Farmhouse Frocks & Lyssa Ann Portraits Opening A Studio In Millersburg

We have some exciting news!!!

Farmhouse Frocks is moving into a bigger space and collaborating with premiere photographer Lyssa Ann Portraits to create our best-ever dream studio together!

We both feel excited and blessed to have found the perfect building for us to use our talent together.

We are planning the Grande Opening of our studio on Thursday evening, July 2nd from 6 to 8 pm.

We will serve light refreshments and have drawings that evening.

I'm so excited about this beautiful old tile ceiling in the studio.

I hope to be able to bring you along for the ride over the next month as we revamp, paint, and make our studio into what we have pinned on Pinterest. If you don't see activity on my blog, you might want to jump over to my Instagram or Facebook to see the makeover as it's happening.

Alyssa's space has these amazing dome riser windows in the ceiling that will give her lots of natural lighting for her photo shoots.

We bought 14 gallons of white paint! That should give you a hint as to how much work is carved out for us in this next couple of weeks.

Our studio will feature the Farmhouse Frocks clothing line that we offer in sizes 5 to a women's plus size 28.

We will also carry a unique, one-of-a-kind line of farmhouse-style décor, ironstone, candles, jewelry, and painted furniture, as well as handmade curtains, pillows, and bags. Alyssa will carry wall-art canvases and metals from Amish Country that she has captured along the way.

We will use our studio as a work space but will also open for retail on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Our hours will be 10am-5pm during those days.

We have been prepping, praying and planning all we can to prepare ourselves for this exciting adventure.

One of the things I do when I'm out picking is I ask the Lord to show me where the best treasures are. It sounds so cliché, but, I'll tell you, it works! I've found many soft fabrics, ironstone, vintage lace, old tablecloths, and the list goes on and on. My latest treasure was this pair of matching old barn doors with the tracks. It felt like it was my kiss from God when I found them, and, to boot, they were FREE:)

After some sweat, blood, and a pressure washer, they were ready to be whitewashed and, thankfully, they are all ready to be hung.

Here is Alyssa with a piece of her metal wall-art.

She has an exciting week ahead for her. She's flying to Portland and getting married by a waterfall! So thrilled for all the adventures in her life at this time. She has also just finished renovating her little cottage she blogs about.

 

Go check her out at Cottonwood Shanty.

She has many talents and I feel blessed to have good, young blood on my team. 

Here is another winter Amish Country canvas she will also have in the studio.

That other thing I'm so excited about is to have my daughter, Felicia, as my new personal assistant.

She will also be doing design and sales.

She is good at helping you pick out your frock and working with you to decide what looks best on your body type. She has brought lots of value to this company, and I'm feeling blessed to have her work for me.

In the above picture, Felicia is wearing the Signature Frock. It comes in different colors.

As you can see, this is the same frock pattern but in a different color.

I have so much to share with you about what our plans are with the new studio!

One is to have classes that will empower women to empower people. It's called Studio 65 Workshops. No worries--we do allow men to join us, too! It's just that we feel passionate about helping women become better with the gifts they already have or maybe don't realize exist.

Here's our lineup for the first three classes:

Monday, July 13, 6-8pm

Instagram IQ by Lena Schlabach

*walk through setting up your account if you haven't already

*what is a hashtag and how to use it

*how to take clean pictures

*what apps to use for edits

*strategies for gaining new followers

*networking on IG

*using it to promote

*inspirational ways to use it

You will walk away knowing how to use new apps and feel empowered to be able to connect with people all over the world. We will help you think outside the box about what's at your fingertips.

Cost of this class is $25 and is non-refundable. To reserve your seat, email farmhousefrocks@gmail.com

Other classes lined up are:

Aug 10th, 6-8pm

Clean Photography for your Social Media by Alyssa Eliot

September 14, 6-8pm

Steps on Developing a Small Business by Lena Schlabach

I'm also so excited to have my talented friend Barb from Restoration Details doing all of our painted, one-of-a-kind furniture pieces. She will serve as our in-house designer and is available by appointment.

