April's Spring Out Of The Box – Bring Out My Picasso

We all have other interests. Something that pulls us to be someone else other than our self that we know who to be. It could be waterskiing, hiking or even just scrap booking. It is a part of us that we resist because we simply believe "that is not me" or "there's no way I can do that" BOLOGNA! We can be whoever we want to be and do what we want to do. I encourage everyone to try something they've never done. Get your hands dirty and learn the better you. The one who isn't afraid of a challenge.

Goal: Bring out the art in my life!!

You mustn't think that I am some stuck up art snob...

I genuinely do appreciate the arts. Yes there is that photo of something very random that you don't really get why it would be photographed. For some reason that particular subject touched the photographer in some way. Maybe it remind them of a moment they had with their parents or a struggle they once had and they found the beauty in that moment even if it looks unattractive to someone else. 

Then there's the random brush strokes of red white and black paint that looks like a 5 year old went to town on a canvas. However these brush strokes represent a feeling and expression and a lot of times it has a deeper meaning and cause. It might be an expression of the depression times back in the 1920s? Or it could have been an item their grandparents cherished. This is why I love the arts. It is so intimate and personal and you are not obligated to love it or hate it. You can interpret what a painting means to you.

I myself like to find and focus on the happiness in a lot of paintings or photographs whether it be a smiling child or a community of people working together to build a boat. Throughout my 20s whenever we have gone on any vacations or excursions through a city, I would always make a point of going to the local galleries. I feel that to really deepen your experience somewhere, I wanna know the expressions of the local artists. Have the people of Miami always had it easy by the beach or is there more to that life? What is behind the blue tile painting in Portugal and why was there no other colour?? 

This curiosity pushed me further and I signed up for my very own painting class. The 101, most basic class to teach me what it takes to paint a canvas from start to finish. Let me tell you there is no complicated methods of holding the brush or colours to use. Remember painting in school, where your teacher gave you the paint, the water container and paper? SAME DEAL. It does not take much! The best part is you don't have to be amazing at drawing. A few of the students including me were very hesitant because we thought we were terrible at drawing/painting and the teacher just simply said "no talent required just do your best". He was right, everyone's best looked great! The beautiful part was that we all focused on the same items but all of our paintings looked different in their own individual way. You could actually even see our personalities coming out in our canvas. Some were carefully painting inside the lines, bringing out every detail and customizing colours for effect and some painted right over the lines, squiggled here and there finished in no time! They were all beautiful in their own way.

My paint pallet..not your typical perfect dots of paint...I thought it was an art itself...can you find the monkey??

This project made me learn about myself. I am definitely that perfectionist, detail oriented person that likes to take my time to create a masterpiece. This resonated with me when I remember taking hours sculpting and perfecting our cakes. Lesson: All my pending projects aren't getting done because I want them done perfectly. I need to prioritize what needs my time and attention and what I can just quickly do without much hassle. I also learned that one of my projects (my home decor) is going on 3 years now and I won't get down on myself because like my painting, it will take a long time, but in the end it will perfect for me and my lifestyle.

Some fabulous paintings are just worth waiting for. What's the canvas in your life and how do you plan on painting it? It might be that vintage car you are working on or the business environment you are creating. Be in the moment and get to feel what kind of artist you are! 

April's Spring Out Of The Box - My Green Thumb

We all have other interests. Something that pulls us to be someone else other than our self that we know who to be. It could be waterskiing, hiking or even just scrap booking. It is a part of us that we resist because we simply believe "that is not me" or "there's no way I can do that" BOLOGNA! We can be whoever we want to be and do what we want to do. I encourage everyone to try something they've never done. Get your hands dirty and learn the better you. The one who isn't afraid of a challenge.

 

Goal: Discover my Green Thumb
In growing up it was hard to take care of much. A goldfish wouldn't stand a chance in my messy bedroom. I remember getting my first real big green plant moving into our house and boy did that get brown. I wasn't ready yet. I didn't fully appreciate the art of nurturing and caring for plants. Sure they looked great and I admired those that expanded their garden filled with fresh veggies and flowers. But I never thought that that could be me. I chose to believe that I was simply not responsible enough to care for a plant and ditched the idea ASAP. Plus, have you ever researched the subject? They mention zones, sun co-ordinates, and all types of funny confusing names. Should I call Bill Nye now?

