This week's post is a mix of my life AND the bakery.  If you follow the blog, you know I took a mini vacation to Door County back in April.  When I get away it's usually during the week (since most orders are for the end of the week/weekend). Which is fine and dandy....except that means my husband has to miss work....which he absolutely hates!  So...going away on the weekend has become very challenging.  

Last year, for 4th of July weekend I was baking for a wedding.  This year, I didn't have a wedding and didn't have a lot of order inquiries for the weekend so I tentatively decided to not take orders.  My parents have a house in the Northwoods that I have yet to visit.  I went to their old house many times, but have not had the opportunity or time to get to this one.  And getting away on a weekend with the bakery is few and far between...so I decided to take the holiday weekend to do so! Of course, the week leading up to the holiday I got inquiries for orders.  Everyone was surprisingly understanding about not being able to order, or gladly chose to take their orders early.  I hate hate hate saying no, but I know that it is sometimes necessary.

I swear they weren't really as upset as this picture looks.  This was on the way home so Hanley (dog) was worn out and Smudge (cat) was probably mad because he hates coming home.  He'd rather stay on vacation :)

The Northwoods is probably my favorite place to go.  No matter how much you love what you do, getting away can be one of the best feelings.  I could be doing nothing but drinking coffee and  reading a book..but if I'm in the Northwoods it feels amazing. When we go up north my cat and dog travel with us...oddly enough my cat is great traveler.  He loves water too..he's a strange one! 

So I took the weekend off to enjoy the Northwoods with my husband, parents, and pets.  We went on several boat rides around the chain of lakes, relaxed, and played pool a lot...which I am not so great at but it's fun to try!  I also fished a tiny bit, but didn't catch anything which I was slightly relieved by.  I use to fish a lot when I was a child, but now I have this weird thing where I feel bad for putting a hole in a fishes lip and then throwing it back in the water.  I also feel bad about stabbing a worm...especially since they don't have eyes and can't see it coming...so I used an artificial lure.  Strange...I know!  I should probably just be a vegetarian....

June Wedding Recap
I post pictures of all the Steph's Sweet Treats weddings on my facebook page, but since not everyone sees them, I thought it would be fun to post the pictures and information of them on here once in a while!

June 6th wedding: Dodger Bowl in Dodgeville.  350 cupcakes: vanilla, chocolate, vanilla raspberry, vanilla strawberry, red velvet, chocolate peanut butter, and funfetti.  This wedding also had cupcakes on the centerpieces of the reserved tables.  This rustic yet whimsical display was provided by the couple.  

June 13th:  300 cupcakes set up at the Belmont Convention Center: vanilla, chocolate, and chocolate chip cookie dough.  Love, love, love these rustic cupcake stands!  They were provided by the couple, but I would LOVE to have them for myself for others to rent.  

June 20th: This was a double wedding delivery day.  The first went to the White House in RIchland Center: 200 cupcakes: vanilla raspberry, chocolate, ultimate marble and chocolate chip cookie dough.  The displays were again provided by the couple.

Second wedding of the night: Wisconsin Riverside 310 cupcakes: chocolate chip cheesecake, smore, lemon raspberry, and strawberry cheesecake.  This couple rented their table display from Enhancements Flowers & Decor in Dodgeville.  I don't know if everything was rented from them, you'd have to check with the company, but I know a lot of it was.  Loved that this table had it's own little section of the reception hall.  It was in a little nook with a light and everything.

Thank you for another week of orders!  See you at the Farmers Appreciation parade!!

In case you didn't know, Steph's Sweet Treats only opens once a month. Once a month?!  Yes, yes I know.  It's not that often.  But there's reason and logic behind it.   I promise!  It's just me, myself, and I running the bakery, so when I opened I chose to bake by order.  After opening to the public for Valentine's Day last year, I realized it drew a crowd and created a "special event" for the area.  That's when it hit me that I should aim to open once a month.  I plan to stick with this method since it has kept me busy! 

I try to keep the open days around the same time of the month, but events, especially weddings, have thrown that off.  I've had some people wonder why I only open once a month, and what goes into it...so I thought I'd do a post telling everyone about it.

