And so it begins...

Believe it or not, I was unable to find anyone to take my rent check from me today. I know it's a day early, but the old landlord didn't want it and the new landlord was nowhere to be found. Hmmmm. Makes me wonder if I'm going to have to stalk someone tomorrow. Highly unlikely.

I finally have some photos to show you guys of the raw space now that the work is done (err, almost done). It's lovely, really, and I can't wait to see what it looks like with paint and paper on the walls and all of my things moved in there. So cool. The rear wall was put back into place at my request, but it looks like they moved it a bit closer to the front of the store which makes me insanely happy. That back room was small, but just big enough to have classes and gallery space. Now it's the tiniest bit bigger and much more comfortable, and I'll be able to host lots of people back there to view the work and chow down on food. Looks perfect.

I'll be sure to update the blog as the work comes along more and more, but for now I just wanted to share the shots that I have. Hope you're not too bored!

Facing the front of the shop and looking left. This entire block is called The Market Block and it houses several retail shops, a coffee shop, and a photography studio.

Facing the front of the store and looking right. The first store on the left in this shot is my space.

When you walk in the front door, this back wall faces you. The doorway on the right is the entrance to the back room where I'll offer classes and gallery space to local artists.

From the front door looking left. The recessed wall used to house two small dressing rooms, which I didn't need. This little nook will now feature the children's section of the store, I think. The door is just the entrance to the basement, which I'm allowed to use for storage.

Against the back wall looking to the front of the store. Don't you love the windows? I love all of that natural light! The window space is the last part of the shop that still needs work from the landlord. They're going to carpet the entire elevated area and install floor lighting. I hate carpet, but at this point I just want this DONE!

The lighting fixtures I waited several months for. The landlord insisted these go in the space and I didn't understand why until I saw them. They're so nice and they let in a TON of light when they're turned on.

I haven't decided on what to do with the duct work yet. The tin ceilings are staying white, but the ducts, well, I'm open for suggestions.

The back room. Take about two feet off of the width of this space and that's what I was planning to work with before the wall position was adjusted. Not too bad, eh? It's hard to tell in this shot, but you could put tables all over back here and still have plenty of room to move around. I'm very pleased.

So what do you think? Comments? Suggestions?

Drum roll, please!

And the winner of my very first giveaway extravaganza is........




MURRAY!




Congrats, lady! Ben loved your comment, and we both agreed that anyone who can publicly comment about hating the sound of children playing deserves far more than a measly vote. We're not kid people here AT ALL, so your comment made him glow. And while your statement that you've never won anything really tugged at both of our heartstrings, it was the hilarity of your confession that actually won you this contest. Thank you! And thanks to everyone else for playing along. This was a lot of fun! I'm super happy to know now that I'm not the only one who uses the phrase "shit the bed". I'm planning to have another one of these again soon, so stay tuned. And Murray, if you don't mind, drop me an e-mail at thepapersparrow@hotmail.com, please, so I can get your address from you.

Slightly embarrassing but thrilling nonetheless

Here's the link to the article I was interviewed for. Do I sound like a total dork or what?

http://www.metroland.net/features.html#3

I have Ben reading your comments for the giveaway and he'll choose his favorite. I'll post the name of the winner tomorrow morning! Thanks for playing!!!

Everything is white!

I woke up this morning to find everything covered in a not-so-thin layer of white, fluffy snow! Temperatures have been in the high forties, and in some cases, the low fifties lately, so this was a surprise. My tulips, daffodils, crocuses, and even my forget-me-nots are/were peeking out of the ground, some much more prevalent than others. I planned to get up early this morning and clean out the garden beds and actually open my windows to blow the winter stink out of my house. Guess not today. Bummer. I knew this was bound to happen since it's snowed at this time of Spring every year in the past, but it's so disappointing to actually see it on the ground, and see it STILL falling from the sky. It'll melt fast, or at least that's what I keep telling myself.

So, to cheer me up today I've decided to do a giveaway. I've always wanted to but never did. Yes, this is my very first and definitely not my last. The winner will receive his/her choice of one of the above brand spankin' new tote bags for Spring. Leave a comment here and tell me some random quirky thing about yourself...you know, something not too embarrassing, but something about you that makes other people laugh, or in some cases, makes people look at you like you have ten heads. I'll have Ben choose the winner on Sunday. Have fun with this one, folks. I know I will.

