A new year, a new beginning ...

Happy New Year !!!

Yes we are one month late but for us the new year has started in February, as December and January just flew by in a blur. We've been busy in our workshop creating new and wonderful toys for our 2 cheeky monkeys and they have been hard at work completing quality control testing on all our creations.

We have had the pleasure of crafting wooden trucks, growth charts and our little cars for Christmas gifts which were ordered from all over Australia. We have just been overwhelmed by the support and love we have received for our toys.

You can now purchase our gorgeous toys from Etsy - 2CheekyMonkeysAndMe
On Madeit.com.auwww.madeit.com.au/2CheekyMonkeysAndMe
And soon you will be able to order directly from our facebook page too.. so stay tuned for that

But the icing on the cake.. we just set up our own little space in the most delightful store, Handmade on High St. It features hand made loveliness from local artisans and designers. Please drop in and say hello to the helpful staff Kath, Ben, Gill and Ryan. I have to warn you though once you are in there it is very very hard to leave. The store is filled from top to bottom, front to back with the most unique, beautiful and gorgeous treasures. And it makes my heart smile to know that our little creations are amongst all that beauty!!!
http://brisstyle.blogspot.com.au/2011/12/shop-indie-handmade-highstreet.html

This is going to be an amazing year, and I am so excited to see how this adventure unfolds. It is the most rewarding feeling to create something you love and see the happiness and excitement in the eyes of your child while they play with it. We feel so blessed to have received the support that we have for our wooden toys and designs and look forward to sharing our journey with you.

Our featured toy for this post is our Wooden Threading Toy. With the storms, and wet wet wet weather that we experienced last week, this toy was our saving grace. The boys loved threading, unthreading and rethreading. Its challenging for the little ones but they love it even more because of this. It kept them focused and entertained instead of bouncing off the walls after being stuck inside for almost 4 days straight.

Wooden Threading Toy with Pine needle and 100% Wool string

Our thoughts and prayers are with all those who have been affected by the floods and storms in Australia. It is times like these where we really take note of all our blessings and the simple luxuries which we take for granted until we lose them. Our hearts go out to you as your rebuild your homes and your lives.

Lots of love xxx
2 Cheeky Monkeys

A step in the right direction..

Wow, it has been a massive few weeks and the time has just flown by. I cannot begin to describe how overwhelmed I feel by the support and interest I have received in this venture. I am so excited and the nerves I felt at the beginning are slowly subsiding, giving way to more excitement, and anticipation of what is still to come.

I have to admit that my biggest fear was failure, it always has been regardless of what quotes I read or what praise I receive. And that is the main reason for procrastinating for so long before setting this all up.  I was also worried about my unfortunate trait of being a perfectionist. But now as I have started on quotes and orders I have really started to think about what is going to set me apart from all the other cake decorators and event planners out there.

And I think that my desire, no my need, for perfection is going to be what makes me successful! Anyone that knows me will tell you that I have high expectations when it comes to customer service.  I don’t take it lightly when I am promised one thing and receive another.  So when it comes to my business that is a really high priority for me. I don’t want to have great customer service, I want to be known for my exceptional customer service.  I want my customers to know that I completely understand what ideas they have and that we are both on the same page when it comes to the order.

So each enquiry for me is not just an opportunity to provide a quote but rather an application for the job opportunity. Each of my quotes will include a ‘Concept board’ with my ideas, images and designs that I would base my creations on. By investing my time and my passion into the concept board I hope that I can ensure my interested clients have a definite perception of what I can offer them. (I have to admit I also get carried away with the excitement of brainstorming and designing that I forget that I am still in the quotation stage of the order).

So yes, I do things a littles backwards sometimes, I should have come up with the mission statement and strategy etc first, but sometimes I think these things come to you.. it’s not something that you can force..

So here is my mission.. To provide exceptional service, to leave you wanting more not only of my cakes, and desserts, but of ME!!! I want my clients to feel like they have not only received the most perfect dessert table, cake, cookies or cupcake but also made a friend in the process.  I want to be approachable, unique, adventurous and still stylish in my designs, sophisticated and yet still fun..

Too much to ask for??? Nah..., if you know me, you will know that I am a perfectionist, and when I set my mind on something, I somehow, find a way of making it happen! 

Until next time…. thank you for all the love!!!

Shehana

In the words of my cheekiest monkey... 'Lets do this!!!'

I've been told I could sell ice to Eskimos, that I have the gift of the gab.. and yet when it comes to my first blog post... I have no idea where to start ..

So regardless of the tongue tie, I have finally started and would like to give a big shout out and huge thank you to my family and friends who have encouraged, pushed and supported me in this brand new adventure! Thank you for all your help, ideas, love, and belief in me! I am truly blessed.

I believe that we find true happiness when we invest our time in doing the things we love and I so so so love creating, baking and decorating. I love the brainstorming and creativity involved in designing cakes to match a party theme, and carrying that theme through all the desserts such as cookies, cupcakes, cake pops too. The more detail the more intrigued I become. I am a perfectionist by nature and a lover of all things arty.

My 2 cheeky monkeys are the source of my inspiration, they are my greatest loves and my most perfect creations. I chose the name because quite simply my world revolves around them.  The fourth and final member of our family is moj kochanie.. my rock, who is truly my other half. Without his support I would never get the 'me time' to put into this adventure.

I am thrilled to say I have started on my first orders and cant wait to post the pics up as they are completed. 

I hope one day I get to create something not just delicious but delightfully divine for you! 

xxx Shehana