Meet Julie Georgas | Custom Crafter, Designer and Baker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Julie Georgas and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Julie, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
The idea of starting my own business came to me almost by accident! I love crafting, baking, and marrying the two together. For close to thirty years, I have created home-made gingerbread houses for others to decorate. It started out as a fun activity for my family to do together and became a tradition we all looked forward to every year. Soon I was making gingerbread houses for the whole neighborhood, and all my children’s sports teams. I’m a teacher and I would make gingerbread houses for my entire grade level to decorate as our holiday party. This was something I grew to be very passionate about. There’s nothing quite like seeing a child’s face when they walk into a classroom and discover all the little houses and miles of candy laid out on the desks! Last year, because of Covid, I couldn’t bring in homemade food to school. I decided to ask my friends on Facebook if anyone wanted to buy a gingerbread house kit that I would put together for something fun to do as a family. Within thirty minutes I had pages of orders! Once word got out, people started asking me for specialty orders, and I realized that families were “hungry” for traditions and activities they could do together. Love, Gigi was started with this idea in mind. At first the products were all items such as cookie decorating kits or cocoa bombs you could enjoy with a friend. Once my business grew a little bit, I was able to purchase my first laser! Love, Gigi now offers products, edible and non-edible, that have to do with creating traditions, making memories and spending time with loved ones. This might be with a DIY wooden sign kit, an edible haunted house, or even a personalized wooden tic tac toe board that you can paint and then play!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Luckily I have a lot of energy since I teach elementary school during the day and craft in the evenings and weekends! A lot of my time is spent working on projects using the laser, or baking. However, I am constantly trying to improve by taking classes and experimenting with new ideas. I love taking live baking classes in various Facebook groups! I never realized how much you can learn this way! I also spend time collaborating with others on techniques, settings, and various skills when it comes to using the laser. You tube has become a good companion as well!  Another thing that keeps me busy is looking for good quality wood at a decent price. The cost of wood has skyrocketed, but I won’t let this effect the quality of my crafts. I just have to be diligent about finding sales and companies that charge fair prices. I’m busy and I wouldn’t have it any other way! I love what I do, and I love learning so I can grow in my craft!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If my best friend was visiting the area, we would start out in my home town of Allen. This would definitely involve some shopping at the Allen Premium Outlets, and a concert or game at the Allen Event Center. They have great sporting events and concerts there all the time! If it was football season we would definitely have to watch the Allen Eagles play at their amazing stadium! We might also have to catch a Drumba class with Dina Scott. It’s so much fun and we would work off some of the calories we eat during this visit! Next, we would continue on to McKinney. We would have to eat at Spoons on the Square. It is one of my favorite restaurants in the area. You can eat healthy there with amazing salads, or get an incredible, fresh sandwich finished off with fantastic homemade desserts. Another option would be to eat at Hugs. This is a restaurant that employs adults with special needs. True to it’s name, you always get a hug from someone! Afterwards, we’d shop on the square in McKinney. If we were going home shortly we would absolutely have to stop in at Local Yokal for the best meat around. Maybe we would even take a class there on different cuts of beef! If we were sticking around I’d want to tour around Chestnut Square, and we would end the day at Sports Comedy Arena. This is an Improv Club where you not only get to watch the comedians perform, but you get to vote on the winning team using glow sticks. The early show is totally clean, so you can even take your older children. Another one of my favorite things to do is to go to the wonderful plays that are available in Dallas. We might go to Fair Park to watch a show in The Dallas Summer Musicals, or we would go to the Wylie Theatre at the AT&T Performing Arts Center. One of the theatres in this facility is quite small and you feel like you are in the production. The actors come into the audience, and up into the balcony. It is a close up and amazing experience. After each show you can hang around and some of the actors will come out and answer any questions you may have! It’s a very cool experience. Another place with a lot to do is Fort Worth. I love going to The Bass to see a good show or concert. We’ve also had a great time at Texas Motor Speedway. If it’s a race weekend I might ask my friend if they have “the need for speed!” There’s no shortage of fun places to go in the DFW area!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Love, Gigi was built on the foundation of family and friends. My husband, children and grandchildren are the ones who inspire me and encourage me every day. I started making crafts that we could do together as a family when my children were very young. This began in the late 1980’s! A few years ago, I had grandchildren, and the tradition of making crafts that we can enjoy doing as a family has continued. Every time we are together, we can’t wait to paint or bake or do some sort of activity. Even when we FaceTime we have to spend a few minutes touring Gigi’s craft room, looking at all of the exciting items in progress, and then actually making something together over the phone! They are my biggest inspiration and fans! Although my name is on the label, and I do much of the work, I couldn’t do this without my husband, Bill. He is the one who usually mans the power tools in the garage, often helps to put the items I create together, he’ll stain and paint for me when I ask him to and he’s always there to help me troubleshoot. Bill builds the amazing custom dollhouses we sell, and more. My daughter Kaitlyn came up with the name for my business and created my website! When I am in a crunch she helps me paint, decorate gingerbread houses, or whatever I need. In addition to family, I’ve had great support from friends. Amanda and I started participating in craft shows together. She introduced me to the Glowforge laser, and we figured out how to start our small businesses together. She is always there for me when I have a question and is constantly reminding me that I actually do have talent! Another friend, Angela, was my partner teacher, she’s my baking buddy and dear friend. She also started a small business around the same time that I started Love, Gigi. We have relied on each other for business tips, ideas on how to market and get customers, to making each other laugh when we have more orders than we can handle! She has taught me how to have balance in my life, and I will always be grateful.

Website: lovegigi.org

Instagram: @lovegigitx

Facebook: Love, Gigi

Image Credits
RC Photography