17 Wishes for 2017

Hola Baykahs!

Please allow me to stretch out my arms and crack my knuckles. I've been off for two days...things get stiff.

Seriously. I literally did NOTHING for two days, and it was glorious. I actually had time to stare at a television...and eat potato chips. But. now is the time to GET BACK TO IT, and turn on the oven...because it's BACK TO WORK...until NYE, and then I get ANOTHER DAY OFF on New Year's Day!

Speaking of the NEW YEAR. I've compiled a list of 17 wishes I would like to come TRUE in 2017...some are far fetched, some are totally going to happen, and some are true wishes that I can't cross my fingers for ANY HARDER for because I so need them to come true this year. By the way...they are not in any particular order....

#17 I wish for a little more rain in Vegas.
          -We barely get 4 inches a year, but when we DO get rain we get a TON of customers because like I always say, "Rain EQUALS Busy." And tsp. baking company could ALWAYS use some BUSYness...because that means this baykah will be too distracted to realize that the love of her life is in Iowa.

#16 I wish for time to move FASTER
          -This wish is ONLY in regards to the weeks between Richard coming home to visit. Fingers crossed he gets to come home once a month, but I have a feeling those weeks in between his visits will be VERY VERY SLOW...so let's speed that UP.

#15 I wish that I make time to work OUT
          -The plan is to fill my RICHARD-LESS time with work and working out. So...let's try to actually MOVE while staring at the TV instead of just sitting motionless putting chips in my mouth.

#14 I wish potato chips had no calories
            -I would drop 10 pounds in NO TIME

#13 I wish Coke Zero was as healthy as water
          -I would be SO HYDRATED all the time

#12 I wish tsp. baking company would start baking pies
          -This one is VERY close to coming true. In fact, I'm guessing that cream pies will be available VERY soon, and baked pies will be making an appearance around the next holiday season.

#11 I wish I could see George Michael perform
          -This one is obviously never going to happen...one of my only regrets EVER is not going to see him a couple of years ago when he was in Vegas. He never came back, and now he NEVER will.

#10 I wish I could give my crew unlimited hours
          -This is the time of year where sales PLUMMET because everyone goes on diets and is broke from Christmas...so cupcakes and cookies are OFF their minds...at least until February 1. So I WILL be able to give my crew MORE hours...just not in January.

#9  I wish my house could clean itself
          -I know this one is dumb, but the thought of deep cleaning my house right now...and throughout this year...is just daunting.

#8 I wish I had two days off in a week
          -This one is most DEFINITELY happening, but probably not for a while. The plan is for me to actually be able to NOT go in to work for two days...like a REAL job. This will allow me to maybe not need wish #9 because I will have time to clean my house.

#7 I wish to come up with a new cookie flavor that I have never thought about before
          -I've been wracking my brain about new flavors to introduce for 2017, and cupcakes are somewhat easy. Cookies?? NOT SO EASY. So, I hope I get a SHOT of inspiration and come up with something rad for my cookie case.

#6 I wish my husband would stop taking random pictures of me
          -my husband has this habit of taking RANDOM pictures of me doing dumb stuff...like THIS

He thinks it's hysterical. I think that I couldn't look any WORSE in these shots. YIKES.

#5 I wish my oven would stop burning me

          -I just got ANOTHER burn today, and this one is WAY worse than any I've had before. As fun as it is to get tattoos over them after they heal, it is getting a little PAINFUL.

#4 I wish I could spend more time with my girls

          -I was so lucky to have my babies over the holidays, but it just reminded me how much I MISS them. With Abbi being in college and now having her new job I barely see her...so I would love to have more time with her and Lucy before I BLINK, and they are both adults.

#3 I wish UberEats would extend their 8-mile radius for delivery

          -As of right now you have to have your delivery within 8 miles of tsp. HOPEFULLY, they will realize that people all over the valley could use a delivery...and would probably pay more.

#2 I wish I could stop aging

          -With my husband's birthday looming right around the corner, I would REALLY like to stop the hands of time from pounding all over my face. I tell you...this past year has put some SERIOUS lines on my face...so it can stop now. CALM DOWN. I got it. I'm OLD. You don't need to keep reminding me with new wrinkles to find in the mirror. 

