Like Oil & Water

Yessssssss! That's exactly how I'll describe myself with flowers :-) Don't get me wrong, I do L.O.V.E flowers. Should see the look of glee on my face whenever I receive flower bouquets! You would think I've just won the lottery!

What I mean here is any activity concerning flowers...Even the simplest task of arranging flowers in a vase takes me hours & still the end result is disastrous! Hhmmm, come to think of it, maybe that's the reason my honey bunny seldom buy me flowers :-P

My bad streak in flower decorations even extended to my sugar craft flower making *blush* Just the thought of making fondant flowers ( yes, any kind of flower! ) is enough to make my palms go all sweaty. Must be nerves, worry & fear. Seriously, flower & me don't get along :-P

So when dear Ms. FH called me & requested for a set of cupcakes with flower deco on it, I got kind of panicky...Who wouldn't?!! Especially with my history of bad streaks with flowers :-P Moreover, I don't even know how to do sugar craft flowers...Erkkkkkkk!! Oh! A fact that I DID warned Ms. FH about & somehow she still ask me to proceed with her order..He..he..

After much restless thoughts, I decided to just have a go & make my own version of flower deco...Now, don't ask me what flower it is as I've no idea :-P All I did was take some dough & just go with the flow. Pretty sure no such flower existed in the world, only in my mind :-P

Here's the set of cupcakes which Ms. FH ordered for her BFF's engagement ceremony :-)

Attempting Sugar Craft Flowers :-P

Pink & Purple Themed Cupcakes

Engagement Gift Cupcakes - Chocolate Moist Cake

With Chocolate Ganache Frostings & Fondant Deco

To Ms. FH, you've been so great! Even when I frankly tell you of my inadequate skill in making sugar craft flowers, you still put your trust in me & urge me on...I greatly appreciate your support & encouragement :-) My sincere gratitude to you, always! Hugs!

When You Feel It, Just Do It!

Truth be told, I'm still struggling with my icing deco...Heck! Let me revise that...I'm still struggling with cake decorating to be exact :-P Sometimes whenever I home-schooled myself watching those You-Tube tutorials, I found myself shrieking, 'Oh my! I don't know how to do that!'...but most of the time it's 'Is that even possible?' :-P Yeah! I'm THAT lousy with icing decorations *blush*

Having zero knowledge in cake baking & decorating, I'm always doubting myself each time I'm about to try a certain icing design :-P Believe me, there are tonnes of icing design I wish I could master, yet I never ( ever! ) had the guts to even attempt it. Yup! I'm THAT unsure of my own cake skills!

I was feeling kind of tired being unsure of myself when something just strike me...Why should I torture myself with all this self-doubt?!! If I feel it, then just do it! I don't think I'll die if I fail, rite? The worst that will happen is that I'll have an ugly cake but it's still edible! Pretty sure my honey bunny wouldn't mind being my 'guinea pig' & indulge himself with my ugly cakes. Win - win situation, I would say :-P

With that in mind, I was gearing up for my next cake project when opportunity presented itself in the form of an order from Anim, one of my very first customer when I first started this goodies venture of mine :-) Yeayyyyyyyy!! Anim's request was for a Red Velvet cake, a birthday celebration cake she's arranging for her office colleagues. Being a regular customer, Anim ( bless her ), gave me total freedom in designing her cake :-)

I totally took this chance to have a go at one of the icing design that I've been dying to try...

My Very 1st Attempt At Making Roses Icing Deco On A Cake :-P

A 4 in 1 Birthday Cake

Red Velvet Cake With Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

I was pretty worried with the outcome but seeing Anim's face when she picked up the cake was enough to put my mind at ease. Her 'ohhs' & 'ahhs' were enough to make my day ;-) It's always a major plus point to me, knowing my customer's happy with their goodies order. I just love that feeling!

To my dear Anim, even when I'm unsure of myself, you're always there to push me on :-) Your undying confidence in me is sincerely appreciated & I thank you! Thank you so much for all your support & I hope I'll be blessed with more of it :-)

Peeps, lesson to remember here...When you feel it, just do it! You wouldn't know what you're capable of until you try ;-) Now that I have a new 'motto', I'm so looking forward to my next project :-) Wish me luck!

