By Virginia Hudson
4 am at the Delta Airlines airline terminal at New York’s LaGuardia Airport. Passengers busily move through the terminal making their way to their flights. Others are being patted down, having their luggage checked and removing their shoes at the security checkpoint. Arriving fours hours early for an 8 am flight to the Bahamas may seem extreme, but for the cake designer Charmaine Jones it’s a necessity. She sits watching the spectacle inside the terminal with three large brown cardboard boxes next to her. “It’s always drama,” she stresses. “That’s why I like to get here early.”
At the boarding gate, 30 minutes before departure a small group-a couple from Long Island, a woman traveling alone and a young couple gaze at the boxes wondering what’s inside. After a number of inquiries Jones lifts the lid off of one of the boxes.
“Oohs” and “ahs” are heard, with her cakes becoming the topic of conversation. The box reveals one tier of a three-tier cream wedding cake. Yum.
Jones will admit that she handles her mouth-watering tasty treats as if they are precious cargo. She puts creative energy and passion in each and every one of her Isn’t That Special Outrageous Cakes – it’s no wonder she’s been dubbed the cake diva.
Jones has been making her spectacular cakes for more than ten years. Her heavenly designs have graced the pages of national and local magazines, television’s steamiest soaps and she has created sweets for well-known celebrities and numerous corporate clients. But while the rich and famous devour her edible creations, you can too. Jones promises that her designer cakes are for everyone.
A tall woman with creamy ivory brown skin and shoulder length reddish-brown ringlets, Jones was previously a successful model traveling the world. Before trading in make-up and mascara for baking pans, flour and sugar, Jones studied art. Little did she know that her newly learned skills would open up a fledgling business. She put her flair for style and creative ideas into her cake design firm Isn’t That Special Outrageous Cakes in Hoboken, New Jersey.
And what about the cake making its way to the Bahamas? No problem. The couple celebrated their wedding in style as their cake arrived safe and sound. For Jones, it was business as usual. However, she’s glad it’s over. “I can relax now!”
However, getting a slice of her artistry is not cheap. Prices begin at $250.00.
And For more on Charmaine Jones and Isn’t That Special Outrageous Cakes, visit www.cakediva.com or call 201/216-0123. M
July 2002