I made it!

OK...so last week I wasn't so sure I was gonna come out "alive" and well enough to write another blog!

Now that I have grabbed your attention with the flare for the dramatic, I shall proceed. You see, the orders just kept coming and coming and coming and before you knew it, I looked at my little ol' oven and mixer and we had a Come to Jesus meeting.

I told them that our customers were expecting a lot out of them and we couldn't let them/you all down. Maggie (our mixer) seemed to struggle a teeny bit, grinding is a better description really. But she pulled (and kneaded and whipped) through it. Our oven (he doesn't have a name yet) did great! We are starting to call him "the little oven that could" and he does. I could not put into words the amount of bread and cookies and pies and cakes that kept coming out of my oven in a nonstop fashion. But I can say this -- it was literally TWICE as much as I thought possible!

So to all of my customers -- thank you for your orders. Thank you for working us so hard and letting us prove that we could do it. I was very prideful in all the products we produced this holiday baking season and I hope that we did you and your families proud!

The Cookies are Done!

Well we did it! Part of it anyway. We baked our very last cookies of the season today. Every single order is filled and filled beautifully. We even squeaked out the five orders that were on the "waiting list" to fill. What a sense of accomplishment that has filled the bakery today. Enough so that it is powerfully filling the shadow of "how the heck will we do this" for Thursday and Friday's orders.

So for today, I shall enjoy the extreme sense of accomplishment, reflect on my pride for having put out such pretty AND tasty cookies, and for having filled every one's orders (expectations).

Getcher Santa's Cookies plates out people -- we got somethin' to put on 'em!

AY-Chihuahua

Well, it's official. We have closed down taking any new orders for Christmas because we are at extreme maximum capacity. In fact, I don't know how I will get it all made even w/ all the help my husband gave me ALL weekend, having Megan in the bakery to bake w/ me for 3 days and my mom helping out as well!! Aychihuahua! But fear not, we shall wrap our "capes" around our waists and get r done!

Even as I type this I am overwhelmed that I am having to say "no" to more orders. Overwhelmed that such a sweet little town would say 'To heck w/ this economy, let's do this thing"!! Had I known this train was gonna move so fast, I may have gotten a bigger oven! :o)

In the meantime, I shall say good night. It was a VERY long, extremely fast, and amazingly successful day in the bakery today and I am pooped!

Keep the Change

OK! We will! And we did!

Now, we don't accept tips - that's just plain silly. But what we did do with all that extra "keep the change" change, is put it in a jar and it just kept adding up. It's been 3 1/2 months since we started keeping that change and today we donated $38.80 to the Lion's Club of Genesee!! How sa-weet is that ?!

They came to get the money today and asked what I would like them to do with the money. My response was simply this -- that we chose the Lion's Club to donate to because they keep ALL of their donations here, locally, in our little town, to help our little residence in the Genesee area. So, pick a project and put it towards that. He thinks that they will be able to replace a piece of concrete at our sweet park that is need of repair with this donation OR they may use it to buy toys for the area underprivileged for this year's Christmas. It just keeps getting sweeter!

And who says change can't make a change?

I'm like a big girl now...

I'm meeting w/ an accountant tomorrow to interview him to be Sally's accountant. OK, first of all, that sounds awfully fancy and expensive and secondly, did the last 6 months just fly by or what? I mean really! Six months ago I decided to put my big girl panties on and open a bakery and now I am "interviewing" an accountant to help me run this part of MY business.

Whoa.

Someone needs to stop the world cuz I think I missed my exit! Truth is, we mostly need an accountant because we don't know what the heck we are doing w/ this end of the business and I am a disgustingly honest and fair person so I want to make sure that my business is run properly. But it stills sounds so grown up, doesn't it? :o)

Me, a grown up. Who knew?

Well, as I ALWAYS say to my customers (when I am screwing up the buttons on my cash register)...I know how to bake, I just can't run a cash register (or a financial journal or a tax return or a sales tax form or or or....) :o)

Christmas in Genesee Depot

Last Saturday was so fun to watch all the kids that came into my bakery to make their own gingerbread ornament! There was candy everywhere and I thought the ornaments turned out so neat! Here are some highlights of the day...

Crickets

Today was the slowest day in the bakery since we opened three months and one day ago. Like, holy cow, where did all my customers go, slow. At one point I paused to remember that a week ago, I couldn't even take a break to go to the bathroom! Today, I am pretty sure that I went to the restroom more than I needed to -- just 'cuz I could.



I don't like being slow, and yet I do. I don't want to be slow because I already baked everything and I hate being wasteful. But in the absence of customers, I sure do get a lot of stuff baked! Now, there's a REAL Catch 22!



Judy at the CornerStone Restaurant told me to expect this - exactly this at exactly this time. I just don't want to. I want to believe that people want to support the local businesses as much as possible - I want to believe that people want to go to Judy's restaurant instead of to Olive Garden or TGIFridays. Not that we don't all need the business, I just would rather see the local (and historical) economy thrive.



I did ok today even with very few customers

And it begins...

The first of the Christmas cookies went out today. Two customers actually wanted theirs already.

For me, I'm still not quite in the mood, but we decorated our house tonight w/ the girls and I think this Saturday will cement it for me. I have an expectation that there will be lots of kids out and about doing all the fun and festive things that the group of us in big ol' Genesee Depot have planned for them. I for one can say that I think our gingerbread house and men ornaments we have for them to decorate are really stinkin' pretty! I simply love them! And I can't wait to see all the kiddies having fun, playing in my kitchen!

I have a regular customer that I get to enjoy the company of nearly every day. His name is Jack and Jack is in a lot of severe pain from back surgeries -- sometimes, he can't even get the breath in his lungs to push the air past his vocal chords so I can hear him. I call him my Soft Talker and he giggles (very quietly) about that. Jack has a PhD in Psychiatry and retired a year ago. I was fascinated by this because I always wanted to be a Psychiatrist -- always, but didn't. Now I kinda do it with cookies, I guess! :o) Anyway, I decided that I am gonna save an ornament for Jack that I ask one of the kids to decorate for me this weekend.

I kinda hope it will be a sweet way to remind him that his entire day isn't all full of pain.

Mailing List

I got my first "please remove me from your mailing list" email. Uggh. So soon?! I've only sent out three or four emails in total! Geesh! And now, the first born who doesn't like to let people down, is gonna go pout about that for three or eight days. I should probably go eat some worms too. Geesh! Remove me from your mailing list. Whatever did I do to elicit that?! Uggh. And really, why can't "we" please everyone? I dunno, but seem to think I should just keep tryin'!

I hope they make worms chocolate covered...............

Funerals :o)

OK...just thought I would add a little drama for affect. I had yet another (two actually) of my wonderful friends come to the bakery today for the first time. It touches my heart so much that all of these people that love me come out of their way to support my endeavor like this -- and the list is LONG! I am so blessed.

I told my husband today that I think this is like practice for my funeral - you know, to see who would all be there. He said he would prefer to think of it as being like a class reunion.

He's so smart. :o)

My Head May Not Fit!

Through the front door that is! I received two of the nicest compliments today. And what a blessing they were! The first was from a couple that came into my bakery for the exclusive purpose of telling me that the Pecan Pie I made for their Thanksgiving was (wait for it.....) "THE best they have ever had".

Is it wrong that it made me tear up? It did. How nice was that compliment and how (even nicer) was it that they came to the bakery specifically to tell me that? I'm still welling up just thinking about it!

The second was from a new customer that I just adore. She and her son came in this morning before going shopping and she posted such a lovely comment on my Facebook page (Sally's page that is).

To go out of their way to pass along such kind words. What a day of blessings I've had!

Most Thankful

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving -- literally, Thanks to be Given. And I am. Sooo thankful. I have all these new people in my life who come into my little bakery and raise it up, support it, tell others about it. I am so thankful for them. For without them, I would have to answer differently to the (no less than) 1/2 dozen or so people who walk into my bakery with their head cocked to the side slightly (after all, we are in a recession and what was I thinking putting a new business in this tiny little town of like 46 people) and say "so how's it going?". And in my honest and truly authentic deflection, I answer, "Fantastically". (huh...they did not see that coming!) :o)

Fantastically. And I'm thankful.

