Chocolate Shop Sitting

Well today I'm chocolate shop sitting. Where you may ask? Well my chocolate shop of course. And I've walked around Langley and listened to the D'jango (sorry if I've spelled this wrong). And I've gone to look at the Peace Cart.

I really wanted to look at the Peace Cart but it wasn't open today. Pushkara said it would be open tomorrow.  I may or may not see it. The outside is pretty amazing in itself and colorful. It's nice. Peaceful you might say.

And there were musicians in the round there. We are in year number five of D'jango for the chocolate shop. I must not draw D'jango to us because even when we had the tent out back and everything we didn't get many musicians. It's funny I think. But it is what it is. I'm glad that there is music abounding in Langley. It certainly doesn't have to be at my shop. I mean really.......

I like sitting here and watching people come in and out. We haven't had the number of people through today that we did last year but it's still fun. I'm always wondering how to draw people in. I took down my chocolate signs when I changed over to the new look. I still have them. They may have to go up on the trim of the building again. And of course we are missing our sweets ambassador today. Debbie is amazing and when she goes out into the crowd and gives people samples, people just pile in here.

This chocolate shop is pretty serious business. At least it is to me. I currently have five employees and some how I feel responsible for them. Like it's up to me to do everything I can to make sure that they have a job. Sometimes I am successful and sometimes I'm not. It's the times that I'm not that are particularly tough.

It is simply amazing that amount of business I've gotten over the Internet this summer. Of course all the chocolates had to be shipped with ice and with fingers and toes crossed on the hottest days of the summer. Most of them got there. And the one that melted I worked it out to ship it later and she was fine with that. Really customer service is what it's all about.

That's the reason I do this really. I love people and I love making them happy and what better way to make people happy than to give them chocolate and gelato and brownies and waffles. It's a tough life but someone has to step up to the plate and do it! That's me... the do it girl!

I'm either all in or all out so it's very good when I'm all in. My energy is up and I'm ready to conquer the world. When I first started even thinking about the shop I dreamed about being a "Godiva" competitor. I mean, Godiva isn't that great or at least it wasn't when it was owned by Campbell Soup but I meant volume wise.

Can you imagine putting out that much of any type of product? It takes an amazing amount of coordination, capital, and just luck! It's really fun to dream about it and inside I still believe that it's possible. Even though I don't have a great amount of capital, it could still happen. And even if it doesn't happen I'm having so much fun with the dream... I just must continue.

Until next time, dream your dream! No matter what it is believe that you can do it and if it truly is your dream others will come along to help you along the way.

Many blessings!

Sitting in a coffee shop

Well, I'm sitting in a little coffee shop at a little table watching people and wondering how the next few days will unfold. I love what I do. I create. All of us create. It's up to us what we create. We can create chaos or we can create calm. We can change the world or the world can change us and most likely both happens.

Each moment of the day we have the opportunity to change some one's life for the better. It can be as simple as a smile or as complicated as building a school for a country that doesn't have one. One thing is for sure and that is we all gifts. They are called gifts because we are supposed to share them with others.

I mean what good is it if you can sing if you don't sing out loud? What good is it to be a builder if you never built anything?  What good is it to be a writer if you never write?

Well, I like projects. I like seeing a blank sheet of paper and building something from the ground up. It's been nine years since I started thinking about Sweet Mona's. The creation of the chocolate shop started when I worked at Macy's (The Bon) in Seattle. I used to get there early. So early that no one else was there. So in the morning when no one was there I used to "walk the table".

What is walking the table anyway? There was a big conference table in a separate room in our offices. And I used to walk around the table and dream about opening the chocolate shop. I thought about what it would like and what we would have and who would we serve. I wrote a business plan in my head. And finally it went on paper. When I think about it, it seem so very long ago.

And the business plan has changed over the years. I thought the other that that maybe I should have named the shop shapeshifters chocolate because I always seem to be morphing and changing into something else. But now I think that the shapeshifting is done. I look at it and I truly believe that it's perfect. That doesn't mean that there will never be any new flavor or pastries or anything. What it means is that this shop has all the components that I dreamed of.