I've talked a little bit in the past about why I bake by order and only open once a month, but in case you need a refresher: 
-I'm the only baker/owner so I do all the work.  
-I want Steph's Sweet Treats to be different and unique.
-Opening once a month creates more of a crowd and makes it special.
-Opening daily wouldn't move the same amount of product-I don't think the area could sustain more than one open daily bakery.

So...what goes into an open day? The first thing I do is try to find a day that works.  Which is always a challenge because I never know what orders are going to pop up for that weekend. Recently, I had an unexpected wedding pop up on one of my open days and it worked better than expected since they chose mostly from flavors I was having for the open day.  Since wedding season is in full swing, availability is very limited at Steph's Sweet Treats.  For this reason, the next two open days fall on wedding weekends.  For these open days, I will base flavors on the wedding orders and probably have less cupcakes available.

Once I have a day picked, I start picking flavors.  I like to do one gluten free, two flavors that are deluxe level and at least six that are specialty flavors.  Sometimes I go overboard and do more specialty flavors (because I can't decide) and throw in some regular vanilla and chocolate as well.  For June's open day I did: Gluten free vanilla strawberry, birthday cake, funfetti, thin mint copycat, raspberry white chocolate cheesecake, strawberry rhubarb, hot fudge sundae, Mississippi mud pie, and peanut butter cookie dough.  (Plus some random extras I had throughout the day)   I try to throw in a few flavors I've had at previous open days, a few go-tos/favorites, as well as some flavors that are new to open days.  

Depending on the orders for the week and weekend, prepping for the open day can vary.  Usually, Wednesday is when I do prepping of things like, frosting, fillings, crusts, etc.  Thursday, in the wee hours of the morning, I start baking.  I like to bake things the day before they are going to get eaten.  I have found, at least for my recipes and methods, that sitting overnight helps develop flavors and makes the cupcakes more moist.  Then, 12-14 hours later when I finish the cupcakes, I get my display cases out, write on the menu board, stock up my stickers and containers, have my husband put my signs up around town, and head home for a little sleep.

Every open day I do I feel like a kid on their first day of school...I can't sleep!  I love seeing customers, seeing their reactions if it's their first time, catching up with repeat customers, etc.  Even though I have to wake up early and get going again, it's always hard for me to sleep through the night because I'm excited to wake up and see everyone!

The morning of an open day I wake bright and early (again) and start baking (again)!  This time around it's for the weekend orders that are not related to the open day.  I try to get everything baked so I can go back throughout the day and finish frosting and decorating whatever it is that needs to be done.  So if you come in and I'm running around in back, I'm trying to finish an order, baking, doing dishes, or washing containers all the cupcakes were stored in.

I open at 6:30 in the morning because there's always a few people who go to work early and want to stop before work so they don't run the risk of not getting any after they are done with work.  Lately, getting my door open by 6:30 has been a challenge.  It takes a long time to load my cases now that I have four of them....I have no idea how I survived on two cases before!  So I start loading the cupcakes around 5:45 am, then move things around so I have space for the rest of the cupcakes in the kitchen while keeping the weekend orders separate.  

In the first hour of being open I try to get as many of my weekend orders done as possible and get any pre-orders packed up.  I got lucky this past open day and didn't have too many orders for the weekend.  Normally, I would have been freaking out about not having very many weekend orders, but since it was an open day, I was pretty relieved.  I also knew that people who would have normally ordered chose to just use the open day cupcakes for whatever their weekend events were.    

This open day was extra special for me.  My Grandpa and Grandma Carley came from Richland Center to see me and get some cupcakes.  They do this often, but it never becomes any less special.  Plus, my grandpa said "I'm pretty proud of you kid."  Tears!  The words "I'm proud of you" always make me get teary-eyed, but having it come from him means even more.  To top it off....my cousin and Godson came all the way from LaCrosse!!!  Such an amazing feeling to see them walk into my shop.  I don't get to see them that often so their long trip to see me was extra special. 

My husband stopped by after he got done with work and did my dishes and kept me company...thank you, thank you, thank you!  It was a busy day, so even though I had the weekend orders finished, I had not had the chance to do the dishes yet.  He also brought me lunch....which took me three hours to fully eat.  Like I said...it was a busy day!  I was running around so much my husband said I was making him tired just by watching me.  I love every minute of it though!

