Christmas Countdown in Nashville, TN

Hard to believe, but Christmas will be here before we know it....just a few pop ideas on the left.....snowman, stockings, trees and my personal fave, Santa....I'm also doing gingerbread men, red and green polka dots and swirls and a few other designs. Be sure to get your orders in early.....last day for cake pop pickup prior to the holiday is December 22.....Merry Christmas!

How about a Cake Pop Cake from Nashville's Party Pops by Julie

Happy Wedding Season! If you've been following my business on Facebook (Party Pops by Julie), you know without a doubt its wedding season. Lots and lots of brides, grooms, cakes, and swirls. This week proved to be a VERY busy week. The 'cake' to the left is for a lovely couple who held their reception in Downtown Nashville at the Hard Rock Cafe. Wanting to do something unique, this couple selected four flavors (Vanilla Dream, Death by Chocolate, Strawberry creme and Brown sugar cake with browned butter icing) and 3 designs for the cake pops for their 150 guests. That's 302 cake pops (including the topper)..but who is counting??? To tell the truth, I made about 330 total 'just in case' (i.e. just in case I dropped some, which for the record I only dropped one., lol).

When you combine this with the other orders I had going this week, including pandas, unicorns and kitties, I really thought I'd be about 'popped out' today....but surprisingly I eagerly made 2 more dozen for some upcoming orders and even worked out a few new designs for Halloween. There must be a 12 step program out there for people like me....but for now I'm enjoying my 'addiction'! Happy October!

Boo!!!! Nashville's Party Pops by Julie Halloween Cake Pops

Boo! Don't mean to scare you, but Halloween isn't as far off as it seems. O.K., I know, I really am early, but with the somewhat cooler weather and all the fall decorations coming out....I just couldn't help myself. These 'demos' were a lot of fun to make, though as you can imagine, my kitchen looked like it had been through a demolition derby by the time I was done....I'll never understand why I make a bigger mess making 6 pops than I do making 10 dozen, but I do.

Its been awhile (way to long) since I last posted....I wish that I could clone myself, but the truth is my lack of posting is a reflection of a big growth in business (thank you). Last week in September is completely booked (though I admit I did take 2 more orders after I said that last week:).....so if you are thinking of ordering cake pop treats for Halloween....don't wait....I'm not trickin' Thanks for stoping in and have a great week!

Smurfin some new cake pop designs in Nashville, TN

Seems like the last few weeks I've had lots of request for new designs. Its a lot of fun when my customers come up with new ideas. In the past few weeks I've done a new 'monogram' cake pop, a running shoe, "26.2", some "tiaras" and some beach balls/beach boys. I must admit, with the "smurf" movie coming out, I knew it would only be a matter of time before I'd be cake popping in blue.....Can I digress for just a moment and say I NEVER thought I'd see the smurfs make a comeback....what is next...parashoot pants?

Anyway, the Smurf movie came out, as did these pops. I hear the movie is pretty cute, and I know the pops (in Yummy Yellow Cake) are delicious, as in my never ending pursuit of quality control, I taste tested them...lol. And speaking of taste, I made some time to 'experiment' with a new flavor....Lime Coconut. Let me tell you, in a word, yum. If you are in the area, be sure to stop by Wedding 101 this Saturday from 1-3 p.m.....I'll be doing a free tasting, and I just might have a few of those lime coconut pops with me, along with some other tried and true flavors.

Some Cake pops for all you Nashville Music Fans...

We've been living in Nashville for almost 5 years now, but one of the things that surprised me most when we first moved here was the sheer abundance of singers, songwriters, other musicians and 'trying to become a 'star'.... Don't get me wrong, I knew that Nashville was/is considered the home of country music, I just didn't expect that every 3rd person I met would be somehow affiliated with the industry. My husband and I, both working (at the time) in the heathcare industry, were a complete anomaly in that respect. At any rate these cute little 'star', musical note and record cake pops are for all you Nashvillians out there who dream of stardom and even for those (like me) who just enjoy the music!

Unicorns...(in cake pops) are not a myth in Nashville....

