The "Before"

Tucker's Soda Shop was opened in 1950, by Jack Tucker and his wife. The soda shop was a local hang out for mill workers and surrounding residents. Mr. Tucker would cash the mill worker's paychecks every week. There is an old iron safe in the back room that was once robbed for all the cash it contained. The robbers cut a hole in the roof, dropped through and with dynamite, blew the safe open. You can still see the burnt residue around the old latch. I'm researching the details - most of which come from old patrons who pop in to see what's happening to their hang out of days gone by. There are so many stories and fond memories.

Mommom standing on the front deck of Tucker's Soda Shop. This will be the first name and business change since 1950. The Small windowed area to her left, your right, was the old nook carhops used to get out of the weather and pick up their orders.
This is a shot of behind the old counter. There is lots of old caked on grease. Must insert 'vision' here.
Talking with the designers. All pictures have been removed from the walls and the holes patched. Yikes -ah!
Mom taking a break. It was super cold. No heat because the gas company hadn't been out yet.


Just a couple of pictures to give everyone an idea. I'll try and keep up with the progress. Thanks for all the prayers and good wishes!

~Coffee to a Tea~

The proposed grand opening date for Coffee to a Tea by Cake Squared is Feb 2, 2009. That's less than 3 weeks away. We've picked a color scheme, brought in the designers http://www.inspiro8.com/ , and have plenty of bodies ready to get down and dirty.


We have to clean, remodel, order equipment, sample, order product, and train. We are fortunate to have three former baristas in the family and two who managed coffee shops. We will have an in house bread maker who sprouts and grinds his own grain and bakes preservative free breads. Everything we serve will be all natural down to the sugar substitutes for coffee and tea.


We are negotiating with local businesses to use their products and services to promote Shop Local Greenville. The Greenville bike trail is soon to be running right down Lois Street past our building and the West Greenville art district is growing and gaining popularity by the day.


Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we enter the unknown and attempt to create our vision. We need all the support we can get. The days are long and full and we find ourselves running on adrenaline and caffeine! I'll continue to keep you posted as we make progress and draw nearer to our first open day of business!

Muffins Don't Sell Themselves!

My Interview

Interviewed by Kathleen Young

1. I see you live in South Carolina. Are you a native of the state? What's your favorite thing about living there?

I love South Carolina. I love that the mountains are at my fingertips and the beaches are a few hours away. I love our provocative past. I love our perfect seasons; cold winters, gorgeous springs, hot summers, and crisp falls. I love Moon pies with Pepsi, Palmettos, and Crescents, but my most favorite thing about living in Greenville, South Carolina is the people. Tradition and hospitality rise to the occasion. And there’s always an occasion.

2. How did you come to work at your current job and why?

I currently have three jobs. I am the Vice-President of Cake Squared Inc., a brand new designer cake company, a frontline tech at a communications company (my frontline job supports me financially), and am currently opening an all-natural coffee bar in Historic West Greenville. Cake Squared has been incorporated less than a year and is showing great promise for success. My mother is my partner. We are artists and bakers, but first and foremost visionaries. My hope for the near future is to quit my communications job and rely solely on cake and coffee!

3. What would be your favorite film, double-feature?

My favorite film of all time is Moulin Rouge. I love the music and the art. The film’s creative license invokes and the love story inspires. I laugh, I cry. I watch again. And if I had to have a back-up it would be Tommy Boy.

4. Before blogging, what was your mode of personal expression, if any?

It’s hard to say. I’ve always liked to write things down. I paint, draw, and have dabbled in some sculpting. My roommate and I had a quote wall in our apartment where we wrote whatever we felt like and encouraged our friends to do the same. I loved that.

5. Apart from loved ones, what is your most treasured possession?

I have a Brazilian cherry headboard my dad designed and built for me. It’s unbelievably beautiful. I will always cherish it.

Here's the directions:
1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me."
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. (I get to pick the questions).
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

Re-Post .....Ants Marching

I am reposting this blog as a dedication to my lovely little friend Marie-Lisette.