Tidbit

I'm being interviewed by Metroland magazine today for their annual Small Business issue. I'll link to the article when it's published.

I'm SO not good at this...

Dear so and so

A brief note to no one in particular, by Kate Eggleston

Dear So and So,

Why oh why do you insist on closing major shopping venues on holidays like Easter? Don't you know by now that heathens like myself prefer to be good little agnostic Americans and SHOP on days like today? I know I'm not alone when I say that certain people in this world need things like toilet paper, paper towels and a Martha Stewart dish drain on a day to day basis...even on Easter. Oh, the humanity!

I was feeling particularly crafty this morning and wanted to make a new curtain to hide the kitchen nook where we keep things like the garbage can and empty pizza boxes, but much like places such as Target and the grocery store, your influence over the JoAnn corporation was far too strong for them to resist and they simply buckled under the weight of your iron fist. That's too bad. Alas, I will wait until tomorrow for the nook cover notions, but know that the rebellious ones, a.k.a., KMart (eew, I know) prefer to separate themselves from religion and stay open on days like today, much to my cashier's dismay. Because of such luck, I scored a stunning $6 Martha Stewart cake stand and was also conveniently able to buy the before mentioned paper products I so desired.

So, in conclusion, poo poo on you. I'll keep you in mind when my stimulus check arrives, shining and glistening in the sunlight like morning dew.

Always,

Mrs. Kate Eggleston

Bind

I know most of you probably read Amy Karol's blog, Angry Chicken, but if you haven't been over that way recently, check out this most recent post, a brilliant tutorial on seam binding. Genius! Unlike Amy, though, my binding process includes lots and lots of swearing.

That shade of pesto green...

I spent most of the day laughing until it hurt.

The kids in my family got together at my grandmother's house to color Easter eggs and I went along to watch and help out. I'm glad I brought my camera. It's rare that I get to see any of them (other than Lola), so when I do see them I'm always amazed at how much they've grown. In this case, I hadn't seen my cousin Morgan's son, Ryan, and my cousin Jesse's son, Luke, since Christmas, and I hadn't seen my cousin Sarah's son, Ross, since last summer. They're getting so big and the personalities on each of them are blossoming. It's amazing how quickly they grow! Anyway, coloring Easter eggs is a tradition in our family that is being passed along to the younger generation now, and the older kids reminisced about old times while the little ones saturated themselves in various shades of purple, red, orange and blue. Good times. My grandparents treated the kids to peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (on white bread, of course), cupcakes and Peeps after the eggs were colored. The lunch portion of today was certainly my favorite. I love the messes...







After the Easter junk, I went home and made a nice dinner for Ben and I. I've been craving pesto for a while now...not sure why. As easy and convenient as it is to just grab a tub of it at the market, I love to make my own. I'm a big spinach pesto fan, but really, basil pesto is the key to my heart. I whipped up a nice batch using all organic, fresh ingredients and Ben cooked a couple of free range chicken breasts up on the grill. Throw it all on top of a nice pile of steaming hot fettuccine and you've got a seriously good meal. I went with Barefoot Contessa's recipe this time, surprise, surprise, right? Normally I just wing it. This was amazing:




Barefoot Contessa's Pesto:

1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 cup pignoli (pine nuts)
3 tablespoons chopped garlic (or a shitload more, if you're like me)
5 cups fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 1/2 cups olive oil (I thought it sounded like a lot too, but it's good)
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese


Place the walnuts, pignoli and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Process for 15 seconds. Add the basil leaves, salt and pepper. With the processor running, slowly pour in the oil through the feed tube and process until the pesto is thoroughly pureed. Add the Parmesan and puree for another minute. This is some of the best pesto I've ever had. If you're a pesto fan, give it a try. I like a little bit of lemon zest thrown in there too. Let me know what you think!

A link and a thanks

Just a quick post before I head out for dinner with the husband.

First off, I'd just like to give a shout out to my mom and her new blog:

http://moonstarsstudio.blogspot.com/

She's quite the crafty lady, so if you're into craft blogs keep checking in. She's still learning the blogger basics from a severely computer illiterate person (read: me) but she caught on quickly so she's kickin' ass.

