Today we’d like to introduce you to Jenefer Taylor.
Hi Jenefer, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’ve always had a love for beauty. And it’s something anyone can find in nature, in animals, inside themselves or it’s something one can create!
True beauty is found within your heart. Beauty is when you use your gifts to brighten the lives of others. It’s in how you carry yourself and in the way you get back up when you have fallen. It’s the smile you give to a stranger. It is when you fully embrace the beautiful creature God created you to be. It is when you shine from the inside out.
Blueberry, my Border Collie is the leading force of beauty in my life. She doesn’t care what I look like or what mistakes I’ve made, she just loves. Blue is my inspiration for my business, BLUEM (pronounced Bloom). I love creating beauty in all I do and have always enjoyed taking my creations to the next level, whether in the foods I prepare or with the design of my home, garden, floral arrangements and tablescapes.
Last year, I wanted to do something I had never attempted before and baked my mom an organic olive oil cake for her birthday (having no baking experience). She had purchased a lovely bottle of Garcia de La Cruz Olive Oil from Spain and that became my main ingredient. I picked peach and crimson roses from the garden (ones I had planted) and added lush greens, pistachios and macadamia nuts to give it that extra visual punch! I shared it on my Instagram, began getting multiple orders for custom cakes, cupcakes and cookies and shortly after, opened my business, BLUEM MALIBU.
BLUEM stems from my love of nature and anything sweet. I choose to believe that every day brings an opportunity to celebrate life’s biggest moments, its littlest wins & everything in between. My desserts are made with the purest quality organic ingredients and are adorned with flowers.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Having had no prior professional baking experience or training when it comes to running a business, there have definitely been learning lessons. Once I forgot the baking powder and the cake didn’t rise. Another time, I delivered a cake in the heat of the day and the entire top layer fell to the side. Luckily, I have not dropped a cake when delivering! At the time, little mistakes can be very frustrating, but now I can look back without judgment and learn from them. Oprah has said, “What is the next best action?” I love applying that question in my business. It reminds me to slow down, stay prepared and organized and focus on pouring my all into each dessert, with precise detail and attention.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I believe in manifesting and creating the life you dream of. I like to visualize what I want and then take action towards that goal. I have always dreamt of a garden and oddly enough, before I started BLUEM, my steps over the last several years led perfectly towards supporting my business now.
When I first moved into my little beach cottage six years ago, the entire “yard” was a dirt pile. I spent every weekend planting and pouring love into the soil. Now, it is a romantic and magical garden filled with love, lemon trees, blood oranges, blueberries, English Garden roses, lavender, jasmine, rosemary, snapdragons and sweet peas. There are hummingbirds, all sorts of wild finches, owls, doves, ladybugs and honey bees fluttering in and around this scented space I call home. Getting my hands dirty and tending to the soil has come back 10 fold and for that, I am very grateful. With all the beauty the garden provides, I get to now share this with my clients through my work.
What’s next?
I’d love to expand. Currently, I do everything myself and work from home while my 3 pups (Blueberry, my Border Collie, Parker, my Coton de Tulear, Branch, my Daschund Mix) and pig (Olive, the Russian Red Spotted) all play outside in the sunshine!
The majority of my clients have been through word of mouth and instagram. I’d love to continue growing throughout the Malibu, Santa Barbara and Los Angeles areas. I’m also in the early working stages of publishing a book showcasing my designs for others to be inspired. It would be ideal to incorporate every passion; gardening, baking, designing, arranging florals and tablescapes and reach a wider audience.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.bluemmalibu.com
- Instagram: bluemmalibu
Image Credits
Lauren Newman (photo with hat and rose) Jacob Pickett (photos with bowls in kitchen) Jenefer Taylor (I took all dessert images)
