Building a Bakery

So, Baby, Time's Gettin' a Little Crazy

noreply@blogger.com (KARI GARCIA) — Tue, 07 Jun 2016 02:11:00 +0000

Ello Baykahs-
It's me...
Remember me? Kari Haskell? Owner of Retro Bakery in Las Vegas???

Well, that WAS me...up until about two months ago. I decided that I had to let it all go to get what I really wanted: MY SANITY.

I know I used to joke all the time about being "CRAZY" or "THE CRAZY BAYKAH," but sadly it became not such a joke and became a lifestyle. I was so caught up in trying to make Retro the most successful, best, most delicious, most INSERT POSITIVE ADJECTIVE HERE that I forgot MYSELF. I forgot that one of the most important parts of life is LIVING...not just working. So, I became a woman who literally worked herself into a place where ALL SHE DID WAS WORK. I had completely shut off my entire "life"...and that included my marriage.

Let's not pretend that I had the happiest of marriages. I had a happy family. And we did happy things...we always visited the happiest place on earth. But there was one thing missing...A HAPPY MARRIAGE.

Without going into the GORY details, it just became me asking myself, "if my daughters came to me with how I am currently feeling my advice to them would be GET OUT." So I did...almost a year and a half ago...and for a while my exhusband and I worked together with a common goal of taking care of our children AND Retro...until I just couldn't do it anymore. My time at Retro had to come to an end, so KARI could have a beginning.

And now I DO have a beginning.

I have decided to open a new bakery this Fall in North Las Vegas with the love of my life, Richard Garcia. I get to be as creative and hands-on as I want to be with him making sure I don't work too hard and carrying the load when it gets too heavy for me.

Our bakery, tsp. baking company, will be everything I ever wanted for RETRO but was never given the chance. We will have ice cream. We will have ONLY mini cupcakes. We will have A DISCO BALL!!!!

Let me close this blog with what I would tell that CRAZY BAYKAH nine years ago... "Hey girl. This bakery isn't going to save you or your marriage, but it will make you stronger than you ever thought possible, even if you think you aren't. Don't get bogged down with the short term. THINK BIG, and don't let fear stand in your way...it's just fear. Oh yeah, and when you're off work, YOU'RE OFF WORK. You're a baker not a doctor."

And to you, Baykahs...thank you for letting me take two years off to go through the hardest years of my life in order to get to the SWEETEST part yet.

Laytah Baykahs

p.s. I think this blog needs a fresh start LIKE ME, so if you would like to keep up with the new bakery go here: just the tsp.

Cuz I Know How it is...Go and Handle Your Biz...

noreply@blogger.com (KARI GARCIA) — Sun, 08 Feb 2015 13:23:00 +0000

Ello Baykahs-
I've been BUSY...SHOCKER....but what that means is that when I'm busy we really aren't THAT busy with cakes. HENCE, there hasn't been much action on this blog...BECAUSE I DON'T MAKE THE CAKES...and this blog has kinda become the "LOOK AT THE CUTE CAKES I DIDN'T MAKE" blog.

No matter how many times I say it...people still think it is me making those beautiful cakes. And, while I would LOVE to take the credit (and I do design SOME) it is the artistry of Kim Chew and Brian (and sometimes Purple) that make the cakes happen. I just get to OOH and AHHH and say..."UH, is the SUPPOSED to be that shade of blue?" I'm really just a cake WATCHER. But, there is ONE cake I look forward to designing every year: RETRO'S BIRTHDAY CAKE.

IT'S THAT time of year again!!!! Retro Bakery is turning 7 years old on Tuesday, February 10. And this time...I really can't believe it.

7.

7?

I have been making cupcakes for seven years.

IT really is crazy when you think about it....One day I just DECIDED I wanted to open a bakery. I didn't know JACK SH*T about commercial baking or running a business. I just knew that I could do it. It really was the ONE THING I have ever decided that I never even hesitated. I never had ONE DOUBT about it. It was just "We are opening a bakery."

And then we did....

Retro was born in 2008. It's been a crazy, wild, exhausting ride that I cannot believe I am still on...but I'm not surprised. I knew Retro would succeed. I knew we would make it. I just didn't know the amount of WORK it would take to keep it all together. But here we are...seven years later.....with a crew of 9...and a couple extra pounds of cookie dough weight.

Our party is Tuesday...there WILL be free mini cupcakes...and stickers...and LOTS of fun...and a SUPER CUTE CAKE.

Speaking of super cute cakes...
HERE are the CAKES O' the WEEKS:

Minnie Mouse inspired birthday cake:

Married in Las Vegas wedding cake:

Wedding dress wedding cake:

Cheetah bling baby shower cake:

Comic Book birthday cake:

Punk Rock baby shower cake:

And the most adorable cake of the week:

The baby giraffe birthday cake

Seven years, Baykahs...that's a LOT of buttercream....and a lot of tears...and a lot cookie dough....and a LOT of cake watching in between.

Hope to see you Tuesday if you're in VEGAS....

Laytah

I Got These Troubles. I'm Makin' Plans...Know There's Really Nothing but You...

noreply@blogger.com (KARI GARCIA) — Mon, 29 Dec 2014 14:44:00 +0000

Ello Baykahs!
Happy ALMOST New YEAR!
2014 has definitely been a transitional year for Retro. We're still workin' out the kinks with our crew. We're still trying to figure out how to KEEP IT FRESH after seven years. So, I plan on changing some things in 2015...I just haven't figured out quite what I want to change.
The one thing we AREN'T changing is the CAKES. As redundant as making the same cupcakes over and over and over is...the CAKES are the one thing that actually change. And though I don't MAKE the cakes, I do get to design quite a few of them...and I just love to see the ART that is created out of sugar, flour, and STRESS.

It's usually the simplest cakes that I end up loving the most...and here is my favorite baby shower cake of the year. It was designed by my friend, Charlie, (who also added the flowers on top). I just loved the idea of words in the alphabet and red and pink are always great together:

Speaking of simple...THIS cake is LITERALLY the cake I would want for my birthday cake year after year. I love sprinkles. I love rainbow colors....I love CRUNCH:

Now, we get QUITE a few requests for Disney cakes, and since we follow the trademark law we don't recreate EXACT characters, but give a representation. Here are my favorites we created ...

Alice in Wonderland:

Frozen:

The Little Mermaid:

And my FAVORITE of all the Disney cakes...Monster's Inc.:

We do TONS of cupcake towers for weddings and celebrations, and out of ALL of them this simple black and white stripe was my absolute, hands-down, favorite...what can I say? I'm a simple girl:

This black and white beauty was my favorite of all the Monogram cakes of the year. I adore the bright, orange flower on top of the black and white cake:

Black and white was NOT the most popular wedding theme this year. 2014 was all about METALLIC. My top three cakes using a little SPARKLE to celebrate starts with the cake I call the WEDDING DRESS CAKE:

My second favorite uses metallic mesh on the top tier and the bottom tier for EXTRA sparkle. But, I love how we used rose petals in the middle tier to soften the look. It's almost the perfect HIS AND HERS cake:

My FAVORITE metallic wedding cake of the year is a LITTLE busier than I thought I would like...but when you put a silver MAP OF THE WORLD on a cake I am IN. I called this the WORLD IS OURS wedding cake:

Speaking of metallics, this is my favorite cake where we created a charm bracelet that looked SO real in person that many people believed that it WAS metal:

This year we actually HAD to use real metal to create what turned out to be my FAVORITE cake for one of my friend's NEW businesses!! My friend, Matt, opened his salon a couple of blocks up from Retro, and he asked ME to design a cake!! I decided to use real scissors stabbing silk flowers into the fondant. I wanted an elegant, Sweeney Todd-inspired design. Kim did an INCREDIBLE job piping his logo.

