Andrea Howard Blog: I Think I Can, I Think I Can

One day soon (I hope) I will post full-finished photo's of my new cake studio. Today, I'm just bringing you up to speed. After returning to OKC in June (with squeals of excitement) I thought I had found the perfect space to set up shoppe. Cake shoppe. I was flippin' excited and roaring to go when I received the sad call that I had been outbid for the space by a franchise...you know, those people with extensive capital, which I, at this moment, do not have. I took a moment to throw my little fit, stomp around and cry a bit. Then, I had lunch with a great mentor...I would call her a colleague, but that would superimpose myself into her league, which I am not, so I think advisor, mentor, all-around-great-gal, fits the bill. You may remember when I first wrote about Ruth Rickey here. Sometimes, just having someone to bounce all of your goals off of really helps to clear the mind and bring a girl back on track. That's what my hour with Ruth did for me and helped me remember my initial plan and how very different it was from the plan I had formulated to meet the size of my so-called perfect space. It felt freeing to acknowledge that my lost space was perhaps a blessing in disguise...and boy was it. I continued looking all around the Edmond/OKC area looking for that little niche that I could turn into my studio - where I can create my edible art. After a couple more weeks of fervent exploring, I happened upon a little space in the nook and cranny of a downtown Edmond building. It fits the bill perfectly for me and my bakery boys - they do go to work with me most days and having an extra room specifically designed for them was a must. We didn't wast anytime negotiating the lease and hiring plumbers and electricians. At many points I questioned my sanity and understood why so many people choose to run a hobby business from their home. This commercial space is a lot of work! Especially when it's not a turn-key venture but rather a roll-up-your-sleeves-we-gettin-dirty heap of mess! We were determined to get the space ready on a shoe-string budget and as you know, that means a lot of DIY. I'm proud to say I have painted every nook and crevice with these two hands and spent countless hours scrubbing sanded concrete floors before I broke open the concrete sealer and went to work. We still have lots to do before I feel the place will be perfect, but I'm happy to say we're getting close to workable with loose ends to tie up as we go. The reality is, I've booked weddings and have to get to work! I'll just have to hang that bathroom mirror later, que sera sera. Take a moment browse thru a few before and during pics....and yes, you'll still be waiting for the after pics. Ornery, I know.