Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrea Nett.
Andrea, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
This is my story from my website andreassweetoccasions.com.
Make today a sweet occasion.
Time is unknown to us.
Cherish every moment, every laugh, every talk and especially, every hug.
Would you like to try?”
Those simple words changed me into the person I am today. Honey, we called her, although she was born as Elizabeth Opal Ray. She is my grandmother, my dad’s mom. She was a wonderful, loving, inspiring, Christian woman with a love for all things family. Grandma Honey was, is, and always will be the voice beside me asking me, “would you like to try?”
I didn’t know how to cook or bake. Grandma Honey must have seen something in me that I didn’t know existed. Now I enjoy cooking and have a passion for baking, decorating cakes, and desserts. All I had to do was try.
2005 – I began this dream of someday making wedding cakes for people at an affordable price. Now this dream is a reality. Time made things a little harder for me. I never really knew what I wanted to do with my life; I took many turns and hit many bumps, but the dream remained.
I baked and decorated my first birthday cake in February of 2005.
I learned so much from just one 9×13 inch basic cake.
We made the cake, made the icing and learned how to write
and pipe all in one afternoon. Now, let me just say, piping takes technique and
patience. Some of it came quite easily, some of it didn’t.
But, it wasn’t bad at all…and it tasted YUMMY!
Fast forward to 2012; I graduated from the Arts Institute at Kansas City with my Associates degree in Baking and Pastry. I can’t say I learned anything there that I didn’t already know from my Grandma, but it was an experience nonetheless.
I had several of the best chef instructors. I learned from them what I didn’t learn from my grandmother, kitchen skills. I figured out how to take the basics of a kitchen and use them to make a better product.
Upon graduation, my friend and I wanted to go into business together. For several months we tried to come up with a name to suit us; finally it came, Sweet Occasions. We were going to provide cake design and event planning. And, we had a few gigs, which turned out pretty fantastic.
My friend decided to go to business school. We thought we would go in to business together where she would be the brains and I would be the creator. The best laid plans…right?
I still took the occasional order, but it was hard to do it alone and Grandma helped as much as she could. She was getting weaker day by day. As time went on I was getting better, so all I needed was her company.
In 2014, Grandma Honey passed away.
I took a sabbatical from baking and event planning. My heart wasn’t in it anymore. She was gone and I didn’t want to do it without her. I loved her so much and loved baking at her house. I would go over and bake and we would sit at the table talking about life and solving all the world problems.
At lunch time we would have sandwiches, bologna and cheese or grilled cheese — if I was feeling crazy. Sometimes, Aunt Shelly was there and we would laugh and laugh all afternoon.
Grandma was a rock, an inspiration.
Grandma was the woman I want to be when I grow up.
She loved like there was no tomorrow.
Her family was her greatest joy.
Happiness was in the room when Grandma Honey
was there.
I wasn’t ready to let her go.
In the end, it wasn’t up to me.
Keep moving forward. Dreams are made to become reality. But, reality is hard. Time gets away from you and you realize its been more than twelve years. Where has time gone, and why does it take people you love.
I find myself ready to get back in the game. With Grandma in heaven praying for me and watching over me, I am ready.
Andrea’s Sweet Occasions is here, and we are ready to reach for the stars.
-Andrea Nett
Daughter, Sister, Aunt, Wife, Step-Mother,
Entrepreneur, Customer Service and Accounting Manager, Pastry Chef, Paralegal, and most importantly,
a child of God.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No not at all.
Time gets in the way. Money gets in the way. And even health issues get in the way. But through it all I have a family that supports me. As you can see through my story, I had no intention of starting a bakery, but when my grandma asked me if I wanted to try decorating, I couldn’t tell her no and it lead to my little home based bakery.
Then I decided I would try culinary school, and although I graduated with honors, it was not what I hoped it would be. Upon graduation I intended to start a brick and mortar bakery with my friend, but other opportunities opened for her and I continued with the home bakery alone.
After grandma died, I was lost for a little while and I didn’t know if I wanted to continue. But after several years I decided to pick up my piping bag and move on with my dream. Life since then has moved so fast and I find myself 26 years in, happy, healthy and continuing my grandma’s dream.
As you know, we’re big fans of Andrea’s Sweet Occasions. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Andrea’s Sweet Occasions started in 2005 and have been in the wedding business for over 25 years. Andrea’s is known for its traditional American buttercream and delicious moist cakes. My buttercream is 100% butter and never made with lard or shortening. All of my recipes are handed down from grandma Honey or altered from cookbook recipes over the years.
Weddings are the main focus of my business, however family events are my main priority. I love seeing the faces of the customer (or their children) when they see my creation. Every cake is unique and every person is unique. There are times when I fail, but even in those failures I find the beauty of creation. Every time I leave a venue I leave a part of myself. I put everything I have in to every order I receive. Each person, each guest, each customer is part of my business and part of my life. I love what I do and I love that I get to keep helping others create life long memories.
Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
Sunday dinners. Grandma Honey always hosted Sunday dinners, not just for birthday dinners, but every Sunday. And,, we were expected to come. I loved going. When my Aunt Shelly and Uncle Forey were alive, my dad and them would laugh for hours telling old stories about when they were young; or it was my dad and my uncle telling jokes – just to make my aunt and grandma laugh. Family is very important to me. In fact, we still have Sunday dinners, but now they are at my mom and dad’s and my sisters and I are the aunts trying to be love and laughter to my nieces and nephews in a hard world.
Pricing:
- My goal is, and always has been, to create a beautiful wedding dessert table at an affordable price. If we have a budget, we try to stay within said budget and still provide the bride and groom with a beautiful setting.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Andreassweetoccasions.com
- Instagram: Innergiggle
- Facebook: https://Facebook.com/andreassweetoccasions
- LinkedIn: Andrea Nett
