Thrifty Tearoom Funriture Finds

Moving ever closer to securing a property for Cushion and Cake I've been busy with viewings and meetings to sort out the financials. I hope to put an offer in on a place next week!

This may be premature but Stuart has been working on some ideas for signage for the tearoom.

In the meantime, I've been out searching for inspiration and for furniture for the tearoom. So far I've thrifted a number of chairs, cups and saucers, an old Singer sewing machine and a Welsh dresser. My very kind Dad is letting me store the stuff in his garage at the moment... thanks Dad!!

Today I did a tour of the Glasgow auction houses to see if there was anything suitable for Cushion and Cake like tables and teapots. These are the things I'm struggling to get a hold of. I also went to my local antiques shops arcade, Ruthven Mews and found lot of inspiration there.

I wasn't thinking about this Samsonite embroidered luggage for the tearoom but I do love them.

Gorgeous mix of crockery here. I was greedily searching through this lot for any of my favourite names.

More loveliness to rummage through

I really liked this retro unit and re painted, reupholstered chair. I'd like a couple of chairs like this for the tearoom. I'd like to paint them and choose the fabric myself.

This wicker furniture is painted in pastel colours which means I love it. I'd like this in my flat rather than the tearoom though.

Another shot of the painted chair with lemon painted table next to it. One of the lovely gentlemen who owns one of the antique shops in this arcade suggested a theme for each table. This would be a nice lemon theme.

A rather nice collection of vintage linen. I could have a couple of tables adorned with beautiful vintage linen.

So, here at the end of a busy week I'm looking forward to a relaxing weekend and some pumpkin carving, and maybe some pumpkin soup or even a cake!

Happy Halloween

Interior designing and tea sampling

Things are moving on with the tearoom. I'm hoping to get in for my second viewing this week with my uncle who's a builder to show him what kind of changes I might want to make to the property.
I'm also going back to the Business Gateway this week to meet with my advisor to firm up my finance figures.
I've been spending some time getting excited about the look of the tearoom and have started working on a mood board.

Lots of pastel colours, quite feminine, but not too girly. My home is really quite girly, shabby chic but I'm not sure that is to everyone's taste. I've been researching sinks, shelves, chairs, lights. This is my favourite part of the project, the interior design. But I feel nervous about it too. What is no one likes it except me??!!

Out in the West End yesterday, Stuart and I stopped for a bowl of soup and some cake in a new Vintage clothes shop.

 

The soup was lovely, and I wanted to steal the lovely big soup plate.

Stuart had tea in a pretty cup and both had slices of cake, but I'm afraid I ate mine before I could take a picture of it...

I've also managed to get my hands on four old chairs this week for the tea room. My plan was to paint all furniture in pastel colours and distress them a bit. I'm still undecided. 

While I'm waiting for all the official bits and bobs to come together, along with a the interior design of the tea room, I've turned my attention to the tea. I think I'll offer around 6 different teas and I want them to be special. I've been in touch with suppliers of tea that I like as a start. I spoke to someone this morning who is sending me some samples this week. Yum.

Back in the saddle!

So as you know from my last post, I had some bad news regarding that property I missed out on, but all it not lost, oh no! I've found another couple which are even BETTER! Better location, nicer street, near my home, in great condition. It is looking good. I can already see myself in there. I've already decorated the place. So excited about the decorating bit.

I don't have any interesting photos to show you at the moment of the property, but how about a couple of pictures of cake that I baked this week. Coconut and Lime Cake. One for me and one for a friend's birthday.

That's a pretty big slice for one person I admit!

At the weekend, I went to stay in Stuart's family caravan on Girvan. There are lovely beaches nearby. I'm always on the look out for heart shaped stones.

I started to collect heart shaped stones but to avoid cluttering my flat with hundreds of them, I thought a nice picture of them would do.

I was given some flowers this week to cheer me up after my disappointment last week. 

The colour of the carnations is magnificent. Very sumptuous.

I think that's all my news for now until I have some real news on the tearoom. Have a great weekend x

Back on the property search... boo hoo

Well, after a very productive week last week doing financial projections for the tearoom, having the first meeting with my new accountant and catching up with an old friend in their new café business Café Wander, I had some bad news on Friday morning... One of the worst things to go wrong, again, someone else had jumped in and put an offer in on my place!! Argh!!!

So not quite back to square one, I've still done all of my research, but I'm back on the search for a property, and feeling a little bit sad. The property search part is so difficult. There just isn't an abundance of suitable, affordable places here in Glasgow. Saying that, I'm off to see another property this afternoon and hopefully if it is suitable, I can haggle a bit on the price of the rent.

Anyway, enough of the moaning. To cheer myself up, I bought myself a book on how to make macarons. I'm going to make some this week. I have a little idea that if I get really good at making them I can sell them in the tearoom.

Ooh they're sooo pretty!

Numbers or cake? Cake please

The last post I wrote I was feeling positive about a property that I'd seen for Cushion and Cake. I'm really excited because it feels like things really have started moving.

I've set up a few meetings this week with advisors and accountants and the like. I'm hoping to go back and see the wee property this week too.

Trying hard today to sit for more than five minutes and put the figures I've worked out for my start up costs into my business plan. I'm struggling.

I've looked at some expamples of business plans but they don't seem to be very helpful to me. I could really do with seeing a business plan for a little tearoom.

There are a million other things I'd rather be doing right now than working out numbers like researching cake recipes and sourcing cool stuff for the tearoom.

 I guess to be a business person I have to do both...