Who says they aren't real???? I do apologize for the long delay in posting this blog, but its been a busy couple of weeks. This Nashville cake pop lady took a brief vacation (which already feels like an eternity ago) and then came home to make mythical creatures.....ha! Seriously, I love how these turned out....chocolate cake, purple manes, hand painted eyes and 'horns' all splashed with luster dust...yum....perfect for a birthday party for a lovely little lady in Franklin turning 3!

I'll (hopefully) be working on a few new designs this weekend....I figure living in "Nash-Vegas" some music city themed pops are long overdue! Happy weekend.....

Cake Pop Panda-Monium in Nashville TN

Hello cake pop fans....what a crazy week! Between VBS for the kids, lots of errands and lots of orders and plenty of heat (making said orders a challenge to fufill) its been a crazy week. I finished up this week with these adorable panda cake pops for a mom in Franklin, TN....they are actually for a sorority group out of Battleground Academy.

I love how they turned out., but boy nothing about cake popping in 100 degree weather is easy....lets just say the AC ran and ran and ran at out house this week....hoping for some cooler temps next week....maybe even in the 80's or low 90's!! Hope you all have a great and relaxing weekend and fun week ahead!

Relax with some Cake Pops from Nashville's Party Pops by Julie

Sigh.....Happy Weekend. I am looking forward to a 'relaxing' weekend. (but lets be honest, with 3 kids in the house, there is really no such thing!). We are celebrating at our house, my oldest is turning 8, so we are headed to Chuck E Cheese (now that has 'relaxing' written all over it, doesn't it?). We are also celebrating (belatedly) father's day and my mom's birthday. Suffice to say we have a lot of cake pops in the house.

This adorable 'relax' cake pop arrangement was also accompanied by a "sex in the city" themed cake pop basket complete with pink champagne glasses and pink cheetah pops. Too cute to eat, almost.

A busy busy week ahead with kids headed to VBS and mom, the aka party pop lady, headed to make lots and lots of pops. So for now, I'm going to 'relax' with a nice long run Saturday morning and then Chuck E Cheese and cake pops in the afternnoon.

Nashville's Party Pops by Julie....cake pops for JP!

Happy July cake pop fans....its hard to believe that the summer is flying by and we are already into July. Let me comment on the photo to the left....these were 'supposed' to be robots. My oldest is celebrating his 8th birthday (I still can't believe it as I'm typing it....he should still be 2?!) and had asked for 'robots'. This morning, he changed his mind and decided on Sponge bob....which is funny on several levels, as I generally don't allow him to watch the show....Well, I tried to talk him out of Spongebob....I knew it would be quite a task (and it was). Still, its always fun to try something new. Maybe for Emma's birthday I'll make Mt. Rushmore pops.....I'm kidding Emma, don't get any ideas.....

Nashville's Party Pops by Julie.....racing through Nashville

These were......actually a lot of fun to make:) These cuties are for a friend, and to be honest, I had a serious case of stage fright prior to doing them.....and they were a lot of work, no joke! 5 colors, that's a lot of squeeze bottles to clean. Still, it was fun to watch them come to 'life' and it was really helpful to have so many 'model's' around the house, as my oldest is a big fan of the movie.....
Hope everyone has a happy and safe 4th of July weekend!

Nashville's Party Pops by Julie - 4th of July Fun

Nashville's Party Pops by Julie is popping out LOTS of Red, White and Blue this week.....These beauties are for a Nashville area family reunion (and this is only part of the order:). Whew. Funny thing is it is for the "Parker" family (but not my own). Kind of makes you wish you could be part of that family, though doesn't it?!

Nashville's Party Pops by Julie....happy hour

Happy hour is just hours away....Created a few of these pops for a happy hour here in Franklin, TN at Wedding 101, where CRAVE Nashville is hosting an event. I also created some 'flavor tags'....many thanks to my friend Tabitha Butler, who has been a huge huge help to me in so many ways, include patiently helping me as I attempt to learn photoshop elements. But now that I'm getting the hang of it, I'm having almost as much fun creating tags as I am making cake pops....almost.

Nashville's Party Pops by Julie...horsin' around

Had a fun time this today "horsing" around....first this morning with the kids traveling to Sam Davis Plantation, and then this afternoon, bake in my 'workshop' making these cute horse cake pops for a Franklin, TN customer.

