Wedding Vendor #1

Two Tarts

So what if I'm going to use the cafe blog to help me organize things for the wedding? Given that wedding stuff is, without a doubt, simultaneously happening along with cafe stuff and the two are invariably intertwined, I figure this is a good way to let all of you in on the "behind the scenes" action while also affording me another resource in my quest for sanity as a "wedding planner."

I'm not even sure when we officially met Elizabeth and Dan. In fact, I believe it's quite possible that we met their children first. Tess and Ivan, since the beginning of the cafe day, have enjoyed eating their breakfast at the counter. Many mornings the two of them can be seen playing with the gourds in the window sill while sharing a Paperboy and/or one of Greg's cinnamon rolls. Their presence immediately caught my attention given how polite, well-mannered, and respectful of each other they were. As a former nanny I am aware of the trials and tribulations young children can go through with their siblings and these two don't seem to show once ounce of resentment towards one another. At least not in the cafe, that is. Granted I do not live with them but based on my experiences I have absolutely zero reservations about spending time with them. In fact, I am not ashamed to admit that I am completely enamored with these children. Tess is, as I'm sure anyone who knows her will tell you, ferociously smart. She's sharp, inquisitive, amazingly eloquent for her age, and no doubt incredibly hip. She once gave me her thoughts on Nina Simone's See Line Woman and I have to say I loved her from that moment on. Her little brother Ivan is working with a boundless amount of cuteness factor. His laugh and coy smile are enough to melt anyone's heart. In fact, the day he slipped and cracked his noggin on the bike rack outside of the cafe nearly broke my heart. Seeing him hysterically cry (the complete opposite of his demeanor) was enough to send me into a panic, but I'll never forget how calm Dan remained throughout the ordeal. His composure most certainly squashed the drama and within seconds Dan had Ivan calmed-down and smiling again, despite the blood and the considerable egg forming on his little forehead.

Tess, Ivan, and their pup outside the cafe on a Snow Day

As the saying goes, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree and the case couldn't be more clear than with this family. Aside from admiring their obvious parenting skills, their adorable children, their endless kindness etc., etc., Dan and Elizabeth are genuinely sweet people who have been without a doubt, some of our biggest supporters since the day we opened our doors. For that we will never be able to thank them enough. As luck turns out these people are not just cool parents or cafe customers, they are food-lovers and producers in their own right. Elizabeth, is one part of the two parts that make-up Two Tarts. We were first introduced to Elizabeth's talent at City Market, where we picked up a sampling of her treats for a Father's Day dinner. We were mesmerized by the undeniable sweetness of the miniature goods and before we knew it we had several in our basket. We only hoped these little guys tasted as sweet and good as they looked. We were not disappointed. We immediately became huge fans so imagine our surprise when we later discovered this talented baker was a cafe customer!!! Needless to say we were beyond flattered. As time passes we continue a great friendship with this family and we look forward to every weekend and their impending arrival to the cafe.

On Saturday after their meal Elizabeth took her kids on a walk and somewhere along the way they picked these flowers for Evan and me. Er--well, it went something like that...

Flowers given to us by Tess and Ivan

I was outside delivering food to a table when I heard...

Elizabeth: Well, there she is. You can given them to her right now!

I turned around to see the trio walking towards me with flowers in-hand.

Ivan: These are for you

Me: Why thank you! They are so beautiful!

Tess quickly interjects: One of them is for Evan

Me: Well of course one of them is. Which one shall we give Evan?

They both center in at the flowers they have just handed over; each giving a considerable amount of thought into who deserved what. After some consideration they both point to the one they had hand-picked. Translation: Each one wanted Evan to have their favorite one, the one they especially picked. In all honesty my feelings weren't hurt. In fact, I can't blame them. I would want Evan to have my favorite, too.

For these reasons and so many more, I am honored to say that we are delighted, overwhelmed, and unbelievably excited that Two Tarts will represent one element of our wedding day. Many thanks to Elizabeth, Dan, Tess, and Ivan for the joy you bring into our lives. We feel blessed to know you and we can't wait to share your greatness with our friends and family.