Author: peterb51

19th November 2017

Time is desperately running out on this trip, and the number of people I have wanted to meet up with have been few. So today we met up with Steve and Cathy again for brunch in Grand Rapids. I enjoy their company, they have lived an interesting life, and the chance to listen to their stories enriches my own.

Afterwards we stopped off at both Goodwill stores in Holland to hunt for more things. I have spent so much time in these establishments they should give me a loyalty card, or an old person’s discount.

We looked in the window of the lakeshore store to see if any of our furniture had been sold on Saturday, because again, there was a interested person with “100%” chance of buying it. However it was still there, and most of the other stuff hadn’t sold either.

There is often a difference of customer numbers between Hudsonville and Lakeshore, with small items moving faster in Hudsonville. There doesn’t seem to be a pattern in either of the places, it is feast or famine, not good for forward planning.

There was a healthy collection of things ready to go tomorrow including the small drawer unit made from old cheese boxes. Doing a bit of research we discovered they were from around the 1900’s and quite collectible, so we have high hopes for this.

18th November 2017

Well it’s been an interesting day, it rained, and we had a list of things to get.

Kelli had an email from Painted Farmgirl to say that the place was very busy, and to be prepared to re-stock. This word sends shivers down my spine because it means Kelli will go into a tail spin looking for new items. So desperate for product she even started priming the apocalypse piece that had been waiting in the wings gathering dust. A trip to Goodwill resulted in a few finds, some needing no attention, and a few some small rectification.

I have been working with wood most of my life, and enjoy seeing the results of a finished piece. I pride myself that I can tackle most things, and the last few weeks have proved that, but today I was handed one of the most challenging, making a new beak for a wooden bird.

Kelli had found these in a bin at Goodwill, and grabbed them, so a piece of oak and some “Bondo” and I was away.

And now the re-beaked version.

Whilst we were out, we visited a hardware store that already had its Christmas display on show. We were looking for decorations for the tree, I wondered around looking for inspiration. It was fun, the displays were bright, and reminded me of the Christmas’s of my childhood.

17th November 2017

The one main job of the day was to make an in-fill panel for a small cabinet. It used to have a fake leather top panel that had to go. I had laid up the wooden pieces last night, so I was all primed to make a start. The first step was to mark out, so I grabbed the adjustable square and marked out the cutting line. Just as I prepared to mark the second line it fell to the floor. When I picked it up I knew something wasn’t right. The part holding the scale had broken, rendering the thing useless.

The only option now was to drive up to Dave’s place and use his kit.

It took about fifteen minutes to do everything I needed to do, but then a little voice from the other part of the basement beckoned me.

“Another wheel has broken” sure enough another wheel had failed. So repeating what I did yesterday, I replaced it.

I got back with my bits of wood and applied the stain and oil to the in-fill panel, and set it aside to dry. I also assembled the centre box for the Fifteen bucks project.

16th November 2017

Whilst I was slaving away in the garage, Kelli was in Hudsonville drumming up more sale in what seems to be a bumper month. However with more sales comes the need for more stuff.

On her way through she delivered a newly finished dresser, this was the one that fell apart when we collected it. This had been re-built, painted, and looked really good.

I spent the afternoon with Dave visiting one of his friends called “Cricket”. I asked how he got his name, adding, if it was the noise he made when he walked, but that fell on deaf ears, and I never did get an answer.

I had a tour of his barn that was full of small tractors, outside there were many more, it was like a tractor heaven. Everywhere there were machines of all sizes and condition. Cricket was a tall man with a loud voice, he was dressed in camouflage gear, ready to go into the woods hunting.

When we got back, I had to repair a mobile table that Dave had in his workshop. One of the castor had disintegrated, making it impossible to move. He had a box full of heavy duty castors, (his basement is an Aladdin’s cave of everything. If you needed parts to rebuild a Zeppelin, he would have them). I managed to find two five inch wheels buried deep among the many different types and sizes.

With a little modification, and a bit of friendly persuasion it all fitted, much to my relief.

15th November 2017

And the rain came down, again. I guess the ground needed it, I didn’t.

The day had two halves, the first was brunch with Dave, and a visit to Bob Evans. I always feel like the young kid when I go there because it is like a haven for old people, a bit like being in the film Cocoon. The lunchtime rush has finished, so the service was a bit relaxed, I could tell because usually the waitress is round with the coffee top-up every five minutes. I often leave with so much liquid sloshing around inside, I could tip over turning a corner.

I then worked in Dave’s workshop making more candle bases for the rest of the afternoon.

Kelli has gone out for some supplies, but came back with an assortment of unusual items that she had found, that could be flipped easily.

