The Journal of a Girl who Loves To Cook

Are smurfs like elves?

2009-11-30T00:59:00.009+08:00

Su's been finally free-ing some time to be herself again.
Slowly but surely making a sound attempt at a healthy social life if you must... >.< Unfortunately; that meant it was going to mean sacrificing blogging hours; organizing photos, photographing cakes and answering emails. It's a trade off I've recently took to get my life back on track; i still rush to my pc, log on and watch my fingers fly each time I'm inspired to write; but most of the time... little interruptions from work in between hours makes it hard for me to finish up; or pick up from where I left off! :(
I've moved from a recipe blog to a baking one...to then travels and a documentation of my business set up... it has definitely evolved with me and all that I've become; which in essence is the title over the top. It's my Journal. about... my life?In the past month; much has happened... and I can fully justify my online absence! *giggle* I was in Europe for a brief hop; I came up with our 2009 Xmas pre-order goodies and have been photographing them. I guess everyone will get to see them on our December Delectable newsletter. I'll post one up here when I'm done.
The cakes and orders have been consistently increasing; and of course working on bettering my+our-selves is what I strive to do everyday. I personally have definitely improved in terms of professionalism, speed and efficiency technically with my sugar work. Mom and dad always seem to come up with brilliant new suggestions to better our working space to make the best out of our products. I'm sure Aida can relate to her bosses need to 'better'-things every second of the day! haha; she's a gem, I love her so!
There are a unusually large number of sticky situations that we encounter at the store nearing the holiday busy periods... and this really is just the beginning of it. It's going to be our first end-of-year for my 2009 team of elves and the schedule has gotten us crossing our fingers and shaking in the knees!
We're still looking for more and more elves everyone! Non-baker elves preferably! just passionate, lively and fun ones who wants nothing more than to be around dessert loving customers all day!

Hmm... are smurfs similar to elves?
....blue little people. hee...

.... these were fun to make. They brought back many fond memories of watching TV after school. *sings a happy smurf tune*

Listening to those who love us.

2009-11-19T17:22:00.005+08:00

For these initial months that Delectable has opened it's doors to cake and dessert lovers, I've been getting an increasing number of requests and suggestions to add favourite things of many onto our shelves! From orange poppy seed cakes, to strudels, popcorn, puddings and even a fondue fountain. I try my best to accommodate all we can in terms of our production and available oven space; but even when I do deem them not possible in this point in time, I've got em' stowed away safely for bigger and better days when I am confident to do us proud with these new additions to our store items.
I just want to make sure what we bring out really is a solid product backed up with deliciously unbeatable recipes and inspiring new twists!
These 3 brand new babies have been harped on since the very first weeks!
It took me much thought and many attempts at several different techniques; but I'm pretty sure I finally found a winner!
Souffle style cheesecakes are pretty common here in Malaysia but I wanted to come up with something in miniature sizes packed with flavourful and rich cheesey goodness instead!
Indeed these havn't exactly got a layer of 'cake' within its decadent layers; but It's a cheesecake alright! A Delectable one for sure! :P
Definitely a lovely addition to our chiller shelves to satisfy those cravings for a fruity yet creamy cheesecake dessert. The cookie crusts at the bottom are thick and yummy! Perfect for buttery crust lovers like me!
They come in 3 flavour options which are sure to have you coming back for more.

Lulu's Strawberry cheesecake
A good choice for berry lovers and those who love classic tangy fruits atop their cheesecake. Adorable, pretty and very much delicious! Girls would go Ga-ga for this little baby!

Teddy's Caramel & Banana cheesecake
Just a little touch of caramel makes the creamy bits of cheese so irresistible! Layered in between thick chunky slices of fresh banana! OH! how can you possibly say no!

Jo's Lime & Coconut cheesecake
Freshly made lime curd hides beneath this mountainous swirl of cheese topped with lovely shreds of coconut-y crisps! Perfect for those who love a touch of sour punch to their desserts. And how cute is that little white chocolate lime button over the top!? hehe; this one's my favourite *wink*

They've been moving so quickly off the shelves each time we put em out! I hope it'd give our best selling 7 sins of Chocolate dessert a run for the top spot in the coming months! *grin*

If life's race were on a treadmill

2009-11-15T14:48:00.008+08:00

...and your best friends and family ran by your side.
You could pace yourself with a push of a couple buttons and you know exactly where you were headed;... how.... when and how you would feel by merely reading the blinking red LEDs right in front of you.
If you needed to know how your heart was feeling; touch the metal bars and an exact number gauges for you to need to push harder or take a breather.
It would definitely keep life steady with precision; but oh so boring it would be! *laughs*
Why this sudden thought about treadmills you ask?
Well.. i've been on the little hamster track for humans lots the past couple of weeks. I've gotten way out of shape in the last year and have probably neglected my health and fitness more than I should as a girl in her early 20's. This is when I should be looking my best no? *sigh* I thought to myself; if this is my 'best' i better be fixing it up a little while i still can!
I often choose to debate in my head that my working hours and cake lugging job gives me all the exercise I need; but it isn't long before I admit to myself that it's a different form of activity all together. It's taken a while and many low times to bring me back to the realization that priorities; just like life, is ever changing...and I suppose i didn't get the memo to have mine updated the past few years! *tsk tsk*
I hadn't actually made a physical list of the things which should be readjusted; and they've naturally fallen into place after a fair number of harsh lessons I had learnt. Right now; it really should be about me, adventure and a good understanding of strong basics in life. That would mean; physical health, happy relationships with family + friends, opportunities and lots of new exciting explorations! I had misunderstood all that for W.O.R.K. Well... work and career are two words which are often intertwined and incorrectly assumed. I've learnt that in order to achieve your dream career; work is inevitable, but by no means does that equate to : by merely doing the work; a dream career will lay itself on my doorstep. I often have so much to do; it's easy to forget to dream. I dreamt alot. I used to. It fed my passion.
I'll let you in on a funny secret. During my brisk walks and jogs on the treadmill; i'm focused. I've got my favourite music in my ears; i'm running to no where! but my mind is running to bigger things; to bigger dreams and to the many places my passion for life brings me. It's my 'me' time.... i can't say it doesn't get addictive! LOL i'm on that running belt path to no where every single day! *face ->palm*

