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.

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.

What do normal people do on a Sunday?

 We often ask ourselves, "What do normal people do on a Sunday?"

We think that they might watch golf or take a nap or go to the lake or read a book in the air conditioning.

Not us.

Nope. Not happening.

We decide that it is a great day to clean up the flower bed on the north side of the garage and to disassemble giant sections of reclaimed gym floor - in 90 plus degree temperatures with high humidity. A true sweat fest.

We rescued this gym flooring from a barn a few miles from our place. A couple was cleaning and organizing some items before their auction and Jeremy bought a few things from them. They also let us crawl through their barn to see if there were other treasures we would want to purchase. Near the back were these giant (and heavy) sections of gym floor from one of the schools in Olathe. We took a chance thinking we could reuse the solid wood slats for projects.

 The reclaimed wood is amazing! Jeremy has been able to reassemble it and use it for bases for signs and laser engraving.

The disassembling - not so amazing. A hammer, crowbar and grinder are required. Fun times on a Sunday afternoon!

Book page wreaths

Finished projects make me happy!

We finally tried to make a wreath from book pages. Our first attempt was with pages from an old hymnal and we really liked how it turned out. As luck would have it, we had a cold temperatures with a wintery mix of rain and ice most of the day. It was perfect weather for watching movies and crafting.

So, I tried out some different wreaths.

The first version we tried was two layers. So, we tried a more full version. I also did some research on how to make paper flowers and it was the perfect solution for the center of the full wreath.

 We tried the hymnal pages with the accordion fold and a button in the center.

 My husband saw the inspiration piece and knew we had the perfect old black frame in the basement.  The beautiful, heavy black frame made this wreath from dictionary pages look so cool! What I love most about this wreath is that in the "a's" of this dictionary, they include a picture of an alpaca. It worked out to have the alpaca showing, so if you are looking for it, you see the alpaca!

 We also have two chalkboards on hand. Their painted frames make the perfect outline for the wreaths! (Another idea taken from the inspiration piece!)

My husband also had a reclaimed wood base constructed for a sign. He thought it would make the perfect backdrop.

This wreath is make from pages from a book of poetry written by high school students. It has a button in the center and a large accordion folded medallion in the center.

Hymnal page wreath project

A project finished!

We have so many unfinished projects around the house, but today, we marked one off the list!

I had my eye on these book page wreaths for a long time. We found some really wonderful old hymnals at an estate sale over a year ago. As with most things, we let put the project on our list, stored the supplies, and moved on.

Today was Thanksgiving and in my pre-Thanksgiving shopping, I added a trip to the hobby store to pick up some bases.

After we cooked and cleaned up, this afternoon was the perfect time to work on the project. It was raining. Football was on the tv. My husband was busy hand painting signs. It was a good time to experiment. It took me several tries to get the rolling of the pages down, but in the end, I was moving pretty quickly.

My inspiration piece was from The Frugal Homemaker. What I love about the inspiration piece is how it was staged with the blackboard on a mantle. Beautiful!

Fall at the studio

It's beginning to look a lot like fall at our studio!

We are gearing up for some of our favorite shows. Check out our show listing and as always, we keep our "sometimes hours" at the studio or are available for shopping by appointment. You can also see our booth (and a lot of other great booths) at Eclectic Charm in Manhattan.

September 25 & 26
Fabulous Finds on Highway 99
Treasure abound all along Highway 99. Stop by the studio for some great vintage shopping.

September 25 & 26
Pumpkin Patch Arts & Crafts Fair
Get your fall fix at the 42nd annual event. We will have some hand painted signs and small furniture items with our friends with Eclectic Charm.

October 3
Kansas Barn Sale
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Hesston, KS

Handmade cards, baby and birthday

 I love to make cards, but often find that I don't have the time or patience to get out the supplies and get something done.

Saturday morning was a whirlwind. We had a short window to run three miles, eat breakfast, hustle to the studio to meet someone who needed to pick up a table, work on organizing the studio and then back home to can tomatoes. And, in true Lehning household fashion, I decided to make baby and birthday cards for some gifts right in the middle of all of it. There is no explanation for my choice of timing, but in the end, I think it worked out well.

For the baby gift, I wrapped two books in maps. For the card, I found some of the rosettes I had made from book pages - added a little vintage looking paper and then got brave and tried some hand lettering.

I tested it on my husband. He promised me it didn't look ridiculous, so after wrapping the books with some natural twine, I tucked the card in and checked one gift off the list.

I needed a birthday card and felt inspired by the first card. After selecting some paper that coordinated with the gift bag, I used another rosette to make the embellishment. Gift two down.

I had two other birthday gifts to wrap for my nieces. I had already picked out ready made cards, so went with them. Now, if I can just get all of the gifts delivered!

Some assembly required

We got inspired by Jenni Bowlin's July post where she featured the Micro-Billy by Cardboard Safari mounted in a vintage cigar box.

I was intrigued.

Perhaps, it is because I am a little starstruck by Jenni. I tell my husband all the time that I want to be her friend. Her style and eye for putting together vintage items in the most balanced and beautiful arrangements are the gold standard for me.

So, seeing this fantastic looked buffalo together with one of my accidental passions in collecting - tobacco-related items - had me from the beginning.

We ordered the Micro-Billy and the Tex and Toro, too. They shipped flat - brilliant and a little terrifying. How does it go from flat to 3-dimensional?

Once you open the package, you have to punch out all of the pieces. This represents Micro-Tex before assembly.

