I have a real SPACE!

About 20 minutes after my blog-whine, Bob came home early and we popped over to the lease office and signed a contract and a check!

The architect whom I was already meeting with at 5:30, planned on just peeking into the windows, but we were able to go inside and check it out.

Here are a few more pictures:

gravel

and insulation.

I’ll take it.

I’m totally stuffing my face with a monster bowl of Tootsie Rolls to de-stress.

For the past two days I’ve been a maniac. I want to get everything going and rolling.

I should be able to sign the lease and drop off the deposit tomorrow, ordered my shirts, business cards, found an architect, (wasn’t even on my list and it’s checked off!) possibly found a contractor if the bid is acceptable, dragged my girlfriend to the restaurant recycle place to measure the appliances for the architect, ordering a “coming soon” sign for the window…shopping online right now for convection ovens and a zillion dollar Hobart….

This is one crazy rollercoaster.

And I love it, but there are things I DON’T love already.

I don’t love the nay-sayers. It’s amazing the kind of ignorance people blurt  out, things they will say TO YOUR FACE when you tell them you’re starting a business, especially a bakery. Most of the time, the comments are from people who have no fricken clue what the hell they’re talking about. I try to remember that those comments are a result of cluelessness, jealousy, and or both but it’s hard to have people be rude right to your face. Or when the people closest to you aren’t very supportive- at least not to YOU. I need a fairy godmother, STAT.

I am nervous when it comes to my kids. I hate asking people for help, and where you’d “think” I have help (cough *you know what I’m referring to if you know me*) I have zero. I am trying to draw up a plan on childcare, and it’s going to be an interesting juggling act. It makes me even more grateful for my location down the street from my house, and the fact I have two totally awesome siblingsitters in my house. Once we’re up and running, they’ll be on an unofficial “payroll” instead of an allowance. I just don’t want to commit to daycare if I don’t have to. Most people know I have daycare issues after everything that went down with Maeve. So I’m looking for alternatives.

If anyone knows of someone looking for something, call me. Seriously.

And lastly, I’m freaking about the floor plan. Too much to bother typing, but I’ve never ever had the urge to build a house, so this project might make that decision a solid, lifelong one! Hopefully it will go smoothly and I’m just being a dramatic whiner who has gained about ten pounds since May. Awesome.

I officially have my first BIG client. Not just big for me, it’s HUGE. A motivator! More on that later….

I’m feeling crazy.

I don’t know if it’s the ADD, with the OCD, or my brain cells going senile but I’m trying to remember so many things that I feel like I have multiple personality disorder.

It will all be worth it. I just need to keep checking things off, and moving on to the next.

I needed to get organized. Go ahead and tell me I’m a dork, but I spent an entire day creating a “mompreneur” corner. I am pretty organized, but I suffer from “shiny ball syndrome” in a BIG way.

The only space that’s semi-mine is the kitchen, shared with Sharpie stealers, obsessive handwashers and dog food throwers. So I decided I wanted to buy a desk and create a space for myself.  I drove down to the Pottery Barn outlet in Gaffney and scored a desk, lamp, and monster bulletin board all for about $250. And yes that’s a deal, the fricken lamp was $70. But I didn’t care. I hit Walmart on my way home and grabbed a calendar, and Pier 1 had that little dog statue for $3 on clearance.

My thinking space:

So I have a desk.

And I’m blogging on my couch. Yep, here I am staring at the desk realizing it sounded smarter in theory.

So I scratched one thing off my list. A desk I didn’t really need, don’t use, but totally wanted.

On to the next.

Tomorrow I have my first official cake class. Yes, I decided to sign up for wedding cake classes regardless of the fact I started baking confetti cake cupcakes when I was 15 (20 yrs ago *cough* I’m old) for Bob and his siblings. I can make and work fondant like nobody’s business, except I want to do big professional cakes too so I figured before I’m open, this would be the perfect (errr only) time to hammer out some classes. I’ve taken classes at Johnson and Wales for bread a few years ago, but not cake decoration.

Also, tomorrow I think we’re having a quick $175 meeting to go over the lease, gotta get my phone number, print up some coupons, and finish the paper product order – namely- business cards. I have business cards but they’re personal cards. Now I need a BIZness card.

And that’s for tomorrow. The rest of my week consists of

• having my girls from Polka Dots able to work on the “paper stuff,” which means I have to get the rest of the needed info to them FOR those cards, some signage, and other things they know I need and I’m forgetting. I think what I told her was, “order what I need NOW, and just tell me what I owe you.” That’s the great thing about working with friends.
• If I could finalize my menu, I could do that too. But as soon as I have a great menu, I tear it up and start again because I want it perfect. I know it won’t be, but I’m obsessed with revising the flavors.
• I’ll be signing the lease, dropping the deposit, and hopefully receiving a ….KEY!
• I started calling around to get contractor bids. The faster I get that going, the faster my new drama will unfold
• Not to forget the business license applications, take another ride out to the health department to go over the classes that I want to take for that (not a must-do, just a want to)
• I’ve already picked out a bunch of things at the Recycled Restaurant supply store and I’m super pumped that I’m able to buy recycled, to reuse, get a deal on the cost, and see it up close and personal. The bakery cases go in a flash, so I actually need to get back out there, slip someone some cash so I’m the first person they call when a great set comes in.
• My friend Elise is hooking me up with my tshirts and I’m going to get those ordered hopefully before the end of the week….
• Gotta get in touch with Dilworth coffee for my “regular and decaf”  and make sure I’m allowed to sell it in BAX.

That’s this week’s to do list, oh also see Counting Crows on Wednesday and pack/organize/drive to Virginia Beach on Friday with my girls to take Maeve to CAMP. Should be a cinch. If you call me this week, and I’m a beast or I ignore your call or miss your text, you’ll have to just not take it personally. I love y’all, but I’m in psycho-mode.

xo