Temple woman creates custom lollipops
DAVID STONE | OUR TOWN TEMPLE
There’s a lot of variety in the life of Charmin LaTrell Truesdale. Blueberry flavored roses, cherry unicorns and lime-toasted coconut butterflies, just to name a few.
Charmin makes candy — lollipops are the big seller — and her customers range from regulars at a barbershop in her neighborhood to buyers in Oregon, Colorado and Louisiana who have stumbled across her Facebook page.
“I started making caramels and chocolates back in about 2009,” she said. “I did that for a while, but eventually I stopped for one reason or another. But earlier this year, I decided I was going to make lollies. It went well, so I started La La’s Lollipops.”
Although her future plan calls for a brick-and-mortar shop, right now she is keeping busy filling Facebook orders. Charmin also set up a First Friday shop inside Total Elegance Creations in Downtown Temple.
“I did pretty good,” she said. “I made a little money — I might participate in future First Friday’s as well.”
Charmin, a 1976 Temple High graduate and a former Pepperette, works at Walmart and often sells her candies to co-workers. Word caught on and spread by word of mouth, and the orders poured in.
“I mostly make hard candies and lollipops, but I do make chocolate candies as well,” she said.
Back in the day, lollipops pretty much looked and tasted the same, regardless of the color. That’s no longer true — especially when shopping at La La’s Lollipops.
The first choice is the stick. Yep, the stick. There’s paper, plastic, pearl and rhinestone. The paper and plastic sticks come in many colors, and rhinestone is available in silver or gold.
After finding the perfect stick, it’s time to select a shape.
“I have dozens of molds to create the shapes — stars, little Texas shapes, flip-flops, butterflies, cars, flowers and roses, even a Noah’s Ark,” she said, digging out dozens of molds from a large carrying bag.
Next, the real fun begins — it’s time to choose a flavor.
Charmin has a huge variety of available flavors, and that’s a list that continues to grow.
“Right now, I have 28 flavors, but I just placed an order,” she said. “By week’s end I should have 35.”
Pink Lemonade is a popular flavor, and so are blueberry, cotton candy, tangerine, peach and cherry.
“Mango seems to be my most popular flavor, but personally I like cinnamon,” she said.
So, you’ve just built a perfect lollipop, right? Not so fast. We could stop here, but why?
“I can embellish a lollipop with edible beads and edible diamonds. I can even brush a rose with edible dust. Then, I put a plastic covering over the candy part of the lollipop and close it up with a decorative foil tie.”
Lollipops go for $4 each, but La La’s offers a package deal — six for $18. Embellished lollies sell for a bit more.