*image by fifoto.com

Close to a month back (I know...i know..; it took me THIS long >.< ) a pleasant surprise popped up in my Inbox.
The very sweet and renown Amri Rahim from DDB pr. wrote to us about the launch of Noemia; the latest ladies' range by Raymond Weil. It was named after and inspired by the daughter of the brand's CEO, Olivier Berheim. He mentioned how they were wanting to celebrate 6 young ladies who the brand feels are successful in their own fields - exemplary stories of independent spirits that at the same time epitomizes the characters of Noemia.
His email read:

"We are proud to select you as one of the six individuals, a true inspiration to other young ladies out there."

*WEE!!~~ Su gets excited*

The beautifully crafted collection represents beauty, femininity, modesty, independence and the optimistic nature of the modern woman. I was incredibly honoured to be picked as one of the 6!
There was going to be a meet and greet with the CEO himself; a photoshoot, a fun launch night and exciting new people to get acquainted with.
Being amongst these other beautiful young ladies who have excelled in their fields respectively was incredibly humbling and nerve wrecking! *laughs*

The 6 of us were comprised of; talented jazz singer Atilia, fun and bubbly photographer Fiona from FIFOTO, elegant and charming fashion designer Izrin of Innai, movie director Mui of Da Huang pictures, Moana a passionate female pilot and me.

*image by fifoto.com

I had fun. Family; friends and my Delectable girls came with to celebrate! It was definitely a night to remember.

It's UP! It's UP!!

2009-11-05T21:07:00.002+08:00

Browse the beautiful new gallery;
Poke about to find out more about what we've been up to;
Subscribe to our newsletter;
Drop us a line;
Pick up some mail-friendly goodies!
It's UP everybody!!

www.delectable.com.my

Kudos to David Wang; and help from my beautiful Delectable elves!
We're going to keep this one on track! right girls?! *giggle*

You won't believe what I did this morning!

2009-10-27T00:24:00.011+08:00

FUNNYness!
I had been up all night working on some text and ideas for the coming festive seasons....

Naturally Su eventually dozed off in front of her computer. The sun rose and got her in the eye.
She pounces back up digging right back into editing photos for the website.
It's not a good day.
She makes an attempt to better it. She claws at her phone and begin texting in search of lunch companions. "I need to get out!"
Lunch was in 3 hours. She ran through her morning and afternoon errands and responsibilities; determined to free a couple of hours of fun and frolic. Her phone rings. IT'S BEEN 3 hours already!? Oh no! Aida's waiting and she's hungry!!
Su dashes into the bathroom with the first piece of clothing she finds in her closet. Brushes her teeth whilst wondering if she had remembered todays schedule correctly, what she was going to say at her 2pm appointment, who she was meeting this evening, if all the items for the photoshoot are ready as planned for tonight and why she hadn't changed out of her pyjamas since the morning.
She jumps into the shower and turns the water up. WAIT! CRAP! i still have clothes on!!
*face -> palm* Hahaha

I don't think anything like this has ever happened to me before. In the midst of my thoughts and
multitasking abilities...attempting a shower in full clothing really wasn't ever part of the to-do's. I got just a tiny bit wet; before i realized OH! hey! wait a minute!! *laughs*

In just the past couple of months I've been making sound attempts to self groom and appear professional at work; which meant more minutes wasted blow drying my hair; putting on make up; belting my frocks, wearing socks with my shoes... that sorta thing. Each time I realize it's time to have a shower and get changed; i change into "Hustle"-mode and I suppose I mostly mess up along the way. I get too used to taking less than 15 minutes to get myself outta there!~

I used to think it was unnecessary hassle; that everyone should just look 'natural'; but I now understand how your personal hygiene and proper grooming affects the perception of others towards your maturity and professionalism at work.
Hitting the 24 mark in September had definitely come to me as a nasty big wallop on my eagerness to be youthful forever; but now i've finally learnt to embrace this as a learning curve in the highest point of my 20's.

The days have been getting more and more hectic as I venture in deeper into my business plans with Delectable. Truth be told; I'm almost afraid to look at what's coming straight at me, but if my eye's are shut; they're going to hit me right in the face! haha consequences and responsibilities that come hand in hand with business growth show no mercy. Especially to unsuspecting little lamb-first timers like me. I'm going to be okay.. I know it.
Soldiering on as best I can; as fearless as my heart deems possible... my family in my hands and dear friends on my back, it's solid ground i'm standing on.

My sillyness taught me a very important lesson this morning.

As busy as my professional life may be; I have to find time to focus on doing the little things that make me a complete person. Because at the end of the day; the pursuit of a successful career isn't an entity I can rely on for happiness; my life is.