#1 I wish my husband wasn't going to Iowa

          -This is the BIG ONE. I can't believe I only have 30 days left with him....I know he isn't DYING or going FAR FAR AWAY, but I REALLY love going to sleep and waking up with him every day...and the thought of really only seeing him 12 times in the next year REALLY breaks my heart.

That's it, Baykahs. Here's to SOME wishes coming true in the next 365 days. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! May 2017 bring you as much joy as 2016 brought for me. It was a truly magical year.

See you next Tuesday.

KG

         

All I Want for Christmas is...

Hola Baykahs!!

I can officially say that I am DONE Christmas shopping...kind of. I have a couple of little items to pick up. But I'll tell you something...THIS YEAR WAS DIFFICULT. I had LITERALLY two mental breakdowns in different stores this year.

The first breakdown came when I was buying a certain Christmas gift for my husband. The gift has SOMETHING to do with his orders to MOVE that he just received. I am mentally prepared as much as I can be for his eventual departure on February 1, but as I was looking at his gift on the shelf I just lost it. I started crying and crying...He really is leaving. And as I sat there trying to get my Christmas "perfect" for him and US, I just felt so helpless. I can't do anything. He can't do anything. We just have to SUCK IT UP. So, that's what I did. I stopped crying, paid for the gift, and went back to work.

The second breakdown came when I was finishing up Christmas shopping for the girls. FULL DISCLOSURE: I'm still not done. But I was walking the aisles looking for toys for Lucy, and then it hit me: this is probably the LAST year Lucy will be excited to get toys for Christmas. My BABY is too old for toys. HOW DID THIS HAPPEN??!?

Yes. I know. TIME MARCHES ON. But this year I feel like time is marching ON ME.

I'll get through it...blogging about it really helps actually. It's just hard looking BACK and being sad, AND looking FORWARD and being sad. So, I'll just stay in THIS MOMENT, and continue living every day like it IS my last. Because right NOW is the time that I cherish the most...because TIME is marching on...I mean LOOK at theses faces....

....not a care in the world. Just happy. But REALLY look at this picture. It's from 10 years ago. I know it's hard to notice ANYTHING but my weird hair, but take a look at what's behind me. A HEART-SHAPED FLAG!!! How prophetic is that??? Truly amazing.

Merry Christmas, Baykahs. I wish you a holiday full LOVE and TOGETHERNESS.

See you next Tuesday.

KG

I've Made a List, and Checked it TWICE!

HOLA BAYKAHS!!!!!!

'tis the season to be BLOGGING and SHOPPING! This is actually my FAVORITE blog post of the year because I LOVE LOVE LOVE finding unique gifts...and this is my USED-TO-BE-ANNUAL-AND-NOW-IS-ANNUAL-AGAIN GIFTS TO GET OR GIVE post!

FULL DISCLOSURE: I don't have ANY time to shop, so I ALWAYS shop online. And I use THIS post to show YOU my favorite items I have found to GET or GIVE for yourself OR your loved ones (because we ALL shop for ourselves when we shop for others). This year is a little different because my budget is virtually NOTHING...so I won't be getting or giving any of these items myself. But it sure is fun to SHOP and DREAM online...and not spend any money.

Here we go....let's start with the ornaments!

I LOVE to give ornaments for gifts, since I collect them myself. I usually purchase three or four to represent things that have happened that year. And THIS little collection of four was just too cute! It REALLY represents the decor of tsp. PERFECTLY:


GLITTER BALL ORNAMENTS!
Black and white and DISCO!?!?! How can I NOT love these? So perfect for this year ESPECIALLY.

MR. & MRS. ORNAMENT
Of COURSE I am getting an ornament for our wedding year. This one isn't EXACTLY what I have on my tree, but it is super cute.

Now on to FUN STUFF!


GLITTER TACO PURSE!?!?!
I SO WANT THIS! I mean a glitter taco purse?! Who DOESN'T want this?

GLITTER MUG
This gift is PERFECT for my brother in law, Cesar.

VW VAN LEGO SET
Yes. This is insanely expensive, but Lucy LOVES Legos. This is a perfect gift if I had tons of money and shelf space to keep it on.

