It’s not even 3AM & I have over 50 birthday wishes, you guys are truly amazing! As a token of my appreciation, I want to give you a present… Here’s a sneak peek of the upcoming Oven Fresh Dreams & Grits Apparel collaboration in the format of a downloadable wallpaper for your laptops & macbooks! Enjoy everyone!

Your Friendly Neighborhood Baker,
Carlos J.

My life has been keeping me busy lately, it is a bittersweet feeling. I have many ideas for Oven Fresh Dreams and it is exciting to see them slowly come to life. My biggest project is a collaboration (for Women Rights) with B. Fresh Photography, which is aimed for a March release. I won’t get into details just yet because we have a lot of homework to do. All I can say is cross your fingers and hope everything goes according to plan, it’s going to be epic (a definite curve ball). In other news, there was a little mishap in my beloved Philippines, where a clothing line by the name of Meatroll was accused of plagiarizing our beloved Nick Automatic x Oven Fresh Dreams t-shirt. A day has passed since the incident arose and one of their team members, Adrian, wrote a message apologizing for the similarities. He continued to say that Meatroll did not mean to disrespect Nicolo & I. To be honest… I was never really offended by the alleged copycat shirt, I was just having fun with it on Facebook. But out of respect, I removed the posts poking fun of the situation. Adrian’s message was very respectful and pleasant to read, I wish Meatroll the best in their future endeavors… There’s always more room for master bakers!

Every now and then, I speak on an email that stands out to me. Normally the topics range from asking for advice to wishing me luck, but recently there’s been a different trend. The two questions that best sum up this trend is “Is there a Mrs. Oven Fresh Dreams” & “How Do You Separate Business & Private Life”. To answer these questions (for those who want to know), I do not have a girlfriend because I was not always good at separating things in my life. I’ll be quite honest with you, my involvement in Oven Fresh Dreams the past couple of months was one of the main factors that ruined my past relationship (I am at fault). My desire to create & motivate others blinded me from the love I had right in front of me… but looking back at it now it’s for the better. Believe me when I say this, I do believe in love (it is not a cliche concept) & a relationship is possible while I continue to build my future. I did not know the right way to balance life in the past, but through life’s trial and error; I am a better person. Although I am never looking from love, I never discredit the possibility (it’s the only way to truly live & love the right way).

P.S. For those who asked what I look for in a girl… individuality, confidence, & something special.

Your Friendly Neighborhood Baker,
Carlos J.

I have been in the mood to listen to The Hush Sound, so I spent the entire walk to & from work yesterday listening to all three of their albums.

“You are the dark ocean bottom
And I am the fast sinking anchor
Should I fall for you x2
You are the scar on my tissue
That I show all of my new friends
Should I show you me”

For the bloggers out there, try listening to The Secret Handshake (only his old stuff… his new stuff is kind of lame & sounds like a watered down version of Mayer Hawthorne) while you’re writing, I find it very energizing. I won’t lie, between the rain & the fact I’ve been packaging orders all day, the urge to write a blog entry is minimal… However there’s been way too many good things happening NOT to write an entry. For those of you who do not follow me on Twitter, I was featured on Coty Gonzales’ website (please excuse the silly looking hat). Coty was nice enough to visit me at work, chat with me about t-shirts & food… and even promote Oven Fresh Dreams on his website! It was quite the honor because I have been reading his blog & watching his video updates religiously for roughly two years, so the feeling is quite surreal. The feeling from the feature has really transcended into many other things like the desire to open up my shop in the near future. I am still discussing the details over with friends, but it is something I really want to pursue by at least 2012. As for the present, I am beyond humbled by the amount of preorders for my latest t-shirt release tomorrow night. In combination with many other swell things going on, O.F.D is truly starting to take form & it’s a wonderful thing to see, thank you.

Your Friendly Neighborhood Baker,
Carlos J.

I wake up every morning with a smile on my face, but I know I am not a perfect person. Life is constantly changing & I embrace it. If you really look at it, what’s not to smile about? Each day we wake up in a bed knowing we are loved by many… friends, family, & in some cases boyfriends/girlfriends or even husbands/wives. To me, that’s all you need to smile as soon as you wake up. Unfortunately, many of us overlook the simplest things to make us smile… not that love is a simple thing. Let’s be honest, we all know love is probably the most complex thing to describe as well as the most private thing to feel. I think it deserves to be that way, that is what makes it so special to love or be loved. Now before you attack me for being cliche just think about it… What would your life feel like without the concept of love? I can honestly say I love the people in my life because without you their would be no me. You give me the strength, the courage, the support I need to take the risks that I do. There are many people who doubt me & there are even more people who think I am crazy, but it is you I listen to. I want to say I love all of you for joining me on my journey & I promise I will not let you down. It may not be easy, it may take a long time, but at the end of the day I will make you all proud!

Your Friendly Neighborhood Baker,
Carlos J.

Behind any solid & passionate company (brand) is a strong work ethic. Your supporters must be in the know how of what you are doing with yourself & for the company. For those of you who support Benny Gold & Johnny Cupcakes know exactly what I mean. There’s something organic & special about looking behind the scenes of your favorite brands… Hopefully this entry can provide that feeling.

