On Tuesday, January 29th, we took part in the Nutrien Wintershines Festival for the fourth time! That week was one of the coldest we've had this year (perhaps even in the past few years, honestly), but we bundled up and braved the cold to set up our fundraiser. Lucky for us, we were met with a large crowd of people - the greatest turnout we've had at a Cupcake event thus far - and of course, the cupcake contestants with their yummy goods! 

The rules are pretty simple. Six local bakers select a dress from the Princess Shop to base their design off of. Bakers are encouraged to be as creative as possible with all aspects of the cupcake; the flavour, the decorations, and even the setup of their display. This year, their hard work in these different areas paid off as we had three categories to win! The categories were: Best Cupcake, Fave Flave, and Best Look-a-Like. Let's meet the contestants!

Cakes by Britney:

Inspired by a sparkly light purple dress, Britney named her cupcake "Purple Unicorn". This blueberry-filled lemon cupcake with blueberry infused icing was a true showstopper. The crowd thought it was nicely decorated and the filling inside was a sweet surprise. Britney's take on the dress and how she turned it into a unicorn cake was such a great finishing touch!

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

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

CM Cakes:

Chantelle from CM Cakes was our youngest contestant, but that didn't stop her from bringing bold flavours to the table! Her vanilla cake with strawberry-raspberry buttercream and lemon curd filling was to die for! Chantelle had a gorgeous display, complete with fairy lights and pinecones. Her cake was inspired by a pink high-low gown with layered ruffles. 

Instagram: https://instagram.com/cmcakes.yxe/

Create Cupcakes and Cakes: 

Angela from Create Cupcakes had champagne-infused flavours in her cupcake. The cake was inspired by a white dress with blue accents, and her beautiful cupcakes definitely fit the look!

Chef de Partie:

Italian lemon and olive oil cupcake with wildberry compote filling - yum! Based off of a lacy fitted gown, this cupcake took the flowers from the dress and recreated them with a twist! We don't know how Heather dreamed this one up, but it sure was fun to bite into it :)

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

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

Foodiepharmbabe / Get Baked With V:

Vanessa's chocolate cake with cookies and cream buttercream, creamy cheesecake filling, and a honey sugar shard topping it off was a sight to take in! The cupcake was packed full of flavour, with each bite revealing another layer to the complex creation! The crunch from the honey shard added some great texture. Vanessa chose a sparkly dress with tones of purple, pink, and blue. We're still not sure if it was the dress or the cupcakes that had more sparkles. Vanessa had a beautiful display, with lights, marble accents, and even some baking books to finish off the look!

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

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

Humblebee Bake House:

Melissa Served up a vanilla cupcake with vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate Swiss Meringue buttercream. She named her creation “Ice Cream Sunday”, very fitting for a dress giving off Neapolitan vibes. Her cake looked exactly like the dress and was overall rich in flavour, not overwhelmingly sweet, and had great balance. 

Instagram: https://instagram.com/humblebeebakehouse/

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

Saskatoon’s Best Cupcake 2019:

By now you're probably craving to find out who won (or maybe you're just craving some cupcakes). All the bakers gave the competition their best in terms of flavour and creativity. After over 200 guests had tasted all the delicious flavours and voted on their favourites, the results were in favour of...

Foodiepharmbabe! Venessa’s cupcakes and their layers of complex flavours won over hearts, but others weren't too far behind. After all, there were two other prizes to compete for too. CM Cakes’ Chantelle won Fave Flave and Melissa from Humblebee Bake House took home the title of Best Look-a-Like. The three winners were congratulated with framed certificates.

Thank you to everyone that came out that night in our support, to the bakers for pouring your creativity and hard work into a project for a good cause, and to Apex Trampoline Park for donating door prizes. Thank you to Nutrien for sponsoring an important event that truly keeps our community warm and vibrant: Wintershines! A huge thanks also goes to each of our The Princess Shop volunteers who helped organize, set up and take down the event as well as Janella Hamilton of CTV Saskatoon News for emceeing the event and announcing our winners! And lastly, but surely not least, to each of YOU in the community who came to sample, vote, and enjoy an evening of sweets for such a great cause. It means the world to us to have an entire community backing us up as we help bring the joys of graduation and the life that follows after to our Princess graduates. 

Our next major fundraiser is our 12th Annual Glass Slipper Benefit for Princesses, presented by K+S Potash Canada on April 10, 2019 at TCU Place. Join us for an evening of good fun, good food, and giving back to the community. We'd love to see you there! And if you're looking for more Cupcake Contest photos, check out our Facebook page for the full album!

