Summer Season

"Unprecedented"

That's the word that keeps coming to our minds as we continue to cautiously navigate through this pandemic. In unprecedented times it's difficult to know the right thing to do. On a personal level, Bill and I have been doing everything we've been asked. We have isolated, we only go out for essentials and only when we can't make do with what we have and when we do go anywhere, we wear a mask a gloves and practice social distancing.

On a business level, we recognize that we are not essential. We feel that postponing our opening has been a show of respect and support to those who are. We don't want to encourage others to do what we won't and in that way we don't contribute to overburdoning the already over stressed and exhausted workers who keep essential services operating.

In my last post I explained the financial reasoning behind our postponing; we have to protect the business by not incurring costs we're not sure we can recover. Having said that, the Victoria Day long weekend approaches. We have struggled, stressed, and lost sleep (lots of stressing, lots of sleep) in making a decision about when to open again.

Now we've come full circle... unprecedented... so no matter what decision we make, it's going to feel like the wrong one. But we have to make one.

More than anyone, we want to get our business operating again. Bill and I are The Little Tart and this business means everthing to us. The only thing that means more is each other. The indecision of when to open again was driving us both insane. In the immortal words of the Fonz, "It was driving us nutso". Considering all factors (health, safety, financial, logistics) for peace of mind we had to pick a date and decide to stick with it.

We have decided to focus all our efforts and resources toward a summer season beginning the first weekend in July. As I've said many times before, we don't make any decisions lightly and with this decision we hope to turn our negative stress into the excitment of anticipating our opening.

In the meantime, the store is ready and we have taken on some necessary projects that we never manage to find time for before our season begins.

We're so sorry if this decision dissapoints but it is made with love for The Little Tart, for each other and, of course, for you.

Please stay safe and healthy. ❤

2020 Season Postponed

I had a long-winded intro planned for this post, but we all know what's been happening lately. It has infiltrated all our lives.

As you can see, we've been getting ready to open. The kitchen is ready and we're working on the store. We're going to keep getting ready but we're going to postpone our opening.

I could say this decision is all about keeping you safe, protecting you, but we had that covered. You are always our first thought and we have a "no contact" plan. But we've always been up front and honest with you so here's the no b*** sh** reason for our decision.

First weddings were cancelled which means no spring wedding income. Then came a succession of restrictions that saw our customer base dwindle day-by-day. Opening means incurring initial costs and operating at a loss which is fine when you know you'll recoup as the season goes on. We can't say that this year. We have to protect the business; back down so we can live to fight another day.

This has been the hardest decision we have ever made for this business. Stress and sleepless nights have us feeling like we've gone nine rounds with a prize fighter, pushed off a cliff into traffic. This is one of those decisions where no matter what we choose to do, it feels like we're wrong. It feels like we're letting you down. It feels like we have somehow failed. As emotional as we're feeling right now, this has to be a decision we make with our minds not our hearts.

Bill and I will finish getting the store ready because as soon as we see restrictions being lifted, we'll be ready to start baking. We are so sorry if we are disappointing anyone. That's the last thing we ever want.

The Little Tart doesn't exist without you. We're not too proud to beg. I'll repeat the end of my last post. Please, stay safe and healthy. We're not giving up, please don't give up on us. When the time comes, please, please, please come back. ❤

Getting Ready

Hello again from the inside!

As you can see in the pictures below, the kitchen is bare. We have been doing our pre-opening scrub down. While the kitchen itself is finished, it's time to scrub everything that goes in it!

'kayso... our opening date is four weeks away and we're getting ready. Now, as you can imagine, it will not be a typical opening. Bill and I have been following the updates and adhering to what we're all being told is necessary to keep ourselves and others safe and healthy. 

With the exception of Bill going to the grocery store and dump (wearing mask and gloves) we have been nowhere. And I mean nowhere. Like (twitch) when I say nowhere, I mean (twitch) it's been three weeks (ahaha) and we haven't ventured (twitch) beyond the end of Koshlong lake road! Seriously... this morning I told a squirrel to have a nice day because it was so nice to see another face (ahahaha). I'm not even sure it was a squirrel (twitch). It might have just been a lump of dirt!!!

Anyhoo... we will continue to do our part. And so, with that in mind, we are working on a plan for opening. The Little Tart is a tiny space, therefore, we need to work out how to operate and adhere to medical guidelines for social distancing. 

What does this mean?

Unfortunately we will not be able to throw open our doors and invite everyone in the way we have every other year. What's important to us is that we open, that you feel comfortable coming to The Little Tart and that we all stay healthy.

We're still working out a few details and I will post our plan within the next week or so.

In the meantime we'll continue to monitor what's happening. A lot can happen in four weeks and we're hoping our little "take-out" business will still be permitted to operate.

