I know the title of my blog may sound a little bit contradictory.  How can ‘Isolation’ and ‘Fun’ go together you ask?  Well, let me help you with this one.  If you are stuck at home, either working or not working, it’s easy to get down and sad about being home so much with not much to do or non-fun things to do.  The current situation we are all in right now is very strange and requires us to be apart from people we know and love and self-isolate ourselves until this virus thing passes.  For those of us who are extroverts and always on the go (that’s me and definately Chef!!) this is so difficult.  Being home all day, every day, is not something that happens in our lives and it’s easy to feel down and out.  But it doesn’t have to be! 

First thing to remember is that it's important that we all keep in touch even though we don’t see each other face-to-face.  There are so many different ways to do this, like picking up the telephone to check on a friend or family member or getting on social media more often than normal and post something ‘fun’!  Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter are all great resources right now and it’s a great way to stay connected. 

Chef Nicholas and the team at ISAC are doing their best to keep in touch with everyone and post things on social media to help make the time pass by more quickly.  If you don’t follow Chef on Facebook or Instagram, why not?  Just search for Chef Nicholas Lodge and you can Follow him.  Here is a quick link. Chef Nicholas Lodge Facebook

Happy Thursday to everyone!  Are you looking for more ways to improve your sugar skills?  Do you want to learn more about making sugar flowers, working with fondant, buttercream or other types of sugar art techniques?  Well, look no more!  I have a list of wonderful places for you to go that will provide all that and more!

There are a lot of different places available to get this knowledge and there are a lot of people that are so kind and willing to share their knowledge about the Sugar arts.  You can’t turn around and not bump into someone or something that will help you!  Teachers, classes, cake shows, the list goes on and on!!

Before you get too confused about which way to turn, let me tell you about a couple of things that are coming up that you will want to put on your schedule!  And a few of my favorites too!

First of all, ISAC has put out the class schedule on their website for the next several months.  There are so many opportunities to learn and create new things.  Chef Nicholas pulls out all the stops when he teaches his classes.  All of the supplies, materials, and handouts you need for the class are provided for you.  All you need to do is show up and enjoy learning from one of the best and most professional teachers in the industry.  I have taken so many classes from Chef that I have lost count.  But I always seem to learn something new every time!  ISAC is located in Atlanta, Georgia just a quick 30 min ride from the Atlanta airport, if you are from out of town. 

If you go to the CLASSES page on the ISAC website, you can see the list of classes that are being offered. 

• ISAC Spring Open House, Atlanta Georgia, THIS WEEKEND!! March 14, 2020
• ISAC Renshaw Sugarpaste (Fondant) Module - April 6-8, 2020
• ISAC Rose Bridal Spray class, Atlanta, Georgia -  April 9, 2020
• Simi Cakes Isomalt Glassworks Cake & Isomalt Flamingo, ISAC Classroom, Atlanta, Georgia - June 14-15, 2020

And don’t forget the yummy things that Scott will provide for you during lunch and afternoon breaks.  When his cookies come out of the oven, the smell will make you jump out of your seat and grab as many cookies as you can!

My blog this week is going to focus on the “New and Improved” ISAC Studio and some upcoming events that are now on the ISAC calendar.

As many of you heard, ISAC announced late last year that they were making some changes.  They decided to downsize the Retail shopping space and provide their products online for easy access.  The classroom is still there and has only changed a little bit because you know that Chef Nicholas holds some fabulous classes, so that’s not going away!

Now, I know that it “sounded like” they were going out of business, but I’m here to report that is NOT true!!  The team at ISAC is alive and well and there is so much going on!  Chef Nicholas has been traveling to different locations for cake shows and events (see last week’s blog for where he is this week).  And he is still developing and designing some fabulous products with Katy Sue Designs.

Here is a sneak peak at the new space at ISAC.  There is a new gallery area that has everything displayed on new gondolas and casework.  If you go for a visit, the entrance to the classroom and gallery is now through Suite E.  The new store is ready to visit by appointment only.  If you are local to the Atlanta, Georgia area, you can place your order online and then when you check out, select ‘local pickup’ and someone will contact you to arrange the pickup. 

There are some new and fun additions to the NL museum case, including many of his personal tools and products that Chef started off with over 40 years ago!  Some of the items in the case include his original work box that flew on the Concorde 9 times and traveled over 2 million miles around the world!  Chef should have put a Frequent Flyer number on that thing! 

