Erin Thomas

I worked with Julie at Mercy Corps when my kids were itty bitty. Snot in the hair and leaking breast times. At some point, I started sending Julie pictures from my phone. They were mainly of flops I'd made - a birthday cake that was flat as a pancake, me making a presentation while leaking breast milk. I sent them because between pointing out who the fuck cares (there are fucking bakeries after all), and the way only she could pump you up, I felt like I could keep moving forward with some moxie. Moxie totally fucking borrowed from Julie got me through that era.

I took several years off to be at home with my kids and when I wanted to go back to work but had absolutely no compass or confidence, Julie and Margaret Hinshaw are the ones who sat me down and helped me see myself and what I was capable of. Julie gave that gift to so many people.

Julie knew that you should bake if you want to fucking bake, but if not there are fucking bakeries. She knew how to find the gems in each of us, and remind us that we each have natural talents (and things we do fucking poorly that we should just give up). I know that I spend time trying to override my natural compulsions - a weird, flawed desire to be everything to everybody. Julie had no fucking time for the biz of feeling unhappy with ourselves. Work too much, leave work altogether, whatever - do what makes you fucking happy. Julie wanted me to accept and love myself for who I am. That work is ongoing, but the fact that she planted and tended that seed is super fucking important in my life.
I miss her.