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If you’re anything like me, you’re obsessed with sugar in any and all forms. I’m talking milk chocolate, cake, cookies, dark chocolate, ice cream and literally anything that could cause me to go into a sugar coma. For my 10th birthday, my parents gave me a box of Oops All Berries Captain Crunch because I loved them so much (I was one coooool kid, let me tell ya). 

 

When I’m not whipping up cookies, I’m a barre instructor at a local barre studio. It's called balance, people! I’m always on the look out for a cute cake plate or vintage cookbook, and am a firm believer that life is too short to not enjoy dessert. 

Hey! I'm Alayna, Chief Baking Officer & Founder

How It All Began

I’ve been baking since I was old enough to stand in the kitchen and help my mom and grandma aka snatching pieces of cookie dough when they weren’t looking. Some of my earliest memories are of the gorgeous cakes my grandma would make for my birthday. She would transform a cake into a bear or butterfly and I always thought it was magical. 

 

For my 8th birthday, my mom, one of the most creative people I know, came up with the idea to do an animal-themed party (all my friends had to bring their favorite stuffed animal) and let me create these animal cupcakes! I can still remember the thrill of seeing all the little bowls full of candy I could use to decorate.

 

Now, decades later, channeling my creativity into baking & decorating something special is my favorite part of this business! And while those raccoon cupcakes might need to make a comeback, the bangs definitely do not.

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Lil Alayna in her 8 year-old cupcake glory.

College was when I began to channel my entrepreneurial spirit and started a card business. I would make greeting cards and sell them to my friends. This was the first time I realized how fun it was to have a "side hustle." This little stream of income gave me enough cash to fill my gas tank and get some Kopps ice cream (Wisconsinites, you get it).  I loved it!

 

While in college, I never had an oven in my dorm, but did have access to the shared kitchen on my floor. I would spend hours whipping up cookies for my college friends who needed sustenance for late-night study sessions. Cookies provided that. Not to mention they were a huge cut above the cafeteria food we were so used to eating every day. Baking for my college friends was really where I started to realize how much people loved receiving cookies. A warm cookie made pulling an all-nighter somewhat more manageable! (Cannot condone not reading the entirety of Moby Dick in the 6 hours before the paper on it was due though....)

 

Francine’s Sweets was truly born in the spring of 2019 when my brother and sister-in-law got married. They needed someone to make desserts and I figured I could do it! After watching countless YouTube videos and checking out lots of cookbooks from the library, I made decorated sugar cookies for their dessert table, and Francine’s Sweets was officially born!

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My very first Francine's Sweets order!

Great question! When my mom taught me how to bake when I was a kid, I loved pretending that I was on a cooking show. As if I was in front of a studio audience, I would narrate my baking techniques out loud. My mom became my trusty sous chef, known to my imaginary viewers as "Francine", thus Francine's Sweets was born as a tribute to my mom who spent many hours teaching me how to measure flour, and then wiping half that flour up from the kitchen floor.

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Some cookies I decorated for The Barre Code in February 2020!

The Francine’s Sweets story wouldn’t be the same if it weren’t for barre3 Grand Rapids (formerly known as the Barre Code). I joined this fitness studio hoping to make new friends and ended up meeting some incredible people who have become huge proponents of my business. I would bring over cookies, donuts, cupcakes for the staff to try, which helped get word out about Francine's Sweets. I can’t thank the owner, Stacie, enough for all her support, encouragement and advice she’s given me over the years! 

So, Who's Francine?

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When I started dating my now-husband, I baked him lots of cookies in an attempt to get him to fall in love with me. It worked! When we got married, I baked our wedding cake (an Oreo Extreme cake!) and even used my business cards as name holders on our tables! He’s now my Chief Tasting Officer, marketing assistant, sounding board and #1 fan. He has the tough job of getting to taste test every thing I bake (poor guy!) and I can always count on him to get excited with me about a new, crazy idea I have for the business. I'm incredibly thankful for his love and support of Francine's Sweets. The business truly wouldn't be what it is without him. 

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Francine’s Sweets has changed quite a bit over the years. I’ve tried out tons of different recipes and scrapped even more of them. I baked one wedding cake for a friend, but while attending the ceremony, I was so nervous the cake would fall over, that I decided to never do it again. There was one time I left cookies on my front porch for a customer to pick up, only for her to discover a family of squirrels had chewed through the whole box.

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But food has always been a source of comfort. Walking into the kitchen of my childhood home and smelling fresh baked cookies or homemade spaghetti sauce holds a very special place in my heart. Sharing food and desserts when a church member or loved one died was the same as saying “I care about you and I love you.” So many of my favorite childhood memories revolve around the food my mom and grandma made for me, especially desserts. And while the taste of these desserts was always amazing, even more importantly, it meant the gathering of family, friends and love.

 

My mission at Francine’s Sweets is to bake beautiful cookies that taste even better. When you show up with my desserts, I want them to bring you closer to whoever you’re with. It may seem insignificant, but bringing someone cookies spreads joy, happiness, and connection. One of my favorite Bible verses is 2 Corinthians 2:15 which says “For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.” At Francine's Sweets, we strive to be the sweet aroma of Christ, bringing joy, love and delicious desserts to every customer we serve. Through our homemade gourmet cookies and cakes, we aim to spread joy, create connection and reflect God’s grace in all we do. Thank you for allowing me to spread some of that love to you and your community!

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