The classroom has been updated with a more intimate feeling, giving a lovely personal space for each student.  The classroom holds a maximum of 12 students for each of the hands-on classes.  This means that once a class is posted online, you will have to sign up for the class pretty quick, because with only 12 seats, the classes are sure to fill up fast!

The lunch area offers a nice relaxing space to enjoy Scott’s delicious lunches and his signature warm out-of-the-oven cookies in the afternoon!! 

If you want to see the New and Improved ISAC, there is a wonderful opportunity coming up at the Spring Open House on Saturday, March 14 in Atlanta, Georgia.  You will have 2 opportunities to attend, one at 9:00am and one at 12:30pm.  Both sessions are the same.  Chef Nicholas will give a 2-hour demonstration on Spring decorating ideas for cookies, cakes and confections, including ideas for St. Patrick’s day, Easter and Mother’s Day.  There will be a refreshment break, plus time for some ‘retail therapy’ afterwards.  Here are some photographs of the projects he will be demonstrating.

You must pre-register for this event, so go to the REGISTRATION link and sign up!  The fee for this event is only $5.00. 

Check out the other upcoming events at ISAC by clicking on the CLASSES LINK.  Hope to see you there!

Stay Sweet and Keep Learning!

UPDATED LINKS.  The links on the previous blog were not working correctly.  This blog has the correct ones in them.  Happy Thursday!

As I mentioned before in my previous blogs, I want to do my best to keep you up to date on the travels and adventures of Chef Nicholas.  I’m sure most of you are aware of the amount of traveling Chef does to share his love for the Sugar Arts.

Here are some of the latest things coming up.  Remember, if Chef comes to your area, be sure to stop in to say “Hi”!

• Sunday, February 16 – Norcross, Georgia. Chef Nicholas will be teaching his popular Rose Bridal Spray class.  This class is back by popular demand!  It’s a fabulous class that teaches you how to make beautiful flowers including the Rose, Rose bud, Calla Lily, Hydrangea, Baby’s Breath, Stephanotis and Ferns.  He will show you how to arrange all of these in a single bouquet that you can give away to your favorite Valentine, or save it for yourself!  If you want to attend, there are still seats available.  Click on the photo or this LINK to register.

• Friday, February 21 through Sunday, February 23, Chef will be in Round Rock, Texas for That Takes The Cake show.  By the time you read this, the show will be less than 10 days away!!  I hope you are planning to go!!  Chef will be there as one of the judges for the Competitions that are taking place.  PLUS….. on Monday, February 24, he will be offering his Rose Bridal Spray class!  If you can’t make it to the ISAC Studio, this is a great opportunity to take this class!  Click on the photo or this LINK to get more information.

• Wednesday, February 28 through Saturday, February 29, Chef will be in Louisville, Kentucky for the Annual Cookie Con Cookie Art Convention & Show.  Now unfortunately, this event is sold out, but you never know when a ticket might be availble, so be sure to check out the Cookie Con website for more details. 

Do you remember the game “Where’s Waldo?”.  I really loved that game and loved looking at the images to try to find that crazy Waldo character.  I was thinking about that game the other day when I was trying to figure out where Chef Nicholas was traveling to next?   Wouldn’t it be fun to play a new game called “Where’s Chef?”

Over the next several weeks and months, Chef Nicholas will be on the road.  He will be traveling to Florida, Texas, India, Canada, and so many more.  If you are like me, you are probably wondering….. where can I find out where Chef is going to be next?  Now, I don’t mean this in a creepy ‘stalking’ kind of way, but more like ‘where is Chef and if he happens to come to my town…. Where can I go see him?’. 

By the time you read this blog, Chef Nicholas and Scott are in town and getting ready for the FL ICES Mini Classes.  This is a 3-day event that is held in Orlando, Florida this weekend!  As a resident of Florida, I am personally excited about this event.  It’s right in my “backyard”!  There is no way I would miss this event! 

But, let me ask a question….have you ever seen a cake event being advertised with classes nearby, but you waited too long and missed out?  I know I have, and I really regretted it.  I mostly missed out on the event because by the time I made up my mind to go, the class was full or the class had been cancelled because no one else had signed up.  I hate when that happens!!

There are so many shows across the U.S.A. and internationally to choose from.  It takes a lot of effort, coordination and hard work to pull these things off.  The teachers work really hard to prepare for their classes.  They spend hours putting together materials and lessons that will help make your decorating skills the best in the business!  But none of this really matters unless you sign up and attend the events!!  

