Living the Sweet LIfe on CBS's Morning Show!

For the past few months, we've had the pleasure of being a stop on Chelly's Denver Gourmet Walking Tours! (Scroll down to our Nov 18th blog for more info!). This past weekend, Chelly was invited on CBS's Morning Show to show off some goodies and tell the world about her amazing, oh-so-delicious walking tours.

We were so excited to supply her with some goodies to show-off!

Check her out on the CBS morning show talking about Living the Sweet Life's Chocolate Chip Cookie - the best in Denver!

http://cbs4denver.com/video/?id=65956@kcnc.dayport.com

'Tis the Season

Life has been very busy here at Living the Sweet Life.

From Thanksgiving to Hanukah, Client gifts and Christmas - we've been blessed with abundance this Winter! Thank you to everyone for thinking of Living the Sweet Life and including us in your special holiday plans.

This week, we've been so excited to welcome so many of our regulars - and their kids! With school on break, many of our regulars have had the chance to bring their kids in and introduce them to our special shoppe. We couldn't be more flattered!

Have a wonderful week and a very merry Christmas!

-Erika & Jen

Anna Be Pops the Top!

We recently had a great night with the ladies of Anna Be. Anna Be popped the top at their new location in the lower Highlands. Their beautiful new space is ideal for finding that perfect gown for your special day.

We were excited to provide the desserts - hand-rolled mint patties, vanilla mini cupcakes glistening in white sprinkles and homemade marshmallows!

Visit Anna and Breanna at http://anna-be.com/. Pictured here are Erika, Jen and our friend Jason, of Genghis Kern Letterpress and Design Shop.

Denver Gourmet Tour Du Chocolate

The past few Saturdays we have had the pleasure of hosting Denver Gourmet's Tour du Chocolate. This gourmet food tour led by Chelly Vitry is a behind the scenes view of what and how us local foodies do what we do. Chelly's clients get to meet Will at Wen Chocolates and learn about his Prize Winning Truffles, watch Kristen from Little Man Ice Cream make her premium Ice Cream and Frost Chocolate Cupcakes at Living the Sweet Life. What a Sweet Day or Date! Read more about her amazing tours at http://www.chelseagreigh.typepad.com/denver_gourmet_tours

or www.girlstrektoo.com

Last Call for Pies - Get your order in by Tuesday!

Can you believe Thanksgiving is in a week and a half?!

Here at the Living the Sweet Life, we are ecstatic about all our
friends and fans placing orders for Pies!

As many people have sampled at our recent events, Living the Sweet Life has an incredible Thanksgiving pie selection this year:

Caramel Glazed Apple Pie $25
(Pictured to the right)
Heaped full of apples and drizzled with homemade caramel.

Sweet Cream Pumpkin Pie with Candied Walnuts and English Toffee $25
(Pictured above left)
A layer of sweet cream and amazing toppings take pumpkin to the next level.

New England Cranberry Pie $20
Sugar cookie-like dough baked with cranberries.
The berries seep through to create the perfect balance of tart and sweet.

Traditional Pecan Pie $20
Just as good as you remember

Call or Email TODAY to place your order as our pies go quickly! There are only TWO DAYS LEFT to order your pie! Pair your pie with a quart of Little Man Ice Cream for $7.50.

Email . . . . . . . . . . . . . . info@livingthesweetlifedenver.com
Leave us a voice mail . . . . . . . 303.477.8088
Or stop by Tues between 10 - 6 . . 1535 Central St. Denver, CO 80211

Come say "HI" at our Cake Walk tomorrow - We'd love to see your costumes!

We are ready for tomorrow's Halloween Walk on Zuni!  

Living the Sweet Life will have our own booth with our fabulous (Cup)Cake Walk!  Stop by between 1 and 4 to join the fun!  Everyone's welcome!  

Of course, back at the shoppe, Halloween will be in full swing as well.  So come by and Trick or Treat!

We can't wait to see your costumes and show you ours!  