Her beautiful pieces will all have a name and a story that will be attached to the tag. She uses Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and other quality paints for furniture.

Barb puts added touches of love on and in these pieces.

As you can see!

The Matilda piece is stunning!!!

Our jewelry artist is Jess from Sassyfrass. She has mad talent of repurposing pieces in a rustbelt-made style. She has earned many artist awards and is well known in the Cleveland area for her amazing work.

We will also carry our Farmhouse Frocks Q-line Spoon Rings, made by my husband.

I've been collecting vintage mirrors for our bathroom and having lighting made.

I found this ottoman at a local thrift store. I used lace and linen scraps that were left over from my frocks to cover it in a shabby-chic style. I can't wait to show you the finished DIY project.

It might not be as pretty as the picture on Pinterest, but I love it!!!

I have nine Amish seamstress who are sewing for me at this time, and I'm feeling blessed to be able to make a difference in these women's lives.

We started the Farmhouse Frocks in September, and I have already learned so much on this new adventure. I've changed what doesn't work and am continuing to improve our cottage-style patterns and the quality of our fabrics.

One of my goals for bringing my daughter on board is to free more time up for me to share our stories and adventures along the way.

Here is our new clothing tag.

I'm proud to be an American-made product!

We will continue to base our business on operating with "more faith than fear".

We are planning on participating in the fall Country Living Fairs in Columbus, Ohio and Atlanta, Georgia.

This is Alyssa and me signing the lease for our leap of faith.

We want to thank all of you who have cheered us on along the journey this far.

Really, what it all comes down to, is we want to inspire others to follow your dreams, and maybe through our classes, pictures and frocks, you will feel empowered to be your greatest with what you are bestowed:)

We hope to see you at our GRANDE OPENING!!!

Sunday Afternoon Drive in Amish Country

Last Sunday, we went for a drive to look for some Christmas greens to make some wreaths.

Hop in our back seat and go with us as we take a couple back roads by our house to find what might put you in the Christmas spirit. Somehow, no matter what I'm looking for, I always make an excuse to drive by this junkyard filled with old vintage cars.

We drove slowly during our treks and made many random stops.

Our search is on to clip evergreens and berries. Of course, they aren't from other people's properties.

We wander onto a part of land that no one owns and serves just this kind of purpose.

I also always enjoy the roads that take me right through the middle of Shreve swamp.

Syd was pretty happy that she captured a photo of this pair of swans with a bird roosting on the driftwood.

There is something so mysterious and peaceful about the swamp.

We are so blessed to live in a land that is free and to be able to make our own choices.

As the sun was setting, joy filled my heart...

to know that we can drive down little back roads only five minutes from our house and see so much beauty. I truly enjoy living in Amish Country.

We put our treasures on a old curtain in the middle of our kitchen floor....

....and started making the Christmas wreath for our front door.

Was I glad that I took a drive in the country instead of a Sunday afternoon nap? YES!

I hope this inspires you to see the beauty in nature even after the colorful leaves are gone.

Thanks for riding along with Syd and me. We hope you will join us again.

Farmhouse Frocks goes to Atlanta's Country Living Fair 2014

Oh, where to start? How to put into words the amazing adventure we had at the Atlanta Country Living Fair with Farmhouse Frocks!?!

There was so much excitement and anticipation as we headed south with this dynamic team.

We had little idea of what to expect as we sailed along with a packed 20' Amish hauler van.

I still think this van must have had secret pockets to hold all the treasures we brought for this endeavor.

We unloaded our cargo the first night and regrouped for the next big day of staging.

We had a 10x10' tent to start our plan.

We then left Stone Mountain Park to meet up with my friend, Willy, and her brother, Jimmy, who had collected an old door, pumpkins, pines and had also received some shipments I had doubted would fit into our Amish hauler. Bless their hearts.

After some sushi and list-making sessions to determine what was left behind and needed for staging, we soaked our weary bodies in the hot tub, and I think our eyes were closed before our dream-packed heads had even hit the pillows.

