What on earth did we get ourselves into?

This view may or may not have had me in tears a few months ago.

In full disclosure, at seven months pregnant and having the awesome opportunity to renovate a building and try to keep up with everyday life, I was a little overwhelmed. We had talked for several months about when to start phase two of the renovation of The Market. We jumped in after the holidays with a plan for the financing - things were finally in motion.

And then - we had a medical emergency that rocked us to the core. We dutifully followed through and kept the faith. In the end, it all worked out, but not without some sleepless nights and extra anxiety.

And, then, the clouds started to separate and we were ready for decisions to be made. With great patience, Jeremy would bring me to the building and we would talk through each decision. I would leave thinking, "what on earth did we get ourselves into?" and cry just a little bit.

These emotions might have also been fueled by the fact that when you renovate an old building and start from the bottom up, you eventually move to the second floor. It is at that point that all of the dirt and debris from maybe a hundred years or so filters down into the finished space. So, let's add this up - we were packing and unpacking from shows and in between, cleaning up construction dust and chunks of plaster and concrete. Fun times!

One of the best parts of having The Market is staging and showing off some of our great finds. During this season of renovation, we weren't showing off much of anything!

But, like most things, this crazy, out of control season passed. Fast forward a few weeks and when the new electrical was installed on the second floor, I was so excited. We had turned a corner!

Granted, we still have a long way to go. We have picked out paint colors and have some of the "bones" of the space in place. I can clearly see having events in our space and getting to a place where we can stage. We have even picked up a few special pieces that we have in mind for the space and we can't wait to show them off!

Helping us keep the motivation going is the installation of the fence on the north, east and south sides of the property. We got this in place early enough in the growing season that we can begin to design and plant the east courtyard area.

Yay for progress!

Vintage finds: Vintage sacks

Vintage sacks used for flour, feed, seed, laundry, ballots or banking have a special place in my collector's heart.

I am finally ready to let go of some of my favorites and have been sorting and eventually pricing them for The Market.

One of my favorites - the Cheyenne Steam Laundry bag that we found in Denver. Check out the phone number!

What do you do with these great vintage finds, especially when some may only be in "cutter" condition? Some of my favorite projects are for pillows like the set we have in our living room. There are also some really cute potholders that I have pinned on my project board, but haven't gotten around to making. I am also a huge fan of making these into bags.

 We found this bag in an antique store. I couldn't pass it up because I loved the vibrant colors.

 A talented seamstress friend transformed a seed corn sack into a bag. I love the spaciousness and the great pockets she included. My mom has a matching version.

Another talented friend made this more modern version. I love that it is lined with a sweet "country" cotton fabric and the outside it essentially weather proof!

The Market on Main: A soft opening

 We ran across this saying,

if you think our hands are full, you should see our hearts.

I am not sure that there is a more fitting way to sum up this season of our lives. The Market on Main is shaping up nicely and we are really, really happy and very thankful for all of the help and encouragement.

It is also fair to say that we have a ton going on right now - Jeremy is coaching basketball, he has to take classes to recertify for teaching, custom orders are rolling in for the holidays, my work schedule is about the same as usual, and we have some health stuff for us and family members that has been keeping us on our toes.

So, our hands are full!

Despite it all, we had some great help from family to set up The Market. We had the chance to unpack our trailer and some of the other storage locations where we have been tucking away inventory for the past few months. Everything needed a really good cleaning and then we had the fun of trying to find everything we had packed. The good news - we have some awesome stuff! The bad news - we are still digging out items and trying to find some of our fall and holiday items. It's a daily exercise in discovery and often some declaration of, "where the heck did we put that!?"

 Things are coming together! We have some great things that we are excited to share and have had some fun shopping with some friends and other small business owners.

 A constant work in progress, but we are finding some great things that we have been collecting.

The grand opening is scheduled for Saturday, November 26. We had a soft opening on November 5 to just get some people into the space and to try out our set up.

The best part of what we do is getting to hang out with family and friends. Jeremy's siblings surprised him for the soft opening!

The Market on Main: Phase One Update

 This project has come a long way!

Phase one has been both a marathon and a sprint with us often wishing things would move faster so we could get set up and then wishing things could slow down so we could make decisions and get a better grasp on all the options. We often would drive up to the building when we both got home from our respective activities and then shine the headlights on whatever progress we could see.

