Love & Cupcakes Studio, LLC

09/04/2026

Every day there's a reason to celebrate. Eat the cake!

08/30/2026

Last day at The Great New York State Fair. My daughter showed horses with 4H for years, so we used to stay overnight at the dorm in the upstairs of the youth building. One of my favorite things about spending those days together was walking through the fairgrounds before the gates opened to the public. The sun is rising over the green roofs, the ferris wheel is still, the stages are quiet, and the animals are just opening their eyes. There's a delicious breakfast place near the barns where everyone is enjoying the peace of a waking village before the bright colors, festive sounds, and excited crowds take over.

Come find out why I love the fair, then stop and see me in the Horticulture Building today.

08/28/2026

It's Pride Day at The Great New York State Fair and we are ready with some of our most favorite cookies. Aren't these rainbow chameleons (in the comments) ADORABLE?!!!

✨Day 3️⃣ at The Great New York State Fair awaits! ✨

It’s Pride Day and New Americans Day – which means programming in Empire Room, entertainment in Empire Theater, and a New Americans resource fair in front of the Expo Center to celebrate! 🏳️‍🌈🇺🇸

Check our website for the full schedule of today’s Special Day events.

08/27/2026

Aww, thanks! If you're a female entrepreneur in the Utica area and you're looking for a group that celebrates both you and your business, check out Success Circle Community. Start with coffee (there's one tomorrow) and stay for the friendship.

Today we celebrate Jessica Rowley on her special day 🎂

Happy Birthday to one of our talented Success Circle members!

Jessica uses her God-given talent for baking and decorating to create more than delicious treats at her business, Love & Cupcakes Studio. She creates experiences that bring people together, from decorating workshops to thoughtful care packages.

Add in her love of teaching, games, and a whole lot of creativity, and it's been fun to watch her continue building a business around the things that bring her and others joy.

Help us celebrate her today and wish her a very Happy Birthday!

08/23/2026

Who dropped kids off at school this weekend? How are you holding up, Mamas?

We'll start shipping care packages after Labor Day. And if you live near Utica, NY, we have a special opportunity for you to add your own personal touch to your cookie box.

Let's see those dorm room pix! Drop them in the comments. 👇

08/22/2026

08/22/2026

I started to post this for the ladies at yesterday’s Success Circle Community picnic, but then I thought you might all enjoy this classic. The last photo is the recipe for Pretzel Jello.

My Mummum was very special to me. We had a lot in common, sometimes to my mother’s utter frustration: that fastidious eye for detail, an insatiable sweet tooth, the way we’d r***e through an entire rack of decorations at the store to find the one “with the cutest face.” So what always perplexed Mummum was the one big thing we did not share; her love of strawberries. I’ve never known anyone with such an affinity for strawberries. Strawberry shortcake. Strawberries over ice cream. Strawberries and sugar. But me? Try as I might to be just like Mummum, I couldn’t stand them.

Pretzel Jello was a mainstay of potlucks and family reunions. Mummum, who grew up in Greene County, PA, made a crust with crushed pretzels, sugar, and butter in a 9x13 pan. She would top that with a mixture of cream cheese, Cool Whip, and sugar. Then came her favorite part: strawberry jello with sweetened frozen strawberries. (Are you noticing a theme here with Mummum and the sugar?)

I thought Pretzel Jello was just my family’s recipe. I felt almost betrayed when I moved to Delaware and a stranger brought it to a church potluck! Pretzel Jello, I learned, was pretty well-known in Delaware, though they called it "Strawberry Pretzel Salad."

But funny enough, many years later when I moved back to New York, I was surprised once again, this time to be reminded that people here are NOT familiar with the dish.

Sometime in my young adulthood, I finally discovered that I did indeed like strawberries, especially when they’re red and sweet and straight from the field… or covered in chocolate. I used to take the kids strawberry picking each year and we’d spend a week indulging in strawberry shortcake, strawberries on ice cream, strawberries with sugar.

That is… until the next big discovery of young adulthood. As it turns out, I’m allergic to strawberries.

I haven’t made Pretzel Jello in a decade or longer, but I got to talking about it last week, and when the invitation to yesterday’s picnic came, I knew just what to make. I tweaked the recipe to use what was in season, local cherries, with the added benefit of not having to pack the Cortisone cream. Mummum would be aghast at the substitution, but at least the recipe lives on.

08/22/2026

"Collect moments, not things." I love this! What will you do to feel good this month?

August isn’t over yet! Every day is a new beginning !

08/21/2026

Thank you, April Parker Cacciatori, for a relaxed evening with this lovely group of ladies!