When Paul and I travel, we always take our bicycles, and try to hit a few trails. The last few years, we’ve been talking about upgrading to electric bikes. It isn’t to take the exercise out of the trails, but to help get uphill, and to navigate the more challenging areas we sometimes come across.
Also, Paul pulls the dogs on his bike, and Sadie isn’t quite as small as Sven. I wouldn’t say she’s big, but she is solid. Pulling them uphill can be a bit of a challenge.
We had some down time between shows in FL, so we decided to visit a few bike shops. Paul also got online, and did a lot of research on the bikes. He watched countless videos of pros, cons, and reviews.
Between what we saw and what he learned, we had a good idea of what we were looking for. When we got home, we decided to go a few towns over to an outdoor shop called Jim’s Sports Center to see what they had. We were ready to buy, and were happy to support a local store.
Jim’s Sports Center had a variety of quality outdoor items - the bike section was just part of the store. Even though they aren’t a big chain store, they still had 8 models of electric bikes. For a “country” bike shop, that seemed like a lot. Then the store employee told us they had so many, because people were buying them up like crazy. They were in high demand, so the store was doing its best to keep them in stock. That’s the same thing I heard from the bike shops in FL.
Paul got really excited when he saw the Rambos, because they had big tires, and were made for offroading. He was sold right away.
I on the other hand, wasn’t as excited about them. In FL, the bike shops had more options that were colorful and fun. I had it in my head I wanted a girly bike, not a plain black one. After I saw how excited Paul was, I ended up giving in though.
I am the proud owner of a Rambo Ryder. Paul’s is slightly different; it is a Rambo Savage. We bought them on the spot, although we left them at the store to add bike racks to before brining them home.
Since we plan to use the bikes on the road, we knew we wanted a few storage upgrades. We each got a pack that attaches to the back, and Paul got me a really nice cell phone holder. We still want to add a few accessories, including bells and lights - but that will come.
Our first trip on the bikes was a great success! We went 5 miles around “the loop” by our house- I know because the bikes kept track. How the bikes work is; you turn them on, and then you choose your speed. Mine is a 5 speed, and gears 1-5 are pedal assist. One is mostly peddling with a little help from the bike, and 5 is mostly the bike with a little help from you. Then there is also a separate button you can turn on if you don't want to peddle at all. The bike just goes on its own!
We used pedal assist the whole way, but Paul did turn on the “no pedaling” to get up the steep hill with the dogs. It was really great! I’m so glad we decided to try electric bikes. I may not have gotten my pretty girly bike, but I did get one that rides nice and smooth. I’m sure we will get a ton of use out of them. This year alone our bikes will travel with us through national parks in AZ, WA, NV and of course - Yellow Stone when we take our annual trip.
]]>Brandy and family welcomed us home with a great trip to State College! Our granddaughter Madison is going to school at Penn State, and she likes going to sporting events. Brandy decided it would be nice for us all to get together and go see her, so she got us tickets to a Penn State hockey game.
We went out to eat beforehand, and just had an all around great time catching up with Mike, Brandy, and the grandkids.
Madison & Miley | Fred & Paul |
Ryan and Lexi were excited to see us too, but they have a different way of showing it; putting us straight to work. While it would be nice to ease back into things, that just isn’t the way our lives are.
I realized a while ago that our lives (Mine & Paul’s) are full of extremes. We are either extremely relaxed with nothing we have to do (like between our FL shows, or when we RV out West), or extremely busy with no time to breathe (like when we get back from vacation, or during show season).
Part of the reason we are so busy right now is that we packed our show schedule. Last year we still didn't know what shows would go on, and what ones would cancel. We couldn’t have a bunch of empty weekends after 2020, so we applied to more shows than ever before. What ended up happening? Nearly every single show we applied to went on as scheduled!
That alone left us busier than usual. Then on top of that, we also had very successful shows. Great news, until we realized we were starting to fall a bit behind. Complaining about good shows just seems in poor taste, so I won’t do that. I will say, customers please be patient with us - we are working our tails off! We are also starting to get caught up, and expect to be back on schedule by the time we deliver orders from our FL shows.
What else did we come home to? Driver Dave is retiring! While he gave us notice and he still has a few trips left with us; the delivery driver job is a difficult one - I know because Paul and I do a few deliveries every year. Since I do like to spend an occasional weekend home, I knew we needed to find another driver ASAP!