And now we ask this of you, our most valued customers, our dear friends; first and foremost, please stay healthy. We have missed you over the winter and look forward to seeing all of you again. We recognize that this is very a stressful time for everyone. Our heart goes out to everyone whose lives and livelihood are being impacted by this pandemic. We're freaking out a little bit of a lot ourselves about the future of The Little Tart. We have always known that without you, The Little Tart doesn't exist.

Bill and I are not going to give up so please stick with us and please please please, when you can, come back! ❤

Spring 2020 Opening!!!

Hello again and welcome to spring!

'kayso, I know I haven't posted since our winter opening and quite frankly we were just trying to get through it. To sum it up... wood lugging, snow, shovel, melt, rain, flood, snow, shovel, deep freeze, wood lugging, repeat. Much of our focus this winter has been Mojo our four legged mooch. We learned at the end of last season he has severe arthritis in his knees and arthritis in his lower back. He was barely mobile at the beginning of winter, his recovery has been slow but I'm so happy to say he's doing much better now.

We hope everyone had a wonderful winter.

So now, let's address the elephant in the room. When Bill and I first began discussing this post (I do occassionally allow him some input) we went back and forth about whether not to say anything. We feel we have to.

First of all, we fully understand the seriousness of what's happening and, of course, we want to see everyone come through this safe and healthy. We have been paying close attention to the news but more importantly we have been watching and reading what health professionals are saying. "Wash your hands. Don't touch your face."

Will do.

What we won't do is let fear drive us to panic. Yesterday we had a delivery. Bill stepped outside the door and the driver, still in the truck, became frantic and yelled at him to get back inside the house. That, in our humble opinion, is an overreaction, but an example of how fear turns into panic. Bill didn't get angry.  We both feel bad for him. We completely understand the stress and anxiety, believe me, we're feeling it, but please, let's not turn on each other.

Right now we are being bombarded with negativity. We have always strived to make The Little Tart a happy place. We're going to continue to do that. As always we will have our customers best interest at the forefront, we will, as always, be diligent in sanitizing all surfaces, and, as always, we will wash our hands often.

As for the current social etiquette... if you don't want a hug, we won't give you one. Feel free to wear gloves, a mask, a hazmat suit. (Like THAT's the strangest thing we've ever seen!) We won't take offense.

We're getting ready to open and on Saturday May 2, 2020 we're going to bake up some happiness and at 10am our twelfth season will begin! (It's on the chalkboard which makes it official!) So please, please, please stay safe and healthy and please visit.

We miss you!

Winter Opening 2019

🎶 It's beginning to look like we're opening
We even have some snow
We'll be baking tasty tarts
To warm you hungry hearts
For your winter celebrations this year! 🎶

I've been singing this little ditty for the past few days and Bill kindly pointed out I have combined two different Christmas songs.

I say that makes it an original!

Prep begins tomorrow! If your in, around or near the Haliburton Highlands next weekend we sure hope you'll pay us a visit!

Stay warm and dry, my friends, and have a wonderful weekend!

Closed for the Season

Once again, it’s about to get very still and quiet around here for a while. I hate good-byes. I get all teary-eyed and weepy and it turns into a whole messy thing. I used to sob while writing these. Not this year. I’ve written so many of them now I know this isn’t good-bye, just so long for now.

There are no pretences here. Bill and I aren’t solving the world’s problems or developing much needed cures. We’re not celebrities or winning awards for what we do. We bake. We operate a tiny tart store in a small town carved out of the forest. On a cosmic scale - my choice of reference is a tribute to Bill’s ceaseless quest to learn about our universe - we are one, single, solitary star. We’re not trying to outshine all the others; we’re trying to shine just enough to be discoverable and that you and you and you discovered us and pointed us out to others never ceases - to us - to be remarkable!

What a phenomenal season! What positive energy and atmosphere! It was truly incredible, my friends. Around about year five I wrote a post I refer to as “Anything But a Bakery”. I was very candid in explaining why I didn’t want to open The Little Tart.

Am I ever glad we ignored my misgivings.

I love this business. I love all of you who visit our little shop and who join me here online. I love the little community we call The Little Tart.

Bill and I are so proud of what we have all come together to create here; a place and a page where joy and happiness reign. There’s enough negativity in the world. We strive to drown it out, if only for a moment, but in that moment – Wow – what an incredible experience to be a part of!

Though we’re at the end of our regular season, we’ll wrap up our eleventh season – life and weather willing - with two days in December (21st and 22nd) and then our thoughts turn to next year.

And so, my friends, we thank you again for an incredible eleventh season. It has been an honour and a privilege to bake for you. We hope you’ll join us when we do this again next year.

Be safe, be healthy, be happy.

Does anybody have a tissue?

Thanksgiving Weekend Hours

It's that time of year again. Time sure flies when you're making baking!