Building a Bakery

Hush Now Baby...Baby...Don't You Cry

noreply@blogger.com (KARI HASKELL) — Sun, 12 May 2013 12:03:00 +0000

Ello Baykahs!

Mother's Day is here...our second busiest holiday of the year. Retro has been so busy that I have been going in an HOUR earlier for the last two days...and I realized something. 4:20 a.m. is morning. 3:20 a.m. is NIGHT. There is a huge difference...so, I won't be doing THAT again. It just makes me feel like a ZOMBIE. But, when it's your business it's WHAT YOU DO. Someone has to do it...and it's always YOU.....kinda like being a MOM.

I've been a mom a LOT longer than I've been a boss, but it's literally exactly the same. Babies cry...you love them. Employees cry...you give them some advice, some baked goods...and some love.

You see, no matter how I try to separate the MOM me and the BOSS me, it is impossible. I am a MOM first, so that is what happens...I want to take care of things. I want to HELP. I want to make sure that people are walking down the right paths and help them back on their feet when they're having troubles. It's the MOM in me that just can't let it go. I truly CARE about my employees...current or otherwise. I LOVE them. They are like my little birds...and they know it.

If my Retro family needs anything they ALWAYS have me (and Brian for that matter) to come to...no matter what. We ARE a family at Retro. You work for us, you get a second family. It's part of the deal....even as we've been getting bigger and hiring more people, that fact hasn't changed. It's my favorite part of the business. We genuinely care about each and every one of our employees. They are FAMILY. Even when they haven't worked for us in two years...they can ALWAYS come back and get advice...hugs...or just a cupcake and a good cry.

Being a mother is my calling. Yes. I can bake....BUT, being a mom....that is my IT. I love it. Abbi and Lucy are my only reasons for truly BEING. My Retro kids? They just are MORE to love.

Happy Happy Happy Mother's Day.

NOW...THE CAKES O' The WEEKS (since I was too lazy to post last week):

"Rustic" buttercream style cake with real roses:

Doggie Birthday cake:

"Rolled" fondant roses wedding cake (to top a cupcake tower):

Black and Yellow wedding cake:

LOVE and Initials wedding cake (to top a cupcake tower):

Pirate birthday cake:

Damask wedding cake (with real ribbon and brooch):

S swirl wedding cake with real flowers on top:

Married in Fabulous Las Vegas wedding cake (to top a cupcake tower):

King and Queen of Hearts wedding cupcake tower:

And the BIG DADDY OF THE WEEK! It's the Chevrons and Succulent wedding cake!

I will now celebrate my Mother's Day with MY mother...who without HER none of THIS would be possible.

Laytah

It's So Easy to Fall in Love...It's So Easy to FAALL in Love

noreply@blogger.com (KARI HASKELL) — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 13:05:00 +0000

Ello Baykahs!
Another week in the books...this one was a doozy. This week wasn't really all that elaborate in cakes...as you will see in my lack of pictures, but it was full of cupcake tower weddings! In fact, we had so many deliveries and set ups that Brian was gone the entire day on Saturday racing around town setting them all up.

Yup. BRIAN sets them up. It's not me out there...or someone we hire. It's HIM. He is a master of the cupcake set up. There is something to be said about proper spacing and placement for each cupcake that you just can't do if you've never done it before. That's why we always recommend us setting it up if you have more than three dozen. It just starts to get messy, and frankly, it's a lot of work to make it look like no work at all.

That's the trick to this business...it LOOKS really easy. You bake. You make. You sell. So, EVERYONE thinks they could do it...It's just cupcakes, right???! WRONG. The reason it looks easy is because WE'RE working so hard. You prep and prep and prep: making toppings, making over 24 different flavors of cake and buttercream, baking cookies...all before 8 am (10 am on Saturday). THEN you attack all the "pre-orders" as I call them (orders placed for cupcake pick up that day), making sure they're ready for pick up at their proper times AND the custom orders are ready for deliveries...and THEN while you're doing all that five people have stopped in through out the day to talk over their wedding orders...so, you have to stop and start constantly. It's a ticking clock over your head ALL DAY, especially on Saturdays.

But, YOU just see the fabulous wedding tower that Brian sets up at your wedding...or the cute box of six cupcakes asking your future date to Prom. And that's the way it SHOULD be....It's our CHALLENGE every week to finish EVERYTHING on time...and make sure everything is decorated properly and tasting delicious. THAT'S the CHALLENGE of it all.

It's been a little MORE challenging than usual this week simply because my PHONE battery has decided to not keep a charge, so I literally got only three pictures this week just because of BRIAN. So, let's check out what he's managed to snap pictures of after his set ups:

HERE ARE THE CAKES/CUPCAKES O' THE WEEK!

Mini cupcakes on platters with a 6-inch cutting cake:

Tangerine fondant flowers wedding cupcake tower (with both minis and regular cupcakes and flavor cards):

and the BIG DADDY of the WEEK:

The CIRCUIT BOARD birthday cake!!!!

The best part about this cake is that it says, "Trust me. I'm an engineer." BUT another cool part is that Brian's VERY first job out of high school was designing and making actual circuit boards. In fact, he has a patent on one of his designs....don't ask me what it's for...but, he DOES have it. This cake was a pretty full-circle moment for him...

Every week is another challenge to make it look easy...and taste even better than it looks. It's what gets me up every day...

Laytah

Father of Mine...Tell Me Where Have You Been...

noreply@blogger.com (KARI HASKELL) — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 13:22:00 +0000

Ello Baykahs!
I know it's been a bit...but I have an excuse! My father came to visit last weekend!! Since I never get to see him I put ALL work aside (ok, I mean the extra stuff like bloggin...) and spent every second I could enjoying my father and him seeing my kiddies.

This business is tough when it comes to EXTRAS like vacations...or ANY time off more than one day. It's probably the worst part of running your own business. There are no three-day weekends. There are no "take the rest of the day off" days. There is is just work. I know this is a problem...it just doesn't REAR its head until someone important comes to town, and I just can't get away...."the price of success" I call it...

So, these next couple of weeks we have to focus on this...I can't just be the only one making cupcakes. It's becoming a HUGE issue that keeps coming back especially when family comes to town...or if we have a to have a meeting...or sign papers FOR THE NEW HOUSE WE JUST GOT!!!!!

Yep. The house is ours!! Well, kind of. We sold our current house and got the new house...BUT, since we're crazy busy, and since the current occupants of the new house want to wait until school is out before moving...we DON'T have a new house. We're waiting until Summer vacation to move...so, it's actually perfect. I get two months to pack and get ready to move, and since I have ZERO extra time, I could NOT have asked for anything better.

FULL DISCLOSURE: I am scared outta my mind just thinking about the next months, but I am just going to focus on ONE day at a time...and packing one box at a time....and throwin' out whatever I haven't used in my house in the last 10 years!

As I think about moving...YOU take a look at the last TWO weeks of CAKE!

Here are the Cakes O' the LAST TWO Weeks!

Fondant roses and petals cake:

"Rustic" buttercream wedding cake with ALL hand-made fondant flowers:

Baby Belly cake:

Spring Tulips birthday cake:

Fondant mustaches and lips cupcakes:

Three-tier damask with brooch and ribbon wedding cake:

"We Love Lucy" birthday cake:

"Married in Las Vegas" mini cupcake tower:

Hibiscus wedding cake:

and the BIG DADDY of the WEEK:

Three-tier, square, HAND-PAINTED peacock feathers wedding cake:

The next months will be FULL of all KINDS of work, but if I can get through it...at the end I will have my house I've been waiting for with the VIEW I've been waiting to look at when I'm NOT working....

Laytah

WAIT! I forgot!!! I just happened to be checking Retro's email last Friday morning and there was an email from the WIFE of Art Alexakis of EVERCLEAR!!! She needed a cake THAT NIGHT for his birthday...and, LUCKILY Snazzy had JUST starting baking, and I YELLED, "Get a cake in the oven for tonight!!" So....the timing worked out, and Art got his cake...and they sent me this RAD picture:

The entire bakery was THRILLED we could do this for them!! Gotta love VEGAS!

How Long...How LOOOONG Will I Slide...

noreply@blogger.com (KARI HASKELL) — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 13:42:00 +0000

Ello Baykahs-
This has been a long week...a very very long week. And, yes, most of my weeks are long, this one just reminded me what it can be when you just can't seem to get it RIGHT. You see, in my experience, Retro will have three or four SMOOTH weeks in a row, then there will be the ONE weekend where EVERYTHING goes wrong.

"No. I didn't order Cookies and Cream. I ordered Milk and Cookies."
-- oops. We wrote down the wrong flavor...OR the customer told us incorrectly. This is why I try to always ask, "Oreo or Chocolate chip?"