It's been a full day since;

2009-10-26T00:51:00.014+08:00

.. and i still can't help but to tell everyone I meet about this most amazingly fun Indian fairytale wedding I delivered my cake to!
The bride and groom were both of mixed culture backgrounds but both shared Indian roots in common. The beautiful bride had carefully conceptualized her fun elephant themed party with vivid colours and fun ideas! It was just Out of THIS wORLD! *jumps around in excitement*

I walked in almost speechless... not knowing where to begin swooning or prancing about in celebration and joy! From the moment my trusty Delectable delivery car pulled up to the drive way; my eyes were drawn to the incredibly colourful streamers and lanterns adorning this perfectly manicured garden. I literally pounced out of my car (forgetting the cake inside of it) and ran towards the walkway to take a peek from up close. It was like WOW! the festive colours; the traditional touches and the unique mix of flowers.... just every little detail the couple, their planners; and decorators had done was sending me spinning around in circles trying to absorb all of it. Funny thing is.. they hadn't even completed their masterpiece assemblage!! *laughs* they had 2 hours to finish up the decor before the engagement party guests arrived. 4 steps up the oil lamp adorned garden steps; i spot an adorable little elephant friend on my right. Wait a minute; it isn't little! it's huge!!! and Oh mY! It's made of a montage of tiny flowers!!! That just absolutely took the cake!
I was tempted indeed to touch it on the trunk...
....but then i thought about the inconsiderate few who strut into my Delectable store; touching away at the cakes and destroying them with their fingers. I quickly withdrew my itchy fingers.. NO! no touching... too pretty! *smiles*The charming couple were incredibly excited to see what the cake would turn out to look like the day before; and I can see why! The place is picture perfect!
But the girls reassured them to fret not! "You've got Su from Delectable!"
and she's no heartbreaker!~ *wink* haha

After a good oohhh ahh run about the place; I finally found our busy wedding planner who was glad to see I had made it fuss free and on time. I was a little afraid initially my pink, orange, gold and silver cake might be a little out of place with it's vibrant colours.. but when I saw the place; I was convinced... my 2 little elephant masterpieces are going to fit right in! We worked out a quick stand and placed the modest 3 tiered cake in the center of it.

That's when it hit me.
This is outdoors..
There is a pool.....
It had just rained a little drizzle...
My poor baby is going to have to sit here for 5 hours at least... was it going to be okay?!
....
and that's when i saw a little crack begin to form.
GAAAAHHhhh!!!!***
I began freaking out in my mind in silence! >.<
I had to maintain my professionalism and resolve this in calm...
Several sugar pieces from the cake were already beginning to fall off a little and I re-glued them on and prayed they'd stay stubborn for me for just awhile more!
My heart was heavy when I had to finally step away and allow it to stand alone. My job here is done; the wedding planners; decorators and I all begin whispering hopeful "It's going to be okay"-s in our minds. *Sigh*
The cake cutting ceremony was still a ways worth; but i'm sure eventually the deliciousness of it all will blow everyone away! The cake had decadently matching indian themed flavours like ginger; vanilla and coconut buttercream throughout! There was a full tier of just chocolate on chocolate as well! MmmMmm.... yumm-ness!

I'll wait till tomorrow before I give the couple a call to see how it all went. I bet they must be really exhausted today. I'm sure the party was more than a blast!
I told dad on the way out that I might have to marry an Indian man so I can have an Indian wedding just like this one! *giggle*

Melodic inspiration

2009-10-21T21:11:00.002+08:00

I feel a little lucky this evening. Lucky to have made a discovery.
These two beautiful girls are from Sydney. They have amazing voices and are indeed very talented.
Janice and Sonia are twins living separate lives but both passionate about singing. Their love for music and passion really comes through in each song and how they've evolved through merely 22 videos uploaded on youtube is amazing.
I'm very much impressed. I hope they go far. I know they will.
They put a smile on my face and heart this evening.
I just thought i'd share it with all of you too. Just spreading the love! *giggle*

Happy Deepavali to all!

2009-10-18T17:08:00.005+08:00

It's been a whirlwind of cultural celebrations in Malaysia in the past weeks!
From my first experience of being in this industry; i must say, they've all hit me as overwhelming shocks each turn! Hari raya, Mooncake festival, Deepavali, Halloween.. Christmas and Chinese new year.. they always initially seem like a ways worth... but before I can actually organize myself with new ideas each time; POW! it's next week!!! haha I promise myself to not put myself in this situation next year. I'm going to prepare WAYYYY in advance. I'm attempting to do that as we speak; but it's just taxing with the weddings and birthdays weekly to juggle at the same time.

Generally before the seasons arrive; it's hard to gather inspiration or hunt down new ideas from about town. I guess now i really do have to rely on myself as a trend setter for each festive season. It gets boring as well when everyone else comes up with similar things each year. I try at best to be unconventional most of the time; but that sometimes contradicts with how traditional and culturally conservative I am personally. I suppose it's about that balance I have to find each time. Making things attractive and unique is easy; maintaining its meaning and it's cultural value takes its difficulty level one step higher.
Anyhow; Happy Diwali to all!
For those celebrating and not~ It's a the festival of lights and colour! that's got to be fun no?
Grab yourself a good portion of Indian delicacies, curries, spices, briyanis, naans... wash it down with a thick and fresh mango lassi... finish off with a sinfully sweet gulab jamun! Now that's something to celebrate this weekend! *burp* ;)

Delectable Tiers! YUM!!!

