A customer told me my $50 minimum order was pushing away small businesses, so I dropped it to $25.

My payment system crashed right before a big launch last Friday. Had to switch everything over in 6 hours.

Just realized I've been pruning my maples all wrong after talking to a city forester

He told me 'You're cutting for shape, not for the tree's health' when he saw my work on a big silver maple in Springfield. I always thought a clean look was the goal, but now I'm rethinking every cut I make. How do you guys balance looks with what's best for the tree long term?

The time I had to choose between a classic buttercream and a Swiss meringue for a huge wedding cake

I got a big order for a summer wedding in Austin, a three tier cake for 150 people. The bride wanted a light lemon flavor but also a design with sharp edges. I was stuck between a classic American buttercream, which holds shape great, and a Swiss meringue buttercream, which is smoother and less sweet. I went with the Swiss meringue, thinking the heat would be kinder to it. Man, was that a mistake. The humidity was a killer, and even with AC, the frosting started to slump during delivery. I spent the whole setup time with a cooler full of ice packs trying to firm it up. The taste was perfect, but I lost some of those clean lines. For a summer event, should I have just toughed it out with the sturdier buttercream and adjusted the sugar?

Spring craft market showed a jump in glassblowing stalls.

I visited the spring craft market and counted five glassblowing stalls, up from two last year. This makes me wonder if there's a growing interest in handmade glass goods. What factors do you think are helping glassblowing gain more ground locally?

Used a vacuum to suck up a lost tack strip and found a twenty dollar bill.

Best cleanup payday I've ever had.

Can we talk about how slate and shale are basically twins?

I picked up what I thought was slate on a trail last week. My geology buddy insists it's shale. They both split into flat pieces and have that gray color. I read online that slate is metamorphic and shale is sedimentary, but who can tell just by looking? It's frustrating because I want to learn, but the details feel overwhelming. Maybe I need a better guide or something.