So we put an ad out, took applications, and interviewed many candidates; then we hired! Soon customers will be accepting deliveries from Driver Donnie.
We are very excited to bring him (and sometimes his wife) on board. We just know he/they will please our customers with their efficiency and excellent customer service. You can trust Donnie to respect your home, and to safely deliver your final balance due to us.
And so with the hustle and bustle of the shop, we also have the hustle and bustle of home. Specifically, knowing we needed to trim the goat hooves for the first time!
I am a new goat owner, so things like hoof trimming and shearing are all new to me. While I’ve watched many videos, actually doing the deed is a whole different story. On top of that, half of the information on angora goats say “never do x” and then the other half say “I only ever do x.” It is very confusing for first time goat owners!
That’s why I decided to call in a farrier named Paul (yes, what a coincidence) to trim the hooves for the first time. Lexi got the information on him from a friend who has 6 fainting goats that he keeps neat and trimmed.
We had quite the group of spectators there to meet Paul and his wife. I figured the more people to learn, the more likely we'd get it right if/when we decided to try. Me, Lexi, Brandy (my daughter) and Miley (my granddaughter) were all there.
Lexi watched Shiloh (our scaredy goat), and then helped with Enoch. He was so good! Once he was laid down, he didn’t struggle at all. It is like he knew they were there to make his feet feel better.
I’m so glad we decided to call in for reinforcements. They were clearly pros. They helped us corral the goats, and were very confident and patient - I guess 40+ years of experience will do that! As a bonus, the farrier also knew a little about shearing!
We learned so much including:
Just kidding. I do want more goats, and “farm” pets in general, but maybe I better practice on these two a little first!
]]>Or should I say, “Showbirds?” As winter really starts to set in, and the holidays are over, so are most of the shows in the North. Paul loves warm weather, and getting away to FL is something he looks forward to.
While I prefer staying home in the Fall & Winter, every year I get talked into going along. Paul argues we can mix business with pleasure like many artists do, by vacationing through the week in the RV, and working on the weekend at the show. Since FL really does have some top notch Art and Craft shows, I agree and we follow the shows by going South in the Winter.
Enough about business though! Another reason I get talked into going South is that we stop in beautiful Jekyll Island, GA for a few days to enjoy the Jekyll Island New Year’s Bluegrass Festival before moving on to the shows.
I know Bluegrass isn’t the most popular music genre, but we think it is underrated. The musicians have some real talent, and the performances are so fun to watch.
Also fun to watch - when fans from the crowd get overtaken by the moment and break into clogging. Clogging is a specific type of dance that goes with Bluegrass music, and seeing people when they are really going is truly amazing. Here’s a video of what clogging looks like in case you are unfamiliar.
This year was the 45th annual, and the third time Paul and I have attended. We stayed in the parking lot suggested by the festival along with a lot of other festival goers. It was fun to be surrounded by bluegrass fans from all over the country - even as far as Canada.
There were a few “headliners” this year like always, but the big one was Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver - they were my favorite of the festival. They have been on the bluegrass/gospel scene for many years. This was their last performance, and we were fortunate enough to be there for it! They put on an extra long set, playing for close to two and a half hours. It was the highlight of the festival, and of course, one of the only performances I didn’t snap a picture for!
Young in reality. One funny side note about bluegrass festivals: Paul and I are often part of the younger crowd. That makes for a laid back atmosphere, and gives Paul and I a chance to relax and unwind after the hustle and bustle of getting orders out for Thanksgiving, and then again for Christmas.
It is much needed time to let our hair down, and remember what we work for. As a bonus, Sven and Sadie are just a short drive away hanging out in the RV. Maybe leaving them there makes us poor dog parents, but we make sure they get their special time too.
Here is a picture of Paul getting ready to take the two out for a bike ride before we leave for the festival. I think you can tell by their posture how much they love rides of any kind (bike, motorcycle, tractor, side by side, etc.). Sven was born for adventure, and younger sister Sadie is learning the ropes from him.
While in FL, we will spend our time between a couple of state parks. We will visit Paul’s brother. Paul will do his best to keep us busy, and I will do my best to get some quiet time to read. I brought several books with me, and I’ve already finished one!
