Alright, I’ll admit … I’ve been in a SERIOUS funk lately.  I’ve seen enough “building a restaurant” shows and read enough horror stories to know that the building of my cake studio would require a lot of patience & I had as much of a chance of winning the lottery as I did having everything go smoothly and ON TIME.  However, knowing what to expect and living it are two very different things.

At the end of July, I was supposed to have my architectural drawings done to submit to the building & health departments (who then has a month to review them), and as the end of August quickly approaches – I still don’t have them.  The last email from my architect says I should have them by the end of this week or early next week (*SEPTEMBER people!!!!*).  So let’s see … I’m already a month behind and I haven’t even gotten to the fun part of construction yet, where I thought all my delays would happen.

In the interim, I’m hesitant to really plan a big marketing push for the fall market, because who knows when the studio will actually be open and ready to go.  My personal guess is sometime in January 2010, although in my heart of hearts I really want it to be November 2009.  I really don’t want to be majorly putting myself out there when I am still working in a very small environment & don’t have the capacity to take a slew of orders.

I’ve tried to be productive & stay positive through these early delays, but it’s increasingly difficult when your entire life is kind of ON HOLD waiting for this cake studio to be born.  At least expectant moms know that they have a MAXIMUM of nine months before their kid is here.  Sigh.  (Total side-bar: Although, like expectant moms, I do find myself knitting like CRAZY to stay calm & not totally lose it – and NO, I do not knit cake ;p Let’s just say that my entire family & lots of friends will be warm this winter!)

I’m already behind on my goal of one cake a week until the studio opens … but I’m hoping to catch up in the next few weeks.  I have a paid order for this coming Saturday, and I’m hoping that being in the kitchen will help me stay out of the funkitude.  Maybe, I’ll even be inspired to squeeze in the two cake designs that I should have made in the last two weeks.

It’s a weird see-saw effect when it comes to the equation of making cakes for me … it’s goes a little like this:

1. Funkitude b/c of studio delays = avoid the kitchen & anything cake related as it is a reminder of how I need more SPACE!
2. Being in the kitchen & making cake (& or other savory food or sweets) = funkitude disappears & clients/friends/husband/me get to eat the rewards

I think I’ll be taking the kitchen path this week …