On Facebook tonight, my post was not what my special breads are going to be. I said a simple prayer to God thanking him for all the wonderful customers that come in day after day and raise up my sweet little bakery with their great energy....those are the folks that don't ask "how it's going"...cuz they know. They unequivocally know. Fantastically. This little bakery is fully surrounded by great people who love being sassy with us, who love being authentic with us, who know when I screw up and who congratulate me when I don't and who, day after day, choose to indulge a little.

So, on this, our first holiday baking season, I am thankful. I am thankful for the four pumpkin pies, four pecan pies, two french silk pies, four apple pies, eight pumpkin tortes, and nearly 50 dozen rolls (each made by and rolled by hand)...and I'm also thankful for the six dozen rolls that didn't work so too pretty good (we'll just call those bread crumbs for Christmas stuffings!) and I'm thankful for two really, really long days that are over and our first very successful day of the official start of baking season.

Funny...feels like baking season started, oh, about three months ago...but what do I know, really?

Adoration

I have this couple that comes in every week...sometimes 3 times per week -- no really! I'm in love with this couple. Deeply in love! I can not wait to see them every week. I can't wait to make a fresh pot of coffee when they walk in. I can't wait to bask in their love.

They are simply the most beautiful couple I have ever seen and I only first learned their names just this week (though they've been regulars since the beginning)! They are simply love. Dave and CeeCee (sp?) have been married for 37 years (just ask her, but not Dave!). And I would have guessed seven. Not 37...just 7. They seem to be literally basking in adoration for each other and she seems to be the most gentle creature God ever created and he is simply joy filled and cherishes his CeeCee.

They come in about a half hour before she needs to leave for work. Dave usually orders first and usually they each get two things and a cup of coffee. They don't ask me how many calories are in it or if it is loaded with fat, they just order what they want and usually they want a couple of things. And they sit at our tables and yell over to me (so I can hear over the oven), while I'm baking, about how good what they are having is and ask me all sorts of fun questions about it (like what's in it, how long does it take to make, etc.). But never, not ever, do they ask me anything about the calories or fat in it. They simply enjoy it. And they enjoy each other while they are enjoying their breakfast and coffee. Usually Dave and CeeCee get another cup of coffee to savor for the balance of their visit. A few more compliments (and moans from Dave) :o) are paid to me and sometimes we even talk about "life" together -- them at "their" table and me at my baking table.

And the entire time they are in my bakery, they are smiling. Soft, gentle, simple, real smiles. For their love for each other, for their love of all things tasty, for the sun flooding the window they sit in front of, but mostly because they, themselves, are love.

I've decided that I want to "be" Dave and CeeCee as I age gracefully with my husband. I want to enjoy moments of life without making up stories about how bad it is for me or will kill me earlier. I want to appreciate the joy of a sun filled room simply because I am there and in good and kind company. And I want to be simple. And I want to be love.

Stuffed Croissants

OK -- They're finally here! I am finally able to offer a stuffed croissant at the bakery! I know they are over the top bad for you, so I say, don't have them everyday!

Our top seller at the bakery has definitely been our baked donuts, which in contrast, are relatively "light". But there is something totally and completely indulgent about allowing oneself to rip open, ever so lightly, a croissant filled with all things decadent. Simply scrumptious! And I'm starting out with a bang for our introduction -- Dark Chocolate filled and Apple Cinnamon filled. Oh my -- I may even be tempted tomorrow to "test" one!

I baked a ton today. I made an Apple Walnut Caramel Pie, 2 Turtle Pies, Cheesecake cupcakes in chocolate and pumpkin, Caramel Apple Pecan Bars, Palmiers and more! My goodness! I soooo love good days at the bakery!! And I took a bunch of orders for Thanksgiving. How fun is my job?! :o)

OK...you win! :o)

Well you win. Fine. From now on, Sally's will be open at 8:00 am on weekends. Hope you're happy! :o)

Actually, I've been opening at 8:00 for the last month and it's been working out just fine! So, our weekend hours will officially be from 8-noon on Saturdays and Sundays. I hope you're ready to say "Good Morning Sunshine" just a little earlier! I know I am!!

On a side bar note...our mailing list customers have officially been given first dibs at ordering Christmas cookies. Are you on our mailing list?

Follow up to the "bad" weekend

Wanted to tell you all that I received one of the nicest thank you cards I've ever received from the bride of the wedding cake I made during the infamous "bad" weekend. She wrote to thank me and to tell me it was the most "amazing, delicious, beautiful cake that she had ever seen/eaten"!

Huh...gonna need to pull out that card if I ever have one of "those" weekends again! :o)

I'll Take Everything...

"I'll take everything you have on this counter, from here to here."

What?

I said, I'll take everything you have on this counter, from this point to this point.

Really?

Yes. No, really? Yes.
OK, you're not just doing one of those "I'll take one of everything" comments?

No, I'm really not. No, he's serious (says his wife).

Well, ok, then, let me get a bigger box.
And they wonder why this "predict what you're gonna sell in the bakery today" gig is so difficult.

I don't wonder. True story. :o)

New Beginnings

It's a new week and I am letting last weekend go. Yesterday, a typically slower than molasses day in the bakery (which I don't mind because I get a chance to actually BAKE stuff), blew me out of the water! It was the third busiest day ever and I couldn't keep up no matter what I did. And, I should have known better cuz the voters vote in the Town Hall just across the street were out to send a message and apparently to buy bread and sweet rolls and anything else I could make fast enough! Holy Ma'an!


Then today, I got an email from the bride of the wedding cake from this past weekend. She said, "the cake was perfect...beautiful, delicious, amazing." I wish I could kiss her right now! Actually, I wish I could hug her. Made my night...heck, made my week! I don't do many wedding cakes anymore, but to make one that the bride thought was perfect? What more is there?


And simple things made my day too. I made, and I know you are going to laugh, the BEST BEST BEST Rice Krispie Treats (today) that I have ever, ever, ever had. Frankly, I think the original recipe stinks, so I tweaked it...a lot...and I gotta say -- they are absolutely worth you revisiting. Simple, I know, but we all like them for a reason and I always like to have a gluten free option for customers. Gluten free or not, they are Fab!


I'm also going to be introducing a Cookies & Cream torte this week. I made one for my church cake walk last weekend and did a little more experimenting and I think it is sooo fun and fantastic! It's like an Oreo all gourmet'd up and soft and moist and super duper creamy!


Hmmmm...suddenly, I'm hungry for dessert!

What you fear, you attract -- YUCK!

My biggest fear, as many of you already know, is fish. But besides that, it is the fear of disappointing people. So overwhelming is this "fear", that it has ruled much of my life (but let's not get into first marriages here!) :o)

Well, "it" strikes again. In my fear of disappointing people, I took on way too much for my little bakery so soon on it's development. The worst part is that I KNEW that I couldn't handle anything more and wasn't even sure how I was gonna get all of "this" done. I knew, but didn't want to say "no".

What you fear you attract.

I made a lot of mistakes this weekend in my attempt to please everyone. And in doing so, I did exactly what I fear -- I let people down. Darn it all.

Stuff and fluff.
Rats.
Poo.

Dear God, thank you for the lessons that mistakes teach us.

We pray in our family. Each night, we pray in thanksgiving to God for what we are thankful for that day. Sunday night, I was thankful that the weekend was over (did I just say that out loud?), I was thankful for incredible growth, I was thankful for all my talents given to me, and I was thankful for mistakes.

For, as I say to my daughter Gracey...in life there are no mistakes, only lessons.

I can't wait for school to be over! :o)

Sam's Got Nuthin' on Me!

