I have always been a Kitchen-aid girl. My big Christmas gift the year I left for college was my bright and shiny new white Kitchen-aid. It has traveled with me through dorm room, apartments, and four homes. I still own that little mixer and it keeps on going. I've added two more Kitchen-aids to my army and I love them. At Cookie Con...
Tonight a cookie friend texted me and asked, "Do you ever struggle with the feeling of inadequacy with your cookies?" I thought on that question for a quick second and immediately answered, "NO!" Trust me, it isn't because I feel like my cookies are SO amazing, not at all! Two years ago, I was finding myself patrolling social media looking at all the...
When I grow up (not literally because I'm pushing the big 4-0), I know what I want to be in my cookie life. Lets back up a little bit first. This past weekend I flew to Salt Lake City to attend my second Cookie Con! It is the very best convention that focuses on the Cookie Artist (more about that to come). I...
Cookie Con! Its a thing! I tell people I am heading to a con in Salt Lake City and they look at me completely baffled! I am loading up to head out in the next hour for my second Cookie Con! I am beyond excited. Its where online friendships collide into reality. Where fellow cookiers speak your love language. Its where you can...
Do you ever start a cookie set with no plan in mind? You bake shapes and mix icing but have no idea what you will do? I am a "type A" organized planner. I rarely don't have a plan. But, every once in a while, I like to change things up. I like to sit at my desk and see where the icing...
Here I am, minding my own business and getting things done. And then, out of the blue, an email from a local News Anchor. She has been following me on Instagram and invited me to appear on the morning news show. Say, what? I paused. I panicked a little. I asked my logical husband what I should do. He responded, "do it". Um....that wasn't supposed to be his answer! So, without thinking too hard, I immediately answered, "YES!"
One week. I had one week to prep and plan and compose myself. Did I mention it was Valentine's Week? Yes, not the most brilliant move on my part! But, I was committed. Oh wait....my youngest woke up vomiting. Followed by my oldest waking up vomiting. Influenza A. Oh goody! I CAN do this. I can handle all of this. Honestly though, I can't handle vomit. Its awful.
So, I learned that the flu is time consuming. Its all consuming actually. Between holding hair, fetching drinks and disinfecting my entire home multiple times...it was all consuming. Okay, back to cookies. Five days of sickness and I had to curb all cookie baking or decorating until we got an "all clear". That means, I had 24 hours to design, bake, and decorate for my two news segments. Sure. Why not? I wanted to cancel and back out....I truly did. But, wise friends who are always encouraging made me stick with it.
I tightened up my apron strings and went for it. I survived. Actually survived. The two news segments were a success. And I might have had a little fun in the process! What I really didn't consider was the aftermath. Lots of inquiries and social media activity kind of aftermath! All on Valentines Week. And, it may sound like I'm complaining...but I really am not! IF you are ever approached about doing anything in your community, I will mimic my husbands words ad say "DO IT!" What a great way to get noticed locally, build new customers and have a great story to tell. I know, I know...you just read through a nightmare of a story for a little cookie pep talk. Put yourself out there, even if you don't want to. You just never know who is following your cookie journey!
One week. I had one week to prep and plan and compose myself. Did I mention it was Valentine's Week? Yes, not the most brilliant move on my part! But, I was committed. Oh wait....my youngest woke up vomiting. Followed by my oldest waking up vomiting. Influenza A. Oh goody! I CAN do this. I can handle all of this. Honestly though, I can't handle vomit. Its awful.
So, I learned that the flu is time consuming. Its all consuming actually. Between holding hair, fetching drinks and disinfecting my entire home multiple times...it was all consuming. Okay, back to cookies. Five days of sickness and I had to curb all cookie baking or decorating until we got an "all clear". That means, I had 24 hours to design, bake, and decorate for my two news segments. Sure. Why not? I wanted to cancel and back out....I truly did. But, wise friends who are always encouraging made me stick with it.
I tightened up my apron strings and went for it. I survived. Actually survived. The two news segments were a success. And I might have had a little fun in the process! What I really didn't consider was the aftermath. Lots of inquiries and social media activity kind of aftermath! All on Valentines Week. And, it may sound like I'm complaining...but I really am not! IF you are ever approached about doing anything in your community, I will mimic my husbands words ad say "DO IT!" What a great way to get noticed locally, build new customers and have a great story to tell. I know, I know...you just read through a nightmare of a story for a little cookie pep talk. Put yourself out there, even if you don't want to. You just never know who is following your cookie journey!
When I first started selling cookies, I charged $18 a dozen. Yep, you read that right! $18 for 12 cookies that took me an eternity to make. Would it shock you if I told you, even now, I think that was a fair price? (Keep reading, I promise I'll explain) When I first started making and selling cookies, I had all sorts of...
Four years ago, a friend peer pressured me to attend a cookie decorating class. I spent nearly $75 in supplies and I was a tad excited. I went in hopeful and left incredibly frustrated. I had sat through a two hour class and learned nothing, except I was terrible at cookies. The instructor was using big terms like "flood"and "pipe". And, for someone...
Do you ever take time to remember why you love making cookies? Do you still love to make cookies? This holiday, I took a two week break from it all. I didn't bake, whisk, flood, package...nothing. I didn't even provide my family with Christmas cookies, and they survived. I needed a break. I was tired of answering emails, I was tired of scheduling...
With the end of the year, and the beginning of a new fresh start, I wanted to look back at 2016 one last time. I look back at the orders I filled and all the celebrations I was (well, my cookies) a part of and it is almost too unbelievable. How did I possibly do all of that, while caring for my family,...
With the end of 2016, I'm looking forward to what the new year brings. Here are a few of my favorites from this past year! ...
Comparison. We all do it! We see a fantastic cookie set online and we oogle and ogle over them. We admire them, and then automatically think about our own work. When I first started in this cookie world, I scowered facebook completely amazed at the cookies that existed. “How could I ever do something that amazing?” “I’ll never be that good.” For months, I...