Garden Giveaway #6 Sponsored by The Whimsical Spoon

Hello, my dearest readers! I am SO SO SOOOO excited to have this sweet owner and beautiful shop ~ a bakery selling on Etsy! ~ featured in my garden to-day!

I had the pleasure of "chatting" with Casey, the sweet and generous owner of this lovely bakery!

~The Interview~ 

Me: Good afternoon, Casey! I am so delighted to have you here in my garden to-day! Thank you so much for joining me! 
Do you mind telling me and my readers a little bit about yourself?

Casey: Thank you! I am so glad to be here!

Well, let's see... I have always been a crafty person. Being home schooled since the 3rd grade, I was able to get my school done and hurry on to my favorite hobbies. I would crochet, knit, paint and bake. Baking was always an adventure for me and my favorite past time. I enjoy creating some thing that is not only appealing to taste but also beautiful to look at. I am now married and a mother to one beautiful boy. Even though so many things have changed since the 3rd grade, baking is still my favorite hobby...

Me: What inspired you to start an Etsy shop and how long has it been in full operation?

Casey: Well first off, I love Etsy. I am huge fan of supporting local and small businesses. It's even better that these items are homemade! 

With baking as a hobby, you send a lot of items off to family and friends... they finally convinced me to open a shop on my favorite website! After getting things in order and setting up shop, I opened The Whimsical Spoon on January 30th 2011. 

Me: What is your inspiration for your products?

Casey: I am an old soul, so naturally, I am a fan of vintage items. The colors...the shapes...the story...

I try to use these things as inspiration. I love how just the look of something can make you happy or excited. I would love to think that my French Macarons could have this reaction. That's my goal. 

Me: Your shop's name is quite lovely...can you explain the concept behind it?

Casey: Thank you! You know, I wish there was a great story behind this name, but I'm sorry to say there is not! Once, when baking with my much younger sister, we were talking about the spoons we were using to scoop cookie dough onto a baking sheet. We thought it would be quite nice if at that point, they did some of the work themselves, so we could take a break. After some giggles of the thought of spoons working on their own, we named them and they had their own stories...

I guess this stuck with me and The Whimsical Spoon came about! 

Me: So, what is perhaps to you the most enjoyable part of being an Etsy owner and baker?

Casey: Etsy, to me, is a community. This is the most enjoyable part for me. Also, trading items with other sellers is quite nice too! 

Me:Tell us, what are a few of your favorite Etsy sellers/shops?

Casey: A couple of my favorite shops would be Garlands of Grace and CrazyBoy. Garlands of Grace has a lovely selection of elegant head bands and CrazyBoy has a shop full of classy purses/bags! Yes, I am a girl who loves accessories. 

Me: Being an experienced Etsy owner, could you share a few tips with the beginner Etsy owners among us?

Casey: My best tip for starting a shop on Etsy, is to find someone who appreciates your product and knows how to take pictures. Your image will sell your item! Also, be very description when selling. A buyer wants to know exactly what they are getting.

Thank you so much, Casey, for allowing me to interview you! 'Twas a joy and pleasure indeed to have you here to-day. I hope that your business grows and flourishes this 
year with many sales!

~A Peek Into the Shop~

One certainly cannot host a tea party without yummy treats! 
Do you know what a macaron is? 


A macaron is a sweet confectionery made with egg whites, icing sugar, granulated sugar, almond powder orground almond, and food coloring. The macaron is commonly filled with buttercream or jam filling sandwiched between two cookies. Its name is derived from an Italian word "maccarone" or "maccherone". This word is itself derived from ammaccare, meaning crush or beat, used here in reference to the almond paste which is the principal ingredient. It is meringue-based: made from a mixture of egg whites, almond flour, and both granulated and confectionery sugar.
~Wikepedia


Remember the beautiful French macarons we were sampling yesterday at tea? This was one of the first Etsy shops {bakeries} I stumbled upon in search of these pretty, dainty, and delicate treats, but what I found  instead were pieces of art! 


Casey sells the most scrumptious-looking macarons you ever did see!
Flavors including...

Vanilla bean...

Cinnamon...

Dark Chocolate...

 {*swoon*}

White Chocolate Raspberry...

{I <3 heart this!}

Blueberry...

Lemon...

{I heart this!!}

Pistachio...

And even Peanut Butter and Jelly!!!

She also sells other delectable treats such as...

Sponge Cake...

Golden Caramels...

And the most delicious-sounding...

Chewy Honey Snickerdoodles!

She's also not shy about custom orders, and I know she would be happy to create a masterpiece specially for you. 

~The Giveaway~

I was absolutely squealing with delight when Casey offered one of her twelve {or twenty-four? ~ Will have to check with the owner on that ;)} piece sampler box towards my May Garden Party!

{via} {note: not from Etsy shop}

How blessed I know the young lady who wins this will be! The sampler box includes flavors such as White Chocolate Raspberry, Blueberry, Peanut, Vanilla Bean, and Lemon!

This sampler box is worth $25...how very generous of her, no? 

Special, SPECIAL thanks to Casey for contributing this lovely sampler box towards my May Garden Party. You have been such a blessing!  

~How to Enter~

Required: You must leave separate comments per entry you complete. 

Required: You must complete the mandatory entry or else all other entries will not count. 


~Mandatory Entry~
Follow this blog 
{you must be a follower via Google Friends Connect, private following does not count}.  
&
Visit Casey's shop, coming back here to tell me what flavor{s} sounds yummy to you. 


You may earn extra chances to win by....

Heart Casey's shop.  

Add Casey to your circle.

Enter my Modest Fashion Week. 

Mention this giveaway in a post including this button I have created. 

<center><a href="http://gracesgardenwalk.blogspot.com/2011/05/garden-giveaway-6-sponsored-by.html </i></font></p><p><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#e06666" face="'Century Gothic', serif" style="line-height: 20px;"><i>"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/27c1Q.jpg"/></a></center>

Paste the button {above} on your sidebar.

Follow my photography blog {or let me know if you already are}.  

Purchase something from Casey's shop. {worth ten entries; leave ten comments}

All entries above are worth one extra entry unless stated otherwise.




For those who do not keep a blog...


Leave a comment, letting me know that you would like to enter. You must include your name and a way for me to contact you.


Visit Casey's shop and let me know what your favorite macaron is. 


E-mail three friends who you think would be interested in entering this giveaway. {worth one entry per person you e-mail}