When we first decided to open the bakery, we "toured" tons of other bakeries to see what they all did, looked like, charged, made, etc. Even Sam's Club - yes, Sam's Club. I thought to myself, "Hmmm, that's what they charge for a cake? Guess I won't be sellin' many cakes".

I'm not too smart, I guess! :o) My kitchen is completed filled with cake layers for all of the cakes I have to make this weekend - FILLED!! I actually can't accept another order for this weekend because I simply can't do any more. How funny is that? A better question is, How GREAT is that?!

I say it all the time (as people ask me nearly everyday), this sweet little town will not let me fail -- will not let this bakery fail. It's a sweet old fashioned business in a sweet, historical town and folks like the fit. Big Ol' Box Stores have their place, just not 'round these here parts. So I'm gonna keep making cakes for all these family celebrations and proudly give them all a receipt that says Sally's Sweet Shoppe on it. And at the bottom of the receipt, we don't give you some arbitrary code to put in for an electronic survey, we extend a sincere thanks "for being sweet on us" and we hope that we have lived up to your expectations....which I'm guessing are higher than those they have for Sam's Club! :o)

Busy Week to come

It's the start of a wonderfully busy week at the bakery! We have tons of orders to do and it's Halloween weekend and my goodness sakes, we MUST have fun with that!

This weekend, we'll have lots of fun treats for all those in costume! So, if you wanna treat, you better come dressed like your favorite baker (or policeman, or princess, or clown, or whatever)!! :o) We'll be in costume too, but you'll recognize us...we'll be the ones with the name tags!

I'm excited about all the fun fall desserts that we're making and how well they are being received. In fact, on Saturday, The CornerStone Restaurant got 12 of our Jumbo Pumpkin Cupcakes, filled with truffle filling and frosted with Cream Cheese Buttercream and dusted w/ FRESH ground nutmeg (phew, that's a mouthful!!) and only have a few left - and that's in addition to the other stuff we had there and it's only Monday!! We're working on some more great indulgences that we'll have there soon....I'm thinking something that's over the top in chocolate, oreos, ganache, there's caramel, and.....hmmm...gotta work on this one! OH! And how about GingerBread Pudding! That's gonna be a good one for the holiday season!

OK - gotta run...need to work on my Holiday Dessert and Cookie menus! Don't forget to get your costume ready!!

Getting My Groove On

Sometimes I have to step back and say "Holy Cow, I baked a lot"! And then I think about all those days that I did that and think, "remember this when you are feeling low"! This week, my dessert cases were the fullest they have ever been. I had 8 kinds of cookies, pumpkin bars, three kinds of jumbo cupcakes, marshmellow bars, s'more bars, candies, and more! It was so gratifying to feel like I was ahead of the curve/crowd and I was so proud to have visitors come to the bakery this week! I must be getting my groove going.

A lot of other stuff got also done this week and it makes me feel like I'm moving towards having a "real" place of business! My business cards FINALLY got done (and ma'an are they cute), my computer got set up, my internet got set up (All-Recipes.com here I come!!!!!!), my wireless router got installed (for my customers to use), my voicemail got set up (and USED!!!!), etc. I'm like official or something now!

Feels good to accomplish stuff. Feels even better when you work really hard and then life starts to catch up to you!

They're baaa'aaack!

So, for about three weeks, I fretted over where some of my "regular" customers had gone. I truly lost sleep over it. What had I said, done, not done, messed up, blah blah blah? That's me though. Molly (my alter ego, that no matter how hard I try, I can never be rid of) always goes there first -- what I did wrong. So first born...puke. So NOT self honoring.

They came back (mostly) on Friday and better yet -- they ALL were back. They just had to take a little break. I hadn't done anything or said anything or made anything wrong. They simply had to move through their lives and when they had a moment, they came back to Sally's to get some sass' on! I couldn't have been happier and I was nearly in tears when they walked back through the doors (all of them). I've become very fond of my "regulars" and I've even become "friends" with them. I look forward to their energy in my bakery and the looks on their faces as they try to figure out what they want and they kind words as they notice the new stuff I've been adding.

So welcome back Lorraine, Bob, Dawn, Pat, Rosie, Jeff, AnitaMarie, Nancy, and a few others that I know the face and story of but the name escapes me. Seems each day we add a new friend to our bakery and they surround my bakery with their good energy and love.

And I missed them.
And I'm glad they're back.
And I'm glad I noticed they were gone.

Sorry I've been out of touch

Hi all -- sorry I have been out of touch lately. Life is moving at the speed of light and as much as I love doing my blogs, it seems to be one of the first things I cut out when short on time. I am also still having trouble w/ my arm/hand, so typing is still hard AND my computer crashed AGAIN on Sunday, so GOOD TIMES! :o) I am typing my excuses from the desk at the library right now while we try to rebuild again. Did I mention what a GOOD TIME this is?! :o)

Working on my Pie Menu and my Christmas Cookie menus right now...I know, right?! But it is JUST around the corner and customers are already asking! Would love to hear your thoughts about what kinds of cookie traditions and favorite Thanksgiving Pies that you had as a kid. Maybe I can make some of them for everyone!

Well, gotta run...I'll be back soon to chat!

Thank You's

Lately I have been having some trouble with my right arm. OK, that's not fully authentic, but I'm a tough broad like my mom. Truth is, during the course of the night I am in extreme pain due to some weird muscle spasm that has taken over my entire right upper back, the front of my chest and is shooting pain and numbness into my hand (mostly my thumb) so typing, writing, talking on the phone, squeezing a pastry bag are all extremely difficult for me to do right now. That's my excuse for why I have not written much lately.

However, last night I was able to FINALLY finish all of my thank you cards to everyone for their gifts, help, generosity, etc. in getting Sally's off the ground. And before I loose all feeling in my thumb, I wanted all of you to know how all of these people helped me!

Merry Me: Thank you for your never ending energy, kind letters, cards and the gift of my pewter teaspoon set and magnetic spoon. Thank you for sending a postcard to remind me to SHINE and having it arrive ON my first day in business!

Becky Knippel: Growing up, I thought my mom and Becky were inseparable...now I know why. Two days before the big day, Becky helped John and I cover eight seats and backs for the tables that now adorn our bakery. And may I just say, it was some of the physically hardest stuff I ever did! AND she got me to stay up until almost midnight to finish them! Thank you for giving so much of your night and strength to help me Becky! I love you.

Matt & Linda Planning: I never met these people in my life and one day I have a call from a woman who heard I was going to have a kitschy mid century feel to my bakery and did I want another table and chair set -- FOR FREE, oh and all the fabric to cover both sets for next to nothing? Not yes, but Heck yes! :o) The kindness of strangers restores my heart and I consider Matt and Linda to be anything but strangers at this point. Oh, and if you ever see them in the bakery, Puh-lease don't be sittin' at their table cuz they have lifetime first rights to it! :o)

Dad & (Sara)Mom: How do you say thank you to your dad after he has given a solid week of his time - putting all other jobs aside -- to build my bakery? I don't think you can, though I have tried to think of something. My bakery is beautiful Dad and my counter is the Cat's Meow! :o) And Mom, thank you for all the work you have done in my bakery including all the work you do NOW with your name tag on! I love having you there to help me!!

Al, Tam, Grant, CP, and Ikey: Thank you boys for giving up one of your afternoons to help me during construction -- it was a fun field trip! Thanks Ikey for folding all those boxes and Granters for helping get things ready. Thank you CP for helping with the wallpaper removal and making that fun and thank you Sissy for your stuff from the cabin, your card reminding me it was OK to leap in faith, and for all of your little gifts in support of my bakery (and for doing dishes!!) :o)

Anastasia: Thank you for all my beautiful, one of a kind, Sally pieces! My OPEN/CLOSED sign, my sample platter, my hours sign, my suggestion box, pen and pad, fun name tags...for helping me in the bakery to prepare for the parties, for your unyielding belief in my success, and for your love and friendship and honesty.

