Busy As A Bee

Hello friends! I just wanted to pop on here and give you some updates about the shop and all that we have going on here! I absolutely can not believe that it is the middle of August already, summer goes too fast!

This summer has been quite a busy and exciting one for us and I am so sad that it coming an end. Three months sounds like a long time but boy can it go by in a flash!

With school starting in a couple of weeks the sunset dinners outside on the porch and working out in my gardens until dark, a few of my favorite things about the summer, will also be coming to an end.

We have been lucky enough to have had the pleasure of taking many camping trips this summer, a beach trip and a trip to see our family in Brooklyn.  I have been spending just about every second that isn't designated for something else working on the shop. I have been scraping, sanding and painting my heart out. It is really all we are able to do right now as we are still waiting to hear all that needs to be done to be permitted to operate as a retail space. Pennsylvania Labor and Industry requires that you have blue prints drawn up of all improvements and/or things that you add like counters, ramps, etc. so that they know you are building them to Uniform Construction Code. Once those blue prints are submitted to them by our architect and they approve them then we can actually start working on those things which will put one step closer to opening!

It is frustrating that we have absolutely no idea when we will be able to open because of all of this but we have lots of cosmetic stuff to focus in the meantime...like getting the walls painted a creamy white which will create the perfect back drop for our goods.

And honestly I am just so excited to have this place be the home of our future shop in the first place that I find it really hard to complain that things are taking so long. Every moment spent working here is literally a dream come true for me.

I was especially excited to get the front doors painted a fresh but historic looking green (Behr's Chard) that will look perfect throughout the seasons. I am hoping that a lot of customers will eventually be walking through these old doors and I wanted them to really make a statement. I am currently in the process of painting the whole front part with the windows with the green as well. I can't wait to have it all done so that I can hang some big beautiful wreaths on the doors!

Not everything we have been working on has been just cosmetic though, this building has come with some challenges, as all old buildings do! There are many issues that need to be addressed but one of the most urgent was removing the large bee hives from the building. There were two large hives by both entrances and we were nervous that at some point all of the walking in and out while we were working would upset the hives. We were adamant that they not be killed and were told to call Critter McCool to have the bees removed as he is the most experienced in our area at removing large hives. Well we were surprised to find through his infrared technology that the hives were way larger than we expected. They were so large in fact that our story made national news! So many of my Instagram followers have messaged me from across the US that they have seen our news story! So cool (no pun intended)! Visit http://www.erienewsnow.com/story/38844454/massive-beehives-removed-from-old-auction-house-in-linesville to see the story and to see some great footage of the building! A giant thank you to Eric McCool for the amazing job he did at removing such large hives!

Any time not spent working at the shop I have spent out looking for goods for the shop and for the Springfield, Ohio Antique Extravaganza next month! We sold a ton of stuff at the Vintage Market Days Pittsburgh show so I get to look for all new stuff for Springfield! It's hard to say what I love the most about my job but boy there is nothing like the thrill of the hunt!

I also wanted to let you guys know that I have made a website for the shop farmhousesupply.net. Once we are open it will have shop hours, location and seasonal events on it. I have also started water marking all photos of the shop with the website to get the word out!

That is all for now! Thank you guys so much for following along on this amazing journey!!!

Summer Is Here and Our Dream Shop News

It is the first day of summer...you know what that means...windows open, fresh cut flowers everywhere and laundry on the clothes line. As beautiful as summer is it is also busy and hot and as a result I like our farmhouse to be clean and simple.

I didn't buy much for myself this year at the Springfield Extravaganza but what I did buy are some of my favorite finds yet. These two heavily crazed ironstone pitchers are among them.

And I have the most exciting shop news! We officially have a new location in the works! It is the old general store that I told you guys about in the last post. It took many miracles, my sisters tenacity, hours on the phone getting information and my family's steadfast belief in me but it is officially ours to make into all we ever dreamed of. To be honest I am still in shock and haven't quite accepted that this is actually our shop! I mean look at this!

The building is in Linesville, PA and was built in the early 1900's as a general store and is absolutely everything I ever dreamed of. It even sits on the most beautiful piece of rural property, something we had decided was equally important as the building itself when looking for our new shop location. We want to be able to host outdoor antique markets as well as have a place for the kids to play outside while they are with us at work. It has been many things since being a general store, one of them being an auction house, but amazingly enough other than the store shelving and counter not much of the original charm has been stripped of the building. Literally every inch is covered with either shiplap or beadboard, there is not a single piece of drywall in this building...that is heaven for me. The icing on the cake are the Amish horse and buggies that go past.

