A Haute Blog

Ribbons, and Bows, and Doughnuts

Posted on May 29, 2018 by Melissa Stephens | 0 Comments

Toasted Coconut ribbon stack Haute Stacker Doughnut Dunkin Donuts Cake

I may not be the first one to ever tie a bow around a doughnut, but I can promise you, I won't be the last.This is literally the easiest way to dress up a doughnut EVER!  If you can tie your shoes, you can pull off this look!  The hardest part is deciding which ribbon to use.  I chose a 3/8" black satin ribbon for a few reason... 1. I LOVE black...I love all neutrals actually, but black is so classy; 2. I love the contrast of a shiny, fancy bow with the rough and rustic look of Dunkin Donuts' toasted coconut doughnuts; 3. Satin ribbon is perfect for bow-tying.  Once pulled taught, the bow will stay put and won't work it's way loose.  Some ribbons (like grosgrain for example) are just too bulky to make a nice knot.  Organza is another nice ribbon that makes pretty bows.

Toasted Coconut ribbon stack Haute Stacker Doughnut Dunkin Donuts Cake

Once you've decided on your ribbon, it's simply a matter of tying your bows around each doughnut, placing the doughnuts on the stacker plates, and finally sliding the stacker plates on the stainless steal post.

I chose to line the bows up, but you could certainly create a random look or a swirvy look, by adjusting the stacker plates. 

Toasted Coconut ribbon stack Haute Stacker Doughnut Dunkin Donuts Cake Toasted Coconut ribbon stack Haute Stacker Doughnut Dunkin Donuts Cake Toasted Coconut ribbon stack Haute Stacker Doughnut Dunkin Donuts Cake

And, that's it...all done! Set your Haute Stacker on a pedestal of your choice, or leave it flat on a table...soooo many options!  I set mine on this pretty, chrome candle holder I picked up at Hobby Lobby for $5 I think.

 Toasted Coconut ribbon stack Haute Stacker Doughnut Dunkin Donuts Cake

So, the next time you're in charge of breakfast for the office consider bringing doughnuts with bows...you could probably even attach bells and whistles to be cliche ;).

As I'm writing this...I just thought of a fun idea!  You could include a little message tags on each doughnut tied with the ribbon.  The message could be a scripture or proverb or encouraging word...even bride and groom's names...the ideas are endless!  I love this idea...I'm definitely going to create another Haute Stacker with messages to show you!

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Remember...I'm hoping to be able to bring Haute Stacker to market soon, but I need your help.  Please sign up to get an invitation for our Kickstarter campaign and then PLEASE back us when the time comes!  Thank you and cheers!

~ Melissa

The Moment Two Years in the Making

Posted on May 07, 2018 by Melissa Stephens | 4 Comments

It is 11:00 pm the night before my Haute Stacker website goes live along with all my social media accounts.  In just a few hours, I'll invite my friends, family, and amazing customers to see my invention for the first time.  I'm nervous, excited, and scared as heck!  I want to write an inspiring blog post about the last couple years, but honestly, my mind is a jumbled mess.  It's been such a whirlwind, I don't even know where to start. 

My mind keeps bouncing from one memory or experience to another.  I reflect on these moments...all of them I treasure.  I set out to bring an idea to market, without a clue how to start or where this journey might take me.  

There were countless sleepless nights...my mind full of possibilities, hopes, and ideas.  I can't wait to start the next day, to work through the next prototype design.  Mustering my courage to reach out to manufacturers all over the world...pretending I'm a big-time product developer, when in reality, I'm just a lowly chocolatier in simple Nebraska.  Tack on to that...the constant question of how much information do I share and what if someone steals my idea!  The disappointment of rejection...ahhh sweet rejection...it's sweet only because it gives rise to tenacity, which is a necessary ingredient for achieving anything important. 

Anxious to get through our busy holiday season at The Cordial Cherry so I could pick up where I left off with my invention the day after Christmas.  Hoping with each encounter that maybe this would be the manufacturer who would take me seriously and give me a chance.  Saving as much money as I could so I could bootstrap my invention with no investors.  

Juggling my daughter in college and my three school-age boys each day while maintaining a level of inspired energy that only true passion can harness.  Using my chocolate shop as a test kitchen for working through each version of my design.  Recruiting my dad and Jon and their tools to construct one prototype after another.  And, this in my favorite...telling people, with all the excitement one can fit in her heart, that I'm inventing a device that will will allow you to suspend doughnuts from the ceiling and watching their bewildered expression as they try to understand why I'm so excited.

Watching my manufacturer, and now friend, share in the excitement of my adventure.  Studying the art of selling and marketing and storytelling as if my life depended on it.  Reading half (because my ADHD mind doesn't allow enough attention to read whole books) of many great books on how to do things I've never done before.  And listening to as many TED talks and Youtube tutorials as I can handle...hoping to fill my mind with lessons while I make my precious cordial cherries at my shop.

Seeking the mentorship of other inventors.  Sorting through product name, domain names, and branding ideas.  And finally, being able to demonstrate what has been in my head these last two years...and watching people's expression the moment they see all the possibilities I saw from the beginning.  These thoughts, while whirling around in my head, now comfort me as I continue on.

When I decided to climb this mountain, all I expected was to learn how to navigate the process, but  what I got was a solidified belief that I can make big things happen in spite of fear, lack of money, and all my insecurities.

And now...I'm on to the next phase of my adventure...an unknown territory for which I've only studied in books and on that vast resource we call the Internet.  I need to sell my idea.  It's one thing to have an idea, and it's another thing to create or build the idea.  It's an entirely different thing to sell the idea...and this, for me, is the biggest obstacle.  It requires that I risk criticism and judgement.  The thickness of my skin will most certainly be tested.  So her we go...I hope you'll join me along the way...to be part of this chapter of my story.  Please follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube.  And any help in spreading the word would be so appreciated.

 

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The Cordial Cherry * The Shops of Legacy * 16939 Wright Plaza Ste. 143 * Omaha, NE 68130 * 402-679-3011