These Two Sisters Created CupCake Fairies And Transformed New Orleans In A Positive Way
Fairies are known as mythical creatures who grant human beings wishes with a wand and a pinch of fairy dust, but what if I told you there were fairies who can fulfill all your sweet dreams IRL? Think I'm kidding?
Well, meet Melissa Woods and Michele Burton-Oatis, sisters who are widely known as the CupCake Fairies.
Located in a peppy pink building on the historic Bayou Road, CupCake Fairies isn't just a cupcake destination, it's a café that carries pies, brownies, cake pops, éclairs, custom cakes, designer cakes, wedding cakes, hummus, coffee, teas, fraps and vegan options. They also offer low sugar and gluten-free. These delectable treats are big and bold and a reflection of their fun-loving personalities and vibrant hometown. And it's truly evolved into a family affair with their husbands and children helping with the execution of their famed desserts.
"It's love. We bake with love. When we're baking we're listening to music, laughing, and having a good time. It's a lively place to be. If you've ever been to New Orleans, you feel the energy," Melissa shared.
Since its inception in 2009, the CupCake Fairies have risen to prominence thanks to the cultivation of their specialty treats and unbelievably moist cupcakes comprised of only the best and finest ingredients. The ladies were even featured on Food Network's popular baking competition Cupcake Wars. For all intents and purposes, noteriaty and a thriving NOLA-based business have been the creamy icing on the two sisters' proverbial cupcakes. What many might not be aware of however is just how humble their beginnings actually were. Especially because baking for a living was never in either of their plans.
Growing up, Melissa and Michele were always close, even with a five-year age gap (Michele is the oldest), but they never thought they would ever go into business together. Born and bred in New Orleans, Melissa and Michele cultivated a business out of the pure love they have for their community whom they also credit for the start of their delicious entrepreneurial endeavor. "We always baked at home. Michele and her husband Michael always did the desserts at holidays. I baked for my kids and so, from that, it just started to become too much so we started giving it out to one of the organizations we worked with and they ordered from us," Melissa explained.
It was also an unconventional healing opportunity for the residents of New Orleans who were recovering from Hurricane Katrina. Michele chimed in, "We had a big event to do with them the following day and they asked if we could bake some cupcakes and we said yeah. Later on that day, I asked how many, and they said 300. And that didn't make Melissa and I happy because we don't bake regular size cupcakes, we bake jumbo cupcakes and we only had two pans at my house. So, I had to realistically do the math and try to figure it out."
After baking all night and the following morning, Melissa and Michele showed up to the event with 300 jumbo cupcakes in hand and with a simple bite, guests began inquiring about the desserts. Playfully implying that they had a little help from fairies to accomplish such a massive order, everyone began referring to them as the "cupcake fairies."
With no plans of turning their fun hobby into a profitable business, they had no company name and when the non-profit decided to write a check for their hard work despite the ladies being volunteers, they wrote it out to CupCake Fairies and thus, their baking business was born. "We felt this is where the universe wanted us to go, so we drove to Baton Rouge with check in hand and [the] LLC Cupcake Fairies and we opened up a bank account that day," Michele said. "When we got home, we were happy, we were excited. But then, the next day, reality set in and we were like 'Ok, what do we do now?' Luckily, we built up a good reputation with our non-profit that those organizations started to support us on that journey. So cupcakes found us."
With their signature Fairy Cakes, which are twice the size as a traditional cupcake, Melissa and Michele captured the attention of people in New Orleans and its surrounding areas, but when they landed on Food Network's Cupcake Wars, they had also captured America's attention."Two of the most memorable experiences that we had on Cupcake Wars was we had a lady, her and her children were going through a rough time and she wanted to do something special for them and her children just loved her, so they planned a family trip to come down to meet the fairies. When we heard that story, it just brought us closer, [and] brought tears [to our eyes] because we were so honored and so we made it so special for them," Melissa shared. "Those are the things that we hold near and dear to our hearts and that's why we push so hard and try to be a good representation of the people that are our family, our city because we understand the impact our presence will make."
Having a positive impact on others has always been their number one passion. Prior to becoming the CupCake Fairies. Michele, who worked in education and Melissa, who worked in finance, developed a non-profit called New Orleans Video Voices after Hurricane Katrina. The non-profit taught documentary film skills to community members and organizations as a platform for empowerment and engagement. Its purpose was to share the real-life stories of the people of New Orleans and the reconstruction of the city.