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A home used to be “traditional with golden oak” or “mid-century modern with mahogany” or “arts and crafts with quarter sawn oak” or “shaker with cherry”.
Lately though, we’ve noticed that customers aren’t re-doing their whole dining room or kitchen in the same wood, or even the same interior design style.
Some customers have staple pieces in their home that have sentimental meaning. They want to keep them, and design their new furniture to coordinate. Others have open concept designs, and want a table set that will tie everything together.
For many of our customers it is more about complementing what they have, then it is about getting an exact match. They want what they like, just so it doesn’t “clash.” That has really opened the door for us to get more creative.
Here are some photos to help inspire customers to get creative with wood types, color combinations, and color placements.
Two Tone Woods (Stain with Stain) | ||
Aged cherry body with colonial maple slats and seat on cherry wood | Ebony body with grey slats and seat on oak wood | Aged on cherry with maple live edge top and sea simply white |
Natural walnut body with natural maple seat and back slats | Aged cherry frame with maple natural center | Natural walnut with slats and wraps natural maple |
Two Tone (Stain & Lacquer) | ||
Bollero body with natural seat oak | Light green/glaze body with seat and top harvest | White body with slats and seat harvest |
Black body with top grey top ambrosia maple | Aged stained cherry with black slats | White/Irma's grey body with top and slats stained Irma's grey |
Black outside with aged stained cherry in the center | Black body with harvest slats on the head and footboard | Aged stained cherry with light green/glaze chest with an aged stained cherry top and knobs |
White body with simply white ambrosia top and door faces | White body with simply white stained back | Blue body with dark stained cherry top |
Table with tobacco stain and white/glaze apron and server behind with white/glaze body and tobacco back and top. | White body with top and slats harvest | English chestnut table with apron and slats black, and chairs English chestnut with black slats and wraps. |
Black body with simply white stain | Black body with natural walnut top/drawer face/shelf | Table is white/Irma's grey with top Irma's grey and chairs are Irma's grey with white/Irma's grey back support |
Three Or More Colors/Wood Types | ||
Top and seat of chair special walnut stained on oak, base and chair body tobacco stained oak, apron ans slats natural maple | Black, with natural walnut top and seat, and slats/wraps/buttons natural maple | Natural walnut with maple pegs and apron on table and red sawtooth apron with purple runner. Chairs natural walnut with natural maple back slats and wraps |
Natural walnut with natural maple apron/vhelve/door insert/knobs. With red sawtooth apron. | Black with natural walnut, natural maple, and black accents. | Black, natural, and white/grey. |
Dark stained cherry with simply white maple and doors and drawer faces with black frames | Colorful painted table wiht a checkerboard painted top | Dark stained cherry island with black, red, purple, and blue accents. |
Pewter body with dark stained cherry top and doors/drawer with various wood tones. |
As furniture designers, it is very important for us to know what our customers are looking for, and also what to suggest when they don’t know what they’re looking for. We are all about working together to find out what suits both your home as it is, and your current design style. One size fits all; tables, islands, servers etc. are so out . What’s in? The perfect piece for you.
If you want to collaborate, start by sending a no pressure txt to let us know what you’re looking for, and we’ll guide you from there: 814-661-0188. You can include things like what size you need, the piece you like most on our website, what wood type you’re thinking of, and any photos you’d like us to see.
Our custom designs are priced on size, difficulty, and wood type - not on color - so let’s get creative together.
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Another important note - crafting hickory rocking chairs was the first step in the development of our signature lumbar support dining chair design. You can see similar elements in the bent wood back slats, and support wraps.
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Lexi quickly explained that a casual conversation with her best friend Emily was quickly turning in to a business opportunity. She had spoken to Emily about the challenges we were facing due to covid, and said how she wished there was a place to show some of our work, without having to open a store location (we know the art and craft shows is what works for us, and we were just waiting for everything to clear up so we could get back on the road - not possible with opening a new store).
Emily told her how her employer was opening a new store location with seating for the first time. He would need tables and chairs, so she said she would talk to him, and see if he would be willing to use our table sets.
She called Lexi three days later to say it was a go, and when could Joe (her boss and owner of Dan Smith's Candy talk to her about the details.
Everything was moving fast, and she didn't know how Paul and I would feel. After talking it over though, we decided it was worth a shot!