"My cake was supposed to be light blue. This is dark blue."
-- This one is more common than you would ever imagine. Everyone has different ideas of color...and if you just say, "BLUE or GREEN" it's going to happen too many times. You HAVE to clarify the shade of color....but sometimes you don't remember...

"I really need an extra 48 minis by tomorrow." which is left on my answering machine three hours AFTER we have closed...and when my answering machine specifically says, "Please don't leave a message. Go to RetrobakeryLV.com for more information."
-- We stopped telling people to leave messages because this happened ALL THE TIME. But, people really expect us to completely change their order sizes by the time we have received the message...sometimes only a couple of HOURS before pick-up. This one is IMPOSSIBLE, so I let this one go a long time ago. I usually solve this by just offering cupcakes out of the case. It's the best and only option I have sometimes.

"You were supposed to deliver my order today at 11 am. Where are you? It's 5 pm!!"
-- LUCKILY, it was actually supposed to be delivered the NEXT day...she just got ahead of herself, but BOY did she cause my heart to stop. No big deal, cupcakes delivered on time on the correct day.

"I know I didn't order, but I need 6 dozen out of your case right now."
-- This necessarily isn't a bad thing...except when there are five customers behind him wanting a lot of cupcakes too....and now I have to figure out how to fill my case back up fast enough to get everyone the flavors they need.

Mistakes and STRESS are just a part of the job. They are going to happen. I don't WANT them to happen, but things get written down incorrectly, misunderstood, miscommunicated, and sometimes completely lost (which has only happened TWICE in five years, so that's a pretty good run, I must say). It is how you keep the customers calm and HOPEFULLY happy while you fix those mistakes that make you more and more aware of how NOT to make them...and how to smooth them over when they do happen.

I hope every day we make zero mistakes and have ZERO stress...but, some weeks like this one just HAPPEN. And we go back on Monday and do it all again...with a little more knowledge on how NOT to do things next time....

NOW...let's take a look at the MISTAKE-FREE Cakes O' the Week!

"My wife's nickname is Tomato, so can we put tomatoes on the cake?" birthday cake:

All fondant baby biscuits cake:

Happy Lion birthday cake (fondant cutouts on buttercream):

Dirty 30 in Vegas cake:

THE cutest Dino-Mite birthday cake EVER:

Purple OMBRE wedding cupcake tower:

All fondant with hand-made flowers wedding cake (real gold ribbon):

And the COOLEST cake of the week...the NV license plate cake:

Five years strong in the bakery business, and we're still trying to get it RIGHT. You bake and you learn....
and you keep on baking.

Laytah

I'm Not Meant to be Alone...Turn This House Into a Home

noreply@blogger.com (KARI HASKELL) — Sun, 31 Mar 2013 13:02:00 +0000

Ello Baykahs!
So...I'm kinda living up to my "have more time for myself" promise by blogging FROM bed instead of at the kitchen table. I'm still resting, right? The fact is I am a girl who loves a routine, and I mean REALLY loves a routine. So, this NEXT sentence is REALLY gonna shake it up:

We have decided to sell our house.

Just when I thought I would start taking some time to relax...we found THE house that we have been looking for for over two years....and it's gonna take my current house to GET it.

House hunting has been a casual hobby. I love to look at neighborhoods, architecture, design, decor, back yards...all of it fascinates me. I love to get peeks into the lives of other people...their styles...their quirks...especially the solutions they come up with for awkward spaces (like my kitchen's "dead" corner that I finally found the perfect breakfast table for). But, every house I looked at always had something WRONG with it...And suddenly, I ran SMACK into a house that I couldn't say anything negative about.

As I was looking at all these homes through the years I was making a list of my favorite things...and actual requirements for the way WE live. We currently live in 1400 sq. ft. We moved in 10 years ago...with one kid who was starting kindergarten. NOW? Two kids....BOTH girls...who require lots of BATHROOM time...and rooms a little larger than 10x10.

1) bigger bedrooms
2) play loft space

I also wanted a kitchen that you can see the living room from...that you can cook large amounts of food...so when you have people over (oh yeah, I want a house that you can have some folks come visit) you can serve food easily WHILE still preparing dessert.

3) kitchen island
4) cabinet space

Then there's the "we work a lot" problem...so one of my requirements was a house that could double as a vacation spot. Now, we get ONE day off during the week, so I want to make sure that day off could be spent at home RELAXING...and hopefully on a patio with a view. I just want something to LOOK at.

5) patio/courtyard
6) DESERT VIEW

That last one was the most important. I have been craving a space where I can THINK. A place where I can decompress....and that is exactly what this house has. The master bedroom has a view of the mountains that surround Las Vegas...and there is not ONE house behind it. THAT was the kicker. It is on bare desert that will probably not be developed for at LEAST five years.

The other kicker?

When you drive to this house (which is literally only 10 minutes from my current home) you are FORCED to see the Las Vegas STRIP. There would be a perfect STRIP VIEW on my commute every day...and night. This may mean nothing to you...but I moved to Vegas BECAUSE of the magic of the Strip...and I never get to SEE it. With this house I could see it every day!!!!

So...we're selling our house...and FINGERS CROSSED getting a new house....

The best news?? It'll be the EXACT mortgage we've been paying...

Let's not get my hopes up anymore, because I tend to have REALLY bad luck when it comes to getting my hopes up too high. Let's just put it out there that THIS is what I want...and need...

NOW...let's see all the hard work we did to be able to afford this move....
HERE ARE THE CAKES O' THE WEEK!

Buttercream with fondant dots Dice cake:

Buttercream with fondant cut-outs SWEET birdie birthday cake:

Fondant with real ribbon and hand-crafted fondant flowers wedding cake:

Quilted fondant with fondant ribbon and bow wedding cake:

And the BIG DADDY of the WEEK...the fondant fox cake!!!

It's so exciting when you finally decide to make a BIG change...but it is also the scariest, most stressful time EVER. I truly hope this will be the house that will take us into the next ten years....and not just take me to the crazy house.

Laytah

And I Just Can't Seem to Get Enough Of ...

noreply@blogger.com (KARI HASKELL) — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 12:29:00 +0000

Ello Baykahs!
Yup. Here I am EARLY on Sunday morning BLOGGING. I can't give it up...no, not really. The fact is I have a sore throat and can't sleep, so I might as well chat it up with YOU about my week.

Remember when I told you last week that things were getting a little STALE....well, be careful what you wish for.....because THIS week we were SO busy with orders that every single day felt like Saturday (our busiest day).

Believe me, I am VERY thankful for the business, but when there is NO rest between days your body has nothing better to do than to get SICK....but, I don't think this sore throat is REALLY sickness. I honestly think is SPRING-itis. When the wind starts blowing 35 miles per hour and the temps range from 80 to 50 to 68 to 40 all in one week your body just doesn't know what to do....except get sore. I always feel a little OFF this time of year....my body starts gearing up for the EXTREME temps to come (which is the EXACT reason why I moved to Vegas: the HEAT).

Speaking of extreme...it was an EXTREMELY busy week for cakes, so of COURSE I barely got any pics. Brian DID manage to get a few...so here are the Cakes O' the Week!

Square fondant wedding cake with fresh roses and real ribbon (with silver dragees):

Topsy-Turvy birthday cake with fondant bow (all buttercream base):

Fondant flowers on buttercream cake (with real ribbon):

Vegas Dice mini cupcake tower (fondant dice on top with poker chips for dots):

And the SMALL Daddy of the Week: The "She loves Coffee and Cupcakes" birthday cake (cup and cupcake made from Rice Krispie treats and fondant with hand-painted accents):

NOW...I'm gonna enjoy my Sunday....and this Spring weather.

Laytah

Don't Go Changin' to Try to Please Me...

noreply@blogger.com (KARI HASKELL) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 15:55:00 +0000

Ello Baykahs!
I'm writing this on Monday...after I FULLY intended to not blog at all this week, but since I have SUCH an impulse to PLEASE EVERYONE here I am....

AND THERE IS THE PROBLEM.

I'm having a bit of trouble lately...I'm in a bit of a RUT because after five years my life has felt like I have just been on REPEAT. Work, home, sleep....EVERY DAY. ALL DAY. ALL WEEK...except Sunday. But, even SUNDAY has become repetitive: get up at 4, do laundry, find and edit cake pics, blog, grocery shop, clean house, THEN wake the kids up....and try to have a DAY together.

AND WHAT HAS HAPPENED??

I'm getting TIRED...and very bored.

Five years is a LONG time to do EXACTLY the same thing...with the exception of maybe SIX weekends a year when I have plans where a Sunday is different...but then I just come home to a MOUNTAIN of laundry and house-cleaning...and grocery shopping.

