My Other Passion

Four-wide cars line up for the first Gold Crown Midget Nationals.
Shot from the back of the push truck, this was an amazing night of thrills!

It's April and for a lot of people, that means planting gardens, making the lawn beautiful, preparing for outdoor family gatherings and the like.  Our family is no different.

Best seat in the house.

Our yard is ready to go, flowers are potted and looking gorgeous, and we're ready to dive right into those outdoor gatherings, but our get-togethers may be a little different than some.  While many think bar-b-ques, Frisbee and a nice cold beverage in a lawn chair, we're thinking concession stand pork tenderloin sandwiches, spinning tires and a Coke with a lid to keep out the dirt.  That's because for my family, spring means just one thing: It's racing season.

Come a little closer, baby!

When people first find out I like racing, they usually assume I am a NASCAR fan.  That could not be farther from the truth. While NASCAR is ok, I much prefer the thrill of racing on dirt, meaning Midgets and Sprint Cars.  You can see pictures of Midgets here, and Sprint Cars look very similar, but they are a little bigger, and sometimes run with a big metal wing on top.

That's me in the seat of one of my
Dad's race cars when I was little.

My Dad is the one who got my life-long appreciation for speed started.  He raced when I was little, and my Mom took me to the track while I was still just a baby.  We traveled locally, racing Friday and Saturday nights, and sometimes on Sunday, at little tracks all over Missouri and Illinois. I wish I could say I have great memories of those days, but mostly I remember just wanting to go home because it was so noisy, hot and dirty.  I do, however, remember a few things, like the night my Dad got hurt when a rock flew up and hit him in the eye, the night he blew an engine and I thought he was going to burn up in the car.

My Dad and I at the track in 2012.

There are good memories too, of walking in the pits after a race, getting autographs from the same drivers week after week. Of always been warned not to touch the hot cars.  And I remember the first time I ever drove one of my Dad's trucks, around the track at a very low rate of speed. I would have sworn I was flying.

2011 Gold Crown Midget Nationals.

Since then, things have changed a little.  For one, I really enjoy just hanging out with all of the great folks that enjoy the same sport we do. The people who work with, race and travel for racing are some of the nicest in the world.  They are like an extended family, or a band of gypsies, crossing the midwest in search of the thrill of victory. I also enjoy photographing the races when I get the chance. It's challenging and fun and getting that perfect action shot is almost as exciting as the racing itself.

My first race sign.

We stay pretty close to home for races these days, mostly because we have a dog who is diabetic and post-cataract surgery.  He needs insulin and eye drops twice a day so we try to make sure we're around to take care of him.  Every now and then we recruit a family member to do it, but we try not to be a burden.  Even though we may not go as often as we used to, it's still just as exciting when the opportunity arises. The thrill of standing inside of a dirt oval as the cars roar past for the first time each season just never gets old!

My newest race sign.

With the advent of our small business, I wanted to find a way to incorporate my craftiness with my passion for racing. With that came the creation of two of my newest pallet wood signs.  They've been a pretty big hit on Etsy and through a local Midget organization, and I've now sent three shipments to the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in Knoxville, Iowa, to be sold in their gift shop.  It makes me feel good to know that something my husband and I made is being used to help raise money for such a great place.  Their mission of preserving Sprint Car racing's history is an admirable one. That's one of the reasons I created a special tag for these signs, it reads:  Made by race fans for race fans!

New tags, just for racing signs!

Being able to combine two of my greatest passions is a lot of fun, and I hope that in the future I'll be able to come up with even more fun signs and other projects that I can share with my racing family.

Spring Front Porch Make-Over

After a long, cold, snowy winter, it seems
as if spring has finally arrived in our part of the country...at least for today.  This is Missouri, after all, and we've had snow in April before!

One of my favorite things to do to embrace the change of seasons is to spruce up our front porch.  No, it's not the rambling farmhouse-style space of my dreams, but it's a cozy spot that can be very welcoming when done up right.