As the weather gets brighter and melts all the little lingering piles of ice in our backyards, I can't help but feel like "YES I am so ready for spring!" Especially after this winter that seemed to be eons long. I want to see the colours that had once painted Ontario. The greens, the yellows, the pinks and the blues! It started with continuing to nurture my pointsetta from Christmas. Yes it isn't full anymore but the little green leaves growing on it excites me! Then the pretty mini tree plant I got as a gift from my aunt. Then the tulips Ricardo bought me on sale. Once he saw my mini indoor garden blooming he decided to go out and get me some beautiful blue hydrangeas (my absolute fav flower). I arranged them for better sunlight, I water them and care for them a great deal. 

Once the weather rose from -15c to +15c I was ready to start my real garden outside. I decided to work on the flower bed we have in our backyard with a little tree in the middle. I wanted to plant peonies. Since peonies have been a huge trend in wedding cakes, I thought it would fit for our home. SO we cleaned out all the bad roots, added some gardening soil mixed with some top soil and planted them accordingly. I had found some of the existing green plants in there and rearranged them to fit with our peony plants.

Benefits of having indoor plants:
Fights Pollution Indoors - Plants are able to remove up to 87% of air toxins in 24 hours.
Helps Fight Colds - Plants decrease coughs, sore throats, fatigue by more than 30% (eucalyptus helps clear phlegm and congestion)
Increases Happiness - Increased sense of well-being, stability and control. Increased feelings of relaxation and optimism. Reduced stress, anxiety and depression.
Reduces Carbon Dioxide - They draw it out from our air during photosynthesis.
Prevents Allergies - Exposing children early to plants can help them build tolerance and immunity.
Negates Cigarette Smoke - Plants remove airborne chemicals from cigarettes.
Improves Sleep - Gerbera Daisies give off oxygen at night.

The European Garden
We all know and love that aunt, uncle or grandma with the colourful garden. The bright red tomatoes, the crispy fresh lettuce, anything that would be included in a big delicious salad. It's been said that the average European life duration is significantly longer than other countries because of the organically grown ingredients that come from their backyard and of course their slow-paced, siesta-full way of life. Hmm maybe their on to something...

Check out my friend Kathy's Instagram @kasiacashew. Kathy is a huge expert in the greens and has fully inspired me to pursue this curiosity of mine. ;)

March's DOCE Madness – Find Your Calling

To conclude the month of March I look back on the reason why we started DOCE Bakery.
Not only was it just making cakes and yummy treats. We wanted to create a brand and a good environment for people to work in and consume. Anyone who knows me knows I LIKE fun! My best memories with my colleagues back in Amy's Bakery were the laughs, the music, the sense of community and that is something I'd like to create at DOCE. I want our name to hold happy, fun-loving people that just come into work and love what they do. Somewhere where they would have freedom of expression through the art of cakes.

Isadore Sharp, Founder and Chairman of the Four Seasons, a Canadian-based international luxury, five-star hotel management company and author states "The reason for our success is no secret. It comes down to one single principle that transcends time and geography, religion and culture. It’s the Golden Rule – the simple idea that if you treat people well, the way you would like to be treated, they will do the same.” Isadore has created one of the most successful hotel chains simply with his philosophy of management. He has emulated this environment throughout all Four Seasons hotels hand selecting each manager that embodies the qualities he was looking for. He strongly believed that treating your employees as guests/clients would have a strong positive effect to their work ethic. Making them feel happy and taken care of.

Marie Forleo is a best-selling American author, web TV host, and trainer in personal development and I am obsessed with her you-tube channel. She brings a lot of quirky and fun loving humour into her messages which makes all this informative content into actual entertainment. I've attached one of her latest videos on how to add humour your business. Enjoy!

"With great power comes great responsibility"

I want DOCE Bakery to be philanthropic. I want us to raise funds for good causes including supporting autistic programs which is one of my most passionate causes. I would like to help celebrate with those that have given their time efforts and money to support a worthy cause. I picture rolling in with a giant sparkly cake to remind them of the great work they are doing and how that must be celebrated!

Supporting our Fellow Bakers!

I think baking is one of the oldest and rarest arts. To see what someone can create with some flour, eggs and sugar always seems to astound me. I encourage others to push there limits and use their passion towards their work. I am inspired when I see someone's baked goods whether it be the professionally detailed custom cake, or little Suzy's first Banana Bread! We need to empower each other and support one another especially in the underestimated industry we are in. One of my biggest dreams for DOCE is to hold an education class for children who want to know how to bake. Let them throw around some sprinkles and frost their first cake and really discover that oomph in them that can turn into the next Buddy Valastro. Bake on my loves!

Man with a plan!