Original Post : October 18, 2005

I saw a big ant hill today that made me think about ant farms.
Thinking about ant farms made me remember when I was a kid and my sister and I had one. It was cool back then...I think.
Which reminded me of my sister's pets that seemed to die a lot.
Which reminded me of a little girl I used to babysit.
She had about 7 hamsters.
Not at the same time. They all unfortunately met untimely deaths.
The first one died of fright. Apparently they don't like being thrown in the air (go figure. but no one told the 6 yr old)
The second died of hamster cancer. I don't know.
The third was playing in the yard when it seized an opportunity to escape and disappeared forever under the fence.
The fourth died in a bathtub accident. She was bathing it and with fierce objections from me, a horrified onlooker, she swore it could hold its breath, does it all the time.
The fifth was eaten by a neighbors' dog during a most lovely tea party.
The sixth died during a school science project. I never got the full details.
Number seven never made it home. Something about a suicidal plunge out the window of a moving mini van.

Sette, you are my muse! <3

Full Moon - January 11th - 3:28 - Sunday

"Take two cups and call me in the morning."

I am a lover of coffee. I love it in the morning. I love the aroma and the way it's rich warmth coats my insides. Coffee wakes me and makes me feel good about the day. I love it in the afternoon. I love the way it sooths my weary mind and gives me a boost for the remains of the day. I love it in the evening. A hot cup of decaffeinated coffee shakes off the long day.

Coffee rocks me and rolls me.

I love coffee and coffee loves me back.

1. Researchers from the University of Scranton released on August 29, 2005 that coffee is the No. 1 source of antioxidants in the American diet. Black tea is the second.

2. The latest research has not only confirmed that moderate coffee consumption doesn't cause harm, it's also uncovered possible benefits. Coffee may reduce the risk of developing gallstones.

3. Coffee discourages the development of colon cancer.

4. Coffee improves cognitive function.

5. Reduces the risk of liver damage in people at high risk for liver disease, and reduces the risk of Parkinson's disease.

6. Coffee has also been shown to improve endurance performance in long-duration physical activities.

Source: Harvard Health Publications, Harvard Medical School, 2006.

7. It makes me happy. In The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics by Dr. J. Murdoch Ritchieh, he reports.... On the positive side, caffeine produces "a more rapid and clearer flow of thought," and allays "drowsiness and fatigue. After taking caffeine one is capable of greater sustained intellectual effort and a more perfect association of ideas. There is also a keener appreciation of sensory stimuli, and motor activity is increased; typists, for example, work faster and with fewer errors."

8. You can feel pretty good about yourself when indulging in a hot, steamy cup of black magic. Coffee is a mild stimulant, is packed with antioxidants and can stand head to head with most other “health” beverages in your local health food store.
The problem with the calories in your coffee is not about the coffee at all. It’s about what you add to your coffee.

10 calories - Regular cup of coffee, no cream or sugar

9. Drinking coffee appears to lower the risk of developing skin cancer. A research team at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, has shown that a combination of exercise and some caffeine protects against the destructive effects of the sun’s ultraviolet-B (UVB) radiation, known to induce skin cancer.
The caffeine and exercise seemingly work together in killing off pre-cancerous cells whose DNA has been damaged by UVB-rays.

10. Fiber found in coffee is soluble fiber. You can’t see it, but it plays a very important function in our health. In fact, it’s dietary fiber of the soluble kind that helps prevent cholesterol from being absorbed by the intestines.

11. Gary Arendash, a researcher at the Byrd Alzheimer's Institute in Tampa, Florida, says, "The remarkable thing is that a simple cup of coffee appears to have more effect on preventing Alzheimer's than the expensive pharmaceuticals currently being used to treat the disease."

12. Researchers say results suggest that caffeine as well as other elements in coffee may work separately as well as together in lowering the risk of type 2 diabetes by preventing insulin resistance.

13. Coffee does increase your brainpower. In a world filled with expensive supplements claiming to boost memory and intelligence, you'll find it reassuring to know that you can save some money and increase your brainpower naturally, by drinking my favorite beverage...coffee.

So drink up. Feel good about it. But don't forget to carry a stick of gum. Not everyone loves coffee breath. Sa-na-na!