It seems as if the porch becomes a gathering place for lots of odd things over the course of the cold months. Before I could even begin to re-arrange and decorate, I had to clear away some overshoes, a pile of plastic totes that were used to make bricks for an igloo out of our last big snow, and the few remaining logs.  Once those were disposed of, I swept off the remaining twigs and leaves and starting putting things back in place.

If you're like me, simply re-arranging a space is ok, but throw in a few fun projects, and you've got the makings of a pretty enjoyable day, or two.

The first thing I did was find a spot for this old wash tub.  It's one of the few larger items from the shop that we chose not to sell when we closed.  I at first envisioned it as a pretty sweet cooler for next to the pool, but then my husband reminded me that we already have a big cooler so I had to go to plan b.  That consisted of bringing up some clay pots from the basement that were just taking up space, buying a bunch of flowers in a variety of bright colors and creating a fun vinyl piece for the front. It brightens things up a bit, while still keeping with our vintage theme.

That was a great start, but then I looked around at all the blank walls, dug through some of the other items from the shop that I really wanted to re-purpose, and inspiration struck again.  I made the "No Soliciting" sign after looking at a few different ones that I found for sale online, taking my favorite parts and combining them to make one just for us.  Using the old window that was originally the sign for our shop, I applied the vinyl lettering.  Once we get some hooks installed, this will hang right next to the front door.

For my final project, I walked around the porch with these three shutters in my hands, trying to decide what to do with them.  Should I separate them and hang a couple of them horizontally over the step up to the porch?  Hang a couple of them vertically in the openings over the railings?  After getting my husband's feedback, I ended up leaving them together, painting them barn red and we decided we would hang them on the wall above the chairs and white enamel-topped table.

They were too boring on their own, so I added the two jelly jars using radiator clamps, and made the wooden cross out of leftover pallet wood scraps.  I painted it with warm white, a layer of crackle finish, and topped it with brown.  I love the way it turned out!  The white knob at the top came from Hobby Lobby, and I figure I can change things out on a whim, maybe putting up a wreath or a flag, or whatever.

To top things off, I hung up this pallet wood flag that my husband made.  It was the last one that we hadn't sold at the shop, and after it injured me at our recent show, I figured it needed to find permanent residence.  I really like it here and think it finishes off the space really well.


This chair usually resides in our kitchen, but I thought it would really fit in well on the front porch.  The enamel ware bucket was one of several in a stack that are destined for a resale shop near me. It may end up holding some flowers at a later date.

So that's our front porch make-over.  I'll probably add a few extra touches over time, possibly another plant or two, but the major things are in place and I love how it turned out!

I hope that spring is inspiring you to be creative too!

Valerie

Counting Down

It's hard to believe that just six months ago we were sweating our fannies off painting the walls, cleaning and moving in furniture to set up our little shop.

Now, here we are counting down the days until we close the doors and move on to the next chapter in our little business.

As I watch merchandise slowly dwindle down when each artist comes in to claim their products, it strikes me as a bit sad that this little dream is coming to an end.  But then I think about all that is ahead of us, and the excitement begins to build!

Once we close and lock the doors on March 30, we will be free from being tied to a schedule and making sure that all of the hours are covered.  We'll no longer have to worry about things like the DSL bill and the insurance payment.  Our time will be spent doing that which we love best:  Creating beautiful, useful, fun things and selling them to people who appreciate them.

We are so happy to have had this part of the adventure, if only to say "we did it!' We had dreamed for a long time of having a shop of our own and experiencing the joys and frustrations of full-on retail have been a great learning experience.

Now it's time to move forward, and see just what lies around the next bend.  Dip that paddle in the water, let's go!

Valerie

Heart Prints

It's raining here today. Again.  And truly, after the severe drought we've had, it's a blessing so I'm not complaining at all.

But the thing is, the rain is making me a little bit morose, and I don't like to feel that way.