Kelly: Thank you for all of your picture taking, for my framed pictures of my baked treats, for helping me in the bakery, and for your constant positive energy for our success! Thank you for coming to support me and for telling so many people about Sally's (and for bringing them all out)!! I soooo appreciate it!!

Auntie Val, Auntie Lisa, Dad & Ginny: Thank you for the plants and for coming out to bring your good energy to the bakery! AVSQ, thank you for doing all those dishes! :o)

Jim & Kathy: Thank you for the ice cream and the champagne...if you would have just brought french fries too, you would have given me my favorite three things!! :o)

Charlie: Thank you for my magic fairy wand and for being a part of our first day. Thank you for your kind words about the bakery and for heartfully giving me the space. I hope that every little girl that walks in the bakery feels like a princess!

Billy: Seriously...refer to the post! :o)

Cupcake: Thank you for helping me in the bakery! I loved having you play with me! Seems so natural for us to be in a kitchen creating together and I can't wait for you to wear your name tag again!

Chelley: Thank you for being my greatest marketing representative! :o) Thank you for the plates and all things Aqua for the bakery! Thank you mostly for bringing the boys in so often to tell me how much they love me (you know, just before they get their cookie!!) :o)

Macey: Honey, thank you for always asking Momma to bring you to the bakery and thank you for making me a beautiful bracelet to wear in the bakery. My customers just love how pretty it looks on me when I am getting them their treats!

To everyone who prayed for me and still is, thank you. Above all else, thank you for that -- for my success is due in large part to the plans that God has for me and living out those plans feels like a fulfillment.

And thank you to Gracey, Mary and Buddy who have decided that it is OUR bakery and that they will be a big part of its success. I may have the best customers in the world, but I have an even better family.

I know this is long overdue and that I may even need to post an update or two, but I hope that you will all know that it doesn't lessen the thanks I feel in my heart for your help and the gratitude I feel knowing that I truly could not have done this without you.

We're havin' fun now!

Preparing stuff for this weekend's orders is WAAAYYY fun-o!! And a little unbelievable! So...on Friday, I am doing a chocolate dessert tray for the women's decadence night at 3 Sisters' Spirit -- all chocolate, all indulgent!

Then, a new customer came into the bakery yesterday and asked me if I would be interested in (get this!) doing an all-chocolate event for her for Saturday at Alverno College?!

Como say what?! Yup! Two identical, super fun, create as much chocolate love as I can events!

Oh, it gets better --waaayy better! Then today, another new customer came in today. She is having an appetizer and dessert party with several friends at her house this weekend and would I be able to throw some desserts together for her? HECK YES!! AND, she is a fun, energetic, lively woman who when I suggested that she serve the beyond ladylike Whoopee Pies, she loved it! There is NO way to eat that like a lady, no way to not make a mess, and no way that you wouldn't feel like you were over the top in fun and scrumptiousness (it's a word...)!

Seriously? Could my job BE any better?

Damned if I don't....

Last week, a bright, energetic, joyful woman came into the bakery for the first time. She and her friend stayed and chatted and exchanged recipe ideas for several minutes with me. They were both lovely, lovely women.

But something she said really seems to be shouting louder in my head than all of the other wonderful and kind and positive things she said. Within the first few minutes of our chat, she said that someone at work told her there was a new bakery in Genesee. Then she said, in a rather "blowing it off" kind of fashion (like the woman who told her about the bakery didn't know what she was talking about) that "I do TOO have a lot of stuff to offer" (in defense of my little bakery). I told her that I hoped I had enough to offer our customers and that each day I find new things that I can still find time to add to each days offerings.

Here's why it gets me...I wasn't kidding about this being a scratch bakery. We (and by "we", I always mean "me") buy nothing but raw ingredients and then try to figure out what the traffic, mood, seasons, weather, events, day of the week, or any other reason one could possibly use to GUESS what kind of customers we (I) will have that day and what they will be in the mood for so that I can try to get that item baked (along with ALL the other items). And in doing so, I try to figure out how much of those items to have so that I don't have a baker's worst nightmare -- leftovers.

I'm not sure what the women who said I don't have much to offer was looking for (and truth be told, if she had asked me, I probably would have found a way to start making it), but two things exist right now...make that three. One, I AM a small bakery, but am willing to do just about anything for my customers which is something only small bakeries can do. Two, for now, I do a pretty good job of guessing which way the wind is blowing each day to try to make the right amounts and not have leftovers. And three...our current customer base is around 30-50 customers per day...someday, God willing, we may grow our business to more like 300 (like big bakeries do) and when that day comes, I will have more to offer as our client base will support that kind of volume. For now, I hope the message that gets out there is that we are a good, everything from scratch, hometown bakery that is willing to help our customers make any special occasion -- even breakfast with your grand kids -- more special.

And I'll keep trying to make more and hopefully, it will be enough.

WhoooPeeeee!!!!!

Is it just me, or these too much? Hee Hee! I just love making them! I call them Sally's Woopee Pies and I try to put as much cream in the middle as will fit without it tipping over!

I kinda have a fun job, right? :o)

He Came Back

So today, the man I KNEW must have bought one of the under baked loaves of bread last week came back to the bakery. I saw his big maroon, Ram truck pull in front of my window and my heart leaped. I can make it up to him, I thought! (Then I thought, ma'an I need help -- I should NOT remember this man or what he drives....)

He came in and I immediately said to him, "Sir, I believe I owe you a loaf a bread." To which he replied, "Why, because you under baked it?"

"Why yes."

"No you don't young lady...I toasted every last piece of that bread and it was just fine toasted."

How can one person be so gracious?! I don't know, but I can tell you this, I aspire to be like him. He leaves to drive back to Nevada tomorrow and I may never see him again. But he has left an impression on my heart and a lesson in kindness that I shall not soon forget. He bought another loaf of bread and a box full of goodies to take with him on the drive.

I'll say it again...I have the WORLD'S BEST CUSTOMERS!!

Quickie

Hi!! Just a quickie today to tell you all that while I haven't gotten over my bread failures from my last post, I am keeping my Sally Sunshine disposition about it all and plowing (or rather, kneading) through it! I know that failures and mistakes are just life's way of teaching lessons...I just wish my lessons were self absorbed and no one else was affected by them.

Also, just a little marketing kind of blog for today as I have to tell you that I am SO excited for tomorrow's new thing! We are working with the CornerStone Restaurant to do Hot Ham and Rolls for tomorrow! How fun! How Wisconsin!! :o) I'm making Kaiser Rolls and Dill Cottage Cheese Rolls as our rolls and we will start at 10:00 and serve while they last. Now if only there was a Packer Game to go along with this!! :o)

I hope I get more than three strikes!

OK, so I have had "bad days" before at work -- some so bad that all I could do was weep and say to myself "my job kicked my as... today". Today is one of those days that brings me sadness with an appreciation for my new found, gracious, "customer friends".

And you are probably NOT going to believe me when I tell you this, but I must tell you that it is 100% true.

Three people, yes THREE, came into the bakery today with apologetic looks and a brown paper bag in their hands. Since I don't live anywhere near NYC or the President, I was pretty sure I only had the fear of bad bakery in the bags. All three of them had brought me back the loaves of bread they bought to show me how poorly I had baked them (my words, not theirs). All three loaves were drastically underbaked and they were all kindly bringing them in to show me in hopes that I could "fix" it before it happened to others. They wouldn't let me refund their money, but I was able to give them another loaf of bread (and please Lord, tell me I baked them well!!).

It was VERY gracious of them to bring those back to me, to try to lift my spirits in doing so, and to try to help me not make that mistake again. However, no matter how I spin the tale, what I am left with in my heart is the fact that I disappointed my customers. And, I am deeply sorry that this is what my customers felt - disappointed.

I hate that.

Hate.

And I hope that if there are other customers who got this same poorly baked bread, that they too will let me try to make it right by them. To me, it's not just a $3 loaf of bread. To me, it's a direct reflection on me and my ability to produce something worthy of my customers.

Three strikes. Ma'an...thank God there are more innings in this game!