As far as REALITY goes, these hibiscus flowers are my FAVORITE flowers created in 2014. They were delicate, lifelike, and added the perfect accent to this Hawaiian birthday cake:

My last favorite cakes of the year don't even look like CAKE at all...

The first cake is a dish that I probably ATE more than any other thing in 2014 (well, maybe besides PIZZA), it's the NACHOS CAKE:

What goes perfect after a salty plate of nachos? A SWEET plate of WAFFLES

(note that this cake DOES come with a side of REAL syrup to pour on top when you're ready to serve...NO JOKE):

Now the CAKE OF THE YEAR that beats ALL CAKES is one that we were told "we just want a desert tortoise," AND THIS IS WHAT THEY GOT:

This cake turned more heads when I was taking pictures of it than ANY cake I have EVER taken pictures of at Retro. People REALLY thought it was a tortoise we had brought into the bakery.

Bakery life is tough. It is arduous. It is HARD WORK day in and day out, but when you get to see your work as the centerpiece of someone's celebration it DOES make it worth it. Although I didn't CREATE and of these incredible cakes...I sure did try to make sure they were PERFECT for the occasion.

I wonder what 2015 has in store....

Laytah

We Could...We Could Belong Together ARTPOP!

noreply@blogger.com (KARI GARCIA) — Sun, 14 Dec 2014 13:37:00 +0000

Ello Baykahs.
Christmas time is here...and what did Santa bring me a little early??? A BAKER. Cesar joined our crew after a week trial run on Tuesday. He's 20 years old and full of energy...exactly what I need because I am NEITHER OF THOSE THINGS LATELY....

But what DO I have time for??? Creating my favorite list of the year! The best gifts to GET OR GIVE for 2014!!! We still have time to online shop, so maybe this list will start or finish your Christmas shopping this year...

Let's start small...

Cotton Candy Christmas ornament from Sur la Table:

I love food Christmas ornaments, and this one is quite possibly the SWEETEST I have ever seen.

Booze Decanter from CB2:

Ya gotta love a good decanter! They change your cheap liquor into something a little more CLASSY.

Popcorn and snackware from Macys:

I am a SERIOUS snacker, and this collection is adorable and ON SALE...two of my favorite things.

WTF bag from Bluefly.com:

If there is one thing I'm good at it is COMPARTMENTALIZING, and nothing makes it cuter than little zipper bags to hold all my SH*T.

I've been a little obsessed with talking clothing, and these are just a few of my favorites.
Humbug sweatshirt from WestElm.com:

I'm Not Sorry sweater from Macy's:

If You're Waiting for a Sign THIS IS IT from Old Navy.com:

Sometimes I just can't find the right words, so I have to let my clothes talk for me.

Initial ring from Saturday.com:

I'm not a jewelry girl, but I ADORE letter jewelry. This is just too cute to pass up, and it's ONLY $12!?!

Tic Tac Socks from ShopJeen.com:

Sprinkles socks from ShopJeen.com:

Orange Tic Tacs and sprinkles for my feet???? LOVE.

And the FINALE gift of ALL gifts of 2014 is......the gift of POP ART.

Love Gun by Maxwell Dickson on Overstock.com:

Pop art always makes me happy...and Overstock.com always offers great deals and usually free shipping.

That's it, Baykahs...I've shopped 'til I've DROPPED all for you. I know. I know. It's for me.

Laytah

It Won't Get Better Now. When Will This End?

noreply@blogger.com (KARI GARCIA) — Thu, 20 Nov 2014 13:54:00 +0000

Ello Baykahs-
Ya know...you tell yourself that it's ok to take a break on blogging because you just CANNOT think of one more thing to write about that is DIFFERENT...and then you realize you haven't blogged since August...

A U G U S T?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

Truth be told, I have written a couple of posts that were just CRAP...so, I just never pushed PUBLISH. I pushed SAVE. I pushed DELETE. I pushed FORGET IT I QUIT.

The TRUTH truth is I have been going through some pretty tough times recently...and, I kinda hid in the kitchen baking the time away...hoping that if I just stay there then everything will be fine. But it isn't...

We lost our Head Baker, Chris Snazzy, exactly one week ago.

CALM DOWN, HE ISN'T DEAD.

BUT, we did lose him to The Strip. And, quite frankly, once someone goes to work on The Strip they NEVER COME BACK. Mom and Pops can't compete with $16 an hour, 8-hour work days, and full benefits. SO....I can't blame him for going. It is a GREAT opportunity for him....

BUT IT HIT ME HARD.

I have known Snazzy since he came to work for us as an intern five years ago. He quickly became our Head Baker and a LITERAL member of my family. I worked with him 10 hours a day...AT LEAST. He wasn't just our baker. He was the guy who made me forget the drudgery of baking the SAME THING EVERY DAY ALL DAY. He made me laugh. He told great stories. He was the KING OF BULLSHITTING. He made the entire crew smile. As Lucy put it, "Without Snazzy, Retro is DULL."

Lucy is right. Without Snazzy, Retro IS dull....but I know that will change. It's just a week into our "new normal" as I call it. We haven't found a baker yet (Brian and I have been taking on the duties), but when we do find THAT PERSON it will feel a little LESS stressful....and HOPEFULLY a little happier.

BUT DO NOT GET ME WRONG. It will NOT be the same. It is a true END OF AN ERA. Our CORE of FOUR (Kim Chew, Brian, Me, and Snazz) isn't there anymore. We are trying to find a our footing with two less feet.

TO SNAZZ- I am so proud of you for wanting more for your life and walking your own path to get there. You are such a beam of light in everyone's lives. And I know whatever you choose to do, you will be successful because you have a crowd of people who would never let you fall. Whatever you need we are here for you.

Full disclosure: I've been trying to write this post for TWO WEEKS. I have stopped and started about nine times....and I think this is the one I'm ACTUALLY going to publish...

So, RETRO BAKERY IS HIRING! HEAD BAKER WANTED. Must be willing to work hard, bake hard, and put up with my BULLSHIT ALL DAY. Email your resume retrobakery@hotmail.com.

I guess this post means I'm back to bloggin' again. I don't know how often it will be, BUT I will do my best to bring you the cakes we've done....and keep you up to date on other stuff I want to bitch about.

Laytah.

Vacation! All I Ever Wanted...

noreply@blogger.com (KARI GARCIA) — Sun, 17 Aug 2014 15:37:00 +0000

Ello Baykahs-
I'm writing you feeling totally RELAXED....really!! I'm fresh off one week in Oregon. We took our family vacation this week and drove to Oregon...it was only 17 hours of driving each way.

*FULL DISCLOSURE: I have an INTENSE fear of flying, and given the recent plane issues around the world I just couldn't do it...SO, we decided to drive.

I'm really glad we DID drive, because it made it feel like a REAL vacation. We stopped in Reno as our place to sleep each way. And the girls had a blast in the arcades the casinos they have there (Vegas doesn't really cater to families like Reno does). We also had a chance to eat at some cute places and visit a cupcake shop called BATCH that I have been following for quite awhile.

