Update: December 29th

This is what I like to see.

Smiles & people enjoying themselves.

The shop is going good...we've been open for more then two months now & God is still so good!

I'm blown away by how He brings people into the shop who have questions.

I'm more then happy to chat & tell them about my relationship with my Abba.

I have learned more about Mexico's religious culture in the past 2 months then I have in the whole 8 years I've lived in Mexico.

I've learned that if people aren't convinced that what they believe is truth...then they aren't willing to hear what others beliefs are.

They get defensive & their arguments (err...discussions) go around and around in circles like balloons without a point to pop it.

I've learned that I am here to shine Christ's light.

To be His hands & feet.

wait. you might be thinking you've already said that!

I knowww. But I've learned it on a whole new level.

So. The café.

Book sales have soared in the past month.

I love selling books.

I love selling books way more then I love selling anything else.

There is something really special about selling food for the soul.

Food (or drinks...) for the body is great too...

but that's just something that will stick to your hips...not your heart.

I love it when a guy buys a book about being a better dad...

or a women buys a book about purity...

or a parent buys a bible story book to read to their kids...

or a teenager asks for Ted Dekker for Christmas.

I love love love my bookstore.

Café Sed is constantly changing with the seasons...

Hopefully, one day, it will be full of all the best books written.

Right now...I'm planning for the new year.

We're changing our schedule.

We're getting more smoothie flavors (hello, Green Apple & Wildberry!)

I'm hoping to purchase a huge rug for the bookstore.

I'm hoping to purchase some other things to make this all seem just that much cozier.

Like I said before...I'm buying books & books & music & movies & books.

Ever since that dream about the giant bookstore...I've been dreaming of having dozens & hundreds of titles & temas.

So. 2011 will be a blessed year.

I have no idea what changes it will bring to Sed...

but I'm excited to see what God has up His sleeve!

Slow Day [11-13-2010]

It's a slow day here at Sed.
Isela, Lilly & I are just sitting around the bookstore half asleep...always with the hope that some group of goofy teenagers or gossiping ladies will walk through the door and purchase a couple strawberry/mango smoothies and a bag or two of beef jerky.

But nope.
Nobody.

I'm sitting indian style in the window...randomly laughing at people walking by.
They can not understand what a little american girl would be doing sitting in a window messing around on her laptop. :]

well, if you came in...you could ask me & I'd be more then happy to chat!

In case you're wondering...no. Not every day has been this slow.
This is by far the slowest day in our 10 day history.

thanks alot, November 13th!

But seriously though...God had blessed us here at Sed...so much!
He had brought in new people everyday and we've got a group of 4 kids that come in nearly everyday.
I've had the opportunity to build relationships already & be outspoken in regards to my convictions. Not always easy...but I never said I wanted an easy life.
God is good. ALWAYS! He doesn't have a slow day.

haha really.
If you were here sitting with me in the window seat...you'd think the looks from the magdalenians were hilarious too. :]

I have another shipment of books on it's way down! Which is exciting...'cause...I love books.

It's been really interesting hearing what people wish we had here & what they wish we didn't have...
example:
People wish I had more hobby...encyclopedias...and ESL books.
and some people wish I had less of the Christian books.

"Don't you have any Stephen King here??"

nope. sorry, honey.

I heard once that if some are offended by your convictions...you're probably doing something right.
hmmmmmmmmmm. good thing!

I need more art in this place.
Walls look bare without texture or covered in artsy stuff.
Ideas?

OH! I'm working hard on getting my website up & running...so that'll be ready soon!
WITH PICTURES!!!!!

yup. get excited.

I'm gonna leave you with a verse that has been on my heart a lot lately...
don't leave an opportunity wasted.

"Walk in wisdom towards outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person."

Colossians 4:5-6

This is so long overdue.
I really do feel bad about not keeping everyone more up to date. oops.
The reason is because I still haven't been successful uploading quality photos.
And I figured you all wouldn't be interested in just reading what's going on.
But then this morning...I put myself into your shoes, and decided that I would want to read.

So here I am. My laptop is sitting on the front counter where my cash register will soon be placed.
I'm sipping my very own roasted coffee. mmmm...smooth.
I don't have a stool behind the counter...so I'm standing up.

In front of me is a slightly opened door leading to the office where very important business is being done. :]
Beyond that is the meat factory where sample beef sticks are being made (yum!)

Back to the coffee shop.

My coke-a-cola products finally came in yesterday. The little fridge is really cute.

People walk in here & tell me that everything "looks like Katie"...I'm not sure if this is a good or bad thing. All well...I like it all!