Whoopee Pies!

I made my version of Whoopee Pies today and they look so scrumptious! I hope they will be a hit! I also made a raspberry cream cheese torte today that stands about a mile high and the Cornerstone is wanting to sell it! How great is that?!

It was VERY slow in the bakery today. Like shockingly slow. Thus the reason I was able to find time to make these great yummy desserts. But it did play with my (I'm a first born) ego - bad! All day I kept thinking that people were upset because I didn't have enough to offer and I know I am getting more and more and more in the cases, but you only get one first chance, right? I hope that's not the case and that today is just a weird Tuesday. Although, the bakery's loss is the Cross Country team's gain as they are having a bake sale today at my daughter's meet, so guess who's gonna get a lot of stuff to sell!? :o) Well, you gotta look to the positive, right?

We (The Cornerstone Restaurant & Sally's Sweet Shoppe) will be starting to serve Hot Ham & Rolls THIS SUNDAY!! I'm excited about this! First because I love being in partnership with the local businesses and secondly because, HELLO -- it's Hot Ham and Rolls!! I am going to be making our Hard Rolls AND our Dill Rolls to offer. I wanted to do something different for our customers -- something they can't get at the store, etc. I hope this is a hit because I would love to continue to do it!

Well, gotta run to the Cross Country meet -- there's bakery to sell after all!! :o)

Ahhhhh...

So today is my first real "day off" since opening the bakery (and who are we kiddin', since weeks before that too). I woke up this morning and felt a little like saying "ahh". It's good to rest. Good to take breaks. Good to recharge. And while I certainly no longer have a job where people are angry about what isn't working on their home or their store we just built or are building, I still need to know that I have the time to manage and make the other parts of my life work (like laundry, our home, our meal plans, my other obligations). It's good to have balance.

It's also good for me because when I'm away from the "doing" I can start "being" again. I can "BE" creative, BE energized, BE organized, BE ready for all the doing that will begin again tomorrow. When I was at the log home company, our President (and my now friend) said to me, "when you are ready to stop DOING everything and start BEING everything, this company will soar". I didn't get that, entirely, then, but I so do now. For if I stopped doing all these tasks myself and taught others on my team(s) how to do them great, the company would have that many more people doing a great job. Right now, obviously, it's only me doing it all, but on my days off, I will use my energy to create new ways of the bakery to be and someday, God (and the sweet little town of Genesee Depot) willing, I will have staff and create lots of little Sally Sunshines to joyfully create treats and moments for our customers.

And I've already had my first creative idea! I'm thinking about offering more savory items for breakfast such as a quiche of the day and "hot pockets" (breakfast sandwiches wrapped in bread dough and baked). Something I must try soon!

My baby sister has left us and while I am sooo sad to see her go home, I'm so happy she got to be here to see our little bakery and I was glad I got to see her face light up when she saw it! We also got our framed photographic art on the walls this weekend. I'm excited to have my own little "art gallery" on our walls. All of the pictures are taken by Captured Moments and all (except the ones given to me as a sweet gift) :o) are for sale. I think they are simply lovely!

Hope to see you all again...TOMORROW! :o)

Two Week Anniversary

It's our two week anniversary today and while today was NOTHING like our first Wednesday, I'm in part, thankful.... I am starting to get a bit of a groove going so my breads are done by early to mid-mornings and I am offering new things in addition to the "standards" and by late morning, I have my cases with many items to choose. Phew!

Today I made a blueberry crumb cake to add to our breakfast goodies and may I just say, it looked so stinkin' beautiful! I didn't try it, but I sold it all, loved making it, and was quite impressed with how pretty it looked when finished. It's a great recipe and one I will add to our offerings (unlike the buttermilk biscuits one!) :o) I also made my caramel corn (since my husband has been buggin' me about it) and will have that offer by tomorrow as well. I never liked caramel corn before I came up with this recipe and now I gotta tell ya', I'm a bit of a fan!

My baby sister (can you still say that even though she is 32??) is here for a short visit (from Georgia) so I'm gonna keep this brief. When choosing between luvin' her and this, well, let the love begin!!

Have a sweet afternoon!

Mondays

We were open today for our first Monday. I know this is probably wrong, but I prayed that the "rumors" would be true and that Monday would prove to be a day that I could close the shop so I could have a day off. Well they were definitely right - it was slower than molasses in the bakery today.

Judy at Cornerstone Restaurant, who I have come to trust the sage advice of and five years of experience in this sweet little town, told me it's one of her best days due to the fact that so many of the other businesses are closed and told me to make sure I tested the waters before deciding to be closed for sure. I sure am thankful for her and glad I did so I don't have to worry on my days off IF I had made the right decision.

I'm excited about what I did get done this weekend and today. The new cooler case actually has some delicious desserts in it as we speak, there are four different kinds of cookies in the dry case and Kelly and I made Lemon Bars and Cream Cheese Brownies among other items today as well. It's starting to look and feel like a bakery!!

I'm going to make DILL BREAD tomorrow! Feel free to call if you want some saved!

Sweet Dreams!

Sayin' Thanks!

My sister in law, Lisa, came and worked in the bakery on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning. Yes, she IS the one that made my oh-so-clever Open/Closed sign, suggestion box, sample platter and YES she is also the one who WILL have some of her beautiful homemade celebration cards for sale in the bakery soon. I tease her that she is my Executive Creative Director (and boy is SHE!) but she was also such a mule for me this past weekend...and a great friend!

I always call her my sister in law, but she called me out on that this weekend, and she is dead right. She is my friend and she loves me. A Sister in Law doesn't spend two days helping me and create endless things for my bakery that no-one else has or that puts all her energy into wanting for my success. A friend does that.

So Anastasia (of COURSE I have a nickname for her!!!) :o), thank you my FRIEND for loving me, for raising me up, for busting your hump to help me, and for believing so strongly in the success of my little sweet shoppe! Sally really appreciated your help this weekend and your companionship!

Sweet Dreams!

Keeping Up...

...NOT!

I really am trying! My goal is to fill the counter in the mornings with lots and lots of morning treats and then fill the display case for the afternoon visitors. I haven't filled the case once. It's so frustrating. I am trying so hard to give customers lots and lots of choices, but I am not doing a very good job. And while this last statement is NOT a complaint, I feel like I'm letting people down (something my "little girl inside" hates hates hates doing). So maybe I should just say that I am sorry and that I WILL achieve my goal soon and get my groove on.

Maybe I should also be a little more generous with myself, but we all know that's not gonna happen...let's not pretend I don't fit the "first born" role to a tee! :o)

I'll get there, I know, but I wish I already was. But I can say this...I'm not ready for a Grand Opening yet, that's for sure!! :o)

Celebrations!

Well, today was our one week anniversary and our very first customers came in again today to indulge a little (thanks Joyce and Jeff!!). It got me thinking, I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to have pictures of the different celebration treats and cakes I make WITH the recipient -- not just of the cake! I don't want to remember the cake I made, I want to know how it touched the person that it honored! You know?

I mean really...think about how much thought you put into making the decisions about the special cakes/cookies you order - colors, what it says, flavors, and why you pick them. It's a special thing.

So, in that light, I received this picture from my good friend, Carole. She turned 41 on Sept. 1st and while it was a very big and busy day for me at the bakery (our opening day), she still came to pop in on HER special day to see how MY special day was going. I was ready for her and then she thanked me by sharing this picture with me. And doesn't it just say it all?

I love this new "tradition". I hope all of our customers will do this for me! It made my day and I loved being there ~ in a way!

Meet Sally's First Customers!

Been meaning to do this all week!

Went to the bakery for my first day of work around 5:00 in the morning on Wednesday (thinking I would be able to make enough bakery for our "soft opening" day). I was anxiously watching the clock while baking and then 6:27 am came around - three minutes until opening. Will they come? Will this work? Was I outta my mind for thinking this would work?

I prepared to go put the coffee out in the pot and then take the flag out and turn the OPEN sign around for the first time.