*FULL DISCLOSURE: Batch is a really cute place, and their cupcakes were quite delicious. However, it was a little weird to see one of their cupcakes DIPPED IN BUTTERSCOTCH....and that's all I'm gonna say about THAT (except it was delicious).

Our destination was Oregon because that is my home state, and we wanted to go and wish my Grammy a VERY HAPPY 90th birthday. She turns 90 on August 29.

We stayed in my old room in her basement where I lived while I went to my first year of college at Portland Community College (long story short I commuted two hours every day to go to school). It was so amazing to be in that room...20 years later...surrounded by a few of my high school memories. The girls had a blast looking at my prom picture and my high school graduation tassel. They also enjoyed playing outside unsupervised and not locking doors. They blew bubbles. They rolled around in GRASS.

They went to a REAL farmer's market.

My hometown of McMinnville, Oregon, has changed a LOT from when I was there 20 years ago.

It has turned into a wine mecca which has really invigorated the downtown. There are restaurants and little shops, and cool places to just stop and relax and eat on a rooftop. It has really become a place where time stands still for just a bit...I seriously watched a woman place her freshly baked bread from her bakery INTO A RED WAGON and roll it down the street to distribute to the restaurants to make their sandwiches with. SERIOUSLY...a RED WAGON.

McMinnville wasn't like that when I was growing up...or maybe it was, but I was just too young to see it. I remember just wanting to leave...all I wanted to do was go to California. It was ALL I thought about...bigger and better..and FASTER. And here I am sitting in Las Vegas...

I don't know if I miss the Northwest or I just miss my family. My grandmother is there...my dad is there...my sister...my aunts and uncles...most of my cousins....I really miss all of them. I was lucky enough to spend a day with my dad at the beach while we were there. He had a really tough year, and it was very hard being in Vegas while he was in a hospital bed. But, he pulled through...and I was SO happy to be with him even if it was just for a couple of hours.

The beach is where I feel most at home in Oregon. The girls?? Not so much. Abbi isn't a fan of the sand, so she spent a lot of time on the dock. BUT Lucy did have a blast making the sand castle that she has been talking about making for about a year...complete with feathers found on the sand (which I don't have a picture of simply because the ocean got to it first).

We spent three entire days in Oregon. It was relaxing. It was inspiring. It made me want to BAKE....so, I think I'm ready to go back to work...and maybe bake a few new things to feed to Las Vegas. I plan to test bake some new stuff over the next month to see if I can add to our menu for FALL and WINTER because THAT is prime EATING SEASON!!

I get back in my kitchen this afternoon...I'm actually excited to be back to work....which is pretty stupid considering I have been BITCHING about working for the past six months. But honestly? I'm at my BEST in the kitchen....

So...VACATION IS OVAH. I am rested. I am relaxed. I am READY to undo those two things.

Laytah

Sisters are Doin' it for THEMSELVES!

noreply@blogger.com (KARI GARCIA) — Sun, 27 Jul 2014 14:18:00 +0000

Ello Baykahs-
Here we are in another Sunday. Believe it or not THIS week was faster than ALL OF THEM. It was one of those weeks where it was Monday...then I was waking up on Saturday morning SURE it must be Sunday....which leads to the inevitable PANIC of "NO, KARI. IT IS SATURDAY, AND YOU NEED TO GET UP AND WORK YOUR A$$ OFF."

The bright side to all of this CRAZY BUSYNESS?? Summer break is almost over, and the kids get their LIVES back! Yeah...let's talk about my kids. The number ONE asked question of the month of May is "What are you doing with the kids all summer in the bakery?"

THEY'LL BE IN THE BAKERY.

That's the answer when you run your own business. LUCKILY, Abbi is 15 (ALMOST 16), and can stay home with Lucy for most of the mornings...AND there is $1 movie day on Wednesdays that they've been enjoying...but they have been "trapped" at the bakery like most every summer. But...this summer has been slightly different. Our daughters have started their own businesses!!

Out of pure boredom and watching COUNTLESS YouTube tutorials STICKY FINGERS duct tape wallets and FUNGIRL ACCESSORIES (no website for Lucy's biz...a little too young for that) were born.

Abbi has created a pretty successful duct tape wallet business (sold exclusively at RETRO BAKERY) that has ignited the entrepreneurial spirit naturally in her BLOOD. She has inspired Lucy to create a loom key chain and accessories business...because the little sister MUST be exactly like the big sister...especially the Haskell sisters. They are two peas in a pod. They are the best of friends. They are ying and yang.

How did I get so lucky??? Even I don't know...they just love each other...barely fight...and spend EVERY MINUTE TOGETHER. My girls are so close that we spent all this money getting a new house, so they could have bigger bedrooms, and guess what happened? They share a bedroom....because they WANT to.

KEEP IN MIND THEY ARE ALMOST SEVEN YEARS APART!

I know exactly how lucky I am...and I hope it keeps up...so far so good...so adorable.

Speaking of adorable: HERE ARE THE CAKES/CUPCAKES O' THE WEEK!

Bow tie and Blocks cake:

with cute matching cupcakes:

The Lorax-inspired birthday cake:

Crazy for Daisies birthday cake:

Ready to Pop buttercream baby shower cake:

Edible golf balls cupcakes:

and the BIG DADDY OF THE WEEK! The dragon birthday cake!!!!!

The summer is almost over...so, I'm gonna enjoy every second I can with my girls. Even though the bakery still rules our lives, it kinda makes the time we have together THAT much more important...and necessary.

Laytah

Lovin' ...is What I GOT

noreply@blogger.com (KARI GARCIA) — Sun, 20 Jul 2014 15:55:00 +0000

Ello Baykahs!
We started off the week thinking we would be very very slow.

Maybe we can go to the movies! Maybe we can go out to lunch! Maybe we can take some half days off!

And then the phone started ringing...and ringing...and ringing....

So, we ended UP having an EXTREMELY busy week...so busy I BARELY go pictures of cakes.

SO busy I slept until 7 am today (UNHEARD OF)...
So busy I can barely type of these keys...so I won't.

ENJOY THE CAKES O' THE WEEK!

Hawaiian-inspired birthday cake (with edible image song lyrics on top):

Lego Block birthday cake:

British flag birthday cake:

Black with blue swirls wedding cake (topper provided by customer):

Minecraft-inspired birthday cake (toy provided by customer):

And THE MOST INCREDIBLE BIG DADDY CAKE OF THE WEEK EVER...The TURTLE CAKE:

I'm gonna just take my time this Sunday...because it's all I got.

Laytah

Say Something I'm Giving Up on You....

noreply@blogger.com (KARI GARCIA) — Sun, 13 Jul 2014 16:37:00 +0000

Ello Baykahs-
This week seemed to be a repeat of last week...minus the holiday. Summer business plummets when it gets hot, and lately, it's been VERY VERY hot in Vegas...and stormy. But those monsoon storms bring RAIN...and that rain? It brought in customers!
You would think people would want to stay inside when it rains...but in VEGAS it never rains...so, when it does people leave and ENJOY IT! They come to Retro and get cupcakes...and My Pies...and breath in the humidity.

OMG.
Did I just do another post about the WEATHER?

Yes...