Now, I know life happens and things get in the way of what we thought would turn out to be a ‘regular week or month’, but if you really, really, really (was that enough really’s?....) want to attend these things, we have to sign up and be committed to attend!  Yes, I said WE….. that includes me because I know I am a big procrastinator sometimes!  The deadlines for these things are provided for a reason.  This is the only way for the event organizers and the teachers to plan for their classes.  I know we are all disappointed when a teacher has to cancel because no one has signed up for the class.  You can’t blame the teacher; they need to know if any students are going to come to the class.  It’s up to us, to sign up in a timely fashion and to be committed to being in class!

Happy Holidays to you and your family! 

From Nicholas, Scott and the ISAC Team!

The team here at ISAC is always trying to make things better, easier and more efficient for our customers and friends.  There are many ways we can accomplish this.  We can do this the old-fashioned way and send out surveys by mail; or we can make phone calls to everyone.  But surveys by mail just get tossed in the trash can (at least that is what I tend to do) and who has the time to make all those phone calls?   

With the age of computers and fast technology, the internet is a much better option for these types of things.  There are a lot of websites that ask their users to leave a review about a business, like Yelp, Trip Advisor, Google or Ebay to name a few.  The more reviews that a business gets, the better the business is perceived and people who read the reviews will be more inclined to use that business if others have given it a favorable review.

So, based on that introduction and without getting too technical…. We would like your help.  Would you consider writing a review for ISAC?  We would love to hear about your thoughts, suggestions and creative ideas about how we are doing. 

It is that time of year again, folks. The National Gingerbread House Gingerbread Competition at the Omni Grove Park Inn was held last week, and that perennial staple, Head Judge Chef Nicholas Lodge was there presiding over all the pomp and circumstance. And this year television crews from both FoodNetwork and NBC were there filming all the delicious action. As always, we wanted to share all of the amazing gingerbread creations and the winners from all the different categories. Sadly, with all of the network and cable TV crews there, Scott was limited as to what he could capture with his magic camera. So, I give you the top three from the professional category below. However, I do bring good tidings as well! FoodNetwork will be airing their episode, Gingerbread Giants 2, four different times over the holidays! Um, yay! 

FoodNetwork Gingerbread Giants 2

Sunday December 23 - 9pm EST/ 8pm C

Monday December 24 - 12am EST/ 11pm C; 11pm EST/ 10pm C

Tuesday December 25 - 2am EST/ 1am C

Now, without further ado, the top three winners of the 2019 National Gingerbread House Competition at the Omni Grove Park Inn!

Scott has assured me that while a picture is worth a thousand words, no photos could do these three gingerbread "houses" proper justice. They are just too spectacular to allow a camera to catch every intricate and edible detail on each of these three winning entries. You're in luck because Scott was able to take a brief video of the winning design! Click here for the video! 

Don't forget to tune into FoodNetwork in December to see all the entries and footage of the three winners!

 Sweetly yours, 

Stephanie 

Our goal is for you to be completely satisfied with your Amazon order! If for any reason this is not the case, we would appreciate it if you would give us a chance to address your concerns, before leaving feedback or a review, by emailing us at customersvc@nicholaslodge.com. We would be grateful if you would leave us a positive feedback and review of your Renshaw Fondant. Leaving feedback seems like such a little thing, but it has great impact on our business and we would greatly appreciate your time in leaving it.

2017 Finalist for the Cake Masters Cake Hero Award

WINNER of the 2017 Golden Tier Educator of the Year Award

Winner of the 2015 Craftsy Blogger Award for Best Craftsy Cake Decorating Instructor Blog

Chef Nicholas Lodge: 2015 Finalist for the Cake Masters Cake Hero Award

I always get excited when Chef Nicholas has BRAND NEW classes on the schedule! Yes, that means Chef Nicholas has two new classes for you all to enjoy: Gumpaste Wedding Flower Spray and Springtime Gumpaste Flowers! 

Now that the holidays are over, everyone is settling back into the groove of everyday life. Kids are going back to school, adults are going back to work,and life is back to normal. But... did you get everything you really wanted for Christmas? Or maybe you got some money as a gift that is just burning a hole in your pocket? Well, then you just come on by our retail gallery or our online shop! ISAC is having our 2018 New Year Sale! 

Thanksgiving is here once again. Hopefully during this holiday you will be gathering with family and friends and sitting down to share a meal at your home or the home of a friend or loved one. If you choose or prefer, a cafe or restaurant, there is nothing wrong with that. No shopping, prepping or dishes to wash!

