Hat Trick Magazine October 2013 by Hat Trick Magazine

Clear The Way For A New You

Suffering From Chick Flick Syndrome?

Optimism!

Agile Product Development Don’t Be A

Rachael Pushover Pontillo {Holistically Haute} Hat Trick Your Life

Volume 2 Issue 10  October 2013

about about Hat Trick (noun): 1. A sports metaphor for three achievements by a single player in a game. 2. A magic trick. We happily accept both deÞnitions. Hat Trick Magazine is a special project targeted at sharing spiritual and professional growth with likeminded people from around the world. We share strategies that truly will change your life, business and career (with a little help from some pro friends). WeÕve all been there: under/un/employed, in a bad situation, in transition, wondering what the options are and not knowing the skills we would need to get us there. We wonÕt lie to you. Coming out the other side isnÕt easy, but we can show you what we learned along to way and help you get the conÞdence to turn that leaf over and pursue that which is your destiny. Knowledge is power. Not everyone fancies themselves to be an entrepreneur but the truth is, even when seeking employment these days, pulling together your resumŽ requires some sly articulation to showcase your skills, be keyword-optimized and with a strong, personable presentation to get noticed. We feature inspirational people who have great careers, amazing businesses, tips and a host of amazing stories will inspire and amaze you. Our editors and contributors are some of the most connected in their industries and specialisms. Hat Trick Your Life! Take control of your lifestyle, your career, your dreams and your journey. WeÕll share what we know and we invite you to join us. If you or your business would like to be featured or simply would like to contribute a feature in an upcoming issue, please email us on content@hattrickmagazine.com 2 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

Hat Trick Strategies cannot accept responsibility for unsolicited coverage made by our contributors including reviews, articles, manuscripts or photographs of products, services. While every care is taken, prices, details or availability of items are subject to change and we cannot accept responsibility for omissions or errors. We reserve the right to publish and edit letters or correspondence received via email, social media or other communication. All advice is given in general terms or as a matter of opinion, for entertainment purposes only, and may not be exhaustive nor suitable for all situations. Always seek specialized professional advice, speciÞcally suited to you or your business needs. Absolutely no part of this magazine should be taken as medical, professional or other advice - always seek the advice of a qualiÞed practitioner.

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Editorial Team

Michelle Fitz Editor-In-Chief, Page Design Michelle is originally from Arkansas and the head of Hat Trick Strategies, a UK firm for Emerging Technologies, Business Change and Corporate Strategy. Her firm has served US and UK household names, government departments and a portfolio of business coaching clients, based globally. Michelle produces all page layout, custom graphics and ad designs for this publication. She holds professional qualifications in LEAN Six Sigma, PMI PMP, is a Practitioner in both PRINCE2 and MSP and is a leader in digital synergies linking content, the customer journey, social media Hat Trick Magazine â&#x20AC;˘ hattrickstrategies.com 4 â&#x20AC;˘ customer and care words/SEO.

Michael Hartley Associate Design Editor Michael is a British entrepreneur based in Manchester, England and is an expert in graphic design, digital artistry, branding and design management. He is a trained violinist, and brings a tremendous breath of creativity to projects. His firm, Michael Thomas Designs, are experts in brand research for target demographics, image and the production of a consistent brand identity for mid-sized companies. Michael understands how to get at the heart of a firmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s offerings and customer base and works closely with select web designers to implement a consistent look and feel across digital, print and online platforms.

Eleni Sofroniou Illustrator Eleni is an illustrator based in London and owns Fall Into London. She produces the majority of the illustrations which appear in Hat Trick Magazine (which compliment give our magazine its distinctive look and feel). She has previously created pieces for ELLE Magazine, Essex Style Magazine, and The Female Entrepreneur Association. As well as creating personalised illustration, Eleni's illustrations can be purchased from her website.

Andrea Sullenger Business & Tech Editor Andrea is a mix of “kick butt” sales / marketing coach and inspirational possible-i-tarian. She has been working with solo-entrepreneurs for the past 16 years, helping them build their own thriving transactional businesses all while creating streamlined and successful digital products to maximize and leverage their income streams. Andrea shares many of her strategies via Hat Trick Magazine, but to get the latest, subscribe to her list. Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com •

Editorial Team

Sandra Cunningham Career & Learning Editor Sandra contributes to the Careers column for the Financial Times and is the owner of Outside In Coaching and Communications, where she helps mid-career women make a successful transition from a soul-sucking, dead-end job to a meaningful and fulfilling career, while creating a lifestyle they can afford and enjoy. Sandra truly believes it’s possible to be wildly successful doing work you love whilst having the work/life balance most people can only dream of. Visit her website for free articles, resources and to sign up for your free e-booklet "21 Pointers to Your Career Edge." • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com 6 Sharpen

Shalanda Turner Style Editor Shasie has a B.S. Degree in Chemical Engineering and works as a Project Engineer for a Specialty Chemicals company in Houston, Texas. When Shasie is not at work, she moonlights in the Fashion Industry. She is the creative voice behind the top Fashion Blog; Live Life in Style, Founder of Houston Fashion Bloggers, Style Editor for online media site FashionMingle.net, Fashion Brand Ambassador for Monarch Magazine, Owner of Shop Shasie’s Closet and Houston Fashion Examiner for Examiner.com.

Charlene SanJenko Wellness & Lifestyle Editor Charlene SanJenko is a serial entrepreneur with a successful lifestyle and fitness practice serving Canada. She is an accomplished figure competitor and has served her community in local government. As a social entrepreneur, she believes there is an intrinsic link between physical and emotional fitness, leadership and excellence. She is a thought leader whose emphasis is in helping transform ordinary ladies into “HIP”, High Impact Performance women. powHERhouse.com

Brittany De Staedtler Beauty Editor Brittany is an entrepreneur and owner of bath, beauty and skin care brand Posh Brats and flagship store Bathery, located in Macclesfield, England. She is an advocate for career progression for women from small towns. Being from the Southern US, she overcame what could have easily been a template predefined for her, but pursued a career and degrees in Cosmetic Chemistry, leading to the successful career she has held to date. Brittany regularly shares simple beauty secrets you can make at home, as well as her thoughts and skills in business.• 7 Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

Editorial Team

Tanya Jackson Food, Home & Family Editor Tanya is the author of our popular Southern recipe column and the editor for our Food & Home section. She is married to a pastor, her high school sweetheart, and is a proud Southern mother and grandmother. Tanya has lived all over the US, but wherever she has lived, she has brought her love and curiosity for local foods and flavors. Tanya believes the best aspect of having cooked in the four corners of the US, was learning to cook what grows around us; because it is our families that make a difference in our lives and sharing our love and enjoyment of good food together goes hand-in-hand. Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com 8 • Hat

Karen Salmansohn Faith & Self Help Editor Karen is an ex-Senior VP, awardwinning ad writer/creative director (at age 27) who left her successful advertising career (having worked as a writer/creative director/ image consultant for numerous household names), to pursue her passion of writing. She owns notsalmon.com, is an Oprah columnist and a best selling author and book packager with over 1 million books sold. Some titles: How to Be Happy Dammit; Enough Dammit; The Bounce Back Book; – and many more. Journalists call Salmansohn “Deepak Chopra Meets Carrie Bradshaw”, merging empowering psychology/philosophy tips with edgy humor and stylish graphics.

Contributors Lorraine Hill Head of Global Planning

Michelle Holmes Business Contributor

Sorelle Amore Style Contributor

Mina Muirhead Health Editor, Lifestyle

Gina Hussar Lifestyle Contributor

Manuela Wahnon Lifestyle Contributor

Mellissa Mallaya Lifestyle Contributor

Dara Avenius Career & Learning

Suzanne Perry Faith & Self Help (Victim Support)

Katie Clifton Faith & Self Help (Christian)

Cherie DeBurger Home Contributor (Life & Family)

Sukh Pabial Career & Learning

Marina Berberyan Style Contributor

Lisa Wynter Style Contributor

Rosie Mazumder Associate Editor (Cake Masters)

Amber Hamilton Henson Associate Home Editor

Joey Phelps Cartoonist

Michael Phelps Cartoonist

Ann Pissard Graphic Artist

Nathalie de Ahna Lifestyle & Wellness

Kate Spencer Lifestyle & Wellness

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16 From the Editor

Business & Tech Tips

Delivering Change

Communication is Paramount Don’t Be a Pushover

Career & Learning

When ‘Need’ Becomes Neediness Optimism

Graphic Art by Ann

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Cover Story

Faith & Self Help 44 46

Shasieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Style Picks

Sorelle From Pin Up Passion

Bad Beauty Habits Confessions of a Hollywood Stylist

How I lost My Pregnancy Weight

Rocking My World

Do You Suffer From... Chick Flick Syndrome

Style & Beauty

Karen Salmansohn

Lil Nipper Snapper Cartoon

Lifestyle & Wellness

Stepping Up As a HIP Woman

74 82

Clear the Way For a New You

Mystic Sisters

94 94 96

Chicken and Dumplings

Cocoa Coca-Cola Poke Cake

100 105

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Food, Home & Family

Beautiful Equals Painful Cake Masters Magazine: Special Online Preview!

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From the Editor

Loving Self Celebrated author, Rachael Pontillo, is our featured profile story for this month. I’ve really enjoyed learning about her journey and with a book title like Love Your Skin, Love Yourself, I know our readers will, too. What does loving oneself really mean? I’ve been reading (and listening) to a lot of Louise Hay’s body of work - her life’s work which expands on this concept in much detail. How many times have we been told that we should love our neighbor as ourselves? If you are like me, you may have heard this throughout childhood. Also, if you are like me, you may have applied it with the wrong context. In Louise’s book, The Power Is Within You, she reminds us that “as ourselves” is the key point in the phrase which is, too often, overlooked. Do you truly love yourself? Do you see your past and your mistakes or do you see growth and progress? Are your thoughts ruining your progress? Or do they help you acknowledge your milestones, and press you forward into an exciting new future, full of possibilities?

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Although Rachael is a new author, and certainly does not have the catalog of life’s work (yet) that Louise has given us, her approach to self-love and caring for our bodies and our skin are very much attuned to these key messages. Taking care of our bodies, our development and, yes, even our skin, is something that ultimately supports our greatest good and our spiritual progression. We are learning so much about the body and, very interestingly in my opinion, the mind/body connection. I had the great pleasure of reading Rachael’s manuscript and it has opened my eyes to a number of techniques and tips that have changed the way I care for myself and the needs of my body. It has also helped me make the connection between the two, and to ensure that I am looking after both aspects. Loving yourself means loving the whole you, and managing the mind-games our subconsciousness may play. This includes, as Louise reminds us, acknowledging the progress and good you have achieved for your body after just two weeks of sticking to that new diet, or any number of new habits you are looking to implement or change in your life. I challenge you to commit the rest of 2013, to truly reorganizing your thinking and the way that you recognize your progress and achievements. No matter how small. I’m ramping up for a brilliant 2014. Are you with me?

By MICHELLE FITZ, Editor-In-Chief

Michelle

Letter From the Editor, Michelle Fitz •

Cover Story

A Real Role Model for Real Women Meet Rachael Pontillo

Rachael Pontillo is an author, speaker, and AADP certified Holistic Health and Image Coach with more than 15 years of experience in the beauty and healthcare industries. Following her own challenges with acne and weight, she has helped many women overcome skin conditions and self image issues in her private coaching practice.

By Alicia Kushmaul 16 â&#x20AC;˘ Hat Trick Magazine â&#x20AC;˘ hattrickstrategies.com

Rachael Pontillo

She is the founder and publisher of the popular blog, Holistically Haute™, at www.holisticallyhaute.com, and her work has been featured in top aesthetics trade journals and health and wellness publications and websites around the world. Rachael received her holistic nutrition and coaching education and certification from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition®; her aesthetics education from The Vision Academy, a Paul Mitchell partner school; and her Bachelor of Science degree from Philadelphia University. She has received continuing education from the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine and the International Dermal Institute on the subjects of health, detoxification, Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and advanced aesthetics. Rachael is also a level II Reiki practitioner. Rachael is a recipient of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition’s prestigious Health Leadership Award, and is a featured skincare expert and ambassador for the holistic skincare supplement company, NeoCell™.

Some role models come with positive messages and borderline trite or cheesy tag-lines. They may even come across as slightly condescending, and make you want to roll your eyes at almost everything that comes out of their PR-produced mouths. It makes you wonder if it’s all just a show. While spreading messages of positive thinking, good health, and wellness is always a good thing, many people just don’t relate to overly perky and airy personalities. Some people benefit more and relate better to someone who spreads positive messages in a more grounded and real fashion.