Oh.
I'm losing my touch. I know...I'm not really feelin' the blog lately. I feel like I'm letting you down, but frankly, NOTHING HAS CHANGED. I do the same damn thing every damn day. I don't even know what to say anymore...and THAT is the truth. So...maybe I'll get a BURST of energy and inspiration soon...or maybe not. Either way I will STILL do my best to keep you updated on CAKES.

So here they are...The Cakes O' the WEEK!

Our new "sample" cake at the bakery...I designed this. I LOVE how simple it is.

Spiral Rustic buttercream cake with real roses and little fondant love birds:

Baby Boy Owl cake:

Handpainted fondant unicorn cake with watercolor background:

Rainbow dots baby shower cake:

Pinwheel birthday cake:

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 4th birthday cake for a kid we have none since he was STILL IN THE BELLY:

And the BIG DADDY OF THE WEEK! The Suitcase and Chocolate Box birthday cake:

Well...it's hot again here in Las Vegas...
NO. NO MORE WEATHER.

Next week I should have something to say...RIGHT?
Who knows....

Laytah

I Wonder How's it Gonna Be...When You Don't Know Me

noreply@blogger.com (KARI GARCIA) — Sun, 06 Jul 2014 15:12:00 +0000

Ello Baykahs-
We made it through another holiday! July 4th is probably our 5th busiest holiday...not too busy...not too slow...but FULL of people buying dozens of cupcakes for their BBQs. THIS year it was ONLY 112 degrees outside....AND the monsoon rolled in....AND IT RAINED. In fact, we had a lightening storm as the backdrop to our fireworks show, so it was pretty incredible.
I love this time of year. Yes, it's hot as hell, but when that rain rolls in and drenches you for about five minutes, suddenly it doesn't seem so bad. It all dries up and blows away....leaving everything clean and dust-free...until the next wind storm.
Now, there aren't as many weddings this time of year BECAUSE of the heat...but, we still had some cool cakes....

HERE ARE THE CAKES O' THE WEEK:

LOVE this beach birthday cake (customer provided the topper):

Light grey and pink wedding cake (buttercream with fondant pieces):

Little tea pot birthday cake:

Quilted fondant clothesline baby shower cake:

Legos-inspired birthday cake:

and the CUTEST cake of the week: The B birthday cake! This cakes just SCREAMS Summer birthday:

I'm pretty sure I just did a blog post about the weather....THIS IS GETTING PATHETIC, right?? The thing is we just don't have much change going on at the bakery: we bake, we make, we bake, we make. THAT IS IT. BUT, I may have some things to talk about very very very soon....just in time for when Retro starts to get busy again. I may have a little more ROOM to fill up with cakes.....but, I don't really KNOW anything yet. I need a little more time...and a few more meetings before I can make any kind of announcement. Of course, it could just be more of nothing...'CAUSE that is usually what happens.

Are my hopes up? No....BUT, if we're gonna do something, it better be now because a bored baykah makes for a very boring blog.

LAYTAH

Our Song on the Radio, but it Don't Sound the Same....

noreply@blogger.com (KARI GARCIA) — Tue, 24 Jun 2014 13:46:00 +0000

Ello Baykahs-
Better WAY late than never...right? Summer has arrived at Retro...and with THAT comes the added FUN of taking care of these two all day....

So...we decided to take them on a day-trip to Disneyland to celebrate Lucy's upcoming birthday.

It's always a little MORE stressful balancing the kids' boredom with our BUSYness. They wanna go places and have fun, and WE have to work. I'm pretty sure that's EVERY parent's problem these days. The guilt is so tremendous, BUT I don't really remember being ENTERTAINED by my parents during the summer. I figured out what to do, and they will too. Besides, we didn't have THE INTERNET to teach us how to make duct-tape wallets, hair buns, or nail art, so Abbi is already way ahead of me of finding things to do when I was her same age.

While we've been trying to entertain the kids we've ALSO been crankin' out some serious cakes. So, here they are...the CAKES O' the PAST WEEKS:

Graduation cakes:

Spiral rustic and rosettes buttercream cake:

Rustic with burlap wedding cake:

LVMPD badge cake:

Waffles birthday cake:

Cheese birthday cake:

All white "Married in Fabulous LasVegas" cake:

Quilted white fondant with bling borders wedding cake:

and THE ULTIMATE RETRO BIG DADDY OF THE LAST TWO WEEKS CAKE:
The Soul Train-inspired birthday cake!!!! That train is CRAZY AWESOME.

School starts WHEN again?

Laytah

I'm Lookin' for a New Love, Baby...a New Love YEAH, YEAH, YEAH

noreply@blogger.com (KARI GARCIA) — Sun, 08 Jun 2014 12:15:00 +0000

Ello Baykahs-
We are in the throngs of GRADUATION at Retro. Not only are all the Las Vegas high school Seniors graduating, but RETRO'S Counter Girls have graduated....which means we have a NEW CLASS of Counter Girls comin' in....WHICH MEANS WE ARE EVEN BUSIER.

Why are you busier if you have new Counter Girls?

When you have two Senior girls LEAVE...you need at least FOUR to cover their shifts in the beginning. They have to train. They have to LEARN...THEY NEED VACATIONS. Yes....when you hire girls who are still living with their parents YOU have to make sure THEY get their vacations.

Full Disclosure: YES. I see the irony.

This is one of the hardest parts of the job IF NOT THE HARDEST: Employees. You need them. You need to TRUST them. You RELY on them to be YOU when you walk out of the building.

BUT THEY AREN'T YOU.

They make mistakes. They call in sick. They have family needs they need to take care of. So, when those things POP UP they need to be handled by YOU.

Sickness is rare. Family emergencies are RARER. But mistakes?? They are becoming a little TOO common. So, my job lately has been MISTAKE PATROL. I have to go over the orders OVER AND OVER making sure they're on the right date...have the right times...SPELLED RIGHT...CHARGED RIGHT...COMPLETED RIGHT.....BEFORE they are due, so when they ARE due they are RIGHT.

This has become a little overwhelming....BUT THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU HIRE NEW COUNTER GIRLS.

So....you do your job...and their job...and eat a LOT of pizza...and hope that WITH TIME they will get it. BECAUSE THEY ALWAYS DO GET IT...eventually....

NOW TO THE CAKES O' THE WEEK!!!

Fresh White Roses wedding cake (all buttercream):

Ladybug Smash cake:

Football Fan cake (all fondant):

Owl on a branch (all fondant):

"Dirty 30 in Fabulous Las Vegas" birthday cake:

And the SWEET Baby Turtle Baby Shower cake:

It's time to welcome a NEW class of Counter Girls to Retro Bakery...while we say goodbye and THANK YOU to the last ones. It's always a hard transition...but it brings NEW ENERGY and NEW LOVE for cupcakes.

Laytah

Want You to Make Me Feel Like I'm the Only Girl in the World...

noreply@blogger.com (KARI GARCIA) — Sun, 01 Jun 2014 14:27:00 +0000

Ello Baykahs-
I'm finally BACK....I made the mistake of breaking my routine which LITERALLY sends me into a tailspin...and then I realize how much of a problem THAT is...and then I start to get angry and resentful...and then I self destruct.

OH, HOW GREAT IT FEELS TO BE ME.

