Recipe books - can you have too many?

Recipe books have always been a source of inspiration and comfort to me. Perhaps this is from a family tradition of loving recipes - cooking and baking and food preservation have been about sustenance and creativity for generations. Some of my earliest memories are of my mom and grandmothers sharing recipes with each other, friends and neighbors.

As I moved out on my own, one of my feelings of independence was acquiring my own recipes and collection of recipe books. My recipe book collection tends to grow and then I reduce it, keeping my favorites and copying out the favorite recipes in the books that I decide to pass along. I have been wrestling with finding a more comprehensive digital solution other than the few hundred recipes I have in Evernote. There is still something so special about paging through a book and looking at great photography and reading stories from the author. I tend to skim over all the good stuff when using an online option.

A few ways that cookbooks have been inspiring me lately...

A recent podcast episode - Happier with Gretchen Rubin, episode 169 - gave me a great gift idea. In an interview with author Joanna Cole, she shared a tried this at home tip. She buys two of the same cookbooks and she keeps one at home and one at work. She uses this for a convenience strategy when she needs to plan dinner and possibly make a stop at the store on the way home. She also uses this as a gift for parents who are working outside the home. This seems so brilliant!

A friend has been making a recipe a week from Joanna Gaines book Magnolia Table: A collection of recipes for gathering. She is combining making great food with gathering great friends. What a fantastic way to build community and enjoy delicious food and feed the need to create. So thankful to know about this tradition.

For the past couple of years, when a new cookbook is released that has been on our list of "must gets," I will buy two copies and gift one to my mom. It's fun to each explore the book and then share our observations and the recipes we want to make. We are lucky that only a few miles separate us, and I can imagine that if we lived further apart that this practice would possibly be any more meaningful.

My dad is great about finding us recipe books at auctions. One of my favorite things is to flip through books, especially the compilation books that church and community groups have made. It is even more precious to find handwritten notes from the previous owner that comment on the recipe. What a treasure!

Made with Love by Nice People for Nice People

As we have built our business, we have always loved the amazing people we meet. We are very lucky that the type of work that we do allows us to connect with some interesting, and while different, still like-minded people. And, nothing feels better than meeting someone and immediately having something in common and the building on that commonality over time. Even if that commonality is restoring an old building, or the detail on an old piece of furniture, or the character of a rusty old kid's wagon.

A little sappy. A little cheesy. We'll take it!

We have had a motto that we make nice things for nice people. (Or, sometimes find nice things for nice people.) It's the nice people who are the DAY MAKERS!

Some of the nicest people just sent photos of some of their finds at The Market. We were really humbled and pleased to see these things in their space. So special.

 These large signs have been really popular this spring. The natural wood frame makes them a favorite.

 The barn door has been looking for a forever home for a little while. We have loved it for the character and this spot is perfect! Notice the wire pull for a handle and the remaining rusty hinge.

The found several barn wood bookcases and they were the center of several displays. We were glad to see them find good homes.

 We repurposed wine staves with some salvaged canteen holders to make planters. These would also make great organizers.

Our wine barrel pub tables are still some of my favorites. We love the look of this table in this space.

Nice things for Nice People.What a great reason to keep going!

It is the season for tables

 We always feel like our business runs in seasons.

We naturally have the fall, winter, spring and summer seasons.

We talk about show season.

And, there is the phenomenon of seasons of projects. This season has been all about tables!

After acquiring several old drafting tables, Jeremy has the great idea to restore the bases and replace the tops. The end result were some pub size tables and some great desks. We have people who are using these in compact kitchens - perfect seating for four or as a desk where you can stand or sit on a stool comfortably.

 This top is actually original to the piece, but restored with some sanding, stain and a little top coat to seal it.

The best part of this table is the metal edge.

 This smaller version with the pallet top had just enough color variation to make it super interesting.

 Am I right? Great color variation!

This version shows off how attractive the desk version could be. We love the narrow drawers for just the right amount of storage.

Modern Farmhouse Style

We love farmhouse style and have been enjoying some of the modern farmhouse piece that we have been seeing in our favorite catalogs.

A customer visited with us about a table on behalf of her sister. The options we had available weren't quite right. However, we had some modern metal legs in our raw material piles. Fast forward to a very brief design session and we had plans for a table that combined the modern legs with a reclaimed wood top. So beautiful in the end!

A side note - these pictures were taken before the heatwave destroyed our flowers. You also get a true picture of our creative process - piles of wood and scraps of lumber. It's the real deal, friends!

Happy homes: Personalized Wine Barrel Head

Photo credit: Darroch family

Our heart is always filled to the brim when we get to see a project in the homes of our friends and customers.

A popular item at The Market is the personalized barrel head. We have made these for wedding, anniversary, and housewarming gifts. These have also been a popular way to say "family" and "home" in a space.

We firmly believe that objects can create a sense of place and define a structure as more than a house, but as a home.

Plus, isn't this arrangement swoon worthy?! Love, love, love it!

Entry table project

 This beauty began as a concept drawing from some friends and a request for Jeremy to build this custom entry table.

This was a project that Jeremy agonized over! He wanted to get it just right for this family and to be economical and, of course, beautiful.

In the popular farmhouse style, this entry table turned out to be functional and beautiful!

In fact, when it was near completion, we had several people want to buy it.

 We love the detail on this one! Even down to the natural wood in the bottom of the cubbies because Jeremy knew that little shoes might scuff the paint. Thankful for friends with a mind for design and you have to love the organization potential on this project!

Photo credit: Meitler family

Just the right amount of rustic and refined - this table found a happy home!

Farmhouse style sofa table

We are loving the fact that Farmhouse style is all the rage right now. The simple elegance of the classic blend of natural wood and painted wood goes is a perfect fit for our own home and what we like to create.

This sofa table was pretty outdated. We discovered that the top was removable. With a fresh coat of paint for the legs and some light distressing, we made it look fresh. The top was replaced with some reclaimed wood and was stained and lightly sealed.

We were so happy with the finished product and debated the age old question, "Should we keep or sell?"

In the end, we passed this piece along to a great couple who we met through The Market. We were so excited when they sent a picture of the table in their home.