The next day, set up went very smoothly. I was once again reminded what a God-chosen team I had with me.

Here, Lola and Gigi wait ever-so-patiently to be dressed for opening morning.



One of the funniest things for me was staging the precious all-white ironstone I've collected over time.

The very first sale was this old white cabinet top with glass doors. I was thankful that the buyer let me show it off for a while as she shopped the rest of the fair.

Most of my ironstone sold, also.

That first opening morning is almost a blur as I look back and reflect.

I was so blessed by how people loved Farmhouse Frocks...

...and our displays.

I made up-cycled lights out of chicken feeders, whisks, and strainers.

This chicken feeder chandy hung over our two dressing rooms.

I had grabbed these gold glass balls at the last minute at a thrift store and they looked great hung up in the pine trees in "our" backyard.

There's a special story about this chair I decided to do during the last couple of days before the show. I always like to support other small businesses and just discovered this talented spraypaint artist through our last photo shoot. Patricia is one of our plus-sized models, and her husband has this amazing gift and talent.

Long story short, I feel that God uses us to connect people, and this chair was another example of that.

This rooster chair will be happy in a cabin in Idaho. If you want to go check out more of the wonderful work my friend does, click on this link.

There were so many fun little details that brought our whole look together.

We felt so blessed to have a perfect forecast, and we loved the spot they placed us in. The fair was situated in the woods and had paved paths leading people from place to place.

My husband, Allen, carved this wooden bowl, and a lucky lady was so happy to take this treasured piece home with her.

This was the backside of our space when we were still setting up.

I loved how these glass bottle stoppers hung from fishing line gave our displays a little bit of Anthropology flair.

I also put together a woodsy vignette with an old book, moss, and tree ears.

I can't even express how amazing our customers were. Such a friendly, appreciative group of people passed through. I loved the southern drawl. This lady was the first to buy a pair of pantaloons.

This gal totally rocked the Sophia dress over the outfit she was wearing.

Here, I met Bethany, an Instagram friend.

So many stories! I think the fact that I cater to plus-sized women was one of the biggest raves of the whole show. Well, that probably came in second and I will share what was first in a little bit.

Lynn came all the way from Cleveland, Ohio, close to where we were from, and messaged me on Facebook to please save some plus-sized clothes for her. She was planning to visit us on Sunday, the last day of the show. So, yes, I hid some treasures aside for her.

This beautiful lady bought these whisk paddle lights for her new house because her husband is a pastry chef.

I really don't mind that this rusty old bike never sold. I have plans for it in the new studio I'll be working on this week. Keep checking back for the blog post on that!

The four porch posts will be made into a bed for this couple's daughter.

I feel so grateful for all the spirit that came from my daughters. Well, let me be honest, the one on the right truly is my blood daughter, Sydni. But Alyssa might as well be, too. She has an amazing talent that has brought the Farmhouse Frocks dream of making women feel beautiful come full circle. Check out her work here.

I learned so much from others during this show. I hope to share that in a different post.

I learned that people in the south don't know what a hedge apple is! They were happy to know it's a good spider repellent.

I have to share with you what the biggest attraction was that set our booth apart from others. It was our vintage bra bunting! People took many-a-picture of these old holder-uppers! They'd tell us that people directed them to go buy the headbands where the bra bunting was, or that the bra bunting was how they found our cottage-style clothing.

What can I say? You only live once! Why not have fun while doing it!? Some lady suggested we have a big bra-burning bonfire next year where we can all participate.

Look at my tired smile and this beautiful lady who totally rocked the hair and skirt.

Check out this gold polka-dotted wrapping paper that we grabbed the night before at Target. It ushered this setting into a real boutique feel, along with the chicken feeder chandelier bedazzled with a few crystals.

Keep Calm and Frock On!

GOLD, OLD, LIGHTS, IRONSTONE, BURLAP, and FROCKS!!!

