Shaky Gear for the Holidays... or Whenever

Check out the Zazzle... you can now buy customizable Shaky Tree gear!!!

How it works:
Click on an item in the box below... Choose the product you are interested in, pick a style that suits you, purchase it... they make, and send it off to you. Easy.

Whether it is one button, or 50 postcards... You get cool gear, Shaky Tree doesn't have to hold onto a lot of expensive inventory, and TreeBed Design (me) gets a little percentage so he can eat (and keep doing fun projects like Shaky Tree ;-)

Look for more designs and fun stuff to appear...


buy unique gifts at Zazzle

Better Late than Never Birthday Post

One year of Shaky Tree... wow!!! So much has been packed into that year, where do I even start? It has truly been a year of COFFEE, CREATIVITY, and COMMUNITY... and I couldn't really ask for anything more. That is not to say it has all gone perfectly, and anyone who has a "perfect" first year of business is lying about it ;-) However, the trick is taking the hard parts/the mistakes, and using them... growing stronger from the whole of your experience. You never can predict what you will gain from any journey (especially opening a business), but I can honestly say that I have been blessed by the things I have been a part of through Shaky Tree during year one... and I am truly excited to see what comes during year two (and beyond)!!!

Thanks so much to all who have added positive energy to Shaky Tree... whether through getting your morning cup with us, sharing your story as a visiting musician (or a regular at Open Mic), or lending a helping hand at some point. Shaky Tree has been a successful adventure because of the community that cares about having a place... a safe place to cultivate passionate living.

Thank you to the Quattlebaum crew... for allowing us the chance to come into their space, and the freedom to follow OUR passions.

Thank you ALL so much!!!

Shaky Art Show

Art Show Rules
Originally uploaded by TreeBed

Shaky Tree saw its first Art Show this weekend... and an entertaining sight it was. There was a beautiful range of artwork, and plenty of creativity pumping through the Shaky Tree veins. Friday was the reception, complete with "Goodwill Formal" (or anything else fabulous) attire, snacks, drinks, and laughs.

This was the first, and most certainly won't be the last Art Show of Shaky Tree... I look forward to what the next show brings.

TreeBus and a RAGBRAI recap

TreeBus
Originally uploaded by TreeBed

So it has been awhile since a post has been posted... this is mostly due to the craziness that the past months!!! However, with that craziness has come some fun stuff.

First... there was a trip out to Portland to buy a bus (see pic) from a group called Sharedroute... then we painted it up (see pic). Then this little bike ride called RAGBRAI came to town. So we sold some coffee, had some good conversations and enjoyed the insanity. We enjoyed it soooo much, that Chad and I decided to jump in the bus and join in... so we followed them for a few days.

All was well... until it... well, wasn't. We had a little trouble with the bus. Yes, it wouldn't start. Luckily we were in Cedar Falls and not the middle of no where. This also brought the high light of square dancing to the Nadas... good times. We did manage to get the bus fixed and get back to Spencer.

Now the summer is winding down and we are gearing up for a busy fall... lots of music, coffee and fun.

Hit the Spot

Been meaning to get a post up for a while... so, today is the day. This weekend Spencer (just named as one of the top 10 places to live) was host to the Spot Program, a really neat deal with the University of Iowa. This was great on on many levels... One, it was nice to have people in who really appreciate what we are doing. Two, David Gonzalez, the performer they brought to town, was telling stories and sharing in a way that is right in line with the roots of Shaky Tree. He is teaching kids through stories (and music), and the kids were eating it up! Chad got to jump up on stage and share one of his songs. All in all it was a great connection and boost of positive energy for all involved.

Shaky Snowman

Shaky Snowman
Originally uploaded by TreeBed.

It will take more than a blizzard to keep Shaky Tree from the call of duty... ok, mostly we would just rather hang out at the Tree than sit at home. Today saw the birth, and sad demise of Shaky the Snowman. As one customer commented, "Shaky was a good snowman. We should all be glad that he had the opportunity to bring a smile to our faces during his short time with us." well said Darby. He had a Java Jacket nose and two pucks (that is what you get after the water has gone through the coffee to make the espresso) for eyes. It appears that Shaky Tree is the only business open today (even the gas stations are closed)... hey, people need their coffee ;-)

Shaky Tree Song Writer's Circle

Got Songs?

Well, here is a chance to share them, work on them, get feedback on them... and hear where others are at in their song-writing process. We are calling this the Shaky Tree Song Writer's Circle, and our first evening will be Thursday Feb. 1 (and hopefully each first Thursday of the month).

This will happen after hours at the Tree (7:30pm), so it will just be songwriters, and those passionate about song-writing that want to contribute positive energy to the group. We want to build a safe environment to explore song-writing, and create a community that values the sharing of those songs. All levels are welcome, from those who have a few scribbles in a notebook (and maybe aren't even sure if they could be songs) to those who have been selling CDs for years... we all can benefit from sharing the process.

Chad Elliott and I (micah- TreeBed Music) will be providing some of the structure for the group, but this will be an organic process that goes where the group takes it.

If you have any questions feel free to e-mail us at shakytree@mac.com

Please share this information with anyone you might now that would be interested.

Shaky Tree News

Shaky Tree
Originally uploaded by TreeBed.

We had a great article in the Discover! magazine this week... it can be a little scary when you have SO much information you want to get out to people, but this well crafted piece made for a nice introduction to Shaky Tree Coffee.

Barista Competition

Shaky Tree attended our first Midwest Regional Barista Competition (MWRBC) hosted by the Roasterie, in the awesome space at Boulevard Brewery. This was a great weekend for meeting other crazy coffee folks, learning lots, and having fun. From a competitive standpoint, it was a "go through the motions" shot in the dark for me (micah)... with most of the competitors training for months or even since last years competition, 3 weeks was not going to be good enough. You can check out more of my personal thoughts on my blog. However, in the bigger picture... everything that we set out to accomplish, we did. Shaky Tree helped the event happen by volunteering in several different capacities, and we gained valuable experience for future competitions.

The Barista competition is a great way to raise the bar of excellence in your shop. I have already felt the tug of judges comments today as I have made coffee for customers. For a quick explanation of the competition take a look at my post on our MySpace page blog. We met others who are working towards excellence, and initiated many bonds to create community around that passion. The Shaky Tree crew is better than we were last week... and we'll continue to push to get even better.