Today we’d like to introduce you to Valerie Lopez.
Hi Valerie, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I have always baked on and off since I was in college. But I got really serious about it after I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Being diagnosed with thyroid cancer meant that I would have to undergo surgery and radiation therapy.
A week or so before radiation therapy, I had to go through a rigorous low iodine diet. I had to watch what I ate very carefully to make sure there was little to no iodine in my food or drinks. I also had to watch my food portions all of this had to be done in order for radiation to work. During this process, I was directed by my endocrinologist to the cookbook on the THYCA (nonprofit thyroid cancer association) website. This cookbook helped my husband and I so much in seeing not only what main course dishes we could make but also desserts. I was able to find things I could bake with my husband that would help me stay on the low iodine diet. This is where my love for baking began knowing that I could bake something for someone to enjoy and brighten their day or help them in some way.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has been a road filled with some bumpy and smooth patches as I just started my business this year and I am still learning and building new skills. As I believe you are never done learning. There is always something new to learn or a skill to build. I am also a wife and a stay at home mom of 2 beautiful kids, with my own little business so I always have my hands full. But I am so very thankful for everything in my life.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am an at home baker as well as a crafter. I bake and decorate custom cakes, cupcakes, cakesicles/cakepops and cheesecakes. I also make custom toppers for cakes, cupcakes and cheesecakes.
I am very shy so what I am most proud of is that I took the first step in starting my small business, as well as putting myself and my work out there. Since starting my business, I have been getting better at not being so shy since I have to talk to people I don’t yet know to get to know them better and what visions they have for their orders and how I can make their vision a reality.
What I feel sets me apart from others is that I can bake products for people who are also on the low iodine diet and I can understand what they are going through because I personally have lived it. Another thing that I feel sets me apart is that I literally put my whole heart into my work. To me, I am not just baking and decorating someone’s birthday cupcakes or anniversary cake. I want to make each order meaningful, something they won’t forget, something that tastes amazing and something that makes them feel special.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
My favorite childhood memory is watching telenovelas or movies with my grandparents, whom raised me as their own. I lost my grandma in 2017 to colorectal cancer and my grandpa suddenly passed in 2019. So a great majority of my childhood memories include them and I hold them very close to my heart.
Contact Info:
- Email: craftnconfections@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/craft_n_confections/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/craft.n.confections/
Image Credits
Valerie Perez Lopez