All of us at ISAC would like to take this opportunity to say, “thank you,” to each of you. We are very grateful and appreciative to each of you; the students seeking to learn by attending a class, a demonstration or watching one of our Facebook Live sessions. The customers who walked into our gallery, stopped by our booth at a cake or trade show or clicked on and visited our web site. Thank you! Every day, not just this time of year at Thanksgiving, but every day. We understand you have a choice when seeking out your sugar art and cake decorating supplies, and we thank you for choosing Nicholas Lodge and ISAC. We constantly strive to offer you only the best products, backed up by our helpful, knowledgeable and friendly customer service.

Also your continued support helped us reach a major milestone. This past July, ISAC celebrated our 25th anniversary. Yes, 25 years of classes, teaching, demonstrations, magazine articles, instructional DVD’s and on-line classes. But none of this would have happened, or would have been needed, without the support of our fantastic students, customers, and shoppers. Again, we say “thank you!”

Everyone at ISAC hopes you have a safe, fun and enjoyable Thanksgiving. Let’s grab that turkey wishbone together and make a wish...a wish for an even better tomorrow for all of us.

Happy Thanksgiving!

From, Nicholas, Scott, Molly, Ann, Stephanie, Janet & Carol

2017 Finalist for the Cake Masters Cake Hero Award

WINNER of the 2017 Golden Tier Educator of the Year Award

Winner of the 2015 Craftsy Blogger Award for Best Craftsy Cake Decorating Instructor Blog

Chef Nicholas Lodge: 2015 Finalist for the Cake Masters Cake Hero Award.

Monday marked Chef Nicholas Lodge's International Sugar Art Collection's 25th Anniversary. Chef Nicholas, Scott, and the rest of the ISAC family are incredibly proud of this achievement. Thank you to everyone who sent flowers, cards, texts, messages, and came to celebrate with us last weekend and Monday. The outpouring of support and well-wishes meant so very much to Chef Nicholas and Scott. ISAC is here because of their hard work and dedication. They have dedicated themselves to bettering the sugar arts world, and I think they have done just that. Scott asked that I share some of the photos from this weekend here on the blog. I hope you all enjoy!

Thank you again to everyone who helped make the ISAC 25th Anniversary weekend a great success! We, the entire ISAC family, truly appreciate all the love and support our students, clients, friends, and family have shown these past 25 years. Thank you for helping Chef Nicholas and Scott to this place! 

ISAC 25th Anniversary Fun Fact: In 2007, Chef Nicholas and Scott host the first Spring Open House event!

Sweetly yours, 

Stephanie

Don't just follow our blog! Follow Chef Lodge on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter!

WINNER of the 2017 Golden Tier Educator of the Year Award

Winner of the 2015 Craftsy Blogger Award for Best Craftsy Cake Decorating Instructor Blog

Chef Nicholas Lodge: 2015 Finalist for the Cake Masters Cake Hero Award. 

Hello friends! I needed to add a correction to the blog!

In-house, Chef Nicholas Lodge classes for the remainder of 2017 are included in the 25% off sale. To secure the 25% off special pricing, you must register for the classes in person at our store, or over the phone: (800)-662-8925.

In addition, the International Sugar Art Collection 25th Anniversary - Part 1 video is now working correctly on the blog. Below the video you find a link to International Sugar Art Collection 25th - Part 2. 

In just two days ISAC will celebrating our 25th Anniversary with a party at our Norcorss, Georgia retail gallery and school! There will be giveaways and prizes, a raffle, and... drum roll please.....

25% OFF THE ENTIRE STORE*!!!

*In stock items only, no speical orders, no layaway. Applies to physical store location only, excludes items on website. In-house Nicholas Lodge classes ARE included in the sale; must call to register for the special pricing.**

Well. I have been mentioning for months that the Nicholas Lodge International Sugar Art Collection is celebrating its 25th Anniversary this year. On July 17, 1992, Chef Nicholas and Scott opened the doors to ISAC, and here we are 25 years later ready to celebrate this momentous occasion. I mentioned last week that only one third of small business make it past the 10 year mark; only one quarter make it past the 15 year mark. Well, ISAC blew past 15 years TEN years ago! This is a very big deal to the entire ISAC family. All of our hard work and dedication has always been for our loyal fan base. 

Because ISAC would not have made it this far without our students, customers, clients, friends, and families, Chef Nicholas and Scott are hosting an anniversary party at our Norcross, GA retail gallery and school! There will be yummy refreshments, and some fun prizes and giveaways!

