The holidays in my house have always been a time of hustle and bustle, festivities with family and friends, cold weather and warm hearts, and chatter and cheer! Along with all the wonderful things that the holidays bring comes a welcome “calm after the storm”. As December wraps up and begins to wind down I always look forward to the new year and what it may hold. It’s a fresh start, a new beginning, and I’ve always found it exciting to ponder what the future may hold for me and the “what’s to come?” that only a flip of the calendar and the promise of a new year can bring. It is during this time…during that little bit of peace and quiet just before we head back to work and back to our normal routines that we can not only look forward with excitement and anticipation at what the new year promises but also take a moment to look back.
The same holds true not only in my home but also in my “home away from home” here at the shop. I reflect first and foremost on my cupcake family, better known to you all as the sweet smiling faces you see in the shop each day. Whether back in the kitchen whipping up your favorite goodies or behind our counter helping you decide between the “Big Red” or the “Mint Condition” these people are my second family and part of my story. This wonderfully talented group of women who each inspire me with their individual talents have woven themselves into my story of 2012 are also integral parts of my hope for the new year in 2013.
There are the bakers who arrive in the wee hours of the morning when most are still “snuggled in our beds” to whip, whisk, blend, and bake the sweet sensations that fill our shop each day. There are our decorators who have such artistic vision and talent and are truly the best in the business. They take such care with each order and can often be found carefully torting and filling a pretty pink cake for your daughters birthday, or hand cutting custom corporate logos for a box of cupcakes for your clients. 
Then there are the girls up front who are truly some of the sweetest around! They are the faces you all have grown to know and love as they pour you that perfect cup of coffee or help you design something for your child’s first birthday or your sisters baby shower. Without this exceptional group of woman 2012 wouldn’t have been nearly as sweet!
Secondly I reflect on how lucky I am to have the opportunity to serve such wonderful customers and be part of your lives. I am so privileged to run a business in a community as supportive as ours and so honored to be part of each and every one of your special occasions and celebrations. There is nothing more gratifying on a really long day than hearing that “it was the best cake she ever tasted” when you surprised your grandmother on her 90th birthday or that you “made someone’s day” with a surprise box of cupcakes, or “she said yes!” after a collaboration on an engagement surprise, or “It’s a Boy!” when you slice into the gender reveal cake that we baked for your family dinner. Then there’s our staff favorite when the “Thank You” postcard from one of our sweet couples on their honeymoon after we’ve provided their dream wedding cake for their big day arrives. We are so blessed to be a part of your lives, so honored to be your bakery of choice, and so humbled to be thriving in a difficult economy. We look forward with excitement and a renewed sense of purpose and vision to 2013 and have some wonderful ideas for the coming year!
Looking back I realize just how lucky I am, and close the chapter on another year with a happy heart! I am doing what I love, surrounded by wonderfully talented people, and working hard each day with a fulfilled sense of purpose for the best customers anyone could ask for. As we look to the promise of a new year and 2013 I wish to all of you that you may feel so blessed and bask in the “sweetness” of a new year! Cheers, Sara