And, meet Micro-Tex. You might notice that Micro implies there are other sizes. And, you are right! You should check out the different sizes on the Cardboard Safari Etsy page.

The details is amazing, including the paper ear tag!

My favorite! I love this bison head.

Just so you can see the detail.

And, the toro. The detail on the horns had me a little scared.

Cool, right?

And, just so you can see all three together. We had a lot of fun putting them together and look forward to maybe trying some more. Perhaps, this winter when things slow down.

Repurposed window project

We have been saving an inspiration picture for a project using reclaimed windows.  Right now, we happen to have a lot of reclaimed windows in just about every corner of every storage space we have available.

With a few hours set aside for projects today, we decided to make a cabinet with a reclaimed window as the door. Part of the fun and frustrating part of working with reclaimed materials is that you have to make it up as you go. There are no standard sizes or measurements. Our materials can look nothing like what is represented in the inspiration pieces.

We started with the window and build the cabinet to fit. After some thinking and planning and digging for materials, we are super excited about the finished product.

We can't wait to show this off next weekend at Vintage in the Valley.

Unpack the trailer sale - a good idea or no?

This is the season for spring shows and we have been burning up the roads.

First, the Red Barn Outdoor Market near Benton, KS.  We followed that up with a trip north to the Funky Junk Market in Funk, NE.  Then, we went south to Dewey, OK for the 2 Friends & Junk Sale.  All fantastic.  But, whew, we are exhausted!  So much good stuff has been passed on to great people.  We have met so many new, cool, like-minded people and reconnected with treasured friends.  We are having a blast.

Now, to unload the trailer and reset the studio. We have a love/hate relationship with this part of our work. It's always fun to dig out new inventory and reconfigure what we have on hand, and it also means carrying some heavy stuff. Ok, not some.  We carry a lot of heavy stuff.

I pitched an idea to my husband and he thinks I am crazy. So, I'll pitch it here and you can confirm or deny if this is a good idea.

My idea: have a unpack the trailer sale.  We name a day and time and set everything out in the grassy lot behind our studio.  We'll make some great deals and I'll slowly reset the studio.  You get great deals and maybe I don't have to carry as much heavy stuff as far. Win-win.

If you are thinking that all of the stuff left in the trailer is all the stuff no one bought at the sale, you have to know that we always pack WAY more than we could ever sell in a space during a one or two day show.  We are prepared for anything. That means we always bring home a lot of good stuff and if we shop on the way home, we might even have some new treasures.

Plus, our show schedule means that we have neglected anyone who is local who wants to browse.  We just couldn't pack and unpack and pack again and keep on the road.  So, the unpack the trailer sale would be a great way to catch up with anyone in our area who has been feeling the need to take a look at some signs or has wanting to check out some great vintage finds.

So, what's the verdict?  Have an unpack the trailer sale or no?

2 Friends & Junk - Dewey, OK

This season has been all about shows for us.  We have challenged ourselves with four shows in four weekends.  In addition to the time and energy in keeping up with inventory, we also worked our first two out of state shows and our first two-day show.

What a great time!

This weekend was the 2 Friends & Junk show in Dewey, Oklahoma and we checked the out of state and two-day show boxes.

We upgraded our booth size to accommodate the indoor show set up and to be able to include more items with a better flow for shoppers.  Overall, we were pleased with the layout.

Added bonus of the weekend - seeing dear friends who live in Bartlesville and another couple who we always see at the Vintage Treasure Market in Emporia each summer.

Favorite quote from the show:
Red Hat Society shopper: "Anybody ask you if these boards are warped?"
(Referring to these awesome wine barrel stave coat hangers we had for sale in the booth.)
Us: (laughing) "Yeah, actually, someone asked us last night why we had bent wood for sale."
Red Hat Society shopper: "Well, they're warped!"

Next up - graduations and catching up on custom orders.  Then, the Fabulous SugarPete Flea on May 23.

Funky Junk

 Last weekend was a lot of fun.

We traveled to Funk, NE for the Funky Junk Market.  Funk is a little town of around 200 people and on the day of the Market, nearly 2,000 people visit for vintage shopping. We love the idea of bringing something with energy and people with spending power to small towns!

Held on the grounds of an old school, there were spaces inside the gym and outside on the playground.  We had a great spot under a shade tree and we needed every bit of shade because it was well into the 80's by the afternoon.

The morning had a crowd waiting to enter and the shoppers came out in full force.  Graduations and other commitments must have kept the afternoon crowd away, but overall, it was a great day!

We got to see some dear friends and visited with some really nice people. One of our friends recommended the Flippin' Sweet pizza for lunch and it was awesome!

Look for a possible market in the fall!

Ideas for Mother's Day

Mother's Day is right around the corner and many of you may be searching for gifts.

We have some really great options available.  We love to shop local and to buy directly from artists, makers, and small business owners. We also love repurposed, vintage, one-of-a-kind, and meaningful gifts.  We work really hard to try to provide all the same things we love for the people who shop with us.

Here are some ideas that might work for your mom or the people in your life who provide the love and support of a mother figure.

Maybe she used to read you this book - a true classic and something that you will always share. This saying is so popular and we love it when people tell us they have their own version and have changed up the words a bit.  We have made a few custom signs to honor a family's own personal saying.

Maybe someone on your list is a young mom and she can relate to this saying - unless she's too exhausted to find it funny.

Maybe you have a grandma who would appreciate one of these signs. We have been honored to be a small part of surprise announcements of new little ones on the way. Some couples have chosen to tell their parents by gifting them with one of these signs.  So sweet.

If we can help with your shopping, please let us know!  We love to help!