CAMP CREATE CHRISTMAS

Spending time at the Whatever Craft House is always one of the most life-giving experiences.  This is my 3rd Camp Create - I went once as a camper 4 years ago, and one other time as a helper last year.  When Meg texted and asked if I wanted to teach cookie decorating at a Christmas themed Camp Create, I practically jumped out of my skin with excitement.  What could be better?!?

Seeing the house all done up for Christmas was pure delight.

The first night that we were all together, we did a Favorite Things exchange where everyone brought 3 of their favorite items and came home with 3 different gifts.  It was a great way to get to know people and really break the ice.

The rest of the weekend was full of crafting fun that included Laura of Pitter Patter Art teaching us all how to make a Kindness Advent of things to do as a family to serve others.  It is always amazing to see how differently everyone does the "same" craft.

(I still need to add my envelopes!)

Meg lead several crafts including wreaths, signs and bead garlands. It is really the coziest crafting.

Ashley came in for Saturday and taught us how to make beautiful gold-foiled ornaments.  After having read her blog for over 8 years, it was such a treat to meet her in person.

I taught cookie decorating to a rowdy group who learned the basics of cutting out cookies and the various types of frostings that I use.  (Here's a blog post I wrote years ago with my recipes if you are interested!) We flooded and piped and basically went nuts with sprinkles - a good evening in my books.

Apparently, I use weird facial expressions while teaching.
And when cutting the storied Rainbow Cake.

Jessica Thompson taught us from God's word about our worthiness and the Good News that is wrapped up in the Christmas story that was given to ordinary people while highlighting the women in particular.  She reminded us that we are not what others think of us.  We are loved, accepted and free in Christ.  He has done the work.  We are fully known and loved.  It was such a gift to have her words poured over us all.

The other thing we did a lot of was eat.  So much good food, because Kimberlee is a Food Jedi Master.  I am currently having to detox from the amount of sugar, and we ended with a breakfast bang where she laid out all of the leftovers including cheesecake, bread pudding and pasta shells.  Delish. They also let me make a charcuterie board to have out one evening.

As a special bonus this time, one of my dear friends from Little Rock got a spot and traveled to and from with me.  It was such a treat to share one of my favorite places with Nicole.

There aren't enough words for how grateful I am that Meg and Kimberlee include me in helping to host this experience.  They have become real friends, and spending time working alongside them is such a joy.  Plus we laugh and laugh and laugh.

And the other helpers also MADE this experience.  This group has a LOT of personality, but ultimately, I was amazed by the hearts of each woman and the ways they have each allowed the Lord to lead in their lives.  EVERYONE has hard stuff, but there is so much beautiful shining through. 

It is brave to come to a place where you know no one and show up hoping for the best, and this group totally did that.  There were some pre-established relationships, but I was amazed at how well everyone meshed and the joy that it was to be learning and crafting together.  These ladies each blessed me with their openness and enthusiasm and sincerity.



I never imagined that decorating sugar cookies could lead me to here.  The Lord works in mysterious ways, and I am SO glad he does.  Christmas did indeed come early, and my heart is jingling all the way.



If you are interested in attending a Camp Create someday, then make sure you are following Meg on Instagram - she always lets everyone know the dates and details there!

COVERED IN COOKIES

It might be safe to say that I am drowning in cookies.  I wish I had kept track of how many I've done this month, but I haven't.  It's a lot - especially since being a baker/decorator isn't exactly my full-time gig, unlike how it feels at this moment.  I can say that as of right now, I've been through about 14 pounds of powdered sugar with plans to use more.  😝  And I'm not sleeping enough, and I wake up thinking about cookies, so I may be a hint out of balance. 😁😳😂

Restarting Willflowers Bake Shoppe has been such a whirlwind, and I'm so thankful for all of the kind people who have ordered cookies or said nice things about them.  It means a lot, and it is thrilling to be able to delight people with this quirky talent of mine.  When I'm in the thick of it, I think in cookie, and everything I see inspires a new idea.  Friends and strangers (or as I like to think of them "new friends") have placed orders, and it is so fun to bake, knowing that the little treats will be well-enjoyed by the eyes and the mouth.

However, I've also disappointed people this month.  I quickly realized that I would not be able to fill all of the orders that would come in based on the interest I saw, so I put a cap on it.  I had to.  But, it is hard and sad for me to tell friends and potential new friends that I can't bake for them.  I don't like doing it, and while most people have been incredibly gracious about this, I can also tell I've sincerely disappointed a few.

As I've thought about the hows and whys of this all, I've realized that at the end of the day, I would rather disappoint people that live outside of my home than people that live inside my home.  I know I've written this before, but it rings true now more than ever - I am the only person that can be John's wife and Lily, Bella, Violet and William's mother.  Other people can bake and decorate cookies, but only I can give my family the kind of December that we need, and that will mean shutting down the cookie operation by the time the kids are out of school for the holiday break.

There are so many things that I struggle with in life, and God is so gracious to use experiences like this to refine me.  Running a mini-business out of my home has so many fun aspects, and the great feed-back is a shot to the ego.  But - it is also exhausting and time-consuming, and at times, I wonder why I am doing it at all.