Here is the bottom line: My name is Kari...which can also be read as CARRY. I am a person that CARRIES a lot on my shoulders. I always have been. I (for some reason) have always felt VERY connected and responsible for EVERYONE and their expectations of me. From a VERY young age I have felt like I MUST do everything to make EVERYONE comfortable, happy, content, NOT irritated...no matter what the cost to myself. I always did what everyone ELSE wanted to make sure there were no WAVES...just smooth sailing.

FULL DISCLOSURE: This is also the CONTROL FREAK in me too...so, I am very guilty of causing a lot of this on myself.

BUT, I've noticed now that I'm a lot OLDER and now five years in to my OWN business, that this is imPOSSIBLE to keep up. I am EXHAUSTED all the time running around and making sure i's are dotted and t's are crossed for EVERYONE. And, I know that's part of my job, but I'm going to start DELEGATING and actually letting OTHERS do things...and maybe not doing certain things the same way AT ALL.

And THAT brings me back to this blog. Five years ago, I pledged to make THIS place a place of HONESTY about owning and running your own bakery. I think I have accomplished this. There is LITERALLY nothing that has changed in the last couple of years...so, I feel like it's just getting STALE...with the exceptions of the FABULOUS cakes that Brian and Kim create.

SO, I have decided that I will STILL blog, but it will JUST be the Cakes O' the Week...and maybe the occasional "Look what happened this week..." stuff. BUT, as of THIS SECOND, I am letting myself off the hook with at least THIS part of my Sunday. No more stress about topics...no more finding song lyrics that match the theme or words for a title (yes, if you haven't noticed by NOW each of my blog titles are parts of songs that I like)...no more ROUTINE RUT.

I am now giving myself some TIME back on my ONE AND ONLY DAY OFF.

*FULL DISCLOSURE: the CONTROL FREAK in me is LITERALLY making every letter I type SUPER difficult....I am a stubborn, old B.

BUT, I will do this. I need to do this.

Now take a look at the Cakes O' the Week!

Owl on a Branch birthday cake (fondant cut outs on a buttercream cake):

Think Pink standard birthday cake (pink vanilla cake filled and covered with strawberry buttercream):

Rock Candy wedding cake (buttercream with pieces of rock candy placed on the cake):

and the BIG DADDY of the WEEK! The Cross Fit Gym Owner Groom's cake! It's a fondant jump rope, kettlebell, and rings!!

Oh yeah...I kinda decided to shake up my baking RUT too...I added Chocolate Cream pies to our case on 3/14 or 3.14 (National Pi Day!). They are super delicious mini pies with graham crust, chocolate cream cheese filling, and fresh whipped cream on top. I'm guess they're gonna be a SUMMER STAPLE this year.

Sometimes you just have to put yourself first, open yourself to change, and WALK YOUR PATH.

Laytah.

It's so Important to Make Someone Happy...Make Just ONE Someone Happy...

noreply@blogger.com (KARI HASKELL) — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 15:54:00 +0000

Ello Baykahs!
Two weeks late this week...but I have good REASON! Two of my favorite people turned 40 this week, and I was just too busy celebrating...ok, it was more like recuperating!

I am just not the party girl that I used to be...STARTING the night out at 10 pm....dancing until dawn...waking up the next day at 8 am to go to work. GEEZ, I miss college. BUT, those days are LONG GONE. I can barely make it passed 8 pm. THANK GOD FOR RED BULL. Even after a week of resting, I am STILL trying to feel normal again...after LAST Saturday night!

As full of fun as this week was, it was ALSO full of REPAIRS. Our big fridge went OUT, and we were SCRAMBLING to stuff every little thing in our two WAY-smaller coolers around the bakery. We literally had five full days without the large cooler, and it was a REAL struggle and a BIG FAT CHECK to write before we got back to normal. All I can say is MAKE SURE you have a good relationship with your HVAC people.

So...AFTER the fridge was fixed we were able to STUFF it full of the MOST fabulous cakes Brian and Kim have EVER done...including one that is Brian's BEST WORK TO DATE...in my opinion.

HERE ARE THE CAKES O' the WEEK!

Black and White Swiss dots and Real roses wedding cupcake tower:

Hand-painted cheetah print birthday cake:

Red and White gumpaste roses wedding cupcake tower:

Grey and Black "Married in Fabulous Las Vegas" wedding cake:

Fondant Butterflies Bridal Shower cake:

Hand-painted pink cheetah print with fondant lipstick topper:

Hand-painted helicopter cake:

AND quite possibly Brian's BEST cake of all time...for the FABULOUS Smith Center in Las Vegas...the Art Deco-inspired wedding cake...all fondant...ALL AMAZING.

As hard as we work, it is SO great to get some time to play...Happy 40th Birthday to my friend and hair GODDESS, Stephanie, AND to Brian!!! It's been a great week celebrating some pretty important people in my life....

Laytah

Accidentally Kelly Street...Where Friends and Strangers Sometimes Meet

noreply@blogger.com (KARI HASKELL) — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 13:50:00 +0000

Ello Baykahs-
When we thought about opening Retro five years ago our only thoughts were about a cupcake shop...that's it. If you wanted cupcakes, WE WOULD HAVE THEM. Then, I realized that people would probably want cakes in our cool flavors, so we put those on the menu, but just basic designs resembling the cupcakes....no big deal. And then there was THE question we kept hearing OVER AND OVER AGAIN, "Do you do custom cakes?"

At the time when we opened, Cake Boss had just premiered on TLC and Ace of Cakes was SUPER POPULAR on Food Network, so EVERYONE wanted that SHOWPIECE cake for their wedding or birthday party. But, we had ZERO idea how to make those cakes...and I mean ZERO. Yet, we kept hearing that question...and people kept walking OUT of our bakery and going somewhere ELSE. So, we hired a girl who had just randomly come in and offered her services...so, she became our cake person for a while...BUT as most of you who run your own shops KNOW...things change, people move on...and eventually it all comes down to YOU no matter WHAT. So, Brian started doing cakes.

HERE'S THE DEAL WITH BRIAN:
He is an ARTIST. He can build ANYTHING...sculpt ANYTHING...hand-paint ANYTHING. This is CRUCIAL for being a cake artist. Being able to create cakes was just something that WORKED OUT because he is SUCH a great artist that after practicing and practicing, he MASTERED cake....and fondant.

This is not something we planned. This is just one of the HAPPIEST accidents that will go down in Retro's history as what set us UP for success. If we can pinpoint the ONE reason of why we're still here after five years it's CAKE.

Cupcakes are great. They are fun flavors. They are delicious...everyone loves them...but they don't NEED them. People NEED cake. People get married. People have birthdays. And, as beautiful as cupcake towers are at those events...a custom CAKE is what MOST people want...and THANK GOD I have a husband who can make THE most beautiful wedding and birthday cakes I've ever seen.

This week? Brian (and our full-time Cake Girl, Kim) created THREE of the CUTEST cakes in our HISTORY.

Take a look at our CAKES O' THE WEEK!!!

Snow White-inspired birthday cake (fondant apple!!):

Fondant bows on mini cupcakes:

Pink owl birthday cake (fondant owl!!):

And the BIG DADDY of the WEEK:
Tetris-inspired wedding cake!!!!!

Custom cakes keep EVERYTHING fresh at the bakery. The designs are always NEW and fun and CHALLENGING. I am SO thankful that Brian has this incredible talent, and that KIM is SO good at piping and finishing work. Cakes are VERY hard work...but they are THE most rewarding part of being a BAYKAH.

Laytah

I Just Can't Look it's Killing Me...

noreply@blogger.com (KARI HASKELL) — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 13:59:00 +0000

Ello Baykahs-
It's a true miracle that I am able to type this because MY FINGERS ARE KILLING ME. We had our busiest week of the YEAR last week, and it is all over my hands....
Making cupcakes, cookies, and washing your hands ALL DAY LONG, OVER AND OVER again will crack your skin so fast you won't even realize until you're actually USED to the pain, and it feels strange when you're NOT in pain...but that's the biz. You've got to take the SOUR with the SWEET.
So...let me rest my hands this week, while you look at the cakes we managed to take pics of...

HERE ARE THE CAKES O' THE WEEK!

Rustic Peony wedding cupcake tower topper:

Quinceanera cake (with gumpaste roses):

Mini cupcake tower:

LV Metro K9 Police Badge cake:

And the BIG DADDY of the WEEK! The Legos-inspired birthday cake for one of our favorite customers, Avery!! He and his mom have been a BIG part of Retro's success, and we are so thankful for their continued support over the last five years!

NOW...I'm gonna go soak my hands in whatever GOOP will help.

Laytah

You Make Me Feel Brand New...

noreply@blogger.com (KARI HASKELL) — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 15:55:00 +0000

Ello Baykahs!
Well, we DID IT. We celebrated FIVE years of Retro Bakery yesterday. It was INDEED the busiest day of the year (even more than Valentine's Day), and it (as always) was my FAVORITE day of the year.