Business plans are so important. They are used as the bible of your business and what you plan to do with it. Basically it's a booklet that describes everything from your marketing strategies down to what colour uniform to wear. It is your canvas of how your business is to look and feel. I have dabbled a bit with our plan but always finding myself getting so overwhelmed over the nitty gritty details of whether I want the 6 or 8 quartz mixer. So I have decided to dive right in and write down what I do want and I will leave all the little decisions out until we are ready. Having a business plan on hand is very important to have. Think if someone came right through my door saying "Priscilla, I have a huge opportunity for DOCE, show me your plan" and I would kinda shrug saying "I've been meaning to get around to it!" 

Time is money and opportunity does not make appointments. BE READY for it all!

March's DOCE Madness - Sweeten your Experience

Goal: The Ultimate Experience

Without customers, DOCE bakery is nothing. So I took some time to really think about the ultimate customer experience. In a service related industry, it is best to put yourself in their shoes. In today's busy, fast paced lives, how could I create a smooth, convenient way to provide a beautiful, great tasting cake on the table as easy as possible.

The Cost of a Dollar

One big obstacle I find we hit all the time is pricing. In an industry with over 500 competitors, people are smarter (finally!). They are shopping around getting the best bang for their buck. Our prices are carefully calculated with parts and labor however, I will need to investigate and research our market value further so that our prices are better suited for the frugalistic mom or dad celebrating little Timmy's big day. At the same time I must ensure that we are being fairly compensated for all the hard work and passion we put into our cakes and into our business.

Social media

We have such fantastic opportunities right under our noses with all the social media out there. They are basically outlets of more creativeness to reach the new and older generations! Currently we connect with fans via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and even Pinterest @docebakery. There is no higher compliment then having a fan re-pin one of your cakes to their creative vision boards. Here, I will need to fully review what we have posted and carefully select those that best represent our company. With the little time people have in their busy lives, I wouldn't want them getting a finger cramp scrolling through all of 2010 until now! I'd also like to categorize our albums so that you can click and see inspirations of exactly what you would be interested in. 

Haute Cake

I will need to consistently follow up on the trends to keep our designs modern chic and up to date in the latest trends. With Buddy Valastro's lead in today's cake innovation, our industry has turned into the haute couture of tasty delights. In fact the famous Cake Boss has already created a collection of cake resembling one of Issac Mizrahi's collection down the runway!

Where DOCE Shines

Sure there is some tough competition out there. What I do take most pride in is our taste. With hearing comments like "heavenly" or "to die for", I know that for that single moment, that person put their troubles on the back burner and tasted "heaven". As fully invested owners of DOCE we have always embodied the idea of celebration. It's always been the little celebrations that help push through the tough times. If we don't reward ourselves for the little victories in life, then what's the point of it all? What better way to celebrate than decadent chocolate or a dance with strawberries and cream to soothe our troubles.  

6 Steps to Create a Memorable Customer Experience:

ATTENTIVENESS – Discover and make note of the tiniest details about your customer. Whether or not it pertains to your business with them.

RECOGNITION – Greet them by name with a warm smile. Nothing flatters me more than when someone looks genuinely happy to see me.

PERSONALIZATION – Tailor your service to the needs and wants of your customer. She likes pink! Give her PINK!

CONSIDERATION – Do you walk your customer to the car? I always serve cake tastings in a bride’s home. It seems to unwind them since it requires ZERO preparation.

APPRECIATION – A thank you card or a short and sweet email goes a long way. Remember they chose you! Gratitude is in order!

FEEL GOOD TIME – This could be a joke, a gift or anything that makes someone “feel good”. Isn’t the last person that made you smile in your good books? Try to get in theirs! 

Are you looking to step up your client experience in your business? Looking to evolve in the business you work in? Think of what you can do to make your experience enjoyable to the public.

You’d be surprised at what some creative imaging and some appreciative smiles can do for you and the common goal.

March's DOCE Madness - Love Where You Work

At the age of 16, working at Amy's Bakery was suppose to be my after school part time job. The first time I had laid my eyes on Ricardo, he was asking me for a fresh Mil Folha pastry. Not knowing a lick of Portuguese, I stared. He then pointed at it totally embarrassing me. I boxed the flaky goodness and muttered a broken "obrigado" one of the few words I knew. Our memories at the bakery were some of the happiest times in our lives together. Ricardo had shown me the ups and downs of the industry. He made me appreciate the loaf of bread on the table and it is very much a part of our past together. So it's only natural that I dedicate this month to the one goal closest to our heart. To open a DOCE bakery location.

Mil Folha - A vanilla slice, custard slice, also known as the Napoleon, is a French pastry of which the exact origin is unknown. Its modern form was influenced by improvements of Marie-Antoine Carême. 