Still scrambling for a last minute costume?  We just got some uber-fabulous Cupcake Hats in - the perfect costume accessory!  Designed by friend of Living the Sweet Life, Tiffy Tart.  Check out her fun stuff here . . . 

The latest developments on our Nov 5th Holiday Fair!

Since announcing our Holiday Fair (details in our last post and on Facebook!), we've received such a huge response - we couldn't be more excited for next Thurs!

The evening is going to be a great chance to support local artisans and small businesses. And it looks like Denver is ready! What better way to get your shopping started right and have a fun night out with friends?!

Thursday night will be the perfect opportunity to place your Thanksgiving pie order with Living the Sweet Life and stock up on other delicious treats! In addition to sweet treats, look forward to . . .

• Getting cozy with warm winter teas from Boulder-based The Tea Spot who will be showcasing their amazing loose leaf teas, always available at Living the Sweet Life.
• Lalania's beautiful knitted items for everyone on your list - I don't know about you but today, with all this snow, I realized I need a nice knit hat to get through the winter!
• Kristen's "retro” Christmas ornaments made from anodized aluminum and jewelry made from fun materials like anodized aluminum, rubber, silver, pearls and “zipper pulls.” Funky!
• Custom holiday centerpieces and wreaths from Plumsage Florists (once again selected by The Knot as Denver's top wedding florist)
  
• Melissa's beautiful and refreshing skincare baskets
• Living the Sweet Life's cupcake-themed retail fun including Cupcake Hats & adorable baby "onesies"
• The gorgeous artwork of Didier Ayeh, West African native and friend of Living the Sweet Life.
• Some holiday beverages to warm you up from the inside out!
  

See you next Thurs! We can't tell you how much we appreciate you showing up to support us and being part of our Sweet Lives!

xoxo
-Erika and Jen

Local Artisan Holiday Fair

Join us for our Local Artisan Holiday Fair

Thurs, Nov 5, 2009 5 - 8pm

Thurs, Dec 3, 2009 5 - 8pm

A fun night full of sweet treats, amazing gifts and warm apple cider. We are excited to showcase our talented friends and make your holiday shopping a joy!

Some of the items on hand will be hand-knit winter hats, darling purses, sparkling ornaments, beautiful skin care baskets and many more amazing gifts . . .

Don't forget to place your orders for beautiful holiday centerpieces, custom wreaths and holiday pies.

Hosted by Living the Sweet Life:

1535 Central Street,

Denver, CO 80211

in the Lower Highland neighborhood.

RSVP today - 303.477.8088

Ghouls, Goblins and Candy, Oh My!

HALLOWEEN TIME!
Living the Sweet Life is gearing up for some Halloween fun.


SAT, OCTOBER 17
MINI PUMPKIN EXCHANGE
Bring your child (or your other "childlike" loved ones) in to trade his or her mini-painted pumpkin for a mini-cupcake of his or her choice. Proudly see your child's pumpkin displayed at Living the Sweet Life through Halloween.


SAT, OCTOBER 24
HALLOWEEN COOKIE DECORATING
Sign up today for our Kid's Coookie Decorating event. Each child will decorate 3 cookies and leave with a special goodie. We provide the supervision and fun - Mom and Dad enjoy an hour of free time!

Ages 4- 8 2:00 - 3:00pm
Ages 9 and up 3:30 -4:00pm

$15 per child. Contact the shoppe to reserve your child's spot - space is limited!

And the Winner Is . . .

AND THE WINNER IS . . .
Thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate with us at our Grand Opening event two weeks ago. Many of you entered our raffle to get your sweet tooth satiated in the form of a gift certificate to the shoppe. But there can only be one winner . . .

Announcing the Winner of our $100 GIFT CERTIFICATE . . . . . ROSE KNOPPER!

Congrats Rose!

