A Few Spiderhouse Photos

I didn't want to overwhelm the last post with pictures, so I'm making a second one.  Stop complaining- you know you looooooove us and our pictures.  

We met at Spiderhouse today, as I have already babbled about.  This place is so, so cool.  I have been going there for years for parties, meet ups, dates, girls nights, and just to have a beer or coffee out on their patio.  It's my very favorite place here, and every time I have a friend in from out of town, I take them there.  I have taken countless pictures there over the years, and have posted them everywhere.  Here are a few I got today at "The Chapel", which is a staging area that kind of rules there.  

I love this city!

Exciting News!

We're just back from a meeting with the lovely ladies at Spiderhouse Cafe.  They will be putting on a Valentine's Day show with the lovely Jolie Goodnight, and have asked us to cater the event!  Nothing is set in stone with our part yet, but it looks pretty hopeful, and they are also considering ordering from us on a regular basis.  There is a meeting with the managers and owners tomorrow, and we will definitely keep you posted.

On February 14th, there will be a cabaret with Jolie Goodnight.  Doors open at 7 and the show starts at 8.  Advance Tickets are going for $25.  There will be food included in the price.  There is a Sweetheart Special for $35, and at the door, tickets are $40.  So you should get on in there, or call them, and get those tickets before they're gone!

On the 15th, you can see our lovely friend Lacy Doll, along with other sexy ladies, at the Bat City Bombshells burlesque show, also at Spiderhouse, and we will likely be there as well, selling our goodies (NOT THOSE GOODIES!!  I mean our sweet treats.  NOT THAT KIND OF SWEET TREAT.  Gosh, stop being pervy...).  Tickets are $7 presale and $12 seated, and then the day of the show, they are $10, $15 for seated tickets.  Get your tickets at ticketfly.com

Both events sound SO SO fun!  Hope to see you all there!!

Dreamin

With all of the exciting things going on with Holly's Pie Hole, I can't help but let my dreams get away from me.  I've been thinking a lot about having an actual store.  I can't wait for that.  I've been thinking about different ways to decorate, and I keep going back and forth between a 1950s theme, 1960s, or more modern.  Either way, it'll be fun.  I just don't want it to be TOO text book, you know?

I definitely want a glass display case, and I want to paint it, but switch up the designs we paint on it monthly, or maybe with the seasons or holidays.

I want to make pom pom garlands and felt heart garlands.

I want a huge chalkboard with our menu in our own handwriting.

I'd like a little section with tables outside so people can enjoy their food outside.  I'd also like to offer coffee.  That would be SO COOL.  There are a lot of bakeries here, and none of them have much personality.  I don't mean to sound catty or mean, but they don't have the amount of personality that I imagine Holly's Pie Hole to have.  And a lot of the bakeries I've been to don't offer coffee.  That is a must!

I also imagine what kind of music we would play.  We both like such a variety, I think it would be cool to have a random Spotify playlist just going with more chilled older stuff from The Hollies (ha!), to 90s shoegaze (for which I have a special place in my heart always and forever), to some old ska, some 80s new wave, newer indie rock, to her band, Lucid Dementia. Oh, and of course, some Meowzar :)

And while a store front is a long ways away realistically, I can't wait to see what Holly and I can come up with to make our bakery even more unique and reflect our personalities.  And I can't wait for you all to visit!

Warm Winter and a Valentine's Treat

What is up with the weather we have been having lately?  Record breaking heat (although it's only been in the 70s, not it's not REALLY heat, at least, not by Texas standards), teasing us with rain clouds, only not to rain?  Windy like mad?  Hmm....

Anyway, there is not a lot I like more than baking on a cold winter day.  It makes the house smell nice, and it makes me fell nice and cozy.  I think every day is a great day for baking, but especially during the winter.  Oh!  Or when it's raining.  Something about baking when it's raining outside just makes my day.  I long for frigid winter days, and rain most of the year.  Oh well...

And while it's probably not going to get cold again here soon, probably not again until December (fo' real), I am really looking forward to baking next week for Spiderhouse's Valentine's Day event (you like that segue?).  Spiderhouse is a really cool place here in Austin.  It's locally owned, and if you are into keeping small businesses in Austin,  and are anti-corporate coffee (except on those days where you just aren't anywhere near a cool coffee shop, so you have to visit a corporate one, or just if you are totally anti-corporate, and if you are, I envy your ability to be that way, because sometimes, a gal just needs a freakin caramel macchiato in the middle of her day, and where she works, she can't just hop around the corner to a small business to get one, okay??), you should definitely check it out.  They actually do a little more liquor and beer now than coffee, but it's got a great atmosphere, they have nice cocktails, and the people who work there are nice.  They also have some goooooood looking salads (you thought I was gonna say baristas, didn't you?), and other good food.  Go check them out if you're in the area- they are at 29th and Fruth.