So, we are almost there! The concrete floor is just what we hoped. It has some variation in color and it is easy to clean. Electrical is coming along and geothermal is almost installed. But, we are complete enough to open the doors and had a soft opening on November 5. Jeremy worked it solo because of my work commitments and he loved seeing so many friends and family. It was fun to be able to show off the space and we were thankful that it was warm enough that heat was not required.

 Since this photo was taken, the supports have been wrapped in cedar.

 

The front windows have been wrapped. The natural light from these windows has to be one of my favorite things about the space.

We also have installed black pipe handrails to help keep guests from stepping off of the ledges around the ramp at the back of the space. It was a simple, industrial looking solution for the safety concern we had about the drop down.

 The geothermal unit looks a bit space age! Jeremy sent photos to me and I was sure it was a situation where maybe I had the proportion wrong or was confused about the set up. But, no, these components are pretty impressive. We look forward to having everything connected and running before the cold temperatures hit.

 Part of the reason the geothermal installation has been delayed is because we have a huge water table under our property. When the crew was drilling the wells, they ran into water - a lot of water. We essentially have a mud pit in the backyard. Jeremy keeps reminding me that we now have a blank slate for landscaping this spring. Until then, we are thankful for the plastic barriers that are keeping most of the mud in our yard and not in our neighbor's yard or the alley. And for the bit that is escaping, we are thankful for some grace.  Maybe by spring, we can make something beautiful grow in this space?

And, the windows! We wanted something that gave nod to the original windows and would be energy efficient and low maintenance. We are so very happy with this solution that honored that beautiful arch of the original design.

There is much, much more that has happened. For instance, we have a bathroom! More soon!

Kansas Barn Sale

 Our fall includes several favorite traditions, but none are as beloved as attending the Kansas Barn Sale.

A few years ago, we signed up as exhibitors and we have continued to count this show as one of our favorites. The setting is perfect, the people are happy, and the hospitality is unparalleled.

The Emma Creek Barn creates the perfect backdrop. We arrived early to finish the final set up and it was just a little magical with the lights on and the sky showing brilliant colors.

 Sunrises in Kansas are the best! The morning of the show, we had some great color and slow warm up to a beautiful fall day.

 We really enjoyed putting out some of our favorite vintage finds.

 The sign inventory was on point. Jeremy worked really hard in the months leading up to the show to have a great selection.

I loved this little collection - old books, pumpkins, positive vibes, and all things vintage.

We can't wait for next year's show!

Fall vintage show line up

 Our first Mini Market last weekend kicked off our fall show schedule. It was so much fun to pull items out of our storage locations, dust them off and begin putting everything together before we hit the road.

This weekend was School House Market Days in Saffordville, KS. We enjoyed chatting with some of our fellow vendors and hanging out in a very cool old schoolhouse!

Between the weather, the trees turning and more and more pumpkins and mums showing up, we are starting to think FALL!

Here are a few more places to catch up with us over the coming weeks:

September 23/24
Fabulous Finds on 99

Westmoreland, KS

October 1Kansas Barn Sale
Hesston, KS

October 8Old 54 Outdoor Market

Augusta, KS

Up next - pour the floor!

 A quick building update:

The old floor is out and the new floor is formed.

We have some electrical and heating/air conditioning components to install and we should have a new floor poured by the end of the month.

The dirt work has helped to fix the grade. We not only had a slope from front to back, but also a giant rise in the middle. It took a laser level to show us the difference. With the concrete forms in place, we can see how we can accommodate the doorways at the back of the space and how the overall layout might take shape. My mind is racing with questions about check out placement and furniture placement.

Stay tuned, the next few weeks will show some rapid progress.

This view shows you the space from the front doors. What are we going to do with all of this space!?!

In other news, we bought a sink and toilet for the small bathroom on the main level. These purchases also led to other purchases and we should have gotten a bigger cart. Saturdays at home improvement stores - dangerous!

 Here are some of the finds from the main level - metal tools, parts and pieces. We are trying to think of a neat way to repurpose these into something that stays with the building. Stay tuned!

Our first Mini Market!

Saturday was our first Mini Market at the new location. As you know, renovation is underway on our new building. We are so anxious to be in the new space and have items tucked into every storage space, including our dining room!

This weekend was a great chance for us to give a sneak peek at the new building - a sort of "before" snapshot - and to pull our items out of storage to see what we might have in inventory before our big fall show season.

Our first show of the fall is next weekend at the Schoolhouse Market Days in Saffordville, Kansas, just west of Emporia. After that, we have a sprint to the end of the calendar year that includes some of our favorite shows and major progress on the building. Fingers crossed, we will be finished with phase one of the renovation and in the building by Small Business Saturday at the end of November.