This year we played "Find a 5" where we hid over 30 "5's" under cupcakes, and if you found one under yours, you WON a gift certificate for one dozen. We also made a FABULOUS 5-tier cake and gave away FREE stickers....and bought FRESH t-shirts for our entire crew.

FULL DISCLOSURE: OF COURSE I have no pictures of our crew in their cute shirts because I was making EVERY SINGLE cupcake...and that pretty much puts me in the kitchen the entire day unless I'm stocking the case. BUT, Brian managed to snap THESE:

Yup. That's my little Lucy workin' the register. REALLY. She's come a LONG way since our OPENING DAY in 2008:

And we've come a REALLY long way since we signed our lease in 2007:

To be completely honest, it really feels like yesterday that we decided to do this. It feels BRAND NEW. I still feel like a rookie. I still feel like I have NO idea what I'm doing, and I'm SHOCKED that people come to buy cupcakes from us. I know how stupid that sounds...but it's true.

Deep down I guess I STILL feel like a stay-at-home mom with a dream to have our own family business....and that's who I was five years ago. I saved my money. I read EVERY business book in the library. I BAKED like crazy. And here I am...the OWNER of one of the most popular bakeries in Las Vegas FIVE YEARS LATER. It just doesn't seem possible.

BUT IT IS.

With hard work (WAY harder than I even could DREAM about), dedication, and LOTS and LOTS of help, Retro Bakery has finally become a BUSINESS. It lives..it grows...it THRIVES.

Now, I still have lots of growing to do. I still have to remember that I am a BOSS...that money is NECESSARY to keep the doors open...that WORK has to be done by ALL (not just me) in order to succeed. It's a TEAM effort. The lessons NEVER end, and that is ALWAYS something I have to remember. Things will NEVER be perfect. There WILL be mistakes. There WILL be problems and issues and SICK days to cover. BUT THAT IS BUSINESS...and that's what I wanted...MY OWN BUSINESS.

So, as we start our sixth year I want to focus on the GOOD...the people we support and the people who support US. Without my crew...without my customers...I would not be here, and I want to make SURE they know how important they are in business and in my LIFE.

I am so thankful to have Retro and to have the people that support us day in and day out. It is so worth all of the effort to feel this kind of love every day.

OK...enough blabbering.

HERE ARE THE CUPCAKES/CAKES O' the WEEK!

Mint Chocolate Chip mini cupcakes with sugar card suit toppers:

Zebra fondant-striped birthday cake:

Now...there's THREE Big Daddy cakes this week...Brian had a LOT on his plate...

"Something Blue" fondant wedding cake (made for the wedding show at Pauite Golf Resort):

Day of the Dead hand-painted skull birthday cake:

And HERE IT IS! Our Retro Bakery BIRTHDAY CAKE!!!!! All fondant with hand-painted plaques...
(paper flower on top)

Here's to hard work, dedication, and DREAMS.

Laytah.

I Never Knew...I Never Knew That Everything was Fallin' Though...

noreply@blogger.com (KARI HASKELL) — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 16:34:00 +0000

Ello Baykahs!

Five years and 23 hours ago is EXACTLY is when I wrote THIS:

"Happy Sunday, Bakers!

Usually, I am sitting in my kitchen corner, blogging away with my iced coffee in the early hours of the morning. Where am I today? I am blogging on my counter...in MY BAKERY!!!!!!!! I'm watching the traffic roll by, the rain spinkle down, and the rainbow in the sky all from my BAKERY WINDOWS!!!
It's very exciting and VERY odd at the same time. I'm having trouble writing today. Usually, it just flows out, and it is what it is....but today, I'm a bit OFF (yes, I'm always off....but that was an easy joke to make)...

What am I doing now?
I'm standing beside my cash register (empty...FYI), and listening to my husband put together our NSF shelving we found at Wal-Mart last night (helpful hint for Bakery Wannabes: Sams Club may be cheap, but if you walk next door to Wal-Mart, it may be CHEAPER).

Brian and I are SO close to having everything done on our To Do List!! And, thanks to my Sudie, we got Publisher, so we can finish our flyers tonight (scratch that, so I can finish our flyers tonight...Brian will be entertaining his parents who are here for the weekend). I've GOT to get those done and to a printer ASAP.

Ok...enough blogging...I can't do it today. I do not like typing on a lap top (too many backspaces due to large fingers on small keys)...AND I've got to clean my floors, polish my floors, and finish setting up the shelves.

I hear there's a big game on tv today...it'll be the first time in years it isn't a priority.

Laytah, Bakers."

---

Retro was one week from being open...I was one second from being put in a straight jacket. I remember the feeling of equal parts excitement and terror. We didn't know what the hell we were doing...at least that's what I think NOW.

I look back at this blog (thank GOD I wrote it, so I can see what CRAZY really looks like), and I see that I really was just a crazy woman on a mission with a man that would follow her into FIRE if he had to. I was leading my family into a place where we had NO IDEA what would happen. We spent our ENTIRE life savings...quit a job that could have taken care of us in FULL luxury...gave up a life with two days off, vacations, BENEFITS, BONUSES...to do WHAT??? BAKE CUPCAKES????????

Yes.

I see now that I had a vision of our future, but not of THIS current future. My vision was just to open a cupcake shop and that's it. I never DARED to dream about what Retro has BECOME. I never dreamed of cakes...or cookies...or being voted "BEST NEIGHBORHOOD BAKERY" by Desert Companion Magazine! I couldn't SEE this future because it was BIGGER than I ever DARED to DREAM!

I was "just a mom" who wanted something ELSE. I had stayed home for almost 10 years. I had supported and watched my husband get quite a successful restaurant career, and as wonderful as being a housewife is (yes, it REALLY has its perks) I wanted something for ME (yes, I know that is selfish...but ya only live ONCE) (YES, I JUST YOLO'd).

Retro was just supposed to be our family bakery that supported our little family of four. And, it still IS that. But, it now supports THREE families, AND has eight total employees?? YES. BUTTERCREAM pays the bills in THREE houses around Centennial Hills. And, I NEVER thought I'd be typing THAT sentence.

I am so thankful to be able to continue my business after five years. I have a NEW "little" family in my crew at Retro. I love them all. They are the the BACK BONE of my business now. I could NOT do this just with Brian anymore. Kim, Snazzy, Dirty, Danyelle, Ashley, Cassie, Hunter, and Slash are the REASON we are as successful as we are. ALL of us have a stake in this little bakery now. I am SO PROUD to be working along side them.

Above all, I am thankful we have always REMEMBERED who we ARE: a FAMILY BUSINESS. Retro's family is a little larger now, but all of us work JUST as hard to make sure this business will support ALL of our families for a very, very long time.

Now, we're making a 5-tier SHOW cake for Retro's birthday (SHOW cake means it's fondant-covered styrofoam, so it can stay out all day), so GET READY for THAT pic next week. Until then...

Here's the CAKES O' the WEEK!

Lots O' Love birthday cake (all fondant):

Zebra Sweet 16 birthday cake (fondant zebra cut outs on buttercream):

Three tier S Swirl wedding cake (all buttercream with fresh roses):

And the BIG DADDY of the WEEK:

Hand-painted leopard fondant birthday cake (edible, fondant bow):

Here we are five years after I wrote that blog, and Retro is a REAL business with REAL employees with a REAL bright future ahead. I am SO honored to be a part of it.

Laytah

I Know...I'll Never Love This Way Again...

noreply@blogger.com (KARI HASKELL) — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 21:32:00 +0000

Ello Baykahs!!!

I know, I know...I'm LATE...but, HEY! I was out with my favorite news reporter, Edward Lawrence, celebrating his birthday on Saturday night, and let's just say I wasn't up to doing ANYTHING on Sunday.

FULL DISCLOSURE: I mixed too many drinks...and Brian needed a carwash. That's all you REALLY need to know.

So, instead of boring you with my "I was busy all week, and then I got drunk" post, I will launch you over to ANOTHER blog who just did a really cool "better know a vendor" post on YOUR FAVORITE Baykah!

Check it out here: http://www.littlevegaswedding.com

Who knew I always wanted to be a QVC host??? Probably just a few of you...

After a week like I had, I wasn't surprised that I ended up not knowing WHEN to say WHEN. It was a tough one...BUT, I did get to take some FABULOUS pics of some of our BEST cakes this week!

Take a look at our and Cupcakes and Cakes O' the WEEK!

