The Queen, The Queen, The Queen!!

Have you ever been emotional right before putting on a show or even going to a show to shop?? This was not our show, but The Boys of BH had that same rush of excitement knowing what this opening had to mean to Cindy. I am known in The BH Family as a bit of a cry-baby...always trying to hold back some tears right before our shows. I had a similar moment before Cindy opened her doors for the first time...
It was beautiful and magical and inspiring and FUN...Tartalicious Cindy has sooooo much talent. She is an incredible artist, designer, seamstress, wedding planner, mom and friend. Did you know she can ALSO sing, dance and play the violin?? We didn't know either, but found out at the "QoT After-Party & Recital." ;o) I can't share all the pictures. I have been waiting all day for Cindy to spill her own beans. We know she is recovering from being up all week pulling off such a special event. But we have to thank Sylvi, Natalie, Katherine AND Katherine's sister Carrie who thought she was coming from Tacoma just to shop but ended up working her tail off. Katherine not only worked all day, but was up the night before making a million of the most delicious cupcakes and Tarte Art for our customers...
We were VERY honored to be the first featured guest at Tarte!! Here are some photos of our little area...


We would like to thank all of our friends that came out to support, hug and smile upon us yesterday!
And guess what, we will be back as the featured guest for Cindy's second event on March 21st!! Hope you can join us...

J & J

Oh...we will certainly will have more pictures and funny show stories to share soon.

Tarte Opening - Tiny Preview...

Just a little vignette teaser...please visit The Queen of Tarte's blog for all the details, directions and more pix...
Joe has been down in Oregon City all week helping Cindy and getting the BH space pulled together. I originally was VERY suspicious and thought they have been down there laughing, lolly-gagging, shopping, lunching and reading their favorite magazines (what they usually do when they are together). BUT, Joe has been coming home everyday looking like $%*#...and completely exhausted. I can only imagine what Cindy has been looking like when she got home. (Barry, give me a ringy-dingy to discuss the details and pictures you sent me)



We can't share all the goodies...we will have to leave that to Miss Tarte's discretion. The Boys of BH hope you can join us to celebrate Tarte's Grand Opening on Saturday! If you can't make it, we are sure to have some great pix and really good stories to share after The Party. ;o)

Joe and Jermonne
Barn House

Tarte Grand Opening - Oregon City!

We hope you have already heard the good news, but in case you haven't, Cindy (Tarte) is having her Grand Opening next weekend! AND, Barn House is going to be her very first featured guest!! Cindy has rented a really cool old barn in Oregon City on a beautiful property with llamas, horses and even a cow. We are SOOOO excited, and we just can't hide it...we're about to lose control and we think we like it!! We don't have many pictures yet b/c of some technical difficulties recently with our camera/computer. The chairs above are a very special BH Winter creation. Joe has been hunting shiny-black-long-hair-beavers and I have been perfecting my wood-carving/chair making skills. It's amazing what a couple of hillbillies can accomplish during a NW Winter. We plan on sharing more from our HUGE space at Tarte this week now that our camera is back on track. I would really like to make an announcement...a "declaration" if you will. Cindy's "shopping problem" is waaaaaaaaaaaaay bigger than Joe's. I can't imagine how one person could possible collect soooo much great stuff. If ANYone we know really needs an intervention, it's The Queen of Tarte! Yeah, we said it! So let's all get together to help her let go of the treasures she's been hoarding all for herself.

The party is in Oregon City next weekend...we hope you can join us!!!

J & J
Barn House

BH - Back In Business!

Well, well, well...what a weekend! The Palmer Wirfs Antique & Collectible Show this past weekend ended up being...VERY "interesting." It wasn't a full moon to my knowledge, but something a bit "unusual" was definitely in the air, to say the least. Don't get me wrong. We had a total blast and let me tell you why...
First of all, we absolutely LOVE having company!! Cindy (Tarte), Joy (Auntie Joy) and Joy's sister Terri all did the show and stayed with us. Another reason is because we have really missed seeing y'all!! It's been three months since our last show and it was great to be out there hugging our old friends and meeting LOTS of new ones.
The "unusual" stuff started on Friday night. After a very long day of setting up, Joe and Cindy got back to The Silver Bullet (the BH treasure hauling monster machine) only to find the battery was dead. They thought, "No Problem! We have jumper cables...someone will surely help us out." Uh, maybe not. Several folks walked quickly by...breaking their necks to avoid eye contact with the stranded ones. Joe asked security for help...and Cindy even called the event organizers. Surely help was on the way. Ummm, maybe not. This is probably due to a little bad Karma for all the times we have almost broken our own necks trying to avoid the lady ringing that bell outside of Target. Lesson learned!!! Fortunately, Joy & Terri sacrificed a little set-up time and came to the rescue. Thanks Sweetie Pies!!
I got a good chuckle on Friday night imagining them both standing out in that dark and cold parking lot trying to "attract" a little bit of help. I would later choke on this chuckle. Next Scene: Saturday morning. I had not seen the spaces that Joe and Cindy had beautifully decorated and, as usual, I am totally impressed by what they have been able to pull off in such a short time. My adrenaline starts going crazing...I am thinking of the mad rush we experienced at our shows the minute we would open the barn doors. IT'S 9:00 AM...The doors are about to open...I start to panic..."WHERE'S MY CALCULATOR AND INVOICE BOOK?????" Joe and Cindy just looked at me like I had lost my simple mind. And at this point, I have a strange feeling I am going to be the butt of some jokes at The After Party.
Some shows are fast and furious...and others have somewhat of a different pace. Thirty minutes after the doors open, I really started to panic! "OMG, what if we don't make our rent!!! What if we don't sell ANYthing!!! $@%^&@&*^%!!!!!" Joe just rolls his eyes and looks at me like I am a lunatic. After a while, I decide I need to take a little walk to calm my nerves. This is when things start getting REALLY odd. As I am walking around, a lovely lady (who had been at our booth earlier) stops me dead in my tracks. Her sentence starts with, "You wouldn't have me arrested for sexual harassment if I told you...." Needless to say, this moment was quite awkward and a bit inappropriate. Lifting my sulking head and with a twinkle in my eye, I quickly replied something very witty (at least I thought it was at the time). And all I could think was, "We may not make our rent, but this is going to be a FUN sale!! HEE HAW!!" ;o)
What made it even more colorful was Joy, Terri, Cindy and Joe all had strangely similar experiences that day. Some moments were more inappropriate than others. Our individual reactions to these experiences were priceless. We came home, shared our crazy stories from the day and laughed until we cried. AND overall, the sales ended up being pretty darn good too!
Thanks Cindy, Joy and Terri for coming and staying with us for a spell. Thanks to those of you who stopped by to see us...hopefully you went home with some special items you couldn't live without. AND a very special thanks to the few people that we could probably sue for sexual harassment!!!! ;o)