Meet Rachael Pontillo. Rachael’s definitely a role model who totes around positive messages. She’s always got her secret bag of tricks, with even 18 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

more goodness up her sleeve. Does she come with cheesy or trite tag-lines? No. Is she slightly condescending with or overly bubbly? Most definitely not. What kind of role model is she then? Rachael is a coach, guide, teacher, who is dedicated to helping people stay out of their own way in order to achieve their goals. She’s a positive force who can spot a self-saboteur instantly. She knows excuses when she hears them, and helps people work through them. She speaks directly and frankly, and delivers information in a way that people can understand and digest.

“It turns out that our relationship with food is incredibly complex; even the simplest cravings have roots that are deeply engrained within us” A completely self-made woman, she manages a schedule that would make many peoples’ heads spin. She is a published author, creator of her own lifestyle website, www.holisticallyhaute.com, and brand, recipe developer, skincare formulator, blogger, health and image coach, Ph.D. student; and not to mention a loving mother of two girls under age 10, wife, daughter, sister, and friend. Her drive, work ethic, and devotion to her clients and loved ones are admirable, to say the least.

We’re living in the age of coaches. Because of easily accessible training programs, there are more health, nutrition, life, and wellness coaches now more than ever. What sets Rachael apart from every other health coach? She helps people get to the bottom of why they eat what they eat. Sounds Rachael Pontillo: A Real Role Model •

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simple, right? While working with Rachael in one of her one-on-one coaching programs, I admit it: I really I wanted to eat cookies for breakfast instead of my recommended green smoothie. So I ate them. No big deal, right? It was just a cookie. My logic when eating those cookies was: “I’ll just have a salad for lunch to make up for it.” I learned that it wasn’t that simple. It turns out that our relationship with food is incredibly complex; even the simplest cravings have roots that are deeply engrained within us. Rachael had me stop and really look at why and how the cookie binge happened. The thought of “because I wanted it” didn’t even begin to scratch the surface. It turns out that the cookie was not just a cookie after all—it was a representation of emotions buried deep inside that only her series of eye-opening questions could have uncovered. What else differentiates Rachael as a coach? She has truly been on the same journey as many of us. I know it’s hard to believe because she is freakishly gorgeous, tall, and thin. AND HAS PERFECT SKIN! However, she too dealt with challenges with weight, bad skin, and other chronic issues. Her journey from being unhappy, sugar-obsessed, and overweight with severe acne was not an easy one. However, using methods that she now teaches to her clients and students, she was able to overcome these challenges and find true health, wellness, happiness, and success.

So began her journey… While her daughters enjoyed a playdate with their friends, Rachael was talking to another mother about returning to the workforce and feeling concerned that she wouldn’t find a job she was passionate about. Her friend suggested she become a makeup artist for weddings and such, since doing makeup is something Rachael’s done since her teen years. Rachael is notorious for always being Rachael Pontillo: A Real Role Model •

in compliance with rules, and she was concerned about liability issues because she did not have a cosmetology or aesthetics license at the time. Her friend suggested she get her license, and this seemed like such an obvious step that she decided to go for it. She enrolled in an aesthetics program at a local cosmetology school and became immersed in studies of the skin—anatomy, physiology, histology, spa treatments, cosmetic chemistry—she found that she was passionate about all of it. While still in school, she was inspired to start a blog. Little did she know that her tiny blog would someday become a huge site and the launching point for her entire brand and career. From there on out Rachael continued to thirst for more information. Having learned about holistic skincare methods in school and after seeing dramatic improvements in her weight and skin condition, she decided to enroll in the Institute for Integrative Nutrition® to learn about holistic nutrition and health coaching. Rachael immediately knew she could merge both her aesthetics schooling and nutrition coaching and REALLY start making a difference in women’s lives.

“She has helped numerous clients achieve their goals and look and feel the best they possibly can. For most people that would be fulfilling enough. Not for Rachael.”

Seeing how she could fill a niche that was so clearly missing, she started talking to women about what they truly want in life, and their struggles with skin conditions, health, and self image issues. Armed with education, passion, knowledge, and a drive to help people she began to really focus her coaching programs and make a difference in women’s lives. 22 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

Passion for helping people is something that really sets Rachael apart. You can always hear how incredibly genuine she is when speaking with her. She has helped numerous clients achieve their goals and look and feel the best they possibly can. For most people that would be fulfilling enough. Not for Rachael. Realizing that working with clients one-on-one limited her ability to reach large amounts of people, Rachael decided it was time to write her first book. She just knew that this way she could reach more people and make a bigger impact in more people’s lives. While writing a book is normally an incredibly daunting process for most, Rachael loved it. She quickly realized she had enough content for more than one book. Her book, Love Your Skin, Love

Yourself: Achieve Beauty, Health, and Vitality from the Inside Out and Outside In, was published by Sennin Group in August 2013. Within the first week of her book being released she was number #1 in skin care on Amazon, and she held that position for two weeks.

What’s next for Rachael? With her first book under her belt, she is working her second book as well as an e-cookbook she’s co-writing with her husband who is a classically trained chef. She is also building a brand new online module-based course, and also teaches classes on how to make your own organic skin care products. Rachael also regularly Rachael Pontillo: A Real Role Model •

creates, hosts, attends, and presents at various different skincare and wellness workshops, seminars, and conferences. Rachael Pontillo is one incredibly talented and BUSY lady who isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. She is on her way to becoming a household name, and she is doing it all with the intention of helping people along on their health and wellness journeys so they can live lives full of joy and passion.

Do you have a skin issue like acne, rosacea, melasma, eczema, or psoriasis? Whether it starts in adolescence or comes later, there’s a whole array of challenges that accompany these skin conditions. Sometimes these issues are physical—and other times the issues are emotional or even spiritual. Whether you’re a teenager, a busy parent, or are going through other life changes, this book is your comprehensive guide to healthier and more beautiful skin, an improved self image, and a more joyful life.

Click here to view Love Your Skin, Love Yourself on Amazon.com now

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Business & Tech Tips

We’re Not JUST Making IT Products

Delivering Change I’m going to talk Management Consultancy speak this time around, because I think it is timely, and although this may not resonate with many of our small business customers, I think that it’s appropriate to chat to some of the bigger players who, just like small businesses, are constantly innovating and improving. Several years ago, I was involved with a programme of work which was written about in computing and digital publications, the worldover. With a budget the size of a small country, an extremely exciting and modern scope of work, and a benefits profile that clearly could not be overlooked, it was a no-brainer that this same “exciting” scope of work which was once eagerly discussed in publications would be opened up to complete scrutiny and harsh criticism in the same breath. The programme I outlined in the opening was delivered using a largely waterfall-based delivery methodology. Certainly, you could say that this programme was extremely large with hundreds of complex projects which focused heavily on the delivery of IT

By Michelle Fitz 26 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

systems and although business change was also an important factor in the framework, there was little in the way of linking the two together. Imagine you are in business for yourself and have a specific business need for a tool to help you run a particular service or part of your organisation. Someone has proposed you invest in “Product A”. Should you find an alternative solution to “Product A” that filled the business/user need more closely/reliably, offered the same or more in features with greater simplicity, or simply failed to “speak” to the customer base, you would probably not choose “Product A”. In fact you might decide that “Product A” was simply so risky to your business, that you may continue as you are now. Because Do Nothing is, after all, always the first option on the table. But we forget that too easily as we deliver these big programmes and projects of work - we get on with what seems like a great modern plan and forget about the careful management process of BAU (Business As Usual), Transition and Go-Live. Sometimes, we treat the business as though they are simply 3rd parties to the change, rather than the customer that they are, which needs and simply must be a part of the strategy, delivery and change over, in order for our roles to be deemed a success. If this is such a no-brainer when we think about what it would be like when choosing to invest in tools for our own businesses, can you imagine how key the concepts outlined above would be for someone else’s business, organization or customer base? After all, they have a business to run and it doesn’t matter what fantastic, sparkling tool you promise, if it doesn’t align to the existing ways of working, or if there is indication of significant risk to their being able to run the business effectively, I can tell you right now that when push comes to shove, the business/department Delivering Change •

person on the ground affected, will revert to their “old-standby” processes and systems. Why? So that they can simply get the job done. A few years ago, several papers were published in the UK, praising Agile development methodology as the way forward, and I agree that Agile definitely is the best approach to bringing the business into the development process to deliver fit-for-purpose tools and solutions. It is lower cost, allows for innovation and honest go/no-go decisions based on real value to the business that specific features can bring to the table BEFORE it hits the development shop floor. But to be honest, a lot of people are simply applying it wrong. There are loads of papers you can read - some talk about “Agile, Fragile and Wagile”. I’m laughing, but honestly, it’s a valid point.

You can’t simply “wing it” and call it Agile. So, yes, more of us are using various Agile methodologies to develop products, as we should be. However, “soft skills” such as engagement and an up-front understanding of To-Be states and consideration for the delta between As Is and To Be for the business are increasingly being left by the wayside. These aren’t “optional extras” - these are must-haves to ensure delivery of benefits. And my dears, we ONLY do projects and programmes to get benefits. We get benefits by delivering outcomes - and if you don’t know what 28 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

those are up front, you might as well flush your budget down the toilet before you begin. And frankly, your time. Too many organizations are handing out multi-million dollar deals which could have been delivered for a fraction of the price and with a better set of benefits and outcomes for the customer. This sounds counter-intuitive. Isn’t that what Agile is supposed to resolve? I mean, we bring the customer into the development process so therefore it HAS to be successful, right? Not always. In Agile, we often appoint product owners, but fail to appreciate the unique complexities and challenges that a change manager and transition manager can help us overcome.

Questions like, “is the business ready to accept the system”, are key for cutover decisions. Other key issues are user acceptance and training. Agile development is an exciting and proactive methodology, but without appropriately applying business change management and transition planning, too many digital projects simply aren’t delivering the benefits and outcomes. Increasingly, many go-live, only to fall over or to create more chaos than innovation and even more close down claiming to have delivered, only to find the solution/processes scrapped before the planned decommissioning or payback periods are achieved. It is a shame for the user, a shame for innovation and a missed opportunity for those of us in the profession, who should be taking a lot of pride in delivering major and exciting change, instead of simply a pay packet. Delivering Change •

Communication is

Paramount

Communication is paramount... and there is a

ton to tackle, but today we are just going to talk about email communication and how you can up your game, simplify your communication and get what you want! When email first hit the scene it appeared to be simple, clear-cut and a way to get a few things accomplished a little more quickly. Nowadays it seems we all use email and we use it a lot! Think about how many emails you get each day! Is it a lot or is it a lot? FIND ME ONLINE HERE

By ANDREA SULLENGER 30 â&#x20AC;˘ Hat Trick Magazine â&#x20AC;˘ hattrickstrategies.com

So how do you “do” email communication right without loosing your effectiveness, without loosing your touch, without becoming antisocial? I’ve got 9 tips for you to simplify your email time while still getting what you want.

Eliminate the Email Game of Tag ~ Be a

straight shooter, say what you need/want as concisely as 1 possible with as many specifics as needed. Have you ever heard the saying, “one trip in, one trip out?” Try to take this approach. The goal with email isn’t to begin a long and never ending trail of emails about a simple question, task etc. that last for days and would take a CIA operative hours to comb through to find the real question or request. Be clear!

Voice Mail Rule Of Thumb ~ Were you ever

taught, maybe in your first “real” job that it is professional 2 and polite to respond to your voice mails within 24 hours? I was and it has served me well. Take this approach when dealing with email. Don’t let your email sit and go stale or pile up. Three things happen - a) You come off as inattentive and too busy, b) You can easily miss an opportunity, and c) You create overwhelm in your daily business routine when you don’t stay on top of emails.

There is POWER In The “Add A Subject” Line ~ You know you and I are not the only ones that

receive an overwhelming amount of emails daily. Everyone does! That little subject line is where some powerful real estate lies within the email world. It’s your shot at catching someone’s attention, at getting them to stop and read your email. Use it wisely. I suggest you steer clear of writing a proper sentence and you stick to bullet points that reference what you need: (Urgent, Response Needed, Time Sensitive, Confirmation)

Communication is Paramount •

You’re Not Tina Fey ~ I may be going out on a limb

here but you are most likely not Tina Fey or on the cast of 4 SNL, so pull your finger off of the “forward” button and don’t send on the jokes, chain emails, funny video’s of cats or the like. Again, I may be on a limb but most of us don’t have time for that kind of interruption in our work day and find it annoying. It is bad enough when you get them so don’t perpetuate the cycle.

Novels Are For Your Bedside Table ~ You may

love to devour a whole book in a night but most people 5 don’t, can’t and won’t. If you find that when you send emails with multiple points, requests or questions and you only get part of the answer or response you were looking for, take a moment and re-evaluate. Chances are you are writing and shoving that novel mentality down someones throat. Try to stick to asking or tackling one item at a time.