While their non-profit is no longer active, they still partner with other community organizations to give back and with next year marking CupCake Fairies' 10-year anniversary, their community can expect a special treat. "When we first started out, I called us the funky train. It was an old funky train on the track that wasn't working and nobody wanted it. Now we're on the track and we're beautiful and shining, so everybody who believed in us when we were the funky train, we want to celebrate them as well. It's amazing what this business has done and the people it brought into our lives so that's what the celebration really is about," Michele shared.
For more CupCake Fairies, check out their site: www.cupcakefaires.com and be sure to follow them on Instagram @cupcakefaires.
London Alexaundria is the contributing editor for xoNecole. She is an alum of Clark Atlanta University, where she majored in Mass Media Arts and has worked in journalism for over ten years. You can follow her on Instagram and TikTok @theselfcarewriter
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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The Power Of Your Big 3: Understanding The Astrological Significance You Hold
Explore your sign’s 2024 horoscope predictions to learn what is in store for you this year in love, career, and more. Check out the love compatibility of each sign to learn more about zodiac pairings and all things compatibility.
Astrology has become even more mainstream and a phenomenon than it ever has in the past. We have gone beyond the, “What’s your sign?” and have moved into “What’s your big 3?” seemingly overnight, and rightly so due to the significance of knowing these important details. Your Big 3 in Astrology represents your sun sign, your moon sign, and your rising sign.
This trifecta is thought to be one of the most significant details of your birth chart and gives you and others more of a full-picture look at who you are beyond just your sun sign.
What Does Your Big 3 In Astrology Say About You?
Knowing your big 3 is important, especially if you are someone who has never really resonated with your sun sign. You read about what it means to be an Aries, but may not align with what you see or your experience with other Aries. Meanwhile, the whole time, you have a Libra rising, the complete opposite sign of Aries, and this is why you have always seen yourself as a more laid-back and less confrontational Aries.
Elements hold a key role in your birth chart and having a big 3 where the elements are all compatible or the same often signifies someone who knows who they are and is comfortable in their skin. Whereas someone with a different element for each part of their big 3 may have challenges with identity or defining who they are or how they want to present themselves. It’s a different type of perspective when looking into your big 3, and it helps you see where your strengths and needs are in life, and how to tap more into this potential.
Your Big 3 In Astrology Explained
Your big 3 can help you navigate life by understanding which part of you comes out more in different circumstances. At home, you are most like your moon sign, when you are out and about, you are most like your rising sign. Whether you are at home or out and about, your goals, purpose, and interests are most like your sun sign.
You can find out what your big 3 is by looking up a ‘Birth Chart Calculator’ on your search engine, typing in your birthday details (you will need to know your birth date, location, and the exact time you were born), and generating your birth chart.
Read below for your sun, moon, and rising signs.
YOUR SUN SIGN
Your sun sign represents the core of you and what motivates you to shine and be your best self. This is your personality, goals, purpose, identity, ego, interests, direction, and where you light up in life.
FIRE SUN (Aries Sun, Leo Sun, Sagittarius Sun)
If you are an Aries sun, a Leo sun, or a Sagittarius sun, you are outgoing, confident, fearless, and in tune with yourself and your personal goals and desires in life. You go after the things you want, and you are not afraid to take up space. You are someone who prefers to be more independent, and you are often in more leadership roles in life.
EARTH SUN (Taurus Sun, Virgo Sun, Capricorn Sun)
If you are a Taurus sun, a Virgo sun, or a Capricorn sun, you are grounded, dependable, loyal, hard-working, and logical. You prefer the finer things in life but also work hard to get where you are. You are someone others feel they can rely on, and you are often a support for other people in your life. You are very connected to the material sides of life, and have a gift for manifesting.
AIR SUN (Gemini Sun, Libra Sun, Aquarius Sun)
If you are a Gemini sun, a Libra sun, or an Aquarius sun, you are light-hearted, free-flowing, intelligent, and communicative. You speak what is on your mind, and you love to connect and communicate with others. People know you for the things you say and your out-of-the-box ideas, and you are someone who is open-minded and provides a safe space for people to be authentically themselves.
WATER SUN (Cancer Sun, Scorpio Sun, Pisces Sun)
If you are a Cancer sun, a Scorpio sun, or a Pisces sun, you are thoughtful, generous, emotional, loving, and compassionate. You care deeply about the people you love, and you are always there for others. You may be more emotional than most, and this is due to your strong intuition and open heart. You are creative, inspiring, and motivated towards connection in life.
