Meet Mili
Hi there!
I’m Milissa (Mili) Takashima.
Itโs fun to share the joy in my work through custom dessert catering via Miliโs Sweets, florist services via Glorified Hobby florist services, and personal recipes shared as the author of Glorified Hobby food and recipe journal.
Hereโs some of my storyโฆ.
Becoming an expert baker stemmed from being blessed beyond my dreams. The worry of having a baby with severe peanut and tree nut allergies fueled my passion for developing my own recipes. I self-taught, and found my calling in baking while being a stay-at-home mom with two little ones. With a lot of work and the encouragement of my friends and family, my confidence clicked in, and I took the leap to become a full-fledged professional.
Mili’s Sweets was established
Back in 2010 (when cupcakes were trending), Miliโs Sweets won the title โBest Cupcakes in San Diegoโ on a local TV news channel. It was an incredible opportunity to put myself out there and grow. From 2015โ2018, I was in retail while still catering, with a shop-in-shop storefront in Vista. From 2018 through today, Iโm back in my comfort zone of custom dessert catering with production from a commercial kitchen facility in San Marcos.
Over the years, my hands have made hundreds of cakes. Each year, I create thousands of dessert servings. I am constantly working at developing my own recipes, elevating what I already know, and cultivating relationships that span the many reasons we celebrate with dessert.
2010 tasting event at my home for friends and family
2010 voted “best cupcakes in San Diego” through local tv news program
2011 sampling with my kids
2011 at UTC with volunteer family and friends, donating 100% of cupcake sales for Japan earthquake victims
2015 Mili’s Sweets at retail with MiaBella grand opening
2025 – 15 years of doing business as Mili’s Sweets
preferred vendor in San Diego County
Back in 2010 (when cupcakes were trending), Miliโs Sweets won the title โBest Cupcakes in San Diegoโ on a local TV news channel. It was an incredible opportunity to put myself out there and grow. From 2015โ2018, I was in retail while still catering, with a shop-in-shop storefront in Vista. From 2018 through today, Iโm back in my comfort zone of custom dessert catering with production from a commercial kitchen facility in San Marcos.
Over the years, my hands have made hundreds of cakes. Each year, I create thousands of dessert servings. I am constantly working at developing my own recipes, elevating what I already know, and cultivating relationships that span the many reasons we celebrate with dessert.
For several years, Miliโs Sweets has been a preferred vendor for several venues throughout town. I am a go-to in my community for wedding work, bespoke cakes, and curated dessert tables, with an extensive menu of small-batch, custom-recipe desserts that are always made free of peanuts and nuts, with both celiac-safe gluten-free, dairy-free, dye-free, and vegan options. Miliโs Sweets offers delivery service, convenient pickup at the parking lot of our San Marcos commercial kitchen facility, or fully catered and serviced dessert tables. Most of our work is fulfilled for weddings and events, but I still love fulfilling single/small orders.
floristry
In 2019, I expanded my work-life by establishing a second vendor business,ย Glorified Hobby florist services. Through my passion for floral design and weddings, I partnered with my dear friend, master florist, and long-time collaborator, Karina (aka Karen) Crawford. Our team of trusted assistants helps us fulfill full-scale florist services and installations for weddings and events in San Diego County and beyond. This has been a dream come to fruition for us and we truly love what we do!
joy in hands-on creating
I realized more recently how important and special the time in the kitchen at home has been with my mom, and especially in documenting her Italian heritage cooking (with her). When I was a child, she wouldnโt let me help much in the kitchen at all! As adults, we have been more like sisters, as she happily showed me the ropes of the flavors I grew up loving. Learning from my best friend has been a most fulfilling part of my life.
Some of my best memories revolve around good food. Over time, Iโve learned a lot, and genuinely love sharing my personal recipes on my food and and recipe journal at glorifiedhobby.com. My writing feels like a little time capsuleโa small gift to my family, and for anyone curious about how I create, whether itโs through my work or in my home kitchen. Make and bake with me! For more behind the scenes, I share clips on the Glorified Hobby YouTube Channel.
in the background
Family is where my heart is. The loves of my life are my husband, our grown-up kids, our precious grand-baby, and my mom, whom I have the privilege to now care for. If you’d like to see how Sweet my mom is, follow along with us at @nonna.is.home. I miss my dear dad, who was a biggest fan of my work. He passed away to cancer in 2016. If you can believe it, he gave me my maiden name: Sweet (some things are meant to be)! Outside this space, I want to be at the beach or in the mountains. Iโm like a child when it comes to nature and to seeing the world. Taking big trips is an amazing gift, but I feel that same excitement while exploring on a local hike right here, in my hometown, and throughout our beautiful state of California.
Before any of this small business work, and before I was a wife and mom, I had a several-year career as vice president of marketing and public relations, managing licensees worldwide for lifestyle and apparel brands. I am a first-generation college grad, earning degrees in journalism and marketing from San Diego State University.
If you have questions or comments about any of my work or notes shared here, please reach out to me.
Thanks and take care,