When you work six days a week, TOO MANY HOURS A DAY, you start to construct your life in a way that it all makes sense. Wake up, work, kids to school, work, pick up kids, work, homework, work, dinner, BED. WAKE UP AND REPEAT. You throw a Sunday in there where you do laundry, buy groceries, clean your house...and the cycle continues. Then you decide to throw in a trip to Knott's Berry Farm or a Memorial Day BBQ with people actually coming to your house, and you realize something: YOU HAVE NO PERSONAL LIFE.

The bakery has consumed me without me REALLY knowing it. I turned into a cupcake robot FULLY WILLINGLY because I had to. I ADJUSTED to my environment in order to stay sane...and then I get a taste of what life USED TO BE LIKE BEFORE THE BAKERY, and I think....OH....Yeah...I used to have FUN.

Don't get me wrong...the bakery is great. Owning your own business is very FREEING....as long as you don't get lost in the every day. And that's where I found myself: LOST in the every day.

Most days lately I haven't even known what day it is....and now it's JUNE.

SO, I have decided to make my life my own again....sprinkling FUN on top of my BUSINESS LIFE. I need to go out more. I need to eat more desserts to get inspired. I need to LIVE...even if it's for 30 minutes on a Tuesday...THOSE WILL BE MY 30 MINUTES.

I'm going to find the girl who decided to OPEN a bakery. The girl who LOVED to bake at home and wanted to share that talent with the world....the girl FILLED with passion and desire and DRIVE.

THAT GIRL WAS FUN.

That girl is waiting for me to find her.

While I go find her YOU check out the cakes that the crew worked on for the last three weeks:

Black and White Stripes wedding cupcake tower:

Spiral rustic buttercream wedding cake (with fondant flower):

Purple and black leopard print bow birthday cake:

Bride and Groom "Favorite Things" Groom's cake (college colors):

Little Prince baby shower cake:

Grey and White fondant wedding cake:

Large fondant ruffles wedding cake:

Black and White flowers wedding cake (buttercream base):

Purple Ombre small fondant ruffles cake:

Purple ombre wedding cupcake tower:

All fondant Roses petals wedding cake:

Black and Red King and Queen of Hearts wedding cupcake tower:

"Jake and the Neverland Pirates" inspired birthday cake (fondant sword!):

"Game of Thrones" inspired birthday cake:

And the Big Daddy cake of THIS week:

(The "simple" cake that takes forever to look "simple")

Black and White stripes monogram cake with fondant flower:

When you own your own shop at some point the shop will start to OWN YOU. And it stops TODAY. Because if I don't find the girl that CREATED the shop then what is the point??? That girl is missed. That girl needs to be found....like yesterday.

Laytah

I'll be There for YOU... 'Cause You're There for Me TOO.....

noreply@blogger.com (KARI GARCIA) — Sun, 11 May 2014 17:50:00 +0000

Ello My Sweet Bakyahs-
Happiest of the Happy Mother's Days to YOU!
I'm spending mine with my kids I've had...and the kid I've decided to call my own.

I actually get VERY CONFLICTED about this "holiday." The big MONKEY I carry on my back gets heavier on this day...because I WAS a stay-at-home mom...and now I'm not. I really STRUGGLE with that change on a daily basis. I am reminded (especially on this day) that I was pretty damn lucky back then....having ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD to focus on my kids. And now?? I'm rushing around making sure I can catch the last five minutes of whatever I need to pick them up from.

It's the inner struggle for every working mom, I suppose. "Am I doing enough?" "Do they hate me for working?" "Should I be doing MORE?"

The answer I have found is: WHO KNOWS??? We could always be doing SOMETHING better....eating, relaxing, PARENTING...but then something ELSE will get F'd up anyway. NO ONE ON THIS EARTH IS PERFECT. But, if you give your BEST every day you can at LEAST say that you GAVE IT YOUR ALL.

I can at LEAST say that my girls know I love them. They know what I expect of them. They know that I will always listen to them. They KNOW I am THERE for THEM.

Happy Mother's Day to all of you...and to my OWN mother who was a working mother herself. She was there for me THEN, and she's ALWAYS there for me now. Love you, Sudie!!!!

Laytah

Watch My Eyes are Filled With Fear...

noreply@blogger.com (KARI GARCIA) — Sun, 04 May 2014 13:00:00 +0000

Ello Baykahs-
Another blurry week...Another week I question WHY we work so hard....Another week when I am reminded WHY we work so hard....

BECAUSE IT IS OUR CHOICE.

So many days it feels like the bakery CONSUMES me. I have a stack of orders to finish, cupcakes to make for the case, cookies to bake, phone calls to answer, people trying to talk to me to try to sell me stuff...My time is NEVER my own.

But then I get the ONE REMINDER of why I choose THIS life...because it is MINE...ALL MINE.

My friend is opening a shop....not a bakery, but a shop of his own: His OWN business. And I look at his journey JUST beginning, and it reminds me of the energy and FEAR and FREEDOM I had when I started my path of opening Retro.

I needed the reminder, because seven years can take a toll on a girl. The hours, the late nights, the missed events...it all adds up to you starting to feel a little resentful that everyone ELSE seems to have a life OUTSIDE of their job. But....this is the life I chose. This is the life that I THRIVE in. I am extremely calm under pressure (DO NOT LAUGH, SNAZZY)....I can work fast and efficiently and effectively. I AM A DAMN GOOD, BAYKAH. And I have a DAMN GOOD BAKERY...with a DAMN GOOD crew.

So, as I watch my friend open his shop I am filled with joy for him. HE gets to call the shots. HE gets to make the decisions....all on HIS own...FOR HIMSELF...FOR HIS FUTURE.
It's an exciting time to be a business owner.....

Speaking of exciting...

Let's take a look at the CAKES O' THE WEEK!

Vegas Roulette Wheel wedding cupcake tower (mini cupcakes on a styrofoam tower):

Baptism cupcakes:

Topsy-turvy CANDY ADDICT birthday cake:

Monster's Inc.-inspired cake:

And the BIG DADDY OF THE WEEK: The PANDA HEAD CAKE!!!

Here is to new beginnings and a reminder of what WE began seven years ago. Here's to forgetting the fear and JUST JUMPING IN...TO YOUR FUTURE.

Laytah

It's Been Seven Weeks...Seven Weeks...OH, OH, OH...Seven Weeks Since I Called You...

noreply@blogger.com (KARI GARCIA) — Sun, 27 Apr 2014 12:42:00 +0000

Ello Baykahs-
These are the days where the weeks feel like HOURS. You start making cupcakes on Monday, and suddenly you look up and it's Saturday night...OF THE NEXT WEEK. People are getting married. People are having babies. People are CELEBRATING...and THEY NEED CAKE.

Good thing I have a bakery...

Because it IS a good thing I have a bakery. Days like these I get so bogged down by everything I HAVE to do that I FORGET that I actually love my job. I just get so busy frosting and frosting and frosting that the fact that I'm working for MYSELF in MY BAKERY just becomes secondary. Because even though I'm "The Boss" it really doesn't feel that way on your 12th hour standing in one place.

Full Disclosure: I never really feel like the boss...and probably never will.

Yes, I work a lot. But, I'm so used to it that working eight hours feels like I'm doing too little...and then I start to feel GUILTY for being at home....and sitting down...or even BLOGGING. It's so weird how warped your brain can become when it is SO USED to doing one thing over and over and over and over....

Guess I better break that pattern and work a little less...SURE...maybe in JULY....after everyone gets married...and has babies...and celebrates. Nope. THAT WILL NEVER STOP. Better make that August...when we close for a week!

