Just yesterday I had the opportunity to take some branding photos for a fellow small business owner, Katie Seech! Katie is a baker and just started her cookie company, Sugarlands Cookie Co. in December. Take a look at her spotlight below, and make sure to think of her next time you need (or just want!!) some beautifully designed cookies! 

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Hi Katie! Tell us a bit about yourself and how Sugarlands Cookie Co came to be!

​Absolutely! I was born in Michigan and moved to Pittsburgh when I was 10 years old. I love everything Pittsburgh. I graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a major in Economics and Communications in 2016. In addition to owning my own small cookie business, I currently work as a corporate marketing and event planning professional. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I started experimenting with my sugar cookie recipe and in December of 2020 Sugarlands was born! What initially propelled me to where I am now was my Holiday Cookies Boxes, where I did a cookie sale that benefited the Miracle League of the South Hills. From there I’ve been customizing cookies for family, friends, neighbors, and companies! I look forward seeing where Sugarlands Cookie Co takes me!

What has been the most surprising thing so far about operating your own business? 

​Without a doubt the love and support I’ve received from family, friends, and the Pittsburgh community! I thought maybe I would sell a batch of cookies here or there, but I never anticipated the love and support that I continue to see on a daily basis.

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Mostly everyone who is on my website/blog is a mama, tell us a bit about cookies you’ve made for events! Baby showers, first birthdays, gender reveals? Do you come up with the design ideas or do moms have a hand in that??

Baby themed cookies are BY FAR my favorite sets to make! It’s so exciting knowing about a pregnancy announcement even before the immediate family knows! I love everything about making baby cookies! I can do everything from baby showers, baby announcements, gender reveals, to first, seconds, third birthdays and beyond! I love when moms send me inspirational pictures of what they would like me to create, but I’m also open to them trusting my creativity by them telling me the color scheme and any customizations and going from there!

I think I saw on Instagram the other day that you had prepared a sugar decorating kit for a customer. I think so many mamas would love that activity for their kids! So nice to take some of the prep work out but still have a hands-on activity! Is that something you offer regularly?

​I love this question, thank you so much for bringing this up! I feel like DIY decorating kits don’t get as much spotlight as they should. It’s such a great bonding experience to decorate cookies with your little one, no matter the age. It’s a wonderful way to introduce them to cookies without having to make a mess in the kitchen. I have DIY kits available for every major holiday, but I’m happy to make DIY kits to any occasion!

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Most importantly – can you describe your cookies?! What should people expect when biting into one??

​The cookies are just as good as they look! When you bite into a Sugarlands Sugar Cookie, it is soft and delicious, made with only the finest ingredients. Growing up, I was never the biggest fan of sugar cookies. They were always too hard and didn’t have much taste. After adjusting my recipe a few times, I was able to find the perfect combination of vanilla and almond notes in the cookies.

Thanks so much for filling us in our Sugarlands! Where can people find you to follow along on your journey + order your beautiful cookies for their next event? Instagram, website, whatever you’d like people to know!

Certainly! I’ve included all my information below!
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​Website: sugarlandscookieco.wixsite.com/my-site
Email: Sugarlandscookieco@gmail.com    
Phone: 412-519-9606
Contact Name: Katie Seech
Instagram: @sugarlandscookieco
Facebook: Sugarlands Cookie Co.

Well now I am definitely hungry for her cookies, LOL! Thanks again for reading this small business spotlight and make sure to support Katie the next time you have an event, or are just wanting to treat yourself with some fun cookies! 

xx julie renee photo