I never got it there -- with any of it! As I looked out of my big ol' picture window, I see a cute couple doing sign language outside of window -- I'm pretty sure it was the universal signs for "Are you open yet and is the coffee brewed?". I signed back - "Yes, of course, come in - I'll get the door"!

So now, when I tell the story of how Sally's Sweet Shoppe began, I can tell the story by saying, "they were waiting for me to open"! And they were! Meet Joyce and Jeff...Sally's Sweet Shoppe's very first customers! (didn't get a picture of their doggie, but around Christmas time, I hope they'll bring him back for homemade doggie treats!!!). Welcome to history (I hope) Joyce & Jeff! Thanks for making my day and my story that much sweeter!!

Labor Day

Sally's is closed for the day today. I will, of course, be there for just a bit, but we are closed for the holiday. Happy Labor Day everyone!! Hope you all enjoy a little indulgent rest today in honor of all of our hard labors! C Ya Tuesday!! :o)

God Just Keeps Shining Down on Me!

When my husband and I started this whole "I should start a bakery" idea in May, I kept seeing little signs from God that I was making the right decisions and he kept sending me "gifts" as I call them. First was finding this quaint, little place to PUT a bakery (and with a FANTASTIC landlord at that). Followed up by the enthusiastic "how soon can you open" response by the town committee. Then I found a mixer and other equipment (used) that I could afford and all were in fabulous condition (not to mention the lovely families that I bought it all from). Fast forward to opening day and with nothing more than a poster board in the window, I was overwhelmed by visitors and customers to my new little sassy bakery!

Then this....

A sweet little bakery in Rochester does not want to bake as much anymore as they want to be more of a full service restaurant/diner. Well, I got a call early on in the week from the owner telling me that he "heard" that I may want a refrigerated bakery case and that he would sell it to me very cheap. Well, I don't really have room -- I suppose I could fit a small, say 4' case, but it would be tight. It would fit, but it would be as big as it could be.

Guess what my husband is picking up tomorrow? I KNOW, RIGHT?! Frank and Nancy just really want their case to "go to a good home" and I couldn't be more grateful to them. I have so many wonderful things that I would want to bake and put in the case -- my own cheesecakes, tortes, cream desserts, and on and on and on...Just another blessing from God in my opinion.

Now to find the time to get all that baking done! We're selling so much to all these lovely customers (and boy do I mean that!) that I can't keep up. Well, I'll find a way I tell you! But for now, I think I shall not beat myself up about that to close our first week and instead reflect on all the treasures that I have been blessed with in our first week of business.

Seems like I know what my post tomorrow should be about?! :o)

Sweet Dreams!

Day Two

Well, day two was just as fabulous as Day One, only less hectic. We sold out of all the morning pastries before lunch and that is always a good thing (cuz I hate waste) and I started to get stuff filled inside of the pretty display case in front. I say started cuz we sold it faster than I could put it in the case! No REALLY!! Simply fantastic.

I need to make more bread though. I wasn't planning on doing a lot of breads because we have a great bread bakery just about 5 minutes away and I thought people were good with that. And they are from the standpoint of "yes it's good bread", but not from "but it's not here right now". So, I get that - or rather am getting that. And I will make more bread.

Had a suggestion from a customer today that I liked. Once we get rolling and have a grip on what we are doing, she would like to see regular stuff on certain days. Such as: On Tuesdays, she knows she can count on the dill bread. And she's right, that's what customers like, want, need. So I shall.

The getting a grip...that's the hard part! :o) Well, at least I learned how to punch a sale into the cash register. Can't figure out how to punch in the change to give, but I was good in math in school! :o)

Love the suggestions that customers are sharing with me. LOVE that they are sharing!! Love that they think of it as THEIR bakery (cuz it is) and are willing to boss me around a little. I don't mind, I can handle it. In fact, I think I am going to start a suggestion reward program at the bakery. If someone makes a suggestion, and it becomes successful for our bakery, I would like to reward them for their keen marketing advice by making them a dessert of their choice! How fun would that be -- for both of us!! FUN!

So much good energy...so many Sa-Weet people! So need to go to bed! ;o) See you tomorrow!

This Sweet Little Town was DYING for a Bakery!

Look -- I'm too tired to blog, but I just have to give a quick report and say a few things about this decision of mine. :o)

First, what an amazing day! I sold out of ALL of my product for today and got as much in the oven as I could of the doughs I made for tomorrow only to sell out AGAIN! That is simply amazing. And I didn't make a little -- I made A LOT!! I'm happy and embarrassed at the same time. I had to close the bakery at 1:20 because truly, I was OUT of bakery! OUT! The people that showed up with their sassy pants on to visit my bakery were out of this world! From my first customers at 6:30 sharp this am until I left at 7:00 and was still welcoming folks in to at least see the bakery -- even though I had nothing to offer them. This town has gone overboard to welcome me and my "art"!!

Second -- I WILL post pictures of my amazing day, but will have to wait a day or so...including my first customers (Joyce and Jeff). And I really want to tell you about Harry (again) and Charlie, and Donna, and on and on and on. So, I will, but not tonight cuz I'm pooped.

And lastly...my friend Billy came up this morning to "spend the day" with his Sally. He cleaned and made the most beautiful Caramel Apples (that sold out by the way -- EVEN after i was closed!!) and just helped me ALL day, ALL day long. How do you tell someone how much you appreciate them, their energy, their creativity and their love. I have no idea...so I just said thank you and that I loved him. What a gift he was to me today, and as many of my customers will tell you, I had no idea how much I would need him!

I am so blessed. I am so loved. I am so thankful. AND, I am SOOO happy to make my "home" in Genesee Depot...the little town that I used to come to as a little girl to get ice cream at the ice cream parlor (now the Genesee Depot Cafe) and now, I hope I AM that little place that all these people will someday say they went to when they were little!

What an amazing day! Sweet Dreams!

What I Feel...

I'm not really sure what I feel tonight. Anxious. Sick. Excited. Can't tell. I'm definately NOT ready to open tomorrow, but "I'm as ready as I'll ever be", as they say. My cape was just not strong enough to get it all done and I'm trying to be ok about that. After all, it's a "soft opening" as "they" also say.

Soft my butt. There were like 50 people today alone looking in the windows, coming in to say HI (thank you, by the way - that was a fun break for me), coming over from the beauty salon with product in their hair (that was a hoot!), and the "walkers". And we weren't even open yet! Soft! Who are these "they" and why do they always have dumb things to say. "Soft opening".

I'm not happy that I'm not able to put my best foot out in front on the first day, but after all, I did just get my Certificate of Occupancy at 1:30 on Monday, so I guess I should be a little more generous with myself. We will have lovely, yummy things to offer our guests bright and early at 6:30 in the morning and throughout the day, I will make more good stuff and each day a little more and a litte more. It's all good.

Actually, it's all great! The bakery looks fun and sassy and beautiful. I've met some of the most wonderful "neighbors" one could ever have, and my buttercream absolutely rocks the world, so if I could just figure out how to work the cash register, we'd be all good! :o) (PS I WISH I was kidding!!) :o)

Sweet Dreams!! See you tomorrow!!

The opening is official!!

Our building inspector and fire inspector gave their blessings on our space today. Our B.I. also wanted to know what I will be making on Wednesday as he will have to bring a stash back to the office to share w/ all the towns-people (that work for the Town of Genesee Depot and in his building)! Now how fun is that?! He told me on numerous occasions that he wishes me well and that he promises to be a good customer of ours. Once again, could I BE doing this in a sweeter town? I don't think so!

