An Urban Farmhouse

Today I am going to give you a tour of my mom's house. She has worked very hard to get it to look the way she wants. It just goes to shows you some of the things you can do in your own home.

The Entry

This wall is simple but makes an impacted on the rest of the house. She found the wood framed sign at the Junk Ranch in June 2017. The 'hi' she found at hobby lobby and used 2 small nails and hung it to the frame. The bucket w/flowers & the tobacco basket came from Hobby Lobby too. The coat hanger I had in some of my stuff.


The Living Room

This space you always want a warm feeling. Somewhere you want to come home to and I think my mom has made it that way. On one wall she has an old window I found with a magnolia wreath on it. She hung the wreath with the peel and stick hook. The wreath she got at the store call At Home. If you have never been to At Home it is awesome. On another wall she has the first farmhouse piece she ever got. A Windmill. She got this one of the shop in Waco, TX call Junque in the Trunk. The flowers on the windmill she made from different flowers from Hobby Lobby. I think the flowers gives it a soft touch to the hard metal. The next wall has a big window looking out to the back yard. There isn't a lot of wall space but this old shutter I found at a yard sale looks great on it and on the wood box below is an old radio that was my grandparents. It still has the glass tubes in it.

The Dinning Room

Tis room and the kitchen has to be my favorite rooms in her house. When she bought the house the barn red wall was already there and my mom knew how she want to decorated it before she bought the house. With the help of my hubby we put up this beautiful shelf. The white corbel book ends from Magnolia Market in Waco, TX. The fresh baked sign I made my mom a few years back. (It is an old window I found in a field.) The black box on the left hand side with the greenery is from Hobby Lobby. The butter turn my mom found in a cabinet when she was moving. She forgot she even had it up there. The scales are from a shop in Branson, MO and it is from England. The white scale I found at a shop in Blair, OK called 3 R's Schoolhouse Collectibles. My mom put a candle on the top of that and it is battery operated that has a remote. Isn't that awesome!!?? Then on the very end on the right hand side is a basket with some cook books.
Now her table... She had just the white pitcher with an ivy in it but when we was at the Urban Farmhouse a while back we seen all the cool table center pieces and she knew she wanted to change hers. I am just going to list the items and where they are from. Tray (beautiful) - Michaels (don't just stick with Hobby Lobby try Michaels out too!), black box with greenery- Hobby Lobby, Tan towel - Michaels (need to get me some to make a cute kitchen window curtain), wire locker basket - yard sale (she was lucky on that one!), white metal pitcher - me (I found it in a trash pile!! I know right?!), olive branches - Hobby Lobby, Chef was my grandma's, Antique Seltzer Bottle - Michaels, Green bush thing - Hobby Lobby, I don't know where the market sign came from but I am sure a shop or show she has been too, Salt and Pepper shakers - Warehouse Antiques Mall in Moore, OK, old song books - from years of collecting and of course a Magnolia Market candle. Now this can be changed out for every holiday or when she wants it a little different but it is something big and makes a statement on the table.

The Kitchen

Oh my goodness!! Look at that Kitchen?!?! She put a lot of thought into this project. Lots of looking at Pinterest and watching every Fixer Upper ever made. But I feel like it is the best kitchen out there right now. She had her cabinets painted gray. The counter tops are quartz, backsplash is the beautiful subway tile. the white and gray makes it so clean and bright. I didn't think in that small of a kitchen gray would make it look bigger but it did.

The Guest Bedroom

This room just got shiplap on the walls, Well it isn't real shiplap but man it looks like it. My mom watched a lot of YouTube videos on this trying to learn how to do it. I loved it so much that it is going in the shop soon. The headboard came from Amazon and the bedding came from At Home. This room is still being worked on.

The Bathroom

 

In the bathroom she used a 2 curtain panels for a shower curtain. She painted the cabinets a gray like the kitchen and left the doors of the cabinet above the toilet. The main colors in the bathroom is gray and green so she tried to add a little green here and there with plants and towels. Just a simple touch to make it homey.

 

The Backyard

My mom has a green thumb for sure. She has made my plants come back to life. So when it comes to her backyard I knew she would make it look awesome. This pergola was just done and it adds another room to her home. The chandelier she sprayed painted black and added the solar lights. I could stay out there forever with a tall glass of sweet tea.