Fondant police badge cupcakes:

Buttercream "ruffles" cake (fondant bow):

Baby Biscuits baby shower cake:

Three-tier silver dragees and double hearts wedding cake (all buttercream):

Peace and Love birthday cake:

Black Jack table birthday cake:

Quilted fondant with zebra stripe birthday cake:

AND The BIG DADDY OF THE WEEK:
Edward's birthday cake!! He had run with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain, this year, so I wanted to celebrate THAT amazing event in cake form...but, the cake got the HORN!! Best part? It was vanilla cake with CINNAMON BUTTERCREAM!!!! It tasted AMAZING!!!

Now...I'm going to try to remember to NOT mix my drinks AND drink WATER every other drink....To think that I used to be a party girl...I'm such a rookie now.

Laytah

I Just Can't Stop Lovin' YOU...

noreply@blogger.com (KARI HASKELL) — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 15:54:00 +0000

Ello Baykahs!
This week I proved to myself that I could do something: BAKE CINNAMON ROLLS.

OHH!! Cinnamon Rolls!! Are you selling them???

And I also proved something ELSE to myself this week: I just can't sell them.

Here's the deal. All my life I have been scared of cinnamon rolls. I love them. I eat them. BUT, I do NOT bake them. Why? Because my Great Auntie Marm was the QUEEN of cinnamon rolls. They were HER thing. She made THE most incredible rolls for every single holiday that no one on EARTH could top hers...so, I was intimidated from the very start. How could I do cinnamon rolls that could even come close??? I couldn't. So, I didn't....EVER.

Until this week.

For some reason I have been OBSESSED with baking cinnamon rolls. It has been in my head CONSTANTLY lately...so, I began searching around for the perfect recipe (I have my Great Aunt's, but it's kind of "a little of this...a little of that," so it's not really a recipe), and I found one that was VERY close to hers. So, I baked them at Retro, and they turned out AMAZING. Since January is our slowest month of the year, I decided that I could TOTALLY add something else to the menu...and Cinnamon Rolls are the perfect idea!!

YEAH RIGHT.

Cinnamon rolls are NOT the perfect addition. In fact, they are the exact opposite. Yes, they are yummy. Yes, they would sell like crazy...but, when you're a fairly busy cupcake shop even in the SLOW month, cinnamon rolls are not exactly the easiest thing to fit into your baking schedule.

AND THAT IS THE PROBLEM. Time...space...ENERGY.

Cinnamon rolls, when done RIGHT are very time consuming. You're making sure things are the perfect temp...then adding the perfect amount of flour...then making sure the yeast is the perfect amount of YEASTINESS (yes, that is a word in my vocabulary)...then you have to make sure you have kneaded the dough the perfect amount of time. THEN YOU WAIT...and WAIT...and WAIT.

Then you roll it out...cinnamon and sugar the insides (or add bacon like I did because I'm CRAZY), roll it up, cut them into rolls and HOPE they stay together, pan them...and then you wait AGAIN for the second rise. And THEN you bake them.

I'm exhausted just writing that. Now, do all this while having to make 24 different flavors of cupcakes and four different batches of cookies, and make sure to fill all your orders of mini cupcakes and custom orders by 10 a.m.

DID I MENTION THAT'S JUST ONE BATCH OF CINNAMON ROLLS??? If you're going to SELL them you better do it about 5 times...because they're THAT good, and they WILL sell.

Oh, the case is empty again...now you have to make more cupcakes....

OH! Now the cinnamon rolls are done. Make the icing!!

See? I just couldn't do it. I tried four different times...all having delicious results, but when it came down to selling them on the day that we have the most foot traffic (Saturday), it's just too busy...even when we're "slow." It's ONLY going to get busier from now on...so, cinnamon rolls will go in the "I tried my best, but it ain't gonna happen" category.

BUT, AT LEAST I TRIED. I now know that I CAN bake them. They ARE delicious...BUT, I need HELP doing it...and room to fit them in...and packaging to SELL them. Baking as a BUSINESS is a lot more than just baking and eating at home. As MUCH as I WANT to sell something...it all comes down to MONEY and TIME...and ESPECIALLY packaging. And, I just don't have any of THAT.

I ALSO don't have many cake pics...This IS our slowest custom cake month, so I don't have any CRAZY pics. Just TWO Cakes O' the Week!

"Melted" ice cream cone birthday cake:

And the DRAGON birthday cake!

I did get to eat four trays of cinnamon rolls this week, so it's not a total loss. I'm hoping to add them SOMEWHERE in our distant future, because they ARE damn good...just DAMN hard to make.

Laytah.

Catch My Breath...Close My Eyes...

noreply@blogger.com (KARI HASKELL) — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 16:40:00 +0000

Ello Baykahs!
This was one week that I wanted to END. It started off great until I get a text from Brian at 5 am on Monday morning saying, "Lucy throwing up."

AND OFF IT WENT.

Lucy had a stomach bug on Monday. Abbi had the flu WITHOUT the stomach bug on Tuesday and Wednesday, and then the flu gradually made its way through my crew...narrowly missing two people, but hit EVERYONE else (including Lucy on Friday). It's a MIRACLE we didn't close early every single day, but we always managed to have the healthy people on the schedule the same day....

I haven't been sick in almost three years...it just happened to be Snazzy's first week of work, and he never lets me forget it. Back then I went home and slept for an entire day. And, that's exactly what happened this time. I just HAD to go home...and sleep it off.

Thankfully, this week was busy, but not SUPER busy as usual. We were very thankful to have large CES (Consumer Electronics Show) orders, but not much of anything else, since most people are done celebrating until about Feb. 14. Our sales are generally slower this month, so it could not have been a better time to get sick...except for one certain event that I CHERISH every year: Miss America. This year we got a chance to do two cupcake towers, one for the families (which included both cupcakes and cookies) and one for the CEO party on the Thursday before the pageant. We are honored to be a part of it in any way, but we really look forward to this week because we get tickets to a preliminary events; however, this year the girls were just too sick to go. It was just really, really, really bad timing.

Are you feeling better?

YES. Brian and I are about 95% better, and the girls are 100%. But, let's hope those crew members who dodged a bullet THIS week don't catch it next week....

Here's to WASHING YOUR HANDS 900 TIMES A DAY and NOT TOUCHING YOUR FACE!!!

Let's see those Cakes 'O the Week!

Here SHE is...Miss Amercia cupcake tower:

Baby Shower cake (all fondant):

#1 Dirt Bike track birthday cake:

Fondant flag mini cupcakes:

and the BIG DADDY of the WEEK: The teddy bear and pancakes cupcakes (the pancakes are REALLY pancakes we made in the oven with a pat of fondant butter (but the pancakes are sticking to each other with MAPLE buttercream!):

I'm spending today at home...trying to become 100%...but of course I have a mountain of laundry and house cleaning to do...because since we've been sick the house seemed to EXPLODE with mess. It's exactly how I want to spend my Sunday.

NOT.

Laytah.

'Cause I've Got a Crush...My Baby...On YOU

noreply@blogger.com (KARI HASKELL) — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 15:44:00 +0000

Ello Baykahs!!
I'm BAAAAAACK. Six days off work...then six back ON, and here I am in the same boat of open-wound fingers (having trouble typing even now) and tired, aching feet. Vacation? What vacation?

No. I'm not going to lie. We had a great time. We had so much fun being a FAMILY together and celebrating Christmas without travelling that we actually had time to RELAX...

I don't remember the last time we just didn't do ANYTHING over the holidays...and guess what? It was fabulous. We ate and ate and ate AND WATCHED MOVIES!! I think I saw about five FULL movies, and I hadn't seen an entire movie in YEARS. AND I got to LAY on my couch...I NEVER get to do that.

I realize how stupid this sounds, but honestly, I never SEE my house for more than about and hour and a half a day because I'm so exhausted I go RIGHT to sleep...and then get right back up and head to work. So, our house has sort of become a vacation destination because we NEVER spend time there. Talk about a money-saver!

So, it WAS the perfect holiday season...and in a flash it was OVER. We dove HEAD FIRST back into work because we opened on New Year's Eve...and were CRUSHED. We were so busy that we ran out of ingredients a couple times!! I also had to RE-BAKE cookies three times (usually I can get away with one batch a day), but who knew how many people wanted to ring in the new year with MegaChip cookies?? Then even on New Year's Day we were consistently busy, busy, busy (after the entire city of Las Vegas woke up around 10 am), and the week just snow-balled from there. It felt great that so many people were so excited to see us RE-OPEN so they could get their Retro FIX. It really made me feel MISSED and grateful to have so much support from our city.

We were so busy I couldn't snap many pictures of the cakes, so take a look at the TWO Cakes O' the Week:

Teddy Bear Christening Cake (fondant bear/buttercream cake):

Baby Monkey baby shower cake (topper purchased by customer):

This week??? The plan is to get more pics...BUT, I've got CES orders and Miss America events, so who knows...I'll do my best. We are definitely NOT on vacation anymore...