And so I ask myself... what's next? I'm thinking about a 2nd shop in Freeland. It would be more like a boutique. It would be Sweet Mona's Coffee and Chocolate. For me it looks like a new project. Did I tell you that I like projects? I truly do. A project is fine but this business is not a hobby. It's a business.

When I sit down and I do all the penciling the business should make money. And I guess it does but I think that I spend it as fast as I make it. So this is my task right now. Create a budget. A working budget that keeps Sweet Mona's healthy financially.

Honestly, I've never done a budget. I've never kept within a budget. I've always just believed we'd be OK, we'd make it through. There's a lesson in here I'm sure... I believe that the lesson is to learn how to budget. So that's what I'm doing. No more spending willy nilly for this and for that.  I must stick to a budget.

This is part of the journey--learning. Listening to your heart and hearing what the next lesson might be coming at you and being open to learn the lesson. That's what I must remember. To be open to the lesson and listen and learn.

So, that's where I'm at today. And tomorrow.... who knows where I'll be. Have a happy weekend.

Whidbey Island Farm Tour

After work today, Tony and I spent the afternoon visiting a few farms on the Whidbey Island Farm Tour. Now that I'm off at noon I have time to go out and really live the sweet life on Whidbey Island--not only enjoying great chocolate but truly enjoying a great community.

Our first stop was the Shipki Farm. It was an amazing farm with lots of planting ideas and techniques I'd never seen before. That's wouldn't be unusual as I'm not a farmer. But even though I'm not a farmer I know the taste of farm grown good vegetables when I taste them. I had a tomato while I was there. It was wonderful. God how I love tomatoes. A good tomato sandwich does me just fine. Anyway, back to the farm.

We started going through a gate with hearts on both of them and hops cascading over the entry way. There were burlap sacks down to pave the way and keep down the weeds I guess. There were informational placards every where so  you could learn as little or as much as you wanted.

Also there were greenhouse type structures, pole structures, and a farm gift store in the front under a tent where I got the best tomato I've had all year.

Next was Fern Ridge Alpacas. It was a little trek up the hill but if you didn't want to walk up to the pastures, you could drive your cars up. They had lots of Alpacas, Llamas, and demo's going on. Definitely worth the stop. And the baby alpaca was so very cute. They haven't name him yet so there was a jar that was taking suggestions.

Comfort Winery and Vineyard was our next step. Of course there is a tasting room there. Tony and I both tried a few wines. Honestly, I'm not a wine drinker but the Sweet Donna was just right for me. Their view from their home and "garage" winery was just beautiful. I could have sat there for hours and just looked out at it. And they had a fig tree in the back yard and were picking figs and giving tastes. Very yummy. There was a new calf in the field and he was very cute. It made me want one and then I remembered that they grow up to be cows.

My camera ran out of battery juice about this time we left there and honestly I was starving and I just wanted to go get something to eat. But, of course, Tony wanted to push on and see another farm. So, of course, we did.

So with no camera we stopped at Sonshine Alpacas. And of course, there were lots of camera opportunities there. They had animals for sale and I could have come home with a bunny or a peahen or even an alpaca but..... I don't live on a farm. The farm was divided up in interesting little pasture areas. They had a postage stamp farm. I thought that would have been perfect if it was about 3' high and not so wide. My knees just aren't as good as they used to be so I need a standing garden to work if there really is such a thing. They also had goat sausage. I tried it and it was good but I in my mind all I could see was those little cute little goats. I dont' think goat sausage is for me.

It was a good day and we finished with dinner at El Corral. I love their Nachos and I love them! They are great people!

I saw lots of great people while I was on the farm tour. Some I recognized right off the bat. Some I didn't. Sorry about that. It's a sweet life on Whidbey Island in and out of the chocolate Shop. We just can't live on chocolate alone.

To view pictures go to my personal face book page album by clicking:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=88402&id=1441464093&l=4a646ace62

It's just another note from me... typo's, grammatical errors, and all. Take me as I am or not at all. I'm not sure who said that but I like it. Till next time.....