Loop-d-Loop ~ Have you ever been on an email

wheel and can’t seem to get off? You know what I mean… 6 someone writes and email to a whole group, CC’s everyone (yep thanks now everyone has my email address) and then they all keep hitting ‘reply all’! Oy vey! Be smart when you hit CC or BCC. I can’t tell you how many people do not know there even is a “BCC” or that it blind copies the same email to all but doesn’t show everyone’s email address.

Emotion In Email Causes Commotion ~ If

you’re in an email conversation with someone and it turns 7 down a path filled with any emotion other than happy, or if there has been a clear misunderstanding then STOP writing and dial some digits. It is true that tone can not always be read/heard accurately when reading or responding to an email. Save yourself a big old headache and tons of time and just talk it out. 32 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

AM I YELLING AT YOU? ~ The answer of course is

no, but you might have misread that and thought I was… 8 right? We are a culture that has become pretty good at communicating without actually using our speaking voice, and because of that we have learned that typing in all caps or bold lettering or using a ton of !!!!!! can work when trying to get across certain points. It actually does so be sensitive to that especially (refer to #7) if you are doing anything other than exuding happiness.

PAUSE ~ Before you hit that send button take just 4-6

extra seconds and confirm that this email is being sent to 9 the right person, the subject will catch their attention, it is clear and concise as to what you need or want, you have clear direction as to the type of response and time frame you are after, and your contact information is what it should be in the signature section. I know it’s hard to not just assume you are done and rush that index finger up to the send button, hit it and it is off… never to be captured by you again before it hits some eyes, so just take a few extra seconds to PAUSE and double check it all!

!? Communication is Paramount •

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Don’t be a PUSHOVER Click to Watch Online!

Stop Saying YES

When You Mean NO! FIND ME ONLINE HERE

By Michelle Holmes Don’t Be a Pushover •

Career & Learning

When ‘Need’ Becomes

Neediness

So many of the ‘needs’ that creep into our everyday language aren’t really needs at all. In conversation with a friend the other day, I was shocked at how often one of us said the words: ‘need’, ‘should’, ‘must’, or ‘have to’. ‘I must get this post written before I leave for holiday.’ ‘I should manage my time better.’ ‘I need my boss to give me more encouragement.’ FIND ME ONLINE HERE

By Sandra Cunningham 36 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

‘I have to eat fewer carbs, need to take more exercise, need to lose weight ….. blah, blah!’ It was an exhausting conversation. Not a chat where you hang up the phone feeling uplifted, energised and raring to go. I really don’t need any of these things to happen. I might want them to be true. Why? I’d get to feel a sense of achievement, I’d get to feel in control, I’d get to feel valued, I’d get to feel healthier and I’d get to feel better in my clothes. But the sky will not fall in on my world if they don’t come to fruition. I will still be walking around, doing what I do and being who I am.

And why is this a problem? Have you ever noticed how the average conversation is splattered with self-talk and commentary like this? It has become so normal and familiar to us that we hardly even notice the damage we are doing to ourselves. Our lives have become dramatised with a deep down feeling of insufficiency – in ourselves, in our relationships and in our lives.

The same goes for our careers. Unfortunately, when we approach our work with this mentality, we effectively limit our creative powers. We fail to inspire. We become inauthentic. We sabotage our relationships. We rarely achieve our goals. We deny ourselves the chance to realise our potential. And we make ourselves feel like s**t, because we/they/it are never ‘enough’. Ultimately, the spiral takes hold. And we gradually close down the possibilities of getting what we really want. When ‘Need’ Becomes Neediness •

Find Out for Yourself. Really listen to how we speak with one another. Conversations on the tube, interviews on the radio, your favourite soap, your own inner dialogue (I find my conversations with my dog are riddled). You can even look back at past email conversations.

I promise – you’ll be astounded. And none of us are immune. Instead of ‘I need’~ try ‘I want’ or ‘I will’ Do you notice the energetic shift that comes when you replace ‘need’ with ‘want’ – or even better, ‘will’? Instead of feeling scolded like a wayward child by the invisible monkey on your back, you allow yourself to become the adult – you take on ownership. You are obliged to commit yourself. Take a stand for what you want, and you’ll experience a radically different, more enabling and upbeat set of emotions.

With e-motion, comes motion. • You are far more likely to take action and move forward with this mindset, than one of rule-making and inadequacy. So, when you want to overturn a need-y habit, choose your language carefully. • Next time you hear yourself say ‘I need to XXXX’, consider: Is it true? Really? What might be more true? Then follow this line of enquiry,

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• What is a new, more self-empowering intention that I will set for myself? • Why is that important? • What difference will it make? • How will I feel? • How will they feel? (if applicable) • Is it still worth it? • What will make it possible? • What one step will I commit to taking that will make a difference?

I hope that was a help. I’m off now, as I want to finish my new e-book and then I need to take my dog out for a walk before dinner! Sandra X

When ‘Need’ Becomes Neediness •

Optimism Optimism

Optimism

I’ve always been the optimistic type, much to the chagrin of many people I know. It’s because I’m almost naively optimistic about life and how things will turn out, or how things are in life. I don’t intend on ever changing that though – it’s me and is a core part of my purpose in life. I believe in the best outcomes and the best of people. Being optimistic, for me, helps me to find a reason for carrying on in life. I’m optimistic for the future because experience informs me that the future can be a better place. Optimism is linked intrinsically with hope. If I hope for a better tomorrow, I must therefore be optimistic about tomorrow too. It’s important for the human condition because it helps provide a way

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for people to suspend their belief for a brief moment. We might also link being confident with being optimistic. What are confident people good at doing if not installing a sense of optimism about that which they have confidence in? It’s easy to become blindly optimistic though. That is, to believe something about the future which is not based on anything. Optimism comes from a sense of believing something can be better because experience tells us as much. Take the programme Dragon’s Den as an example. Budding punters take their inventions to potential investors and try to entice them to part with cash in return for a stake in the company. There have been many an occasion when the Dragons have liked the product, but they do not share the optimism of the inventor. More often than not this is because the figures provided do not instil the confidence to achieve a much sought after return on their investment. Or, the Dragon’s don’t share the optimism of the inventor because the evidence doesn’t support their belief. This is a good example of where being realistic about the future is prudent. It means we don’t all clamour after the next big thing because in the main, we need to be convinced it has worth. The difference is, some people get convinced sooner than others. In another example, take the concept of the adoption curve. Those at the early part of the curve have really quite little to base their assertions on, other than the potential held by the product they’re about to invest in. The late majority will only be optimistic about the benefits of investing in the product once they have the evidence to support the optimism of the early adopters. When it comes to human behaviour, though, it’s difficult to have an evidence base on which we can base our optimism. We have

Optimism •

to base it on something more fundamental – how much do I trust you? If I trust you, I have faith in you, and I can be optimistic about what you can help me with. When we are optimistic about our fellow people, we have a belief they will be able to achieve something because experience tells us this is the case. Even if we love someone, this does not equate being optimistic about them or their or your own future with them. Optimism comes from what we know. I can hope for something better, but I may not choose to be optimistic about it because experience tells me this will not be borne out. So optimism in others is dependent on the positive experience I have with them. I often wonder how do we engender optimism in the workplace. Like so many concepts, such as creativity or the fear of not knowing or vulnerability or resilience, we aren’t comfortable with this notion of optimism. It’s all about the numbers in most cases, or it’s about he process or the system we can put into place. I don’t need to care about being optimistic because it doesn’t amount to anything tangible which makes me money. Ugh.

Live in hope. Be optimistic about others. Trust in the human condition. Believe in better (sorry BSkyB for stealing your tagline, although, now, finally, I understand it).

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Rocking My World I haven’t written in a few weeks. To be honest, it isn’t because God has not done much or that I haven’t been inspired. It’s that God is doing so much and sharing so much with me that I can’t even explain it all to you. My cup is full and running over. God has totally been rocking my world. And it is awesome. And it is scary. And some days I am excited. And some days I get frustrated. And some days I feel overwhelmed. And some days I have insane peace. First, there is the Bible study the Lord began. I prayed for 10 women (just 10!) to sit on my couch and laugh and cry with as we shared and studied God’s Word. Do you know what He did? He sent 52 women. 52 women who stepped out in faith and said “yes”

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By Katie Clifton, Christian Columnist 46 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

to Jesus and His community. These 52 women were strangers one month ago. Strangers, people. It takes courage to say yes to something uncomfortable and walking into a room of strangers is pretty scary for a lot of us. God sent 5 other women to lead this with me and these women are becoming some of the safest, most cherished friends I have ever known. The study began a month ago and the Lord is wrecking us all for His glory. He is drawing women to Him and for some this is the first time in years they are seeking Him. Hearts are changing. Habits are breaking. Chains are falling off and these women are not alone, because God has sent a community of women to surround them and pray for them and encourage them. I believe this entire “idea” of Christian community is one that only comes from the mind of an incredible God.

One of my favorite definitions of Christian community is this: A group of people who love each other, united through a common joy, sharing and living the story of Christ. What we women are experiencing on Monday must be something that makes Jesus smile (that is always my prayer). Jesus had his own Christian community. He had 12 followers who were His closest friends. These men were in Jesus’s inner circle. They left their jobs for Him, their families and their old way of living for Him. This inner circle had their world rocked by His invitation to follow Him. They had a front row seat to His radical healing, His miraculous actions and His controversial teaching. Jesus loved these precious men. Not because of who they were to the world- but because of who they were to Him. He didn’t see them as fishermen and tax collectors or political zealots. He saw them as worthy of His grace, His mercy and His redemption. He saw them as friends, family even, whom were worthy of His love and His blood. Friends, this is the same way Jesus feels about you. Christian community has taken on a whole new meaning in my life. 4 weeks ago we, and other families began meeting in our Christian Columnist: Rocking My World •

home for Bible study. This is another really awesome thing “We do not all attend a big the Lord is doing. church together. We aren’t We call it house all neighbors and we weren’t church. We share assigned to one another for a meal together, Sunday night worship. We worship through weren’t even all friends 4 song and study weeks ago. I am telling you, God’s Word. We are God is blowing my mind united in a common with the amazing people He joy and share our places in our lives.” thoughts, ideas and our struggles with scripture and theology and our common desire is to live out the story of Christ. We do not all attend a big church together. We aren’t all neighbors and we weren’t assigned to one another for Sunday night worship. We weren’t even all friends 4 weeks ago. I am telling you, God is blowing my mind with the amazing people He places in our lives. We are simply a group of people that have hearts who are seeking God and we are all hungry for Christian community. This Sunday night thing is pretty cool and it is just another way God is rocking my world. Since I began writing, some of you have shared ways that you have been impacted or particular ways in which God spoke to you through the words you read here - and I thank you for sharing your heart and for encouraging me.

Tonight, I want to speak to the rest of you. The ones

who just feel like this whole Christian community thing sounds like a creepy Christian club or sorority and you want to run far, far away from it. For some of you, you might be thinking, “what would she do if a non christian wanted to come hang out? I bet she would never let ‘them’ in..” Well, if you are thinking that you are wrong 48 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

dear friend. Jesus sat down with prostitutes and shared meals with criminals and laid hands on the “untouchable”, so I am certain that our community would be open to anyone Jesus says yes to. (FYI, He loves everyone.) Every time I write, I pray and ask for God to lead me to the words He wants me to share and the scripture I need to work through. I needed to share that, before I share this: For some of you reading this, you have been tragically wounded by someone who claims the title of Christ follower. This wound may have even caused you to run far away from the church and everyone affiliated with it. I believe for some of you reading this you have even gone so far as to “explore other options”, maybe a god who requires you to sacrifice nothing, maybe a god who says you can make up the rules and happiness is for you to create. Maybe you consider yourself a critical thinker, or man of science and this whole faith idea seems like junk I have been spoon fed and brain washed with. Maybe you believe nothing. No eternity. No eternal consequences for goodness or badness. No afterlife. Maybe this life is just it for you and all this nutty God talk sounds like a sweet fairy tale we pass down from generation to generation. To each of you, I want you to know I have been there too. I have wrestled and struggled and I leaned on my own understanding. (Proverbs 3:56) I have thrown my hands up and I “educated” myself on ways to a god that seemed good and less condemning. Friends, I get you. And tonight each of you are weighing so heavy on my heart.

I want to dare you all to try something. I dare you

for 90 days to genuinely try out this Christian community idea. I dare you to find a group of people who walk with Jesus and just meet with them. Christians, this challenge is for you as well. This challenge is a scary task for some of you. For those of you reading this who may think I still seem ridiculous, my last question to you is this: What do you have to lose? As human beings we have all been hurt by other people and some of our deepest, most tragic wounds have been from someone clinging to the label of Christian. Jesus knows your pain. His most trusted friends, the men He kept Christian Columnist: Rocking My World •

the closest were the very ones who handed Him over to death and denied even knowing Him. Jesus even knew that the friends He loved would hurt Him and He chose love anyway. He chose community even when it hurt.

