Starting a Business

In my 52 years I never expected to be in the postition that I find myself in now. I have played around with the idea of starting my own business but never seriously until a little over a year ago. I never wanted to be in the food business either. I just wanted to draw and paint etc. I enjoyed baking but not as a profession. I also didn't really enjoy hard work. I enjoyed art and crafts I worked in professions that I did not enjoy because I enjoyed having money.

When personal reasons and then the economy prevented me from working I nearly lost everything. I am still a small crisis away from living in my car (which is also a small crisis away from no longer running). I have no income except child support. I am a single mother of two teenage daughters. I live with my older sister and brother because seperately we cannot survive. Sometimes I have sleepless nights trying to rearrange bills and food and gas for the car that all add up to more than the income we bring in. I have health issues with no insurance.

Financially I have nothing. What I do have is determination and faith. "I dwell in my possibilities." Emily Dickinson. I will use my talents to create a business to feed and house my family. I have the talent. I have the idea. I do not have the finances. In the past year and five months I with my daughters came up with the idea for a desert shop. Not just a bakery shop but a place to spend time. A place that the young people can enjoy and be creative and accepted. A place where the elderly can sit and enjoy themselves too. And not just any desserts but healthy ones. Not just any healthy desserts but ones that taste really really good. So if you are one of the healthy minded you will enjoy and if you are one of the junk food minded you will still enjoy. It has been a long and very frustrating process to start a business with no finances. I have meet other women along the way who are trying to do the same thing. Some of us are single moms and some are married and some are single. We are all women trying to better our lives. I have met some women who have already given up and some like me that keep on trying and hoping and believing. I really have no other choice.

I have learned a few important lessons in this attempt. The most important is that I would not have gotten this far without the help of other people. Some have just briefly passed through my life causing ripples that carried me and my dream further. Some have stayed in my life to become friends.

Heart Friendly Desserts and Cosmic Euphoria Desserts and Art It's a Way of Life

I had a heartattack 2 years ago on Mothers' Day. I weighed over 200 lbs. I was out of work (3years). Took care of my mother who had become an invalid and trying to take care of my daughters too. I was extremely depressed after my mother passed away it all just got to be too much. Well I had the heartattack and my brother who had just become a certified hypnotherapist worked on me a little. I was skeptical but it worked. I started to feel better about myself and life. I realized that I was just barely existing . I think I was only surviving because of my daughters. Even though I have always believed in God and felt close to Him somehow I was disconnected from Him until Lane worked his magic on me. I started exercising again. I changed the way I eat. The girls and I are almost vegeterians I do eat chicken and seafood at times. I even have come to terms with tofu, well sometimes. No more fried food! I started learning how to be kind to myself again and spending time on myself. The one thing I wouldn't give up is my sweet tooth! I started researching and experimenting on recipes until I came up with the ones I use now. I have reduced the fats and use only healthy oils. I have reduced the sugar (in most cases cane sugar is still used but a whole lot less than in most recipes) I replaced the rest of the sugars with natural sweetners. Example Stevia. I don't use a lot of stevia because it then leaves a strange taste but my mixture of sweetners seems to do the trick. I reduce sodium and cholesterol also. Now the name of the business comes down to Vast Joy (Cosmic Euphoria). Kind of hippie a little bohemian with a tiny bit quirky thrown in. It's not just about what I eat but how I feel about life and I wish to share. Sweets for the heart and art for the soul... Love...Peace...Joy...From my heart to yours.

Name that business

After a year and a half I have finally reached that place where possiblities have become an actuality. Well no they are still possibilities waiting to happen, however they feel real now. I have a commericial kitchen available to me. Not just " well we might let you use this if we can work things out" but a real yes you can use our kitchen! I am still holding my breath. I have been burned a few times now.  Deep down though I know this one is an actuality. I have a possibility of a cafe willing to sell my dessserts. Oh my! Once again this has been offered in the past but now I believe this one will happen. Still holding my breath though. Still hovering over the brink of all actualities! Since I am forever hopeful I am moving on as if this is really going to happen. Getting ready to get that health permit, etc. Have logo designed. Have finally settled on the business name.
Wecome to Cosmic Euphoria Desserts and Art.
Sweets for your heart and Art for your soul.

I Decided to Paint My Fence

My house needed a little character besides me.

Happy St. Patricks' Day

I experimented  a little and came up with a Healthier version of Chocolate Guinness Cake, Irish Cream Cake and Irish Lace Cookies.  I made my own irish cream too.

A Moment In My Day

I spent the afternoon and evening at a computer marketing workshop. I learned some useful things but didn't get anything else done.

I like to work with paper mache. This is a mask that I made for Mardi Gra.