A lot of you may remember Tim Farrer as the man that gave Oven Fresh Dreams a face lift, but not many of you know he’s been one of my best friends since kindergarten. The bond we have helps us see eye to eye when brainstorming & believe me it helps. I am a man with a vision & he’s a man with a vision, if we don’t see eye to eye, things can get a little hectic (but that’s the beauty of creating). That’s why grabbing a bunch of books & references are crucial in all of this. You can always improve on an idea, so by exposing yourself to others’ ideas can really help shape yours. Design & collaboration does not come easy, but the process to a finish product is a good one. I hope this entry serves as the fuel to start & continue with your own projects. Inspiration is all around us & just a mere conversation with another person can spark wonderful things. You should never look for inspiration because the best form always comes naturally. I thank those who read my blogs, support Oven Fresh Dreams, & like me as a person. You are the people who inspire me on a daily basis, you help O.F.D take form.

Your Friendly Neighborhood Baker,
Carlos J.

This weekend has been one of the best in a long time. I spent the entire weekend with good people, I truly love my friends. On top of that my fondness of living in the city is constantly growing, so it is a winning combination. Nothing can beat good people, good food, & good drinks (I am not an alcoholic, I swear). Luckily for me, the whole weekend was filled with these three things.

Fresthetic had their three year anniversary this Saturday & needless to say it was beyond dope. The streetwear/art scene has always been a large part of who I am, but I have always hated the attitudes & clout that came with it. This is why I love the people at Fresthetic because they run a wonderful shop that is based on passion & community. While many businesses are shutting down in this city, they celebrated the beautiful struggle of being open three whole years. I truly wish them the best in the future & want to pay respect to my homie Gio as well as Eddie & Randy. People have always been told New York is filled with heartless people, thank you for debunking that theory.

P.S. I also want to shout out Rebecca of B Fresh Photography. She took my picture (I was wearing my collaboration with Nick Automatic) at the celebration on Saturday. I love the fact that she is passionate about photography, but also because she is a freelance photographer. It just goes to show you, you can do anything by yourself if you have the drive. Check out her website on your spare time & who knows you may see a collaboration in the future.

Your Friendly Neighborhood Baker,
Carlos J.

Don’t act like you’re surprised… But as promised, here are two new entries for your reading pleasure!

Sunday
The art of putting life into prospective is challenging yet invigorating. Life is a complex, forever changing concept, that overwhelms most of us. I think there’s a select few of us in this world that take time out & simply enjoy it. That’s exactly what I have been doing since I moved back to New York, especially this past weekend. What may be simple to one person can mean the world to the next & to me that is something beautiful…. This past weekend made realize this. While I read all the status updates on Facebook & Twitter, I was at home baking orders, chatting with family, & having a blast at the Met. While I was there I found this lovely handcrafted Orcarina (enjoy Zelda fans) as well as many other priceless gems. The Met is amazing stand alone, but with good company it truly something else! So please promise me… promise me you’ll go outside, enjoy the arts, & eat delicious food. Seriously what can beat good people in your life, taking in your surroundings, & eating like royalty?! I can not think of anything better, feel free to leave me a comment if you can think of something (because I don’t believe you).

Monday: Baking Tip of the Week
For those who know me, know I dislike this woman’s ideology when it comes to cooking… However she is a very talented chef & probably one of the friendliest people you can meet. That’s why Paula Dean is the perfect person to listen to when it comes to cookies (insert joke here). Pay attention to her because I may or may not throw a cookie contest in the near future. Happy Baking!

P.S. I am happy & I hope you are too.

Your Friendly Neighborhood Baker,
Carlos J.

In my defense, I have been having a really good week… so blogging kind of took second priority. I know some of you maybe be thinking I am a phony since I promised four blog entries a week, but at least I’ll post 50% of that promise. My life is really taking a positive turn, not that it was ever in a negative state… but let’s just say I am doing a lot of smiling lately. Now I will be nice & keep my reasons for smiling a secret, but just know the future days, weeks, & months are going to be epic. What does this mean for you? Let’s just say the way I am feeling O.F.D. will be a household name sooner than later!

Tim & I are working on a new marketing campaign or should I say my first marketing campaign. The beauty of O.F.D. is the fact that it’s an extension of me, therefore I never had to market anything… All I had to do is be myself. However this campaign is going to be fun & here’s a sneak preview. I look forward to this & the other projects that are being worked on. I have been blessed to be surrounded by such creative & supportive people. Thank you for keeping my our dream alive!

Your Friendly Neighborhood Baker,
Carlos J.

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Blog updates four times a week starting next week (Sunday, Monday (baking tips), Tuesday, & Thursday). A lot (good things) has been going on in my life, thanks for understand & taking the journey with me. I love you all & thank you for supporting Oven Fresh Dreams!

Here’s what’s playing in my headphones:

P.S. My friend Levi over at Grits featured me on his blog.

Your Friendly Neighborhood Baker,
Carlos J.