Let's stop all this day dreaming nonsense and get to the CAKES O' THE WEEK(S) (since I missed last week because a big bunny dropped 10 lbs. of candy at my house):

Three-tiers on different cake stands of my FAVORITE "Retro Starburst" buttercream design:

And look at the difference when you add fresh flowers to a fondant cake with real ribbon and bling:

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Three-tier Rustic buttercream and burlap wedding cake:

And our current most-requested design...The Half and Half cake:

BOOM! It's Your Birthday cake:

"Skylander"-inspired birthday cake (with fondant "rocks"):

The round on square "Married in Fabulous Las Vegas" wedding cake (all buttercream with fondant accents):

The Las Vegas birthday cake:

And the BIG DADDY OF THE WEEK...
Elvis is IN the Building birthday cake:

Were there more cakes this week? YES. Has Brian uploaded them to flickr.com for me to take to the blog? NO. So....if you happen to come back in a few hours or a few DAYS and there are more pics here....don't be surprised. I just don't have time to even take pictures anymore....because I BLINKED, and it was Sunday, and everyone had picked up their cakes! Luckily, Brian had a chance to take a pic of a few...

These are the hazy days...which turn to WEEKS...of being a BAYKAH.

Laytah

Be Still My Heart Cuz it's Freakin' Out...

noreply@blogger.com (KARI GARCIA) — Sun, 13 Apr 2014 13:35:00 +0000

Ello Baykahs-
It happened AGAIN this week....I met one of YOU!!!!!!!!!
You know...I started this blog seven years (7 YEARS?!?!!?!?) ago in order to get my thoughts together about building our bakery...then I realized something: PEOPLE ARE READING THIS SHI*T.

I really don't write for people to read. I write to get all the STRESS of running a bakery OUT of me...apparently, for your enjoyment. SO, when one of you walks through the door and says, "I've been reading your blog forever, and I just HAD to meet you" I kinda freak out.

But this time I knew you were coming...BUT YOU DIDN'T.

About a week ago I got an email from "Paul from the UK." He told me that his girlfriend who lives in SF has been reading my blog and wants to open her own bakery. AND the two of them are meeting for a vacation in Vegas...and can he arrange some time for her to meet and talk to ME...as a surprise for HER.

HOW RAD IS THAT??!?!?!?!

1) I never say no to a Brit
2) I never say no to romance...
3) I never say no to anyone....really.

SO OF COURSE I SAID, "YES!"

In they walked...and she was SHOCKED! "He told me we were going to see some old Elvis thing...and then we kept driving, and HERE WE ARE AT THE BLOG PLACE!"

HI GINA!!

We chatted about the blog...about baking...about then and now and the future. IT WAS GREAT. It was so nice to see someone at the very beginning of her decision to change her life...sometimes I forget what it was like. And when your old self walks in to chat IT IS AMAZING because it is easy to forget where you started....that you were once a woman who wanted a change....and baking in your kitchen dreaming of a future....

Gina, you reminded me where the dream was. And I am thankful for that. I so hope you get your dream....wherever you decide to MAKE IT COME TRUE!!

Speaking of DREAMS...take a look at these DREAMY CAKES O' THE WEEK!

Gold glitter sugar-topped cake:

"Married in Fabulous Las Vegas" cupcake tower:

"Married in Fabulous Las Vegas" two-tier "BLING and BLOOMS" cake:

Fondant Gold wedding cake (topper by customer):

and the BIGGEST DADDY OF THEM ALL....

The "Pink and Yellow Fondant Roses" wedding cake:

BRIAN MADE EVERY FLOWER ON THIS CAKE...amazing.

When dreams FINALLY become reality it becomes a little fuzzy of why they were your dreams to begin with...especially when you're seven years in and exhausted. But, when a ball of energy like GINA comes in and reminds you how lucky you are to be a baykah, it all comes back to you.

To Gina and Paul: GOOD LUCK TO YOU!! You're welcome to visit any time!!! And best of luck on your new adventure in BAKING!!!

Laytah

Clap Along if You Feel Like Happiness is the Truth

noreply@blogger.com (KARI GARCIA) — Sun, 06 Apr 2014 12:51:00 +0000

Ello Baykahs-
These past two weeks have literally felt like two days....It's BUSY SEASON! I feel like I say that all the time...but it really IS Busy Season now! Between weddings, baby showers, and bridal showers SPRING is our busiest time of year for cakes...and the time when we say, "No," "Sorry, we can't," or "I wish we could, but unfortunately..."

The same old dilemma is rearing its ugly head: WE ARE TOO SMALL FOR OUR OWN GOOD.

The truth is we're still just two cake people and one cupcake person in a 600 sq. ft. kitchen and NO WALK-IN COOLER. We're still just ONE OVEN. We're still just a MOM AND POP.....

But these are the days that hurt.... a lot...because I get it...people get mad when I can't fit them in. They want their cake they got last year or the cake they asked about six months ago. I WOULD BE MAD TOO IF I WAS TOLD NO!! But it still stings...it still makes me feel terrible that I can't say, "Yes" to everyone.

But that's the deal...it is the REALITY that I am in. So, I try to tell people to LITERALLY call me the moment they THINK they might want a cake...just to make sure I can fit them in. I do my BEST, and that is all I can do.

I try to focus on that: MY BEST. I give my ALL. I give EVERYTHING I can to make sure that we CAN fit in your cake...or cupcakes....or cookies. Because at the end of the day I really DO want you happy and eating our buttercream.

SPEAKING OF BUTTERCREAM...Take a look at the CAKES 'O The WEEKS:

Harley Davidson-inspired cake:

Mustache Baby Shower Cake:

Police-inspired birthday cake (complete with fondant handcuffs):

White fondant with real ribbon and real flowers wedding cake:

Teal to Purple Ombre rosette wedding cake:

Rosette cupcake tower:

"Lace and Fabric" cake:

The Ultimate "Married in Las Vegas" cake:

Buttercream and fondant florals wedding cake:

Rustic buttercream with fondant peonies wedding cake:

And the BIG DADDY of the last two weeks: The CHEVRON WEDDING CAKE!

Quite honestly, this chevron cake is Brian's best work. It was so clean and the flowers looked so real. It was a proud Baykah moment when we delivered this one.

See...we DO make people happy! Sometimes I have to remind myself of our GOOD work, since I seem to only remember all the NOs I have to say. But, then we deliver a cake like THAT, and all the NOs melt into OOOOOOHHHS.

Laytah

Your Love got Me Lookin' so Crazy Right Now...

noreply@blogger.com (KARI GARCIA) — Sun, 23 Mar 2014 14:10:00 +0000

Ello Baykahs-
I don't even know where to start. This has been the most INSANE week of my life. I literally felt my soul....

As you may have guessed I've been a little overwhelmed lately. Family emergencies I can't attend...major bakeries opening up in Vegas that shouldn't really hurt me but hurt me deep....working too much...eating too....drinking too much....
IT HAS ALL BEEN TOO MUCH.

and then I got a phone call.

"Hi, Kari. Would you be open to having your U.S. Representative be an 'Undercover Congressman' at your shop? He wants to work your job for a while and get a chance to see how you work and meet more people in his district."

HUH?????

"We will be there Thursday."

OK.....
And in walked Rep. Steven Horsford....who then proceeded to be the BEST COUNTER BOY EVER! I'm telling you...HE WAS FABULOUS. No wonder he's in politics!