Ritz Passion Turns 2!!

Yes!!! Ritz Passion turned two last 15th October!! Yeayyyyyyy!! Can you believe it?!! I can't! Feels as though it's only yesterday that I quit my 9-5 job to pursue this passion of mine :-)

What stemmed from my undying love for food & baking two years ago, Ritz Passion is now a full swing home based business and I owe it to all of you!! 

My 1001 thank you's:-

THANK YOU to my honey bunny for allowing me to pursue my dream...For always being there for me through the ups & downs :-) Thank you for being so patient with me each time I'm having those 'baking tantrums' :-P You've been so great & I heart you! Love...love...love you always baby! Muahhhhh!! :-x

THANK YOU to my dear family for all the encouragement & support...For believing in me :-) I am so blessed to have such a great family...Muahhhhhhh!!

THANK YOU to my friends, whom never fail to push me on & for always having faith in me even when I'm unsure of myself :-P I wouldn't be where I am today if not for all your support & love. I love you, now & always! Friends forever! :-x

THANK YOU to all my clients/customers for their undying love :-) For being so generous in rendering Ritz Passion your faith & trust to create your goodies...For giving my goodies the chance to share your special day & celebrations...Most of all, thank you so much for your business. I'm forever grateful!

THANK YOU to all my blog followers & readers for the love you've showered me with...For giving me the opportunity to introduce my goodies to you...For taking the time to read my posts...For all the comments, inquiries & wishes you've sent to me...I love it all!

THANK YOU to all my Facebook friends & followers/fans for your continuos support & love...For all your recommendation, 'likes' & comments...Thanks too for being so kind in sharing me your photos :-) I just love it all! Hugs!

THANK YOU to all my Twitter friends & followers for making each day a bright & sunny day for me with all your tweets :-) Thank you too for sharing your love & prayers...Much love to each and every one of you!

THANK YOU to YOU ( Yes, YOU! ) for your love & support...Having you visiting my blog is such an honour & I do hope you'll visit again soon :-)

Photo Taken From The Wide World Of Web

Ritz Passion would have been just a dream of mine if not for all your support. You've made Ritz Passion what it is today & for that, I'm forever grateful :-) May the coming years be as great as the one I just had :-)

Once again, thank you all & much love to each & every one of you! 

A Tribute...

FATHERS

- Loyd C. Taylor -

Fathers …

They are strong 

When we need protection

They are tender 

When we need affection

Fathers …

They are near 

To chase our fears away

They work hard 

To provide day after day

Fathers …

Their tasks many 

Free minutes are so few

They are special 

For all the things they do

Fathers …

They are disciplinarians 

Yet soothe our pains away

They are spiritual leaders

And taught us how to pray

Fathers …

They are heroes 

Though perfect they are not

They are gracious 

Our flaws some how forgot

Fathers …

They are misjudged 

In time they've given us

They give wisdom 

Through words spoken in love

Fathers …

They are treasures

So today let us start, 

Honoring our Father

And love with all our heart. 

Sobs...Isn't that such a nice poem? It really touched my heart & for this post of mine, I find it befitting to tribute one of my favourite poems to all the dads out there, especially to my dad :-) I love you Daddy!

And here's Halifah's tribute for both her dad & father-in-law, in celebration of the recent Father's Day...Two sets of Red Velvet cupcakes with Lemon Cream Cheese frostings. It was a very last minute order & it sadden me that I wasn't able to come up with any intricate design in time :-( Had just enough time to make a simple deco for the cupcakes. Luckily Halifah understood my dilemma & was okay with it. Phewwwww!! :-P

Father's Day Cupcakes

Red Velvet Cupcakes With Lemon Cream Cheese Frostings

Halifah & Her Dad...So Sweet! :-)

Halifah's Dad & His Cupcakes :-)