We are really looking forward to our next Mini Market to be held in conjunction with Fabulous Finds on Highway 99, September 23-24.

Plant geek: slight succulent obsession

This plant geek is firmly on the succulent bandwagon.

 Almost every style blog, retail outlet, and garden center has succulents as the star.

We are huge fans of the ease of care and the wide variety available. From the tiniest to the largest in all different shapes and colors, we love how they look.

We started a few cuttings from some of our existing plants. These cute little vintage clay pots are so sweet.

We also planted an arrangement in a galvanized container that we found. We have a whole collection of these galvanized pans and they are the perfect depth for succulents.

 Here is a better view of some of the plants we selected.

We were also surprised to see one of them blooming! Look at these delicate little blossoms.

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!

Prairie School Farms new home

This building has been in my heart since we first moved to this area. I have dreamed about it and wondered if there would ever be the chance that we could have a connection beyond the casual architectural crush.

Several weeks ago, we learned that it might be for sale. After some negotiation and a lot of planning, we are happy to announce that Prairie School Farms has a new home!

Located at the corner of Fifth and Main in Westmoreland, we have this historic gem - two stories with so much potential to hold all of our dreams.

We may or may not be channeling Chip and Joanna. I have used the term "shiplap" nearly 400 times. We have already started the cleaning and demo. Today included six truckloads of trees and branches - five of them by Jeremy alone. Any person with a strong desire to put on some work gloves and help with garden clean up is welcome.

The building was constructed in 1885 and was reportedly a blacksmith and livery shop. We have a copy of one of the original photos from when the livery was operational. The building has the initials GAR on the front and from our preliminary research it stands for the Grand Army of the Republic and was built for Civil War veterans who fought for the Union. The building must have originally been built as a lodge or chapter house for the veterans.

We are working on plans to make the ground level into a retail space.

The large double doors in the right of this photo are amazing. We are trying to find a way to have these recreated or preserved. We are planning to have a pergola on the side of the building with these doors leading out to the space.

The second floor has a large space for entertaining and a second portion that we will use as a B&B.

Wish us luck on the adventure ahead! We have some plans for renovation and big dreams for this space. Our little studio has already been sold, so we will be packing and moving very soon. Watch for a grand opening in Spring 2017!

First signs of spring

For some, the first signs of springs include hearing birds chirp, trees blossom, or flowers bloom.

For us, the first signs of spring mean the first trips through barns and sheds for new treasures. We typically slow down over the winter months because of the cold and because we don't have a lot of storage. Until our spring show schedule picks up, we try to manage the inventory we have on had an not add a lot to the stash.

Yesterday didn't feel much like spring - a balmy 20 degrees! It didn't keep two of my favorite guys from finding some treasures.

Be on the look out for some of these great finds at the studio and in our spaces for upcoming shows!

Thanksgiving day delivery

Thanksgiving Day was a really low key affair this year. It was a simple meal and a small crowd, but still really special.

My dad brought a box of vintage finds from an auction he attended. Inside the box was a seed sack with GREAT color and a really cool imprint. He had a couple of rolling pins and some other kitchen items. Tucked in the box, there were several hard to find Mason jars, including the light purple jar in the photo.

Keep or sell? The struggle is real!

We also made a few yardstick stars from some pieces leftover from an earlier project.

The sweet little basket in the photo is an insert from a picnic basket that has seen better days.  The basket it toast! But, we salvaged the insert and the lid. The lid may make a good sign base? I think the basket, even with a hole in the side, can still be used for a display.

We are feeling thankful for the chance to bond over vintage finds and to create stuff together. We are lucky!

Scrapbook finds

 One evening this summer, my dad brought us a treasure trove of finds from an auction. We unloaded his pick up and did a quick sort - what did we want to keep, sell, donate or toss. It was a mammoth task and we spent hours going through things.

In all of the boxes and piles, we found two scrapbooks.

Charming is the only word I can use to describe them. At first glance, I expected to find photos on the pages, but when we opened the first, we found...

 pages and pages of old advertising - display ads for every type of household item.

The illustrations were amazing and I loved reading the ad copy.

 The second scrapbook - I expected more of the same. But, with this one...

 it was filled with what I think is calendar art.

 And, this book also had some color advertising - maybe from magazines?

 The pages with the auto subject matter were some of my favorite and with great color, too!

 And, you have to love the farm and tractor scenes.

 And, the prize bull...

These are prefect for the history lover. I could look at these for days!