Girlfriends on the Farm Is My Dream Come True

Girlfriends on the Farm has been a dream of mine

for a few years now.  I have wanted to have a monthly or

semi-monthly shows where friends could come & sell

their wares in a fun venue.  Well Jeff built that for me in

Ellington's Mercantile.  We opened the doors this past

Saturday for our very first Girlfriends on the Farm with

HUGE success.  Part of the wonderful success came

from the fact that I had an overwhelming amount of

support in artists wanting to participate....we had eight

for our very first show including me.  Well the venue

couldn't be cuter.  Jeff certainly outdid himself....& he

usually does.  Let me tell you a little bit about the shop

itself.  This particular building housed an original

1850's Blacksmiths shop on the farm.  In the back

portion of the building which will be the second portion

of Ellington's Mercantile there is an actual chimney where

the blacksmith hand forged his horse shoes & tools.  We used

all Indiana hard woods on the walls from Jeff's tree jobs

that he had milled in Spencer IN & we hand planed

here on Ellington Farms with a planer Jeff actually bought

for this project....that's the kind of good I love about

Jeff.  Maybe back in the 1850's projects were done with

tools without cords but we didn't just rush to Lowe's

for everything....I think that is neat....& you can tell when

you walk into the room....it just smells woodsy.  In a photo

further down in the post you will see them better...but I will

speak of them here....the flooring is gorgeous.  Jeff salvaged

it from one of his demolition jobs.  It was removed from

Bloomington Tire when they tore it down.  Now the average

person would have thought this flooring was ugly & thrown it out....but

then Jeff isn't just your average guy....& I knew that...that's

why I snatched him up 23 years ago.  So he painstakingly

salvaged every piece of it....we even used it in Lincoln's

newly remodeled closet in his bedroom.  The floors are

absolutely stunning to me.  Oh....& I bet you are

wondering about the awesome cabinet!  It's wonderful

isn't it???  Jeff again found this great cabinet out west of

town for Ellington's Mercantile because we wanted it to

resemble an old store.  He found all the old coffee tins &

coffee grinders in one of his demolition jobs & we thought

they looked adorable filling the shelves of the cabinet.  I don't know how long they will remain....we may need those

cabinets for actual merchandise but until further notice

I love them there!

This is in the process of our setting up stages.  It was

no where near the completed 'tweaked' time.  It was already

adorable.  We made the table from the door that we

took off & replaced.  The guys threw it in the trash....but

no....Hope to the rescue....that will be my table.  Jeff

screwed it on an old ammo box & oiled it up with mineral

spirits & viola' a great cornerstone for Ellington's Mercantile & didn't cost a penny!  The walls look so bare....but they

didn't for long!

Now you can see the flooring in great detail.  Isn't it

pretty!  It doesn't squeak anywhere either.  Those are

some ornaments that Sue Blackwell brought.  She also

made wreaths & glittered fruits.  He glittered custom

ornaments were very popular.

These are my friend Pam Voorhies hand painted

vintage signs.  She goes to my church & I first fell in

love with her when I heard her sing.  She has the most

beautiful voice.  She is a most talented girl...but then

you can see that.  Her signs were very poplur....but

then I bet you had already guessed that!  Jeff bought

a sign for our home at our church holiday craft show &

wanted me to see if I liked the one he chose....I too was

a vendor that day & was swamped & couldn't leave my

booth for one moment...literally.  I said....Jeff...any

sign you choose will be the right one...you can't choose

a wrong one.  Wouldn't you agree?  I have commissioned

Miss Pam to paint a sign for Ellington's Mercantile &

Jeff & I can't wait to put it up!  I don't have very many

photo's of the other artists work....but I want to mention

my very best friend in the whole world....Christy Myers.

I call her Chrissy...I don't know why I do...I just do...we have

been best friends since we were 15 years old & my sister

married her brother.  She paints the most beautiful

furniture & makes the most gorgeous wreaths &

arrangements.  She also paints the cutest old chalkboard

& frames.  She just has a very good eye for style.  She lives

in Illinois.  She came down.  Another great friend Stephanie

Oyler sold her Origami Owl, although not hand crafted

we thought it was new enough & fun enough to warrant

a bid to our fun show.  She is a very gifted artist though

& will bring her wares another day.  Lisa Orme, owner of

Lola Rue where I sell my wares on any other given day

brought painted holiday signs, jewelry, & mini wreaths.

Lindsay Bradley brought her gorgeous jewelry of which I

am one of her biggest fans! And Miss Bailey Tichenor,

she is lovely, but she was a very shy, timid girl until she started designing

jewelry & wow....she came alive....this was 2 years ago!

She is now a high school junior & she creates awesome

jewelry....truly spectacular work.  Again....I think I am her

number one fan!  Truly....when I wear her pieces....literally

people grab me off the street & want to know where I

got it.  Of course I say....it's a Bailey Tichenor original.  And

you can just tell she has a remarkable eye by her pinterest

board....and you would NEVER know she was just a

teenager!!!   So, Girlfriends on the Farm is my dream come

true.  It was such a fun day.  I hope you can join us for the next one or maybe you would like to come display & sell your

wares.  It sure was fun having such fun girlfriends here.  I

hope your day is filled will love & creativity.  Blessings!