Fabulous! Unique! Each one, a piece of Cake Art

It’s easy to understand the five hours of love put in by Designer Marlo Gorelick once you see them. Each one handmade to its fabulous uniqueness. 

You won’t recognize her by name, but you will recognize her from the hit sitcom, The Nanny.

With only three episodes to her credit in a co-starring role, how can anyone forget the Fran Drescher younger look-alike, who came to replace her, only to have the door slammed in her face? A truly iconic episode for us, “Nanny Fans.” “What are you crazy?” as The Nanny slams the door. 

“I still get checks, they are smaller now, but it’s nice to get checks,” laughed Marlo.

Some of you may know Marlo as “Ms Candy Blog.”   

Graduating in three years, at nineteen, Marlo graduated with her first degree. With two degrees in Theatre from Rutgers University and another in English from Rutgers University, Marlo was off to Hollywood to be an actor. 

“I wanted something to fall back on, and that was English. I was an English teacher for years after returning from Hollywood,” she explained. 

Being the family's black sheep, it was no surprise when she fell in love with Freddie Mercury. “At thirteen, I wanted to go and see Freddie Mercury,” she laughed. 

“It was 1986, and Freddie was doing something different, and I identified with that,” Marlo said. “He was that outside person who I identified with.” 

Growing up, Marlo felt like she never fit in anywhere, immediately always identifying with anyone and anything unique or different. 

“I always knew I was different from everyone else,” she said. 

“When did you meet your first LGBTQIA+ individual?” I asked. 

“I always met them or knew they were gay before they knew,” she laughed.” “I was always around LGBTQIA+ people,” Marlo confirmed. 

“It was in college that I could pick and choose who I could run around with, and most of them were gay,” Marlo said. 

With a love of dressing up and being theatrical at home, the theatre classes were very comforting. “I found my people,” she laughed.

“I thought I had to be an actor,” she said. “I would always dress up with outfits and make-up at home,” she laughed. 

“What did being Gay mean to you in high school?” I asked. 

“Gay meant fabulous,” Marlo confirmed soundly! 

Returning home to New Jersey after five years in Hollywood, Marlo was ready to put that English degree to work. Teaching English, Public Speaking, and Theater, Marlo enjoyed teaching the younger kids. 

“I taught English for years,” Marlo laughed. 

Married for thirteen years to Joe, “He’s a wonderful man, a Mensch, a doll, a diamond. He just stands out of my way and is right there beside me all the way,” she said with one hand waving in the air. 

“When we got married in 2010, I said, ‘I want to look like RuPaul at my wedding,’” she laughed. “Everybody thought I was kidding, but I wasn’t. I posted it on a wedding website,” she continued.”I want to look how RuPaul, would look as a bride; I loved him,” Marlo shouted! 

“My husband and I did a Drag Kid Book together with a Drag Kid organization I created in 2018,” Marlo shared. “There was this community of Drag Kids who weren’t being seen or heard. 

We set up a photo shoot with each kid dressed in their complete Drag. We spent the day photographing each kid, with their parents there, and we took the book to Drag Con,” she explained. 

Always having love and support for the art of Drag and the Drag community. Marlo is a true ally to anyone who feels they are on the outside, not fitting in. 

“That’s when I started doing nail gloves for kids,” she said.

“Yes,” I nodded, and she continued. 

“I made a pair for Debbie Harry, and she wore them a few months ago,” she smirked. “Blondie, Debbie Harry,” I confirmed 

“Debbie has a thing for bees, so made her a pair of gloves with tiny bees going up with Swarovski crystals on the glove’s nail,” Marlo explained. 

“Debbie Harry gloves,” Marlo laughed.

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“We took the book to Los Angeles Drag Con and New York Drag Con, where we sold a bunch of them. We got on several news outlets with some of the kids getting acting jobs,” she said. 

“We never had anything back then like what we have today with so much anger,” she said sternly. It was obvious to me Marlo was very concerned about the anti-Drag movement that has swept this country. 

“It’s ridiculous,” she said. 

Growing up watching the Phil Donahue Show, Marlo was “through-the-roof” with excitement when Phil’s guests included Trans individuals, Club Kids, and Drag Queen performers. Each show would draw Marlo deeper into understanding her identity of being different from the norm. 

With a heart for any person living outside of society’s norms, is where Marlo found her passion. 

Growing up in North Brunswick, New Jersey, Marlo’s Dad was an attorney, while Lois, Marlo’s mother, held down the house. 

The oldest of three, Marlo, lead the way on theatrics, while her mother was always creating something to help Marlo express herself. 

“My Hebrew name is, ‘Malka,’ which means Queen,” laughed Marlo. 

"So my Bat Mitzvah theme was crowns--I wore a tiara and sat on a throne.  Just a bit much, ya think?” laughed Marlo. 

Growing up, Marlo would come in from school and always find candy on the kitchen table.

“My mother would buy four for a dollar and put them around,” Marlo said. 

“We always had candy in the house,” Marlo laughed. 

“My brother, my sister, and I still do it today for each other on our birthdays,” Marlo said. “It’s a big deal in our house.” 

Remembering how candy made Marlo feel, she wanted others to have those same feelings. "So candy was something that made me feel happy and I wanted others to be happy." Marlo said.

In 2014, Ms. Candy Blog was born.

A candy persona created by Marlo. 

The Emmy-winning company behind 'RuPaul's Drag Race' signed Marlo to their YouTube network, promoting her with their other talent.

