So, you've probably already noticed there have been a few changes since my last post. To make a long and emotional story short, due primarily to the proximity of a very similarly-named business, we have decided it best to shake it off and come up with a new identity. PRO TIP: Always open expensive bottles of wine when making tough decisions.

Can you picture this wood pile as our bar?

*Unnecessary drum roll*The wine bar formerly known as Roots will henceforth be.....Borrowed Time, a gathering place offering unique, boutique wines, craft beers, small plates, and killer desserts at a really reasonable price. The initial inspiration comes from Borrowed Time Farm, the name of my family's farm and apple orchard when I was growing up. We will be building the bar, among other pieces, out of old barn wood from our farm, making it even more fitting. We see long summer days of porch sitting at Borrowed Time, sipping a glass of wine, watching the passersby along the river. To get deep, I personally love the idea of coming to terms with life's fragility and spending every moment happy with the ones you love. Also it doesn't hurt to have a song of the same name by one Mr. John Lennon!

Moving on, and more importantly, WE HAVE OUR LOCATION!!! Ladies and gents, you can visit us this spring (and anytime beforehand if you're good with a hammer or a paintbrush) at 329 Water St. in Saugatuck. MI. The location couldn't be better, right downtown with views of the river, and the building itself is a dream. We'll be pouring your beverages in an 1800's Victorian House, converted to commercial space on the ground floor, then we will be passing out from exhaustion upstairs each night, making it the easiest commute ever. It's so gratifying to see all of our hard work and diligence paying off, sometimes we have to pinch ourselves to see if it's all real.

As for paperwork mountain, we've officially submitted our liquor license transfer application, are almost finished with our first round of health department paperwork, and will be submitting plans to the city of Saugatuck by next week. PRO TIP: if you are opening a restaurant and somehow have extra money burning a whole in your pocket, hire someone to deal with the paperwork. Makes me chew my fingernails and drink too much coffee.

I am also proud to announce that we are now social! It would be the best Christmas gift ever if you would all follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. If you really enjoy reading my ramblings, you can also subscribe to the blog below, so future posts will deliver themselves to your inbox! Also, it's Robert's birthday in the beginning of January, so if you wanted to share our social pages I'm sure he'd consider that a pretty rad gift.

Now, I'd like to leave you with one last PRO TIP: when you're feeling stressed out, dress your dog up like a Michigan State Santa and snap an embarrassing pic.

PRO TIP: Rebranding is FUN!

— borrowed time —