You guys… I don’t even know where to start with this amazing lady I’m about to share with you. If it isn’t yet obvious, I’m totally into supporting girl bosses; small PLUS woman owned businesses are kind of my jam right about now.
Allow me to introduce Terri Fry and her business, Done to a Tee. I originally found Terri on Instagram… for anyone who says social media is silly, I guess I kind of agree but also, it has this incredible power to connect people. I happened on a post by Terri in the Explore section of my Instagram account. She posts finished products — which are effing gorgeous — but she also often posts videos of her creating these little masterpieces, and though I’m no baker, I was clearly intrigued.
For some odd reason I’m so picky when it comes to cookie and cake decoration… you’d think I have any experience at all. But, my keen eye for talent (haha) saw her post and as they say, the rest was history. I clicked on her account and was simply awed by all of her work. I’m one of those people who finds art in so many things… nail design, cookie decorating, tattooing, interior design, event decor, etc. SO, I have to say, she’s totally an artist.
Here’s the thing. People find businesses on Instagram all the time, and though you may write in the comments, “stunning work **heart eye emoji**” or, “wow! I love this!” that most certainly doesn’t mean the business will reply. Terri actually replies to her comments. Once I realized that she truly engages with her followers, I started watching her page really closely which was SUPER easy to do because she posts awesome stuff. One thing led to another, and I ordered custom cookies for a friend’s birthday (which turned out fabulous even though she’d never done anything like them before), and now I feel lucky to have a friend in San Diego who I can call on anytime I want to make someone’s day!
Without further ado, a little background on the woman, the myth, the legend, Terri Fry:
Terri’s love of baking started when she was young. Every year her mom would tirelessly create gingerbread houses from scratch — that would clearly be eaten and therefore destroyed — teaching Terri, “how to make beautiful things for people to enjoy, even if that beauty was fleeting.” UMMM OKAYYY. I swear that line should be in an inspirational book! Nonetheless, she had no intention of becoming a baker as she grew up… in fact she got a degree in English Literature and did a brief stint at Penguin Books in Manhattan.
Anywho, things changed. She — like most of us — realized her childhood (okay, her high school and college dreams) of becoming a teacher were not quite the right fit. So she did the most badass thing you can do, and took a leap of faith; she moved to San Diego, happened upon a job opening at her friend’s cooking school, later got a job in a bakery, and basically became obsessed. Reignited passion if you will?! She actually wrote this quote and I just had to share, “I couldn’t get enough! I was called to the excitement of the kitchen and the thrill of creating something beautiful that brought people joy.” WHO IS SHE?! Talk about loving what you do!
Eventually a series of events led her to open Done to a Tee. It started off small, but grew by word of mouth, her Etsy shop, and her Instagram page (she just hit 20k followers a few days ago!)… and she now ships cookies NATIONWIDE! Literally, so cool. If you’re in the San Diego area, you’re extra lucky because she offers tailor-made desserts. If you’re everyone else, you’re stuck with — JUST KIDDING — her amazing custom cookies. While I see her as an artist, she actually sees her customers as artists with a unique vision and she’s simply entrusted to make that vision a reality. Awww so sweet.
I really can’t say enough good things about her. Sometimes you “meet” someone and just get the best, most positive vibes from them… and that’s exactly true of Terri.
Below are just a few examples of her amazing cookie art:
Can I also just say how cute she is? We actually message each other weekly, but I literally asked her some questions and told her to send me as much or as little information as she felt comfortable with me sharing, and she wrote out this perfectly well-written document (and apologized for any typos)… I could have saved myself some time and just slapped it into the post now that I think about it! It was THAT good. Multi-talented boss lady.
Her favorite creations have faces (think cats, leprechauns, elephants, otters, deer, squirrels…literally anything cute.) She — like most artists I know — has a difficult time sending her masterpieces to their new homes, but loves the joy they bring to others. The fondant elephant she made last week (named Ellie and pictured above) is seriously missed right now!
Next time you need a gift, I highly suggest ordering from Done to a Tee. I’m a big fan of flowers, but there’s something extra special about customized cookies! And by the way, she doesn’t charge an arm and a leg so you’d spend just as much on a bouquet that wouldn’t taste nearly as good!
Terri Fry/Done to a Tee’s Contact Info:
Email: DoneToATeeSD@gmail.com
Instagram: @donetoatee
YouTube: Done to a Tee
Etsy: etsy.me/2CnS7ML