I started the open day with 671 cupcakes, but with some extras I had from my weekend baking and the baking for the wedding tasting I had to do the next morning, I put out 736 cupcakes...and sold them all.  Did I mention how amazing all my customers are?!  Thank you all so much!  Thank you for another week of orders and helping me sell out the open day!  Hope to see you all on July 24 for the next one!

In the year and a half I've been open I've had a lot of requests for job shadowing.  The interest is only increasing (which is great and flattering), but I thought it would be a good time to address it...and address why I do not do them.  I get it, job shadowing is a great chance to get a glimpse into a future career, but my situation is a little different than most businesses.  

Even though I turn down shadows, I am more than happy to do interviews/ answer questions for school projects about my business, career, etc. (and have done so).  I also participated in mentoring day last year where students were scheduled to come in and got to learn about my business and I walked them through decorating a few Halloween themed cupcakes.  I've also gone to a classroom to give presentations on my business or do a tutorial with a class.  I'm working on doing more things like this in hopes of giving students a shadowing experience without them actually having to come into the kitchen for my crazy day to day baking. If you haven't noticed...I like schedules and predictability.  Shadowing throws me off.  So if I can give students shadowing in a planned scheduled form through events like mentoring day or interviews, I do it.  I'm sorry if you have tried to do a shadow with me and were disappointed in not being able to do it.  Like I said, I'm more than happy to do an interview and am working on events to accommodate students.  

Thanks for another week of orders! 

One of the best things about owning Steph's Sweet Treats is getting the chance to network with new people and connect with customers.  I have had the chance to do events like Off the Vine and bridal expos before, but this year's events are getting bigger and better.  Part of the reason I have had the opportunity to take part in some of the events and meet more people is because I joined the Dodgeville Chamber of Commerce.  It has been nothing but a great experience and I can't wait to see what else the new membership brings by way!

Photo courtesy of Sue Reukauf

Did you make it to the Wisconsin Grilled Cheese Championship?  Over 2500 people did! Including my Grandpa and Grandma Carley (pictured above). Before I get into the Grilled Cheese Championship, I want to take a moment to talk about my grandpa and grandma Carley.  I cannot express how supportive, loving, and amazing these two are.  They have always been a very important part of my life and still are to this day.  Whether it was watching me test for a belt in karate when I was a kid, coming to games in highschool (to watch me cheer not play), or driving all the way from Richland Center to grab a cupcake at my open day or see me set up at an event as an adult.  Even if they aren't coming to Dodgeville to stop by my shop, my grandma still makes sure to wear her Steph's Sweet Treats shirt whenever she is in the surrounding area.  Thank you so much for the support grandma and grandpa.  I love you!!!  

This was my first year attending and vending at the event and I can't wait for next year!  If you don't know about the event, here are a few tidbits:  Held at the Ley Pavillion at Harris Park; put on by the Chamber of Commerce; a variety of cheese vendors, local vendors, and restaurants set up; nine rounds of grilled cheese competitions ranging from amateurs to professionals; music, beer, and a lot of people!

The amount of people coming through was crazy, but even more importantly, meeting new people and getting my cupcakes to new potential customers was great.  The line of people was exciting and seeing toddlers clap for cupcakes touched my heart.  

I was completely lost for how many customers to expect so I came with around 350 cupcakes.  I ran out at 2:30.....the event went until 4!  Running out of cupcakes is ALWAYS the goal, so I was happy to run out, but definitely should have made more. 

Vintage Bloom Portrait Studio took pictures of the Grilled Cheese Championship and provided the last two photos for me to use. They are located at 117 N. Iowa St. in Dodgeville.  608-334-2499

Ladies Night wasn't an event put on by anyone and isn't something that I have done before.  I was approached by someone who wanted to buy cupcakes for a  Chloe + Isabel pop up shop.  She asked if I would be interested in having a party of my own.  I was interested, and thought it would be great to make a night out of it.  I knew some other women who sold Norwex and Perfectly Posh products, so I asked them to join.....and Ladies Night was created!  

