17 Months

This blog is about the bakery I plan on opening with my sister, Lacey. Lacey and I are still pursuing the opening of our all-natural bakery in the central valley area. Just a reminder: I am still attending College to obtain my Associates Degree in business. My sister, Lacey, is starting College to obtain her certificate in business. We are both baking up a storm and recording the outcomes on Myspace and in our blogs. Check Lacey's blog out here: Lacey.
I realized something yesterday. Sometimes, I get very anxious to open the bakery, because I want to start this thing. So I decided to figure out when I can graduate. 17 months. Seventeen months! I can graduate in seventeen months, Fall 2009. However, I might want to take some support courses to supplement my degree. So if that takes up another semester, I will graduate in 22 months, Spring 2010. Either way, Lacey and I will start this natural bakery endeavor in less than two years!
We have been extremely excited and creating new ideas all the time. One thing is the name of our bakery. If you have any clue to a name, please let us know. Even if you think the name is dumb or silly, we might like it, or it could spin off into the name we choose! So let us know, please. We are starting to create logo’s and designs for menus and our website, (Not yet created), so we need a name!
We are starting many lists of things we need to do and getting into the California laws regarding this type of business. Lot's of laws and codes...we are also looking at locations, just curiously. We are not in the place to buy anything yet.
Lacey and I have been thinking of ways to use our bakery for good, a type of ministry. We were thinking of ways to feed people, etc. I had the great opportunity to work at Calvin Crest Conferences this past Summer. While there, I heard a lady speak from the Dakota House in the heart of a ghetto in Fresno. This is a house where the staff takes care of children and loves them and feeds them, while their parents are off doing drugs, etc. She told one story of how the kids were talking about what they found to eat that day. Lacey and I want to feed people. If you have any ideas regarding the ministry/giving to the community of our bakery, please let us know .
I have also met some inspirational people in this past year. My family always inspires me. My older sisters, April and Heathyrre, and Mother are wonderful cooks/bakers. I learned all I know from my Mom, Violet. She is awesome. My sis and business partner, Lacey has been very encouraging to me. (You would hope so, as we are going into business together. :0P). She made up this really yummy blueberry muffin recipe and she is a GREAT food photographer. She is extremely professional in her photo taking. Check them out in her blog, above. She made me get into taking the same kind of photo's.
Mr. Clarke, one of my business teachers, taught my "Opening a Small Business" class and I learned an incredible amount from him. Lacey and I are applying everything we have learned from him now, as we start on this journey. I also got to bake with this awesome girl named Rachel this past Summer. Of course, we had different baking ideas, but she was adventurous because she made up many of her own recipes. That was encouraging, as I have always wanted to mostly stick to the recipe, as far as baking goes. Rachel will also own her own bakery business someday, and she will rock it.
Lauren and Christy were also so much fun to bake with. I loved seeing them get into it and fall in love with it. Great bakers right there. There were some great cooks and bakers at Calvin Crest including Sarah, Mary and Buck. Thanks to the kitchen staff at Calvin Crest. You guys are too, too cool.
Lacey and me LOVE feedback! Share with us stories, comments, etc.

Danke...