RAINBOW IN MY ROOM!
Ok...this one I might actually BUY! It makes a rainbow anywhere!! I love it.

NEON STATE ART
I LOVE this...especially for those of us in Vegas because nine times out of ten the person you meet is NOT born here.

CLOCK

This gift sums up EVERYTHING about this year...

Ok, Baykahs. I'm ALL SHOPPED OUT. This year I am more aware than EVER that time is precious, and I plan to spend every moment I can with the ones I love. 

See you next Tuesday.

KG

Happy Birthday Dear Cake Ninja

Hola Baykahs!!

Another Tuesday is here??!?!?

YUP!

Well, Week 3 has been the BEST WEEK SO FAR!!!!!!!

Of COURSE it was the best week so far. I shared your blog on Facebook!

And BOY DID YOU SHARE!! This blog had more views this past week than it EVER HAD (and that included the OLD blog views too!), so THANK YOU!!!

FULL DISCLOSURE:
I have started and stopped typing out this blog over 10 times for the past five hours!! We have been SLAMMED today all thanks to YOU spreading the word that we are OPEN!!!! In fact, I am now typing this in the kitchen instead of the front of the bakery (like I had been) because I'm just trying to get a little space to myself because we are so busy in the front!

So, this post will be short and sweet and a little EXTRA sweet because it's just a shout out to Kim Chew...my cake ninja. Because it's her 30th birthday today. Without HER tsp. would be a lot less fun and with NO CAKES. SHE DOES THEM ALL!!! AND THE CUPCAKES NOW, TOO!!! She's amazingly talented, and we are SO LUCKY to have her.

SO HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KIM CHEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you for ALL YOU DO!

See you next Tuesday.

KG

Slow and Steady Wins the Race

Hola Baykahs!
Look at me keeping my blogging schedule!!! That's what happens when you have TIME because you're a little slow in the mornings....

WHAT? SLOW? WHAT'S WRONG?? HOW'S THE BUSINESS DOING??

tsp. is FINE. However, we are suffering from the NEW BUSINESS problem. It's the age-old problem that every new business has to go through: GETTING TO KNOW YOU. Actually, our problems are pretty specific. The people of Las Vegas need  to realize that 1) WE ARE OPEN; 2) WE ARE OPEN AT 6 AM (we are next to a Starbucks that opens at 4:30, so I thought 6 am would be great in case they need cupcakes or cookies for work, school, etc...); 3) WE ARE DELICIOUS (this one is tough because I think SO many people have been burned by the "I look cute, but I taste like SH*T" bakeries, so they are reluctant to YET AGAIN give their money away and be disappointed; 4) WE ARE OPEN (seriously, people don't know no matter how many lights I have on).

I've tried to solve all these problems by having my beautiful counter girls out front with baking pans full of FREE SAMPLE MINIS, and that is slowly, but surely getting people in the door. I mean WHO CAN SAY NO TO LUCY??

In addition to the "ARE YOU OPEN" problem, I'm seeing another little problem....it's the "Why don't you have INSERT BAKED GOOD HERE like you used to at Retro?"

Yes...I know I OWNED Retro...and I CREATED it...but tsp. is DIFFERENT. I am doing my absolute BEST to keep the flavors FAMILIAR but not THE SAME. I want it to be a different place and that includes the flavors....and baked goods. In fact, I have something TOTALLY AND COMPLETELY NEW, and I can't stop EATING IT....

WHAT IS IT???

It's CINNAMON ROLLS.

Cinnamon rolls aren't DIFFERENT. I see those everywhere.

Well, tsp. has the most delicious, flaky, creamy, cinnamony cinnamon rolls I have EVER EATEN.

The are a croissant-like, flaky dough that I smother in butter, brown sugar, sugar, and cinnamon and then drench in cinnamon buttercream!!!! They are slightly crunchy, slightly gooey, and AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS.

Oh yeah...
AND, we have FAIRY ROLLS.

Fairy Rolls?? HUH??

Fairy Rolls were invented because I kept hearing and reading about Fairy Bread from Australia (which is LITERALLY white bread spread with butter and dipped in nonpareils), and I thought that I MUST create something as rad as that...and Fairy Rolls were BORN!

They are the same dough I use for the cinnamon rolls, but I just butter and sugar the dough and sprinkle on rainbow JIMMIES!