Let me take a few minutes to really sum up this amazing adventure. It feels like a dream sometimes. It was so much hard work, and I could never have done it without the amazing people who helped make it happen. From family and friends who prayed for me and helped me and gave me grace. For my designer who helped this happen in only three short weeks. Stella Shows who organized the whole event. I know I left people out, but the one who I humbly bow down to the most is my heavenly Father who believed in me when I didn't even believe in myself. 

"MORE FAITH THAN FEAR" 

When we shared with people that Farmhouse Frocks was only nine weeks old and that we prepared in three weeks, they knew who got us there.

In the above picture is:

 Julia, a dear friend of mine who gave me the vintage bras from the Killbuck Valley Thrift Store where she donates her time. She was so great with the customers who needed to get the feel of our style with the Rosemary Vests and the Frocks. You'd see her taking the time to help them in the dressing room, then, next thing I knew, they were headed to the checkout table with an armload of Farmhouse Frocks to take home with them.

She was also my little prayer warrior before, during, and after the show. She was solid and dependable, and I feel so thankful for how joyful her heart was to be there.

Next is me:

Lena, most of the time I was either in a daze or in disbelief and probably, if I'm totally honest, a little too tired and numb. I enjoyed meeting my followers and amazing individuals. The final night of setup before opening morning, I shook like a leaf and cried like a baby in humble admiration of the end result and what we were ready to offer. I kept drinking green goo-roo juice in hopes of getting the energy I needed during the day, and I soaked my tired body in the rejuvenating hot tub at night. We prayed an open prayer on our drive to the show in the morning. We laughed until we had tears running down our faces, and I counted my many blessings for the amazing team I had.

Next is my little:

Sydni, she sort of snuck into the van on the last hour. Was I ever thankful for that! I know you hear me brag about her and what a little angel this 12-year-old daughter of mine is. Little did I have any idea what an amazing sales lady she is. She was a little concerned about me making her wear one of my old lady frocks. We let her be who she is in one of our up-cycled boyfriend jeans, a shirt extender, and a vintage cream shirt with a cute headband to top off her gypsy-style look.

She sold over a hundred extenders and headbands because she loved them herself. She taught me more in word choices during sales than I've learned all these years. I was speechless and so thankful that my little angel begged me until she got to slide in with the cargo at the last minute. To top that off, she was always sweet and kind to all of us. I received emails and messages this week from ladies telling me how sweet my daughter is. She also had us in stitches laughing when we didn't think it was fun anymore.

Then we have our workhorse of the team:

Alyssa. She has been in this with me for the long haul. She'd sit on my couch late at night and plan and be excited for this show when I needed her the most. When you start your own business, you sometimes feel so overwhelmed and alone on making big decisions, and she was my sounding board along with a huge part of putting the face on our new company. I was so thankful when she wanted to go with us to Atlanta. She has many talents. She did all of our website, banners, graphics (except for logo), photography, chalkboards...just to mention a few.

Let me tell you, this girl can get things done and has a work ethic like I've never seen in another 21-year-old. She isn't scared to get up on ladders and conquer her fear of heights. I'm so excited she is part of my team because she helps me dream out of the box. Love her and her organizing skills too;)

She was also great with the people at the checkout table.

Willy, my friend you had seen in the earlier picture with the door, also helped us on Saturday. She brought us Starbucks and more pumpkin whoopie pies and supplies from Wally World. She was a beautiful plus-sized model and kept selling things right off her back! We will not mention all the other funny things that happened with this bundle of joy and sweetness.

Loved my team!!!

If you're still with me, props to you. We got many looks and clapping as we packed up and left the park with our bra bunting wrapped around our cargo van.



Other than the new friends and memories I made, this was my own treasure that came home with me. It's an old mailbox, and I thought it would be great to store Allen's homemade wine in, but now I'm having second thoughts and thinking of grabbing it as I'm heading to design our new Farmhouse Frocks studio.

Thanks to all of you who came out to see us and for those of you who cheered us on from afar.

Here are the links to our social media:

Farmhouse Frocks Facebook

Farmhouse Frocks Instagram

Farmhouse Frocks Twitter

Farmhouse Frocks Store

Rust & Found

Lyssa Ann Portraits