Chloe + Isabel
This was my first time hearing about Chloe + Isabel jewelry and I am very impressed with it.  They have great quality and price.  They even have a new bridal line!   One thing I particularly liked was their convertible necklaces.  You can wear them all at once, or individually.  It's like getting four different pieces of jewelry for the price of one!  Click on the link below for more information/to order from my vendor.

https://www.facebook.com/candibycarissamenke/timeline?ref=page_internal

Perfectly Posh
Want to pamper yourself with natural products that are made right here in the USA?  Then you want to check out Perfectly Posh!  These body products have no parabens, sulfates, paraffins, fillers, or lanolin, and are instead full of natural butters and essential oils.  I got a few samples before the party and fell in love with the Hot Pepper ShaBang Butter.  It's for muscle aches and pains so I rubbed it on my feet after some long 14+ hours of standing at the bakery. (I should really sit down once it awhile!) Usually after a day like that my feet would hurt within an hour of waking up the next day.  If I use the Hot Pepper ShaBang Butter after a long day, the next day I can make it to the afternoon before my feet and legs start aching.  Then I just put more on and I'm good to go!  I ordered A LOT of different items and I am positive I will love them all.  Click on the link below for more information/to order from my vendor.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/745875962198518/

Ladies Night didn't draw as big of a crowd as I expected (since there were a lot of people interested), but it was still a success.  It was my first time doing it, but I hope to make it a yearly event.  I am even thinking of doing it twice a year.  Spring would be for independent consultants (like Chloe + Isabel, Perfectly Posh, and Norwex) and Fall would be for locals who make and sell items.  I already have some good people/products in mind for Fall! 

Thank you for another week of orders!  

The last month has been very busy at the bakery and things are only looking busier for the coming months (with graduations, showers, weddings, etc).  So first, let me say THANK YOU, once again to my amazing customers!  With a very busy time of year coming, I thought it would be appropriate..and hopefully interesting...to talk about what goes into keeping the bakery stocked and what I do to prepare.  

April has turned out to be busier than expected.  I happily took on two last minute weddings; combine this with my open day and two events (will post about these events next week), and that means a major depletion in supplies.  I buy my bulk supplies like sugar, flour, butter, powdered sugar, cream cheese, etc, from Sam's Club. I can get all these supplies in Dodgeville, but in order to keep prices as low as I can, I need to get a good deal.  

This is what my bins look like when they are fully loaded after a supply run. I have one more big bin, but it's not lined up with these ones, but it holds some of my other random supplies.  Last Friday I had only a few bags in the left and right bin, and absolutely nothing in the middle bin.  And I mean NOTHING!  By some miracle I had just enough sugar to fill my orders, but I did buy a little tiny bag locally in case I needed it for anything before my Sunday Sam's Club run.

I have posted about this topic on my Facebook page before, and I have a statement on this website about the issue. But I wanted to dive a little deeper into the topic because it comes up a lot and has been on my mind a lot lately.   By on my mind, I mean really bothering me.  At times it is downright frustrating.  Not frustrating because I refuse to break the law, frustrating because of all the people and bakeries who do, especially when there are people in the area who willing do it or do it for the majority of their orders.  For me, that means lost customers...all because I choose to follow the law.  

Before I go off on a complete rant let me explain copyright law. I don't want this to be a rant, I want to be informative, but please excuse me if I do rant a little.  This is what I have posted on my website :

Due to copyright laws, Steph’s Sweet Treats is unable to make cakes using licensed characters (ie. Disney, Sesame Street, Nickelodeon, etc.) unless a copyright release has been received from the copyright owner.  This does not mean you cannot have your favorite character at your next party.  It merely means Steph’s Sweet Treats cannot replicate the character via fondant or frosting. If you would really like to order a cake with licensed characters you have a few options:

1) Contact the copyright owner to obtain a release for the one time use. Please note that this may take some time and may be very expensive.  

2) Choose a cake design that uses a licensed edible image or cake topper. These cake are legal and come in a wide variety to fit every customer’s needs and likes.  Steph’s Sweet Treats would be more than happy to go over these designs with you.  

When searching online for ideas for your cake, you probably come across countless galleries from bakeries with licensed character cakes, but unfortunately these cakes were either made with the copyright release (which can run in the thousands of dollars), or without the copyright owners consent (illegally). Please note that Steph’s Sweet Treats will do it’s best to match the theme of your party as much as possible using colors and through legal accessories purchased by the bakery or by you to be place on the cake when you get home. 