I smother the rolls with vanilla bean frosting and add MORE jimmies and MAGIC!!! Ok...it's not REAL magic, but it IS real DISCO GLITTER which is pretty much magic in a jar.

My initial idea was just to have "Cinnamon Sundays" and only sell them on Sundays...but guess what? I gave out free samples on the Friday and Saturday before our first Sunday with rolls....and people NOW WANT THEM EVERY DAY!!!! Every early customer I have had on Monday and today ALL came in for Cinnamon Rolls.

So, I'm listening. I ordered some new display boxes, and I am launching them every day when those cases arrive. Because as you ALL know PRESENTATION IS EVERYTHING.

It's a slow start, but we'll get there...ONE BITE AT A TIME...TOGETHER.

See you next Tuesday...with Fairy Rolls.

KG

O is for OVERWHELMING

Hola Baykahs!!

     It's me...your insanely UNDER-SLEPT, SORE, BONE-CREEKY, CRAZY BAYKAH!!!

     Who did I think I was taking six months off and LITERALLY sitting on the couch the entire time????? I completely forgot how PHYSICAL the job of baking is!!!! And working 18 hours a day on your feet isn't the BEST thing to do. So, now my body is saying, "Hey...you may THINK you're 17, but GIRL...YOU ARE WAY OLDER THAN THAT! CALM DOWN!" But we all know that this is temporary. I'm working like a crazy person to make sure it's all running smoothly (or as smoothly as your first week CAN run) and trying to make sure most of the plates I'm spinning don't fall on the ground (just the ones that are ok to break, I guess).

     To sum up our first week I would use the word OVERWHELMING...in a couple of ways.

1) The OVERWHELMING positive response to being OPEN! Old customers, new customers, people just walking by and coming in to see what the heck we are...they have ALL been so happy that we are HERE in North Las Vegas in a convenient location!!!

2) The OVERWHELMING inability for me to get BACK to my old routine of waking up without an alarm at 3:15 am. Six months off had really reset my body clock, and I was naturally getting up at 5. The JARRING of the alarm isn't so fun. But...I'll get used to it and probably start beating my alarm by a couple of minutes like always (yes..I am THAT competitive).

3) The OVERWHELMING feeling of forgetting things...I'm SO not used to doing the behind-the-scenes ordering and stocking and SHOPPING. I feel like I'll get it down to a science SOON, but I have been forgetting where I get certain products...how many I should by...and WHEN I should buy them. This is a whole new ballgame of AMAZING foot traffic, and we ran out of 300 boxes in ONE WEEK!!! So, I ordered 1000 to make sure I have some breathing room for the next couple of weeks.

4) The OVERWHELMING outpouring of support from our friends and family. It has been so amazing seeing the messages and the friendly faces who "just came to see you and meet your new husband because I missed you so much, and I'm so excited for you both!!!" It is truly touching how many people have reached out to us making sure we know how much they care. It has been the VERY BEST part of working this hard and giving it ALL WE HAVE to make a dessert destination that is more than just SWEETS. It's a place where you can meet new friends, connect with old friends, enjoy your family, and even get to know your community.
FULL DISCLOSURE: Yes. I know how cliche that last sentence SOUNDS, but it is REALLY true. I want tsp. to be a place where it is FUN to come and chat and catch up and EAT YUMMY TREATS!

tsp. has been everything I thought it could be...and it's ONLY Week 1! Richard and I are so grateful to our crew who keep us afloat, and the customers that keep us going! And we are truly honored to be a part of your lives...even if it's just in a bite of a mini cupcake.

Here's to many many many more weeks of struggle, learning, and being THANKFUL for every bit of it!

photo by Jill Heupel

See you next Tuesday.

KG

Hola. Mi Llamo Mrs. Garcia

Hola Baykahs!

What?? No ELLO?? Are you still the CRAZY BAYKAH that I know and LOVE/HATE/LIKE?

YES. But, it's a HOLA now. You may have heard I have a new last name... a NEW BAKERY...and now a new blog.

Let's catch you up:

I got separated, divorced, met the LOVE of my life, sold my bakery, got married, and created my NEW bakery all in the last two years...

