Hello!  Have you been missing the weekly blog that used to come out from ISAC?  Me too!  Stephanie did a wonderful job keeping us up to date with everything going on with the team at ISAC and Chef Nicholas, but she has decided to move on to bigger things (taking care of her family!)  Thank you Stephanie for all that you have done!  Your blogs were full of information and lots of fun!!

So what’s next?  Well, I’m happy to announce that I have the privilege and honor of being the person that is going to continue what Stephanie was doing and deliver the weekly blog on behalf of ISAC!  My name is Susan and I would like to welcome you to a new series of blogs that will give you all the latest that is happening with Chef Nicholas and his entire team at ISAC. 

First, I want to give you just a little about myself.   I have been a cake decorator and involved in the sugar arts for over 25 years.  I love to make sugar flowers, decorate, travel and mostly play with sugar!  I am a member of the International Cake Exploration Society and the Treasurer of the Florida Chapter.  I have met so many people and made life long friends in the sugar industry.  It’s hard to say what is more fun, playing with sugar or meeting new friends!

Anyone out there read this blog from India? In Mumbai, maybe? Well, if you are reading this, get excited! Chef Nicholas will be heading to Cakeology this October! What is Cakeology you ask? According to the vent website, "Spread over 3 days, Cakeology 2018, is the first show of its kind – bringing every day cake artists, sugar artists, bakers, chocolatiers, retail bakers, ​professional ​pastry chefs and foodies to celebrate the world of Baking and the Art of Cake Decorating. This exciting weekend has something for everyone." Hmm, that does sound like a fun weekend. This is the third year of Cakeology, and Chef Nicholas is so excited to be a part of this year's event! 

It's June which means summer has officially arrived. In the cake decorating world, summertime brings the annual ICES convention! YAY! The ICES convention is an important yearly tradition for the ISAC team; Chef Nicholas first came to the US in the 1980s to teach and demonstrate at an ICES convention. Chef Nicholas has been a fixture at the yearly event since then. After opening the International Sugar Art Collection, there has always been a vendor booth at the convention as well. The 2018 ICES convention in Cincinnati, Ohio will be no different. Chef Nicholas is teaching, and we will have our world-famous vendor booth for loads of retail therapy. 

I don't know about you guys... but I am ready for some consistently warm weather! Normally, here in Atlanta, it is pretty hot my mid-April. I think in the last 7 days I have been turning my heat on, my heat off, my air conditioning on, my air conditioning off. I wear shorts one day, and a winter coat the next day. The weather here has been making me crazy, and I have been dreaming about summer weather and the beach vacation I have coming up this summer. I thought, what better way to shake off the last of the winter weather blues by chatting about MIAMI! Well, specifically everyone's favorite cake and candy expo in Miami: SoFlo!

I am so excited to tell everyone that the 2018 SoFlo Cake & Candy Expo tickets are now on pre-sale!! Why am I so excited? As many of you know, Chef Nicholas has been lead judge for the competitions for years, and Renshaw Americas has been a big sponsor of the event. So, the ISAC family is always excited for SoFlo! 

The categories for the 2017 SoFlo Cake Competition have been announced! Yay! Chef Nicholas was instrumental in choosing the categories and will be the lead judge! This year there will be three categories: Wedding Cakes, Theme Cakes, and Non-Cakes! Let me tell you all about it!

Pastry Live 5 Photo Blog

Hiya friends! It has been a long while since I have done a photo blog, and I thought it would be a great idea to have one this week to share all of the amazing things we saw at Pastry Live this week. With all of the yummy cakes, chocolate, plated desserts, chocolates, seminars, and showpieces, I know you will enjoy this feast for the eyes. 

Pastry Live Atlanta 2014!

Tuesday was the final day of Pastry Live 2014! It was a big weekend for the ISAC team, and we were VERY involved; we had a vendor booth, Chef Nicholas judged two competitions (Art of Cake Competition, and the National Showpiece Championship), The Art of Cake Seminar, sponsored by Nielsen-Massey Vanilla and hosted by Chef Nicholas, AND we were one of the event sponsors! I would argue while Nicholas had more important jobs, mine was more fun. Walk around soaking in the sweetly scented air, have fun, meet people, and gain inspiration for writing this very blog! My job is hard, but it's all for you dear readers- no pain no, gain!