Here's what's on my mind:

Reminders of all that a friend is missing out on today because he took his own life a few years back.

A dear cousin who is losing her battle with cancer, yet surely gaining a special place in heaven.

A family who is waiting for the birth of a baby with anencephaly, which means that the child has a 1% chance of surviving more than a few hours after delivery.

The speed at which life passes, especially the older we get, as evidenced by my grand-daughter's first birthday in just a few days, my son's 20th birthday not long after that, and my Dad's 80th birthday in October.

Individually, these things are enough to choke me up, but add them together and let me ponder them on a rainy day, and I should be a rapidly expanding puddle of tears.

What keeps me sane, what binds my heart and stops the tears from overwhelming me is the knowledge that God is bigger than each of these events, and stronger than the emotions of all of them combined. I know that He holds each person involved in the palm of His hand, leaving fingerprints of comfort upon each heart.

I know they are on mine, some smudged, some barely visible, and some as clear and sharp as if cut by a laser.

God is good, in all things. And for that, on this rain-soaked day, I am thankful.

Valerie

Beyond Black & White

Several months ago, we began creating signs and game boards out of used pallets.  My husband brings them home from work and does all the construction. I get to do the fun part:  Designing and painting, as well as a bit of sanding to finish off the piece.


Originally, everything we did was black and white, but after several customer requests, we've started doing other colors as well.

Here are two of our most popular, the 10x10 signs, "It is Well with my Soul" and "A True Love Story Never Ends," in five different colors. Shown are black, brown, patina, barn red and Navy.

Other colors are available by request, so if you have something in mind, drop us a note.  Remember that it works best to have lighter words and a dark background.

Have a blessed day!
Valerie

Closed doors, open windows

It's been a tough winter here in our little neck of the woods.  Yes, we've gotten more snow than in the last few years, but that is really a good thing.  With the drought and low rivers, we can use all the moisture we can get!

The reason it's been so difficult is because traffic in our little shop has been slow.  When I say slow, I mean really, r-e-a-l-l-y s--l--o--w.  We knew that once Christmas was over, things would taper off considerably, but I really don't think we were prepared for this.

When you run a small business, every penny counts. Our shop was opened on a shoestring budget, and we have kept expenses as low as possible.  Unfortunately, it's just not enough.  Just six months after opening, we will close our doors on March 31.

Losing our little shop makes us sad, but it also opens up a world of opportunities.  Without the worries of staffing, inventory, making the rent and paying the insurance and internet bills, we'll be able to focus more on the parts we really love:  Coming up with new products, and having the time to make them!

So even though our store is going dark, that does not mean that the lights will go out  for Poverty Barn.  In fact, we have a lot of exciting things ahead of us.  For one thing, our Etsy shop has really taken off!  We're learning fresh ways to promote our products and new customers find us every day. There are several handmade marketplace-type shops in our area, and we'll be working with as many of them as possible.  We've also started doing more wholesale work, which has turned out to be quite a blessing. Along with that, there are other options available to us that we know are going to help us continue to grow and market our product lines.

Yes, we have come to the end of a chapter, and it really was a good one.  We learned a lot about ourselves and about doing business, and we are so grateful to have had the opportunity to make a dream come true.  How many people spend their lives thinking, "Some day I'd like to open my own business"? We had the chance and it was really fun.

We have made a lot of great friends along the way, met some amazing artists and have an expanded our foray into the world of handmade.  As the door closes on this chapter, we can't wait to see what windows God opens for us in the next one!

Thank you to everyone who supported us, especially our family and friends.  You spread the word well and we are extremely thankful for each of you!  We also met a lot of new people and we appreciate so much how you made us feel welcomed, at home and loved in Historic Cottleville.

Keep checking back for more news and lots of exciting product additions, as well as our show schedule and the ever-expanding list of retail locations where Poverty Barn goodies can be found.

Blessings,

Val & Jess

Business Ramblings

Welcome back to the Poverty Barn blog.  It's been a while, and I could bore you with a list of excuses, but I won't.  So here we go!