I hop you enjoyed a tour of my mom's house. She has put a lot of hard work into it and I think it has paid off. I also hope this inspires you and gives you some ideas for your own home.

Until next time
Happy Pickin'
Sarah

Truck Troubles

Today I want to tell you the truth about owning your own business. Truth is sometimes it is better to work for someone else then yourself. But the good times of owning your own business out way the bad times.

Then we started tis business we had a new truck and as borrowing a trailer from a friend. We was going great with small shows here and there. Our main jobs was working great too. Nothing could stop us so we thought!! Then the oil field crashed!! Now neither one of us worked (main jobs) in the oil field but our businesses depended on it to be here in Western Oklahoma. With the scrap iron if the oil prices are down so is the scrap iron prices. Then with the tag office if no one has a job or they move away then they don't buy new cars or tags. We wasn't prepared for the hit like we should have been. Within a  few months the tag office was having a hard time making rent. Then we lost both of our new vehicles, bill got behind and we was trying everything to stay on top. But through it all we kept God first and we knew with him we would make it out of the hole. God only gives you what you can handle even if you don't think you can He knows that you can.

Even though we had these problems we was going great with Heavenly Junk. We had more shows booked then we could keep up with. Our inventory was great and we loved every minute of it. I just kept thinking to my self when line gives you lemons (even sour ones) make lemonade. So I tried different things with our little business. One was vinyl on windows, another was sells and giveaways, and another was a booth at The Old Store in Piedmont, Ok. Everything was working I was selling out of the windows at shows, the giveaway was drawing in business on our Facebook page, and we couldn't keep out booth filled at The Old Store. Then round two came!!

Now this is still and on going event so I can't tell you how or when we get out of this mess. In 2017 we started with 32 shows booked. Now when I say booked they are in my book and we wait until closer to time to see if we can do them. Our 2nd show of the year was Junk Hippy in Rosenberg, TX. We made it down there and got up the next morning (set up day) to find a flat tire on the trailer. Afar calling for about an hour I found a shop to help. After a few hours and 2 tires later we was on our way to set up. A few shows later we was coming home from another Junk Hippy show (Junk Hippy is bad luck on vehicles but great in the pocket book) the drive line in my husband's truck broke!! A tow and lots of money later we was back on the road. Then just a few weeks ago we was getting ready for another Junk Hippy show in Rosenberg when I get a call from the hubby that said I don't think we are going to Rosenberg. I said why not we are leaving in 3 days. He said not unless I can find another truck. WHAT!?!? The top a frame bushing had came out and there was a big hole in the frame. So we loaded my short bed truck an headed down to Rosenberg. We didn't think we could fill a 10x10 booth with just the cab and bed full but with the grace of God, lots of prayers and a little hard work we made a 10X20 space look great. At the show we made just as much as we would have if we brought the trailer. God was good to us, but Tim still didn't have a truck when we got home. He drove me back and forth to work for a week. His brother sent him a picture of a truck on Friday so on Sunday we went and looked at it. The guy wanted $2300 and Tim only had $2000. So Tim said to me if the guy take $2000 I fell like it is God's will for me to get it. But the guy said he couldn't do that. So we left with no truck. Monday came around and Tim had a bad day. When he came to pick me up he said we are going to Elk City to look for a truck. As we were driving out of town the guy with the truck texted Tim and said he would take $2000. Tim said we are on our way.

With every turn there is a bump. This business is hard and there is so many ups and downs, but there is one thing for sure and that is God helped us start this little business and God will help us through it. One foot in front of another. It reminds me of the footprints in the sand poem. Where there was 2 sets of foot prints then there was one. God said that is where I was carrying you. Well He must be tired because He has had to carry us a lot lately. You know I still would not trade this in for the world.

Until next time,
Happy Junkin'
Sarah

One Man's Trash is Another Man's Treasure

There is a saying that one man's trash is another man's treasure. Well I have seen that come true many times over. When we go out to an estate sale it brakes my heart that the family didn't want their families' things or we go to an auction and the stuff goes for pennies on the dollar, or just go out to the scrap yard and see all the stuff people throw away. But with our little business it is helping us repurpose, reduce and reuse. You know that saying they tell you in school about recycling.