Res·o·lu·tion

/,rezǝ’looSH(ǝ)n/

A firm decision to do or not to do something. 

Most people's January to-do lists mention the idea of a New Year's Resolution. They might work hard on these ideas throughout the year, meet some, change some, or just put them off for the following year's list. This word "resolution", however, is so set on the idea of being able to firmly commit to something and for that idea to then just magically come true. We all want that "law of attraction" to be real, but there's more to it than just that. By this point in the year, most people have come to this conclusion already. We need to work on our goals with a plan of action in place and the proper support systems helping us out. We have many magical ideas that we're always dreaming up, but their ability to actualize depends on so many factors, such that perhaps they fall into a category of their own; a bucket-list of sorts. At the end of 2018, one of the activities The Princess Shop volunteer team went through was drafting up a bucket-list of our own:

Heidi's Bucket List:

1. Broad awareness about The Princess Shop - it's more than just a dress. It's true! Our Next Chapter and Fairy Godmother programs offer so many life-changing opportunities!
2. Every graduate should know The Princess Shop is an option and that they don’t need to struggle alone. 
3. The Fairy Godmother Program could gain more matches that sustain into the future. 
4. There should be more applicants to all scholarship opportunities as well as a greater variety of scholarships to give out!
5. The Princess Shop should have a larger volunteer team. 

Bailey:

1. Recruit a full team of volunteers by April. 
2. Record the number of graduates every year. 
3. Have more rural graduates in the program.

Sarah:

1. Have more graduates than in 2018. 
2. Fill all volunteer positions.
3. Reach goals for the 12th Annual Glass Slipper Benefit for Princesses.
4. Dream up and organize more fundraising events with a greater turnout.
5. Have volunteers put in more cumulative hours.

These goals of ours may not be met just by us wishing them into existence, but with continuous action, we hope to see them born into reality. On top of these ideas and our plans, we have a wonderful support system that acts as the final piece of the puzzle working towards The Princess Shop's success - that's you! This all happens because of the people upholding a commitment to this journey with us; volunteers, sponsors, alumni, and everyone working hard for The Princess Shop's success creates an environment of growth and constant improvement. These thoughts are echoed in the volunteers’ bucket-list wishes when they recognize the need for more volunteers and funds - essentially, the need for even more assistance. Many hands indeed make light work and the greater our community, the better!

It is with these goals in mind and with gratitude for the support we receive in our hearts that we move forward into this year. We hope to create some magical memories this year.

Stepping into the role of Volunteer Representative is not what you would expect, or at least in comparison to my own previous volunteer experience, not what I expected.

It's been more than - and better than - I envisioned. Every week I attend a weekly meeting with a group of successful and motivating women. We're surrounded by beautiful donated gowns, shoes and accessories. We brainstorm, goal set, get off track for a moment and laugh, and are constantly re-evaluating every aspect of the organization to ensure we have a positive impact on not only our Princess Graduates but our community as whole. By the end of the meeting, were assigned chosen tasks to meet our goals and out into the community we go. We fundraise, network with donors and sponsors and build lasting relationships. 

While this is happening, me and other Volunteer Representatives along with individuals from our list of 'Helping Hands', conduct dress appointments which is by far, one of the most fulfilling duties. We simply consult with the graduate about her wants and needs for grad day and beyond. We outline the different programs The Princess Shop offers and ultimately attempt to be the bridge between adversity and prosperity. Once graduation season arrives, it's a whirlwind of wearing many different hats. We go from being a graduate's personal assistant to being a team player of the salons were in and out of. 

Every so often, were pulled aside by a graduate who feels graduation and everything that comes with this major achievement, would not be possible without the organization. Rather it was through lending her a dress, providing her with a scholarship or simply being a mentor in her life, we've alleviated hardship in more ways than one. We're thanked and told that we should be proud of the work we do. And when the graduates acknowledge our work and display appreciation for all that we do, it is only a bonus. Because I can tell you, that is not why myself or our team, volunteer for The Princess Shop. 

I volunteer because of everything I just shared with you. Though it is only a glimpse of the expectations and experiences that come with the position. If you read between the lines, it's quite easy to recognize that this organization pushes you to become better for yourself and the community. It's a doorway to seeing what community means and what our community offers. It's a way to feel empowered through empowering other women. It further develops various life skills that one utilizes in their everyday life. Skills such as Communication and Leadership skills. And it overall provides you with an experience that changes your life while changing others' lives. 

Chelsey is one of a group of amazing individuals who make The Princess Shop a magical place through their passion and dedication. Does this sound like your kind of crew? We are looking to fill some more roles and would love to have you if this post spoke to you. Click here!