I don't know how it's already January when it feels like just yesterday that I was making Halloween cookies! 

I had every intention of writing this as a fun, short, and welcoming Newsletter to the New Year. But it's quite lengthy, and probably a bit boring. For that, I'm sorry!! 

If you're new here, welcome to my cookie world!! Below you will find some great information about how to place a new custom order and other offerings you may not be familiar with.

If you are an OG, thank you for sticking around and putting up with me! Consider this your nighttime reading material - I can only guarantee you will fall asleep! 

Either way, thank you for opening this email, reading the bolded lines, and most importantly, for being here! I am so excited for 2022!

CUSTOM ORDER PROCESS

1. Updated availability will continue to be released 1-2 months in advance. Availability is always up to date on my 'Custom Order Inquiry' form and will be emailed to subscribed members when new months are opened. For those new here: I do this to provide myself a better work-life balance!! I work full time during the day and make cookies at night. While I absolutely love what I do, it's incredibly important for me to have freedom to prevent burn out. Opening my calendar monthly allows time to plan impromptu trips, cookie pop-up shops, flavor testing in the kitchen and just have down time to relax :) 
2. There is no waitlist for future months. This feels like a commitment and is unfair to those who follow the rules and wait for my calendar to open. 
3. Requests are always reviewed in the order they are received; however priority is given to the following: 
   • Orders of 2+ Dozen
   • Themes that fit my personal style
   • Customers that allow me creative freedom related to the theme
   • NOTE: I am happy to work off of any inspiration photos you find, ideas you have, party decor or random photos. I will not replicate another artists work exactly. If that's what you're seeking, I can refer you to another local cookier.
4. Character Themes: Orders that require characters may not be accommodated. Due to copyright issues, I'm trying to steer away from full character designs in cookie sets; however, this is something we can have an open conversation about during the initial ordering process. We can talk about ideas and see if there is something that I can create to capture the essence of the theme without using full character images.
5. Your order is no longer confirmed until your invoice has been paid. Upon receiving your invoice, payment is due within 48 hours (the payment due date is always in the upper right hand corner of your invoice). If you need to pay cash or make alternate arrangements, you must let me know. I will no longer start working on an order without receiving payment. This could affect your order from being completed on time.
6. Accepted methods of payment: VENMO is preferred (the rates are cheaper than my website); however, I also accept all major credit cards and Apple Pay. I can sometimes make exceptions for cash. If you'd prefer to pay cash, please let me know so we can make arrangements.
7. Cancellation Policy (by the Customer): For a full refund, orders must be cancelled at least three weeks prior to the cookie pick up date. Cancelling two weeks prior to the pick up date will incur a 20% cancellation fee (80% of your payment will be returned). There will be no refund provided once work begins on your order. 
8. Cancellation Policy (by the Business): I am one person, and unfortunately, if I get sick or have a family emergency, I do not have anyone to take my place and will not be able to fulfill your order. A full refund will be provided for any cancellation made by me and I will do my absolute best to see if I can find someone to make the cookies in my absence. 
9. Order Pick Up: I offer curbside or contactless pick up at my Condo in Glastonbury. I will email you the week your order is due to confirm a final pick up day/time and to send formal pick up instructions. As I currently still work remote, I can be flexible with pick up times throughout the day; however, I do ask that you be mindful your time and advise me of any changes. I will no longer guarantee I will be home if you are late and do not formally let me know. 

PRICING CHANGES

This is my least favorite topic, can we move on?!

For those who have stuck by me since the beginning, know how much I appreciate you as my pricing has been fluctuating a great deal since the start of 2021. Well really, since the day I first started. It's a constant battle to figure out what the 'right' price is, and is something that will continue to evolve over time. 

Pricing is based on the cost of ingredients, supplies, packaging and most importantly, time.

Over the year, I've slowly started to get a better understanding of the amount of time that goes into a cookie. On top of time, my skills have changed (I hope you'll agree for the better!). I learn and grow so much every day, and that is truly because of the trust you all put in me. 

With that being said, a cookie can sometimes take one minute, but could also take twenty!! That's just for the details on top of the iced cookie. It doesn't include everything else that goes into the process (making dough, rolling, baking, making icing, mixing different colors, flooding the cookie, pictures, packaging, coordinating pick up... you get the picture). There is a lot that goes into each order, and cookies are truly a labor of love. Knowing this, I will continue to be adjusting my pricing accordingly in the new year. 

Moving forward, I will no longer have tiered pricing by the dozen. Each cookie will start at $6.00 and will increase based on the level of detail needed to bring your wildest cookie dreams to life. Airbrushing, hand painting, metallics, florals, multiple colors/dark colors, are some of the factors that could cause an increase in price.

This won't change what you see on the invoice (I won't be breaking out the cost of each individual cookie) - I will continue to average the total cost as you've seen to date. With that being said, I will become more vocal about explaining designs that could be incorporated into your set that would be on the more complex side (and less complex), to balance out the total cost of your order.

