Where are you based?
I divide my time between Portugal and Florida. Portugal has been home since 1998, and I've also had a design studio in Florida since 2016. My wedding schedule means I spend the summer season in Portugal and the winter season in Florida, although we're always flying back and forth depending on work. In Portugal, we live just outside Sintra, near the coast, surrounded by nature and amazing sunsets, which are a constant source of inspiration for me.
What took you to Lisbon? Why Portugal?
I came to Portugal in 1998 for a three-month internship, when I was 25. I didn't expect how deeply Portugal would influence me creatively. The architecture, tiles, palaces, craftsmanship, faded grandeur, light and gardens, all became part of my visual language without me really realising it. And then I met my husband, Jacques, after I'd been here for only a month! So Portugal gave me both an artistic and a personal home.
Tell us about your life journey and creating the luxury wedding cake business.
I have a Fine Arts degree and briefly studied architecture in Florence. Before cakes, I worked in technical illustration, graphic and web design and art direction, and later owned and ran two magazines in Portugal. I've also written five books. Cake had always been a hobby, but when it transformed into a profession, it brought together everything I had done before: fine art, architecture, illustration, design, publishing, even storytelling. My cakes are often very architectural and sculptural, and I think of them as more than dessert. A wedding cake can be an extraordinary piece of art at the centre of a celebration, something that reflects not only the couple, but also the atmosphere around them.
Was it a childhood dream to be a cake designer?
Cake was always a hobby when I was little. I remember making cream cheese frosting and sitting on the sofa eating it on saltine crackers while watching TV after school. I don't think I ever imagined it would become my profession, but if someone had told that little girl this was what she would be doing one day, I think she would have been pretty excited. I was always creative. As a Fine Arts major, figuring out what came next wasn't particularly straightforward. So, in many ways, I had to create my own path. I didn't grow up dreaming about cake. I grew up learning how to see.
How was starting this business in Portugal for you? Any advice? Was the swap from US to PT complicated?
My story is really the reverse. I moved from the US to Portugal before I started my cake business, and years later expanded the business from Portugal into the US. Portugal was a very different place in 1998. I remember how difficult it was in the beginning just to find certain ingredients I was used to cooking or baking with. Starting here also gave me an incredible creative foundation. Portugal has such a strong tradition of craftsmanship, decorative arts and architecture, and all of that has influenced my work. Expanding into the US was another learning curve. The wedding industry, the scale, expectations and logistics are different. Working in both markets gives me a perspective I wouldn't have had if I stayed in just one place.
My advice would be not to assume that what works in one country will work in another. Understand the culture, but don't lose what makes your work distinctly yours. That difference can eventually become your greatest strength.
What have been the key turning points in your life?
To me, luxury isn't about a price tag. It's about quality, craftsmanship, time and attention to detail.
Moving to Portugal at 25 was the first major one because it completely changed the direction of my life. Meeting and marrying Jacques was another. He has been beside me through every version of my creative life and has always believed in whatever crazy idea I decided to pursue next. Turning cake from a hobby into a profession was another. It became a career I never could have imagined, taking me around the world and giving me opportunities I never would have expected. Expanding into the United States was another huge leap. It meant building a second life and business while maintaining the one I had in Portugal. One of the biggest turning points has been learning to trust my own creative voice. The older I get, the less interested I am in following trends and the more interested I am in creating work that feels personal, meaningful and timeless.
Any role models?
Yes. Two Sylvias. My grandmother Sylvia, who taught me how to bake, and Sylvia Weinstock, who showed me what a wedding cake could be. She created the most incredible cakes and inspired me to want to make enormous, beautifully embellished wedding cake installations. They influenced me in different ways, but I love that they shared the same name.
Life mottos?
I believe very strongly in sharing what you know. I've never understood the idea that helping someone else grow takes something away from you. Quite the opposite.
Generosity creates more opportunity, more connection and ultimately more growth for everyone. And at the most basic level, treat people the way you would want to be treated. It sounds simple, but it matters.
How do you define luxury?
Real luxury can be a handmade object, an extraordinary meal, beautiful linen, fresh flowers from the garden, a perfectly set table or something made especially for one person. My own luxury is probably time. Time at home with Jacques, breakfast in bed, my garden, my cats, traveling somewhere beautiful, discovering a wonderful restaurant or wandering through a museum without having to rush anywhere. And I have to admit, I really do love beautiful things.
How is life in your expat home?
My home in Portugal is my refuge. We're near Sintra, so it's cooler and greener than Lisbon. I love having that sense of nature around me. We rebuilt our house 20 years ago. We joke that I got to design it and Jacques, the engineer, made sure it would stand up. When I'm there, I love being home. Jacques makes me breakfast in bed every morning and when I'm not working on a cake or a book in my studio, I'm usually doing something in the garden, researching some new idea or planning our next adventure. It's a different rhythm from my life in Florida, and I need both.
Expat or a local?
After 30 years, I think I've earned the right to say a little of both! I'm American, but Portugal is deeply part of who I am. I've lived here for most of my adult life. I built a career here, met my husband, created a home and learned about beauty, culture and creativity. I still occasionally have very American moments, and I'm sure there are times when the Portuguese people think, "She is definitely not from here."
So perhaps I'm an expat who became a local without ever completely stopping being an expat. And I rather like that combination.