I’d like to share some before and after pictures of my kitchen and baking area. We moved into this house a year ago and it has been a PROJECT. When I first started “officially” my own business, back in 2018, all I had was a black utility shelf. Many times I wanted to quit, just throw it all away. I cried a lot, happy tears and sad, usually the sad tears had cuss words too, but I felt I had invested so much time before 2018 and money I did not want to throw it all away.
I started as a decorator at Savemart in 2005, then another store, a bakery in San Francisco then eventually at home for myself. Several times in between those jobs I tried to work from home, learning quickly home baking and grocery production were not even from the same planet. I tried to price my stuff like the stores and was going backwards. Grocery stores get such a cost cut it is impossible for a home bakery to compete with those prices.
My first attempt at home business (unofficial) was in 2011, I hardly any tools, no turn table and was cutting cardboard and wrapping it in foil for cake boards. What a hot mess. Baby steps, breaks, a LOT of breaks and time off, moving, babies, houses, LIFE all happened.
Fast forward to a year ago, 2019. We moved to the next town over and I took over a dining room type space. It had hideous old wall paper, the leaf ivy 1980's one. You probably grew up with it, ironically I did too! I love vintage but this was not going to work for Berry Sweet Shoppe, or my eyes. I think even my cakes were afraid of it. The space also needed new lighting and electrical work. If you are not afraid of hard work you can save a lot of money.
About six months ago I dove in, head first! I started peeling the wall paper off. If you have never done that, just be prepared for a lot of work, especially if whoever hung it did a great job. My husband assumed I was just going to do one wall. He had underestimated the power of a determined (and slightly neurotic) woman. I Spent 15 HOURS taking off that horrid paper, another two days painting and my husband did the electrical work. We also did the cabinets ourselves. God gifted me with a very handy man.
Over the past six months we have transformed our kitchen and my work space. We worked hard and I am very proud of all we did. There is probably ten more little things I need to do but am very excited for what we have accomplished. HARD WORK PAYS OFF!!!
So here is a short virtual tour of my Bakery Berry Sweet Shoppe.😊❤️Feeling blessed, and very tired lol. Before, during, after ( if they posted in that order). Do note I did not work in those conditions you see in those messy pictures. I do wish I got a picture of that wall paper, sorry to disappoint har har. *The first photo is after the wall paper was taken down, second was after I repainted the walls. After that you can see the before and after counter tops of the kitchen.
And of corse I want to thank every single one of you who have helped make this possible, I could not grow with out the nourishment of my lovely clients. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you all!
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