Little ol’ me…
Oh Heavens… where to begin?? Because girl, I’m crazy! So if you’re along for the ride, buckle up buttercup!! Hahahah! But for real, I’m so glad you’re here and so grateful! I hope when you’re here you are inspired, you find joy (SO MUCH JOY) and you feel encouraged to try new things! With this new blog venture comes all the insecurities of “Why would people care to read what I have to say” or “Who would want to follow along” But here we are, navigating it together… thanks for being here friend!
Who am I anyway?
Hi, I’m Stacey!! I am married to my high school sweetheart, Derick and we kind of “live in Pleasantville” as someone once told me. That’s how they described my marriage, hey, I’ll take it; I think it’s pretty perfect too! We have 3 beautiful babies and live outside of our small hometown. For the last 9 years I have worked in my in-home salon while also being a stay-at-home mommy! it has been a beautiful almost decade of motherhood but somewhere over the last couple of years I’ve started to find (or create) a new sense of self. Route 51 Farmhouse Market was a vision I had during covid shutdown that has turned into something really beautiful! It’s a small town vendor market that started during what was maybe the worst year EVER!!
How it all began…
I started doing junk repurposing before I became a momma with my mom and aunt who had started crafting and getting into doing vendor shows. We had a Facebook page and did a couple shows a year and had a consistent booth at a little shop in a local town. At 25 I finally decided what I wanted to be when I grew up and spent the next year in Cosmetology school. Fast forward a little and I graduated cosmetology school and working weddings became my specialty, which meant working Saturdays and I couldn’t do vendor shows with my fam. I started bringing babies into the world and the junking hobby faded even more.
My mom Mo, me and my Aunt Amy at one of our first vendor shows. Right before the show started a massive storm came through…… hilariously terrible moment that we laugh about a lot to this day!
The Idea…
Early in 2020 I felt a weird push of wanting to do more, I didn’t know what that “more” was so I started praying while driving down the road in my minivan for God to broaden my mission field. I was crying and just talking to God and pleading for him to “broaden my mission field” I don’t know where it came from but that was the phrase I kept saying. I didn’t know what that would look like or what to expect but that was my prayer. When the pandemic hit and my salon was closed I had an epiphany that I missed having a hobby and I missed junking! I hadn’t done anything with my creative side in I didn’t know how long. I had been a stay at home mom with a salon in my home for the last 8 years and was perfectly happy there. One day it just hit me, “I WANT A STORE!!!!" I want a store where I can feature other creatives and crafters!” I knew exactly where I wanted my store to be, so I made some calls and got the ball rolling. I worked with a small business developer to get me going the right way, I talked to old friends from the junkin’ world to see if they’d want to put their treasures in my store, etc. THE BALL WAS ROLLING!!! A few weeks into this journey I was folding laundry and realized a store wasn’t the plan (why God talks to you when you are doing the mundane, I will never know) and started sobbing…nope… this isn’t it! My hubby walked in and was shocked at my ridiculousness. “I can’t do it!!” I sobbed! “Can’t do what?” he asked. I told him I still wanted to be a stay at home mommy for our littlest who isn’t in school yet… I wanted to be the same mom for him as I was for our girls. I realized I’d been my own boss for way too long and the thought of being tied down to store hours sounded terrible!!! “Well, there goes that!” I thought.
The Barn…
Here she is, in all her glory, before the rock and driveways were added.
I don’t remember when the lightbulb moment about the barn happened but at some point, I looked at Derick with the face I make when I have an idea and he immediately knew he was in for some major work! Hahahaah!! (Good thing he loves me so beautifully) The BARN, it would all take place in the big, beautiful barn!! It had a dirt floor and no electricity (and no bathroom) so the work began FAST with only about a month to get it all done before my first little market. We are blessed with family and two handy dads to help get it all done!
Once you get to know me you’ll figure out, if the man overalls come out, I’m planning to get to work and get dirty!!
Setting up the night before our first market! Some of these vendors I had never even met, but they quickly became dear friends!
Before I knew it I’d planned my first event and had a dozen or so vendors. I can never thank those first vendors enough for trusting me and seeing my vision. It was November of 2020, there hadn’t been any event or market of any kind all year and I wasn’t afraid to gather…so we did!!
I never get tired of seeing the barn fill up. I adore welcoming new vendors and those that are here with us every single time!
Here we are in 2023, I’ve successfully hosted 13 events in the barn! We’ve added and grown, we built a new pole barn (since I stole the big one) where we have a workshop and nice bathroom!! We’ve welcomed 100s of vendors and thousands of shoppers and I feel like we’re just getting started!! Where are we headed? Heck, I don’t know but I promise to always bring you along!!