We didn't know exactly what to expect going in to this partnership, because we had never done anything like it before. Our vision was to have different table and chair sets in the store, with different colors and textures to truly show what we can do.
As a store owner though, we figured Joe and his wife Amy would probably want everything to be the same. That would have been understandable, and a compromise we would have strongly considered. After a brief phone call though, it was clear that we were being valued as contributor, and were given creative freedom!
Amy invited us over to see their space, and to discuss design options. After talking for a bit, it became clear Dan Smith's Brookville location would be colorful and fun. With mint green and bubble gum pink walls, our tables would would need to coordinate, but we could do a pop of color too. We snapped a few photos, discussed sizes, and went home full of ideas.
Right away we knew we needed our designs to coordinate with each other. They didn't have to match to go well in the space, they just couldn't clash. Lexi and I quickly came up with a white and grey color scheme, which allowed us to to show various shades of white and grey. By keeping with that pallet, we could also get really fun with one of the table sets. Here's what we came up with.
Paul and I have made chairs for restaurant use before. We added an extra support bar at the bottom of the chairs, to allow for extra use.
Dan Smith's Candy is an established candy making company that also has several retail stores in Pennsylvania. Our furniture is featured at their Brookville, PA location, where they sell many made in Pennsylvania items.
We are so happy to find a business partner who so proudly supports and promotes other small businesses, including ours! Stop in to see our table sets in person, and to patron their awesome business! There is something there for everyone including ice cream, milk shakes, coffee, wood flowers, gift items, and of course their world class chocolates and candies among other things!
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Dan Smith’s Candies Brookville location
Corner Plaza 301 W. Main Street Brookville, PA 15825 (814) 849-8893 (800) 393-1323 Hours: Monday – Saturday 10 – 7 Sunday 12 – 7 |
We don't exactly (although we have a few things set up in the shop), BUT we consider Dan Smith's Brookville location to be a mini showcase of our white and grey color scheme. If you are interested in what we can do with our whites and greys, a trip to the store would really help you out.
You can also make the trip just to try out our chairs for yourself, and to be inspired by the various looks you can create on your very own IP Furniture Design!
That's probably the number one question we get asked after delivery. The short answer is "just use common sense." That includes...
That's probably the number one question we get asked after delivery. The short answer is "just use common sense." That includes:
Anyone who has one of our tables, and they want to know the best way to repair it should contact their local Sherwin Williams store. Tell them your issue, and that we use their oil based stains, and their pre-catalyzed lacquer. They should recommend compatible touch up techniques.
The only sure way we know to repair a table is to sand and refinish it, and/or split and re-glue it. Short of that, here are some great online resources for common repair issues. Note: I have not tried these myself, but I wanted to help you get a start!
Fell free to share your favorite repair hack, and let everyone know what worked for you in the comments!
]]>We've had customers call in and order - more than I ever expected! We've had some customers come and pick up when we explained our logistic challenges, and said we didn't know when we could deliver. Others have said they don't mind waiting a few months for delivery, because we didn't have enough orders to get to them in our normal 10-12 week turn around time. Many of you have asked how we are doing, and shown your sincere concern for our future. Thank you for the support!
With Small Business Saturday coming up, I've been thinking about all the OTHER SMALL BUSINESSES and our fellow artists. I hope they are feeling the love like we are, and I just wanted to remind you that they need us now more than ever.
Make it a habit! Shop an artist online, go to your local hardware store, stop in at that unique boutique, and don't forget your family owned & local restaurants who have also been hit very hard this year.
Don't forget about a business, only to find it closed when you go a couple months from now. Shop small & spread the word!
This year, our time was cut short due to issues with our motorhome. When my son Ryan mentioned wanting to visit Mount Rushmore this Fall, I was immediately on board!
Many of you may already know Ryan and Lexi work with us in the shop. We’re usually too busy to both be out at the same time - but not right now. We’ve been a lot slower than usual due to COVID, and the canceling of all of our Spring and Summer shows.
As with most things, there is actually a silver lining. In this case, it was being able to share an experience Paul and I love so much with some of our family.
Something about my family - we’re road warriors. When we go on vacation, we never fly. Partly because we always seem to be delivering a few orders on the way, and partly because we are motorhome/travel trailer enthusiasts. We decided to take our motorhome for us, and pull along our camper for Ryan & Lexi.