I feel like I've been given a gift, and I want to steward it well.  I want to use it to bless others.  I am delighted that I will be able to write large checks to organizations that I care deeply about, because of all the cookie purchases.  But after that, I will need to curtail the cookie craziness for a while.  (I do ❤️ alliteration.)  I'm still trying to best work out how to proceed so that cookies don't take over our family, and since I tend to go all out on all things, reigning myself in is a challenge.

If you've gotten this far in this rambling cookie post, I thank you.  Thanks for hearing my heart and knowing that there are lots of ways that I get things wrong.  I'm so thankful for the support of family and friends and ultimately for the grace of God that covers up the messes that I make regularly.

And now I have to go work on the 34 dozen (or so. . .) cookies that I've committed to people in the next week. 😳😂👊

BEHIND THE COOKIE SCENES

I've had a little tunnel vision with cookies for the last week.  I had known about the possibility of a pop-up shop for several weeks, but we only got the real all clear for it about two weeks before last night.  And one of those weeks was Thanksgiving, so it's been a little a lot intense on the cookie front for the last five days.

But - the Pop-Up Shop last night was a huge success!



When Mandy (from Milk and Honey Tees) asked if I wanted to do it with her, I wasn't sure I would be able to pull it off.  It's a lot of work, and it's also fairly nerve-wracking.  What if no one comes?  What if everyone comes, and I don't have enough cookies?  What if I break all the cookies on the way there?  What if no one likes the cookies?

Putting yourself out there is hard.  It was a good reminder to me that anytime I see anyone online who is selling something handmade or creating content or running any kind of business themselves - there is a huge backstory behind that, and it includes lot of hard work and a lot of wondering whether or not what you are doing is worth anything or will be well-received.  It's intimidating, and all week, I was so thankful for the positive feedback in the midst of trying something new.

Thursday night, I sold two different sets, as well as individual cookies. I felt like I was throwing a big cookie party.

Working with Mandy and Audrey (of Ridgewood Shop - you need to check out her amazing, hand-lettered signs.  She's SO good!  And does custom work!  And ships!) was such a privilege.  They were so gracious with me as I was figuring out how to take credit cards and add a business Instagram account, among other things.  Plus, we had a total blast together!



I need to give a MASSIVE shout-out to my hubby who so very graciously rallied behind me every step of the way with this venture.  We have a *few* other things going on in life, and he threw all of his support and love behind what I did this week.  I'm so thankful.  Last night, he helped me set-up and tear down, helped restock cookies, brought me water and became the hero of the night when he brought sushi back to all of us.

Thanks so much to all of those who came to support us last night or wrote messages of support.  It means the absolute world to me!  I feel like God has given me this unusual gift, and it's so fun to use it.

Now, I have to address my kitchen, which currently looks like this.



And the laundry and a bunch of other stuff that I neglected all week while focusing on cookies.  On the bright side, I listened to two whole audio books and discovered tray lunches for the girls, so those were both wins!

If you are reading this and hoping for cookies this month, I am planning to regroup and do one more cookie offering in the coming week that will include limited shipping as well.  I will be posting about it mainly on the Willflowers Bake Shoppe Instagram account - check it out if you are interested!

SOMETIMES, I SELL COOKIES

Well, I've been sitting on this for almost a year and thought it was finally time to reveal that I own a little cookie shop.  You probably guessed something like this was up if you follow me on Instagram, because my family clearly does not consume all of the cookies that I make.  Truth is, they would not be opposed to that plan, and Lily and Bella scoop up dried frosting chunks like they are the nectar of life.

I really do love making cookies.  I've found it to be a fantastic creative outlet, because there are endless themes and possibilities.  But - you don't have to take anything too seriously, because at the end of the day, it is just a cookie.  Somebody is going to eat it.  The end.

After doing extensive research and a bit of paperwork, I do have an official cookie business out of my home.  I'm legit and have been since sometime at the end of last summer.  As the twins slept less, I had less time than ever to make cookies, and so I decided not to make a big deal out of it at the time.  I've just sort of taken orders from a few people here and there.

And the reality is that even now, I don't have just a ton of superfluous time, so I will still only take a few orders for now.  This is an over-glorified hobby for me, and I don't want cookies taking over our lives.  I feel like God has given me the gift of creativity, and this is a fun way to use it to bless others.  All of the profit from selling cookies goes to orphan-care organizations or to help fund friends' adoptions.

Without further adieu - I'd like to introduce you to Willflowers Bake Shoppe.



Probably the easiest way to get info about Willflowers is to check it out on Facebook.  The page has pictures, pricing info and contact details in the About section.  If you are curious about why cookies might cost as much as they do, know that it is because cookies take a lot of time.  Especially when there are a lot of details, and honestly, it is not worth selling them if I don't charge a fair bit.

You may be wondering about the name - well, I have William and three girls, two of whom have conventional flower names: Lily and Violet.  After a little digging (ha!), I discovered that there is a "Bella" flower that grows mainly in the Middle East.  So, Willflowers Bake Shoppe was born.  I think coming up with a name was the hardest part of the whole thing.  That and disappointing people when I can't make cookies for them, because one person can only do so many things.

So - the cat's out of the bag.  I've got a cookie biz.  I may be able to help you with your next special event!