I hope when you place an order with me, you're comfortable having an honest conversation to help me understand what you're looking for, and I'm happy to share my input as well. I certainly don't mind taking creative control of your orders. To date, many of you let me do that and I love it. But I also don't want to overcharge you for an intricate level of detail you may not be looking for. This is why our conversations will be a little more in depth than they may have been in the past. My pricing structure may change again, but for right now, this is what I feel will work best! 

OTHER COOKIE OFFERINGS

I know custom designed cookies are not in everyones budget, or there's not always an event to place an order for. There are many different ways to get your hands on cookies throughout the year and here are a few: 

HOLIDAY SALES

Typically for major Holidays, I put together a menu of items that are available to purchase for pick up at a future date. I create the designs in advance and post them to my website with inventory limits on each item. This is what I usually call a Holiday Pre-Sale (or pre-order). This allows you to purchase items in a smaller quantity than a custom order. I typically offer individual standard size cookies, mini cookie sleeves, platter options, Do-It-Yourself Kits and sometimes Paint Your Own Cookies. I gauge what I offer by reviewing feedback from Instagram and general inquiries I receive from the public.

Major Holidays typically include:

Valentine's Day, Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

POP-UP SHOP

A Pop-Up Shop is when I go to another location (typically a storefront, coffee shop, or vendor market) and have a variety of cookies with me. I bring as much as I can make, and you can stop by in person to purchase cookies in a smaller quantity than a custom order. Similar to a pre-sale, I usually try to bring individual standard size cookies and mini sampler packs. Sometimes, I also bring undecorated options as well! I don't accept any pre-orders and it's first come first serve. I also will try to bring some seasonal flavors with me. My favorite part of doing a pop-up is being able to meet everyone in person!! With COVID, it has been challenging to find anywhere to pop-up inside during the winter months, but I hope to be able to do some again in the spring and fall! 

FLASH SALE

If I have any leftover cookies, flavor samples, or if I have time to make extras, I will post the cookies online randomly as a Flash Sale. Flash Sales are typically posted via stories on Instagram and are first come first serve. If I have a large quantity of cookies, I will post everything to the website. 

Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Kits and Paint Your Own (PYO) Cookies

These are two things I offer year round that I'm not sure many people know they can order outside of a pre-sale or a pop-up. These have a minimum order quantity of one dozen.

DIY Party Kits

A DIY Party Kit includes undecorated cookies, icing bags, sprinkles and directions. You can decide on the theme/designs for the cookies, the icing colors, the number of cookies and icing bags you want and how you want them packaged. 

Paint Your Own (PYO) Cookies

This is an iced sugar cookie with a design stenciled on top. It comes with a paint brush and paint palette. The kiddos can paint the cookie as a fun activity, and then eat! These can be given out as party favors or just be a fun activity! 

Please know that availability for DIY and PYO cookies is different than custom orders. If my Custom Order calendar shows as booked, you may still inquire to see if I have any availability left for your date.

Sometimes you all come to me with ideas that I haven't thought of, and while I may not be able to do them, it doesn't hurt to ask! If I can't help, I may know someone who can! 

OTHER IMPORTANT-ISH THINGS

SALES TAX

If you were paying attention last year, I mentioned this but didn't follow through on implementing the change: 

Sales tax will be applied for Holiday Sales through the website only. This will begin with Valentine's Day.

Pop-Up events and Custom Orders will not be affected. Remember, this goes directly to the State of Connecticut, not my pocket!  

FREEZING COOKIES

As a reminder, I typically block off Holiday weeks and do not allow Custom Order requests. If you are looking for cookies during a holiday week (or during a time I may have blocked off on my calendar), I would recommend purchasing the cookies in advance and freezing them!

If placing an order with me, your cookies will each be individually heat sealed for freshness (at no additional charge to you). While sugar cookies stay fresh two-three weeks once packaged, the cookies also freeze very well and sometimes taste even better after coming out of the freezer!! I've been trying to provide freezing instructions with each order, and if I know that's your intention, I will discuss further with you. 

FUTURE PLANS

It's been so much fun seeing this little business of mine continue to grow and I'm still not sure if this is it, or if it could be anything more. 

While I'm figuring things out, one thing I will ask is that you continue to use my website to input new inquiries. The website is a great tool to track all the orders I receive... even if I can't take them!!

THANK YOU!

If you're still here, THANK YOU, you made it to the finish line!

Monthly newsletters are usually a bit shorter... or at least I try to keep them shorter... I typically send an email each month when new calendar availability is released. I also share updates on any Pop-Up Sales, Holiday Sales, or other information I think you may be interested in - related to cookies, of course. I won't spam you with non-related cookie material. 

Expect to receive another email in a few weeks regarding February availability and information on Valentine's Day! As a reminder, my calendar is blocked through February 14th for Valentine's Day prep and my January calendar is just about at max capacity for custom orders!

I love to hear from you all, and if you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please reach out - anytime! 

Thank you so much again for being here and I hope you all are having a safe and healthy start to the New Year!!

Best,

Becca