Ch...Ch...Changes

This past year and a half has been filled with many changes for Lisa and I. We had a lot of personal and business changes for both of us. In early 2012, I decided to take ( as Lisa called it) a "sabbatical" from the store. I felt overwhelmed with so many changes in my personal life and I need to take a break. We continued to do all of our shows together, Remnants of the Past  and Alameda Antiques Faire. We also went on road trips , flea markets, and attended the trade market shows to stay inspired. We never lost touch of our "junkin" sisterhood.. Our friendship and business partnership never changed , just evolved. As 2012 came to an end, Lisa had a family crisis with her son. He suffered a serious accident that required a lot Lisa's emotional and physical attention. She had to close the shop for a few months to care for him. He is now fully recovered!!!!
After a year and a half of many changes , we knew it was time for I to reunite with my Farmhouse roots.. We both needed it!!! I'm so happy to be back in our happy little store called URBAN FARMHOUSE!!!!
                                                                                                             

                                                                                         

                 

Looking Back....

WOW its hard to believe we have made it through the first year of opening our store in May 2010. We were told "don't do it!...It's not a good time to open a store...the economy isn't good!" We did it anyways! We had high hopes and a loyal customer base already. We started selling 4 years ago at the Alameda Antique Show. We met so many great vendors and customers. We enjoyed refinishing the furniture, searching for treasures on a regular basis, and of course the week of getting ready for the BIG show! We always referred to our Show day as "giving birth"...(like the gradual stages of pregnancy, the exhausting end, and then the BIG day of delivery! Your so exhausted after the Big show but then can't wait to do it all again!!!)

Finding the right location was big for us. We wanted to be in OLDTOWN SALINAS in a building with lots of history and character. We found the right spot right away....THE FIRST BANK OF SALINAS!!! We also met our soon to be neighbors that turned out to be great!

After a quick month of painting the walls, floors, ceiling, building the counter, and getting all our furniture ready for the grand opening.....WE OPENED UP!

OUR FIRST FARMHOUSE TABLE!!

MEETING RACHEL ASHWELL at her SEMINAR in LAS VEGAS

RODEO WEEK!

CHRISTMAS INVENTORY

MORE FAB INVENTORY

STELLA PAGE DESIGNS Photshoot in our Store!

Notice our Peace Pillow in the back...haha

A few more Urban Accessories....

After months of Once in a Lifetime Moments....we were honored to be a part of Remnants of the Past Show....and boy was it a show!!! Over thousands of people shopped in our booth....What a great experience !!!!!

They thought we were the girls from Texas!!

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT THROUGH OUR FIRST YEAR AT URBAN FARMHOUSE!!! We love, appreciate, and our honored by all the business you have given us!

THANKFULLY YOUR URBAN GIRLS......Michelle & Lisa XOXOXOXO







DECORATING with GREY

GREY is the color of calmness and serenity. Darker GREY represents strength while softer grey becomes more innocent and fragile. I am always drawn to the color GREY ....whether its an old weathered urn or a weathered grey piece of furniture that was left outside. Decorating with GREY has been around for awhile but my first real notice of it was in the catalog WISTERIA. I was immediately hooked! Here are a few Pict's of decorating with GREY....

Notice the painted cabinet doors in what I call the "Belgium finish"....

Mixing Whites and Greys is a must!! It feels clean, innocent, and Homey!

Always decorate with old books! Its cheap and an easy filler for those spaces you have a hard time filling up!

I love the old wood with the formal look...It seems to work together perfectly!

Try experimenting with all greys..using a mixture of different greys and different whites always seem to compliment each other.

LIVE LIFE and LOVE EVERY MOMENT

Looking back these past few months, I have learned so much. Life is short...so love and enjoy every moment! Fill your lives with beautiful friendships, cherish your families and surround yourself with things you love....Treat yourself because you deserve the best! Dine on fine china everyday, buy yourself fresh flowers weekly, burn those expensive candles, let your kids enjoy the white slipcovered sofa.(haha)...Afterall , it could all end tomorrow and you may of never got to enjoy your beautiful possessions...LIVE LIFE and LOVE EVERY MOMENT!!!

LOVE LOVE LOVE.....

BEAUTIFUL FURNITURE

The smell of GARDENIA......

OLD CHIPPY URNS

VINTAGE MONOGRAMS

BLOGHOPPIN...

MY BEST FRIEND :)

Our Baby is a Star!!!

We call all our furniture finds our babies. We know where each piece was picked up,how much we bought it for, where we displayed it, and who bought it. This piece in particular was bought by a memorable customer. One day this customer walks in with a few friends. We knew she was a serious buyer. She knew exactly what she was buying..... She picked out a few pillows and our cute little Burnt Red Color Settee. This settee was came in from an auction. At one point we had the intentions of recovering the worn and torn fabric , but all in all it was a great piece with great curves. The customer that bought it owns a store in Santa Monica called Bountiful . It is a darling store that you MUST visit when you go to Los Angeles.

When we drove by we couldnt find a store sign but realized the CUTEST iron and scrolly things pouring out of it had to be Bountiful .Not to mention the pink cake pedastals piled high in the window.We had to stop and check it out. This darling store was decorated by an abundance of lighting, mirrors, accessories, then a little door that entered into the back where all the magic was...and of course our little red settee peaking out from storage in the back.

This pink settee of course gave me hot flashes...

This pillow was bought from our store...haha

We mentioned to the owner, Sue Balmforth, that she had visited our store a few months back and bought the red settee from us. She remembered and said it had just been returned back from a movie set 15 minutes earlier and Johnny Depp had been sitting on it in a scene from his upcoming movie. Lisa and I tried to keep cool but of course we were super "cited".. Love Love Love that....Definately check out this store. Fabulous items and super sweet staff and store owner!!!!

We drove by this....Loved the name!

Couldnt pass up Rachel Ashwell's store Shabby Chic...Here is the inspiration board in the store....LOVE LOVE LOVE

We also went through the Los Angeles Gift and Home Market Show. Of course shabby, rusty, iron, and oversized items caught our eyes first. The reps for Eloquence were so sweet and said they new of "Urban Farmhouse" for the pink cowboy boots posted on our facebook page months ago. I'm always so shocked that people actually know of us.

We feel so important and loved ! Thank you :)

Just Another Day

I could sit in the store for hours just looking around the store wondering what I can take home. I love everything..... but I know bringing it home would be a disaster. It will either be spray painted, carved with the names or icons, used as a sleeping device(Tristan??), or used as a torture device. Here are some fabulous pieces I would love to bring home....

Love french urns and antlers...all colors, shapes, and sizes....

This old french Mannequin is killing me...it would look so cute in my daughter's room. She has already hinted around about it. Her design style is starting early.

This iron table is probably the cutest iron table of all time...Perfectly rusty and swirly....... LOVE IT!!!

Happy New Years from Urban Farmhouse!

Well we have been inspired to finally sit down and start writing this blog after months of consideration. Were not great writers but we can tell stories...Stories of flea market excursions that brought us two crazy chihuhua mixes instead of furniture, road trip furniture finds and having the 2 inch deep dirt blown off us by a leaf blower, digging through abondoned barns in a white minidress with rotting dog carcases, and so much more! After reading The Pioneer Woman's blog...and loving her total honesty with everyday life...we actually decided that we could do this !  So here's to a Happy New Year and hopefully very entertaining blogs from the Farmhouse Girls!!!