Yellow silk flowers dot the tables & bookshelf.
My big tissue paper covered Japanese lanterns sway even though the fan isn't on.

Coffee is coming down today.

My yellow polka-dot mug is working nicely. I just glanced over at my other mugs on top of my espresso machine...mr. owl mug is looking at me.

*Phone ringing* *Enrique talking*

...it's not for me.

I have one last window to de-newspaper. I'll probably do that today.
Also on my list is:
•Displaying Ben's postcards
•Buying napkins

I really wish I could just skype everyone of you & give you all a video tour.

The back patio is nearly finished.
Little green sprouts are popping out of the dirt.
My flowers look happy.

I know this post probably didn't make a whole lotta sense to some people.
But I figured it's better then nothing...and I just wanted to let you know that I most definitely DIDN'T forget about you.

Come down & see it for yourself! :]


Katie May

p.s.-I'm gonna try all day to upload pictures. wish me luck!

one little teaser picture...

LONG awaited update!

Hey guys...I really am so terribly sorry that it's been so long with out any word from me.
Things are moving right along! I have some pictures here for you...since they speak a thousand words each, I'm gonna just let them do the talking.
Although...remember that photos/videos are outdated about 5 minutes after I take them!
Things are changing at rapid paces around here these days!
Maybe I'll start doing a daily post on this thing....hmmmmmm.....

More updates to come! SOON!

having trouble...

...so...remember that one time I wrote that I was going to post about my new, sweet and awesome t-shirts? yeah...

I've been trying! I'm really not that bad of a blogger!

For some reason Blogger isn't connecting right when I try loading photos...but pictures are coming! And they're worth the wait!

Thanks for being patient.

Katie

Big changes!

So the worst thing about being away is...

that you're away.

BUT! The best thing about being away is that changes seem more dramatic.

I was away this time for 3 weeks. Phew.

Would you like to see the changes that have occured since last I updated?

Ok.

First off (and my favorite):

FRONT DOOR!

The adobe wall was cut away to make an arched doorway.

YAY FOR ARCHED!

As you can [kind of] see in the 2nd picture...

there is now half a concrete wall on the inside of the doorway.

It's kind of hard to explain not using my hands...but basically...all the empty space between the 2 half-walls will be filled with a glass door. And all the space between the half-walls and the ceiling will be filled up with glass.

So the iron "gate" will be open during the day & closed at night for extra safety.

This whole set-up makes the entrance WAY more inviting.

(Thanks for the idea, Dad!)

As you can see...the walls are finally being plastered with a very nice white plaster.

Which means...paint will soon be on these walls!

Yippie!

And, doesn't that safety cone just look lovely on the faux window?!

I'm thinking about keeping it there.

You can reference to older pictures to see what this red-brick wall looked like before.

While you're at it...find my post about the big ol' holes in my ceiling! Now they're patched up!

AND...that ol' planter is gone too.

I heard that I should have put a tree there.

I heard that I should have put a fountain there.

But no. I'm happy with my decision to take it out & away.

Goodbye, planter friend.

Next post: T-SHIRTS!

I'MMMM BACKKKK!

Yes, blog stalkers, it's true.

After 5 weeks of absence, Katie is back in Mexico and ready to get to work!

I had a really great time training at Mika's.

The staff there was so wonderful & super patient with me.

I learned all I needed to & now feel way more confident planning things for Sed.

Linda, if you're reading this, THANK YOU!

Now. Obviously...I was ready to get home and eager to see the changes that have happened while I was away.

And you know what they say...

"Things gotta get worse before they get better."

It's true. I mean...sure...I've got a few super big holes in my ceiling...

but look what those holes led to!

ELECTRICITY! YIPPIE!

And yes...it keeps getting better...I mean...CHECK OUT THIS OFFICE!

Pretty exciting, eh?

Duane has some serious foam on his walls.

And he enclosed the arch way to make a little room for his smoker.

ANNNDDDDD...The back side wall is getting repaired!

Lookin' good! :]

Mika's

Hello, everyone!

I know that I've done a bad job updating this for the past...month...sorry about that!

So...I'm sure you're looking for new news...

I am currently in Illinois doing a sort of "internship" at a coffee shop in Eureka.

Mika's is the name, great coffee is the game.

..err....something like that.

I've been up here for exactly 2 weeks now...and have 2.5 more weeks to go. WOW! Time is flying!

So far I've run the cash register & pulled a couple of shots of espresso. I'll be learning how to make the rest of the drinks soon and look forward to perfecting those here and in Magdalena.

Anyway, work is being done on the building while I'm gone. But...since I'm not there to see it myself...I have no pictures to share with you all. SORRY!

