In order to foster more information-sharing here on Cookie Connection, I’ve acted on a recommendation that came via our recent site survey from Tina Deluca Tsourtsoulas of Sugar Wishes. Tina thought it would be great if we could cultivate more communication and learning outside of our popular photo-viewing areas, and I agreed! Tina has since run with this idea and developed a brand new program for us that we will be piloting in mid-September.
The program is called Sweet Sharing, and it will be a series of bimonthly informal, topic-centered chats. Each chat will feature a subject matter expert on a chosen topic. Unlike our existing moderated monthly chats that last one hour and cover a wide gamut of topics in one sitting, the Sweet Sharing chats will be open for three hours on a given day to engage as many site visitors as possible, with the featured cookier available the entire time to answer questions about the day’s topic and the inevitable off-topic questions that arise! 
Depending on their popularity and the number of questions they spur, Sweet Sharing chats may need moderation too, so a moderator (Tina) will also be on hand.
Our hope is that these conversations will be info-packed, yet very fluid and spontaneous – as if we were all sitting in a room with our cookie besties swapping tips and having fun. After all, there’s nothing more pleasurable than sharing a common passion, especially one as delicious as cookies, with friends!
Tina has lined up a marvelous group of decorators who are excited to share their time and experiences with us over the coming months. We’ll start out every other month, and possibly ramp up to each month depending on your interest.
Of course, we encourage you to continue to post your cookie art in the photo areas, and to gaze at all the other beautiful displays of talent on the site. But do stay a while, leave comments and likes on photos, read and add to discussions in the forums, and by all means, grab a cup of coffee or tea, or a glass of wine, and join us for these new chats! Sharing and supporting one another are some of the best ways I know to develop cookie friendships.
Last but not least, a huge thank you to Tina Deluca Tsourtsoulas for caring so much about this site! She came up with a wonderful idea, presented it constructively and persuasively to me, and then turned it into reality with lightning speed!
So when’s the first Sweet Sharing? I know, I know, you couldn’t wait to ask!
Here are the deets:
Featured Guest: Evelin Milanesi of Evelindecora
Moderator: Tina Deluca Tsourtsoulas of Sugar Wishes
Topic(s): Handpainting and Intricate Piping on Cookies
Date/Time: September 15, 2015, 9 am to 12 pm CDT
Evelin's chat room is now open to receive your advance questions; you can also read more about Evelin, Tina, and our Sweet Sharing ground rules there. Hope to "see" you at the chat!