Now Jesus was deeply troubled, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me!” (John 13:21). “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” (vs34-35) Jesus knew Judas would betray Him and He knew Peter would deny Him. Yet, in the midst of His heart ache and disappointment He commanded us all to love one another as He loved us. Friends, as I challenge you to embrace Christian community it is my prayer that you would be shown the love of Christ. Christians, it is my prayer that each one of us who claims the title of Christ follower who live out this love we are commanded to show. I would love to hear from those of you who are up for this challenge.

I am praying for your world to be rocked. I am

praying for you to be surrounded by safe friends who extend to you the same grace and mercy they have been shown. I am praying for you to find a Christian community (small group of people) to begin studying with, sharing with, wrestling through scripture with, and growing with. I invite you to join me on this journey of sanctification.

Your world will be rocked! FIND ME ONLINE HERE 50 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” Hebrews 10:24-25

“Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.” Galatians 6:1-3

“Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back to back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.” Ecclesiastes 5:9-12

Christian Columnist: Rocking My World •

Do You Suffer From

Chick Flick Syndrome?

It was about 6 years ago on a quiet Sunday. I had been

married for a few years and my two young children had somehow miraculously fallen asleep at the same time. I sat down to read the latest issue of one of my magazines and opened up to a quiz that said “How to Tell If You Have Found Your Prince Charming.” I read through the questions. Does he sweep you off your feet? Does he surprise you with little gifts? Is he more like Brad Pitt, Ryan Gosling or Hugh Jackman? As I’m reading, the movie “The Notebook” is on the TV. It’s the kissing in the rain scene. I look over to see my

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By Gina Hussar 52 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

husband watching MTV’s Jackass on his laptop. He’s laughing, potato chip crumbs on the desk in front of him and he’s wearing a shirt that says “If you think my attitude stinks, you should smell my underwear.” True story.

It got me thinking about the fact that chick flicks and romance novels may actually be doing us a disservice. Have we set our expectations too high? Are we even living in reality? The men of the movies leave flowers and notes. They wait years for the woman they love. They make huge overtures to prove their affection. They write poetry and love songs. Hell I’m happy if he empties the dishwasher without being asked to. Because that is REAL life. That is REAL partnership. Are there men out there who actually do go the extra mile? Absolutely. Do I wish that my husband would sometimes surprise me? Of course. But measuring the success of your relationship based on the parameters set by

“So to be fair, if you expect him to maintain Bradley Cooper type hygiene and behavior, then it’s ok for him to expect you to morph into Angelina Jolie...” Hollywood is fatal. That is not to say that you shouldn’t expect to be treated beautifully, but that your expectations should be fair. Let me put this in perspective for my female readers. The lead ladies in the movies that most guys watch are always gorgeous. They know how to fight, black-belt style. They wear heels and lingerie to bed and are ALWAYS in the mood for sex. So to be fair, if you expect him to maintain Bradley Cooper type hygiene and behavior, then it’s ok for him to expect you to morph into Angelina Jolie no matter

Do You Suffer From... Chick Flick Syndrome •

how many kids you have or how much they threw up that day, right? See how quickly this feels less appealing? Each of you deserves to be in a relationship that makes you feel special and important and cherished. But really take some time to think about what that means. Would you rather he surprise you with flowers every day or take the time to coach your son’s baseball team? (Right now a lot of you are saying, “BOTH!”) I get it. I would like both too. But I would also like his continued understanding that if the baby is up all night every night for three weeks, he should stay at least 10 feet away from me at all times. I would like him to find it perfectly acceptable that I sometimes flop into bed in mismatched sweats wearing a mud mask facial. Live in reality. Honor your needs but manage your expectations.

Not one of us is “Hollywood perfect.” And thank goodness for that! Relationships are meant to be raw, real and remarkable ; )

Gina Hussar is a Spiritual Success Coach. She specializes in Integrated Success, Inner Peace and Purpose Clarity. She is a certified Law of Attraction Practitioner and a Certified Reiki Healer.To learn more or to schedule a complimentary Strategy Session, visit www.30secondstopeace.com 54 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

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Shasie’s Fashion Picks •

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Pin Up Bodies Pin Up Bodies

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Penicl Skirts

Top Style Tips in Wearing This Figure-Hugging Piece

Telling a pin up girl not to own a pencil skirt—because it looks too ‘corporate-y’ for informal occasions—is like telling her not to breathe. This close-fitting skirt is a certified pin up statement piece but to tell you quite frankly, women in general love wearing them every once in a while, mostly because of the way they hug and emphasize the curves of the female body lines agreeably. Today, this classic skirt style has a somewhat unpleasant reputation of being an age-old work wear staple, and that happens to be the case if the wearer doesn’t know how to spice it up a little. Think of it as a blank fashion canvas that you can either dress up or dress down, depending on what kind of look you’re going for.

Pencil Skirts: Top Tips •

Casual weekend wear

When wearing monochromatic pencil skirts for casual wear, pair it up with a tucked button up top. You may also consider wearing a three-quarter sleeve pull over, ruffled top, embroidered cardigan or a boat neck top for a more informal and laid-back look to it. Add a touch of classiness to your look with a matte red lipstick and open-toed sling back heels.

Happy hour ensemble

The versatility of this skirt can effortlessly help you slip from work to cocktail events in a breeze. Pair it with lace top, wrap-around top or a Doris top which can be both work appropriate and seductive when leaving the office door behind. Incorporate additional sultriness to your look with a vampy lip color and art deco charm bracelet.

Hot for a party

Even a standard classic black pencil skirt can keep the party doors open when paired with an animal print bustier crop top, tube top, sleeveless mesh top or graphic tank top. To give your look a hint of rock edge, pair it with a greaser ponytail and long chain necklace.

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What else do you need to know about pencil skirts?

• They are universally flattering to women of all height. Wear one that hugs your figure evenly with hem that falls right above your knee will elongate your legs. Pair it with pointy nude heels to give you extra height. • They are one of those clothing pieces that celebrates women of all shapes and sizes. The key is to get a perfectly fitted skirt that contours your body and is not too tight. Avoid skirts that are too clingy and opt for one that is significantly wider around the hem area. Divert the attention from your lower body to your upper body with a flowing or ruffled top. • You can never go wrong with pumps, heels and wedges or any pair of shoe with height to emphasize the chic and classic appeal of this figure-fitting fashion piece. If you’re already tall or leggy, you can wear embellished flats or sandals. So there you have it! These are just a few tips on how to style up this ageless fashion item for various occasions or events with some pieces that you may already have. Do you have any more tips on how to wear this skirt that you’d want to share?

Love always, Sorelle

Pencil Skirts: Top Tips •

Banished to the Naughty Step...

Bad Beauty Habits

I’ve been a bad bad girl. My skin is punishing me with red blotches, enlarged pores, blemishes, and general rotten behavior. Why? It’s an ugly downward slope and completely unforgivable for someone who calls themselves a ‘Beauty Editor’. Shameful. I wish I had a valid excuse but the truth is - Laziness, bad diet, and too much excess! As I write this I am sitting at my desk drinking two litres of plain iced green tea with a sprig of rosemary and lots of fresh lemon squeezed into it. That is my favorite quick-fix for rehydrating my body, and thus my skin, as well as detoxing. I thought I would put together a list of bad habits we should all avoid to keep our skin looking it’s absolute best! FIND ME ONLINE HERE

By Brittany De Staedtler 64 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

1. Do Not Over-Cleanse Your Skin! If you have dry skin, you should only be cleansing your face with cleanser or complexion soap at night. You’ll be making your problem much worse than you realize if not! Rinse with just water in the morning instead, and wash your face with cleanser at night.

2. Change Your Bedlinens If acne’s a problem, your pillowcases may be part of the cause. Pillowcases collect skin oil, dead skin cells, bacteria, and excess night creams; As you toss and turn, all of that is deposited right into your pores. Change your pillowcases at least once a week ... but twice is better.

3. Get Plenty of Sleep Chronic lack of sleep triggers a chain reaction of events that reduces collagen production, cell turnover, and barrier repair. If you get too little sleep, your skin looks duller and drier, and wrinkles will form more easily.

4. Stop Touching!

. . . . . . ZZZ

ZZZ

Whenever you touch your face, you are transferring whatever is on your hands, such as oil and everyday grime, onto your skin, causing blemishes and aggravating existing blemishes. If you are one of those girls that is always playing with your hair, this goes double for you - your hands are covered in filth you can’t see!

5. Don’t Fall Asleep With Makeup On This is probably the number one bad beauty habit on every woman’s list. If you don’t remove your makeup before bed, Bad Beauty Habits •

products can build up in your pores and cause blemishes. Take just five minutes before going to bed and banish this bad beauty habit for good!

6. You Do Not NEED A Tan! I know that glowing golden skin can be quite enchanting; however, there is absolutely no excuse for continuing to expose yourself to harmful UV rays that can cause melanoma. There have been wonderful advances in the field of self-tanning in recent years. If you MUST tan to be happy, then go for a tasteful wash of faux colour (no Essex Oompa Loompa orange!)

7. No Dirty Brushes You clean your hairbrush and change your toothbrush regularly, right? So why do you let your makeup brushes, which you use almost daily and put near your eyes, fall by the wayside? Try to clean your brushes once a week. Use a mild shampoo and let them air dry. If it’s good enough for your hair, it’s good enough for your brushes!

8. Stop Smoking! Smoking will not only kill you, it makes you old and ugly - plain and simple! This should be a no brainer. If you smoke, it was time to quit last week. Make the effort to put down the cigs. If the fact that they are bad and incredibly awful for you is not reason enough to quit (although it should be), then think about your skin. Cigarettes will make you look much older as they greatly contribute to a blotchy skin tone & deeper wrinkles. Lastly, stopping smoking will prevent your teeth from further and uneccessary discolouration ... nothing screams ‘healthy!’ more so than a clean, bright, white smile! 66 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

9. Drunken Debauchery Okay, it may be fun, but every once in a while you like to wind down the day with a glass of wine, am I right? That’s fine. Going out to a club and drinking way too much, then indulging in a few Bloody Mary’s the next morning? Not so good for you OR your skin. Booze increases the inflammatory agents in your bloodstream, which will eventually lead to premature skin sagging. No drunken night, as fun as it may have been, is worth saggy skin ... or groggy hangover the next day!

10. No Pickin’! I know how tempting it can be to pop a blemish, but you really should try to avoid squeezing your blemishes at ALL costs. Messing with any blemish can cause the bacteria to get further in your skin, which could cause infection and irreversible scarring. You can either ride it out while keeping your face clean, or you can use a spot treatment like straight Vitamin E oil or Tea Tree Oil. Just avoid picking at all costs.

11. Water is Nature’s Magic Elixir! Drinking water can clear up your skin and people often report a healthy glow after drinking water. It won’t happen overnight, of course, but just a week of drinking a healthy amount of water can have good effects on your skin. Personally I try to drink 2 liters of water per day. Where possible I always try to buy natural spring water, due to the benficial minerals your body craves, but ordinary tap water will do too! You can also get your water allotment from non-caffeinated, unsweetened drinks like flavored water, herbal teas, and fresh juices. Bad Beauty Habits •

12. Keep It Moist Some people believe that using lots of moisturizer can increase your skin’s need for the product. Totally untrue! Our skin cannot become dependent on a moisturizer. If you think your skin is dry, moisturizer is the best thing you can do for it. Wind, cold temperatures and heated houses in the Winter can all dehydrate the skin, which can cause eczema to flare up and make the skin itchy and dry. Prevention of this dryness by moisturizing is the single most important factor in protecting the skin from the elements and keeping it healthy.

There you have it ... all things you can start right

NOW! Don’t you love it when lists include things you can actually start immediately, without the purchase of expensive creams, potions, serums,and “miracle” products?

Much Love,

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Brittany xx

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Marina’s Red Carpet Looks For

LA FASHION WEEK

1 Style Fashion Week - Roberto Cavalli zebra-print silk shirt with St John black straight leg pants. Completing the look with a side ponytail and a fedora hat. 2 Anthony Franco’s Fashion Show - Channeling “Old Hollywood Glam” vintage gown with golden turban. 3 LA Fashion Weekend (Day1) The famous “Carrie Bradshaw Tutu” with “Sex and the City” T-shirt. The pink tutu was also for Breast Cancer Awareness Month to support “Simas Wish”. 4 LA Fashion Weekend (Day 2) I went for a “Modern Fierce Look”. I paired my neon Etro shorts with Bicci blazer, along with smokey eye make up and straight hair look. I wore open toe black botties with Christian Dior small handbag. 5 FGI LA’s Designer and the Muse with Kathy Hilton - The look I chose for this event was “Parisian Glam”. This was my mother’s vintage dress that she bought in the 1970’s from a vintage boutique in Paris, France. 6 Palm Springs Fashion Week 2013 - I opted for a “Bohemian Look”, since the fashion show was by the pool. I wore a floralprint Tory Burch Long Kaftan with a black cross body bag, adding a Chanel scarf By Marina around my head for the final touch. 70 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

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How I Lost My Pregnancy Weight Without Going to the Gym

Losing the pregnancy weight doesn’t have to be this super challenging/daunting task. It can happen pretty easily and naturally if you take a note of these tips while you are pregnant and after. Of course, this is what worked for me, so I can’t make you any promises but hopefully one of the tips listed below helps you to shed at least some of your baby weight. FIND ME ONLINE HERE

By Lisa Wynter 72 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

Okay, ready? Watch what you eat while you are pregnant. I KNOW. I KNOW. But seriously, if you aren’t a gym-going person in general, it’s highly unlikely that you’ll start hitting the gym hardcore after your baby gets here. So spare yourself the hassle and curb the indulgences PRE-BABY.