Secondly, I'd just like to say that I am truly touched by all of the well wishes I've gotten from so many people since my last post. The e-mails are literally pouring in, the comments on this blog are beyond sweet, and the notes I'm getting in the mail are truly amazing. You're all so wonderful and I can honestly say that this new group of friends of mine (even though we've never met, I still consider you all friends) are some of the best I've ever had. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU, from the bottom of my heart. You guys rock!

shop update

I'm waiting patiently for a phone call from the guy working down in the shop space. I'm supposed to get the keys today but who knows. If I get the keys today I'll officially have eight days to get the work done before my opening. Am I nuts? Everyone around me keeps telling me to push this off another month and take my time getting in there and getting everything done right. While I see where they're coming from, I don't want to wait anymore. What do you think?

What would you do if you were in my shoes?

::UPDATE::

After spending the entire morning on the phone, everything is now in order, or so it seems. Things are still on schedule and while my grand opening is pushed back a bit at my request, I will still have access to the space and more time to prepare for the opening of my doors. I think I'll have a soft opening before the grand opening just to get used to being down there, getting used to the security system, learning about the busy times and deciding on my hours of operation. This works out best for me despite the fact that it's a bit disappointing, but I think the time crunch would put me in a position where I'd find myself biting off more than I can chew and that's not good. I'm happy. I'm relieved. I'll start posting photos of the shop progress starting next week! YAY!

I think I might be high

I've been locked in my studio all day today working on inventory and taking breaks here and there to paint the table I bought weeks ago, and putting a coat of polyurethane on the little side tables and stool I bought for the shop. Not matter how ventilated it may be here, it's not enough. Wheeeeeeee! The cat is apparently feeling it too.

Nothing fun to discuss today. I've been looking at numbers for far too long. I'm off tonight to buy my cash register. Yes, that's right. I do, in fact, have a life.

********

P.S. I apologize deeply for the whacked out hairdo and the terribly high forehead. The hairdo is the only option I have right now as I'm in the worst part of the growing-out phase (yes, again), and the forehead, well, I have no excuse for that.

The Earl of Snickerdoodle

For those of you keeping track, Earl didn't join our family this weekend. I was notified by the rescue that the foster family that Earl is currently with has a nasty case of kennel cough running through all of their dogs and they want to wait until this coming weekend to bring the dogs up from the south. Bummer. I can't help but wonder if this may have been a small blessing, though. I'm finally going to be able to get into the shop starting this week to set up and whatnot and I wouldn't have had time to spend with a puppy anyway. I don't know what I was thinking. So, no new dog for us. The cat can breathe a sigh of relief and Olive can continue to go on her merry, spoiled little way.

Now, onto baking news...

I tried a new cookie recipe yesterday and these are to die for! This is another vegan recipe for anyone who is interested. I'm not vegan. I'm an on and off vegetarian and have been for most of my life. I've been known to dabble in the vegan lifestyle from time to time and I still pay attention to any vegan recipes that cross my path. They tend to be low in fat and therefore good for the current diet I'm on. I'll include the recipe below. Let me know if you decide to try them out. This recipe makes a small batch (2 dozen or so) and they're almost completely gone already. The company we had last night gobbled them right up. So good. Oh, and if you've made the No Knead Bread I talked about last week, please let me know what you thought, and especially if you've tried different flavor combinations.

Snickerdoodles

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons baking powder

A generous amount of cinnamon (and I mean generous!)

A generous amount of nutmeg (again, go crazy)

A pinch of ground ginger

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup white sugar (if you don't eat white sugar you can use all brown)

1/2 cup brown sugar (light or dark)

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup vanilla or plain soy milk (you can use cows milk if you don't have soy)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Sift together all dry ingredients into a large bowl. In a separate mixing bowl, mix the oil, sugars, vanilla and soymilk. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix well. If the dough seems too dry (remember, we're not using exact measurements here), add a bit more milk until you get to a cookie dough-like consistency.

Shape into small balls (about a heaping teaspoon) and place on a greased cookie sheet. Smoosh the balls down into patties as thick as you'd like your cookies to be. Sprinkle more cinnamon and sugar on top if you'd like.

Bake for 10-13 minutes until the cookies are juuuuuuust about to turn brown. This makes a nice, chewy cookie. If you prefer a crunchier cookie, raise the oven temp to 450 and bake for two more minutes, or until the cookies are hard to the touch.

Remove the cookies from the oven and place on a rack to cool.

Congrats!