Halifah's Gift To Her Father In-Law

Halifah's Father-In Law & His Cuppies :-)

I Love This Photo Which Halifah Tagged Me In Facebook :-)

Halifah's friend, Natasha, the person who actually initiated the order, also ordered a set for her dad...Thanks dear! Welcome to Ritz Passion goodies :-)

Red Velvet Cupcakes With Lemon Cream Cheese Frostings

To Halifah & Natasha, you're both such sweet ladies & I'm sure both of your dads are proud to call you 'daughter' :-) Thank you so much for allowing my goodies to be a part of your special celebration. I am indeed honoured by the opportunity :-)

Much love to all & please don't forget to give your dad a hug after reading this ;-) My dad sure gonna get a tight squeeze from me! :-)

♥♥♥ Message from Halifah ♥♥♥

"Thanks dear. Red Velvet u sedap sgtttt!!!!!"

Translation:-

"Thanks dear. Your Red Velvet is soooooooo delicious!!!"

P/S : Thank you so much for making my day with your kind message Halifah :-) Hugs!

Me, Meticulous? Nahhhh!

If people were to ask me to describe myself in one word, I'll definitely say 'happy-go-lucky' ( does that count as one word? )...but ask my honey bunny, and he'll say ( without hesitation! ), 'meticulous'. In fact, he'll add in 'very meticulous' if he could sum it as one word :-P Urmm...yeah, as much as I hate to admit it, I guess I AM one :-P So much so that at times my honey bunny said it's actually a syndrome, hence the nickname 'Mrs. Monk'. Oh! You know that TV program 'Monk', starring Tony Shalhoub, about a guy who has a bit of an obsessive-compulsive disorder ( OCD ).

Maybe it's just me but I find it fulfilling to give my all in everything I do, no matter how small or big the feat is...Like when I iron my clothes, I have to make sure there's no wrinkles after I'm done ironing. Or else, believe me, if I see even one little wrinkle, I'll re-iron it all over again! Same goes when I'm making my goodies. I just have to make sure everything is as perfect as I possibly could. Every single step & detail is such a HUGE deal to me. I guess that's why any other normal person would be able to bake a cake within, say 2 hours, while I might need another extra 1 hour, just to be sure everything is in perfect order. Like I have to make sure my spoons are lint free from those dish towel before I dip it into my cake batter, or even making sure that my eggs has it's 'bath' first to rid of those 'alien' things stuck to it's shell before adding it to my cake recipe :-P 

So when Najah ( yeayyyy!! another new customer of Ritz Passion ) sent me her drawings for her cupcakes order, naturally, being the person that I am, I wanted to make sure that my cupcakes turn out to be as perfect as possible.

Najah's order was for a set of chocolate moist cupcakes with chocolate ganache & fondant deco. It's a special gift that she wanted to present to her fiancée in celebration of his birthday.

Okay, enough yapping...Here's the cupcakes I did for Najah :-P Whether it's the same as Najah's drawing or not, I'll let you be the judge :-P Feel free to let me know what you think of it okay :-) I sure would love to hear your feedback ;-)

'Smiley' Themed Cupcakes As Requested By Najah

Here's Najah's Drawing Of  How She Wants 

Her Cupcakes To Look Like...Did I Nailed It? :-P

Chocolate Moist Cupcakes With Chocolate Ganache & Fondant Deco

Tried My Best To Shape The 'Kissy Lip'...Still Need Practice! :-P

To Najah, I had soooooooooo much fun making your cupcakes! My hope is that you & your fiancée had enjoyed the goodies as much as I've enjoyed making it for you :-) Thank you for the opportunity & thank you for allowing my goodies to be a part of your special occasion.

Last but not least, to my dear Tanti, who's a loyal supporter of Ritz Passion & Najah's sweet sister, my utmost thanks to you for your recommendation & for the support you've showered me with all these years :-) Muahhhhhh!!

Tanti Doing Her 'Kissy' Look :-P Thanks For The Photo Dear!

Till my next post, much love to all! 

Double Joy

It was a double joy for me when I received Melissa's phone call a few months back ( told ya I'm way back-logged in my postings! *blush* )...