Keep your metabolism going by snacking, a lot! Don’t let yourself get hungry (snacking also helped with my morning sickness). Hunger = extra weight gain. Snacking all the time on healthy treats like fruit, trail mix, and popcorn will keep you full between meals and keep you from overeating at meal time (both pre-baby and after).

Drink tons of water. I prefer flavored seltzer water, but whatever you do STAY AWAY from soda.

Breastfeed. Period. If you can, do it. Trust me, I know how hard it is, but if you can get through the first few weeks you’re home free and the weight loss benefits can’t be beat. Even if you are supplementing with formula, any little bit helps. Besides, it’s the best thing in the world for your baby. If you are having trouble with your milk supply, I recommend Fenugreek tablets. Taking these tablets has more than doubled my supply, so get them here. Almonds and Oatmeal are also great for milk supply.

If you have any additional weight loss tips feel free to share them with us!

For more tips and advice, be sure to subscribe to my Dime Piece on a Dime Youtube channel here! How I Lost My Pregnancy Weight •

Lifestyle & Wellness

Strength, Courage and

Preparing To Step-Up As A

HIP Woman

High-Impact Performance women access their strength, maximize and sustain their energy and tap into their confidence and courage whole-heartedly. Here are our PowHERhouse Top 10 Excellence Habits on how you can too!

FIND ME ONLINE HERE

By Charlene SanJenko

“Women are craving a simple, successful and completely integrated life. We’re done with fractured and fragmented pieces, juggling multiple balls in the air and ineffectively balancing conflicting priorities. Does that mean we’re done with being women? Not at all, but it does mean we’re ready to tackle it differently. Welcome to PowHERhouse.” What is strength? How do you access it? Does strength equal courage? Why is it necessary? Can you reach your ultimate potential without it? What possibilities may pass you by if you are afraid to step-out, step-up and step-forward meeting them headon with your talents, gifts and energy a’blazing? Where would the world be today if we were all in the habit of stepping up? These are questions that I asked – and more – when I began to write my book, Gamechanger, to be released early 2014. I wanted to know what powerful women were doing to access their strength, maximize and sustain their energy and tap into their confidence and courage whole-heartedly. To be effective leaders in this complicated and exhilarating world, we need all of our systems functioning optimally and these vital characteristics fully engaged. We need to be 100% fully alive! Over the past year, I have interviewed 50+ PowHERhouse women. They graciously shared their success strategies, excellence habits and the important routines and rituals that keep them positive, focused, grounded and balanced. Is life crazy for these women? You bet. Do they have stress? Definitely! Do they sometimes feel like the multiple balls they are juggling will come crashing down? Of course, that’s all part of the territory when you are living slightly beyond your comfort zone with a mission of making a difference in the world. All the more reason Charlene SanJenko: Stepping Up As a HIP Woman •

our strength conversation is so important – so let’s begin. Stress and fear are two of our biggest opponents. Many times they cleverly disguise themselves as a lack of time or money but after some honest reflection we typically end up back at the root of our greatest challenge, block or deterrent, stress and fear. In Gamechanger we talk about developing a proactive practice of exceptional living. If we want to lead highly impactful lives, we must be backed by a daily practice that encourages a foundation of energy, vibrancy, positivity and strength that can carry us through life’s ups and downs with ease and grace. Most importantly, it must carry our mission forward – from a place of strength - with positive momentum.

The HIP (High-Impact Performace) women of our PowHERhouse community understand that building strength is dependent on three key pillars: Confidence: Knowing you have a community of

supportive women behind you – a tribe – including a PowHER broker and head-hunter for those opportunities that represent a unique fit for your talents and mission builds confidence. Access to an online forum where PH Peeps provide input to your questions, challenges or wild and crazy ideas builds confidence. Expertise and feedback from our team of experts as and when they are available also build confidence. Sound advice with no emotional attachment is a valuable thing.

Courage: Our courage grows stronger through the daily

practice of effective lifestyle management. Fully integrating all of our various pieces helps to strengthen the fabric of our lives, our families and our communities both locally and globally. For years we’ve put “fitness” into a tiny little box and labeled it “weight 76 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

loss”. It’s time to unleash the true power of fitness, becoming stronger on all levels.

Capacity: We build our capacity by bridging gaps

and finding folks whose strengths best compliment our own through mentoring, collaboration, alliances, communication, performance coaching, webinars and events.

“Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go.” William Feather

Wondering how to finish off 2013 with a bang and prepare yourself for your strongest most successful 2014 ever? In collecting input for writing Gamechanger and developing my PowHERhouse Performance Coaching Program, I talked to many women. After much filtering and prioritizing, I am pleased to share our Top 10 Excellence Habits. We encourage you to enjoy the entire conversation in my upcoming book, implement the ones that most resonate into your own daily practice, share with us some of your own and remember, the stronger we are, the stronger we are!

01 Happy Transitions: HIP women plan. We do our best to

ensure healthy eating, regular exercise and grounding rituals are a part of our regular daily routine with seamless transitions in our schedule rather hopeful slide-ins or add-ons.

02 Connect To Your Creativity: HIP women recognize

we are incredibly high-functioning beings when we operate from a creative place. We prioritize simple activities that connect us with our creativity on a regular basis. If we want to use our untapped potential, it’s time to turn up and tune into our creativity! Charlene SanJenko: Stepping Up As a HIP Woman •

03 Activate for Actualization: Daily exercise is our time

to check-in with our goals and how we’re feeling about them. What if we used our daily activity as an opportunity to also reconnect with our dreams, visualizing their fruition and positively affirming their possibilities? If it works for elite athletes, it can and will work for us.

04 Baby-steps for Consistency: Overwhelm is a deadly

word. To steer clear of it, HIP women focus on baby-steps. In Gamechanger, learn all about the concept of Ballzy Goal-setting.

05 Move to Magnetize: We all want to be attractive – quite literally, magnetic. Energy breeds energy. You need to move to magnetize!

06 Stringent Focus: “You focus determines your future.”

Athletes set a goal with a future date and work backwards to where they are at the present. What must be accomplished quarter by quarter, month by month, week by week and day by day to reach your goal? Know exactly where you want to go and the steps it’ll take to get you there. 07 Sanity Scheduling: HIP women acknowledge a need for regular time throughout each day to recharge – even if it’s only for 15 minutes. Honour the natural ebb and flow of your energy and work with it to maximize your efforts.

08 Your Friend, Flexibility: Many of us have forgotten the

value of lengthening of bodies, our breath and our brains. HIP women recognize the importance of flexibility on many levels – our bodies, schedules, timelines, expectations and more ~ being kind to ourselves when and where we need it most. Flexibility is our friend!

09 Pure and Simple Integration: Women are craving a

simple, successful and completely integrated life. We’re done with fractured and fragmented pieces, juggling multiple balls in the air

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CCharlene SanJenko: Stepping Up As a HIP Woman â&#x20AC;˘

and ineffectively balancing conflicting priorities. Does that mean we’re done with being women? Not at all, but it does mean we’re ready to tackle it differently. Welcome to PowHERhouse. We invite you to check us out more fully.

10 Progressive Resistance for Growth: Progressive

resistance training is a strength-training method in which overload is constantly increased to facilitate adaption. Progressive resistance is essential for building muscle and getting stronger. In much the same way, living your life slightly beyond your comfort zone is also a strength-building method. In many instances, the only thing holding us back from what we really want is our own lack of confidence. If we use the principle of progressive resistance to slowly but surely strengthen our confidence over time, we build the muscles needed to reach our goals. HIP women agree, it’s high-time we flex these muscles!

In my opinion, strength equals courage. I’ve outlined some of the ways you can begin to access your own. It is necessary to do so in order to reach your ultimate potential. Don’t let possibilities pass you by. Be ready with your talents, gifts and energy a’blazing. I can’t wait to see where the world will be when we were all in the habit of stepping up, stepping out and stepping forward as HighImpact Performance women.

Wishing you all the very best! PowHERhouse.com PowHERhouse Recommended Fall Reads: Powering UP! - Anne Doyle Lean In - Sheryl Sandberg Sheryl Sandberg, China & Me - Jen Wrigley Reinventing You - Dorie Clark

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Suzanne: I think that would be awesome! Shelly: I would smile and say "Thank You, I work at it!" About PowHERhouse We build HIP Women (HighImpact Performance). Our mission: Helping women build confidence, courage and capacity through the convergence of Lifestyle & Leadership. Study the latest PMP syllabus with Joseph Phillips, America’s foremost in PMI PMP Education. FREE bonus material including exam cheat sheets, one hour of video training and MORE! Buy Now On Amazon

GET QUALIFIED 2013

Charlene SanJenko PowHERhouse Women ¥

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Clear the Way For a New You The Energetic Impact of Being Cluttered

We all know that an overly cluttered space can make us feel uncomfortable, but have you ever really wondered why? Apart from the irritation that you can’t find what you want when you want it, there is an energy vibration emitted by every single thing in our environment, and when there is clutter this, it’s like an energetic white noise that is present all of the time.

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By Kate Spencer 82 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

Take a moment to look around the space you are in now, and consider all of the different energetic frequencies that surround you. Then factor yourself into the mix as well, and the complexity of your unique human vibration. It is the combined result of these energetic signals that create the ‘feeling’ of a place. There are also other influences such as light, sound, earth energies and other people. Is it any wonder that we feel agitated when there is too much stuff going on? If your environment is filled with things that you no longer want or need, or things that have a negative association or emotion attached to them from your past, then this will drain you of positive energy and affect you detrimentally.

So what does your stuff mean to you? What is the memory, association or feeling that you get when you look at an item? The energy that you attach to it has a real significance when it comes to its resonance. Imagine you have hoarded ‘thin’ clothes, in case you slim into them, and the truth of the situation is that you are a voluptuous size sixteen or more and that you couldn’t get a pair of skinny jeans over your thighs, never mind your backside (yes this is the voice of experience!) How do feel when you look at these ‘thin’ clothes? If they are really motivating you to eat well and exercise regularly, and you are heading towards your goal weight as a result, then keep them. On the other hand if they make you feel like a monumental failure every time you open your wardrobe and your heart sinks, wishing that you could reclaim your size twelve figure, then this is not helpful! Remember through The Law of Attraction, the way you feel Clear The Way For a New You •

contributes to your field of attraction and manifests experiences into your life that match the energy of your emotions. If you are going to start your day with a feeling that vibrates ‘I am a fat failure’ then your life is going to reflect that, and you will not make the progress you deserve to. You will then be likely to associate even more negative feelings with the ‘thin clothes’ and create an ongoing vibration that will not serve you. My advice is to give these clothes to a charity shop or friend and set yourself free from the old energy. This will lift and change your vibration immediately and by feeling better you will start to attract better experiences to you. If you are like me, clearing out your old stuff can seem daunting. I always seem to start with the best of intentions but half an hour in, when I am surrounded by chaotic fragments of my life from drawers, boxes and under the bed, I can start to feel really overwhelmed. There is an urge to put everything back and hide it away again, even though the sensible part of me knows full well that this will not help. Since I know this about myself I have adapted a routine that is helpful to me, and you could do something similar. Sometimes I ask a friend or relative to help me for a set period of time, to do a specific task. This really helps to keep you focussed and on track, if someone is prepared to give up their time to help you then you are unlikely to waste it. I work by either completed task, or time. If I am working by task then I choose one thing to do, like sort out a drawer or a box. This is psychologically easier than tackling a whole room. When you have completed the first task, you may find that you want to keep going and allocate another task. Make sure you complete one task fully before going on to the next. If I am working by time then I set a timer. Again, it feels far less overwhelming and at the end of the time you can promise yourself a cup of coffee or similar. Another tip is to find something else worthwhile or enjoyable to 84 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

do at the same time as clutter busting. This can be listening to an audio program, watching something on the television, listening to radio ordrink talking tothis a friendsmoothie on the phone. twice a day as If theyou

morning and afternoon snack you will quickly feel your These are simple ideas that you can implement to take the dread batteries recharging. Your wellbeing your out of clutter clearing, but theregeneral is one more thing thatwill youimprove, can do digestion willyourself work ßawlessly (making your tummy ßatter!) and to really help ... GET STARTED! your skin will start to glow. Give it a try - I'm sure you will love it

Love Kate x

Is Your Home Making You Sick? •

on her conscious weight loss journey you can get involved online. This summer I am going to ditch the diets and think myself thinner, and change those nega>ve self-‐beliefs that have been holding me back for far too long. I know that in my heart if I can really do this, then the rest will fall into place for me, and that weight loss will be a natural side eﬀect to loving myself and healing my past.