I can't even begin to describe the feeling I get when I drive up to this building...how lucky are we to be able to restore this historical building but then also eventually work in it everyday?! I always hoped I would be able to restore another property other than just our farmhouse. Unfortunately it will be a while until we can actually open. Since this building was sitting vacant and was not a retail space we have a TON of work to do to make it ADA Compliant and to UCC Code. Just some of things on the list are making a handicap accessible bathroom, putting in a parking lot, painting the whole building, and maybe having to install indoor sprinkler systems. I am currently in the process of painting the inside of the building and the front of the store seen above. Stay tuned to see which green I picked!

I just wanted to say thank you again to all of you that went out of your way to email me or come up to me at the Springfield Extravaganza to express your condolences on the loss of our other shop location. The support and encouragement I received from family and all of you really helped me through a rough time. Many people have commented on my Instagram that this new shop is way better than the other location and that things happen for a reason.  I think people should maybe rethink those phrases when talking to someone facing loss. Loss is painful regardless what follows or what caused it. This shop clearly is better (although it carries way more risk than just cheaply renting a place) and I thought it would be years before I was actually even looking for my dream shop location let alone working in it so believe me I see the silver lining. I feel so lucky and blessed and am truly thankful for this opportunity. There are definitely more devastating things in life, and I have faced many... that being said, the reason the first shop loss was so devastating for me was not because of the way it looked or its location but because I felt a pure and innocent  (and maybe naive) absolute joy over the fact that I was finally going to have a shop. I am beyond excited about this new shop but my happiness is a reserved one as I just can't get that uninhibited joy back. As I try to put that all behind me I am looking forward to this amazing journey that is beginning. I can't wait to share more of this historical building with you guys!


I promise to try to blog our progress much as possible, I can't wait to share more of this historical building with you guys and share my ideas for it with you! Oh the things we can do!

I will let you know more about opening dates soon!

Weekly Inspiration #2 and My Own Shop!!!

Hello and welcome to my second "Weekly Inspiration" post! First I want to share with you guys the most exciting news...I am opening my own brick and mortar shop here in Edinboro, PA! It all happened so fast that I still can't believe it! I have been working towards having my own shop for sometime now in the hopes that by the time Millie was in school I would be ready both financially and inventory wise. I have always longed to have my own shop where I could provide people with my style of primitive farmhouse furniture and home decor both old and new. Well my frustrations have been mounting lately because my inventory has reached such a high level that it is more than we have room for. Our dining room has essentially become a stock room and you can't even step foot into our attic or garage. I have also been feeling frustration creatively...working/renovating/decorating our home and only selling my goods online isn't enough for me anymore and I feel the need for a greater challenge. Also, lets be honest...I am not getting any younger and the closer I get to 40 the more I am reminded of how fast life goes. I kept hearing this voice in my head saying "What are you waiting for?". I tried repeatedly to drown that voice out but it just didn't work and actually left me feeling even more depressed. All of these feelings caused me to feel like I had crossed a line and the idea of having my own shop suddenly went from a dream/goal to something that I had to make happen.  I started to look into renting a space and seeing what options there were in our area. Well it just so happened that I found the perfect one! We knew the moment we saw it that it was the perfect space for us creatively and decided to make the leap and make it ours! Sometimes things fall into place for a reason even though the timing isn't exactly as planned. I can't even begin to tell you how thankful I am to have such a supportive family.

Neal and I are so excited and equally nervous to start this adventure! I think Neal is equally as excited to have his wood working area back in the garage! The space we are renting is just awesome and we can't wait to start working on it! Oh the ideas I have! I will be documenting the whole transformation on Instagram so make sure to follow along.

Some of my shop goals are to always have it stocked with ironstone, vintage linens, and farmhouse style furniture. More details coming soon about it's location and grand opening date!

I have had to pinch myself every morning this week because I just can't believe I am really going to have my own shop. In case you are wondering...yes I will still blog, sell on Etsy and have my booth at The Taylor Antique Mall (this adorable green stool is available in my booth). Well my to do list is longer today than usual so I best get to it! Can't wait to share this journey with you guys!