Let's answer your most obvious questions:

1) WTF? Are you insane?? Why did you give up RETRO??
  -I didn't give up Retro. I SOLD Retro to my ex-husband. It lives, and I get small portions of profit from now until it's paid in full. It became painfully obvious that he and I could not work together any longer, so I decided to let it go. Which quite honestly, was one of the most painful decisions I have ever made. Retro was my baby. However, it had morphed into this business that I suddenly didn't recognize, and frankly, I didn't want to deal with anymore.

2) How are your girls?
   -Abbi and Lucy are GREAT. Abbi is a Freshman at UNLV majoring in vocal performance. She has Disney dreams, and she is well on her way to working for Disney when she graduates. Lucy is now in 6th grade and is QUITE the singer herself. She is currently trying to juggle working at two bakeries, homework, and face-timing her friends.

3) Who is your new hubby?
    -Richard Garcia is his name. He walked right into my life at the exact time I needed him, and he decided to let me build the bakery of my dreams while he stays ACTIVE DUTY in the U.S. Air Force for the next two years. He is a co-owner and VERY hands on, but his first commitment for the time being is the military. Good news? We love each other and are fully committed to our marriage and our business and my girls. The bad news? He got orders to move to Iowa. SO, Richard will be living in Iowa City teaching ROTC at the University of Iowa for the next two years starting in February. He will be able to come home at least once a month and (FINGERS CROSSED) each holiday.
FULL DISCLOSURE: I knew he was in the military when I met him, and I remember thinking "Kari. This will bite you eventually." But I kept seeing him....then loving him....then MARRYING him....and BITE. It's not even CLOSE to ideal. I'm scared as hell to be alone in this new bakery for most of each month, but IT IS WHAT IT IS. He is IN the military. This is what happens, and it is better than most military family's situations. So, I'm not bitter. I'm just sad that I won't see him every day, and now just typing those words it's becoming too real.....SOOOOOOOOOO

4) What is the new bakery called? And what does the name stand for?
     -tsp. baking company is our new baby. It means TEASPOON. It's based on a couple of things...I ALWAYS lose my teaspoon when I bake, so I actually had tsp tattooed on me a while ago just because of THAT. It's also from my favorite scene of my FAVORITE Disney movie, Sleeping Beauty. The fairies are trying to bake a cake for Aurora without using magic, and Fauna can't figure out what a "TISP" is while reading the recipe.
     At tsp. we serve ONLY mini cupcakes, cakes, cookies, and Lappert's ice cream (that you can make ICE CREAM SANDWICHES with). It has a couple of tables, a rainbow glitter floor....and a DISCO BALL. It's literally the EXACT bakery I always wanted: a fun, delicious, HAPPY place. I have a few secrets up my sleeve for the future...but that's what I have FOR NOW. I need to keep baking a little longer before I announce anything else.

5) Are you ok?
     -Yes. I am GREAT. I have learned a LOT about myself in the past year. I learned that your mind can trick you into believing things IF YOU LET IT. I also learned that FEAR is just FEAR and nothing else (I read that somewhere). So, instead of burying myself in someone else's business and working for another person I decided to try it again....PUT IT ALL ON THE TABLE....START FROM SCRATCH. And here I am...standing in tsp. baking company...blogging to YOU...listening to my two employees talking about which cakes to bake next. ALL IS RIGHT WITH MY WORLD.

Any other questions? Comment...and I'll answer. I'm trying to blog more frequently now. The plan is once a week on Tuesday. It's time to get BACK INTO THE GAME. So, here I am...the CRAZY BAYKAH IS BACK.

tsp. baking company is NOW OPEN! You can see pics and fun at tsp. baking company on our facebook page or INSTAGRAM! I update all the time...and I WORK all the time. So, if you're in Vegas take a drive up north and come visit.

Until then...See you next Tuesday.
(if you get that joke we can be best friends forever)

xoxo,
Mrs. Kari Garcia

LICK THE SPOON...VERY SOON!

COMING THIS FALL TO NORTH LAS VEGAS, NV!!

6120 N. Decatur Blvd. #103, NLV, NV 89084

We will be in the Starbucks complex across from LVAC.

MORE details coming soon! When we get our keys YOU get the DEETS!