Farmhouse Frocks: Ready for the Nashville Country Living Fair!

Look out, Country Living Fair! Here we come! 

It feels like we are ready to give birth to something precious.

When you put months of work into something, and when the time finally comes to reap the benefits of your hard work, it is so rewarding!

We did a photo shoot with the amazing Lyssa Ann Portraits to better market to our Nashville audience.

We are so pumped to bring with us quality-sewn clothing ranging in sizes from 3 to 28. We have a very generous, very beautiful selection of plus-sized clothing!

We will also feature hand-made spoon rings and lace leather cuffs, crafted by my talented hubby and our son.

I've been collecting some amazing pieces of all-white ironstone and sparkly silver.

I also found some great treasures while picking in the south.

I was so delighted when Betty Lynn from Country Living Magazine called to request that I give a canning demonstration on the kitchen stage on Friday, April 24th at 2pm.

Of course, I said yes! I decided to do a strawberry jam, which is the next fresh thing to be in season. I hashtagged all of the canning pictures on my Instagram under Lena's Amish Granola, so if you search #lenascanning, the photos will come up of my years of preserving.

We have been shuffling all of our Amish-sewn clothing into the studio,

which means our studio has become smaller and smaller by the week! We are so blessed to have eight Amish seamstresses diligently sewing our fabulous clothing line. 

Yesterday, I welcomed a couple of my friends into the studio to help make sure everything is tagged and packed up.

We had an amazing lunch and lots of laughs. 

Last evening, I packed the succulents onto this cart which will be a great tool for wheeling supplies back and forth to our booth.

Here we are getting Mandy, a member of my sales team, all frocked up.

I've had fun working on the booth displays. I think that's the most fun for me.

There will be lots of love and lace at our Farmhouse Frocks booth!

I repurposed this chandelier. It might need just a tad more fru-fru and sparkle.

We mod-podged these doors with an Amish newspaper called The Budget. It's like the Amish Facebook in paper form.:)

I'm so thankful for all the assistance and guidance I've had as we count down the hours until it's time to play.

Above, you'll see our new care labels which we'll lovingly tuck into everyone's bags when they purchase our prairie-style frocks.

We really hope to see you all at the show, and if you can't be there in person, thanks for being there in your prayers! 

It's time to ROCK THE FROCK.



Ladies Take On Florida

Spring Break 2015!

This year we took along a friend who enjoys sunsets as much as we do.

For years, my friend Wanda has commented and liked my photos of sunsets when we have vacationed in Sarasota.

Our paths crossed many years ago when she gave me my first hair cut. We stayed connected over the years mostly by social media. Occasionally we'd get to do lunch or parties together. So when I saw her on one of the coldest days this winter at the local post office. I asked her, "So, are you going to go with us to see the sunsets in person this year?" She quickly replied "YES! I am!" She later told me she surprised herself with her boldness of just saying she was going and not knowing what it would hold.

A few texts and a couple of weeks later, the day finally came for the ladies to head south.

Little did we know that we'd face an obstacle on the day we were to leave for vacation.

A big, wild turkey flew into our windshield. So when I sent Wanda this picture, her wheels started spinning for our next plan. She soon texted back that we could use her company van, and a couple hours later we were on the way.

We have been having many firsts on this adventure.

We couldn't have picked a greater traveling partner!

Wanda has blessed us with her presence and feels like she been part of our family for years. Here she is trying her first sushi with my daughters.

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We have found many treasures while thrifting.

We have managed to find our secret beaches where you don't see half of our community sunbathing on their spring break.

At the Sarasota Farmers Market, we were so excited to see our sweet friend Angela who lives here 

This is always a Saturday morning favorite.

Our sweet Wanda has spoiled us with serving us and cleaning up after us. She has such a servant's heart.

One day we went to the Jetty in Venice.

Its always a hoot when I hang out with my girls. They're the crazies, funniest people I know.

On this day, the girls and I tried our first oysters.

Angela took us for our first Anna Marie Donuts.

Still thinking about this experience. The bacon caramel donut was AAAMAZING!

Wanda's first Ross shopping. She's hooked:)

The Croissant & Co. in Venice makes you feel like you're in France.



God gave us this kiss. I happened to capture the moment when one of the dolphins surfaced.

I always stop to admire these bright Easter-egg-colored houses that should be a part of a dream.

I was so happy to find this piece of driftwood. I will be using it to display our Farmhouse Frocks spoon rings. Do you see the cross that showed up in the picture?

We also drove down the road where the rich and famous live and took a picture of Oprah's house.