With junk there is a lot of different ways you can use one piece. I will start with one of my favorite up cycles to date.

The story behind this piece is like most that we have in our world. My husband was out picking up some scrape metal. The owners said there is the pile take it all!!! Hubby pulls the iron, metal, dirt out of the pile and puts it on the trailer. He hauls it to our home in Cordell and tells me to come out to the trailer and see what is on it. So I get some shoes on (REAL SHOES!!! LOL) and go look at the goodies. I see a basket, a bike tire, a thing and a that. Then I see it, the cart!!!! I told the hubby to get it out of the trailer. I was sooo excited!!! He pulls it out and puts it on the ground for me to inspect it. I look to see if it is all there, every screw and bolt, look to see if it has any chips or dings, where the rust is and if it has her wheels on her. We stick her in the trailer for our next show. (I call the fun pieces a her because of the women who might of bought her new.) The next show was the Vintage CountrE Market at the LazyE Area in June (2016). When we got to the show and I pulled her out I couldn't wait to put her on display. The next day a young lady came up and asked how much for the cart. I had it priced for $25.00 then I remembered that this young lady just a few weeks back bought from us at the Junk Hippy Show in El Reno. So like we do for most of our recurring customers I told her $20.00 for the cart. Sure enough she bought it and took it home. She then sprayed it with a beautiful blue spray paint and dressed her to the nine. When she sent me a picture after she was done I couldn't believe it was the same cart.

With just a little time, a vision, a little elbow grease, the little rusty cart became a beautiful cart.

If you all could see where and what condition some of these items come to us in you would run in the opposite direction as fast as possible. But every so often something grabs even my eye. There is the next project on this trash to treasure tour.

This is a grain scoop. They come in all different shapes and sizes. The scoops were used to take the grain out of the elevators to the trucks to go tot the farms to be planted. This scoop came from another scrap pile. If I remember this stories the owner was using it to hold bolts in his garage. After pulling it out of the trailer full of junk I cleaned it up. I used a wire brush to get the dirt off of it. A little soap and water doesn't hurt either. Next I used clear spray paint to help hold the rust so it doesn't get on anything or continues to rust. The clear spray paint we use is AVE brand because it is the only store near us. I normally put 2 to 3 coats on it just because of were it is going. In this case it was going on my wall so I didn't want rust on the wall. The next this is these scoops already have holes in the back due to being on a belt that helps them move the scoop with the grain in them. So because I didn't need to put holes in them I hammered 2 nails in the wall and put the scoop on like a picture you would hang. Now for the fun part. I mean it is all fun but my inter JoAnn comes out now. Decorating!!! I went to hobby Lobby and found a fern to put inside the scoop. I wanted something that would hang off the side. Then I found the tobacco basket at hobby lobby and knew it was the prefect size to go under the scoop. Then for Christmas last year we was a t a show and I kept looking across the way at a booth with these awesome signs. I feel in love with "Lets stay Home" because we are always gone and when we are home we don't go anywhere. My hubby talked to the over of the booth and at the ended of the show he bought it for my Christmas present. So now with all the items I needed this is how it turned out.

With every piece of junk you have there was a story behind it and something you can do with it. Not every piece has an awesome story but it came from somewhere. It doesn't have to e used the way it was intended to be used either. Mason jars as lights or wagon wheels as yard art. There is always a way to make something old into something new. One man's trash is another man's treasure.

Happy Pickin'
Sarah

Things I Have Learned At Vintage/Junk Shows

Well Hello There....

Welcome back to the Heavenly Junk Blog. Today I wanted to share some things I have learned as a promoter (one show many moons ago), vendor (at to many shows to count), and as a shopper. (Man have a shopped.)

