Change Is Good

I think that people, for the most part, don’t like change.  I know I don’t.  But there are some occasions when change can be good, necessary even.  Now is one of those times for me.  A time of good, necessary, exciting change. 

“So what’s changed?” you ask.  Well, my “job” so to speak.  I’ve officially made the change from amateur cake decorator to a real, live bakery business owner!  That’s right.  I’ve turned my little hobby/obsession into a legitimate business.

Last week I officially opened my very own bakery/cake studio!

Over the last couple of months, the Tool Man and I have been super busy planning and finalizing all the details of this move.  From finding a location, to setting up the business, to deciding on a name, there’s been a lot of decision making going on around here.

As for the location, we tossed around several ideas, and at last settled on the very best possible option for us…our house!  OK, so it’s not the house we currently live in.  It’s the house we lived in for the first five years of our marriage.  We still own it, and have been renting it for the past 6 years, but when it became vacant during this whole process, we saw a huge opportunity.  It’s just the right size, it’s practically in our own front yard, and it required very little work to bring it up to code.

As my very special group of followers, I have decided to give y’all a tour of the new kitchen.  It’s tiny, but functional, and it already had  a refrigerator, stove, microwave, and hand-washing sink.  Did I mention it was cute too?

One of the items we had to install for health code purposes was this three-compartment sink.  Or as I like to call it, a hideous beast.

We also purchased this stainless steel table. I know that I will really enjoy this huge workspace!  And check out all that flour and sugar. I can’t wait to get baking.

Looks like I’m gonna have plenty of help doing the dishes!

One of the nicest things about this house is the lovely view you have walking into it.  When the Tool Man’s grandmother rented this house from us, she planted gobs and gobs of roses!  Well, they are in full bloom right now, and the sight and smell are amazing.  I don’t know it’s proper name, but this long-stemmed pink one is my favorite.

This sweet little ‘Blaze’ climbing rose, is one that I actually planted before we moved.  It never really produced while we were living there, but I’m glad to see it’s thriving now.

OK, back to HOT Rock.  You may be wondering where in the world I came up with that name.  It’s an acronym that stands for “House on the Rock.”  Matthew 7:24 is a verse that I have embraced for this blog, and I wanted to continue that theme with the business.  And of course, it’s more than a “theme.”  It’s a lifestyle the Tool Man and I strive to live by – making Jesus the foundation of all that we do.

Another thing that I’ve been working on for this bakery is a new website.  Talk about a job!  Website design is not for the faint of heart.  I never would have guessed that web design was so time consuming!  I’ve spent hours and hours working on the site, and it’s still not completely finished.  But that’s ok.  The site is up and running, and I’d be honored if you would pop over and check it out.

The address is www.hotrockcakes.com 

I’m also doing an all-cake blog, www.hotrockcakes.blogspot.com

And I’ve got a Facebook page for HOT Rock, and I’d just love it if you’d “like” it!

From now on I plan to keep my cake stuff over there and reserve this blog for its original purpose…our family.  ‘Cause let’s face it, the cakes have taken over this blog the last few months.  So, if you want to see some of the latest cake creations, be sure you check out these other sites and get connected!

Looks like my first week in the bakery is gonna be a wild one!  I’ve got 5 cakes to decorate (my new weekly record) plus I’m baking up a few cakes and pies for Fox’s.  Whew! I’m gonna be busy the next few days, but I guess that’s a good thing, right!

Lindsey