We have so enjoyed our company and exploring all the treasures that Sarasota offers as we rejuvenate our souls for the reality that will hit us soon enough.

As we soak up the last days in the sun and try to absorb every sunset, we consider ourselves blessed by the new addition to our family.

Wanda, you're a gem and we love you!

Farmhouse frocks New Studio

Wow! What a fun ride I've been on these past two months. Yes, that's how long it's been since I wrote my last blog.

One of my goals for 2015 is to set aside time to blog and be more consistent with it.

That being said, I want to touch base on where the new Farmhouse frocks company is going. I've switched to all Amish sewers with my up-cycled and vintage clothing. We carry them in women's size 4 to plus size 26. We are figuring out what works and what's not working.

Rust & Found, Old World New Home and Philosophy & Vines are carrying our frocks. We are in the process of getting more locations.

Here is our schedule for 2015 shows:

Country Living Fair

Lebanon, Tennessee

April 24-26

Rhinebeck, New York

June 5-7

Columbus, Ohio

September 18-20

Atlanta, Georgia

October 23-25

Vintage Fair

Walnut Creek, Ohio

June 27

I might add a couple more show dates, but at this time it's what we have planned.



Okay, back to this new dream studio. I had to have a place to be able to work that separated work from my everyday life - so I decided to work with what I had. I would've rather invested in good fabric over a building that took a little more faith then I could muster at this time.

So I worked with a space that I already had.

The above picture is one of my inspiration photos I had pinned off Pinterest.

I knew I wanted lots of light with a big chalkboard wall. I also really liked how dramatic this bull was.

So my artist hubby chalked it for me.

I'll let you see what the room looked like before. I started it on a Friday night and it took me one whole week until it was totally complete.

Did it take me that long? No, but between family gatherings, work, sickness and other obligations we hung in there until it was complete.

I used a white concrete stain and gave it two coats, then applied two coats of a sealer they recommended.

I was soooo stinking excited to see how this floor turned out.

I had most of the furniture pieces that I needed to organize and put the studio back together.

Last night while the men were screaming at the Ohio State game, my sister-in-law and I made this cabinet look like it might be on a magazine page.

We put the vintage doilies that I've collected in industrial crates.

I then took things I already had to separate all these lace bindings. I took yardsticks and cut them in a couple inch pieces, then wrapped my collection on them and stuck them in strawberry boxes to lend a vintage feel.

Bam! High five! Sweat, determination and with lots of help from my daughter Sydni, this studio is done!

I got these two ugly pheasant chairs awhile ago at a garage sale.

I picked the birds off the chairs with a seam ripper and gave them a face lift with this gold polka dot burlap.

For the work table in the middle of the room, I spray painted saw horses in gold and put an old door on top.

I added little pieces I loved to give it character.

A punch of color here and there.

Like this fun office chair I paid a buck for at a sale last summer. I also snagged this big black industrial desk for $9.99 at a local Goodwill. Let's not talk about how many people it took to carry it in to the perfect spot.

Soon everything found its perfect spot.

It seemed like all things were meant to be. These organizing bags I use for the shows fit perfectly in the bottom of these sliding doors.

My now craft/studio/office now feels like a place I want to work in.



Do I have the key to success? No, but one thing I do have is "More Faith Than Fear" as I am excited for 2015.

Just like this black and white picture above, I believe you can have a ripple effect on others. First you must throw the stone in order to create the ripple.

I even found a couple of treasures I forgot I had.

It's so nice to be able to have a room where we can shoot photographs and see the inventory.



Since I can sew now, I made a cord cover for this up-cycled whisk lamp I had made.

Same for this old chicken feeder lamp I hung by the chalkboard.

I saw an idea on Pinterest to spray paint magnetic letters in gold.

I snagged this old cabinet for a steal this fall and had no idea what I'd use it for.

I was so thankful for it because it found its perfect spot.

I painted it black and touched it up with a couple of gold highlights.

This is what it looked like before. Yes, all this happened in that one week.

Now I can store all my extra white ironstone as it waits for the shows.



In this closet I keep all the pieces that await up-cycling.

This is the new girl of the house and her name is Betty. She's a fuller figured lady and so far seems kind of quiet. We look forward to building a relationship.

Betty!

Gigi and Lola are ready to get back to work.

I am feeling blessed to have this work space to use my creative gifts in.

Thanks for being patient with me when I was missing from blog land. When running two businesses things need figured out at times. 

Let's all make 2015 frock!

Come find us on Facebook at Farmhouse frocks!