Just wanted to take a second and say congratulations to our friends Dave and Kate who recently got engaged! We've been waiting for this for a while now...the whole marriage thing was inevitable. These two are perfect for one another! Congratulations!

Now Dave, back to work!

moolah

While buying up inventory for the shop I've been both amazed and thankful at the number of deals I've been able to make. People have been way more than fair when it comes to wholesale pricing and I've been able to buy a lot more than I ever thought I could with the start-up money I have. I know I've made purchases from people who read this blog, so let me just take this second to thank you all for making this whole experience an extremely pleasant one. You're all lovely, really.

Now comes the serious spending. As part of my lease agreement, I am required to work with a specific sign company and have them build me a specific sign based on the other signs being used by the businesses in the building I'm moving into. The landlord wants everything to be uniform outside of the building and I understand that. So, I contacted the company a few days ago and talked with them in great detail about what I'm looking for and what colors I want to go with (black and white, please). They are very sweet and helpful people, and now I know why. They make a LOT of money. It's going to cost me a whopping $762.05 to have the sign made and installed (with a permit from the city, mind you) the right way. Ouch. I'm going through with it, of course. I'm not going to argue about another thing before this shop opens. I'm so excited about it and I want this to be a positive experience.

Wanna see the logo? My wonderful husband designed it for me (he remembered my extreme fascination with spirals) and I chose the font.

Here's the basic logo for advertising, business cards, mailers, etc.:

And here's the sign:

I chose the larger font for the sign because it'll be hung waaaaay up high on the building and the little font wouldn't be legible from way down on the sidewalk, especially to shorties like me.

What do you think?

kids, without the knocked up part

We've been talking for a while now about the possibility of adopting another dog. Olive obviously loves dogs and I think we need to finally do something about her fascination with the cat. My biggest fear is that the two dogs will double team the cat and really send her over the edge, but if luck is on my side, the two dogs will team up and forget all about poor Isabelle.

Meet Earl:


I've had my eye on Earl for a while now and I haven't been able to stop thinking about him. I contacted the rescue where Olive came from and asked them for information about him. He's currently in Alabama right now, so they really don't know much other than his age, four months, and they THINK he's an American Bulldog/Shepherd mix. I see the Shepherd, maybe, but does anyone see Bulldog in there? Someone's smoking crack.

This adoption isn't a definite. I don't even know for sure that a second dog will be a good thing for our little family, or our overcrowded little house. But you know how it goes, you see the puppy, you hold the puppy, the puppy licks your face and next thing you know you're cleaning shit off the hardwood floors for the next few weeks...allllllll over again. Puppies are my weakness.


So who knows. We passed the original screening with flying colors. And seeing as how we've adopted previously, we have first pick at the adoption clinic this weekend. What do you think? Should Earl come home with us? And if so, should we keep the name? Olive was originally Lizzy when we adopted her. That name changed fast. But is Earl really destined to stay an Earl? I can't decide.

Oh, and one more thing before I go...

If I ever needed another reason to not want real kids of my own, this is the ultimate one. I was playing with Lola yesterday and having a great time. So, I'm on my back holding her up above me, you know, playing airplane. I mentioned to Carly that I should probably stop doing that with her because knowing my luck she'll throw up all over me and just as those words came out...

Lola. Puked. IN. MY. MOUTH! Yes, I'm totally serious. Traumatized is not the word.

I still haven't gotten over it.

bread on the brain

I'm a bread junkie. There, I admit it.

If you gave me a choice between a hunk of chocolate or a thick slice of homemade bread, I'm going for the bread. In fact, you'd have to slap my hand away before I snatched the entire loaf out from under you. After reading this post and then heading to Barnes and Noble to peek at that book, I've had bread on the brain ever since...namely, homemade bread. I dug out my most favorite bread recipe and made two loaves for last night's dinner. We had baked potato soup with kielbasa and nothing goes better with comfort food like that than nice, warm bread. Mmmmmm.

This is a no knead recipe, although I find myself kneading anyway just because I like to. You can tweak the recipe and add things like cinnamon and raisins, caramelized onions, black olives, or even fresh herbs.


If anyone wants the recipe, let me know and I'll post it here. Trust me, you want it. It's vegan if that makes a difference.

**UPDATE**

Okay, here's the recipe. Just as a quick note I want to add that I use all purpose flour for the first three cups and whole wheat flour for the second three. You can use any flour combo you'd like, but I think the wheat/white combo makes the best bread.