So that means all those adorable cakes that look like a minion, have a sculpted Olaf figure on top, cupcakes with ninja turtle faces, etc. are illegal.  Yes they are amazing looking and would be great addition to any party, but if the person making the cake does not have legal permission to sell those characters or logos, they are breaking the law.  

What happens when you break the law?  Some people and bakeries get away with it for years, or may never get caught.  But that doesn't make it right.  They are making money off other peoples copyrighted images and characters.  If they do get caught, they look at hefty fines or even going out of business.  I would make a lot of money and get a lot of cake orders by doing these illegal designs, but I definitely don't want to go out of business and I surely don't want to gain business by stealing.  I use legal character items and logos purchased from my bakery suppliers to meet my customers needs as best I can WITHOUT breaking the law.  

This is a Cars themed cake I made for my nephew's birthday a few years back.  I'm guessing I could get A LOT of orders for this cake, but it is illegal to make.  Sure I made it for my nephew....the difference? I didn't sell it.  This cake was made as a gift.  It if was sold to someone, that would make it illegal.  I am really trying to spread the word about this issue because many people do not know about this law.  They don't know about it because so many bakers are willing to break the law.  The really sad part...if I tell someone I am not willing to break the law, but they really want an illegal design, they will just go to someone who is willing to break the law.  This cake was made before I ever opened for business.  Since then, even though I can make my nieces and nephews cakes as a gift, I have gone with the legal options since I can't control who takes a picture and associates the cake with me.  I don't want customers thinking I sell them, when I don't.

Finding time to go on vacation is tough.  Finding time to go on vacation when you own a business is really tough.  Finding time to go on vacation when you are the only person running a business...nearly impossible!  

It's not impossible, but in the bakery business, going away means inevitably making a customer mad and crossing your fingers people can understand that EVERYONE needs some time off to relax. Before going on vacation I posted on social media several times to warn people I would be gone.  "Please order ahead...from April 12-15 no orders will be filled...etc."  But not everyone has Facebook, and not everyone sees my posts. With increased orders I have tried to push the "order a week in advance" rule.  However, the only way to make that rule work is to enforce it...and I'm terrible at enforcing it!  That being said, I have some very packed summer weekends coming up so this rule will have to be followed. 

While I was gone I did get emails and calls from people trying to order and I did my best to send out a saved message I had explaining I was gone and hope that I did not upset anybody.  If anyone has tried to contact me, you know that I do my best to respond ASAP (unless I am sleeping).   So my customers aren't use to me being unreachable.  I like being easily reached by customers, but am trying to pull back and limit access on nights and weekends, because I too need to unplug.  Which is why this vacation was so needed for me.

Now onto my vacation!   My husband and I have never been to Door County so this was our first trip.  Neither of us is too big on crowds (my husband really hates them) so we went during the "quiet" season.  Here's an inside look at our stay!  

Thank you for another week of orders and thank you all for understanding that I too need a vacation every now and then.

The Mixers
Let me introduce you to Cupcake, Daisy, and Sprinkles....my 8qt commercial grade Kitchenaid mixers :)  Guys name their cars; I name my mixers.  Not sure how the name Daisy squeaked in there, but it was the first thing that came to my mind when naming them, and I wouldn't dare change her name on her now. The bad boys (or girls) are where all the magic begins.  When I started baking I never had a Kitchenaid.  I relied solely on my arms of steel to do all the work. Ha! My mom got me my first Kitchenaid; a cornflower blue artisan to be exact. There are days where I have all these ladies whirling at once!  

My Obsession
So....I may have a problem.  I'm obsessed with aprons!  A lot of the time I won't even see anyone while I'm baking, but I still feel the need to wear a cute apron (and coordinate the undershirt of course).  I attempted to count my aprons....there's more in my hallway...and I think there's 30 of them.  That doesn't seem like nearly enough aprons considering there's 365 days in a year.  So I will continue on my hunt for more adorable aprons! :)

Dishes, Dishes, and More Dishes
First, let me mention what an amazing dish stacker I have become.  I mean seriously...look at that!  This isn't even my most impressive stack. One wrong move and it becomes a very loud game of Jenga gone wrong and water splashing.  I have a very large, deep three compartment sink to carry out the washing, rinsing, and sanitizing process for all these lovely dishes.  Let's be real.  Doing dishes is no fun!  Thankfully, my husband has taken over most of the home dishes.  I think I earn my keep doing the bakery dishes don't you?!

