Occupation: I am a cake designer. I opened my business, Crave Custom Cakes and Cookies, earlier this year and make cakes, cookies, cupcakes, cheesecakes, and pies. I’ve always loved baking, ever since I was a little kid. Around the time I got married, I wanted some kind of hobby and started taking some classes. I just loved it and began reading every book I could find on it and watching videos. When that wasn’t enough, I started traveling to take cake decorating classes all over the world with big names like Mike McCarey and Lauren Kitchens. I would take classes, try to learn as much as I could, and go to cake competitions. It’s also my first year at the Farmer’s Market, which is running every Tuesday at Fairfield Hills. I love doing it because not only are there a lot of amazing vendors there, but I love the interaction with all the townspeople.

Family: I have four children. Tyler is 13, Trevor is 11, Payton is 10, and Brooke is almost 5. My husband, Michael, and I have been married for 16 years. We met in college in statistics class.

Pets: We have two fish, Tiger and Sparkle.

How long have you lived in Newtown? We moved to Newtown March 2017. We had lived in Brookfield since 2004, and we have family that live here. We pretty much moved for the school system and loved how quaint the town is. Also, everything fell into place with the house — it was a perfect fit.

What do you like to do in your free time? Make cakes! I like to design my own birthday cakes. For me, when it’s my cake, I can choose any design, try any flavor, and have fun with it. There’s this new Russian style called “brushstroke” cakes that have large colorful brushstrokes of chocolate, so I’ve made it with my favorite colors. I also love to read, garden, and play with my kids.

Do you have a favorite book? Before I got into cakes, I got my degree in elementary education, so part of me has a pull for the younger kid novels like Lois Lowry’s The Giver series. As an adult, I like The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.

What is your favorite travel destination? Somewhere warm and relaxing. Really anywhere with my family.

What is the best part about Newtown? The people here are so friendly. People aren’t in that much of a rush and are willing to stop and help each other.

Who has been the greatest influence in your life? God. My faith helps me make daily decisions in how to be more like Christ and how to take care of each other and be a better person. It makes you want to keep trying.

If you could spend the day with one person, who would you choose and why? My grandmother who passed away. She was also a baker and taught me a lot. I still bake some of her recipes. She was an inspiration of goodness to me. She was always kind and patient, and she taught me all her tips and tricks that she had learned during the Depression. I miss her.

Who is your favorite musical artist? I like country music like Rascal Flatts. For my birthday every couple of years, my husband takes me to a Rascal Flatts concert.

Do you have a favorite TV show? We don’t watch a lot of TV, but occasionally we’ll watch Netflix or Amazon. My daughter and I like to watch Sugar Rush, which is a baking challenge show.

What is the greatest piece of advice you have ever been given? The more you love and serve people, the happier you will be.

What is something you cannot live without? My family.

What is your proudest accomplishment? For me, accomplishments are hearing back how much someone loved a cake I made and how much it made their party. Those are the kinds of things I love to hear.