2009-10-15T00:46:00.005+08:00

Lack of much time to have a lenghty post;
I thought it'd be nice to just post several random pictures up of the miniature 6" tiered cakes we have for sale in the Delectable store.
Those we have available for walk in purchase are of our Teddy, Lulu and Jo classics (which match our signature cake flavours); but of course I do have some of them customized as well. The requests for other themed miniature tiered cakes (pictures all the way at the bottom of post) require bookings in about at least a week in advance and are a tad bit more expensive. They are really cute for smaller quaint birthday parties of about 5-10 people; definitely YUMMy too!

I REALLY need to make my newsletters consistent. I'm sorry everyone who's sorta been waiting on em. I promise when we get a solid team with more staff on board; I'll make sure things are updated to the tee~
There's something fun coming up in the next couple of weeks... something kinda exciting... what it is? *twiddles thumbs* welll.....
HAH! i'm not telling :P heeee...
But it's definitely been keeping us really busy.
Have been to some events too which i'm working on editing photos and such.
I'm exhausted.
Truly.

...but fret not! Su is HAPPY!! :) Yet again. I can't help but to be proud myself. It took awhile; but the rainbows are back~ Not in full colour just yet; but we've got just enough to sing a joyful tune! YAY!

The Heartache vs The Delectable life.

2009-10-08T18:30:00.011+08:00

The Delectable Life has won.

Su had needed her quiet time. Her space to be away from the world and blogger-sphere.
I hadn't wondered far.
Not far from being found physically at the Delectable outlet... and maintaining her promise to deliver beautiful cakes to happy customers she loves so dearly.
To those who have sent me sweet emails; left messages filled with kind words and uplifting gestures on facebook and my blog; to those who sent me text messages, called and especially those who have took the time to embrace me personally at the store; I forward my sincerest gratitude. Though it does freak me out a little bit when I get given hugs from concerned strangers who I probably am not a stranger to. *laughs* It's just a TEeennyy weenny bit creepy when I can feel that they understand how I feel when I have no clue who they are.
Contrastingly from the way I thought I would feel; I found it incredibly heartwarming. It's kept me going.. it's pushed me forward to this inevitable need for me to move on; carry myself above this and smile again for what it's worth.
My lovely Delectable elves have been cheering me forth and doing silly things to make me smile.. They are ever so darling to their evil boss. I can't thank them enough for their understanding and love. They didn't have to tip toe around me for the first couple of days; but I appreciate how they had attempted to politely let my gloominess pass how I saw fit.

My job has become my life. My blog has become a window to look into all these pretty little things inside of it...but the past week; it has been filled with shades of grey from my inability to create spontaneous rainbows. I guess the care bear in me took a vacation.
I've just got to find that old closet of mine filled with bunny rabbits; joy and fluffy clouds again. I knew I saved some for my rainy days; Su's very good at that. *grin*

A charming lady walked in the other day and announced herself as my biggest fan. She raved about how she's followed my journey right from the start and how she knows everything about the way I've learnt this trade to the day I found true love, moved to America and understands me up to this day that she's standing here listening to me speak to her in person. She said she could hear me speak; my voice.. as she read words I wrote on each post.. and that she could feel the hurt I was going through when I did. I ran toward her and gave her a huge huge hug. I had friends I didn't know I had. She said he had never come to the store... but she had to now.. because she had to see for herself that I was okay. I was so close to a tear; but yes, one rule in the Delectable roof; no tears! no tears of any sort! Only love, laughter and bucket loads of joy! Haha
She's my inspiration to move on.
A couple of days later I met another young girl.. a sweet couple.. a bunch of school children.. a mother of 3...OMG! There are so many of you quiet ones out there! Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and beyond! *xoxoxoxoxo*

My family has always been my rock; the place I latch myself onto as I venture into crazy ideas and escapades of risk-full danger! They caught me when I fell... and for that I am so grateful. I guess they could see what I was going through but they knew I had to learn for myself to pick myself up and learn to be happy again however I deem possible.

For those who worry for me and my happiness; need not my dears... my family is with me and my closest friends have got my back. I will regain all these little joyful things that made me the 'girl with a passion'. Just in time. Losing Jo has created this new emotional level of sorrow which I've been so lucky to have never come across in the past... which I suppose was quite difficult to overcome abruptly.My cakes continue to just be as beautiful. I squeeze every last ounce of inspiration within me to keep Delectable alive and even better each day. I take pride in what I do and it really does show how much I've grown as a person. My responsibility and word to others have become more important than my personal emotions or inadequacy. In fact; my cakes continue to give me confidence and creates a focus for me to fight the negativity I battle with everyday. Facing happy couples and beautifully married pairs everyday hurts unimaginably... but truth is; they also give me hope; Hope that one day I can feel just the same.**you can all stop stalking me on facebook now. I'm back all!!! Su's BACK! I promise~
yes.. fine fine.. will answer your emails and requests/comments in the morning kay. only because I love you! Hehe

I forgot the reasons why I shared my life and it's secrets so publicly for a second. ....
And now I remember... it's because it gave me a means to gather rainbows from around the world. Rainbows which create an inspiring and Delectable me; Rainbows which sprout from all these Delectable people I call my friends; Rainbows which are you. :)

XOXO;
Su

LAYERS!!!!