About A Homemade Year

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Buy Online Now!

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Mystic Sisters Mystic Sisters Mellissa and Jayshree Mallaya are a household name in South Africa with a clientele of the who’s who from Hollywood to Bollywood. Mellissa followed her heart and now lives with her husband in London where she does Skype, telephone and 1:1 sessions (in addition to planning naughty book club meetings and girls pamper parties). As Seen In Cosmo Magazine!

Write In To Get Featured! Life Or Love Question? Book Your Consultation With Mellissa Phone: +44 7720748095 Or Email Her 88 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

FIND ME ONLINE HERE

By Mellissa Mallaya

Dear Mellissa, please help. I have been in a dead end relationship for 6 years. My husband appears to be the epitome of success and charm but refuses to have any intimacy with me.

Firstly gorgeous, he does sincerely love you. He is feeling so depressed about this situation. Your husband is feeling rather inadequate. His body feels drained and mentally he feels equally drained. Discuss your feelings with him. Being angry will not help the situation. He loves you but feels unable to express it physically. He is going through burnout and feels a total loss of adrenalin. Take a break away. Work on your fun side. He has taken on all the financial pressure since you took a break from working. Focus on love.

Dear Mystic Sisters. Hi! I lost my mum in October two years ago. I still don’t have closure. Please help... Thanks, Mourning for Mum

Sweetheart. Life is a cycle. Your mum’s soul is at peace. You need to find a way to revel in the memories you shared. Holding on to anger for what you could or should have done will not help her soul move on to the next level. She does have a message for you regarding your own personal relationships. She says to stay true to yourself and don’t tolerate any bad behaviour.

Hello Melissa. My dad lost his job. The company didn’t renew his contract as you accurately predicted. Will he find another job soon? My mum has not been feeling too well either. If you can please let me know if everything will be fine with her health, she’s always worried because we lost my gran through cancer... Hope to hear from you soon. Thank you, Q

Hello sugarplum. I am so sorry that a lovely lady like you has to go through all of this. Your parents love, respect and admire your strength and courage that gives them hope on dark days. Your mum does need to look after her health. She is going through depression and is usually a bubbly person. She has to replace her fear with a desire to live. Your dad will get a job later this year. Love and hugs.

Mystic Sisters •

Hi Mystic Sisters. I’ve been in to see you a few times. I love Veer with all of my heart. Yes we are different; we’re from two different schools of thought, two different ways of upbringing and we’re just total opposites of each other. He has been exposed to the cruelty of this world whilst mine for the longest time remained pure and untouched. Yes there a few hiccups along the road, but everything seems to be “as right as rain” lately ... literally. My question is why does he not believe that we are “soul mates”, that as much as we are different, we nevertheless reflect each other. Why is he addicted to pain so much? Why does he kneel to old patterns? Why does he keep going back to an old relationship that is marred with guilt and pain, and all of the things that should make him turn the other cheek? He misses his ex, yes, but he sees things through rose colored lenses, and in the midst of all of that, there I am, still by his side. Quiet, content, slightly disheartened, but holding onto faith. What will make him see things differently and when will he see the truth of the bond that we share? Yours Sincerely, Zara

Dearest Zara, insisting to someone that you are soul mates will not convince them that you are. He does love you. You are kindred spirits and have shared a previous life bond. To be honest, he will keep treating you in this way. His ex will leave him as soon as she finds the next best thing and he will crawl back to you, as he does know your love is sincere and not demanding. He does not respect your love for him. Take a step back. Let him deal with his emotions. Give him breathing space. He needs the chase and you struggle to give him that space to chase you. He will be your partner. Not anytime soon though. If you want a bed of roses, it is not Veer.

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Q. A

I am in a dead relationship and want out. I'm scared of Dear Mystic Sisters. I bought a him flat two years ago with a Is friend. being alone and I like having as a companion. this He was living with his girlfriend then. I lived in the flat and paid acceptable or am I being deceptive and wrong? Daisy a rental. He split with his ex and moved in. We are best buddies

and love spending time with each other. Recently a mutual friend indicated that we are a couple. I later found out that he had been telling peopleMany we arepeople dating! keep How do I approach Exand best so buddy Hi darling, their optionshim? open are

you. He adores you but has become mentally lazy in this relationship. Hestuff, won't walk away unless do. I do new Sweet I can only imagine howyou annoyed yousee are!aI hate lies as well. the flirting on to between the man in 2 years. Yes He it isloved deceptive butgoing mostly yourself astwo theof yousees and you did jump toattached conclusions. I do thinkYou youwould both should downa world as an woman. neversitcarry and discuss this. Tell him how pissed off you are... and kiss and make dead horse about, why carry this? You are witty, loving, naughty up, as I do see some sneaky romantic feelings surfacing from you. andHave gorgeous. Get out there and seize the world! fun!

How to Detox With Green Superfood Smoothies ¥

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Food, Home & Family

Chicken and

Dumplings

Great for cooler weather and can be heated up... if there is any leftover! I use the rest of the rotisserie chicken that hasn’t been eaten to make my broth and cull the chicken pieces!

By Tanya Jackson 94 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

od! h t e M

ngredients • Cut up your chicken & barely cover with water - simmer for « Rolled d umplings 2-4 hrs (to get the “goodness”, « 2 cups a ll purpose flour as my mother would say of « 2 tsps ba king powd er the chicken carcass). « 1 tsp salt • Strain the broth and lay out the « 1/3 cup sh ortening meat to cool - chop all the meat « 1/2 cup m ilk into small pieces. • Add the meat, 1/2 stick butter and salt & pepper to taste into the broth heat on low. • Combine flour, baking powder & salt. • Cut in shortening using knives, forks or pie crust mixer. • I use the warmth of my hands to soften the shortening and they help it to mix easier into the flour mixture - mix it until it looks a little like corn meal. • Add milk to make a stiff dough - roll flat and cut into strips (don’t let it dry because you will have noodles, not dumplings!). • Drop the dumpling strips into boiling broth and stir - the flour will thicken the broth as the dumplings are being cooked. • Cook for 10 minutes and serve!

Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com •

Cocoa Coca-Cola

Poke Cake

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By Amber Hamilton Henson 96 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

If you have a sweet tooth, a craving for something REALLY sweet, this cake will hit the spot! It’s ooey, gooey, super sweet. A spongy cake with soft icing melted into the cake that almost crystallizes on top! Cocoa Coca-Cola Poke Cake •

n i t i e k Ma a few ! s p e t s easy To start with you’ll need: • • • •

1 stick of salted butter 1 cup of Coca-Cola 2.5 Tbsp Hershey’s cocoa 5oz. Marshmallows (for the brand I buy, it’s half a bag)

In saucepan, over medium heat, combine ingredients. Stir until marshmallows are melted, then pour into a medium mixing bowl. • 2 cups all purpose flour • 2 cups sugar In your mixing bowl, add in two cups of flour and two cups of sugar and mix thoroughly. • • • •

2 eggs 0.5 cup buttermilk 1 tsp. vanilla 1 tsp. baking soda

In a small bowl, whisk these 4 ingredients together, then slowly add into your mixing bowl, incorporating thoroughly. 98 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

This is your cake batter. It’s thin, but bakes up wonderfully! Use a greased 9” x 12” glass baking dish and bake at 350 Fahrenheit for 30 minutes.

While its baking, make the icing. It’s easy! • • • •

1 stick butter 3 Tbsp cocoa 12 Tbsp CocaCola 2 lbs of confectioners powdered sugar

Melt your butter over low heat, add cocoa and whisk. Add CocaCola; Whisk. Slowly add the confectioners sugar, whisking constantly. When your cake comes out of the oven, immediately poke holes in the cake with a fork, and pour icing. Allow to sit for 1-2 hours before serving.

Your Friend,

Amber Hamilton Henson Cocoa Coca-Cola Poke Cake •

Beautiful equals

Painful

Cherie began as a weekly columnist for the main local newspaper in her area. Her articles focus on a humorous look at married life with five children and the ups and downs we can all relate to. She has won 2 international short story contests as well as being published in Our Canada magazine. Cherie is a breast cancer survivor and a huge advocate of self-exams.

By Cherie DeBurger 100 â&#x20AC;˘ Hat Trick Magazine â&#x20AC;˘ hattrickstrategies.com

Although I am not a slave to fashion I do like to look good and am not totally without a vein of vanity. As with most mother’s I find myself putting my needs on the back burner. With five children there is not a lot of time for manicures and pedicures or the money to buy all the latest brand named fashions. I decided a long time ago I would much rather be comfortable than decked out in the latest trend. Give me a comfy pair of old jeans and my cowboy boots and I am set to go. My sister, on the other hand, was the one who inherited all the fashion sense and it’s one area in life where we are total opposites. She is always in style and looks like she just walked out of a magazine. As she wears her high heels and spaghetti strap dress with a little coat in the middle of winter I stand beside her in my turtleneck, floor length skirt and bulky winter coat, she may be beautiful but I am warm.

Some people take beauty, or their attempt at beauty, to the extreme. Over the centuries beauty techniques have varied according to era and culture but one thing that they all have in common is pain. It amazes me what we, as women, will endure to conform to what society thinks is beautiful. Plucking eyebrows is bad enough especially when a salon technician does it slowly. Let me clear this up right now, it does not hurt less if you do it slower!! I still prefer it to waxing. I have tried the waxing kits that you can do by yourself in the privacy of your own home. I guess maybe I should have looked for the “Waxing for Dummies” book because it did not go well. Either I had the wax to hot or to cool or it wouldn’t stick to the cloth or the cloth wouldn’t stick to me. Little did I realize at the time that all the failed attempts were really blessings in disguise. At one point all the stars must have been a lined and Venus was in Beautiful Equals Painful •

101

the seventh house or something like that because the wax stuck. As I ripped the strip of cloth in an upward motion from above my knee to my upper thigh I felt my eyes roll back into my head as the bathroom spun around me. The searing pain that was now the only thing that existed in my world assured me that not only had I ripped the hair and follicle from its natural habitat but at least the top ten to fifteen layers of skin along with it. When I stopped screaming and I could once again focus my eyesight I looked at the swatch of cloth. I was convinced that I had cleared out every hair that had grown in that area, or ever hoped to grow there in the future, and would surely see them displayed forever secured in the wax like a fossil in amber. I threw the kit in the garbage along with the strip that had successfully removed THREE hairs from my leg.

Anyone who has had a bikini wax, or even worse a Brazilian wax, knows this method could be used as a way to get prisoners of war to talk. Even with all the warning labels on products these days leave it to a sleepy teenager to have an accident. Back when I was in high school my friend and I were getting ready one morning, it was early and both of us were tired and didn’t feel like going to school. Like most teenagers we didn’t become fully conscious until after lunch. My friend was sitting at the mirror using the eyelash curler to at least try to make her look more awake, resting her elbow on the counter. I don’t know if she started to doze off or what happened exactly but her elbow slipped off the counter. We stared at each other, our mouths hanging open in sheer disbelief as she slowly turned the eyelash curler around in front of our faces. Her eyelashes no longer graced her face fluttering with each blink, now they were all stuck to the curler making it look like some type of robotic eye. Even with the advancement of science people are still using 102 • Hat Trick Magazine • hattrickstrategies.com

treatments from the middle ages. Everyone knows there are blood-sucking leeches in Hollywood but now you can use the term quite literally. Some actresses, including Demi Moore, have confessed to using these parasites to detoxify their blood and increase circulation. But I think the one that takes the cake in my book is a new laser procedure invented by a professor of Dermatology in Manhattan called Hand De-veining. Women are actually having veins taken from their hands to make them look smoother and younger. I thought veins were pretty important and responsible for carrying blood to vital organs and keep your skin from rotting but hey, as long as you look younger. What we, as women, do to ourselves in the name of beauty could actually make someone question our sanity. Of course most women who have to deal with kids, a husband, a career and a home often question their own sanity.

We must all try to remember that beauty comes from within but I, for one, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mind a little help.

Beautiful Equals Painful â&#x20AC;˘

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ISSUE 13 OCTOBER 2013 ÂŁ3.00

BAKING ~ DECORATING ~ SHARING

PREVIEW VERSION Buy the full 84 page magazine at www.cakemasters.co.uk

Halloween tutorials

THE

HALLOWEEN

Hand painted

EDITION

Exclusive Interview: Royal Wedding Cake Maker

Fiona Cairns Tutorial: How to paint on cakes

Afternoon tea, Painted Cake Collection, Win VIP Passes to Cake International, Painting Essentials, 100 Burtonesque Bakers, Interview with Nevie-Pie Cakes, National Baking Week, Cake Spotlight, Dexter Cake ,Carved Pumpkin Cake Tutorial, Recipes from Fiona Cairns and GBBO 1 Winner John Whaite + much more!