Grand Opening - Day two - Today 8am - 1pm

Day Two of our Grand Opening is underway! By popular demand, we have increased our Red Velvet Cupcake production. But come early, as there are no guarantees we won't sell out again today. :)

Rest assured, there's always another delicious option on the dessert bar if your favorite item has already been gobbled up. Today, choose from Apple scones, raspberry linzer bars, chocolate chip cookies, Mama's pound cake and more! Yum

After a long, busy day it's always amazing to hear that someone's day was made sweeter by their stop in the shoppe. Becca, a brand new friend of Living the Sweet Life, took a minute to call yesterday afternoon, as we were cleaning up for the day.

"I just had to call and tell you that my mom and I shared one of your brownies and we both agree - it was the best brownie we've ever had in our lives. Seriously, it was life changing!"

Thanks for the call, Becca!

Come by today: bring your mom, dad, friend, baby or dog. And live the sweet life with us!

Today's Grand Opening!

We couldn't be more excited for our Grand Opening today and tomorrow. We have been busy preparing for it - with tons of samples showcasing our yummy items. One of our fabulous bakers, Randa, Living the Sweet Life's resident vegan, has prepared some of her gluten free and vegan items to share with you all. We're so excited to see her share her talents and expand our already amazing array of treats.

Bring the kids by to make a candy necklace, happening in our upstairs space. Jackie Green, face painter extraordinare, will be here from 12 - 2pm! And look for live music in the morning - the amazing beats of West African master drummer Koffi Toudji and his group.

Stop by, enjoy a treat, join the fun and savory the Sweet Life with us!

Can't wait to see you!
Erika, Jen & the Living the Sweet Life team.

The most thoughtful flowers...

This week we were fortunate to have some of Denver's amazing wedding vendors visit the shoppe for cupcakes and champagne. A local florist... Plumsage Flowers helped us out in making the space even more festive. Erin's designs are always beautiful and thoughtful. She definately tries to think of the best look for each client and space. Adding candy to the vases for the Sweet Shoppe was the perfect touch. Check out some photos at http://plumsageflowers.blogspot.com/

We are almost "Grand"!

It has been over 3 weeks with the retail shoppe open, we have held 5 parties in the space and sold many chocolate chip cookies... what an experience! This weekend is our official "Grand Opening"! As Jen explains we are open and pretty fabulous but not yet "Grand". Please stop by and join us for some free samples, a chance to win a $100 gift certificate and to make candy necklaces. We will make sure to have our case full of delicious treats including Caramel Apple Pies and the introduction of the Gluten Free Cupcakes! MMmmmm! See you Saturday between 8 and 3!

We Are Open

Our first day open was Friday and we could not have been more pleased. We sold out of our delicious treats by 2pm... thank you to the support of such wonderful friends and neighbors. Stop by as we continue to keep the counter full of our fresh treats... today on the menu: Mushroom Gruyere Quiche, Caramel Apple Pie, Old Fashioned Bisquits with Homemade Preserves, Chocolate Cupcakes and more... we hope to see you soon!

BAKE OFF....

Last night was the Living the Sweet Life BAKE OFF where 5 very talented bakers submitted his or her favorite desserts for tasting.  It is always so insightful to see what treats best represent someone.  Thank you to the bakers for taking the time to share yourself and your sweets.  It was a full table with the eye catching Ginger Cookies, Rustic Apple Tarts,  Creamy Cheesecake, Homemade mmmmmm Snickers and Flaky Strawberry Tart.  Thank you to the tasters... I know you went home with full bellies. 

Moving into the Shoppe!

The last few weeks have been very busy as we get closer to our official move in date.  Today the loan closes for the bakery and the space is officially ours.  The amount of paperwork involved and required by the Federal Government is amazing and overwhelming.  10am.... closing 12pm... Margaritas at Tamayo.

Construction

When I found the space at 1535 Central St. there was dirt on the ground, no plumbing and no vision.  With the help of some very talented designers from Cardboard Box Studio (www.cardboardboxstudio.com) a vision was created (thank you Elizabeth and Megan).  With the help of Urban Ventures (thank you Susan and Greg) it is becoming a reality.  Each day gets us closer to opening and bringing sweet treats to the Highlands Neighborhood.  I can't wait for you to visit!