This week I'm 'exhaling' after a very busy (yeah!) Father's Day week. I have a fresh batch of chocolate, vanilla and strawberry pops headed to My Mom and Me boutique in Spring Hill, then some new design demos I hope to 'roll out' on Friday.

And.....Friday I'm VERY excited to participate in a 'Girls Night Out' event at Wedding 101 for CRAVE Nashville. Crave Nashville is a networking group for local female entrepreneurs.....and I'm invited. Another example of ....if you had told me this a year or two ago, I would not have believed you!

Nashville's Party Pops by Julie....

Cake Poppin in my favorite color combo today...I'll be 'horsing' around later this week...(just wait for the pictures:). Happy Fathers' Day to all the great Dads out there, especially my own!

Baby (Cakes) Poppin up all over Nashville

Isn't She sweet?????

Awe.....go ahead, say it....isn't she sweet?!?! Whew. lots of baby showers this week! I think, if my math is correct, I've made 6 dozen babies this week. (Boy does that sound a little strange, as I read silently to myself). Busy week with Father's Day also....many many 'sports themed' cake pops in the mix this week.

Tomorrow.....R and R on the agenda. No poppin.....maybe. Happy Weekend!

Nashville's Party Pops by Julie....Picture this Cake Pop!

Its always fun to do a new design....and I had such fun doing this camera pop for a graduation arrangement this week! (Check out my facebook page to view the whole arrangement). You'd laugh if you knew how I came up with the shape - such fun!

If you have a moment check out a cute site WHOWHATLOGOS (on Facebook) or whowhatlogos.myshopify.com. They have a great article on 'how to throw a shower' featuring some really cute wedding pops (o.k., I am biased, they are mine). Happy Friday Nashville!

Cardinal Cake Pop fans....in Nashville!!!

These cake pops are for a Nashville area Cardinal fan.....who knew??? Even I must admit, I think they turned out super slick. I still feel I should apologize to the half of my family (brother, cousins, father, mother) who are diehard cats fans....one day there will be a cat cake pop.....

Nashville's Party Pops by Julie - Birthday Bash!

Oh, how much fun I had making this Birthday cake pop arrangement for a local Nashville, TN resident turning 1!!!! If you have noticed anything about my website, you might notice that pink and green happen to be my favorite colors....so you can imagine my joy in making these beautiful swirl, dot and 'pinwheel' pops in Strawberry creme and death by chocolate. 3 dozen Strawberry cream cupcakes, too....(a Party Pops first!).

Please drop by my Facebook Page at Party Pops by Julie to see a few more shots of this and other designs and don't forget to vote on the flavor of the month!

Summer Cake Pop Fun in Nashville, TN

Nashville's Party Pops by Julie is heating up the summer with lots of new designs, including this 'beach themed' basket that includes a sun, beach balls, a 'beach' scene and of course, flip flops!

Check out our other new designs on Facebook at Party Pops by Julie (don't forget to 'like' the page).

Nashville's Party Pops by Julie...Cake Pops

Happy Summer to all....its been a busy one so far. After lots of teacher thank you's and corporate arrangements the past couple of weeks, this 'candy' bouquet was just to cute not to share. Lots of fun to make, and delicious, too!

Party Pops news....Party Pops by Julie is now listed in the "Nashville Wedding Wire". Party Pops is also now a full - fledged vendor for Wedding 101 in Franklin, TN. Check out their beautiful showroom, full of plenty of great wedding ideas....and check out those cake pops...perfect for favors, desserts or gifts.

Popping up Everywhere in Nashville

Cake Pops sure seem to be 'popping' up everywhere. Yes, I know, I know Starbucks has them....as I have been telling many of my good friends, they stole my idea (ha)!

I have been making lots of people pops lately, including this bride and groom as as well as a graduation pop...see my gallery of FB page.

I have also done some experimenting in the kitchen this week. The 'italian opera creme' was a huge success with my taste testers. Let me know if you'd like a dozen, or two and see for yourself. This afternoon I'm going to be popping up some 'cookie dough pops' (no raw egg:) for my son's class....they haven't been dipped yet, but I can tell you the dough is beyond yum.