We've been very busy with our little shop, Poverty Barn & Friends, as well as working on promoting and marketing our products.  And of course, we're always trying to come up with new items to love!

We're also trying to plan shows for the upcoming year, find new shops with which to consign and other avenues of getting our products in the public eye.

In a little over a week, some of our goodies will be featured on a local television show, called "Great Day St. Louis" on a segment called "Jennifer's Finds."  We can't wait!  The best part is that we don't have to do the spot ourselves, because we've found that to be a little bit nerve-racking!

And then there is my grand-daughter, who has stolen my heart forever.  She is a doll and it's hard to believe she's almost a year old already!

There is never a dull moment around here.

One of the best parts of owning a small business is incorporating something you love to do, with one of your favorite pastimes.  For me, that happened just last week when I created this new pallet wood sign.  Many in my family are avid Sprint and Midget racing fans, and I had been pondering a design that would incorporate our love for the sport.  After receiving a picture from a friend that showed a sign about hockey, I was inspired to create this:

Once I had the initial design, I asked for input from a couple of dirt racing's "first ladies," and they didn't disappoint.  I appreciate their input and willingness to share so much!

For those of you who enjoy racing, you get it.  For those of you who don't, trust me, it's a really fun sign!  Within an hour of listing it on Etsy, I had my first order.  Since then, it's been by far my most "viewed" listing, and I've sold several more.

Now here's where the project really gets good.

There is a wonderful place in Knoxville, Iowa called the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame. It was created to preserve the history and promote the future of the sport.  They have a fantastic gift shop whose sales go to benefit and maintain the Hall.  Starting next month, these signs will be available there! Not only is it a nice little wholesale deal for us, but it makes me feel great to know that something we make is going to help the sport I love.

I'm looking for other ways to market this sign, and I'm also working on alternate designs for fans of Late Model, Modified and NASCAR racing. Keep your eyes on our Facebook page if that interests you.

Thanks for stopping by our blog.  I always say we won't wait so long to post again, but I'm always wrong so I'm not going to do it again.

Have a blessed day!
Valerie

Wholesale Away with Me

As often as possible, we use products that are made
in America to create our pieces. That's what it's all about.

One of the best feelings in the world is the one you get when you make your first sale of something  created with your own two hands.  It's validating. It's thrilling.  No matter if you made eight cents, eight dollars or a huge profit, it's just nice to know someone likes your work.

As someone who still cringes at the word "artist," even after years of crafting, creating and dreaming, I can't help but get a rush every time I sell something I made.  It's just nice to know I'm not the only one who likes it.

Painting signs.

The Poverty Barn Etsy shop has been open for almost a year, and every sale is a praise, despite the feeling of being completely overwhelmed by the time I cut off Christmas delivery orders!  It is incredibly rewarding to get a note from a customer who loved a piece they bought.  I treasure every one.

A finished piece.

About a month ago, an Etsy convo came through with a question about wholesale orders.  I didn't think a whole lot about it, until the on-line conversation became a phone call, which turned into a series of emails, which culminated in our first wholesale order.  Yesterday, we shipped fifty custom pallet wood signs to Nashville to be sold at Natalie Grant's upcoming concerts.

Yes, when I heard the quantity they wanted, I felt a little nervous, and then when I realized they needed to be delivered in a week, I nearly panicked.  However, when my husband assured me that he could build them, I knew that if he could do that, I could get them painted, packaged and shipped.

Fifty signs, ready to package
and ship!

It was a whirlwind 72 hours, but we did get the order filled and it shipped out yesterday.  The satisfaction I felt as I walked out of the UPS Store was amazing.  Now, I have my fingers crossed hoping that they are well-received, not so much because I want more orders, but because I would hate for someone to put so much trust in us and then be stuck with something we made!  :)

What's next for us?  Well, it just so happens that less than 24 hours after that order shipped, we received an inquiry about another wholesale order for a local shop. It looks like I have a bit of ciphering to do to see if we can make this deal work too.  I have to say that 2013 is starting out to be a pretty darned exiting year!