Goal: To love where we work

My memory goes back to my hair styling days where I would put in a good 8 hour day at the salon and come home to see my monthly blonde client sitting in my chair waiting to retouch those dark brown roots. I remember uncomfortably squeezing myself between the chair and my mom's basement fridge. Trying to hurry as quick as I can for the chance to take a long hot shower and still be in bed before midnight!! You want to love where you work. You want the space, the luxury of storage, and of course decent hours to coincide with your 007 life.

I then think about my most inspirational places:

-ScotiaPlaza's gold branding and bright red details thinking "I am unstoppable". 

-A fresh cut wooden table at the Culinary Kitchen at George Brown College thinking "What I can create is endless"

-Smelling the books at the George Brown College Library thinking "I can never stop learning"

- Walking the Portugal cobblestone steps by the local bakery with the smell of fresh bread in the air thinking "I can give this delicious scent to strangers on the street"

This is what I want to incorporate into DOCE Bakery. To establish a timeless brand to the public and to consistently offer classic baked goods to the public. To never stop creating and keep up with all new tricks of the trade. To provide the most cutting edge cakes to my clients and for them to walk into our bakery and have that smell just consume them. Giving them that "ahh" feeling that puts away all troubles and worries to indulge in that fresh eclair with a great smile on their face.

I will have to focus on bringing this inspo to our workspace at home. Somewhere where I can look forward to working and making the best cakes we could ever create. 

-Make it neat and tidy with a DOCE bakery logo on the wall

-A cork board of inspirational cake photos. 

-Stock up our cleaning products for washing dishes to make life easier. 

-Organize Ricardo's recipes all into one little accessible bible.

-Organize our office to utilize it most efficiently in my administrative tasks.

For some phenomenal tips and tricks on organizing your home/workspace into a dream, please check out Alejandra Costello's YouTube channel!

www.youtube.com/user/HomeOrganizing

Do you have a specific place that gives the jolts to do more in this short life of yours? Maybe it's even a person who shares their wisdom! Go there or find that person. Visit, call, Skype or even Google them! These are the sources that will bring out the maximum potential in you. AKA the happier you! Bring your muse into your workspace and watch what you create!!

February's Love Tune-Up - Results are in...

BE PRESENT 4 out of 5 Stars

Once I had identified the one thing I can do to make Ricardo feel noticed and appreciated, I found myself tuning out the distractions of electronics and it was just easier to listen. For those few times I just couldn't drop what I was doing, I found there was a little voice inside me telling me that it was important to listen. I also found that in being in the moment, I learned a lot about him and he really did surprise me with some of the things he had to say. It was super gratifying to hear that he appreciated me lending an ear once in a while.

Never stop courting 4 out of 5 Stars

Although I could have done more to be the perfect Gentlewoman, I actually LIKED doing the little things for Ricardo. When you are with someone for so long, you know when they are truly happy, and I noticed the little smirks here and there. I did like surprising him with getting his coffee instead of the usual "get it yourself" lecture. It was truly relieving to let go of all the expectations of having a perfect rom-com movie man and to like him just as he is.The obstacle will be to continue this without my ego convincing me that he is taking advantage. This is when appreciation becomes imperative.

BE SILLY 5 out of 5 Stars

With this goal, I definitely shined. Once I started bringing out the humour in our day to day life, it was easy to let go of the stress and laugh! I actually discovered that me and Ricardo basically have a very similar sense of humour. We just weren't enjoying it as much as we should. This also made phone calls much more interesting than the typical "What's for dinner?" conversation.

 ALWAYS SEE THE BEST  3 out of 5 Stars

Since we just started this I can't give myself a 5. I can't even begin to explain how effective this goal is for our relationship. I found that once I got creative with showing my appreciation for the little things he does, suddenly he was reciprocating all his appreciation back to me. Positive energy feeding more positive energy. Then BAM! Friday's date night felt like we were two kids crazy in love again.

Marriage is not easy, and don’t interpret this as Marriage sucks. All that is truly amazing in this world is hard work. A young 20’s something with a six pack isn’t exactly that hard, but you take a 60 year old woman with an incredible body, #trulyamazing !! This person is going to be your life team mate, your personal life coach and your business partner. Wouldn’t it make sense to put a little time and effort into the relationship? I refer to our home as the DeOliveira business. Our business plan includes both persons hopes and dreams (bucket list), financial plan, strategies and goals and a whole lotta communication.