No Knead Bread

2 packs of yeast
1/4 cup warm water
2 cups hot water
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon salt
3 cups flour
1/3 cup olive or vegetable oil
3 cups flour

Pour warm water into a small ceramic bowl and add the yeast, but do not stir. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, or in the bowl of an electric mixer (fitted with the dough hook), pour hot water over the sugar and salt, then stir with a wooden spoon to completely dissolve. Combine 3 cups flour with the water mixture. Pour the oil on top of the dough mixture then add the yeast mixture on top of that, but do not stir. Top with the remaining 3 cups of flour and mix well. At this point, the dough should be pliant and moist, but not gooey. This recipe is a no-knead recipe, but I knead the dough for a few minutes anyway. Place the dough back into the bowl and cover the bowl with a damp towel. Set aside to rise for at least 45 minutes. (I've left it for almost two hours.)

On a lightly floured cutting board or countertop, divide the dough in half. At this point, I knead each half again, but it’s not necessary. Place each half into a greased loaf pan. Cover the dough with a moist towel and set aside to rise again for another 45 minutes (or longer).

After the dough has risen the second time, preheat the oven to 375 and bake for exactly 23 minutes. If you can keep everyone from digging in right away, allow to cool for about 15 minutes and then enjoy.

The Ultimate In Ignorance

In the past, people have asked me what my biggest pet peeve is. After thinking about it for a while it finally dawned on me that ignorance is definitely it.

Now, I'm all for freedom of speech. I respect that everyone has an opinion and this particular opinion not only belongs to this woman but to millions of others around the world. It's her right to say it just as it's my right to disagree, or simply turn around and walk away, change the channel or turn the page.

What I find hard to believe, though, is the fact that what someone else does in their own life and in their own personal time has such an obvious horrible impact on someone else's life. Does it really hurt you THAT MUCH to know that someone else is, dare I say it?...gay??? Oh, the horror! The opinions of people like the woman in this clip make my skin crawl, but I'm not about to call her a terrorist or compare her hate-filled lifestyle to that of an animal. I simply accept it, knowing full well that while it's a hurtful thing to say, it really doesn't matter. Those who accept and hopefully embrace who they really are shouldn't let those who spew hate speech into the world affect them. I hope they pity them just like I do. There's something hidden deep down inside of ignorant people, and that something turns them into who/what they are. I feel sorry for this woman and I hope that someday she can find peace in her life.

People need to learn one basic rule in life, and I think everything will be okay after that...MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS! I learned it in kindergarten. This woman was apparently absent that day.

And now I'll step back down off my soapbox.

Standing on the shoulders of giants

I took a bit of a break from the shop preparation mayhem yesterday and did some shopping with my mom. Sadly, her sewing machine bit the dust and she needed a new one. As much as I hate when sewing machines die, I don't necessarily think of it as a bad thing...it just means you get to buy a new one! I love new machines. Lately I find myself thinking the same way about my truck. I drive a 1997 Toyota Tacoma pickup truck and as much as I adore the thing, I wish someone would steal it and drive it off a cliff or something. Wouldn't that be nice? Sorry, I'm drifting off here. Anyway, yes, sewing machines.

She wanted something simple and easy because she's still learning, so I talked her into going to Sears to look at the Kenmore models. I started on a Kenmore and I love everything about it, so I thought that was a good start for her, too. She loved all of the fancy little decorative stitches that the Singer machines offer, but I've heard dreadful things about Singer lately (no matter what Martha Stewart says) and even the sales guy talked her out of buying one. She went with a middle-of-the-road Kenmore that will last her a lifetime if she takes care of it. Those puppies work long and hard. Oh, and I think I left a trail of drool throughout the sewing department. Some of those new machines are amazing.

We have a new Barnes and Nobel store in the area, because, well, the old one apparently wasn't doing it for someone anymore or something. The new store has the most amazing craft book section and while I try my darnedest to support the little guy and stay away from the big chain stores, I made a bee line for that department anyway. Initially I wanted to go and check out the cooking section after reading this post. The book is fantastic and if I had the extra cash I would have snatched it up in a second. Instead, though, my money went toward these books:

My mom bought a few books on crochet too, and also grabbed this book:

which I quickly "borrowed" because I've been dying to get my hands on a pinafore pattern for children. So cute. Everything is so inspiring. I've already learned so many new stitches from the Happy Hooker book and now I feel confident with making something other than single crochet scarves. YAY!