Laytah

Yeah, Baby, Give Me ONE MORE Night...

noreply@blogger.com (KARI HASKELL) — Sun, 23 Dec 2012 14:15:00 +0000

Ello Baykahs!
One more day until we're closed for an entire week. I can't even believe it myself...six whole days of not doing ANYTHING. We're not going on vacation. We're not going to have a STAYcation. We are just going to be HOME...together.

Believe it or not, our family actually doesn't SEE a lot of each other.

But you all work together! You see each other all the time!

Not really. I'm in the front. Brian's in the back...or vice versa...or he's on deliveries, and I'm making cupcakes. Or I'm at work, and he's getting the kids ready for school...then off to work he goes and I swoop in and take the kids to school. Our day really consists of about an hour total of face-to-face time (and usually we're talking about Retro).

We were supposed to be closed starting today...but I didn't have it in me to close on Christmas Eve. With Christmas being on a weird Tuesday, we initially thought that we should just not open for one day...but then it hit me, "SANTA NEEDS HIS CUPCAKES!!"

This would have been the first year since we've been open that kids wouldn't be able to give Santa a cupcake for Christmas. I'm thinking of one girl in particular that comes in EVERY YEAR just for one cupcake for Santa. I could NOT disappoint that girl. So, we decided we would open just 8 to 2 with JUST Brian and me....RETRO OLD SCHOOL. We're going in together and just bakin' it out until 2 (or if we sell out).

THEN...the time is all ours....

Let's see those CUPCAKES and CAKES O' the WEEK!

Texas cupcakes (fondant toppers with edible images):

Scrabble Lover birthday cake (hand-painted edible Scrabble pieces):

All buttercream "Tiffany" Blue wedding cake:

Tropical wedding tower (topper provided by customer):

Birthday present cake (buttercream with fondant ribbon and bow and edible gold dragees):

Teddy Bear birthday cake (fondant teddy bear):

Birthday Owl cake (made to match invitation):

Cymbidium orchid wedding cupcake tower (hand-made edible flowers)!

Ruffles and Ribbon wedding cake:

And the BIG DADDY of the WEEK: the Black and White Flowers wedding cake (all hand-made, edible flowers):

This cake took TWO MEN to carry into the venue. Our cakes are HEAVY, but this one was probably THE heaviest EVER...butter doesn't play around.

So, here we are 30 hours away from 6 days off....the anticipation is killing me. But before I go, I want to wish YOU a Merry Christmas. I hope you get some time off TOO.

Laytah

Don't Ask Me What You Know is True...

noreply@blogger.com (KARI HASKELL) — Sun, 16 Dec 2012 13:01:00 +0000

Ello Baykahs.
I'm watching CNN, and I just don't have it in me to blog about MY week. I don't want to be disrespectful. I am lucky, and I now know it more than ever.

I have my 7-year-old daughter. I get to hug her and love her and give her Christmas presents. I am so so sorry for what happened, but it sure does remind me how much I have and how much I don't realize how quickly it can all be taken away.

That being said: I've decided to put the blog in YOUR hands this week. If you've ever wanted to ask ME a question about ANYTHING, I'm ready to answer. Just put it in the comments below (yes, they are restricted, but I will publish any LEGIT question) and I will answer ALL the questions during the week on this SAME post when they come in.

*FULL DISCLOSURE: I mean ANY question ya GOT. Lemme have it! Baking, parenting, Las Vegas...WHATEVA. ASK AWAY!

Now, I guess we'll see who actually reads this blog....

LAYTAH

p.s. Cakes and Cupcakes 'O the Week will be shown NEXT Sunday...

AND HERE COME THE QUESTIONS:

1) Lovin all the stuff you do! So question: Those Leboutain cupcakes were fierce! Did you pipe all the plaquettes or were those printed?

Those were images provided by the PR company for Louboutin!! We printed them and put them on fondant discs and sprinkled the cupcakes with disco glitter. We delivered them to their two stores in Las Vegas. HERE they are:

The flavors were Cookies and Cream, Red Carpet, and Caramel Corn.

2) What's your buttercream recipe??

I'm actually going to answer this one...SORT OF. All I can say is that the recipe I have changed 100% when I got my commercial mixer. The paddle is SO HUGE that it can't help but be smooth and creamy. So, if you've been at your house trying your best to copy it...it's not YOU. It's your MIXER!!!

3) How do you get your cupcakes to crown up so well? I've never been able to get them to do that when I bake (except back in the day when I used box mixes, an I know you're not doing that). Mine will start to crown, but then they spread out and look more like a mushroom than a round cupcake!

This is a tough one...it's all about specific amounts of ingredients and the mixer itself. Cake HATES to be mixed hard. It likes a gentle touch...so when you accidentally go a little hard or too long, it gets MAD and decides to dense up. The perfect amount of liquid vs. dry are essential too...including baking soda. So be DILIGENT about amounts (we use a scale when baking commercially, and that is VERY helpful for accuracy).
Scooping the batter into the cup is also the culprit. Fill it with an ice cream scooper for uniformity about 3/4 full.
One other thing: once we got our 20 qt. mixer EVERYTHING changed. That paddle on that baby puts the perfect amount of air and magic into everything...

4) What is your favorite line of bakeware for the home baker?

Honestly? Anything that is nonstick works for me. Airbake for cookies at home always worked great. I use only commercial non-stick pans at Retro.

5) What brand of icing coloring do you use?

We use Bakers Preferred gels. They are highly concentrated and AWESOME.

6) How in the heck did you guys do the chocolate ganache/white buttercream wedding cake? I've been staring at it for weeks and can't figure it out...

VERY CAREFULLY we pour and move the cake so it evenly distributes the chocolate (the board is covered in tape which we take off after the fact).

7) Lastly, how did you figure out the chemistry for your recipes - did you read thousands of cookbooks or was it all trial-and-error?

YES and YES. I've baked for YEARS, so I know my stuff for my personal recipes of cookies and pies, but buttercreams and cakes for Retro were ALL trial and error and LUCK.

8) What do you use to flavor your cupcakes and buttercreams?

This question is TRICKY...I can't tell you everything, BUT I can tell you IT IS WHAT IT IS. Apple Cider IS apple cider. Pink Lemonade IS pink lemonade....

9) Is there a specific brand of extracts and flavors you prefer?

Yes, and my lips are SEALED.

10) What did you do for advertising when you first started out?

As much as I try NOT to pay for advertising, you HAVE to when you first open to spread the word!! We have a local, neighborhood, mailer paper called "The View," and we placed weekly ADs for our first year making sure people knew where we were and that we were open.

ONE TIP: in the later ADs I featured some of our most regular customers in photos with their favorite cupcakes. It was a huge hit. People showed it to their friends who told their friends who told their friends....

Nowadays I don't pay for advertising. I work VERY HARD at making sure every order is right and delicious so the word-of-mouth spreads. I also tweet like a FIEND and Facebook when I can. This little blog helps too...

11) How do you make the butterscotch ganache?

It's VERY simple: melt butterscotch chips with heavy whipping cream to the consistency of your choice...keep on stirring.

12) Do you gamble? If so, what's your game?

OOOH! A VEGAS question!!! The answer is that I USED to gamble when the slots took actual coins. In fact, Brian and I had quite a little system that actually WORKED, and we'd make $5 to $50 every time we went (high rollers, I know)...but since they changed to tickets it's just not the same, so we stopped. I miss the clinking and the old school games. The games now are so "video-gamey" that I barely understand what's going on. I like a 777, if ya know what I mean.
Also, I've NEVER played table games. They make me very nervous. I can't count in my head very quickly, so I don't want to get yelled at!

Is it Worth it? Let Me Work it...

noreply@blogger.com (KARI HASKELL) — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 14:49:00 +0000

Ello Baykahs!
I've been thinking a lot lately about what makes a business WORK. I get lots of emails every week from people like YOU who have been reading (or just found) my blog and have the dream of owning your own place. The most common question is, "Where do I begin?" BUT, the question you need to be asking is, "Do I have what it takes to make it WORK?"

I really want to keep things HONEST here, and before I want you to fork over your entire life savings OR take out a business loan and get yourself HUNDRED OF THOUSANDS of dollars in DEBT, you need to stop and REALLY think about what it will take to make YOUR dream WORK.

WORK has at least THREE different meanings: the PHYSICALITY of working a kitchen job, the MENTALITY to work a restaurant job, and the ADAPTABILITY of running a successful business.

PHYSICALITY: Do you have the LITERAL strength to pick up 50 lb. bags of sugar/flour/cocoa, etc.? Can you lift a 20 qt. mixing bowl to wash out at least 20 times a day? Can you bend up and down over and over and over lifting trays holding 75 cupcakes at a time? Can you be on your feet 10+ hours a day? Can you lift a 40 lb. wedding cake and carry it down a football field for set up? BECAUSE THAT IS THE REALITY.