I do feel like in this day and age marriage is looked at totally different than it did 20 or 30 years ago. Freedom was very limited for our parent and grandparents. They simply got married to free themselves from their parent’s authority to live on their own. This day and age we have so much choice with the freedom as to whom or when we get married or if we want to marry at all. I admit I have succumbed myself to the tradition this society has programmed into us. I also admit that I was in the position to do everything in my power to make sure that Ricardo and I were to spend our lives together (if he would have me of course).

Now that I taken all my + Energy from January and combined it with my jumpstart  connection with Ricardo, I do feel a change in the energy field at home. I won't say I have a permanent smile on my face, but it is definitely much easier to identify when I am feeling negative and positive. One key ingredient is to realize that angry is just a feeling and we need to deal with it without letting it hurt what we have been working towards. I feel quick to let go of the bad and very open to the good. What surprised me the most was how all of this is projecting onto Ricardo. I won't say he is making any major changes in his life, however his comments have changed tremendously. Nothing inspires me more than him looking straight in my eye telling me to enjoy my life. Onto my next chapter I go...

Happy Vid of The Month

http://youtu.be/d-diB65scQU

"Don't Worry, Be Happy" is a song by musician Bobby McFerrin. Released in September 1988, it became the first a cappella song to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, a position it held for two weeks. The song's title is taken from a famous quote by Meher Baba.

February's Love Tune-Up - Sweet Thanks

 I have chosen to focus on my Marriage in February. Naturally just around St Valentine's Day! I spend a lot of my time with Ricardo (approximately 96 hours a week). So naturally a huge chunk of my happiness would come from being with him and what kind of energy we feed off each other. "20 Marriage Tips Everyone Needs to Know" an article written by a recently divorced gentleman (link below). Which I found to be incredibly profound with so much #truth.

http://www.viralnova.com/20-marriage-tips

Goal: ALWAYS SEE THE BEST in her. Focus only on what you love. What you focus on will expand. If you focus on what bugs you, all you will see is reasons to be bugged. If you focus on what you love, you can’t help but be consumed by love. Focus to the point where you can no longer see anything but love, and you know without a doubt that you are the luckiest man on earth to be have this woman as your wife.

Thank you for the laughs...

for working so hard for the life we have...

Heart Vision

The Secret, by author Rhonda Byrne (no I have not joined a cult) claims that the law of attraction is based on our thoughts and visions. We see it, we believe it, and it will come to be. I will bring this forward to my love life. I will envision us through our years as happy, laughing and loving. This will be hard since society paints an ugly picture of relationships being hard work. You know with lines like "the ol'ball and chain" and "enjoy the honeymoon phase!" Who comes with this stuff anyways??

for never giving up on our dreams...

for making me breakfast on YOUR days off...

Fight Right

In any conflict, do you suddenly feel yourself regurgitating the ghost of Christmas past? This is also known as the Crockpot. When all the bad things someone does gets thrown into the Crockpot without a peep. Then it stirs and simmers, sometimes months at a time and then finally the big blowup..you are then both sitting there looking at each other angrily with absolutely ZERO solutions to whatever you were fighting for in the first place! In order to get my happy vision with Ricardo in gear I will need to bring up one difficult topic at a time. The big challenge is, I will have to do this without putting him down and without blowing up. Easier said than done friends!

for giving me my dream home...

for all the adventure...

4 Goods = 1 Bad?

I believe that as negative absorbers unconsciously we tend to hold on to the bad. Even with so much good we just can't seem to let the bad go. So I think how many good times could erase one bad time with Ricardo? Probably a lot. So it would be a good idea to pick and choose my battles. When to be heavy and when to be light. I really want him to look back at our life together as one long nostalgic song going through his head with various scenes of us happy and in love. You know, like in the movies!

for listening when I say "I haven't had popcorn in soo long!"...

for being so generous to my family...

Show Love

The things we do for each other and for the love of our family gets unnoticed. It's part of our daily routine and it just becomes so wired into our brains that it begins to lack purpose. Why are we always taking the garbage outside while the other one has got their butt parked on the couch? We need to revive the purpose in the things that we do for each other. A simple "Thank you for taking out the garbage" is nice and it is one of the courtesies that me and Ricardo have always had to thank each other for things. But sometimes it's not enough, giving us little to no motivation to pick it up and do it again for each other with some guilty comments on the side. Find out which way of showing gratitude works for you. It could be a cute sticky note showing love for the replenished milk in the fridge or even an email/text with a sweet thank you message for the coffee brewed in the morning. Anything that shows them "hi, I really do notice your existence and you did something super nice for me and I totally got your back!"

and for my morning kisses.