Spotlight: The Lady in 605

Hi, I’m Olivia!

Baking has always been a part of my life—I grew up in the kitchen baking pies with my Nana, and my love for creating sweet treats only grew from there. As a teen and young adult, I loved experimenting with new recipes (much to the delight—and slight regret—of my friends and family, who became my taste-testers!).

In 2020, what started as baking cakes and sugar cookies for coworkers quickly turned into a full-fledged business. But I didn’t just want to make beautiful cookies—I wanted to teach others how to create them, too! Since 2021, I’ve been offering cookie decorating classes, both publicly and privately, helping others gain the confidence and skills to make their own edible works of art.

Whether you’re looking for custom-made cookies or want to join a fun, hands-on class, I’d love to bake something special with you!

Mom, baker, local entrepreneur

Olivia, AKA “The Cookie Lady”, says that baking has always been a part of her life. I asked Olivia a few questions about the inspiration behind her business, here is what she had to say:

Q. Why do you love baking so much?

A. Baking for me is therapeutic. I love getting into the zone and creating something new, or reviving an old recipe filled with memories from my childhood.

Q. What made you decide to turn your passion for baking into a business?

A. I love being able to share my treats with the people around me. I lived in an apartment for the last 10 years, so when I baked something for fun, I would often share it with the neighbours around me. Everywhere I went sharing my treats, I would hear “You should go into business!” “You should open a bakery!” Online orders were the easiest place to start, and I’ve loved sharing my baked goods with the world around me… and it doesn’t hurt to make a living doing something you love!

Q. How has running a business affected your life as a Mom?

A. Some days feel overwhelming, like I need to ‘do it all.’ But I’ve learned that balancing family and work is a necessity—especially when you work from home. I spend my days with my family, and in the evenings, I unwind with a show or a podcast while decorating cookies late into the night. My kids are my biggest fans, and seeing their amazed faces in the morning when they look at my creations makes it all so worth it!

Q. What’s your favourite thing about being “The Lady in 605”?

A. I love being a part of people’s special moments! It’s incredible to see customers come back for different milestones—like ordering cookies for a bachelorette party, a cake for their wedding, a cake for their gender reveal, and then cookies for their child’s first birthday. Having that full-circle moment is so special, and it’s truly an honour to celebrate with them every step of the way!

I met Olivia several years ago, long before Little Words was even a *thing*. I was teaching Baby Signing classes at our local community centre, and Olivia was taking one of my classes. She always had such great energy, and encouraged me to take my teaching to the next level.

Fast forward several years later, we bumped into each other and discovered that we had both followed our passions and started our own businesses! What better reason to bring our two passions together?

Little Words Studio hosted the first (of hopefully many) Cookie Decorating Workshop last month, it was spectacular! If you missed it, don’t worry, we are offering another one on April 25. It’s an adult-only evening event, you get to leave the kids at home and enjoy some cookie decorating time together. Olivia provides all of the materials, and you get to take home a gorgeous collection of cookies!