Ike & Jane

Menus and Cuffins... you know they're my favorite!

Hey All!

We are getting down to the wire.  But for serious this time.  This weekend will mark the END of all necessary fixes and the Beginning of a couple test-kitchen days.  Yes, you heard it, Testing of FOOD AND DONUTS!  Everyone loves donuts and food.

I thought I'd drop in a picture of my latest Cuffin adventure.  Although I'm sure that if you've driven by the building lately, you've seen it.  Cause it's very hard to miss!

Our Logo has officially replaced the ol' Mural, and I know you're not supposed to brag...  But I think it turned out MARVELOUSLY.  Or at least, 5 times better than I thought it would! (also, we're on Facebook now! Become a fan!)

yep.  That is, in deed an 8-foot rendering of our logo.  This corner is SO Ike and Jane it doesn't know what hit it.  I dont think I'm allowed to paint cuffins on any more large surfaces.  The forces that be may have to cut off my hands. 

Anyway, I started this process about a week ago at 4o'clock in the morning armed with some chalk and an overhead projector.  Highschool Chemistry-style! Traced it in, then spent the next two days painting the bricks.  I'll just say, without going into too much detail... that painting on concrete blocks is HARD TEDIOUS. And I hope I never have to do it again. 

We've got most of our food items squared away. BUT I'm wondering if I could get some input from all you lovely lunch eaters!!  I'm gonna set up a poll, but Comments are also greatly appreciated if you feel heatedly about the subject of... CHICKEN SALAD!

There are hundreds of different ways to make it. Some like curry, some like celery, grapes, nuts, terragon, cranberries, pickles.  I mean I could sit here and write down chicken salad alternatives for DAYS.  But I want to know what you want.  Let's put it to a Vote!

poll by twiigs.com

OK, GO!

Ordering, Staffing, Equipment... OH MY!

It's been a while.  Have you missed me?  I've definitely missed you!

I've been at a loss for things to post.  There have been activities, but not really photographable ones... perse.  And you know, a Picture is worth 1,000 words... and now I'll have to come up with 1,000 words as I have no Pictures to take place of said words!

The holiday season is upon us, (some might say looming large) and we at Ike&Jane just wanted to extend our own Happy Holidays to you! 

We had originally planned to be open... well, a month or so ago... but 2009's fresh start was too appealing!  (not to mention, will allow us to keep our sanity!) 

SO, look for us in the early days of January!  Cause we resolve to be open in January!  I have a list of resolutions about 20 pages long, and I'm sure most will pass in the first two months.  But I'm hoping that you'll all be around to help us keep our promises to ourselves!

Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!

Ike&Jane

Saturday = Funday

So today we did a lot of things that once again, my Mom took real pictures of us working and I took hammy pictures.

Mostly cleaning and finishing off a few smaller projects... and mom found out that there were pipes under the sink! And here I thought they were brown... haha.

AND... We put up our signs! Which is definitely what I've been looking forward to for the past couple of weeks.  "How do I look?!"

Hah

How to put up a sign...

1: Measure sign and sign's new home...

2: Precariously place oneself on top of a very wobble-y ladder

3: Place sign in new home as others tell you to be careful while on previously mentioned rickety ladder.

4: Marvel at how lovely the sign looks and thank your lucky stars that you and the ladder will go on to yet another up lifting project!

Now it's just a matter of pastry cases.  Ever elusive!  We'll find it though... Cant wait to see you on the inside!  Obviously, you'll have somewhere to sit.

Real Action

So, all hamminess aside, this is what we did yesterday.

1:  We finished out the Ceiling tiles.  And by "we," I mean that Marcus and Kitty took care of it Mother-Son style.  With a surprising amount of laughter. 

2:  We painted painted painted.  But first we had to Sand Sand Sand.

3:  We had some visitors!

Matt's birthday was Friday, so his lovely wife scheduled a family visit to Athens for lunch... and of course the obligatory Stop by the sweatshop Ike & Jane.

Saturday? Oh just another 14 hour day...

Saturday's are big work days at the bakery!  I dont have all of the pictures yet, but these at least represent that we're a hammy group o' folks.

  

Mom likes to sweep.  Lots of cleaning up to do after all of the quarter round got laid in!

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and the marks finished off the office ceiling... with no help from our now somewhat disorganized "tower o' tools"

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And of course, there was the cuffin today.  We installed it on the wall, and it's looking MARVELOUS.  Just to make sure you know, we're all talking about cuffins.

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by somewhere around Midnight, we all start to teeter... and sit while the Marks continue to work hard.

More pictures later...  Mom seems to take real pictures while I go around forcing people to make funny faces.

The Cuffins Are Coming!

Hey... What's iPhone thinking about?! Probably Cuffins! [that's a cup... and a muffin...]

I mean... it is the same thing I'm thinking about...

Haha!! We got all giddy yesterday because all of our signs came in.  Here's the big guy.  He's 8 feet by something GIGANTIC.

Loving it.

So good.

And the painting's half way done!

Anyway, back to work.  I just had to show you the GIANT thought bubble!

Paint is Coming!

FINALLY! Some exterior change is on the move!

We're getting down to the wire and Gonzo and his team of merry painters are hitting the bricks.  Well, not literally, but they're laying on the primer.

Notice anything? Soooo Clean.  Primer today, Painted Tomorrow!

MMMMmmm No more gigantic Food!!!!

Woah. Taped

EVERYTHING IS SO CLOSE!

I can totally taste the donuts. Can you taste the donuts?

Mom and I have both decided that this is the part where painting is no longer fun.  The part in which Everything is already the color it will be, but there are a few tiny spots that still need touch up... so you can't really tell a difference is being made.

White on White? Boring

Blue on Blue?  Scary!

But the end result? BEAUTIFUL!

(Sort of... See Below)

Anyway, in the past few days we've done a lot of little little things that make a BIG BIG DIFFERENCE!

The Marks tackled the icky garage door glass panes that were completely doused in paint... surprisingly with smiles on their faces!

And Matt and his dad replaced a somewhat odd missing metal panel from the top of our ol' Gas station Rooftop... I'm glad I wasn't around because it appears to have been precarious!

One day I plan on seeing this mysterious man's face!

They measured, measured again

Then Stuck it up there and made it wonderful!

Lovely!

Wax On... Wax Off

Yesterday  was fun-filled with an electric floor buffer/refinisher.  Let me just tell you about a bad idea.

1.  Putting refinishing goo on the floor "generously" as the bottle indicates.

2.  Starting in the center of the room as the machine indicates.

3.  Turning on the machine while standing in the middle of the room (AKA Lake Ike&Jane) which happens to be the lowest point, and therefore deepest.

4.  Falling flat on your face.

I'm no worse for the wear but thank god no one had a video camera.  Hooooooly moly.

On that note, we fixed a few things over the weekend... and by fixed I mean made MARKED improvement!

1.  The quarter-round on the windows came out and some shiny clean windows went back in.

Before....

 

After....

And of course, We painted... and painted... and painted.

Next time, the Marks tackle scary office!!!

My favorite tools

So today Mom made me give up the camera...

And then the fellas fixed up the front of the building... which was NO SMALL TASK!

And I put in floor guards

And finally, I love me a good 5-in-one tool.

Tomorrow, the Garage doors!