There is a lot of shows out there and as a vendor we try to find the best shows for us and our shoppers. There is a mini check list I go through before choosing a show.
1) Pray- I pray before anything and everything I do. I pray that God will show me the right show to go to.
2) Location- I try to pick a location that is no more then 8hrs away so we can make it in one day. A location that is in a good area. I try to find some shops in the area to see what they sell to see if people buy junk.
3) Promoter- I look to see if the promoter is doing advertising for that show. How many people say they might go to the show on Facebook. (Which you can always except 1/2 of them to really make it.) And how long that show as been in the area. We do 1st time locations but we don't expect to make a lot of money at those.
Picking a show is the hardest thing to do but as soon as I pick one I start adverting that we are going to the show. This is to help our customers know where we are going to be at so they can make plans to be there.


After picking a location it is time for a #pickin'day!!! When pickin' for a show I again look at shops in th area, look at what we sold in that area before and my favorite go to JoJo!!! That is right I have watched every Fixer Upper on Netflix 2 or more times. I never watch the show I look at the end to see how she decorates. You know the metal scoops she put flowers in on one episode...Yeah I have sold them. You know the windmill on the wall....Yeah I have sold them. In her shop in Waco, TX she has white milk glass vases... Yeah I sell them at our booth at The Old Store in Piedmont, OK. (More about our booth in another post.) Pinterest is another place I go to find out what to take to shows. Just the other day I heard Pinterest is the new Google because you type it in and you will find it. I also just pick stuff that I would put in my own house. (One day I will give you a tour of our house that we have been working on for 7 years.) But all in all it is just what God has put on our mind to bring.

The next part is the set up or #setupday as we call it. The tings I have learned on set up day. That maybe a whole post by itself. LOL!!! But 2 quick tips...
1) Bring a tool box of every tool you can think you might need during a show. I have my dad's tool box that has Heavenly Junk on the outside. We use it as a check out stand and it has everything in the world in it. From zip ties to duck tape, from price tags to scissors, from sacks to decorations. It has it all.
2) Decorate your booth with flowers, table clothes, burlap, etc. Then we always have room spray that smells like the season we are in at the time. At our first Junk Hippy Show a vendor next to us sprayed a Christmas in her booth. She said if people smell Christmas they buy Christmas. So from there on out we bring something that smell good so people enjoy their buying experience.

The last thing I have learned at show is for the buyer. I have to sides of this, the buyer and seller. I will talk about the buyer first.
1) Bring CASH!! Some vendors will take a credit card but some will not and I don't know of any that will take a check. Just bring the cash and it will talk!!!
2) Bring comfy shoes. Most of the shows we do are inside but even at that you might be standing for hours looking at everything.
3) Bring  something or someone to help you haul your item. A shopping cart or a friend for the inside and a truck or trailer for the getting it home part. I have had a lot of people say I will pay for it and then come back with a truck to get it. Of course I say yes but it will save you time if you bring it because you never know what you will find at a show.
4) Be nice!! As vendors we work very hard to come to your area to sell our stuff. We have climbed metal piles, gone though spider barns, cleaned 50+ year dirt, traveled a long way, set up for one or two days and more to get you the best junk around. So please if we are busy, a little cranky, look like a train ran us over just be patient with us.
Now for the vendors be nice to the customers because they are the one that will put the food on the table for you, put your kid through baseball/ dance class, pay that bill that is two weeks past due, etc. So you need to be off your phone (unless it is business), talk to the customer, say hi to them when they walk by, fix your booth when it looks bare. BE NICE!!!!

Promoters they try to bring the very best vendors to the people, vendors bring the very best they have, buyers buy so vendors can make a living. We all work together to help one another out. So promoter keep the shows going and improve every time, Vendors step up your game to make sure the show looks great and buyers we can't be in this business without you so keep on buying!!!

Happy Junkin'
Sarah

Girls Trip

So about 2 weeks ago my mom, sister, my mom's friend and I went on a girls trip to the Pioneer Women's Mercantile in Pawhusha, OK. It was so much fun!! My mom and I do something like this together for our birthdays every year. it use to be just getting a pedi but now we go out of town. Last year was our Waco trip which was awesome!! This year my sister wanted to go and my mom's friend. But the fun weekend started on Friday for my mom and me.

This is my nieces and my sister one day one of the shopping weekend.