Have a great rest of the day!

Katie

Update: April 7th, 2010

It has been a very successful week so far!

On monday, my dad & I drove up to Phoenix so we could get some things figured out/bought.

Our first stop was at IKEA, where we spent hours looking at adorable furniture & possible decorations. (it was awesome.)

I had a few things already picked out...but needed to see them in person to be completely sure.

We walked out of that store with 3 tables, 12 chairs, and 4 stools. :]

I have a few other things in mind from there...but those will have to wait until we have more room in our car. (bookshelves, rug, flower pots...)

We stayed overnight & in the morning got some more figured out for the coffee side of things.

Exciting...let me tell you.

Today (Wednesday), Duane & I bought tile for the two bathrooms in the building.

I'll post pictures when the tile has been installed!

,Katie

a goodbye to tree stumps & hello to aprons.

We had a couple VERY big tree stumps taken out of the back patio last week!

You can see a part of the stump in the first picture...

and the second picture shows how big of a hole had to be dug.

Crazy.

Now the back patio is mostly freshly turned dirt.

I'm just itching to buy plants & landscape.

In time...in time.

In other news...We've got uniforms!

This is the first in a long line of aprons. :]

I'm hoping to create a pretty good sized apron family in the next few months.

Us employees will be able to walk in, put on our favorite apron & get to work.

Decaf or Regular?

SO exciting!

Things are getting done!

Things are looking more open & airy.

Things are being knocked down!

For example...

Remember this?

It is no more.

YEAHH!

We also have a front window.

and the other opening is looking a WHOLE lot better!

More updates ASAP!

Logo!

The page was loading. Something looked different. You saw it for the first time...it was....Café Sed's logo!!

I guess this means it's time for t-shirts, stickers & mugs.

How exciting!

There's a hole in the wall!

...That's right!

I finally have something more to blog about!

My dad took a few guys to the café and tore out a big square in the wall that separates the coffee shop from the bookstore.

We'll clean up the edges, paint it pretty, put on a countertop & have some pretty rad seating.

Here's the mess that was made:

This is the view from a corner of the bookstore.

There used to be a door where the red brick is going in...behind it is the office.

The hole that was just made makes everything look SO much bigger.

Lilly was in the bookstore...I was in the coffee shop.

We could see eachother clearly & I am so excited.

hello, my name is yellow.

Soo...I made my first purchases for Café Sed.

I'm not going to tell you anything about what I bought...

except that it's two things & you can sit comfortably on both.

and that one looks like this...

and the other looks like this...

Just like 1960

Today I rode my bike to Café Sed.

I had one goal - Make the old record player cabinet that we found look nice.

So I brought along 2 rags, Murphy's Oil Soap, a water bottle, a camera, and my iPod...

I was ready for...

this.

Let me tell you...it was gross.

Spiders were comfortable here.

The bottom was covered with their skeletons.

There was only one way I could do this.

And that way was...

plugging in my headphones to the oldies playlist on my iPod.

Oh yes.

Anything is bearable with a little Chubby Checker, Stevie Wonder & The Lovin Spoonful.

Anyway! I cleaned it.

It's still really beaten up, so I think I'm going to sand & paint it at some point.

Con mucho amor, Katie

Drawing on the wall

Just a little update.

We're putting in a "window" sort of thing in one of the walls...

so my dad & I went there the other day to measure & mark where it would go.

...I decided to do a little drawing on the wall...since it's coming out anyway. :]

We can't decide if we should take out a second window in the back or not...

Duane is getting some work done on his side of the building!

Anyone want a couch??

Update: windows, doors, rain, and visitors.

Changes are happening!

Slowly, but they're still happening. :]

About a week ago, we knocked out a door & window to access the back patio.

It's amazing how much just one little thing changes the look of the entire room!

Everything feels larger.

(If your my friend on Facebook, to can see a video I posted of this exciting event)

If you've seen the slideshow below, you've probably noticed the skylight.

The sky light is totally open...there is a glass pane coming to cover the hole but it unfortunately didn't come before our unexpected showers of rain.

Thankfully, there wasn't near as much water in the building as I though there would be!

Things are being cleaned, which is exciting.

I can look into the bathroom now without gagging! :]

We have light now.

Everything feels brighter and in the midst of all the dust & spider webs, cheerier.

On Saturday Emily Schambach wanted a tour of the building with her girls.

It's really fun to show people around knowing that each time there's something different to see.

Hopefully sometime soon, we'll get the rest of what we need demolished done with so we can start re-plastering and then moving on to important things...like paint!