in 2009 ... with pleasure, I helped a friend launch her new business (and became a client); two other friends decided to start their own catering/cake business; I took a friend under my wing .. and with her help we will take Eileen Carter Creations to the next level.

I want to thank all of the many brides who met with me ... many of whom gave me the opportunity to play an important role on their special day. My wedding cakes of 2009 were colorful, elegant, some were very tall ... all were simply beautiful. I got the chance to create over 70 wedding cakes, 50 groom cakes, and countless cupcakes and all-occasion cakes. Based on comments from my brides, I was chosen "Best of Weddings - 2010" as handed out by TheKnot.com. Thank you.

It was so great to see so many of my 2008 brides return for their 1st anniversary cake this year ... many are either expecting their first child or have already started their family. I wish them all much happiness in the years to come.

I bid farewell to 2009 ... humbled. Thanks to all who made this year so special. I can't wait to see what is in store for 2010 !!!

I SAW SANTA .....

Clay and I were on our way to deliver our final wedding cake of the year .... travelling 85 south ... I noticed the license plate (tag) on the car in front of me .... SANTA 8

I moved over a lane, and SANTA 8 put his blinker on to do the same ... so I figured, if it really is Santa driving that car, it would be to my best interest to let him cut in front of me. He did, and I moved over another lane.

As I approached the driver door of SANTA 8 ...... there he was, in his white cuffed red suit, rosey cheeks, bright white full beard ......... SANTA CLAUS !!!!

At age 50 ... I still believe !!! Merry Christmas !

Christmas Goodies

Hi - thought I would share pictures of some of the Christmas goodies made this season.

URBAN LUX MAGAZINE presents .....

an evening of Style / Culture / Conscience .... and I will be providing all of the appetizer desserts at the event scheduled for this evening, Thursday, December 17th. Thank you Lentheus Chaney (Publisher/Editor - Urban Lux Magazine) for giving me this opportunity.

Atlanta’s Emerging LUX designers and a collection of photographic works for a one of a kind holiday trunk show.

STLYE

The evening will be inclusive of Atlanta’s most fashionable ladies and gentlemen as they are enticed by fashion, jewelry, shoe, fragrance and handbag creations from Donnie Wellz , EnJeanious By Rean, Jedal Italian Fashions, Mel Boteri, Mychael Knight, and VX.

CULTURE

Hagedorn Foundation Galley will be showing over 100 photographic works, under 20", under $500, by Nancy Lee Andrews, Corinne Adams, Corey Daniels, Jan Fields, Paul Hagedorn, Dana Kemp, Leslie Kneisels, Andee Nathanson, Dorothy O’Connor, Meryl Truett and more.

CONSCIENCE

Keep Georgia Safe is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that operates the only wireless network that sends out all three of Georgia's emergency alerts for abducted, missing, or dangerous persons via cell phone. When the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) issues an alert that a child has been abducted, an elderly or disabled person is missing, or a dangerous fugitive is at large, Keep Georgia Safe immediately sends a text alert with the pertinent information to subscribers cell phones free of charge. KeepGeorgiaSafe.org

I'm Published ... The Knot Georgia- Spring/Summer 2010

It gives me great pleasure to announce that the wedding of Amy Unger and Josh Forrest (4/18/09) has been published in the Spring/Summer 2010 issue of The Knot magazine - Georgia Edition. Amy worked so hard on all of the details that made her wedding so unique .. and it paid off. Her photographer, Michael Saba, submitted the photos and Amy and Josh's wedding was chosen for publication. AWESOME. Also, her coordinator, Ally Haggerty of Unforgettable Soirees is mentioned separately in The Knot Notebook (on page 28). The cake is on page 36 !!!

I'm also thrilled to see that the wedding of Amanda Cain and Ryan Rehkop is also in this issue .... go to page 156.

If that wasn't enough ..... The Knot has announced the winners of the Best of Weddings 2010 - Georgia .... I'm listed on page 16 !!!!

What a great issue .... it's on new stands now, go check it out !!!