Thanks for stopping by our blog.  If you haven't visited our shop, Poverty Barn & Friends, yet, we would love to have you as our guest!

Blessings,
Valerie

Breakfast, Anyone?

Every now and then a friend will call or message us with an urgent request.  They have a great idea for a gift for someone, and they want to know if we can make it.  Or they've seen something we make and want that item or something like it.  Usually there is a deadline involved.

Can I say it now?  I thrive under pressure!  There, I've thrown down the gauntlet and tempted the dare fairies.  And at Christmas no less.  Bring it on!

Last Wednesday, a friend from church had a last-minute idea for something she wanted for her daughter's wedding.  The couple's last names start with "Ham" and "Egg" and they have adopted the nickname "Ham & Eggs."  Take that all you Hollywood couples with the silly combo names like Brangelina!

Anyway, the idea was for a sign that would have their nickname and the wedding date. (Did I mention the wedding was on Friday?)  We discussed ideas for a few minutes, and decided on a framed chalkboard with vinyl lettering.  I was pretty sure we had the perfect chalkboard at our shop, which we did, so I set to work.

Below are images of he finished piece, and the happy couple in a pretty wedding pose with the sign.  I just love how it turned out, and that everyone liked it.  There is nothing more satisfying than being able to see the vision of a customer and turn it into reality.

Congratulations, "Ham & Eggs" and to the Mother-of-the-Bride!  Thank you for thinking of us when looking for your special project.

The Barn Girls

Dis-mantling the Mantel

Several years ago, my husband and my son decided that instead of putting up the usual Christmas houses on the mantel for Christmas, they would create a street scene out of Legos.  They built store fronts, a Christmas tree lot, buildings under construction and much more.  All of this, of course, was built along a Main Street that was also a rail line.

This rail line consisted of engines and flat cars that carried cargo and all of the necessary workers to get the job done.

It turned out great, and I have to admit, I was very impressed with their skills.  They tweaked it many times and of course, since it was so awesome, it stayed up well past Christmas.  Strike that, many Christmases. In fact, I am not exactly sure how long ago they built this but I do know that it was impossible to dust and it even sprouted a few cobwebs over time.

In the last few months, I'd begun to grumble about how I would like to reclaim that mantel space, especially after all of the beautiful stagings I have seen on Pinterest.  I wanted a real, grown-up look instead of the "our playroom has overflowed to the living room" look.  Since the youngest person in my house is about to graduate out of his teens, that seemed like a reasonable request.

So while my husband was out of town for a week, I persuaded bribed my son to move all of the pieces of the Lego scene to the top of our entertainment center in the basement.  After much whining and cajoling (I'll let you guess from who), I walked in one day to see the mantel completely empty.

My immediate response was tears prickling in my eyes, and no, they weren't the tears of joy and excitement I had expected.  Instead, I felt an overwhelming sense that a page in my life had turned, and I wasn't sure that I was ready for that chapter.  Seeing the mantel absent of Legos after all of those years somehow underscored the fact that we are no longer a household of parents and kids, but a household of adults.  It made me kind of blue.

For about ten minutes.

Then I got out all the stuff that I'd been making and stashing away, imagining that some day it would look so pretty in all its glory in its proper place.  I set it up, re-arranged, stepped back, moved a few more things, and finally, it was done. The mantel had been reclaimed.  It had grown up.

Now when I walk in the room, I see something that says "Adults Live Here."  While I love the way it looks, and I'm glad I did it, there's still a part of me that actually misses the Legos.

Then I look at the sofa table and the dust-covered block of Lego City buildings and the busy cars and people and I get over it. Immediately.

We love garage sales

It was a beautiful Saturday here at home, and there was a city-wide garage sale event going on near Jesse.  With that in mind, we loaded up ol' Blue and set off to see what we could find.