YOUR MOON SIGN
Your moon sign represents your emotions. This is the way you express yourself emotionally, how you process your emotions, what you need in love, what makes you feel safe and nurtured, your desires, intuition, your inner world, and what’s going on beneath the surface.
FIRE MOON (Aries Moon, Leo Moon, Sagittarius Moon)
If you are an Aries moon, a Leo moon, or a Sagittarius moon, you are someone who is not afraid to communicate your emotions or how you are feeling, and you can feel your emotions from a mile away. You are confident in yourself and are someone who stands up for what you feel is right. You have a strong need to be seen and heard in your relationships, and a certain type of understanding is needed for you to emotionally thrive. You may have some challenges with anger or high energy and are working through emotional impulses in this lifetime.
EARTH MOON (Taurus Moon, Virgo Moon, Capricorn Moon)
If you are a Taurus moon, a Virgo moon, or a Capricorn moon, you are someone who is emotionally grounded, safe, comforting, and logical. You aren’t overly emotional and may not show your emotions to people much at all, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have them. You think before you speak, and you process your emotions before acting on them, and you tend to be more down-to-earth and understanding when it comes to other people’s emotional worlds as well. You are someone people go to when they need someone to talk to you as you are a very good listener.
AIR MOON (Gemini Moon, Libra Moon, Aquarius Moon)
If you are a Gemini moon, a Libra moon, or an Aquarius moon, you are someone who is fun, outgoing, and emotionally open-minded. You don’t like heavy emotions or too much emotional drama, and you tend to be more go-with-the-flow in this area of your life. Good conversation and mutual understanding are very important to you in your relationships and you want funny banter and inspiration in your connections with others.
WATER MOON (Cancer Moon, Scorpio Moon, Pisces Moon)
If you are a Cancer moon, a Scorpio moon, or a Pisces moon, you are someone who lives by their heart and values your emotional world deeply. You crave a deep type of intimacy in your partnerships and you need a partner who is going to give you that type of emotional connection. You are more private with your emotional world and you tend to hold a lot in, but this can often lead to sudden outbursts as well. Overall, you are the definition of emotion and others learn a lot from you on what it means to love and to feel.
YOUR ASCENDANT (RISING SIGN)
Your ascendant sign represents your perception and the energy you put out into the world. This is the way you come across to others, the way you express yourself, your physical traits and aesthetics, how you manifest, society, and what you expect from the world around you.
FIRE ASCENDANT (Aries Rising, Leo Rising, Sagittarius Rising)
If you are an Aries rising, a Leo rising, or a Sagittarius rising, you come across to others as confident, bold, and stylish. You are known for the way you look or the way you present yourself, and you are usually adorned in bright colors or wearing something that others take a lot of notice of. You are someone who walks into a room, and all eyes are on you, and you love that. You want to be on the move and on the go, and you love to show up in the world exactly as you are today. You see the world with a lot of possibilities and like it's yours to have fun and enjoy yourself in.
EARTH ASCENDANT (Taurus Rising, Virgo Rising, Capricorn Rising)
If you are a Taurus rising, a Virgo rising, or a Capricorn rising, you come across to others as responsible, beautiful, natural, and dependable. You are a hard worker, and you may be known for your career or the work that you do. You are someone who walks into a room and people feel an immediate sense of comfort and like you are someone they can trust. You have strong values and goals, and you are someone who knows what they want. People love to be around your down-to-earth energy, and you make others feel safe and grounded.
AIR ASCENDANT (Gemini Rising, Libra Rising, Aquarius Rising)
If you are a Gemini rising, a Libra rising, or an Aquarius rising, you come across to others as outgoing, friendly, and talkative. You see the world as a place to learn, connect, and be inspired, and you are on a quest for knowledge and understanding. You connect with people from all walks of life, and you tend to have a pretty open-minded and unique friend group. You care a lot about your style and aesthetic and always strive to be authentically you wherever you are. You can talk to people for hours and are often meeting new people and making new friends wherever you go.
WATER ASCENDANT (Cancer Rising, Scorpio Rising, Pisces Rising)
If you are a Cancer rising, a Scorpio rising, or a Pisces rising, you navigate life through the lens of your emotions, and you are deeply connected to the undercurrents of life. You are ruled by your emotions, and this side of you is not something you can keep hidden away easily. You get emotional when you think about society and others at large, and you want to be known for the kind and sincere person you are. When you walk into a room, you feel other people's energy right away and are highly empathic and intuitive.
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