So, yesterday was the makers mart in Toledo and I gotta say… it was pretty damn cool.

We went into this completely on a whim, with the hope that maybe through the screening process our little cottage foods bakery could make the cut. When we got the email that we had got the spot, none of us could have been happier and I think both Mallie and I (Never Digger, he always has this unwavering belief in me) thought there was a giant possibility that we wouldn’t get in. We were blown away and we knew we had a GIANT undertaking. This would be the BIGGEST bake haul we ever had to do. So we dug in the week before. Literally begging people for help; Mallie’s Mother donated a huge freezer for free cupcakes, my mother-in-law let us borrow her kitchen-aid mixer, and a ton of tupperware cases, also her time: She took Juniper for a few days. My husband sacrificed the uproar of his home and kitchen… Because we had nothing in our fridge except eggs, butter and milk. Mallie had a few end of the semester papers due and spent at least 4 nights in a row at my home, after work, baking until 2am. Everyone sacrificed to help bring this very important thing that I created, into being. I was scared, intimidated, and to be blunt I felt guilty!

We eventually made over 500 cupcakes (which we were fearful we made too much… Even had a plan to discount the price at the end of the festival in case we ran out of time), 4 doz. brownies, 8 doz. truffles. Within the first 2 hours of being there, the truffles were gone.  At 3:30 p.m. We were almost out of everything (Except Vanilla cupcakes and a few Marilyn’s.) By 6:30 p.m. we sold out of everything. and at 7 p.m. 3 customers asked to buy the remaining display cupcakes… yeah. It was amazing. We met the two gentlemen of Smash Toledo who posted our stuff here:    http://instagram.com/p/m-0YKfntHd/

Along with finding pictures with some of our more wild cupcake flavors like “the King” cupcake or our Fruity Pebbles. We even received an offer from a man who wanted us to rent a retail space from him for cheap! People seemed to receive our wacky cupcake flavors with vigor. And that was amazing. We met countless of other vendors who spilled out not only some of the best advice for us but also a genuine feeling of LOVE from our community. It was the HARDEST amount of work I’ve ever done in my life… Im not exaggerating when I say there were tears, but this was EASILY one of the most fulfilling moments in my life. We did it. But more importantly, they did it, you did it… Thank you everyone for being so… I dont know… wonderful? (If that word can even somehow sum up something that is so big to me.) Just thank you. This changed me. Thank you.

It really does matter where you make it. I <3 Toledo.

Shelly P.