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6th Annual "Dress It Up" Cupcake Contest

posted by The Princess Shop    |   May 2, 2021 19:07

On March 27, 2021, after a year of quarantining in our homes and only being able to run a virtual online auction, we decided to undertake the ambitious task of going ahead with our annual Cupcake Contest fundraiser. For anyone who’s attended this event in the past, you’ll know just how much of an in-person event it is. The annual Cupcake Contest is usually part of the WinterShines festival and it’s always a night that brings out a great crowd, all with the common goal of eating cupcakes! Nothing brings people together quite like the objective of consuming a saccharine treat. 


As a local non-profit dependent on fundraising to continue our programming, we knew that the 6th Annual “Dress It Up” Cupcake Contest presented by MNP would be an important one for us. Currently, our big focus has been making The Princess Shop more inclusive, especially by acting on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action that connect with the work we do. Having the funds necessary to accomplish our goals is all due to your help! Not only that, we knew that people needed a sweet pick-me-up, so after all the support you all give to us, it would be remiss of us to not give back to you!


So… we went for it! We had some wonderful bakers sign up to bake up to 500 mini cupcakes to make our event possible! As much as this is a contest for them, with the potential of being “crowned” Saskatoon’s Best Cupcake as their incentive, they all volunteer their time and energy to make the Cupcake Contest possible. The event wouldn’t be the same without them (I mean, literally, there would be no cupcakes to eat). 


Let’s meet the contestants and the treats they crafted this year:


Ally's Cake Creeations: Ally brought us a lemon cupcake with raspberry puree inside, topped off with a lemon buttercream with a hint of raspberry. To finish the look, the cupcake was sprayed with rose gold lustre dust.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allyscakecreeations/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/allyscakecreeations 

 

Cakes by Britney: Britney crafted a chocolate cupcake with a berry filling, topped off with a berry-infused buttercream, chocolate ganache drip, berries, and a chocolate swoosh! 

Instagram: https://instagram.com/cakesbybritney/ 

Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/cakesbybritneygraf/ 

 

Cakes by Alix: Alix’s vanilla cupcake had a blueberry filling and was iced with blueberry buttercream and topped with meringue!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cakesbyalix/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cakesbyalix 

Ruby Lange: Ruby created a Biscoff cookie butter cupcake with a Biscoff cookie base, and a Biscoff swiss meringue buttercream. It was topped with a meringue heart!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rubinfruits/ 

 

Caketopia Custom Cakes: Michelle and Margaret baked a chocolate cupcake with cinnamon coffee icing with a layer of dark chocolate on top!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caketopia_custom_cakes/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/caketopiacustomcakes 

 

Jamie: Inspired by the peacock gown, Jamie’s cupcake was a light and fluffy champagne cupcake with champagne buttercream and a hand-painted, hand-made gum-paste feather on top!

 

Love and Butter: Aimee thought her dress resembled a firework, and with that in mind, she baked for us a chocolate cupcake, filled with coffee and raspberry, topped off with dark chocolate buttercream, mini-meringues, and glitter! 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loveandbutter_cakesbyaimee/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/loveandbutter.cakesbyaimee 

 

After everyone had had a chance to vote, from the comfort of their own home, we were excited to announce that Love and Butter won both Best Overall and Best Look-Alike this year! Congrats Aimee!! Cakes by Alix took home the title of Fave Flava!


Thank you to everyone who purchased tickets to this year’s Cupcake Contest! Thank you also to our sponsors who made the event possible and the local businesses that added additional treats to the Upgrade Tickets:

Presenting Sponsor: MNP

In-kind Chef Sponsor: The Prairie Grazer

Cheers Sponsor: Crossmount Cider Company

Volunteer Sponsor: SIIT

Venue Sponsor: Station 20 West Community Enterprise Centre

Virtual Program Sponsor: SaskTel

In-Kind Radio Promotion: CFCR 90.5 FM - Saskatoon Community Radio

In-Kind Paper Promotion: Eagle Feather News

In-Kind Radio Promotion: Rawlco Radio

News Coverage: CTV Morning Live - Saskatoon

Event Host: Janella Hamilton

Event Photography: Infinity Events & Decor / Infinity Imagery


Behind-the-scenes, on our end, it was heartwarming to see all the pictures and stories we were tagged in as everyone enjoyed cupcakes from the comfort of their own homes. Hopefully, by next year, we can celebrate with Princess grads in-person, but until then, it’s amazing to see the community come together for a good cause, even when we’re not physically together.

 

KR Jewelry's #FridayFallFundraisers

posted by The Princess Shop    |   November 25, 2020 19:19

Those of you who follow us on Instagram know that KR Jewelry has been running the #FallFridayFundraiser in support of The Princess Shop since September 18th, 2020. The hashtag really explains most of it - each Friday, Karen Robson, owner, jewelry-maker extraordinaire, and past Princess Shop Executive Director, posts a new piece that people can bid on all day in her Instagram comments. 100% of the auction sale is donated to our organization and if Karen's commitment to The Princess Shop wasn't magical enough, her jewelry featuring gemstones such as Rainbow Moonstone, Labradorite, Pyrite, Onyx, and so much more take the cake. So far, the auction fundraiser has raised $1126.00 with one week left! We (virtually) interviewed her to feature the business that has been giving back since it was formed and running this specific fundraiser for three years now!