I've been wanting to start a blog for awhile now, and I've finally taken the time to actually do it! Why have a blog for a bakery? To give everyone a little insight to the bakery life, post fun things about the bakery, and give everyone a little peek into my life.  I find that baking for people's special events, whether it's a birthday or a wedding, to be very special.  If I'm really lucky, I will get to follow some of my customers lives through baking.   First their wedding, then gender reveal cupcakes, baby shower, birthdays, anniversaries, etc. 


Now that I have been open for more than a year I'm getting to know my regular customers a little more.  So why not give you the chance to know me?  For this first blog post let's start with some things you may not know about me.

• I'm an only child.  What...no siblings?!  Yes, it's true.  I'm an only child.  Pssst...not only am I an only child...I'm also a lefty! I hated being an only child growing up and often sought companionship in my pets and books (I lived in the boondocks so there wasn't much to do).  Now that I have grown up...for the most part...I actually like being an only child.  Living in the country as an only child didn't make for the most exciting childhood, but I think I grew up faster, learned to be creative, and it may even be what led me to baking.  Like I said, there wasn't much to do....so I dug through cookbooks and started baking!  And here I am today.  So I guess I owe my parents an apology for all the complaining I did about being an only child.  Sorry mom and dad!
• Baking is not my only job. When I opened Steph's Sweet Treats I didn't like to tell people I have another job because I didn't want people to think I had other priorities.  My parents co-own a company that I help out at when I can.  Key words here being: "when I can."  Steph's Sweet Treats is a by order bakery, not because I have another job, but because it's not realistic at this point for the area to sustain more than one full time bakery.  Plus, I like to be different!  I create a demand by doing the once a month "Open Days" and requiring people to order the rest of the month. It draws a crowd, has been great for me so far, and you can ALWAYS order.   I'm the only person running and baking at Steph's Sweet Treats, so baking by order and creating events is what works for me.  When I don't have an order to fill, I help my parents out.  I am there less and less these days, which means my customer base is only getting bigger and better.  
• I baked for my own wedding. I got married last year and made my own cupcakes! (Fun fact: I married my high-school sweetheart)  Some people thought I was crazy.  I got engaged, planned a wedding, planned a business,then opened a business... all in the same year.  Of course I made my own cupcakes!  My friends and family are the people who got me where I am today.  I baked for their weddings, birthdays, and special events before I opened.  They are the very people I got my courage from.  So why wouldn't I treat and thank them with my cupcakes on my wedding day??  Plus, I'm a little Type A...okay, a lot Type A, so I had to make my cupcakes! :)
• I got called by Food Network.  Even typing this makes me get excited all over again.  I wrote for a website for a few years (Gossipandgab.com go check it out!)  and just recently stopped because of all the orders by amazing customers have been placing.  Once again, can't say thank you enough to everyone.  Okay, back to Food Network!  My editor sent me a link to a baking competition show Food Network was seeking auditions for.  I smiled and laughed, not thinking I had a chance, but I applied anyways just for giggles.  To my surprise, I got a phone call from a Food Network talent person asking me if I would be interested and available. This phone call came during one of my open days and I swear I was in hyperventilation mode for the rest of the day.  I COULD NOT believe they ACTUALLY called ME!  ME! After freaking out a little, I had my application, pictures, and information forwarded on to the producers.  I obviously didn't hear from the producers, or you would have seen me on TV :) ,  but getting a phone call from Food Network was the icing on the cake.  Pun intended.  I never thought, in my wildest dreams, that I would own a bakery, let alone get a phone call from Food Network. Getting some talent acknowledgement from Food Network was truly amazing.  Thanks a million to my editor for passing along that email!  I haven't seen the show I applied for air yet, so I don't know if the producers didn't choose me or if they just didn't move forward with the show.  Either way, it was a win in my books!
  
  Feel like you know me a little better now?  I don't want to give away all awesomeness all at once, so I'll save the rest for later.  Totally kidding about all my awesomeness.  I'm just a simple girl who gets great satisfaction from making others happy through baking.  Thanks for reading everyone!