Spiderhouse is having a Valentine's Event, and Holly's Pie Hole will be baking whoopee pies, cupcakes, and cookies for this event.  I will tell you that cookies and alcohol really do make a good pair, as do our other treats.  Just don't get too drunk and barf it all up, okay?

We will also be making some savory appetizer kind of treats.  Our speciality is baking, but we do like to whip up some darned fine appetizers now and then too.  As we get more details, we will keep you posted here, on Facebook, and on Twitter!

And you know what's funny?  I just stepped outside, and I think the temperature dropped about 10 degrees, and it looks like rain.  Is it possible that we live in one of those Twilight Zone episodes, where a character writes something and then it happens?  Hmmmm... we just might, guys.  We just might...

Exciting Things and Why You Should Shop Locally

Hello, lovelies!

Big things are a-happenin at Holly's Pie Hole.  Friday, we took samples to some great local businesses: Spiderhouse Cafe, Wheatsville Co-op, and a new favorite, Thom's Market.  I was a dunklekopf and didn't take pictures of our adventures (I blame it on traffic and being harried trying to get around and not spill our goodies all over the place), but I will next time, promise!  All of these places are local to the Austin area, use sustainable goods, and are part of what makes Austin so amazing.  I suggest, no, INSIST that each and everyone of you in the area check these places out if you have not, and that you patronize these businesses.  If we don't continue to patronize businesses like these, they'll surely be torn down to make room for big businesses, or even, perish the thought, BARF CONDOS.  Grrr.

Anyway, enough of that.  We are working around our busy schedules to bring you some new flavors and Holly is working her little booty off trying to get us some new contacts.  That means a few good things, one being notoriety and getting our name out.  YOU, our undyingly faithful customers will be able to get our goodies without having to wait for us to make them, and it means a few more dollah bills, yo, so we can continue to live our dreams :)

Anyway, sorry for the lack of pictures (I am the most camera shy person ever), but here is some really good 80s pop music for you to enjoy by another Joanne favorite- XTC.  It's currently playing in my apartment, so I thought I'd share :)Exciting Things and Why You Should Shop Locally

Vegans Need Love Too!

We got a request to make a whole mess of vegan treats for a friend's daughter's third birthday party.  I used to be vegan myself, so I brought my knowledge of vegan baking to Holly's Pie Hole.  I haven't done any vegan baking in a while, so I was honestly a little nervous.  However, I think our customer will be really happy with the results.

I would like to say that we do not normally do cakes.  There are several reasons.
1.  In order to make a profit, we have to charge a good amount for cakes.  That wouldn't ordinarily be a big deal to me but...
2.  We are not cake decorators.  Neither of us really knows how to properly decorate a cake, and we feel bad charging someone what we would charge for a cake that isn't beautifully decorated.
3.  We like to stick to smaller scaled things at the moment.  It's just us two, so we have to bust our asses sometimes just to get something as simple as cupcakes and cookies out to clients, especially if we have things going on in our personal lives or a lot of orders around the same time.  To put the pressure of making a beautiful cake on ourselves is not something we care to do.
4.  There are FAR too many bakeries who can do a better job at decorating than we can.  We pride ourselves in being completely organic when possible and in bringing you interesting flavors, not in creating art out of cakes.  We know our limits.

I consulted with our customer about the cake, and let her know that we couldn't offer a fancy cake, but could guarantee it would taste good.  I made sure she understood that a cake baked by us wouldn't be fancily decorated, and that the extent of my cake decorating was spreading frosting, and MAYBE writing a little message.  As this is for a young girl's party, she didn't need anything elaborate, so we agreed.  As you can see below, the cake came out okay, but it's nothing fancy.  The customer really likes it, by the way (and a candle is going in that big space there.), so that makes me happy.

Pictured below is our vegan Bollywood batter.  I think I may actually like it better than the regular; you can really taste the cardamom in these babies.

I can't tell you how many times this stuff has saved my life in my past vegan life.  It works so well in baking!

Pictured below are our famous Bollywood whoopee pies and our Lemon Drop whoopee pies.  These are vegan as well.

I had such fun baking these vegan treats.  I hope some of our vegan friends and possibly vegan readers in the area will order from us.  It' was nice to get back on the saddle with these!

What I'm Listening To...

I have loved The Ocean Blue since I was 13 years old.  They made such good jangle pop, and they're still going, making amazing music, and I am still a huge fan.  So, I'm sitting here listening to them, making fun plans for our blog and our business.

We have new ides in the works, and we're going to be rocking your face off with new flavors, give aways, cool blog posts, and other fun things very soon.  We'll keep you posted on when to check for new and exciting stuff.  Right now,  just listen to the soothing sounds of Mr. Schelzel's voice and marvel at his gee-tar skillz.  You won't be sorry.

What music are you into right now?