Dolce Terra, meaning sweet earth.
I started Dolce over a decade ago as a cottage bakery making gluten-free cakes and baked goods with a focus on organic and local ingredients and eco-conscious packaging.
What began as baking eventually grew to include shop items made in-house, and Dolce joined farmers' markets, pop-ups, and the local market community around Austin for years. Dolce donated 10% of shop purchases to Austin Pets Alive, which was important to me.
That chapter of Dolce has officially closed.
Dolce Terra is no longer operating as a microbakery or shop, but the heart of it is still here. For a long time, Dolce was one of the main ways I expressed what I loved, thoughtful food, creativity, supporting local businesses and makers, and creating things that felt meaningful and intentional.
Now, Dolce continues as a place where I share the things that still feel like Dolce to me. Thoughtful food, baking, inspiration, local places and businesses that I love, and bits of life along the way. Sometimes that's recipes. Sometimes it's something I am making. Sometimes it's sharing something that made me happy.
There will still be luxe buttercream cakes, too, sometimes.
My creative work and career have taken on different shapes over the years, but what connects them all has stayed the same. I spent many years in tech, and then moved into real estate, and have continued building creative and community-centered projects along the way. One of those is For The Pups, which my husband and I founded last year, inspired by our pups. Part of For The Pups is hosting volunteer parties (events) at local rescues and shelters to help pups in need.
Through For The Pups and For The Pups Photography, I share about life with our pups, celebrate pups and their magic, highlight local dog-friendly places and pup favorites, and we do good giving back by helping rescue and shelter pups who are waiting for the loving home that they deserve.
My husband, Jorge, and I have four babies, Deacon (forever 14), Chloe (10), Sebastián (3), and Token (2), and live in the Austin area. Much of my life still revolves around the same things that inspired Dolce in the beginning, good food, intentional details, supporting local places and people, creativity, and finding happiness and adventure in everyday.
If you are here because you love thoughtful food, intentional baking, local and small businesses, or the little things that make life feel full and meaningful, Dolce just might be for you.
Thank you for being here.
Gina
p.s.
You can visit me on instagram @dolce.terra.