I've booked my first corporate event. SO exciting!! I will be doing the desserts for an event that Great Lakes Distillery is hosting next Friday (I will post more on this tomorrow). GLD makes THE BEST Vodka I have ever put my lips on, so I am THRILLED to be doing this for them! I'm going to use their seasonal brews to concoct some fun stuff (Maple Rum and Pumpkin Whiskey). I'm also going to be doing all the decedent desserts for Three Sisters' first ever Night o'Decadence in October (more on that soon as well)!! I'm already dreaming of a Tiramisu Cupcake, a cinnamon chocolate truffle....mmmmm. I may book myself a spot at this event!! :o)

OK - gotta go to bed. Big day tomorrow. Don't have nearly all the things I would like to have completed by opening, but in the end, it's what gets put in their mouths that matter, so tomorrow is prep day. Got lots and lots and lots of doughs and batters to make!!

Sweet Dreams!!

We're so connected! :o)

We're so cool...or something. Let's go with the "something"! :o) BUT, we are connected all over the darn place now!

You can "Like Us" (and I hope you will, though I don't know why) on Facebook. You can go to our website to see how we run a bakery on line. You can "Follow Us" (and again, I hope you will) on Twitter where we'll "Tweet" you special discounts and flavors of the day. AND, you could even do this weird thing called "Call Us" (though I STILL don't know what our phone number is!!)! :o)

We're large and in charge!! Wait, did I just call myself fat?!

I think we have picked our tag line too. My husband came up with "Life is sweeter when you indulge a little". And boy isn't that the truth!

Gotta run ~ it's C of O day today!! Insert a quiet, not obnoxious, Whoo-hooo here! :o)

We GOT Our License!!

We did it!! We got our license from the Health Department -- ON THE FIRST TRY!! No Pre-inspection and then schedule the real one -- just HERE! BAM! Congratulations Tracey and here are your copies!! WOOO and may I say HOOOO!!! (although, years ago, I banned the Woohoo...it's SOOO overdone!!). I digress...

WHOOO HOOOO!!! We got our license!!! OK, so here's what's next ~ on Monday, the Building Inspector and Fire Chief will do our final building inspection to grant our Certificate of Occupancy. If all goes well, as it should, we will have our "C of O" and I will RUN to the store and suppliers and be open on Wednesday!! You heard me people!! WEDNESDAY!!

Did I say WHOOOHOOO yet??

Hope to see you on Wednesday, September 1st!! Well, not my new friend Mary (cuz she lives in Florida) or my sister and Momma (cuz they live in Georgia), but I know they'll all be here in spirit. As for the rest of you -- getchyer butts in here!! I have a cookie with your name on it!!! :o)

WOOOHOOOO!!!

Slogan

Tomorrow is an important day for SSS. I meet with the Health Inspector at 11:00 am to have our Pre-Inspection done (there are 2 inspections). If everything goes as it should, we could be open by Labor Day weekend!! So ~ say a little prayer for us, if you've got an opening in your request line! :o)

We've been brainstorming trying to come up with a catchy phrase. It's hard, ma'an!! So far, I like John's the best ~ "Life is sweeter when you indulge a little". I like it, but I didn't say "THAT's IT!", so I'm not sure it is. We've also thought of "So Sa-Weet!".

Well, you mull it over and let me know what you think!

Oh! Annie is working on getting our Facebook page done. I hope you will "like" us there! We'll also have our Twitter page finished soon and I would highly recommend being a "Follower" there as I will be using that to tweet specials and freebies JUST to our followers!!

Sweet dreams!

We're movin' stuff into place...

We started moving some of the equipment into their designated spots today. It's kinda neat to see it coming together, don't you think?! It's been a busy 3 weeks!!

The Health Inspector comes on Thursday for his pre-inspection. He's been very helpful to me along the way -- making sure I know the information so that I can follow the codes and completely upbeat and positive about us opening (and soon!). Nice to have him on my side!

This Week in Review

We're so close I can almost smell the cinnamon, chocolate, butter, coffee, peanut butter, nutmeg, caramel, almond, blueberry, coconut.......

John took pictures today of the bakery ~ post clean-up of Dad and Ben's gear being packed up and outta there. I can't even pick my favorite part! But if my Daddy asks, tell him I said "the one-of-a-kind, no-one-else-has, custom-made-just-for-me, beautiful counter top!! :o)

The 4 pictures are taken from each corner of the bakery. The smaller green post is in every picture if it helps you get a bearing on the whole layout. The two windows on the side look out into the mall hallway. We also have two doors to that hallway, but the door under the EXIT sign is the main door into the space from the main entrance (which you can kinda see in the first pic). The big picture window is the one that is directly under our awning and sign. The little room you see in the second pic is our office space. So fun!!

The floor is done!

So...this is what the bakery looked like on Monday morning....

And this is what it looks like today! The green post you see is the same post in all three shots.

Can you "see" it?

The floor is (mostly) done! What a difference hey? The holes in the back wall were patched today and will be done by tomorrow. Then I can finish painting the entire bakery and we can put the base molding down in the kitchen area. The counter is in the finishing stages too. Ben was putting up the face board today and will finish tomorrow and then he and my Dad are going to customize some trim pieces to finish off the edges.

The big sink and little hand sink will go along that back wall (where the holes were) and the oven, frig, mixer will go along the left side wall (opposite of the counter). The windows you see look out into the mall hallway. Hopefully one day that hallway will be brimming with excited customers!! :o)

Things just keep falling into place!

It just keeps happening. Things just keep going my way on this bakery business! My dad called me today to tell me about all this "stuff" he has in his storage area leftover from this job or that job and how perfectly it will work for the bakery and my cost..."priceless". Well that, AND I have to "hook Big Daddy up" with all the cookies he can possibly eat for the rest of his life. That, I must say, is entirely possibly since he lives just 7 minutes from the bakery!! :o)

The floor is almost laid and sorry I forgot to take a picture of it tonight, but will do it tomorrow (and it will be finished by then). The drywallers come in tomorrow to close up all the large sections that were cut out for the plumbers and they should be done by end of the week. My husband is going to put all the new ceiling tiles in this weekend and I should be able to put the final coats of paint up as well. I'm not sure what the girls will do to help since they are too busy jumping out of their skin with excitement! :o)

More updates tomorrow -- it's late and I must get my beauty rest. Time to go back to early bedtimes and even earlier rise times!! Don't say it! If I had a nickel for every time someone riddled back the 4:00 am Time to Make the Dunkin' Donuts commercial...well, I'd have a bakery already!! :o)

Hey! Who took the bakery?!

This picture makes me laugh a little! My dad's tool trailer simply covers the entire storefront of the bakery. I actually think it may be as big as the bakery! :o) But I know it's still there because I can see the sign (if I look real hard)!!

Today, Dad and Ben installed the custom made, one of a kind, 21' long counter top! It is so flippin' cool looking! I'm glad I said yes to my dad's 3:00 am idea! The counter top that was in the previous tenant's kitchen was cut down today so that dad can mount it to the wall to use as my desk (and save me another $100!!). The flooring will start to go down tomorrow and the rough mechanical inspections were done today. We're just hummin' along people!

I've met some really neat people from the Genesee Depot area this past week. On Friday when I was working in the bakery, I met a walker -- his name is Harry (yes, Harry met Sally....). Harry lives at the end of the road in the "old Mill Pond house". He has been here for years and caught me all up on all the different places that have come and gone (none of them bakeries, I assure you). Harry is a fellow "Pizon" and I think one of these days I may just have to close the bakery early so he and I can trek down to Kenosha to go to our mutually favorite Italian grocery store and deli (Tenuttas). Mmmmm...I can taste the Caprese Panini now!!

Then, tonight while John and I were working, we met Leah. Leah works at the Heating and AC place in our building on the opposite end as us. She grew up in Genesee as did her Grandmother (who sadly died this past Christmas). Gary, our sweet, wonderful landlord is trying to find me some old pictures of Genesee Depot so I can hang them in the hallway of the mall and I showed Leah one that he had found so far and she said (are you ready for this...) that her grandmother is one of the children in the (school) picture!!! She took a copy of it to find out which one is her so I can mark that accordingly. How stinkin' cool is that?! Such a neat ol' town. Such neat ol' people. Such a neat ol' place to put a bakery!