Joy # 1 - Receiving Melissa as Ritz Passion's new customer :-) Yeayyyyyy!! What an honour it was for me to meet her acquaintance :-) I love...love...loveeeeeeee meeting new people & making friends. Such a great feeling indeed!

Joy # 2 - Being able to make fancy cookies :-) Yup! It has been a while since I last made some, so when Melissa requested for it, I practically jumped for joy with the opportunity! :-P

Melissa's order was for a set of Ben 10's fancy cookies to celebrate her son, Rishon's, birthday. According to Melissa, Ben 10 is Rishon's favorite cartoon character & she would like something of that effect to be the cookies deco. So excited was Melissa over her order that one just can't help being infected in sharing her excitement :-P

Another thing that really touched me was when I found out that Melissa will be coming all the way from Petaling Jaya to collect her goodies ( nearly an hour drive to my place ). Being the mushy me ( yeah! I'm such a sappy person...and proud of it! *wink* ), I've decided to surprise her by printing Rishon's name on the cookies ;-) Just my way of thanking & showing my appreciation to her :-)

Ben 10 Themed Fancy Cookies

Vanilla Butter Cookies With Edible Image & Fondant Deco

Individually Packed To Suit The Occasion

Loving This :-)

To my dear Melissa, it is still a wonder to me as in how or where you've heard of my goodies, but one thing I do know is how grateful & honoured I am that you have chosen Ritz Passion's goodies to grace Rishon's birthday :-) From the bottom of my heart, thank you & I do hope I'll be hearing from you again in the near future :-)

Hugs & thanks for dropping by all!

More Catching Up!

Yup! I have loads to catch up on my posts...Believe me, loads! I even have goodies which I've made in June still waiting for it's turn to be high-lighted here *super blush!* Okay, enough of me yapping! Let's catch up, shall we? :-P

These three goodies were all ordered on the same day...Should see the panic state I was in that day! I was practically running around the house like a crazy wet hen, worried sick that I couldn't finish the orders in time, more so when two of it had to be hand delivered :-P By a stroke of pure luck ( and a bit of miracle, I guess ), I did manage to finish up all orders & delivered it in time...Major phewwwwwwww! :-P

The first order was from Ms. Salwa, all the way from Bandar Tun Hussein Onn. Her order was for a Red Velvet birthday cake for her dad. I was quite jittery when making Salwa's order as she's a new customer of mine...I ALWAYS get so nervous + jittery + panicky when making goodies for new customers :-P Nevertheless, I would always give my best to all my customers, a code I live by ;-)

Here's the cake I did for Salwa's dad...

Red Velvet Cake With Lemon Cream Cheese Frostings

Took The Chance To Practice On My Flower Making ;-)

To Salwa, thanks so much dear for giving me the opportunity to bake for you :-) It means a lot to me that you've chosen my goodies to grace your dad's special day! From the bottom of my heart, thank you!

As I mentioned earlier, I get pretty nervous when baking for new customers...Guess what? The next order was also from another new customer!...I guess you all can imagine what a nervous wreck I was that particular day, attending to two new customers :-P In fact, truth be told, I was particularly EXTRA nervous about this order which I received from Tunku Muna. With an esteemed family background attached to her name, it was crucial for me to make sure that my goodies are up to her expectations :-P

Her order was for a set of Red Velvet cupcakes & as it was for her family's eating pleasure, I opted for a simple deco :-) I didn't want to overwhelm the cupcakes with too much 'blings' as those extra 'blings' can really change the taste of cupcakes, in my opinion, that is :-P Instead I did some sweet roses deco to reflect my thoughts of Tunku Muna, whom to me, is such a sweet beautiful lady :-)

Red Velvet Cupcakes With Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

Something Simple & Sweet ;-)

Tunku Muna, I am truly humbled by the opportunity given by you. It was indeed an honour to bake for you & your family. My sincere thanks for all the support & encouragement that you've showered me with :-)

And finally, the last order for the day...A birthday cupcakes ordered by Intan Norzalizawati for her son, Ochen. It's actually a last minute order & initially I had turned it down due to my busy schedules. I was so worried about taking in orders more than I could handle but after a few phone calls,  'pleases' & much coaxing from Intan, I just couldn't say no :-P After all, her whole family are such loyal fans of Ritz Passion's goodies :-) Of course I'll make time to fulfill Intan's wishes...

