TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — The segment is called "Dan's Discoveries" but some of these stories could be called "Claire Uncovers the News."
Today's discovery was her idea - and it was truly a joy to talk to Joy about her hobby that has turned into an incredibly sweet, successful business.
When Joy Charlson started baking a few years back, she had no idea her new hobby would grow the way that it has.
"This is all edible. Every piece is edible," she told me.
"It was birthdays, anniversaries, any kind of celebration or party that you could think of. Baby showers, bridal showers, weddings, you name it."
What she named it - this new home based business - Joyful Bouqcakes, with a wide variety of flowers and arrangements that look real.
"It's that shock and awe of, like, am I looking at real flowers or am I looking at something I can eat... [It's] almost too pretty to eat," Joy said.
Almost.
And these are no simple creations.
"I've done some rose buds, and a peony bud. And then these are just called drop flowers. They kind of look like hydrangeas..."
"But you're not a botanist either?" I asked.
"No, I'm not..." she said.
"That's crazy to say this is how a petal would be formed. That's crazy."
No formal floral education.
So how did this recent retiree who up and moved to Florida to spend time on the beach, blossom into a talented artist and baker?
Certainly she'd need a background in the culinary arts or any arts for that matter to do something so intricate, so realistic.
"I just happened to discover it on social media just scrolling through," Joy told me.
"I said 'I think I could do that' ... it's become a passion and I'm just obsessed with them. I just let my hands do the creating..."
"... and you surprise yourself?" I asked.
"Yeah. I surprise myself."
Surprise!
People on the Gulf Coast couldn't get enough of "Joyful Bouqcakes."
"I was working six days a week. I could've worked seven days a week. I could not keep up with the demand," she said.
So she and her husband decided to move back to the desert which is home for this native Tucsonan. The photos and video hardly do them justice so we had to give Joy her flowers, along with hundreds of other satisfied customers who can't get over the fact that, while this is no piece of cake, it is, in fact, cake.
"It's kind of like handwriting, like everybody has their own style and their own technique."
Joy is slowing down by design to spend more time with her grandkids but she's not stopping any time soon. The icing on this cake is that she doesn't have to.
"I will keep going. I feel like this is something that I can do for as long as my hands will allow me to do it."
Learn more about Joyful Bouqcakes here
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Dan Spindle co-anchors Good Morning Tucson on KGUN 9 and is an award-winning storyteller whose work has earned him honors from the Rocky Mountain Southwest Emmys, the Associated Press and the Utah Society of Professional Journalists for both anchoring and reporting. Dan is passionate about history and loves to explore the Grand Canyon State. Share your story ideas with Dan by emailing dan.spindle@kgun9.com or by connecting on Instagram, or X.