Then in 2018, after seeing her Drag Kid book at Drag Con, "the creators of 'RuPaul's Drag Race' and Drag Con over at World of Wonder gave me a development deal to create a show around drag kids. We worked on it, but nothing came to fruition. Still waiting on that check…”

She created a candy inspired headpiece to wear during her video work which became her trademark.  When meeting people in person, if she wasn't wearing it, people actually didn't recognize her.

Named Klout’s #1 female live streamer, Marlo was awarded a contract with Periscope’s first talent network, Lifestream Productions. 

A founding host of the live streaming platform Gravy Live, Marlo had found herself streaming on as many as nine platforms simultaneously with ten of thousands of followers. 

She appeared in The New York Times, NBC, and FOX as the candy persona, Ms Candy Blog, and has partnered with Hershey’s, Lindt, HSN., It’s Sugar, and Sour Patch Kids, to name a few, becoming the number one female candy website. 

As a speaker and educator, Marlo has spoken at Cake Pop and twice at Wedding MBA. She has even served as a judge for drag pageants with the website, Werrrk.com!

Marlo has traveled coast-to-coast, speaking and educating at various Digital, Digital Marketing, and Social Media conferences. 

Where’s my candy? 

With the loss of her mother in 2019 to cancer, Marlo was searching for something that was now missing. 

“I still am known as ‘Ms.Candy Blog’; it won’t go away,” Marlo laughed. 

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Marlo began Blow Your Mind Bakery- a gluten-free bakery business.

She went through 2 different product lines before settling on the current offering of gluten-free cookies. "What's out there is dry and dull. Mine are delicious!" Marlo said

Looking at the website, I agree. I’m ready to place an order and try a dozen or two or three! 

July 2023 may be the last shipment. Check the website. I’m sure Marlo will keep everyone posted. 

Working in a gluten-free environment kitchen is expensive. You rent your time, which is getting too expensive to make cookies. 

A woman of many talents, which is where my story begins. 

The National Gay Wedding Association was exhibiting at the Wedding MBA in Las Vegas.

It was November 2021, and I was there as the Founder and President of the National Gay Wedding Association. 

Finally, walking around to see the exhibitors, I was curious how homophobic the exhibit hall would be. 

As a gay man walking around a wedding expo, you disappear. You rarely see any inclusiveness exhibited. 

“Rainbows, bright colors, same-sex images–give me something,” was running through my mind. Finally, I saw something shiny and bright in the middle of the aisle. 

Walking towards the light, maybe it was rainbows, I thought. I couldn’t tell at first, but they were bright and beautiful! 

I saw lots of bling and bright colors together, standing on tall shelves of brightness. There in the smallest booth in the aisle was Marlo. 

I didn’t know who she was, but I knew she was my ally. 

Finding an ally was exciting! 

Believe it or not, connecting to an ally was refreshing. 

Immediately, “Oh what, National Gay Wedding Association, tell me more,” I heard in a beautiful New Jersey or New York accent. I couldn’t tell at first, but I wanted her to talk more.

“We’re here exhibiting; these are beautiful,” I said, holding up something I believed was singing to me. 

It was a piece of wedding cake, decorated beautifully with sparkles and sparkles and more sparkles, with a zipper! 

What is this? 

“A purse,” I almost screamed, remembering where I was. I needed to contain myself. Looking at the “purse,” you think it’s an art piece. 

Where can I display it? I think I need two or three. 

With Marlo’s creativity, a designer has emerged. 

Each one is a work of art, completely handmade to every detail. 

As Marlo spoke, I was in amazement at what I was seeing and now holding. I wanted to hold all of them. 

With the Pandemic surging, Marlo’s free time turned into creating Cake Purse. 

Using her love of bling and Drag, Marlo wanted to create something “calorie-free,” she said as she continued talking. “I wanted to create something for my ninety-five-year-old aunt,” 

“My mother collected purses. She had a thing for them,” Marlo shared. “I wanted to do something using a cake and a purse,” she said. 

She used her passion for fashion to create Cakes Purses, using beautiful handmade materials and sparkles. Marlo sat down to create something she had never done before. 

“I had no experience; I just sat down and figured it out,” she explained. 

Grabbing her card, Marlo ushered me to sign-up for the Cake Purse giveaway. I dropped my card in her bowl and hurried back to the booth. 

What was a fifteen-minute break turned into thirty minutes as Marlo, and I got caught up in great conversation. 

A person who I feel you’ve known your entire life; it was a meeting I’ll never forget.

Warm, kind, and caring. 

I walked away, knowing this woman was a true ally and someone more people needed to know about and meet. 

Meet Marlo Gorelick. LGBTQIA+ ally and friend. 

Returning to the booth would be two more hours before we could break down and go home. With the clock hitting five o’clock, we were packing fast. 

“That voice, where do I know that voice,” I was thinking as I heard, “Ric Simmons, you won! You won the Cake Purse.” 

I looked up and there she was, with a Cake Purse in hand! 

“No, honest God,” she said as she laughed to tears. “You honest to God won. I drew your name with the girl standing there; it’s you. Congratulations,” she said as she handed me the winning prize, my very own Cake Purse! 

With utter excitement, I grabbed that purse with the joy of owning my own Cake Purse. 

Again, containing myself, I held it together very well without screaming out loud. But my inner voice was screaming with excitement. 

Looking at these beautiful art pieces, it’s easy to see those who influenced Marlo's life. As artists and designers, we are influenced by many things. People, places, and our environment feed our souls. 

For Marlo, I see her mother who encouraged the creative child to grow and bloom. I see her mother some more, who treated her with candy as a sign of love and reward. I see her mother again, who taught her to be the brightest star she could be, and I think Marlo’s ninety-five-year-old aunt would agree. 

“That purse looks just like your mother,” her aunt said as she shared one for the first time.

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