With all the running around making & delivering goodies, I didn't realize how time flew by so fast! Believe it or not, I only managed to get my hands on Ochen's cupcakes at 6pm & the agreed pick up time was for 8:30pm!! Major 'erkkkkkkk' but luckily I baked the cupcakes much earlier ;-) Smart move ehh? :-P *patting my back*

Despite a few panicky moments rushing out Ochen's cupcakes, I did enjoy the process of making it...Putting together the deco are so much fun! I even came up with a few new ideas :-) Sometimes when pressured, my mind & imagination can do wonders. Thank God! :-P

Chocolate Moist & Vanilla Cupcakes With Vanilla Buttercream

And Fondant Deco

Loving The Colorful Deco! Had So Much Fun Making These :-)

To my dear Intan, I do hope you & family, especially Ochen,  had enjoyed the goodies. Thank you soooooo much for your continuous support & most of all, for choosing my goodies to grace Ochen's birthday :-) Much love to you & your family for being Ritz Passion's #1 fan :-)

I still have loads to catch up on my goodies but I think it's best if we take a break for now...Wouldn't want to bore you with my yapping :-P Till my next post, have a great day all!

Catching Up...

My oh my! It's been quite some time since I last update news of my goodies here :-( Yeah, I know I should have...The truth is, it has been a super duper busy time for me, what with catching up on daily orders that had been pouring in & baking cookies for the festive Syawal. Thank you all for the love! I truly appreciate the support :-)

Another reason I was 'off radar' was because I've been taking care of my dad who had a heart bypass operation recently. Happy to report that all is well with him & all he needs now is some TLC ( tender loving care ) ;-)

Since I'm horribly wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy back-logged on my goodies news ( yup! really back-logged!! ) & in order to catch up, I've decided to summarize my goodies news :-P I hope you guys don't mind :-P

To start, here's a cake which was specially requested by Dilla from Puchong. Truth be told, we were a perfect stranger before this but thanks to Facebook, our friendship blossomed & as the saying goes, 'the rest is history' :-) Meeting Dilla's acquaintance was indeed an honour as she's such a lovely lady :-) In fact, thanks to her, I'm able to post some of her cake photos here. As you all know, I've lost all my goodies photos to a computer glitch some time ago :-( Thanks Dilla for sharing your photos. Much love to you dear!

This special order of a 'house themed cake' made specially for Dilla's daughter, Habibee, was a very first for me & it will always have a special place in my heart :-)

Chocolate Moist House Themed Cake With Fondant Decos

The Birthday Girl, Habibee, & Her Special Cake

Habibee Requested A Doll On Her Cake ;-)

To my dear Dilla, thank you so much for choosing my goodies to grace Habibee's special day :-) Most important of all, thank you for trusting me to 'create' Habibee's cake :-) It means so much to me! Much love to you dear!

This next order was from a good friend & a loyal customer of mine, Ms. Aina from Taman Permata ( Aina dearie - hugs to you dear! ). Aina wanted a set of cupcakes to be presented to her hubby dearest to celebrate their 16th Wedding Anniversary. I was so touched that Aina choose my goodies for her special occassion :-) Wanting to make it extra special for Aina, I decided to create a new cupcake flavor, just for her - Choc N Banana :-)

Aina's Wedding Anniversary Cupcakes

I'm happy to report that Aina & hubby loved the new flavor & they truly enjoyed it *phewwwwwww!* :-) To Aina & hubby, 'Happy Anniversary' to you both & may your coming days be filled with much love and happiness! Oh, thanks too for sending me the photo :-) Hugs!

Till my nest posting ( which will be soon! ), have a great day all!