 All photos from KR Jewelry's Instagram.

All photos are from KR Jewelry's Instagram.


The Princess Shop has been shortened to TPS in the following questions:

 

TPS: Tell us more about the KR Jewelry brand  - what inspired you to start making jewelry?

Karen: It started as a gift in 2011! I had a budgie named Tookey who would drop beautiful feathers and my mom commented how they would make beautiful earrings. Knowing that she loved earrings and that Mothers’ Day was coming up, I quietly gathered feathers until I had a nice pair, searched up a video tutorial, went to the craft store and back home, and immediately made a pair of earrings. I had so much fun (and my mom loved them), that I started to take apart whatever jewelry I had and started making new pieces. I was hooked! From there I continued to make jewelry as gifts or donations, and did that for 3.5 years until I decided I wanted to market my jewelry.

So it started with a gift, continued with giving – that is a major part of the KR Jewelry brand, and what it was founded upon. Selling it only provides me more opportunities to continue to give (I have never said no to a raffle/auction) and support our community and the volunteers/staff that are pouring so much into it.

 

TPS: How does #FridayFallFundraiser fit into your mission?

Karen: While I haven’t coined a phrase for a mission, I know that I want to make jewelry because it is a creative outlet, and that because it has the power to make a positive impact. 

I started #FridayFallFundraiser in 2018 because I wanted to initiate my own fundraiser. While I will always donate to raffles and auctions, I had an itch to take initiative and be a leader in the business community by creating my own fundraiser. I did not want to sit and wait to be asked to contribute to something, I wanted to do something myself. 

 

TPS: What’s your creative process like? It felt like that first giveaway piece you made to kick off the fundraiser was designed so perfectly for TPS!

Karen: I am completely inspired by the materials. The gemstones, the textures, the shine… the shapes. It is kind of hard to explain, but I like to figure out new ways to put all these materials together in a way that is unique, one-of-a-kind, and beautiful! Some have described my pieces as “from another time” which I really love.

 

 

TPS: What’s the importance of businesses like yours continuing to donate and fundraise on behalf of charitable organizations, especially in these uncertain times?

Karen: Having worked in Community for so long outside of the jewelry business, I saw firsthand how challenging it can be to fundraise, even in non-pandemic times. With a community full of many worthy nonprofits and charities, fundraising has to be creative even in a regular year. I also simply and truly believe in the concept of Community - taking care of one another, looking out for one another, and reaching out to offer a helping hand - and businesses like KR Jewelry benefit from a strong community, so it is in a way giving back.

2020 has been tough on fundraising, but 2021 might be even worse as the organizations that provide funding will likely be looking at reduced budgets for philanthropy and sponsorship. So now, more than ever, it is so important to support our nonprofit organizations that really do provide vibrancy to our community - something we all benefit from! I encourage and welcome any small creative business to take the #FridayFallFundraiser model, pick an organization to support, and get fundraising with their following - that is an amazing gift to the community.

 

TPS: How can people best support both KR Jewelry and The Princess Shop during this pandemic, even if they can’t afford to purchase items or donate?

Karen: Both of us are quite active on social media, so following, liking, commenting, sharing (this one especially), to help spread the word. And not even just on social media. Be a vocal advocate in your day-to-day life with coworkers and friends – tell them about The Princess Shop. The more people know about organizations like The Princess Shop, the quicker they will be able to step up and support when they can, because they are keeping their community front of mind. I believe that it is not just up to non-profit organizations to spread their own word and gain awareness, I believe it should be a community effort. I urge citizens to meet community organizations half way, pay attention to the amazing initiatives and programs happening right here in our backyard, learn about them, get involved if you can, and simply be a community advocate.

 

TPS: What’s one piece of advice you’d give to businesses and non-profits during this time of covid-19?

Karen: This is not the time to dwell on what once was, or wait on things to return to “normal”... even as we establish the “new normal”. I’ve watched businesses adapt with a growth mindset and those businesses have been successful. I have also seen some businesses that took this time to work on wish-list items (e.g. renovations, restructuring) to improve their current offering or customer experience, and they were able to because they had saved financially. There is a lot to learn from that as well.

 

Thank you Karen, for all that you do for the community! KR Jewelry can be found on Facebook and Instagram.

Important Announcement Regarding COVID-19 and the 2020 Graduation Season

posted by The Princess Shop    |   April 1, 2020 11:26

We hope that everyone is staying safe and well during this difficult time! We are sending our love out to the community. Please read this letter from our Board Chair Kayla Brien. We want to say thank you to all of the supporters of The Princess Shop, and we will be in touch with everyone who is involved with the Glass Slipper Benefit for Princesses shortly.

 

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The Princess Shop
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12 - 1622 Ontario Avenue
Saskatoon, SK S7K 1S8
t: 306-222-3311

Store Hours for Dress Returns & Donations:
Monday: 12:00pm - 3:00pm
Wednesday: 10:00am - 1:00pm
Saturday: 10:00am - 3:00pm

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