Now, you may be thinking that you'll have a STAFF to handle some of these jobs, so you don't have to worry about one or even ALL of those things, BUT you probably won't have the MONEY to hire the 10 people it takes to do all these things...at least in the beginning. Retro Bakery opened with two employees: ME and BRIAN. The STAFF may come later, but you have to deal in REALITY when opening your own place, and the REALITY usually is that YOU will be doing it all...at least for the first couple of months....and possibly years (we didn't get any REAL help for at least six months after opening...and that was a teen-aged girl).

MENTALITY: Can you get up every day at at LEAST 5 a.m. (probably earlier) to start baking and icing your baked goods? Can you not have any new clothes/cars/STUFF for YEARS in order to have the money to keep the doors open? Can you handle someone writing that your baked goods "taste stale/too sweet/from a box/use too much shortening" on a website seen by MILLIONS of people? Can you handle customers telling you that because you choose to FINALLY take two days off in a row (because it's Christmas) that you are RUINING their event because you can't make their cake? Can you handle when you get a phone call that the cake you hand-delivered to who you thought was a competent concierge person was not placed in a refrigerator (like you were told) and has now MELTED? Can you handle when a bride HATES her wedding cake...that she designed and signed off on? BECAUSE THAT IS THE REALITY.

I realize that the last examples are extreme BUT THEY DO HAPPEN, and you have to prepare yourself for them. However, the first three questions are going to happen. You DO have to get up EVERY DAY (unless you're closed for one day like us) and BAKE YOUR GOODS because "BAKED FRESH DAILY" isn't a joke. You HAVE to bake them EVERY DAY. You have to ICE them every day. You have to make sure YOUR product is just as delicious today as it was yesterday as it was THREE months ago. CONSISTENCY is KEY. Once you start lettin' it slide...then your customers will SLIDE somewhere else...and tell the world on any given website how much YOUR STUFF SUCKS.

ADAPTABILITY: Can you teach someone ELSE to bake your recipes? Can you do accounting? Can you find or design quality packaging/stickers/bags to fit your products? Do you know ANYTHING about marketing? Can you look someone in the eye and tell them they can't work for you any longer? Can you give up CONTROL? BECAUSE THAT IS THE REALITY.

You can't do it all...at least when you're getting somewhat busy. You'll have to hire a staff at some point, and that means telling people what to do, how to do it, and WHEN to do it YOUR WAY. However, they will want to do it THEIR way, and it is YOUR job to keep YOUR VISION for YOUR bakery. So, you have to be able to let a LITTLE control go while keeping the integrity of your vision. Showing people how to do things isn't easy for a lot of people (INCLUDING MYSELF). You have to be able to have trust and faith in people to GET IT RIGHT, and if they DON'T you have to be able LET THEM GO.

As you sit at your current job dreaming about your DREAM job PLEASE don't forget that WORK IS WORK. Your DREAM is probably MORE hard work that you're doing now...it doesn't just happen. YOU MAKE IT HAPPEN. Hard work is how you get there...and even HARDER work is how you STAY THERE....and sometimes no matter HOW hard you work it may not WORK at all. BUT, if you REALLY want it you'll be willing to put IN the work, no matter how it will WORK out.

NOW: check out the WORK that went into these CAKES O' the WEEK!

"Tropical" wedding cupcake tower (airbrushed fondant cake):

Little Monsters baby shower cake (fondant cut-out monsters):

Monkey birthday cake (all fondant):

And the BIG DADDY of the WEEK...The Batman and Joker-inspired birthday cake with fondant chatter teeth and playing cards:

Whether you choose to open your own place or NOT you now have a little more knowledge of how much work it actually takes....BUT that's just what I can think of this morning.

Laytah

You are Young and Life is Long and There is Time to Kill Today...

noreply@blogger.com (KARI HASKELL) — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 13:30:00 +0000

Ello Baykahs!!!
I'm BAAAACK. Thanksgiving was excellent...and SO was the REST. I slept in (kind of). I ate (a LOT). I RELAXED (as much as you can relax with two kids on vacation, too). I actually had time to THINK...especially about the FUTURE of Retro.

Before the bakery I had PLENTY of time to think...and read...and RESEARCH to make sure we knew EXACTLY (or what I THOUGHT was exactly) how to run a successful business. And NOW, when we're reaching our CRITICAL 5-year mark (and I actually NEED time to think AGAIN about what to do NEXT) I don't HAVE the time...

Time is so precious....and when you HAVE it you don't even THINK about it. In fact, you usually BITCH about having TOO much time (I know I did...). And here I am now, CRAVING the time to be able to drive around looking for a new location....TALK to architects...RESEARCH new ideas...but I don't have that luxury anymore. I AM A BAYKAH!

So, this past "vacation," Brian and I did our best to search for the answer of the MOST-ASKED question, "What are you going to do NEXT?" Well, THAT answer isn't easy, but we know that we have to do SOMETHING....whether it's a new location or a remodel of the current store...SOMETHING is going to change in 2013.

For the first year EVER we've got a WEEK during Christmas to REALLY think about it, since we're closing the bakery from 12/22 - 12/30. In those days we've gotta squeeze in Christmas Eve, Christmas, and SOME HOW celebrate 15 years of marriage....oh yeah, and decide on what to do with our THIRD CHILD: Retro Bakery.

Told ya time is precious...

Now take some time and look at the Cakes O' the Week!

Sesame Street-inspired birthday cake:

Pink Ladies softball team cake (edible image on top):

"Melted" ice cream cone birthday cake:

And the Small Daddy of the Week! Quilted and Draped fondant birthday cake:

The clock is ticking, Bakery Wannabes. Time to make some REAL decisions.

Laytah.

It's So Important to Make Someone Happy...

noreply@blogger.com (KARI HASKELL) — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 14:54:00 +0000

Ello Baykahs!
It's that time of year again: CHRISTMAS SHOPPING TIME!!! So, it's time for my annual GIFTS TO GET OR GIVE post!!!! It's the perfect list of gifts you want to GET for yourself or GIVE to your friends and family. This year I've come up with gifts from my OBSESSIONS: Food and Decor.

First up, a gift for the BAYKAH! The personalized dessert stand from Red Envelope.com:

Next up for my friends who are OBSESSED with clocks (like myself) it's the BUBBLE CLOCK from West Elm.com:

And for my friends OBSESSED with cotton candy...it's a COTTON CANDY MAKER from Bed Bath and Beyond.com:

This year I have been searching HIGH AND LOW for some bold, yellow-based art to FINALLY fill up my walls at home. On my wish list? This SPRAY CAN Lichtenstein from ART.com:

As MANY of you know, I have the mouth of a SAILOR...and it's a habit that I don't REALLY want to break. I do swear A LOT...BUT, sometimes you have to hold it in, so this little F BOMB PAPERWEIGHT is the perfect way for me to swear without saying a word from Uncommon Goods.com:

Last up is the DREAM GIFT for Retro Bakery. I would LOVE to have one of these at my place...if I had the room and the $3900 to GET IT, it would be MINE! It's the ULTIMATE RETRO GIFT...a GIANT GUMBALL MACHINE from Hammacher .com:

Ok, Baykahs, you still have PLENTY of time to shop on-line, so GET TO IT...before it's too late for FREE SHIPPING!

WAIT! I forgot!!! I want to wish you a VERY Happy Thanksgiving. I'll be OFF next week for FOUR, WHOLE DAYS...so, I will savor every moment of FOOD AND FAMILY, and I hope you do too. HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY Thanksgiving.

Laytah

'Cause You're Hot Then You're Cold...

noreply@blogger.com (KARI HASKELL) — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 14:42:00 +0000

Ello Baykahs-
It's finally over...SUMMER IS GONE.

HUH? It's November...Summer's been over for a while.

NOT if you live in Las Vegas. You see, there are two seasons here: HOT and COLD. It stays hot for about eight months, and then it gets cold for about four: November through February. It is one of the reason why I love living here.

NOW I finally feel IN THE SPIRIT. Thanksgiving doesn't just sound like a date in November. It FEELS like it's close...with Christmas RIGHT behind. And you know what that means, right? It's time to have some family time OFF. And you know what THAT means, right? People get MAD.

Every year we close for four days at Thanksgiving and four to five days at Christmas. It's what we DO. We are a family business, and those are the MOST special times of the year for our children, SO we CLOSE. However, some people don't think of it that way...and by SOME people I am referring to the tourists that come to Vegas during those times of year.

Locals get it. We're a family business. We close. END OF STORY. But, when you're living in a 24-hour town, people can't quite understand that. They want their cake. They don't care if it's Christmas DAY. They want it NOW.