2009-09-21T18:16:00.003+08:00

I couldn't stop craving!!
Mom couldn't stop drooling!
The girls couldn't take their eyes off of them beautiful layers or red; white and golden brown!
OH i want to make more of these..
*quoting my dear Aida: "this is what it is when you draw a CAKE."
It's a classic!
Oh i wish you could smell it's fragrance. Feel the way it brought warmth to our kitchen and our store. It was DELECTABLE!
Who wants to see these on our Delectable shelves? *yumyum YUM~* haha I bet I'd have a hard time stopping my dad and staff buying them up everyday! *giggle*

I've lost the love of my life; but i'm not ready to give up on love just yet

2009-09-13T22:32:00.008+08:00

Out back in a dark and crowded club; I eyed a cute Asian b-boy in a big white tee. He looked right at me and turned away. I thought to myself AH hah! I love Challenges!

It's always been that way with us since the 3 years that we've decided to share something special together. The distance and the growing apart from each other has been inevitable with how busy I've been getting at Delectable and all sorts of other work related agenda. We're 2 complete strangers in 2 separate worlds; being together with mutual respect for each other. Unfortunately, my happy ending is no more.
I'm now a full year older; making me exactly 24 years of age in the last 12 hours; but I feel way more than a mere 24. I've left him behind and have expected too much from a young boy who just wants to live his youth and freedom. I miss times when we shared special memories; but i'm not the type to live in the past. I'm all for moving on.. for progress and for betterment. He's all for history, honor and friendship. That's what makes him who he is; but that's what tore us apart. He believes

'It's not about where you are, rather who you are surrounded by that matters most.'

...but I beg to differ. It's not about where or who you are surrounded by; it's how you carry yourself as an individual entity in every situation or circle of people which matters the most.
He always said;

"Love is all you need"

Well.. I've convinced him otherwise and now I guess it's backfired on me! haha I'm not going to keep holding on to something which wants to give up on this.

I probably wont forget this birthday for the rest of my life.. but I want this post to be a reminder to me to never again think that the best things in my life will always be there and true. He said he'd love me forever; and would go to the ends of the earth for me... but I guess that place is here and forever ends now as I should have guessed.
I live for today; I strive for tomorrow and dream for the future; and I've always had that little picture perfect family of the both of us in those dreams.. i'd be lying if I said I wasn't upset. Should have listened to sis and mom when they told me to fight for what I cared for; to try harder when I know I should.
Well, the deed is done; I can't possibly make beautiful cakes with this current frame of mind.. i'll just tie brownie ribbons instead. Haha
I wish to wake up the next morning to rainbows or sunshine.
It will be another day... a day without him; but it will be a good day.
I just know it.
I'm not ready to give up on my dreams of us just yet... but that day will come when I'm strong again.
I could never make ice-cream without thinking of all those happy times it's brought me.

I'm so proud of us!

2009-09-05T15:06:00.006+08:00

Close to a month ago; there was terror plastered over everyone's face at the mention of August 15th. *laughs*
When the weekend finally closed in; we prepared for it, rationed ingredients... stocked up on equipment, called for back up and all sorts of 'war-like' strategic preparations. I asked both my beloved production elves: Are we ready? How should we attack?! Haha
They laugh; with a sense of hidden uncertainty but definitely a tone of confidence that we'll be alright. They make this little boss Elf feel much better with their dedication to completing each job.We had called in reinforcement Delectable Elves (mostly consisting of my kind aunts; their friends and dear cousins hehe) and I had scheduled the shop to function well without my frequent presence. 1800 was our lucky number. We were going to make 1800 cupcakes in one weekend. .... !!!!!..To be completely honest; i've never done such quantity in a short span of time in the past; but I was quite certain we'd pull through. There were cakes to be baked; frosted and iced. Flowers to be cut and arranged in sugar, boxes to be cleaned and filled, ribbons to be tied and trimmed.. and all that to be done in 1800 repetitions! *laughs*
Despite my worries and extra addition of a 4 tier cake into the order; we tied our last ribbon close to 1/2 a day earlier than scheduled! I'm so very proud of us; and very grateful for every bit of help we received from everyone! My girls from production man-ed the store and came by to help out where they could. The ladies back in production worked extra long hours to accomplish what we had promised.
To top off the finale of such a feat; my Da and I were invited to the grand wedding! I was pretty exhausted but excited to attend none the less. The dashingly handsome Ben and his beautiful bride Shaheen were the sweetest couple who I've come to adore. It was a night to remember... and I couldn't be more proud looking at the guests admiring our cupcakes and my 4 tier masterpiece to match!I felt as though I had every 'elf' there with me at the wedding; smiling in satisfaction of having contributed to such a beautiful evening. It was like a fairytale. Ben had personally looked into all the details of the wedding; and it showed in so many ways the dedication he had for the love of his life. Friends and family of theirs all gathered to celebrate their happy matrimony and everything about the wedding was just so .. so right! Haha I had fun; and I was inspired in many ways about love and marriage.
I'm definitely looking forward to the next challenge my team of elves and I are going to be faced with! Kinda exciting and scary at the same time! It's that adrenaline rush I have in 'push' periods and that screaming satisfaction of success we achieve after! I hope it had been as much fun for them as it has for me! Haha; judging from the excitement we had that night; I'm pretty sure everyone was pleased and proud of themselves! *grin*

HAve a Delectable Hari Raya Aidilfitri!