We went to New Holland for dinner, didn’t need to twist Kelli’s arm very much for that.

14th November 2017

Started on some new project today. These were moved inside to be painted. We sold a dresser at Lakeshore so the race is on to replace it. We had someone sniffing around the dining table and chairs, but it hasn’t turned into a sale yet.

Larry brought over some small pieces that we purchased, one was a small sewing cabinet, the other was a handmade tool storage cabinet.

What was special, was the drawers were made from wooden boxes that people used to buy cheese from the store in. It needs a bit of work to restore, but it will be a special piece when it’s done.

13th November 2017

It was off to Hudsonville to re-stock the booth. The truck was full of goodies, so we couldn’t wait to get there.

Before we left, Kelli heard of a bed-frame for free, so she called her Dad to take me to pick it up. When we got there it was leaning up against the barn, and it was tall. There was no way that it would fit in the back of his truck. So we came up with the idea of standing it on the tail-gate vertically, and tying it down. Fortunately, the shape of the glass hatch would stop the bed from moving, so a couple of bungees and off we went.

Surprisingly we made it without incident, so that is now stored in the garage.

There were a couple more items sold since we saw the devastation on Saturday, but Kelli had an idea of how the booth should look.

At the end it looked really good.

One of our pieces had a “hold” ticket on it, which later, we learned, was not purchased, boo hoo! I hate it when that happens.

That would have taken us to our sales target for the month, but with all the good new stuff, we should get there anyway.

After leaving Hudsonville, we had to deliver the island unit to somewhere out in the sticks. Now Holland has a lot of “out in the stick” places so this was somewhere new.

The couple were delighted with it, and it will take pride of place in their new kitchen.

That was a good feeling, when someone appreciates the work that has gone into something.

12th November 2017

The start of a busy day ahead, but first breakfast.

It was cold and wet, but inside the food was warming. Diced potatoes, mixed with tomatoes, avocado, fried onions and two meatless sausages hit the spot exactly.

Then it was the start of the production of the candle holders. I made about twenty of the rustic ones, as they were the simplest.

Kelli had a response to the posting of the Island unit we finished a couple of days ago. A couple decided to buy it, and to pay us to deliver it.

This meant I had to make a shelf, fortunately I still had the old top, so I cut it to size and oiled it to match the new top.

So far this has added to a very good start to the first half of the month.

I spent a bit of time making alternative candle bases, which are destined to go to Lakeshore.

Kelli had been busy inside turning the items I had sneered at, into some unique things, with a combination of paint effects, and a bit of distressing, she had worked wonders.

11th November 2017
Today was the second day of the Painted Farmgirl Christmas open house weekend, and by the time we got there and checked out the space it looked like the scene of a robbery. For Kelli, and Bristol Cottage, these are great events, the place was heaving with people looking for unique gifts for Christmas. So much of the small stuff was missing including a mirror in a rustic frame that I had made earlier this year. Yes, the things I make fly off the shelves! I had made the frame from some pallet wood that Kelli had found, and kept for future projects. It started out as an oiled piece and went to Lakeshore where it languished on a shelf for several months before going to Farmgirl, where it hung for a couple months more before Kelli, in desperation, took it home and painted it white. It was returned to the booth, and sold in less than two weeks. Now, of course there is panic to re-stock for Monday, so Sunday looks to be a busy day again.

Earlier in the afternoon we went to the opening of a new handmade chocolate store called Marzec Chocolates in Washington Square. This is a pure indulgence place where you gain weight the moment you walk through the door.

We selected a token purchase of a packet of dark pecan bark, mmm one pack is never enough.

On the way back we made the customary stop-off at Goodwill to look for new items. I walk around in a bit of a daze, not really sure what I am looking for, but Kelli is off and running, collecting all manner of stuff that she will later transform into cool item for her booth. It’s a good job someone has vision.

10th November 2017
There was no sign of the snow that fell last night. The morning was bright but bitterly cold, so I dressed up warm with a woolly hat pulled down over my ears. I am not sure that I have the proper shaped head for these type of hats.

As the day progresses it moves up my head until it sits on the top of my hair, making me look like the Pope.

I broke up some kindling and started a fire, I needed some heat to make things bearable.

The one thing I have an abundance of is firewood, within a few minutes flames were licking out the chimney of the stove like a picket line outside a car factory in the nineteen seventies.

I had a wood top to finish for the cabinet that Kelli was working on indoors. This turned out pretty good, but it’s really heavy.

I was playing around with some off-cut to come up with ideas for tee light candles holders that could be sold at Hudsonville, not that I haven’t other things to do, but it was an interesting divergence