I get it. Vegas IS all about YOU, YOU, YOU, and that's why it's so great...but THAT is The Strip. They ARE open 24/7 ALL YEAR. EVERY DAY. THEY GIVE YOU WANT YOU WANT WHEN YOU WANT IT WHATEVER DAY OF THE YEAR IT IS. But, Retro is about 25 minutes OFF The Strip. So, we don't have the same rules as casinos. WE CAN CLOSE. But, since most everyone that visits here thinks that EVERYTHING in Vegas is like that we start to get people who yell at us, make faces at us, scoff, walk out without a word, slam down the phone, wish us off "preferred vendor lists" at certain restaurants we work with (even though there is a LIST of other options to use)...it's endless.

This is the time of year I have to LET IT GO. I HAVE to remember that my children won't be children for long. Abbi is a FRESHMAN. She only has FOUR Christmases left with us....before she starts her OWN life....before she is an ADULT.

So, I remember that. I remember that I'm not put on this earth to JUST make desserts. I'm HERE to raise my family....LOVE my family...be WITH my family. My girls won't be girls for long...and I intend to see them EVERY Thanksgiving and Christmas until THEY are out of the house deciding on whether THEY should come home for Christmas...or not.

NOW...Let's see the Cakes O' The Week!

Married in Las Vegas cupcake tower (with fondant poker chips and dice on each cupcake):

Baby Biscuits cake:

Tiki birthday cake:

And the BIG DADDY of the Week: The Buttercream with REAL ribbon wedding cake (pictured at Pauite Golf Course...right up the road from Retro):

I get it...Vegas IS a 24-Hour, 7-Days-a-Week town. But until I can devote 24 hours and 7 days a week to RETRO, we will be closed during the holidays, so I can be with MY kiddies 24-hours a day...if only for a couple days a year...So, if you want a wedding cake from Retro during Christmas week...you're gonna have to buy it and FREEZE it or just wait 10 years to get married. The choice is yours.

Laytah

So...Show Me What I'm Looking For

noreply@blogger.com (KARI HASKELL) — Sun, 04 Nov 2012 14:02:00 +0000

Ello Baykahs.
It's finally Fall...I'm trying REALLY hard to enjoy the season, but with the country at odds with the election and Hurricane Sandy, I'm just OVER IT.

I see it on everyone's faces. We're READY for something to turn around. We're READY to be happy and celebrate...but everything just keeps hittin' us. Between the CONSTANT negative ADs on tv (I don't know about your state, but Nevada is RELENTLESS with the negative politician ADs) and now the hurricane decimating half of the East Coast, everyone is just sad.

I think we REALLY need to focus on THANKSgiving. I'm capitalizing THANKS because I think we're all forgetting to be THANKFUL (myself included). Here I am, healthy and safe in my home that is still standing with my children safe and sound...with a business that is growing and providing incomes for at least three families. I seriously have NOTHING to be UNthankful for.

I refuse to get caught up in the NEGATIVE anymore. It's an easy trap to fall into...since you do HAVE to know what you've done wrong and what you could have done better...but it's seriously ALL I have been focusing on. "What now?" has become our new saying at the bakery, and I think it has started a snowball effect of negative consequences. When you're LOOKING for negative, you will find it. So, I will look for POSITIVES.

LIKE:
We had couple come to Retro this week "because we HAVE to come here every time we're in Vegas because you did our wedding." or "My son always talks about his blue birthday cake. He loved it." or "Seriously, what do you PUT in these cupcakes. They're amazing." or "My car drives here on its own. It's like it KNOWS I need to be at Retro." or "I've NEVER eaten a cookie like this. It is incredible."

How awesome is that? Why can't I focus on THAT??????

Exactly.

So, I will. I WILL focus on giving the people what they WANT: delicious, beautiful baked goods.

Like THESE...the Cakes O' the WEEK!

Big Top birthday cake:

"Wreck-it Ralph"-inspired birthday cake:

Retro wallpaper-inspired wedding cake (cupcake tower topper cake):

Baby biscuits and lollipops baby shower cake:

Wedding dress-inspired wedding cake (piping pattern taken from the bride's dress):

Chocolate ganache-covered wedding cake (cupcake tower topper cake):

And the BIG DADDY of the WEEK! Fall Leaves wedding cake (the whole bakery loved this cake...each leaf was hand cut and airbrushed to perfection):

I am going to focus on the GREAT work that we DO put out week after week. We make a LOT of people happy, and THAT is why we do it....and I am so THANKFUL to be able to make people smile day after day.

Laytah

What do I say When it's all Over...And Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word

noreply@blogger.com (KARI HASKELL) — Sun, 21 Oct 2012 13:48:00 +0000

Ello Baykahs-
This is one week that I WILLED to end...even when it was only Monday. I wanted it to be over so badly that every day I woke up PRAYING it was Sunday. So, now it IS Sunday, and I am thrilled to get a FRESH start at a new week starting tomorrow.

I don't want to talk about what happened...but, what I will say is that EVERY DAY this last week SOMETHING went wrong....and the WRONGS just kept piling up and piling up on top of me that I literally wanted to FIRE myself and walk out. I do believe the words "BAKERY FOR SALE" came out of my mouth three or even four times by the time the week was over.

Some weeks are harder than others, but this particular week seemed to be the HARDEST of all. No matter what we did or how fast we did it, it wasn't good enough, or fast enough, or "what we ordered." No matter if the entire bakery loved what was created SO much that we all stopped to take personal pictures of it...it STILL wasn't good enough.

I just don't know what to say other than it is NEVER our intention to get custom orders WRONG. We want our customers to be WOWED just as much as WE are when WE see the cake that we create. MOST times that happens....SOMEtimes it doesn't. But, that's the cake biz.....and it's FINALLY Sunday.

Let's hope next week is the OPPOSITE of last week.

Here are the CAKES I managed to get pics of....and one pic sent in by one of our happy customers!

Chance's 2nd birthday cake:

Fondant cut-out panda birthday cake:

Dice cake (buttercream with fondant cut-outs and real roses) to top a cupcake tower:

Buttercream S Swirls cake with real ribbon:

There's not even a "Big Daddy" cake this week...well, there WAS, I just didn't get a pic of it...of course....SO TYPICAL for THIS week. I am DONE.

LAYTAH

'Cause You're Amazing...Just the Way You Are

noreply@blogger.com (KARI HASKELL) — Sun, 14 Oct 2012 14:25:00 +0000

Ello Baykahs!!!
Just when I thought I was getting too predictable...I decided to GO OUT and have a fun Saturday night with my family. WHY? Johnny Cupcakes was in town!!! He's currently on his Coffin Tour selling his Halloween-themed shirts and accessories across the country. It's been two and a half years since he visited Las Vegas at Retro...but his enthusiasm for his work is EXACTLY the same.

And there it is....

HOW DO YOU KEEP THE SAME ZEAL FOR WHAT YOU DO FOR A LIVING DAY IN AND DAY OUT?

That is the question I've been dealing with lately. As you know, I've been struggling with this for a while, and I've been making decent effort at changin' things up...but it has been SO incredibly busy at Retro that I've only been able to squeak in a few hours of DIFFERENT during the past couple of weeks. So, when I heard Johnny was going to be in town I HAD to get down there. He really is the breath of fresh air that makes me so inspired to GET BACK TO WHAT MAKES ME HAPPY.

I don't know what it is about him...but Johnny has this innate ability to make you feel INCREDIBLY special and valued. He makes you HAPPY....probably because he IS happy. In fact, "Do More of What Makes You Happy" is all over his t-shirts. He's also always saying that he wants to make sure to make "positive memories" for all of his customers.

HOW AMAZING IS THAT?

He isn't JUST about t-shirts...he's about LIVING. He's about being positive. He's about making sure YOU can see that you CAN live a positive life doing what YOU love....without drugs. He's about being an EXAMPLE.

So, I will take his example and run with it...right into RETRO'S future....because being a BAYKAH is what I love.

Speaking of baking...here are the Cakes/Cupcakes O' the Week!

Frankenweenie-inspired birthday cake (Oreo buttercream dyed green):

Sesame Street-inspired birthday cake (all fondant):

Buttercream dark peacock feathers wedding cake:

Eat, Drink, and Be Married cupcake tower topper cake:

with the cute cupcakes:

Buttercream damask and polka dot birthday cake (with edible bow and flowers):

and the BIG DADDY O' the WEEK: It's the Chocolate Lovers wedding cake!

Half regular...half CHOCOLATE MADNESS:

I am SO glad I decided to go OUT and take the family to see Johnny. He really is such a good example to everyone on how you CAN choose to live your life in a happy and positive way....and I REALLY needed his shot of inspiration.

Thank you, Johnny!!

Laytah

p.s. to SKPTGP:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!