"When you wish upon a star, makes no difference who you are, anything your heart desires will come to you!"

When you wish upon our SITE (our website that is), you can have all that your heart desires too! I am excited to tell you all about the wishlist feature on our website! You can send the list to someone who may need help giving you a gift, or you can search for a friend's wishlist to surprise them with a gift, or use it to save items you'd like to purchase later. The ISAC wishlist is very easy to use, and I am going to show you how! So... who's ready to make some wishes?! I might even be able to grant someone's wish (be sure to read through to find out how to win!).

First of all, you need to go to our website; if you are reading this blog, chances are you are on our website right this very moment! Just in case, it is www.nicholaslodge.com. Click on the shop button, and then once the shop page opens, you will click on Wishlist at the top.

Chef Nicholas has been judging the National Gingerbread House Competition, at the Omni Grove Park Inn, for many years (quite a few of those as lead judge). This year was no exception, but I do believe that this was the first year that judges and competitors alike needed to brave the terrible wildfires that have been affecting the area! Despite the treacherous weather conditions, there was about 150 fantastic entries this year. While Chef Nicholas lead his team of judges in selecting the winners, Scott was kind enough to take photos of the top ten finalists in each division, so that I could share them with you all! 

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family from Chef Nicholas, Scott, and the entire ISAC family. We wish you a happy holiday spent with loving friends and family (and of course beautiful cakes!). Last year Scott wrote a beautiful message to all of our blog readers, and I wanted to share a part of it again this year, because it is just so well said.

Design and Photo: S.Ewing/ISAC

"I'm thankful for you...our students, customers, clients and decorators that seek the very best in cake decorating equipment and classes. For if it was not for you, there would not be a ISAC school, web site, retail gallery, conventions, cake shows and competitions. It is because of you that we are here. Throughout the year we receive many letters, notes and emails from our vast customer base, many containing photographs of the cakes or sugar art they created using our products or our suggestions. We are always thrilled to know we assisted in some way to help you deliver the best finished product possible for your customer.

However you choose to observe or celebrate the holidays, all of us here at ISAC hope it is the best one ever for you, your family and your dear friends."

Happy Thanksgiving!
Best wishes,
--Scott Ewing, Nicholas Lodge and the entire ISAC Team

Don't just follow our blog! Follow Chef Lodge on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter!

Winner of the 2015 Craftsy Blogger Award for Best Craftsy Cake Decorating Instructor Blog

Chef Nicholas Lodge: 2015 Finalist for the Cake Masters Cake Hero Award. 

Have you heard about pop-up stores? Pop-up events are so hot right now. The first one popped up in Los Angeles in 1997, and now these short terms shops can be found all over the US, Canada, UK, and even as far as Australia! These shops and events are short term, sometimes just a single day, sometimes a few weeks. In 2002 Target opened a pop-up store on a boat at Chelsea Pier in New York City; cell phones providers, airlines, clothing designers, bands, and even restaurants have popped up in different places to the delight of shoppers. 

These short term shops and sales, and events can even be seasonal. That's where ISAC comes in: we are hosting our very own pop-up event starting December 3, 2016! If you are in the Atlanta, Georgia area this December, we would love to have you visit our very own pop-up event: Gingerbread Depot!

Studio B will be transformed into a gingerbread construction zone! All of the supplies will be ready and waiting; when you and your family arrive, your house will be assembled and ready to be designed and decorated! All the candy and icing necessary will be included with the house; of course if you wanted to go for a bolder design, we will have additional candy and icing available. 

ISAC is offering two hour sessions in the morning and afternoons on the following days in December:

Saturday, Dec. 3rd
Wednesday, Dec. 7th
Friday, Dec. 9th
Saturday, Dec. 10th
Wednesday, Dec. 14th
Friday, Dec. 16th
Saturday, Dec. 17th

Gingerbread Depot is the perfect place to make holiday memories. Families, grandparents and grandchildren, couples, and even friends can come together this December and have a little fun with us at our Gingerbread Depot! If you would like to secure your spot, give us a call at 770-453-9449! We can't wait to see you pop in to our pop-up event!

Sweetly yours, 

Stephanie

Don't just follow our blog! Follow Chef Lodge on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter!

Winner of the 2015 Craftsy Blogger Award for Best Craftsy Cake Decorating Instructor Blog

Chef Nicholas Lodge: 2015 Finalist for the Cake Masters Cake Hero Award.