2009-09-02T16:41:00.004+08:00

*Limited sets available for Pre-order only! So call us quick to avoid disappointment *wink*
Call/email us for more information or to place your orders.
Bookings will be made on a first come first serve basis.

Pick up location: Delectable outlet @ S213 The Gardens Mall; Midvalley City, KL
on: 17-18th of September 2009
There will also be Raya themed cupcakes in the store during these next couple of weeks to come!

XOXO;
Su

Happy MERDEKA day Malaysia!!!

2009-08-29T19:58:00.005+08:00

I have a treat waiting in store for all Delectable 'face'-cake lovers!
Su's celebrating her love for Malaysia through pretty and delicious little multi-culture cupcakes!

We had them out on display briefly today before they were all swiped off our shelves! I'll be making more of these through the merdeka long weekend! It's lotsa fun to do a national day special; we've got the whole flag thing going on about the shop; and Jo, our bunny waving this patriotically too! Yelp out loud a 'Happy Delectable MerDeka MALAYSIA!' with every purchase of our Merdeka special cupcake sets and receive a surprise Delectable token from us!

Unfortunately I'm not making enough of these to allow for pre-booking but feel free to give us a call to see if they're still available. They come in our regular set of three cupcakes and each with a different flavour.Yum-ness!

**met many many blog readers from abroad and interstate in the shop this weekend :) I love you all! XOXOXO

The child in all of us.

2009-08-20T23:27:00.003+08:00

SNUggly TEDDY!!! yay!

I like taking quick glimpses at many who make their way into our store for a peek at our cupcakes.
More than often; you get women smirking or pursing their lips in delight, almost wanting to squirm with a 'EeeEeeeee soooo cuteee" Haha It's funny how most young ladies chose to keep those expressions silent; when in fact there really is nothing to hide. The children shamelessly exclaim in excitement each time they discover the Jo bunnies in a new pose; or Lulu the sheep with a pretty new bow on her head. Of course; what comes after is an annoying ring of "I WANT I WANT!" There really is a child hidden in all of us; ALL yes... men, this includes males too. The same way you feel the need to believe Spiderman really does exist; us females need to have cutesy little yummy treats to pine for! :D
I've caught a fair number of older men on occasion; smirking to themselves as they stare at the cuddly little beings. And when I finally say they have names; Teddy, Lulu and Jo; they burst out into a Ah ha-ha-ha ..trying to sound as macho as possible.
Silly i feel.. I embrace that child in me instead! She leaps me into hops to cheer me up. She gives me hope in the goodness of 'human-kind', She buys me stickers to make me feel all better inside. The little Su has an obsession for stickers of all sorts; but I'll save that story for another day.

Cuddles for everyone tonight!!

XOXO;
Su

Eating sugar fairies... Oh no! PLease dont!

2009-08-17T01:34:00.004+08:00

They have beautiful beady eyes.. I couldn't possibly have the heart to eat any of them! I always do believe cakes should be EATEN and not left to waste away; but just look at their pretty little faces and frilly dresses... I'd probably would have made this an exception.

They make me happY! hehe
The lucky little birthday girl and her mommy+daddy came all the way from Penang to collect these for her girly dress-up party! She was indeed thrilled; and I'm glad my hours of work had been worth the effort.

It's been a real hectic week for us at Delectable. Hectic is good; hectic means advancement! haha Will soon have more updates on our coming festive specials and new product updates at our outlet at The Gardens Mall.

How do you describe moments beyond happiness

2009-08-16T20:42:00.005+08:00

I'm generally happy every day of my life.
I'm the sort of girl who makes the best out of every little thing about each day to convince myself; "Hey! This ain't so bad at all! in fact; this is great!

Looking beyond all things that pressure and frustrate me throughout the 18+/- hours a day that I'm working and occasional moments when i am just too exhausted to be cheerful; i'm a lucky lucky girl indeed! I've got all my organs functioning perfectly, my dream job and self owned business, a supportive family, a one in a million boyfriend, meaningful friendships and just about everything I need to sustain a sincere smiley face through it all.

I really can't complain. Through the sweat and long hours I and my trusty grey matter pull through daily; I know what i brought upon myself is worth every ounce of effort.
There are rare times when i'm even happier than the regular happy me. It almost sounds so unfair that I get all this happiness from all over the place! Hehe

I'm not going to fumble through the dictionary looking for words to denote bliss in this attempt of mine to describe my happiness. I'm just going to call them my "Jo days" *grin*
It's the rare moments i'm close to him; the sweet gestures he pulls out from a far and the many times I'm reminded how we have each other.

Everyone should have their own 'Jo days' too! It could be a favourite food? or a favourite place? Mine happens to be in the form of a handsome person. Hehe
It's like our rock; the place we confide our troubles in hopes for emotional betterment!
I wish it could be Jo day for me everyday, but nothings ever perfectly the way you imagine it to be. Being apart from each other makes 'Jo days' very rare and unreachable; which in some sense makes it valuable; but yet in another perspective, sucks! :(
Patience could be the key? maybe?
Or do we move on looking to find other sorta 'days' to nourish our souls? I've gotten myself a "full-fat Starbucks day" a "Yummy bake day" a "Peanut butter day" a "fluffy toy day"
What "day"s do you have?

Chocolate + fruit?