Steven (can I call him Steven?? I don't know!) was gracious to all my crew and customers. He was hard-working, and he actually WANTED to do a good job. My Counter Girl, Heather, showed him the ropes, and he really took his time and wanted to do everything right!

He stocked the case. He loaded up boxes. He greeted customers. HE REALLY WORKED!!!!!...for an entire hour and a half (way longer than I thought, to be honest).

His entourage watched and laughed...and even bought cupcakes from him!

It was TRULY an incredible day...and before he was done he asked me to come out from the kitchen to the front and presented me with THIS:

I mean SERIOUSLY?!?!?!?!? A SPECIAL Congressional RECOGNITION??

I was actually SHOCKED....look at me. WHAT AN IDIOT....THIS is the face of a woman who just got a SPECIAL CONGRESSIONAL RECOGNITION?!?!?!

I had no words. I still don't. I still feel like it didn't happen...

The best part of this day?? Five minutes before this picture was taken I had received the phone call from Oregon that I was truly praying for for the last two weeks. My dad is ok. He called to talk to me...and I was crying harder than I have ever cried in my entire life in my office....while a U.S. Congressman was serving MY cupcakes.

Yes. This is my life. This is my insanity. THIS IS WHY I CAN CALL MYSELF THE CRAZY BAYKAH.

It has been a week without description....
My soul was eased. It was finally at peace...even if it was just for a five minute phone call with the one man I call "POP." I am so thankful he is alive....and the fact that I got to make him proud was just icing on the cake....LITERALLY.

I love you, Pop.

Laytah

Little Things I Should Have Said and Done...

noreply@blogger.com (KARI GARCIA) — Sun, 09 Mar 2014 12:50:00 +0000

Ello Baykahs.
This has been one of the hardest weeks of my entire life. We were busy as busy gets...and on top of that there was a family emergency in Oregon that I couldn't even THINK about leaving for because if I did that the entire bakery would collapse...and nine people would not get a paycheck...

Six years and only one time have we had to close for a family emergency...our sweet Grandpa George's funeral. But that was when we could barely have one part-time employee let alone THREE FULL TIME. And the sad reality is dropping everything and running to whatever crisis is happening is just seriously out of the question...at least right now.

BUT, I think I already found my solution. WE HIRED AN EXTERN. We finally found a girl who said the magic words, "I would love to work for a family business." AND she is full of energy. AND she has purple hair...so she fits right in. SO FAR SO GOOD...but she's only been around for about five hours.

I'm choosing to think positive. I am choosing to think that this girl has the potential to REALLY become the person that can give me the FREEDOM to make Retro what it needs to be...and that is not with me in the kitchen for 12 hours.

I know I should have done this a long time ago, BUT I am doing it NOW. Another emergency will happen...I've just been DAMN lucky nothing has happened so far....so, I need to prepare. WE need to have our "cupcakes" in a row. And that is exactly what I will be focusing on for the next couple of weeks...

Now, like I said, I was a LOT distracted this week, so I only got two cake pics, but THEY WERE GOOD ONES!

Here are the Cakes O' the WEEK!

Married in Las Vegas ruffles cake:

And the BIG DADDY of the week:
The blue and grey chevron and flower cake (believe it or not this is for a baby shower!):

As my heart is still in Oregon, my mind is totally focused on RETRO and making it as self-sufficient as it can be....just in case.

Laytah

You're a Hard Habit to Break...

noreply@blogger.com (KARI GARCIA) — Sun, 02 Mar 2014 13:55:00 +0000

Ello Baykahs-
Long time....no write...
I had to give myself some time. I just HAD TO. I really didn't recover from the Valentine CRAZY until yesterday. It was a level of busy I had never seen...and since it was on a Friday, meaning I had do it ALL OVER the next day...then one day off...then another week and another week of CRAZY BUSY. It just piled up...and I JUST crawled out from under it.

Busy is good. Busy is money. Busy is happy customers. Busy is amazing cakes and delicious cupcakes. Busy is GREAT. BUT, busy also means less time with my kids....less time for me....So one of the things I have been privately (and kind of publicly) working on is giving ME time and being OK with that.

I don't know when it happened, but at some point I just starting working and NEVER taking a break. I got up at 3:30 am, got ready, and went to work...and I never stopped. From making cupcakes, to answer emails, to having impromptu meetings with one person after another "that just decided to drop this idea on you today"... to blogging at 4am on my only day off. I NEVER STOPPED WORKING.

And then I saw myself in the mirror.

I looked like shit....it REALLY took a toll on my body and my soul. I didn't look like ME. I was miserable.

So, I just stopped. I started pulling back from the things that I could pull back from. I became OK with not answering emails within 10 minutes of receiving them. I put off blogging. I put off the little shit -that when done constantly- was eating up every minute of every day of MY life.

Don't get me wrong. I'm still making cupcakes, baking cookies, and deciding what the hell new flavor we'll come up with next. But Brian and I decided that after I pick up Lucy from school I drive her home to do homework with him and Abbi. I then go back to work for a couple more hours, and then I go home FOR GOOD at 5 pm.

5 pm?? That's still a 12-hour day!

Yes. I know. But, when you're used to working 14-21 hour days (yes, a 21-hour day HAS happened) over and over and over again, a 12-hour day sounds like HEAVEN...and it IS heaven.

I'm not going to lie. It doesn't work every day. BUT, it is a habit that I WANT to make permanent. So far, so good...at some point I may start to recognize that girl I see in the mirror again.

NOW...we WERE busy, so forgive me for the lack of cake pics, but let's take a look at what I DID manage to take picture of. HERE ARE THE Cakes O' the Week!

Buttercream Lines with fresh flowers wedding cake:

Baby Carriage and Pacifier baby shower cake (to top a cupcake tower):

Turtle-topped baby shower cake:

Ropin' Cowboy birthday cake:

Curious George on his ball birthday cake (customer brought in toy):

Giant cupcake birthday cake (yes, Liisa is the correct spelling!):

Fondant ruffles and flower wedding cake:

And the Big Daddy is a Little Daddy...We're making show cakes for the bakery, and THIS is the one I designed. I just love a textured cake...

When you own your own business, and your entire life is based on the success of it, YOU WILL WORK....a lot. But you also need to recognize that if YOU are no longer there...and it's just the shell of a person runnin' the place...you MAY need to pull it back a bit and give YOURSELF some time.

Here's to new habits!

Laytah

But I'm Dancing on the Valentine...

noreply@blogger.com (KARI GARCIA) — Sun, 16 Feb 2014 14:00:00 +0000

Ello Baykahs-
We just finished the BUSIEST WEEK OF THE YEAR. In fact, 2.10.14 - 2.15-14 was Retro Bakery's busiest week in HISTORY.

When I opened six years ago on February 10, 2008, the thought of making it THIS far wasn't even in my radar. I was just NEEDING to get open...we were bleeding money. Between the contractors, the equipment costs, and the landlord we were NEEDING income to make it WORK, so the sooner we opened the BETTER. However, I did NOT anticipate the fact that VALENTINE'S DAY was only four days away...and I was NOT prepared for that six years ago, and frankly, I was barely prepared for it THIS week.

No matter how much you prepare mentally and physically for the "Busiest Week of the Year" you just CAN'T prepare for the "Busiest Week EVER." It was great. It was terrible. It was EXHAUSTING.