Often times, we are hard-pressed to find "real" garage sales, where junk is spread out all over the place and there are lots of hidden treasures.  Too often, all we see are driveways full of Little Tikes stuff, mountains of clothes, and a variety of dated, tole-painted items.

Today was not one of those days.

We've learned that older neighborhoods usually have the best junk, and talking to people can lead to even more fun finds.  It's kind of like taking a cue from American Pickers.  How often to they find the next "honey hole" because they bothered to ask if there is anyone else around who collects and sells stuff?

Most, if not all, of what we found today will be used in our shop.  With less than two weeks until opening day, we're getting down to the wire when it comes to selecting just the right pieces for sale and display.  With a store like ours though, we imagine that it will be re-arranged often, with pieces traded out, to keep it fresh and fun.

Here's what we found on today's outing:

I'm not sure what it is about old printer's type pieces, but I love them.  This set is especially cute because it's for pricing store items, so it should come in handy. The only bad news is that the capitol "B" and "D" are missing. Everything else is there though, so it's a pretty cool find.

This second set of stamps includes two sizes of numbers, a decimal, 

dollar and cent sign.  Not too bad for a mere $3.

We got this pair of really nice old chairs for a bargain.  My plan is to paint them, 

(do I have to sand them first?) 

and then use vinyl lettering on the backs to make them adorable.

We absolutely could not resist this gorgeous five-panel door! It even has really cute door knobs and hinges!  We're thinking we may cover it with hooks and use it as a jewelry display.

Believe it or not, this is our new bathroom door.  Not seeing much in the way of privacy here, right? Well, my plan is to cover the pains in etched glass vinyl and then to stick suction cups on the side that faces the hallway for even more hanging display area.

So there you have it, a day full of great finds and really good prices.  We bought some other crafty stuff and the best craft supply garage sale ever, and we'll be using those to make things for the shop.

We are really looking forward to our grand opening on October 5, and we will have more more in our blog about the shop as things come together.

Thanks for stopping by!

Valerie & Jess

The Barn Girls

Don't Box Me In

 Here in the Midwest, we have been experiencing a record-breaking drought.  After weeks and weeks of unbearable heat and no rain, it really starts to get to you.  You find yourself looking up at the sky in search of a stray cloud, checking the radar, and watching the evening news just hoping for those words indicating that even the slightest of changes is on the way.

And then when you do hear it, and you've been disappointed numerous times, watching storm clouds zip by close enough to smell the rain, but withholding it from your parched little patch of a yard, you scoff, switch off the television and decide that it's just never going to happen.

Last night, we were told, once again, that there was a slight chance of very scattered showers today.  Imagine my surprise upon awaking, to hear the pitter-patter of rain drops on our window.  Like manna from heaven, precious drops of liquid fell from the sky, and this time, instead of releasing just a few teasers and then drifting on, the clouds hung around for hours and let loose.  It was amazing to finally get a break from our dry spell, and even though it will take many more mornings like this to make up for our eight inch deficit, we are very grateful for what we received.

Rainy days stir in me a desire to create, and there has been a project on my mind for weeks for which I've had all the supplies.  It's a simple little project that I came up with one day while walking the aisles of my favorite craft store.  I had bought dozens of clearanced gift card tins for another project, and had several leftover, and when the colored chalk caught my eye, I knew just how to put them to good use.

All you need for this project, besides the ugly tins and chalk, are a can of chalkboard spray paint and some sponges. Paint the lids with a couple of coats and let them dry.  Put the chalk in the tin, cut a sponge to fit the leftover space, and voila!  You have a travel-sized chalkboard!

I spiced mine up a bit with some vinyl and used an elastic hair band to keep the lid firmly in place.  These will be for sale at I Am What I Am on Main Street in St. Charles beginning Tuesday.

I hope you enjoy this project, and wherever you are, I hope you are getting rain if you need it, sun if you don't.  Have a blessed day!

Valerie