For those in the Spring Hill/Franklin area, "Party Pops" are now for sale on an individual basis at My Mom and Me Salon and Boutique....if you've never been, My Mom and Me has ADORABLE stuff....cute kids clothes, jewelry, bags, oh, and really cute "owl pops" this week! Check it out. Have a wonderful Mother's Day weekend and thank you for visiting my page!

Sleep Poppin' in Nashville, TN

What an amazing, amazing week! This was my first 'official' holiday since I started cake popping and it was also my busiest week ever....I am so grateful for the business, and frankly, grateful to have survived. I think (at last count) it was about 41 dozen....at a certain point I was pretty much cake popping in my sleep.

Let me be clear, though, I am NOT complaining. I even got the chance to do a few new designs, including the 'blushing' bunny to the left, strawberry - n - swirls, girly froggies, and "Alabama" cake pops (and my Auburn graduate husband is still speaking to me after that!). Also in the mix this week were 17 dozen 'swirl' cake pops and lots and lots of bunnies and chicks. Lots of fun. Please check out my gallery or FB to see my new designs.

I'm gearing up for a slower week (so far), which may allow me to test drive some new flavors (cookie dough, Italian creme, and s'more), and designs (roses, and maybe a re-attempt of that Kentucky Wildcat pop). If your local, I may need some taste testers....after all I cannot be held responsible for ALL quality control.

So, as I wind down the week and gear up for Easter, I am reminded of all the things for which I am so grateful. As one of my FB friends posted this Good Friday morning, "He didn't have to, folks". Wow, what a gift. I also feel so blessed to have a wonderful family and friends, several of whom came (or are coming tomorrow) to visit, even in the midst of my chaos filled kitchen. I hope that each of you reading have a wonderful Easter Sunday and great week ahead!

Nashville's Party Pops by Julie...A cake pop just for Fun!

Sometimes, you just have to do something just for the fun of it. So it is with the my latest 'creation'. No one ordered it. I really don't need another cake pop to eat (seriously, this 'quality control' stuff is getting a bit out of control). I just thought this would be fun....and I only made one, which means it was pretty easy to pull off!

Hopefully, I'll have the opportunity to make a few more of these. I couldn't stop laughing as 'she' came together.

Have a great week....hope you each have the opportunity to do at least one thing just for the fun of it!

Ready For Spring in Nashville

Happy Spring! It has been a busy week! In between making basketballs, Mr. Potato heads, Kitties, and "moose" pops, I had a chance to make a few new designs. I just love the yellow/blue combination. Next week is Spring Break for those of us in Williamson County. I have several fun activities planned for me and the kids....along with several dozen cake ball orders (yeah!). Happy Spring to you all!

Spring is in the air in Nashville, TN

I know I am getting ahead of myself. After all, it is still February. Old man winter is sure to make a reappearance but with the warmer temperatures this week, it almost feels like Spring is just around the corner. So a little girl in her Easter bonnet seemed appropriate. I went a little crazy, I also made a chick, bunny and easter eggs (see my gallery).

This week I'll be tackling a new pop...alien heads (think toy story). I'm excited and hopefully that they will be cute as well as yummy! I'm also gearing up for my first vendor display February 27-March 5 at the Factory in Franklin - check it out. I hear they have some awesome gently used kids clothes at great prices. And I'll be there with (God - willing) free samples - how could you ask for more? lol.

Nashville TN: I just wanna make cake pops!

Its soooo much fun playing in icing an chocolate. Not so much cleaning up the mess, but oh well. What a busy week....and Happy (belated) Valentine's Day!

So I (and my business) survived our first 'holiday'. I got really good at making heart and hearts and more hearts (not to forget those 4 dozen pirates-I am still tired thinking of it!). I even had a little extra chocolate to 'play with' so I made this pop, which I like to think of as a spring / cherry blossom. Maybe not as cute as Mr. Potato head, but fun none the less. This is actually a slower week for me, with no orders due...it makes me a little nervous, but has given me the opportunity to catch up on some of the business aspects of running a business (not to mention catch up on the laundry). I'll be honest, though....even though I'm a business major and I've been in the business world all of my adult life, I really really strongly dislike the necessary business aspects of running a business- shipping, figuring out cost per unit, licensing, etc. I really just wanna make cake. I am not complaining though....I am enjoying this opportunity to learn and grow in new ways all while spending more time with the kids. I'm praying that my little business grows....did I mention, I just wanna make cake?