How are all of you lovely folks doing lately? As I write this, I'm sitting here baffled at the mess surrounding me. I'm not a neat freak by any means (well, maybe a partial neat freak), but this is making me mental. Take a peek:

The room is small to begin with, but things are so crammed in it's hard to sit much less do something crafty and wonderful. This is all going down to the shop once I'm able to get in there (looks like next week!) and I can't wait to reclaim my studio. It sucks to have to move a mountain of boxes just to get to your sewing scissors, but it's exciting at the same time. I can't wait to get into the boxes and bags and display things on shelves and in jewelry cases. Everything is falling into place and I'm getting excited for my opening. For now, though, Miss Isabelle loves the mess just fine. Gives her a place to hide from the dog and bask in the sunlight.

Fierce!

I'm so proud of him!

While I was rooting for Christian, I thought Jillian had the strongest collection. Opinions? Comments? Do you even know what I'm talking about?

A case of the Monday's

...only today is Tuesday.

It's such a blah rainy day today. I will say, though, that last night actually smelled like Spring and that makes me happy. I can't wait to see which of the bulbs I planted last year decide to make an appearance this time around. I planted checkered lilies two years ago and they didn't come up last year. I'm hoping they were just being bashful and they'll show their pretty faces this year. They're so gorgeous. And the toad lilies. Oh, the toad lilies. They're spreading across the garden beds in my front yard and I love them so much! I wish the toad lilies and my Columbine would get together and agree on blooming at the same time. Now THAT would be a sight. Lately my fingers are craving the squishy feeling that only gardening can provide. My back on the other hand, well, my back thinks that Spring can take its sweet time getting here. Ugh. My back + digging in our back yard = pain in the buns. Who knew I'd be old by the age of 31?

Our house looks so much better and more welcoming in the warmer months, doesn't it?

I don't have much to report today, I'm afraid. I spent the morning with my sister and Lola shopping for fabric. One of Carly's friends is due to have her baby any day now and she's been begging Carly to convince me to make her a diaper bag. I swore repeatedly that I will NEVER make another diaper bag again after putting the last stitches in Carly's bag (and Morgan's bag, too, if I remember correctly), and yet somehow I'm back at square one with raw fabric on one side of me, and an overused diaper bag pattern on the other. It's flattering, really, that anyone would want to sport something I've made, but really, diaper bags will mean the end of me, mark my words. I hate making them. My machine does, too!

I apologize for such a boring post today. I'm afraid that things are a bit slow moving. I spent a good portion of my morning reading this blog from start to finish and I fell in love with this woman's work enough to approach her about accepting a wholesale order. She quickly replied and we're in business. I'm so excited to carry her things in my store! Her work is quite lovely.

Speaking of the shop, things are moving along quickly! The floor is going in and next comes the lighting. The contractors are going to do my painting for me, which I'll totally admit is a complete relief. I'm so thankful. I'm starting to go through that phase where I worry that I won't have enough inventory. I can't think of a single thing I might need, but part of me still thinks there's going to be a lot of empty space. Would any of you like to take on a wholesale order? How about some of your crafty friends? You can e-mail me at thepapersparrow@hotmail.com if you're interested. Mmmmmkay? Thanks!

I hope this post finds you well and I hope your day is a bit more, uhh, eventful than mine.

update

I've gotten a few e-mails from people asking what's going on with the shop and figured I'd just update here.

The truth is, there's no change. I went down to have a chat with the current landlord and he told me that he's staying on for another five years to oversee the renovation project with the new owner. All of the current tenants in the building have made it clear that they don't want him to leave, so he's decided to stick around and make sure that everything is cool with the leases and whatnot. While this calls for a serious sigh of relief for myself and the others there, I'd be lying if I said that the landlord's health wasn't a concern of mine. He's an older man with several serious health problems, and I just hope he can stick out these five years with us.

So, that's that. While the sale of the building is still in the works (although, it will be some time before the actual sale goes through), our landlord, the *good* one, will stick around and make sure that everything runs smoothly. As far as the construction in the space goes, he promised me that I'd be in there and running for my target date, March 28th. The contractors are willing to paint for me, too, so that will save me a ton of time.

Keep your fingers crossed for me, kids. This may be a smooth ride, or a very bumpy one. Eek.