Pastries by Maria started when LaToya “Maria” Billups decided to take the many lessons she learned from her grandmother and share them with the locals of Atlanta, GA. Her grandmother was the neighborhood ‘Cake Lady,’ so it was destiny that LaToya would continue the family tradition and take her baking gift to the next level.   In 2008, LaToya started Pastries By Maria. LaToya began actively sharing some of her tasty treats with friends, family, and colleagues who then starting requesting her pastries for their own special events.   In November of 2011, at the peak of her success as a home based baker, LaToya decided to take her interest for baking further and pursue her dreams as a Pastry Artist full time. She left the Corporate World and the city of Atlanta to become an apprentice at Danielle's Desserts, one of the top bakeries within the Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia metropolitan areas.