February was a thrilling yet exhausting month for Delysia Chocolatier. Yet we felt the love from all around us.

Last fall, when I was going through all of the drama with the infamous contractor, I thought about selling the business and giving up on Delysia. I’m glad that I didn’t walk away. I resolved that no matter what obstacles I faced, I would keep moving forward with my passion for this business.

And this past Valentine’s Day, one of my dreams came true when the International Chocolate Salon awarded Delysia with six-star ranking, making us one of their 2014 Best Chocolatiers & Confectioners in the U.S. We are one of only ten in the nation bestowed with this distinction and the only one in Texas. To say it’s an honor is an understatement; I am so ecstatic and thrilled beyond words. To see proof of all of my hard work is humbling and I couldn’t be more grateful for everyone who believed in me.

Adding to this recognition is the unbelievable press we received during Valentine’s Day. We were fortunate to be featured on WSJ MarketWatch. We were also included in a writeup in American Profile. And the local love we got was superb.

Valentines Day

Thank you to everyone that came out to our pop-up chocolate shops throughout the month of February. We had so much fun meeting each of you at W3LL People, Becker Vineyards, and Savory Spice Shop. It is so re-invigorating to meet our customers face-to-face, watching them enjoy our chocolate creations. It reminds me why I love doing this!

And it wasn’t all work for us this holiday. Lisa and I were pampered by the ladies at W3LL People. We also were invited to speak at the Austin Newcomers’ monthly luncheon. And, Rahul and I were able to actually spend some quiet time together on Valentines Day (something we haven’t done in 4 years), heading out a day early to the Texas Hill Country with a stop at Garrison Brothers Distillery, Hilmy Cellars,  and dinner at Navajo Grill. (Thank you Mike @ Navajo for finding us a table – in our delight to have a ‘fun’ day, we remembered to make the hotel reservations, but completely forgot about dinner!!)

Kitchen Progress

The Kitchen Remodel – the never-ending project it seems. Things are moving along – slowly moving along. It seems to move full speed ahead and then come to a screeching halt. Very frustrating. But we will prevail.

Since we last spoke, I’ve fired and hired an electrician. We’ve finished painting, installing cabinets, and repaired some flooring. We’re now ready to finish out all of the little, tedious items – door knobs, wall paper, custom signage, faucets, speakers, etc. If I can just get some of my subs to understand the true meaning of ‘deadline’ I can keep things moving.

 

Last week’s excitement was finding the exact recessed can trim kits that my electrician told me to buy at Home Depot. As I squealed with joy – and relief that I could actually mark something off my list – I attracted that attention of a sales person, who assisted me in loading my cart with their entire supply of trim kits. He even had pity on me and gave me a discount!

I’m hoping to be in the kitchen and filling orders within the next few weeks. But as I know well enough, things can happen. But with all of the good fortune I’ve had lately, I’m remaining optimistic.