2009-08-09T00:33:00.003+08:00

This was definitely one of the grander weddings that I've ever been lucky enough to be part of.I've always wanted to pair deep browns with gold in a towering wedding cake! It's just one of many combo's I have in my mind waiting anxiously to be 'created'.
The blushing bride; her groom and their lovely wedding planner had popped by over to the shop for a cake consultation; not exactly having a clue what they want; other than a couple of details they had in mind.
1. Must have fruit. ??? Haha
2. Must include lots and lots of chocolate (The petite little bride LOVEs chocolate)

Immediately I spoke to them about this 'vision' I had for a full chocolate and gold cake; CHocolate inside and out; gold trimmings; the height and the works! They were thrilled! I picked gooseberries as our 'fruit'. Beautiful little golden pods hidden beneath petal like leaves; they were going to be just perfect for this! From nods of approval we moved on with excitement beaming from our faces. Haha The minute they handed me a copy of the wedding invitation; Immediately! I saw it! I could picture their wedding masterpiece in my mind.
I was going to hand paint those beautiful poppy flowers in pure dark chocolate! Have layers of luscious chocolate truffles in gold throughout! It was going to be DEcadently ChoCOLicious!!

They loved my ideas; and I loved them for it!
We threw about a couple ideas for the topper and finally promises were made; quick and free of hiccups!
Well... hmm there was a little bit of a hiccup on my side in terms of hunting the venue down; the GPS lied! HONEst! Dad drove as I cared for our precious cargo. Short of throwing the talking machine out the window; we eventually found it on our own in the nick of time!
I was shamelessly still busy snapping photos of my cake from a distance as the drumrolls and 'kompang' entourage began! Haha I wanted a photo! I couldn't resist!

hiding under a hat...

2009-08-01T14:05:00.004+08:00

I have my favourite floppy hat over my head.

It's my first Saturday with all major cakes to send off at the beginning of the weekend. I was looking forward to this Saturday for a long time now... Hah... rewarding it was indeed.

I wish i could be writing lots more here and posting up pictures of my cakes to share with everyone, but the Su the 'juggle-master' can only do so much. Blogging has definitely become a 'luxury'; where i get to occasionally make time to express myself in words. Su's currently snuggling up in the quietest of corners, flopped over a sofa, shoes off, hat on and venti coffee in hand. Yes; disturb me not. Just me; my qwerty and my outlet of expression.

Su's gotten an unexpected amount of attention lately. From media; at the store; my local grocer and my favourite little coffee hang outs. Not 'freaking-out' type attention of course; just little pleasant gestures, hello su; I love what you do; cool shop; saw you on the papers sorta thing. Which is cool! real cool I suppose. It only starts to get a little less cool when i have to constantly remind myself to be watch my every gesture. From the way I speak; the clothes I wear and more importantly the way i get at that occasional wedgie. Hee.. I often make trips to the 'ladies' for my teeth digging and burping intervals with doors closed. I know it doesn't actually matter; but I feel conscious when people begin to point at me from the escalator; or stare at me as I try to buy my lunch at breadstory. Yes; i'm the 'Delectable'; but it doesn't matter that I get a fruit cake from Starbucks does it? I guess it tastes alright. *shrug*

I actually don't know why I feel fussed about this whole situation; i'm generally not a shy person; neither do I have a problem with confidence or attention. Hell; I own a blog with thousands of people invading my privacy everyday! Haha. I guess it's just how people relate Su to Delectable. Well; I'm a professional when at work; I'm serious about my job and how I manage my staff, within and beyond the outlet; but when I'm having a rough morning in my comfy pj's rocking up to the shop with eye bags to my chin; I sometimes wished I looked better; fresher.. more like THE 'Delectable' LOL. And more than often; someone would coincidently go "Hey Su; I read so much about you! Came by to check out the shop!" ... I'm thinking; oh you must think I wear pants with big red hearts on them all the time. >.<
There are more articles coming;.. podcasts, TV appearances.. all awesome stuff; mostly about me promoting the shop :) It's only getting better! Which i appreciate a lot.
Stop pointing at me kay guys.. come and say 'Hi'! come sign the guest book! I don't bite; honest.. I'm just another girl doing her thing; baking her cakes.. making friends. So please don't assume I'm on my high horse; I'm just Su-yin; the girl from Ipoh who makes pretty and fun cakes :D
Hmm.. unless I have my favourite hat on and I'm curled on a sofa + starbucks in hand; in such situations; maybe I would choose to be left alone. *giggle* I'm probably drawing up some new ideas for the shop; or coming up with a crazy new 'cake' concept! Blogging maybe?

XOXOXO;
Su

It's just something about cupcakes.

2009-07-25T17:47:00.005+08:00

...That excites little ones into squeals.

turns grown women into children...

and solves any man's 'gift-ing' dilemma...

Serve them on a pretty platter to pass them off as a fancy dessert...
just fingers and a serviette for a sweet treat on the go.
Tuck them into boxes and there you have a thoughtful gift.
stack them into tiers and.. voilà~ A masterful wedding cake!;

... cakes in cups; I'm yet to be convinced of their charm.
They hadn't proven themselves a sweet 'classic' in my eyes.
I do make Delectable ones though; and they ARE super yummy (according to many who haunt our quaint little outlet here at The Gardens) *wink* teehee
I'd rather be making cakes; it's a larger canvas. *grin* more fun for creative little Su!