Wedding at Mount Vernon Country Club

Last weekend I had the honor of making the cakes for Alex and Emily's wedding. It was a beautiful day at Mount Vernon Country Club. We did 7 types of Cake: Chocolate Cake with Mocha Mousse and Ganache, Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Creme and Vanilla Buttercream, Oatmeal Cake with Cream Cheese Icing, Chocolate Cake with White Chocolate Mousse and Chocolate Vermicelli, WhiteCake with Passionfruit Filling and Whipping Creme, Carrot Cake and Red Velvet with a Pecan Sweet Glaze. The couple's biggest request was that the cakes were delicious... hope they were enjoyed by all.

It's My Birthday!

What a fabulous Birthday gift in your 30th year... to get to fulfill a dream (and eat all your favorite treats)! Happy Birthday to Me!

Fourth of July from the Stasko Blog

Highland celebrated its Second Annual Old Fashioned 4th of July Parade this past weekend, and it was a sight to be seen! Over 850 neighbors showed up for the event, donned in red, white and blue and sporting fully decorated bikes, trikes, and wagons.As part of the festivities, participants entered a pie-baking contest to see if their recipe could hold up against the rest. The grand prize for the competition was a 1 Month Showcase of the winning recipe at Highland's own Root Down. Christina Cowan, pastry chef at Root Down, was kind enough to be the guest judge for the event and certainly had her work cut out for her. We saw a lot of amazing pies, but 3 really captured Christina's taste buds. Here are the results:1st place: Julie Cezadlos (far left) with a Raspberry Peach Crostata2nd place: Olivia Freidman (middle) with a Triple Berry Pie3rd Place: Ericka Cunha (far right) with a Hand-picked Hukleberry Pie

For more info please visit: http://thestaskoagency.blogspot.com/

Fourth of July in Highland

Hand Picked Huckleberry Pie, 50 foot ice cream sundae, hundreds of beautifully decorated bicycles and an old fashioned fire engine, the Lower Highland neighborhood sure knows how to throw a Fourth of July celebration. Thank you to all of the participants for making this a wonderful neighborhood. Can't wait to see next year's celebration!!!

Best Birthday Cake Ever...

There is a hotel in San Luis Obispo called the Madonna Inn. It is totally over the top in terms of the decorations... everything pink, kitchy and FABULOUS! They make these pretty pink cakes with hot pink chocolate shavings and curls. I was able to purchase some of the chocolate and bring it back to Colorado just in time to make my 30th birthday cake. Here is a photo of me with my Pink Chantilly Cream Cake... dreamy!!!

What A View!

One of my favorite restaurants is definately Lola ( http://www.loladenver.com/) in Denver. Not only are the Margaritas out of this world but the view is AMAZING!!! I don't think I am the only one who thinks so given their patio is generally packed. So when a retail location opened up at 1535 Central St. (parallel to Lola- one block closer to I-25 and the pedestrian bridge) I had to take a look. Here is to cupcakes with a view! In the upcoming months Living the Sweet Life will be able to share that amazing view... I may even keep my margarita cupcake on the menu!

Dreams come True!

It has always been a dream of mine to open a retail bakery. I assumed in my later life when I had some money saved and time on my hands it would become a reality. Then I realized "why was I waiting"... don't we all want to live a life that is full and sweet? So I took a leap of faith, I left my job in marketing and started a delivery based bakery called Living the Sweet Life.

Living the Sweet Life is my daily reminder to do just that... thank you to Mom, Grandma and Gram for spending hours with me in a kitchen. Thank you JP for allowing me to fulfill my dreams and to all of my dear friends and family who have done so much to spread the word and support making my own life very sweet. Here's to people making dreams happen. Retail location Coming Soon to 1535 Central St. Denver, CO 80211!