Halloween tutorials

26 & 68

Hand painted cake tutorial

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Fiona Cairns

Interview: Natasha Collins ~ Nevie-Pie Cakes

ISSUE 13 OCTOBER 2013 FEATURE

Contents 14 17 22 23 36 43 48 54 65 79

Welcome to our double themed October issue of Cake Masters Magazine -‐ wow it was been a busy month!

Afternoon Tea -‐ Fairmont Waterfront Hotel Painted Cake Collection Autumn Cake Competition The Cake & Bake Show -‐ REVIEW Painting Essentials from Cake Craft World Baketopia -‐ National Baking Week Cake Spotlight -‐ Sugar Pot -‐ Australia Baking Wish List -‐ Halloween Edition Dexter Cake Halloween Cake Collection

We have a real seasonal feel throughout the magazine, kicking off with a special interview -‐ Fiona Cairns talks to us about the Royal Wedding cake, her business and her new book “Seasonal Baking”. We also get a delicious and exclusive autumnal recipe from this exciting new collection. We have three fantastic tutorials: modelling a lovely Halloween witch, how to paint on cakes and carving /decorating a pumpkin cake! If you have never painted on cakes, you must give it a go, Nina from Mon Cottage Cupcakes really goes into detail, showing how easy it really is! Following on from our hand painted cake theme, we also have an interview with the one and only Natasha Collins from Nevie-‐Pie Cakes.

Tutorials

27 Hand Painted Cupcake Tutorial 26 Halloween Pumpkin Cake Tutorial 68 Halloween Witch Tutorial Interviews

Cake Masters was lucky enough to interview Tracey Rothwell from the Little Cherry Cake Company, Creative Director behind the 100 Burtonesque Bakers -‐ of which Cake Masters was proud to be one.

5 EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Fiona Cairns 39 Nevie-‐Pie Cakes 50 100 Burtonesque Bakers -‐ Tracey Rothwell Recipes 12 44 46 64

New for this month we have a cake spotlight feature where we home in on one particular cake and [ind out the story behind the cake -‐ hope you like the one we have selected this month!

Maple and Pecan Autumn Leaves Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes Gluten Free Pistachio and Chocolate Torte Vegan Orange and Pumpkin Seed Cake

We also exhibited at our [irst ever trade show last month and met so many of you! Thanks so much for stopping buy our stand; we had a phenomenal response to the magazine -‐ Thanks to Ceri, Debbie and Gabriella for helping out over the weekend! As always we love to feature your cakes and, with two themes in this issue, we have treated you to two features -‐ enjoy!

Recipes from John Whaite

Rosie x Editor

editor@cakemasters.co.uk

Celebrating National Baking Week

Front cover cake: Cake Masters Magazine Front Cover Competition Winner -‐ Mrscake Review Ceri Roberts www.creativetext.co.uk

Content editor@cakemasters.co.uk

Advertisements magazine@cakemasters.co.uk

Class directory magazine@cakemasters.co.uk

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Seasonal

inspirations...

Cake Masters had the honour of interviewing Fiona Cairns about inspirations behind her new book, “Seasonal Baking”, her business and of course the cake made for the Royal Wedding.

Fiona Cairns Ltd began on Fiona's kitchen table 25 years ago when Kishore Patel – Fiona's husband and now MD of the company – spotted the potential of his wife's beautifully crafted handmade cakes. Kishore and Fiona have built the company up to be an established premium brand and now supply cakes to Waitrose, Selfridges, Harrods, Fortnum & Mason and Bon Marche Paris. In 2011, they had the honour of being chosen to make the ofWicial wedding cake for Prince William and Katherine Middleton.

make them. I thought fondant fancies and chocolate éclairs that were frozen and defrosted, were much more exciting than her homemade cakes. Of course, we now sell our cakes to stores such as Waitrose, Harrods and Selfridges. Each one is handmade. Our signature fruit cake is baked using exactly the same ingredients you would use at home!

What’s your earliest baking memory? It was a disaster. I was very young, and I remember it well, I was probably about nine or ten I would say. I had a Hamlyn cookery book that I won in a competition at school for a Christmas project, which I have still actually got.

You trained as a graphic designer and a pastry chef, they are two quite different Wields, so how did the accident happen? Yes they are different, but I think there are quite a few similarities actually. I am in the middle of doing a wedding cake. I’m using paint brushes and colours, and I am making things that are all very tiny and precise. You know there are similarities to drawing, painting or designing; it might not appear at Uirst, but there are.

I decided to make something out of it and the recipe was for a large cake, but I decided to make it as little cakes. I think they were called buns, but actually they would have been fairy cakes. I can remember being really upset that I burned them, because I left them in the oven for the same time that you would leave a big cake! It was a disaster and I had to throw them away. I got better after that -‐ you learn from mistakes don’t you! Who did you bake with? I used to bake with my mother. She baked all the time and I used to get a bit upset because she would never buy cakes, she would always

Have you always liked baking or did the passion for it come later in life? No, the passion came later. Obviously, there was something always there, because as a child I really loved it. Then as I grew up, I went to art college and wasn’t in the slightest bit interested in cooking or baking. I didn’t grow up and know baking was what I wanted to do. In fact, it’s happened completely by accident, I didn’t plan it at all.

cookery course. I thought, I have to do this! It was the time of Nouvelle Cuisine, the beginning of the 80’s, so the thing that I was best at on that course was being very precise and decorative. Everything was very decorative in those days, the plates were all decorated and the desserts were decorated with all sorts; quite complicated. It’s what I loved doing; shapes, colours and design. I loved it and decided I wanted to work in a kitchen. I started working at Hambleton Hall, which is a Michelin star restaurant. That’s where I got into cooking and then, making cakes.

Thinking about it now, without either the graphics or the art training, and then the cooking or pastry chef training, there wouldn’t be a cake business. It is a combination of the two. I have come into baking and cakes from a different direction.

I did graphic design, but I wanted to do illustration. With the course that I was on, I couldn’t really do what I wanted, so I didn’t really enjoy it very much. I Uinished the 4 year degree course, and then I did a bit of illustration work; but my heart wasn’t in it any more, which was very sad actually. After that, I got married and I really couldn’t cook, so I decided to go on a cookery course. I just had this obsession about going on a 6

Seasonal Baking by Fiona Cairns, published in hardback by Weidenfeld & Nicolson £25, eBook: £12.99

ISSUE 13 OCTOBER 2013 EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Your husband Kishore, suggested that you marketed your cakes and you went to the Conran Shop. So, before actually becoming part of your company, what was his background? Kishore has been a part of the company from the very beginning. He has always run and built businesses. Before we set up the business he worked in knitwear and then for an interior architecture practice. We founded the business together and it was growing fast, but I was struggling trying to run it by myself. There was a manager at that stage and he could see that the business had big potential. This was about 13 years ago, so then he gave up his other business and joined the cake business full time.

phone call that asked us to make the Royal Wedding Cake, but we had actually been asked about a week or two weeks before that if we would like to be considered to make it. I can remember that, I usually do actually, especially when it’s something as important and as big as that. I was the one who had reservations about it, because it’s such a huge responsibility. How did it actually feel when Kishore received that phone call? I can remember the feeling exactly now, it’s not something that I will ever forget. It was a real mixture -‐ I remember I could hardly believe it and it was very, very, exciting and a huge, huge, privilege; but also really scary all at the same time.

There wouldn’t be a company without him at all. I am a creative person, and very often (not always of course) but very often, creative people aren’t business minded or aren’t business people.

He said to me, when looking at what I was doing Uiddling on the kitchen table making sugar Ulowers or baking, “Oh you could turn this into a business”, and I can remember thinking he was absolutely mad. I had no idea how that could happen, and he said “Oh no you could, you deUinitely could”. T h i s w a s i n a b o u t “ 1985/1986 when there was no real competition. It wasn’t fashionable; people were not making cakes then. It’s hard to believe now, I know; years later and everyone is baking mad, but not in those days.

What is it like working with your other half? I get asked that a lot actually. We have been doing it for so long it’s just sort of normal. We are not together in an ofUice day in and day out. If that was the case I think it might be a problem, but it’s Uine actually. We do talk about it too much at home, I have to say. The children are grown now, and get absolutely fed up with it. We are not very good at turning off and not talking about it.

Tell us about your most ambitious cake? Oh well, the Royal Wedding cake. That is the most ambitious. How did it feel when you were asked to make the Royal Wedding cake? Well the thing is, my husband received the

What worried you the most about taking on this massive task? I suppose the thing that worried us the most, or worried me the most, was if it would be good enough or if it would be accepted by William and Kate. It’s so symbolic and so important isn’t it; but they were absolutely thrilled with it, so I need not have worried. I

As a cake decorator we are always are critical of our own work. Was there anything that you weren’t totally happy with? Yes, you always think you can do better, and of course everything can always be better, but I don’t think we would design it any differently though. I loved the design and the shape of it. It was beautiful, it was absolutely stunning! Oh thank you! I think that everything can always be better. If you are creative you are never 100% happy are you?

Tell us about your new book; the inspirations behind it, your favourite recipes and why? You know, I have been asked about favourite recipes before. I don’t have one favourite recipe. I’m going to have to try, but that is so hard to answer that one. I have got quite a lot of favourite recipes. I have probably got at least half a dozen. It’s quite difUicult to say which one is my favourite.

his is the book that I always wanted to write, it was an idea I had all those years ago. Although it’s always been important to be “seasonal” in cooking, it perhaps wasn’t as important as it is now.” did worry, of course I did. Also, the other thing I had to worry about was that it was a secret and what if someone leaked it, or even just trying to get it to Buckingham Palace in one piece! There were so many things to worry about, but we also had to enjoy it -‐ it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity. We couldn’t stop pinching ourselves!

How was it transported and did you actually have a back-‐up plan in case of a disaster? There was a team of us making the cake, it wasn’t just me. I think there was about eight or nine of us working on the cake; but there were also the strategists. My husband and Pat, our Operations Director, organised the logistics. It was organised in such Uine detail, that every eventuality was covered. We had made of lots and lots of spare parts and Ulowers, and we Uinished it in Buckingham Palace for two and a half days. It all went very well.

This is the book that I always wanted to write, it was an idea I had all those years ago. Although it’s always been important to be “seasonal” in cooking, it perhaps wasn’t as important as it is now.

I remember, even at art college, some of my work was about the seasons. I was illustrating the spring, summer, autumn and the winter and I love the cycle of the seasons.

The seasons and cooking seasonally, has always been very important to me. If I see strawberries, I would never buy them in November or December for example; or asparagus. I wait for the British asparagus in May, and I get very excited about it. I also look forward to our English strawberries. There’s also nothing quite like the peas we grow in the garden! I just think sometimes we can lose sight of the seasons, as everything is available all year round. So not only do you pay a premium for whatever you are baking or cooking, sometimes it’s also been Ulown half way around the world and you always compromise on taste. It’s much more special, and more delicious, if it’s more locally grown and fresh. Continued

PREVIEW VERSION

Buy the full 84 page magazine at www.cakemasters.co.uk

Maple and Pecan Autumn Leaves

From SEASONAL BAKING by Fiona Cairns

Afternoon Tea With

Bees & Wolves

Fairmont Waterfront Hotel Vancouver ~ Canada

ISSUE 13 OCTOBER 2013 AFTERNOON TEA

Travel ~ Taste ~ Try If you ever Google "Afternoon Tea," you'll get a deUinition along the lines of: “Afternoon Tea is a light meal typically eaten between 4 pm and 6 pm. Observance of the custom originated amongst the wealthy classes in England in the 1840s. Traditionally, loose tea is brewed in a teapot and served with milk and sugar. Afternoon Tea is a meal composed of sandwiches (usually cut delicately into 'Uingers'), scones with clotted cream and jam, sweet pastries and cakes. Interestingly, scones were not a common feature of early Afternoon Tea and were only introduced in the twentieth century.” Well, I have had the pleasure of NOT enjoying this deUinition of Afternoon Tea recently, in Vancouver and San Francisco.... and with bees and wolves. Firstly, I would like to personally thank the lovely Naomi from Tea Party Cakes for arranging our "HIVE TEA" at the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel in Vancouver, BC -‐ in Canada. What a treat (well not just the tea, but the chance to hang out with Naomi!)!! The highlight was really the house honey, which is produced from the hives on the hotel's rooftop

gardens. But, the rest of the beautifully presented food was also just amazing: locally sourced loose leaf teas and smoldering local artisinal cheeses, carefully paired with a mouthwatering honey infused accompaniments. Pastry Chef, Stephanie Greenslade, and her team serve handmade signature Honey Almond Cakes, delectable Garden Thyme Lemon Lollipops, and Bannock Bread Scones with scrumptious sweets, prepared in-‐house. On my return to San Francisco, my dear friend Sherry Page of Culinary Getaways had recommended the Afternoon Tea at Craftsman & Wolves in the Mission district. I was like "What?" Afternoon Tea in the Mission? So I just had to check it out with my Ecuadoran Ulute-‐playing BFF, Raquel. You know what? IT WAS JUST SO RUSTIC!! I was awed by the presentation, seemingly simple at Uirst -‐ with the savouries and sweets presented on a wooden cake stand, against the brick-‐ walled-‐interior of the bakery... but don't let the simple presentation fool you;the menu packs a punch! Thai mango scone, buckwheat crumpet with

Jen with Naomi from Tea Party Cakes

10 22

By Jennifer DeGuzman-‐Rolfe Jen’s Just Desserts

clotted cream and lime curd, ocean trout verrine, peas, preserved lemon, pancetta duck conUit, onion and red wine jam, mustard butter, brioche savoury ginger scallion madeleines, seasonal pâte de fruit,milk chocolate marshmallow white shoyu caramels ...and all for $22 per person -‐ you can't beat that! Whether you prefer traditional afternoon tea, or something a bit different, what I have really enjoyed about all of my AT experiences is the variety on offer, at home or abroad...