I Love my (New) Job....Cake pops in Nashville, TN

I just had to say that. I LOVE my job. I realized it this morning as I was making coffee and thinking about the day ahead....and I especially realized watching my youngest in her excitement to greet her older siblings. I love being with my kids.

And yes, in case you were wondering, I Love making Party Pops! In fact, I just can't get enough of it. I'm getting ready to make 4 dozen of these beauties (and hopefully I'll still love my job when its all over).

Wedding Bells for someone soon.....well, I hope. These were done for a friend who has a friend who is getting hitched and thinking about having these for the party. I hope so...they are so much fun to make. Its been a busy week for "Party Pops". Dozens of hearts, several dozen footballs, and pigs. Today I will be busy with Kitties, popcorn bags and chicken little...and more hearts. I am also hoping to work on an idea a had for a 'gum ball machine' pop. Oh and watch out....I'm thinking ahead and working on a 'bailey's irish cream' flavor for St. Patrick's Day. I warned you things could get dangerous....

Now things could become dangerous....

Many many thanks to my Dad....aka "Pops" (and he was "Pops" long before 'party pops' ) He created a pop stand which will hold almost 2 dozen. These hearts and lady bugs are now resting there..except for one or two that I taste tested. I'm really all about quality control...


Now things could get really dangerous....thanks to my Dad I can now let my cake pops rest in the stand rather than stand and (impatiently) wait for them to dry in my hand. He's even working on a larger 'model'. Heaven help me! Seriously, though it got me thinking-- where would any of us be without people who help us along the way? In the last few weeks alone, I have had people help me in countless way...pop stands, web sites (thank you Tabitha), cake ball orders, advice givers and shoulders to lean on as I muddle through both unemployment and entrepreneurial endeavors. Going back over the last two years, I honestly don't know where I'd be without the people I know God placed in my life to help me or for that matter our whole family. It took a small army of prayer warriors to get our youngest, Anna, here safe and sound...and here we are 15 months later...I have a cake in the oven and a sweet baby girl sleeping on my chest as I type this....how sweet it is...

True tales of the one armed cook.

....and I do mean 'cook' and not chef...that would be too much of a stretch....but I digress.

It occurred to me that, like most moms, I spend most of my days and half of my nights doing things with one arm. Cooking, cleaning, makeup application, bathroom...well you get the idea. I wonder sometimes, what I might accomplish in a given day with two hands and a fully functioning brain (pregnancy really does rob you of brain cells, you know...and I have 3 kids, so it is a wonder that I can boil water).
Still, though, almost every day since my "displacement" from my 'real' job, I have been drawn to take my one arm and 1/3 of a brain to the kitchen...mixing, baking, rolling, dipping...all in the pursuit of something sweet and (some of the time) kind of cute, too. I could probably be making better use of Anna's nap time...laundry, cleaning, etc...but then I'd miss out on the sweet results. Kind of like life before kids...I had two arms, more brain cells and more disposible income...but boy without those three munchkins there would be a lot less sweet stuff and I'm not talking cake balls, here. Happy Friday, all...make it a sweet one!

I think I have a new Favorite. Hello, Kitty and welcome to my "Pop" collection.

I worked on my very first order last night...how exciting. I was so nervous I could not sleep the night before....it was almost like the night before a race.

At any rate, 12 sheep, done. Whew. Along the way, I believe I have come up with a few "commandments" for myself in the making of Party Pops:

1. It is only chocolate.

2. Thou shalt not cry when the chocolate cracks (see #1).

3. Thou shalt not cry when the feet, eyes, or ears of said Pop fall off (see #1).

4. Thou shalt not cry when "pop" falls off stick into chocolate.

5. Calories do not count when 2-4 happen and you are forced to eat said pop.

6. Mess ups are yummy.

That being said....the sheep are done...and all have eyes, ears, feet and no (pray God) cracks. Along the way I felt 'inspired' by the Hello Kitty video Emma and I were watching to create a Pop for her. I created a few others also....look for my doctor and punk rocker pop in a future post. Happy Sunday!