Friday was my mom's birthday. So when I was a kid (and it goes back to my grandma doing it for my mom) my mom wouldn't let us do anything. Like make our beds, do house work or anything. It was our day!! This year I was at my mom's so I woke up made my bed, her deb, made breakfast, cleaned the kitchen, and ran the dishwasher. She was mad at me because she wasn't going to do it and didn't want me to clean her house for her, but I didn't care. We then headed off for our epic shopping day. One of our stops was the RINK Gallery. My 2nd time there and my mom's 1st!! Oh my she was hooked. There is so many vendors in there. It used to be an old skating rink (hints the name) and my mom us to skate at a skating rink when she was younger so it brought back memories for her. The next stop was the Urban Farmhouse in downtown OKC. now this is not a place for junkin' but their tables were some of the most beautiful tables I have ever seen. They make them in the store and you can watch them to it too. Now I did get some good ideas on how to stage our booths and maybe some stuff to start looking for to sell. I love the store.

 Inside one of the buildings at Urban Farmhouse Designs.

 

That is my mom. ;)

After my brother in law got off of work (Oh yea he works for the Hobby Lobby and my sister lets me use his discount sometimes) we left for Tulsa to pick up my mom's long time friend. After picking he up it was time to make the haul to Bartlesville to spend the night. We laughed so hard on the way there and at dinner. It was a good time is all I am going to say about that. LOL After dinner we went back to the room and we sent my mom to get more towels (because you know hotel never give you enough 2 towels for 4 women!!) and we set up a surprised birthday party for her. It was her first on ever!! Then there was more laughing!!

This is what a surprise party looks like in a hotel at 11:00pm!!

Saturday came fast since we went to bed at midnight and got up at 5am. I am use to going to bed at 8pm and getting up at 7am. I LOVE SLEEP!! We got up ate breakfast and then it was off to Pawhuska, OK. First stop The Mercantile. The line for the restaurant was already long but we just went into the shop and oh my it was beautiful!! We shopped down stars for a bit and mom picked out a few thing. Then we went upstairs to the bakery. OH MY GOODNESS!!! 1st the eating area was beautiful. Big chairs and couches with tables and big windows. Beautiful. 2nd the food!!! There was so much to choose from. We each got something different to taste as much as we could. And the coffee OH MY!! So good. After our little eating time it was time to finish shopping. lets just say we didn't all buy the store out but came close!!! LOL!!

 This is the outside of the Mercantile in Pawhuska, OK.

 This is the inside of the Mercantile.

 

This is the bakery upstairs at the Mercantile.

We couldn't decide on what to get.

 

Breakfast of Champions!!

 

Our bags!!

The girls on the trip in front of the door at the Mercantile.

After the Mercentile we drove around town and seen a sign for the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve that was north of town. So we were off and I was in heaven!! Open fields, big blue skies and buffaloes!! I love buffaloes. They were far off but I could still see them. my sister said she couldn't wait to see a tall, concrete buildings. She is not much for the country but I was in my world and I sure hope that is what heaven looks like.

The sign that is in town for the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve.

Look Buffalos are out there. They look like bushes but they are there. I even named one (not really but yeah) Red Flower.

 

Our Girl Adventure 2017

We left there and took my mom's friend home. My sister, mom and I went to Urban Farmhouse when we got back into town. My sister is not a farmhouse girl she is more industrial so I didn't know if she would like it but she did.

Sunday came, my mom an I skipped church and went shopping. I know we was bad. We started at Braum's for breakfast. (Braum's is a fast food restaurant that is known for there ice cream!) I then needed to go to WinCo Foods. If you don't know what WinCo Foods is you are missing out. It is a grocery store with the best prices I have ever seen. I go there every time we go to Moore!! Next stop was Michaels. I forgot how awesome that place is because I go to the Hobby Lobby all the time. But Michaels has a 50% off coupon on a regular price item. They are priced a little higher but still a good place if the Hobby lobby is closed. We then ended up at the Warehouse Antique Mall (WAM)on SE 89th in OKC. I love going in there because some of my vendor friends have booths in there and I like to see what they have gotten in lately. After lunch we found two new shops on the south side of OKC on Western. Past Perfect OKC and Farmhouse Market and Design. There is a lot of fun stuff in both of these shops.

I am so glad we girls went on this trip. I learned some stuff for the business and just a break was nice too. now it is time to get back to work.

Happy Junkin'
Sarah