Up and Running...

Welp, our Etsy shop is up and running again. The year 2014 was a crazy year of selling/buying a house, among other things. BUT we finally got settled in our new abode and our life has slowed down a bit. So up the shop goes! YAY! I will be adding new items weekly so check back in every now and then to see if something sparks your fancy.

I haven't really given you a proper tour of the new house and all its originality. It is OOAK (one of a kind), which I love! It really is perfect for us and our two boys. Woodsy, Private, and Spacious. And it has a wrap-around-porch. I have always wanted a wrap-around-porch!

Hello Harvey Haven!

We so believe we were meant to have this wonderful house. House buying and selling isn't easy, but everything seemed to fall into place with this house. It was the second house we looked at, and we already knew we loved it from seeing it online. Zach and I still talk about how we can't believe we live here.

Back Porch

At first I thought all the wood would drive me crazy, but I find all the knots and beams interesting to look at. Another great thing is how rustic it is. I can be a perfectionist at times, especially with quality. For instance, at our old house some of the molding didn't match up perfectly, and that always bothered me. But with this house, it doesn't matter if the molding matches up, because it is rustic! And talk about the durability...especially with little boys going crazy constantly. It was meant to be!

Anyways, in the future I'll be posting new pics of completely decorated rooms. It might take a while, but it will get done! I love making my house a home for my beloved family!

Good-bye First House!

The Value of Knowledge and Experience

 photo by Greg Ruffing via Wired Raw File

The other night Zach and I were discussing our greatest finds. I realized that we have learned and experienced so much in such a short time.

I remember the first time we went hunting for vintage and antiques for our Etsy shop.  We didn't know what to look for. We didn't know what would sell. We just bought stuff we liked and made a lot of guesses too. I remember telling Zach that I could not wait till we knew more about vintage...the history...the popular brand names...whether it was desirable.

Now, we know what we are looking for. We know what sells. Of course, we still take risks on things we don't know about. Risk is important when learning about new things. Zach likes to take more risks than I do, and I am thankful for that. He will buy a pricey item, and I will be very skeptical. I voice my opinion, but we always seem to come out great on his buys. I think he has kinda gotten a big head about it. lol 

It is so exhilarating to find an item at a yard sale for pennies-on-the-dollar and then to find out it is worth hundreds! For example: I bought a vintage item for $2 at a yard sale, brand new, never used. I sold it for almost $200. This is one of my favorite finds!

I encourage you - Go to yard sales and estate sales. Find old things you love and would use yourself. Buy used, instead of new.  Haggle! - Of course, there are bad yard/estate sale days, but it is soooo worth it when it is a good day! Ohh, it just makes my heart start thumping just thinking about it.