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.

Songwriter's Night

Tonight was a perfect example of the part a coffeehouse can play in a community, and what fun we had playing our part!!! Song writing is such a personal thing, but it really gets elevated to a new experience when you share it. Not all songs are perfect. However, those of us who write songs have some purpose for each creation... to interpret or explain something, outlet an emotion, tell a story... there are as many reasons to write a song as there are songs out there. When a community comes together to provide a safe place to share those songs... it is special. We connect with each other, and get to tap into other people's perspectives. I have yet to hear a song from a songwriter, who was authentically trying to express themselves, that I couldn't pull something from. I have sat through some lousy songs, and worse singers (of which I have been)... but if they are pouring out what was honestly in their heart, I felt some connection to it. We are not all rock stars. But we ALL have stories. We all have had joyful, and painful experiences. We are all connected to a common life experience, which we all see differently. And music is most certainly at the core of each of us. At Shaky Tree we hope to build a long tradition of giving a safe, respectful place to share those stories... so if you shared tonight, thank you... if you have some songs, or poetry or whatever, tucked away... think about how you might share it in the future. Perhaps your role is to sit and soak it all in... we have plenty of room for that as well (and listeners with open ears and hearts are hard to find these days... so we will take pride in having that at Shaky Tree). Thanks to all who came tonight, and those who weren't able... keep an eye out for next time... there will most certainly be a next time.

Plaid...

Ambassaders
Originally uploaded by TreeBed.

We had our visit from the Spencer Ambassadors today... what a sight ;-) It was a lot of fun to share what we have done with them and hear lots of positive feedback from them. So, our picture will go in the paper in the next day or so... our "quiet opening" is coming to a close. Time to get this thing rollin!!!

Week One...

I wanted to give a quick recap of our first week... We didn't have much time during our first week to do so. It has been a pretty crazy last month!!! We couldn't really have asked for a better first week. If you were a part of that... we thank you. If you are far away... it was a smooth week filled with good coffee, conversation and community.

Monday morning came very quickly after our opening night... but it was fun to jump back into the world of coffee routine. I am happy to say that things went smoothly for our first week. We had a bus full of high-schoolers, Christmas in a cup, wi-fi, hat day, roller-bladin, latte art, guitar surgery, psiii line coffee delivery, 5x7=110, Zoka Way, good music, and lots more!!!

We are looking forward to working out the kinks, and rolling into December full steam ahead. Look for expanded hours, and other fun stuff as we get into it.

Hope your Turkey Day was a wonderful one... Shaky Tree certainly has plenty to be thankful for!!!

We Did It!!!

Opening night has come and gone... and last night I actually got over 6 hours of sleep! There was work going on up until the doors were opening, and it was all worth it to see the finished (well, almost) product. We had a full house (not too crazy like we thought it could be), and things went very smoothly. Mike Comfort was a great fit for our "Open House", lots of energy (and new faces)... as well as hearing one of his band members (from Sac) say, "this place feels like it could be in California." Our design goal certainly wasn't "California Cool...", but a "Rural Sophistication" that brings a certain level of atmosphere not normally seen in the rural midwest. We want Shaky Tree Coffee to be an oasis for anyone (rural farmer to urban traveler) looking for something of authentic quality to add to their day. Last night we took a giant step towards making that a reality... and had a lot of fun doing it!!! A big thank you to everyone who made it possible, both with physical help... or supportive energy!!!

I got a few more pics up (use the link to the right)... but not many of the actual event (to busy making coffee ;-)

T

Right now I am enjoying a beautiful cup of tea from the folks at Gong Fu Tea. We will be featuring their tea at Shaky Tree Coffee, and what a good fit... these guys do it right. If you are ever in Des Moines you should definitely check them out! If you are in NW Iowa you can come to the Tree and sample a few that I picked out today. I can't think of a better way to start out the last full day of preparation for our open house tomorrow. Yup!!! Tomorrow!!! Ahhhhh... Ok, time to do some running around and get back to Spencer.

Workin!

Starting up... again.
Originally uploaded by TreeBed.

Well, this is what we look like in the morning before our coffee gets us up and workin again. It is hard to believe the week is gone... geez!!! However, it was a big week, and we are feeling good about our pace. It has been a hard few days on the body (lots of long hours), but it has payed off. We are getting very close. One more big weekend of work... and then it is a whole new game of craziness (the craziness of actually being open ;-) Look out... here we come!!!

Tired Bones...

This is going to be a big week... it has already been a solid weekend (as evidenced by it being 1am and we are just getting home from the Tree). We are hoping to have the building finished off by mid-week, and have the machine up and running as well. Exciting stuff... the building is looking awesome (yes, I am very pleased), and things are coming together. More pics to be posted soon. Time for sleep... electrician is coming in the morning.

Hey... Whats Shakin?

Welcome to the first public display of Shaky Tree Coffee... in the coming weeks we will try to keep you posted, and give you insight into what is happening with our new adventure.

The time has come to go full steam ahead, and we are excited to start shakin!!! We just got back from a week in California. Our time in the bay area included coffee touring, good food, music, visiting Taylor Maid Farms, and relaxing before our big push. After a long road trip... we are back in the crisp fall air of Spencer, IA... ready to roll.

Check back here to see what we are up-to, and stop in soon for a beautiful cup of coffee.