He was the failed foster I came home to during college. I remember walking through the door and seeing a little Jack Russell and beagle mix standing there. We both looked confused at one another, one of us a little more confused, and the other very eager to sniff. Of course, I loved him immediately, and then I asked the obvious question. Where did this little dog come from?

Perhaps a controversial opinion, but I’d take an almond croissant over a chocolate one.

During my senior year of college, an 12 am artist date led me back to creativity, cooking, and faith. Inspired by The Artist’s Way, I wandered into a library, rediscovered my love for culinary arts, and created a mango sticky rice parfait that taught me something about God’s timing. A reflective story about inner child healing, late-night creativity, and the beauty of artist dates.

How my sourdough journey began—from a farmers market loaf to baking by faith, learning patience, and mastering the art and science of sourdough.

A birthday cake I made for a friend turned into a near disaster. Emily’s birthday cake: matcha buttercream, vanilla, and strawberry compote — a flop, quite literally. But here’s the thing about Emily’s birthday cake: God always prepares us, even in the chaos of last-minute baking and barely getting it done.

For Heather’s 22nd birthday, I baked a Jellycat-inspired Victoria sponge — not the prettiest cake I’ve made, but one of the most memorable. This post is part of Cakes for Others, a personal series where I share the cakes I’ve made for the people I love. It’s about flavor, memory, and how baking became a way to say thank you, and I love ya!

This fall, I hosted my third bakery pop-up in Virginia Beach—a weekend filled with flour-dusted countertops, prayer, watercoloring, and 220 cookies baked from scratch. From staying up until 1:30 a.m. with my sister to discovering which desserts touched people’s hearts, this pop-up reminded me why I bake: to create, to love, and to glorify God through every act of care.

Cakes for Others — a story series on the cakes I’ve baked for loved ones. A journal-style reflection on memory, baking, and love in layers.