FULL DISCLOSURE: I am exhausted and can barely form sentences. This is NOT the time for blogging. I had ZERO time to take pictures of the cakes anyway...

It was our best week ever, but it definitely took its toll out on me...I am VERY thankful for the LOVE, but I need to take EVERY MINUTE of this Sunday for myself to recover...because it starts all over again on Monday.

Laytah

I'm Not a Perfect Person. There's Many Things I Wish I Didn't Do...

noreply@blogger.com (KARI GARCIA) — Sun, 09 Feb 2014 13:35:00 +0000

Ello Baykahs!
I'm sitting here on the morning of the eve of Retro Bakery's 6th birthday....

SIX YEARS....

I have been doing this for SIX YEARS. The funny thing is I still feel like a rookie. I still make dumbsh*t mistakes. I still irritate customers when I just can't do something that they have envisioned. I still can't seem to make Retro EXACTLY what I want...and frankly, I don't even know what that IS. I just know that it is something OTHER than what we're doing now....

AND THERE IS THE FUTURE.

I have a vision for Retro, but it is pretty blurry. Some days I get little blasts of what we COULD be doing...WHERE we could be doing it...HOW we could be building the bakery more...

BUT IT IS A CONSTANT BATTLE BETWEEN FAMILY AND BUSINESS.

I always tell people that if Brian and I didn't have kids we would have the biggest bakery in Las Vegas....but, we do. WE DO HAVE KIDS, and THEY COME FIRST. And that is my inner battle. I am an EXTREMELY competitive person. If I do something I want to be the BEST...but, I can't give 100% to Retro. As much as I want to build my "baby" to where I think it should be in the NEXT six years, I ALWAYS have to think about my ACTUAL babies...raising THEM to where they should be for THEIR futures.

My REAL BABIES come before my BAKERY "BABY."

I am always struggling with not spending enough time with the girls...but, recently Brian and I have done our VERY best to make sure THEY KNOW they come first. He's been taking them home at 4 to start homework, and then we switch and I get to go home for the day at 5. It's taken six years, but we've finally figured out how to work ONLY 12 hours a day (on weekdays).

The sad reality is that I always feel like I'm letting people down...I can't give Retro 100%. I can't give my kids 100%. I CERTAINLY can't give Brian 100%. So everyone gets 33.3%. And for ME, that just isn't good enough.....but, it has to be. I am the one that has to start being OK with what IT is. Some day I will have OODLES of time for myself to build WHATEVER I want to build. NOW? I have to realize that these are the ONLY children I will ever have. These girls are MINE right now...but they won't be mine forever. They WILL grow up. They WILL leave. They WILL remember all the crap I didn't do with them....So, you're damn right I'm going to make an effort to make sure they have more GOOD memories than bad.

Honestly, I am so lucky to even have these struggles. So many bakeries have opened and closed in these six years, that Retro still being open and thriving is something I am very very very thankful for. I am so grateful to have a business AND a family...and the good AND the bad.

I know LIFE will never be perfect. I know that I will fall 900 more times...but I will also have 900 more chances to pick myself up and try again (those 900s were for you, SNAZZ). I hope the next six years and BEYOND for Retro will bring some tasty new products...and more importantly, NEW and stronger friendships.

It is truly the connection with others that make our business successful. I truly care about my customers and how they feel...and I literally think about how to make them EXCITED about what Retro has NEXT for them. THAT is what keeps it fresh. THAT is what keeps me going back in six days a week...now only 12 hours a day (HA!).

NOW...let's get to the COOLEST part of Retro...THE CAKES!!
Here are the CAKES O' the WEEK!

"Super" birthday cake:

Wrestling ring birthday cake (the ropes are spaghetti!!!):

"Frozen"-inspired birthday cake:

Snow White-inspired birthday cake:

Shades of pink polkda dots birthday cake:

Choo Choo Train birthday cake:

and the BIG DADDY of the Week: The TEA CUPS CAKE!! Any Alice in Wonderland fan would LOVE this cake!!!

Speaking of cakes...our 6th birthday will have a SIX-TIER cake celebrating "Six Years in Sin City"!!

Happy Birthday to my youngest baby. You make Mommy so proud.

Laytah

Hit Me With Your Best Shot...FIRE AWAY

noreply@blogger.com (KARI GARCIA) — Sun, 02 Feb 2014 13:51:00 +0000

Ello Baykahs-
Here it is: SUPER BOWL SUNDAY. It is LITERALLY my favorite day of the year...the day that's ok to eat NOTHING but junk food ALL DAY and not feel one LICK of guilt! My favorite snack food??? Lay's Potato Chips...plain. I know, I know...very plain for a crazy flavor person like me...but sometimes it's just the true flavor of the potato and SALT that gets me. What else gets me??? BROWNIES....

We've been making brownie cupcakes every Friday for over five years, but this year I decided to do something DIFFERENT. February is our busiest month of the year, so of COURSE I wanted to add to my busYness by adding a NEW PRODUCT FOR VALENTINE'S DAY: Brownie CAKES!

These cakes were actually born from a packaging mistake. I had initially ordering packaging for another new product I had in mind for Christmas...and then the box arrive, and I saw that the bottoms were NOT tall enough. And there I was, NEW PRODUCTLESS ...and stuck with HUNDREDS of shallow pans. And then it hit me: THOSE ARE BROWNIE PANS! So, since Valentine's Day is the PERFECT time to give a sweet, rich, decadent dessert to your LOVE I am now offering them ONLY that day. The tray serves 10...but it's cool to just give it to one person. They can eat off it for DAYS!!!

The brownie CAKE is seriously the BEST idea I've had in a while... The PB topped cake reminds me SO much of the hot lunch dessert I used to have in grade school that I have been trying to recreate for YEARS (yes, it was DELICIOUS). And the Mint reminds me of the Grasshopper cake that my best friend's mom used to make us when were were in middle school. It really is MY personal retro dessert.

I so rarely have good ideas anymore. Some days I feel like all my best ideas are behind me, so when they HIT, I am SO happy. I know it's good when I can't stop thinking about it....and these brownie cakes have been consuming me for a while. I hope you order YOURS if you're in Vegas because they are BY ORDER ONLY!!!

Call the shop...really.

Laytah

So Much for My Happy Ending...

noreply@blogger.com (KARI GARCIA) — Sun, 26 Jan 2014 14:38:00 +0000

Ello Baykahs-
Just a week late, right????? Last week I had a sick Lucy to take care of. I literally left my house for 15 minutes for two days....some vacation, huh? But it actually turned out to be great. I got to cuddle my baby for 48 hours straight...AND I didn't get sick. WIN. WIN. Honestly? I didn't mind the FORCED relaxation. I watched all 12 hours of my DVRd shows...and just enjoyed my kid. But, this weekend I actually want to get some things done....

*FULL DISCLOSURE: I kid you NOT...Lucy just came down stairs and told me she has a sore throat....
so much for THIS weekend's plans

I guess I gotta make this quick...
HERE ARE THE CAKES O' THE WEEK(s):

What's in Going to BEE? Gender Reveal cake (filled with blue or pink):

Blue Giraffe baby shower cake:

"Dirty 30 in Vegas" birthday cake:

Tiny Elephant baby shower cake:

All sprinkles wedding cake:

And the BIG DADDY OF last WEEK:
Cowgirl birthday cake:

Alright...back to nurse duty.

Laytah