Can't run from em; practical or precious? or both?
Well.. ..
Alright; maybe I do secretly love them a teeny bit.. ... just a little..
I can't deny myself that smile discovering fun filled center surprises and picking off the cherry on top!
But THEY are EVERYWHERE! cakes in cups all over place! Who's ready for a new fad? You guys are just waiting for Delectable to start one huh? hehehe :D

You can never stop learning...

2009-07-21T00:28:00.003+08:00

... I know I'll never!
From every experience I've had with cake in my hands; I've gained bits of knowledge which makes me better the next time. I understand from speaking to the professionals that perfect execution often comes with decades of experience; and yes.. making a completely unique cake each time makes it even more difficult for me. I challenge myself with each design I sketch; I push boundaries and asses feedback as a point of judgment. There are too many possibilities and risks in the completion of cakes and such... it really is about taking precaution for everything you can foresee and being intelligent and quick enough to fix those which decide to hit you anyhow you may attempt to dodge! Haha most cake decorators can probably relate to what I speak about.It's definitely also about me growing up as a person;
mom and dad often give me the 'That's life / Welcome to the real world" line...
but it really isn't as simple as implementing what I deem necessary in an instant! They are habits I have to teach myself to be accustomed to; it's the way I analyze, react to and judge every instance of my job; which unfortunately has naturally now became everything my life is about! *grr..
I've gotten very frustrated at myself the past weekend; at my incompetence and my inability to handle ungodly amounts of stress. I've finally come to terms with my anger and have turned over a new leaf this week. I didn't kill nee one; I PROmise! *grin* Instead of focusing on the things I should be doing 'right' next; I was unfortunately dwelling on all the stumbles I've made since. Pretty silly and unproductive; I know... I've had my moment of whinging; Su's better now, she's gotten pretty jealous at the improvements of other cake decorators she checks out worldwide from surfing the net lots lately!
Fear not Malaysia! I'm getting better too! Just watch me world!

Being a part of the Magic.

2009-07-15T01:01:00.003+08:00

...Generally;
Su's job is to wheel in this perfectly delicious and beautiful cake hours before the wedding...

Set up the table;
...prettify it's surroundings,
and then wish the couple all the best things before making my way out discreetly.

This time, it was a little different.

It was cousin Ivy's special day...... and Su was to be the bridesmaid, the MC and the cake decorator. To be honest it didn't begin to feel overwhelming at all till the actual day! I hadn't known what to expect; thinking that it'd be simple thing of organizing or throwing a big party. Oh boy was I wrong! >.<
Ol foot it the mouth Su managed to pull it off with just merely a couple of major stumbles; she organized the night and herself at best she could, but still needed her beloved cousin; the bride herself to help her with her make up! Yes! I love Ivy so much for always being there for me with the silly things I'm clueless about. Fashion, photography and portraits are her forte... she finds herself helping me out with the silliest of requests like picking out outfits and shopping for events. Fun things I suppose!
I love her fun yet classic style and her ability to be downright honest with me in fishing out the hideous pieces! I love crazy colours and patterns; I can't help it! hahaAt the end of the night; cousins and I were exhausted! It was incredibly nice to think how we all came together as a family to help Ivy and Desmond with their special day. From flowers to cake, seating arrangements and ushering.. there was so much to do! She's lucky she has more than a handful of us cousins in the family! *giggle*
It was really nice. I had a chance to be there for Ivy instead.The night was a success... great food; beautiful venue, a beaming couple and dancing relatives! It will be a night i'll always remember.

Welcome to the family Desmond! :)

Why eat?

2009-07-10T00:33:00.003+08:00

A note to remind myself:

Because it keeps me alive and smiling.

Battle against bad carbs begin in the AM!
Change that pout to a grin Su. It's time to get that healthy eating regime started all over again.
When buttons fly in the middle of a game of badminton; it's pretty obvious those extra pounds have GOT to go!
There's no way i'm opting for elastics in pants instead! LOL
... Su's all about food and eating; but most importantly, she's into eating the RIGHT things and staying healthy of course!
Let's hope she remembers that. *fingers crossed* hehehe

Hat's off to all those who inspire us.

2009-07-02T15:26:00.009+08:00

Could I really be the true Jack of all trades; citizen of neither-land... constantly yearning for the grass over neighbouring fences?
An eyepatch over me and parrot over my shoulder; I'd probably pass off easily as an adventurer armed with my personal ship crew!
Yes yes... I'm lucky; very much blessed with all the incredible opportunities and guidance I've received from far and wide. But more than often, the general public chooses to conveniently forget opportunity without action or dedication does remain irrelevant. They waltz into the store thinking I've hired a couple of little gremlins to bang out cakes by the millions and have just been sitting on my royal butt accepting all that glamorous attention. Friends and family who have followed me through my mere 6 months of development have seen my sequence of mental and physical deterioration! *laughs* It isn't as though no one has offered help or have given me all I've needed to start off Delectable. The number of kind gestures of goodwill I've received are countless!
It's great!! I should be satisfied no?
I should just say hey! The shop is awesome~
.... but no... Su Yin doesn't stop; she keeps reaching for more and more... not out of greed; but purely for the satisfaction of knowing she can.
Occasionally I find funny little ways to inspire myself to keep pushing forward; most of the time it is the people around me and the stories I hear about others just like me.
Here's just another little something; her melody and lyrics transported me to an 'untouchable' pedestal! well...just in my mind I suppose. *giggle*

Makes me want to run up a meadow singing at the top of my lungs ala - Sound of Music!

I wasn't a fan of Hannah Montana; but I guess I am now?..