Who has a motorhome and a camper? True blue travelers that’s who! There is
actually a little more to it though I guess. We got our first motorhome just for traveling out West. It was convenient, because it carried a lot of water and propane, so we would stay places without hook-ups and not worry about running out of either. We often stay in Walmart parking lots, because they allow RV's and truckers to stay free.
We also love the extra space motorhomes have, and the ability tow vehicles and trailers behind. As I mentioned before, we typically deliver orders while on the road, and just this year we towed a van filled with furniture that we would park and unhook for delivering.
We got the camper pretty recently, because we can tow it behind our show van.
We used to stay at hotels, but it got old. You can’t cook properly, you always wonder about cleanliness, and rowdy neighbors are a little too common for us “early to bed early to rise” folks.
Besides, we hated leaving our dog Sven home, and pet friendly hotels are hard to find. Our camper has even enabled us to add a second fur baby - meet Sadie!
We decided to spend a day in the Bad Lands, before moving on to a few days at the Rafter J’s campground in the Black Hills.
We went to Mount Rushmore, saw the Needles Highway, drove through Bear Country, had a cowboy meal, shopped at Wall Drug and so much more. We made memories, ate good food, and Paul got to try the Rhubarb Jalapeno pie at the Purple Pie Place.
All in all, we had a fantastic trip, and we’re already thinking about where we’re going next! Have you been to the Bad Lands or the Black Hills? What was your favorite thing to do or see?
]]>With everything going on, and all of my Summer & Fall shows canceled - I've had a lot more time home. Since I'm not one to sit around, I've been able to get back to a hobby of mine that has taken a back seat in the last few years. Spending quality time in my garden, and canning the spoils of my hard work.
Canning is hard work, no mistake there. It can be time consuming and hot. On the flip side, there's something about growing your own food and preserving it for your family, that takes me back to my roots.
My Dad had a huge garden, and he took a lot of pride in it. He grew a little of everything, even odd things like parsnips and horse radish. His garden was the best in town, and people were always commenting on it, and getting growing advice. The garden was my Dad's - no mistake there, but my Mom was in charge of picking and canning.
Back then, I had little interest in any of it. The closest I got to helping was shelling peas, and that's just because it gave me something to do while I was getting a tan. I would fill huge metal containers while I baked for hours in the sun.
It is funny how growing up gives you new appreciation for things you took for granted as a kid!
Did you know I have a secret passion for collecting recipes?
My family might tease me that it is something more than just passion, but there has to be some of you out there that are on my side!
New recipes are one of the main reasons I'm on Pinterest. I love getting a new take on a classic meal, finding new ways to use my fresh vegetables, and reading the comments from people who have tried the recipes.
That's how I found this recipe for Pizza Sauce. It wasn't just that it looked like a good recipe, it was that the comments were all high praise.
I had tomatoes coming in my garden, and knew I had to give it a try.
If you haven't canned before, take my advice and spend plenty of time prepping. I hardly ever plan and can in the same day. That's because there's always a curve ball! Some things to consider:
And # 6 is what got me this time! I 'm lucky I noticed, it isn't something I think to check on. They probably would have been fine to use anyway, but maybe the flavors wouldn't be as strong.
Anyway, it would have been a pain if I hadn't planned ahead, and dragged out everything I needed the day before.
One thing I noticed about the recipe right away, the pizza sauce really needed to cook down. I figured I would have to block off at least 3 hours.
The recipe was easy to follow though, and everything went well. I ended up with 14 1/2 pts (I know 2 look taller in the pic, but they're just a different shape.)
I had a little bit left over that wasn't quote enough to fill a jar, so I decided why not give it a try?
I made a pizza, and was surprised to find the sauce didn't taste like what you would find on a pie from a traditional pizza place. I can't put my finger on what made it different, but it wasn't quite as "tomatoe-y" as I'm used to.
Don't mistake me, it was good! Just unexpected. Also important to note: the real test will be in a few months, after the sauce has had time to season.
Either way I would make the recipe again, and I can't wait to try it after it has marinated properly.
I actually had some tomatoes left over, so I decided to make my famous salsa too. Everyone loves this salsa, and I always end up giving too much of it away!
To date I've done green beans, pizza sauce, and salsa. I'm not sure if I'll get in to anything else, but my garden is still producing.
Want to share a canning recipe? Comment with the details!
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