Glitter City Sweets is the dream, passion and love of one woman (and her incredibly supportive family and friends.)
Born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, food was an obsession of Shae's from the very beginning.
"I pretty much came out of the womb wondering ‘what’s for dinner?’ I think it’s genetic, I come from a long line of incredible cooks and bakers.”
In fact, Shae’s paternal Great-Grandmother sold the cakes she baked at home in a case at a department store in Madera, California at the turn of the century.
“She was this amazing baker and she did it all on a wood stove without any of the modern conveniences. In fact, when they got her a gas stove she made them put it out on the back porch, because she was afraid the ‘new fangled machine’ would blow up the house. I’d be lost without my mixer, but she did it all by hand.”
Shae didn’t learn to bake from that side of the family, though.
“My Grandma Charlotte was a fantastic cook, but a terrible baker. My brother and I used to be amazed that it was possible to make these flat, hard, burnt biscuits when she used a no-fail biscuit mix to begin with. But it didn’t matter how bad the biscuits were, because her gravy was so good.”
So Shae had to learn how to bake from her mother, Stacie.
“My dad liked dessert every day, so my mom always used to bake for him. My mom is a terrific baker and she taught me how to bake. In fact, by the time I was twelve or so I was the chief pie baker in the family. My dad loved pie so I would bake him boysenberry, pecan and apple pies, all from scratch. In fact, I still use fresh pumpkins for my holiday pies. My family would kill me if I used the canned stuff. And yes, you really can tell a difference.”
Still, food was only a part time passion. After attending the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Shae worked in the accounting field. A love of performing that started with a part in the seventh grade play led to her taking a night class titled “How to Become a Comedian”.
“I thought it was a goof class. Like we’d all sit around just watching Eddie Murphy’s stand up concerts or something. I never thought we would have to perform.”
Four weeks later Shae was performing at a Las Vegas hotel and she became a paid comic that same week. She was named the best new stand up in Las Vegas and performed at famous comedy clubs across the country like The Laugh Factory, The Ice House, Caroline’s and The Comedy Stop. She even performed in a show on the Las Vegas Strip, working two shows a night, six nights a week.
“I met some wonderful people, and I got to open for some great comics like Bob Saget, Margaret Cho, Ray Romano and Janeane Garofalo. I also made some awesome friends. But I didn’t want to go out on the road anymore.”
So it’s ironic that her biggest television exposure actually came while she was working to help manage one of the largest law firms in Nevada, when she appeared on the megahit gameshow “Who Wants to be a Millionaire”.
“I love trivia and my brain is just full of random knowledge, so I jumped at the chance to be on the show. It was so much fun, flying to New York City and getting to meet Regis Philbin. And winning $64,000 was pretty cool too.”
Always looking for new challenges, Shae decided to write and direct her first film. “Supermodels” went on to win her a screenwriting award from the Tahoe-Reno International Film Festival and a Special Jury Prize at the Las Vegas International Film Festival. She continues to love filmmaking, co-starring in the award winning motion picture “You People”. She recently completed a role in the new feature film "Territory 8" written and directed by Emmy nominated filmmaker Kelly Schwarze.
“My life long love of food led me to doing a lot of craft service (movie speak for catering) on movie sets. I’ve been catering for my friends and family for many years too. Trust the fat girl with the food, that’s my motto.”
So after years of cooking for everything but a profession, Shae decided to make the leap and open Glitter City.
“I’m so lucky to have a family that supports me, no matter what I do. This is my dream, to bake for a living. Making great food is all about style and substance for me. You want people to admire it but when they bite in to it you have to deliver the goods. For me, it’s my art. Except where Picasso used oils, I use icing.”
So what would Shae like to tell everyone who visits Glitter City?
“Follow your dreams, no matter what crazy roads they take you down. It might not be a perfect life, but it will be an interesting one. And try my candy, trust me, you’re gonna love it!”