Except that I’m paying for the gifts and they’re a lot bigger.  In the last week, these arrived home:

Not drawn to scale!

This time, I sent My Favorite Critics a taste of chocolate chip walnut cookies.  With it, I sent a note that I finally settled on the name ButterGirl.

These guys tickle me.  We haven’t met yet, but they’re planning to come to a cookie tasting party that I’m planning.  I can’t wait!

Eric and Luc write…

October 27, 2009

The cookies were good.  Maybe you should call your bakery “Butter Baking.”  I don’t really like “Butter Girl” because you don’t cook girls.  On a scale of 1-10, the chocolate chip nut cookies were about 8.  I would like to taste, if you make some, chocolate fudge cookies.

Luc

The cookies were awesome.  I agree with you – it should be called “Butter Girl Baking” because you’re a girl.  On a scale of 1-10, the chocolate nut cookies would be around 10 if you didn’t put any nuts in because I don’t like nuts.  The kinds of nut you put in those cookies I really don’t like.  I would love to come to your cookie-tasting party and I don’t care if you have cookies that have stuff in them that I don’t like, but I would still try to taste your wonderful and awesome cookies, which taste really good.

Eric

I love a discerning palate.  Especially when they call ButterGirl cookies awesome!

You never know where your fans will come from.

And by fans, I mean people who love what you do and are willing to tell you how to make it better.  My husband – Cookie Man (a story for another time) – works with a friend who was excited by the idea of ButterGirl before it was Butter Girl.  And that friend took some samples home to her twin sons, Luc and Eric.  They like cookies.  Boy, do they like cookies.   But they have standards.  You have to admire that in eight-year olds.

After tasting ButterGirl frosted sugar cookies and double fudge cookies,

Eric and Luc write…

October 13, 2009

The chocolate cookies are very good, but you should maybe call them, “Chocolate Brownie Cookies.” The plain sugar cookies are good, but maybe you should add something to it, like hot fudge, etc…. I hope that you make a store and I’ve got an idea. Maybe we can bake cookies and send them to you.

Best wishes,
Luc

The chocolate cookies are very good, but I think you should call them “Brownie Fudge Cookies” if there is brownie and fudge in it. The sugar cookies were very good. On a scale of 1-10, the chocolate cookies = 10 and the sugar cookies = 8.75.

Best wishes,
Eric

Reactions like that are why I started ButterGirl.  Everyone loves a cookie.  Even a cookie that only rates 8.75 can make you happy.  But everyone is looking for the one that tastes like a 10.  Just like me.

Thank you Eric and Luc!  I’m baking up another batch for you!

A few weeks ago I started thinking about how much I liked baking cookies.  And how happy it makes me to give them to people.  It was about the same time I was thinking about leaving my employer.

I started to imagine what a little cookie business could be.  I had a thousand ideas at once.  But I settled on baking my favorite cookies for people who could give me an opinion.  I really needed to know if they liked them as much as I do.

I started sharing cookies in batches and snack bags.  And because I want to see the expression on people’s faces, I’m going to host a couple of cookie parties with friends and cookie lovers.  You know, anyone who can breathe.  I sent an update to the office with my husband and he shared some cookies with friends.

Two cookie-loving boys responded by email.  They liked the idea of a cookie party!  They liked everything about the my cookie business idea.

Subject:  RE: cookies

Dear ButterGirl,

This is Eric. The cookies were really good and I hope you make a lot of business. The cookies are not too sweet and not too sour.

If it’s OK with you, I would like to work in your shop, if you have one, in the summer with Luc. If you let us work there, we could be at the counter and help you sell the cookies or we could help you make the cookies and also put them in little baggies for some of our clients to take.

This is Luc.

I was wondering if Eric and I could go to your cookie tasting party, if you have one. We would also like to test taste more cookies.

And Eric and I would be happy to be one of your customers and I hope you had a great summer.

Eric and I could make the signs for how much the cookies cost and we like to make cookies, also.

From,

Eric and Luc

===========

Dear ButterGirl,

If you do have a cookie tasting party, please feel free to let us know if you’d prefer it were adult only. We could get a kid-sitter and maybe bring home a few samples for the cookie-loving boys.

Eric and Luc’s mom

I think I could pay these boys in cookies and they’d feel rich.  ; )  But I wouldn’t!  They’re eight years old.  That would be wrong.  Or would it…?

I can’t tell you how happy it makes when I think of the people out there who are encouraging, hoping for the best right along with me.  Sure, maybe Eric and Luc don’t know a lot about retail business or how bad the economy is.  But you don’t start a business in this economy – any economy – without a big dose of hope and faith in possibilities.  And these guys are full of it.

Thanks guys!