The week in review

The girls called tonight from Boston. They are on vacation with their other parents and they had a few neat things to tell us about their trip. Then, Gracey (Gracey is our oldest...her name is Anna Grace...but I just call her Gracey and that's all...) asked "So, how's the bakery coming along?". YEAH!! Well, if you must know, and I think you must....

The plumbing and electrical will be inspected on Monday. Papa Hohe will start installing the flooring and start building the counter top on Monday. Daddy and I will be spending the weekend at the bakery cleaning up the equipment, moving everything to the hallway to clear the space for the flooring install, painting the kitchen area walls that can be painted, clean up and repaint the mall entrance that our customers will be using to get to our suite (look, I'm kind of a prideful person...I like things to look nice and so no I do not own the building, but I still do take pride in what my customers will experience when coming to the bakery) as there are about 2,000 spiders to clean up, prepping the floor, touch-up painting the walls I already painted that got dinged, and on and on and on. Good stuff!

I think we will be open by Labor Day. There I said it. No take backs! Well, we're gonna try any ol' way!

And Gracey, if you're reading this -- thanks for asking honey! I can't wait to show you and C all the work we did when you get home on Tuesday!! :o)

The little things...

The bakery is flying! The rough plumbing and the electric are done and being inspected on Monday! HOLY CRUMBCAKES!! As I said yesterday - Amazing!

My sister in law, Lisa, is an Uber-Scrapbook Crafter (I think that is actually the job title they use!) :o) and she came up with this OH-SO-CUTE idea for my pricing signs and I JUST (today actually) got the clips/holders delivered. They are a cute Lucite aqua box that are just fun! I think they look fantastic with the little price signs!

I think this (the background around the price sign) is going to be my counter top. Dad has two boxes of this flooring leftover from a couple jobs of his and nothing he can use it for. So, at 3:00 in the morning (you know, right before he falls asleep for 3 hours) he had this epiphany that we (meaning HE) could make a counter top for me out of this beautiful flooring! I picked up a couple pieces to "mull it over" and I think I really like it. Originally I was going to do a chocolate brown counter top or that Boomerang counter top from centuries ago (c'mon -- you know your grandparents had that green counter top), but this is well, brown, and pretty and best of all - FREE, so I think to say it's growing on me would be a perfect statement.

Found a recipe for BAKED cake donuts -- no frying! I am SOOO excited to try them! If they are as good as I predict them to be, we may have our first HOT seller of the bakery! And what a genius concept -- all the flavor of donuts w/o the frying! Can't wait to make 'em!

Over Delivering

OK...did I enter a new world of a different dimension? Again, I have been in the construction industry since 1994. For the last week, people have been promising me that they will be working or something important will be delivered for a certain date. And (I should really be sitting for this...oh, I am....) EVERY SINGLE TIME they have exceeded my expectations! They have come a day early (or when they were supposed to, which alone is a miracle), they have delivered ahead of schedule, they have done more than they were asked, or I received more than I was promised. EVERY DAY for the past week!

My sink was delivered a day early. My plumber just happened to get some cosmic wave from the universe and showed up a day early to install it. My refrigerator is TWICE the size of the original one I wanted, is nearly brand new, and cost me only $100 more! My electrician decided to change out ALL the outlets in the entire bakery so that the old ones would look as pretty (yes, they can be pretty) as the new ones. My Dad and Ben created the coolest counter top wall shelf thingee in one day's work! I found a company that I can order small quantities of items instead of by the thousands and they are so reasonable that when needed I WILL order the thousands!

I simply can't believe how well this is going. I can't. I'm waiting to wake up and have someone tell me to get to work 'cuz somehow I fell behind. It is simply amazing me. The Lord must really want to make sure my plan is executed by August! :o)

Here are some pictures of the progress! The "castle" wall, as we called it, came down on Monday morning as did the little 1/2 wall by the office. In it's place is a wide open expanse so people can see the work in action! The new counter top for serving the customers is what Dad and his guys are building from post to post parallel to the inside window wall. I can actually see and feel it already!

Simply amazing isn't it?!

The door where all the customers will come in!!

Let the Construction Begin!!

Big day, today!! Dad's guys tear down the walls and build the countertop wall today!! It's a good day.

This weekend John and I finished the painting we could do, took out the non-conforming ceiling tiles (lots of codes when serving food to the public), bought materials for Dad's crew, and cleared the space (with some help from Mom). All to prepare for today to go w/o a hitch. Well, all to prepare as BEST we can for today to go w/o a hitch. Cuz that's all you can do is prepare.

Alrighty then...gotta run...I baked cookies just to make sure the guys know why I need to open soon -- Chocolate Chip Pretzel.....I KNOW, RIGHT?!!! :o)

Let the construction begin! FINALLY!!

With zoning permit in hand and a promise from the building inspector that my building permit will be ready by Monday, we officially start construction!

Now, there's not much to do -- tear down a couple partial walls and put up a 1/2 wall that will support our incredibly long display and service (and work) countertop (that I just love!!). Of course there's electrical and plumbing that need to be done too along with redoing the floor and of course putting up drywall on that new 1/2 wall, but all in all, it's a very small amount of work to get done.

In my perfect everybody's-IS-and-keeps-their-word world would love to tell you that we'll be in and out in a week, but unfortunately, that is never what happens. We are still keeping our hopes alive to have the bakery open in August, however. What do we have if not hope?! :o)

I Wike Your Sign Auntie Twacey

My nephew (Ikey) called me on Monday afternoon to tell me that he liked my sign. I had no idea what he was talking about! What sign, Ikey? "Da green one". Still...no clue.

Apparently, my sign installer, whose wife passed away last week, installed the sign -- no word, no clue, no bill, NO WAY! He SOOOO did! I'm not used to contractors exceeding my expectations. Afterall, in 16-17 years, that didn't/hasn't happened often.

So, I waited VERY PATIENTLY until John came home so we could see it together. Ask me how long those 2 1/2 hours were?! We were ear to ear smiles. And here's why.... :o)

I think we "wiked" da sign too!

Music To My Ears

Music to my ears...

Tracey,
Your Plan of Operation and Zoning Permits have been issued. The Plan of Operation Permit will be mailed to you and the Zoning Permit is mailed directly to the Town Building Inspector. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Thank you and good luck!

Peggy S. Tilley
Senior Land Use Specialist
Waukesha County Department of Parks and Land Use

OK people! Let's get to work already!! WHOOHOOO!!! It's a good day!! :o)

My 1st Rent Check

My first rent check is due today. I'm guessing THAT is what makes one feel official. I think it kinda sucks. Not that it is due, just that it is due before you have a chance to actually MAKE money. I know, it's the way of the world Sally.

Acknowledge and move on (as my friend Buttercup and I used to say all the time).

Today, the Tracey that I don't like to bring out much is sitting right under the surface of my skin. I can just feel it. She is waiting to put anyone in their place that gets in my way. I can just tell. And that's ok, cuz sometimes, people through their lack of respect for others, deserve her wrath. OK, I'm done talking in third person now -- kinda weirded me out a bit there. But come hell or high water today, I WILL have some answers on my permitting.

We have bought a bunch of equipment for the bakery this past week as well. We got to work with two lovely families that both had former restaurants and I have had the good fortune of being able to buy some of their equipment. We have our mixer now and our oven and one of our large work tables and a BUNCH of small items that were needed. I always name my mixers since they're such hard workers when I am baking. So I shall name this mixer Maggie after the lady I bought it from. Ironically, that is also the nickname I have for my "other daughter" in this world, Stefi (our foreign exchange student/daughter) from Mexico. I nicknamed Stef, Magdelena which is "Little Cupcake" in Spanish. I just know she will love that!

Jeanne (my original Cupcake) came and helped John and I in the bakery this weekend. We got almost all of the retail area painted - YEAH!! We had fun too! It's sooo nice having so many people that want to be a part of this adventure with our family. I have never felt LESS alone than I do now. It's a good life. Sa-Weet!

Hope your day is filled with indulgent little moments! ~ Sally