Painted Cake Collection Made by: Three Little Blackbirds Photography: Erin Schaefgen Photography

ISSUE 13 OCTOBER 2013 PAINTED CAKE COLLECTION

All cakes made by: Three Little Blackbirds Photography: Erin Schaefgen Photography

PAINTED CAKE COLLECTION

Made by: My Sweet Cosette Photography: Dayan Neely

Made by: Tatoo Cakes

ISSUE 13 OCTOBER 2013 PAINTED CAKE COLLECTION

Made by: Eleganza Designer Cakes

Made by: Pam Bakes Cakes

Made by: Wonder-‐Cakes

Made by: Rock Cakes

ISSUE 13 OCTOBER 2013 PAINTED CAKE COLLECTION

Made by: Little Black Cat

Made by: Joyliciouscakes

Made by: Scarlett Loves Cake

ISSUE 13 OCTOBER ISSUE 13 OCTOBER 2013 SHOW REVIEW

The Cake & Bake Show in partnership with Billington’s was back at Earl’s Court London last month. Cake Masters ticket winner Eve Miles shares her review and account of the day.

After spending several weeks shouting at my TV whilst watching the Great British Bake off last year, I decided to apply. I spent the following 3 months baking continuously and growing a real love for bread baking and a respect for pastry…. I did manage to get through to the third auditions and the Uinal 48 of their list, but not quite their Uinal 13. For now I continue to be a mum and baking enthusiast, helping friends with their cakes with the hope one day soon to kick off my own business. So, when I saw Cake Masters’ competition to win tickets to this year’s ‘Cake and Bake’ show

in return for a review, I thought, what an excellent idea and it motivated me to put myself forward for the challenge. I was excited about the idea of going and writing a review; not only because of my great respect for what I think is one of the most relevant cake decorating magazines I have seen, but also for my all round love for all things bake-‐ able.

So when I received the message on Facebook from the team at Cake Masters that said ‘WE PICKED YOU’ I couldn’t quite believe it!! What luck! I’ve actually been picked. Having not been to the show before, I was super excited to see what they have to offer. My only pre conceived expectation, following reviews I had read from last year, was to expect enormous crowds. So I made my plan to arrive at the show early.

My sister and I arrived at Earls Court at 10.30am. (That was as early as my kids let me manage), but we were pleased. There were no queues for us on arrival and as we made our way up the stairs we were serenaded with some wonderful songs from a stylish 50’s dressed female duo.

We grabbed our show guides (£5) and checked out what and who there was to see. There were lists of all of the shows and classes

O W

available. The classes looked really good; Pastry, Sourdough, Perfect piping…. They were an extra £8 each, but I would have said that wasn’t too much if there was one you would enjoy. I did pass by one of the classrooms later on and they were c nicely closed off from the hubbub of the rest of the exhibition.

We walked round to Uind the Cake Masters team and my Uirst impressions whilst walking were good. The stands were spaced out nicely and I could see lots of yummy cakes and brownies that smelled delicious. There were ribbons, moulds, cutters and every tool under the sun available.. Now I was getting excited. My purse was getting itself ready for some spending!! We met the lovely Rosie and Ceri at the Cake Masters stand. Had a lovely chat about the day and about life being a cake lover. She wished me luck and then we set off to see the stands.

My Uirst stop was at NEFF, I wanted to check out those amazing looking hide and slide ovens in more detail because a baker’s biggest and most important tool is their oven, and I like to dream of my kitchen being the same as the GBBO tent. One side of the stand was Uilled with the smell of freshly baking bread and two ladies demonstrating the ovens.

ISSUE 13 OCTOBER 2013 SHOW REVIEW

I, of course, went straight to the top of the range option for more info. I was quite surprised at some of the great functions of the ovens. I loved the ‘Aqua assist’ option ( a small drawer hidden at the top) which releases vapour into the oven which is ideal for bread baking and I am told also great for cake baking to give extra moisture! I’d never really thought of adding extra moisture to cake baking.

The ovens also have nice little baking functions such as, bread baking (Hot temperature with vapour release) dough proving (low gentle temperature with fan circulation) and others. I was shown how the lights inside the oven reUlect off of small mirrors that sit inside the hide and slide door so your baking sits in the oven on full display. So in short, a dream oven. I was really impressed. That one will be added to the ‘one day’ list!

There were a few major set ups that were unmissable: Lakeland, Sainsbury’s, NEFF, Dr Oteker, Renshaw, Billington’s… and then there were the smaller stalls that sat in-‐between, Uilled with goodies; one side of the exhibition was more bread and food based and the opposite side seemed to be the cake related side, which made sense and made it easy to navigate through. There were show spots where they had live demonstrations with celebrities then, as you would expect in a big Cake and Bake show, there were the major cake displays, which were all quite amazing. The Cake Catwalk

This was a competition display. All the cakes are themed ‘London Fashion through the Decades’. It was very stylish, with a big catwalk and all of the cakes displayed on it. Sadly I wasn’t around to see who won, but I did get to see when several models came out modelling dresses that could well have been made of icing, each carrying one of the cakes from the competition. It was a great display of how fashion can inspire our cake creations. Wedding cake of the future

My sister and I loved this display. So many beautiful tiered wedding cakes, all so different and inspirational, lined up across four long tables that people circled around. Some classic vintage styles, some urban grafUiti and some sculpted novelty styles -‐ inspiration for everyone. I heard one of the ladies in front of me in the queue say “That’s what I want for my wedding”. What a perfect time to inspire all of the upcoming brides of the next year. Oh to have a cake displayed here?!! It was nice for me, as a cake maker who has made several wedding cakes, to really look up

close at other people’s work. I’m always very critical of my own work, but only really get to see my own. I focussed on the sharp edges, the Uine detail of the royal icing, the use of moulds, lace and gold leaf. I consider myself a low level intermediate and just getting to cast my eyes over these beautiful cakes was a really helpful learning experience. I think some of the best are the most simple. Billington’s Dessert Table Displays

This was a really impressive display of several cakes that were on show almost immediately as you walked into the exhibition. The crowds around them were quite large, but the cakes on display were awesome. There was a full sculpted bust of the Queen and her Corgi created by Michelle Wibowo. It really was quite unbelievable, just like a wax work! One of those cakes that it’s impossible to believe is cake, but Uills you with joy knowing it can be made! The other cake that caught my attention was the ‘Alice in Wonderland’ display. They were my Uirst experience of seeing very good large scale sculpted cakes that just blow you away. I stood staring at the pieces on the cake for ages, just trying to Uigure out how each piece had been made, but very soon got budged out of the way as the size of the crowd increased.

Heading towards the bread side of the exhibition, I passed something that caught my eye. A chocolatier who was busy creating a huge wall hanging piece like a 3D Batman inside a frame. He explained to me he was using simple milk chocolate that he would knead with his Uingers until soft and then literally squish down in layers, building up his image of batman. It was an amazing creation. I might try it with my next bar of galaxy....or maybe not

Then we hit the savoury area: Artisan bakers, tasty pies, delicious cheeses, pastries and more. We stopped and had a sneaky pie for our lunch from “New Zealand Gourmet Pie”… It was sooo good. Next stop bread. The Uirst bakers we walked past were called Olivers and the guy on the stall said “Bonjour” to me … I try to reply in my best French (which was very embarrassing) and asked him “if he was a baker?”….He said “no, lucky for you”... Then his fellow stall holder told me he is “Oliver”... He is the master baker, but he doesn’t like the attention. I liked his modesty, but the bread piled high around him was so impressive. Beautiful loaves of so many different kinds, Foccacia’s, rye sourdough, oat and seed breads, baguettes... It must have taken some sweat and tears from his team to have made it all. I chose a cob shaped loaf that was part sourdough and part wholemeal bread with walnuts and apricots. It was the nicest bread,

such lovely textures and Ulavours. If only his bakery was close to my house!

At about 12.30 we headed back over to the cake side, but by now it was busy. Much busier than the bread area we had just come from. We had to carefully wade through the crowd in between what seemed like quite wide areas before. We checked out some of the cupcake, brownie, cookie and cake pop stands. I chose a chocolate and zucchini cupcake with a chocolate ganache on top. It was a really lovely moist cake with a gingery Ulavour and although you couldn’t taste the zucchini in it, it added to the texture yum.

I really loved all of the retro bits for sale at a stall called ‘Baker and Maker’. They were jam packed with quirky things for your baking and kitchen: paper straws, cake stands, cases, wall hangings, badges and clocks. All sorts, but all very unique. And they had really cool denim aprons on that I loved. A crowd started forming at the Sainsbury’s Competition Theatre so we followed to Uind a live bake off taking place between John Whaite and James Morton. They were making some biscuits and bought up two members of the audience to help. Then they said they had some extra helpers for James Morton, because last year he was the looser and half of this year’s GBBO line up came on stage to help. When the baking had Uinished they chose three children from the audience to judge and choose a winner, which the kids loved. The Billingtons show stage was very good too, a much better open space to gather around. There is a large seated are speciUically for VIP ticket holders, but lots of people gathered around the outside of the seats and got a good view. The Sainsbury’s theatre is a lot harder to gain a good view though, so grab a seat as early as you can.

After the shows we had two last stops.. One to Lakeland….I mean you can’t not right? Then lastly to Dinkydoodle Designs. I had seen them in the Cake Masters September issue with her amazing Richard Branson cake and that they would be selling airbrush kits during the exhibition. I had to go and investigate, because that is one important bit of kit that I haven’t yet got. I wanted to know how they worked, because they seem like complicated beast to me; so Dawn Butler guided me through how the airbrushes work, techniques and ideas of how to use it. She sprayed and glazed an apple as an example of what you can achieve and I got all excited thinking of taking all my fruit and spraying it for the kids!! The airbrush kit is pink, which makes it that bit more exciting and, although you can use it

ISSUE 13 OCTOBER 2013 SHOW REVIEW

such lovely textures and Ulavours. If only his bakery was close to my house!

The Billington’s show stage was very good too, a much better open space to gather around. There is a large seated are speciUically for VIP ticket holders, but lots of people gathered around the outside of the seats and got a good view. The Sainsbury’s theatre is a lot harder to gain a good view though, so grab a seat as early as you can.

airbrush and I am really looking forward to learning to use it. Before I left, I got to have a go at winning a prize in their human air blowing rafUle box. It was impossibly hard to grab the tickets and I felt like I was in the Crystal Maze, but it was lots of fun! Oh and I won a stencil too!

One thing I had noticed about the exhibition was the type of crowd they had attracted. I assumed on our way in that it would be one enormous swarm of women, but it really wasn’t. I saw lots of small babies and children of all ages, men in groups and families. There were activities for the children to do, which is an excellent idea. There was a cookie decorating area and a cupcake one too. The cupcake decorating was £1.50 a cake. Lots of kids were getting involved and enjoying using sprinkles and icing to make a few big messes.

I walked away feeling like I’d had a really enjoyable day. I’d met some lovely people, seen some really amazing and inspirational cakes, purchased some goodies, eaten some great food and learnt a few new things along the way. There were a good couple of hours where the crowd size got a little intimidating and frustrating, so an early start is probably a very wise choice, but overall it really was a lot of fun. Thank you Cake Masters for our great day out! Dates for next show: Cake & Bake Show 4-‐6 April 2014 Manchester Central Photography Kristy Court & Evie Miles

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Hand Painted

by Nina Evans

Cupcake Tutorial 20