J & J
Barn House

Barn House at Palmer Wirfs - This Weekend!

It's time to get the hell out of this house!! I mean it's really, REALLY time to get the hell out of this house! Sooo, we are on our way to shake a little shimmy at the Palmer Wirfs Antique & Collectible Show at the Clark County WA Fairgrounds Exhibit Hall. Join us THIS Saturday (9am-6pm) and Sunday (10am-5pm).
One of the good things about "Snowzilla" was Joe being stuck inside finishing projects. And outside of all the spilled paint on our living room hardwood floor, it was a very creative and productive time. These are just a few sneak peeks of what we will be selling at the show.
Joe is even venturing into the world of upholstery/slipcovers! The BH pillow is NFS (it's a very special gift from Sweet Isabel) and is already part of the BH Home Collection. :o)

We have a lots of great things that we will be bringing to the show! AND, we will be in the great company of Tarte and Auntie Joy who will also be selling there this weekend. You won't have a hard time finding us...we will be the loud folks carrying on like we don't have any sense!

For details, check out the Palmer Wirfs website. Hope to see you this weekend!

J & J

Falling Off the Face of the Earth...

Some folks may be wondering what the heck happened to The Boys of BH...well, we have been caught up in a bit of lolly-gagging since our last post. Somehow FIVE weeks have passed and there is a lot to catch you up on. Let's start with Thanksgiving...
We spent the Thanksgiving weekend at what has come to be our "other home" down in Salem with Cindy, Barry and Kylee (House of Tarte). Their home is so warm and inspirational...and is one of the only places Joe will actually kick back and relax like he is actually at home on The BH Farm. It was also the first time in many, many years that WE have NOT hosted T-Day and been stressed completely with all of the responsibilities with slaving over the stove and cooking for our friends and family. HEE HAW!! We had limited tasks...I made a pomegranate glazed ham, Joe made a delicious cranberry bunt cake, cornbread dressing, his "famous" mashed potatoes...and WE kicked back and watched the rest of the team scramble around with all the hard stuff (hahahahahahaha)!! It was all fun and laughs until Barry jumped across the table and grabbed me and Joe by the collars and told us how he hated being called "The King of Tarte!" Slow down Cowboy...
There is absolutely toooo much beautiful Ironstone on this table to destroy because of a term of endearment! After we finally calmed Barry down by deciding to let him "pick" his own name (still tbd)...there was even more "family stuff." A divide between "The Magazine People" (Cindy and Joe) and "The TV People" (Barry, Kylee and Jermonne). The magazine people literally stocked-piled magazines/books around them and to only speak in "magazine/book 'creative director' code language," exiling the rest of us to the living room to watch TV. Don't you LOVE the holidays!!!?? Since I don't have a dog (did I mention I don't have a dog?), there was not much for me to do but to feed left-over turkey to Jake (aka "Dog of Tarte," unless he decides to bite me next time we visit for calling him that) and watch TV...AND CRY, because The Magazine People were ignoring the rest of us AND I don't have a beautiful dog like Jakey-Poo (Joe forbids it). Poor Me!
So after "The Tarte Family" finally kicked us out of their lovely home...Joe and I had no choice but to go to Hawaii!!! HEE HAW, HEE HAW!!! (more lolly-gagging)
We spent eight luxurious days on The Big Island of Hawaii, bathing in the sun, drinking Big Island Tea (along with many, many, MANY other tropical concoctions), AND getting kicked out of several posh restaurants and bars at the resort - Barn House Style! Joe's inappropriate attire even got us kicked off a couple of beaches. "Really, I didn't know my white speedo would be see-through when it got wet!" Like my mama says, "That's how we roll!" ;o)
This resort was absolutely AMAZING! There were boats and even a train that took you from one section to another. The indigenous art everywhere was unbelievable. The weather was perfect! Joe often said he was never leaving...but I assured him that was not an option...
So THEN...we came back to "ARCTIC BLAST" or "SNOWZILLA" as the media likes to call it...
The stage is set, and in walks "Joey Drama!" If you could only see the theatrics of this character. He should really win an Oscar for his performance this week!! Imagine, twenty degrees and two feet of snow...not being able to leave the house (to shop)..."Who LIVES like this??!!" with tears in his eyes, pulling his heart out of his chest and throwing it against the wall...
After being in Hawaii for over a week, apparently he came back in total shock. He certainly has given a performance of a lifetime (which is quite an accomplishment after considering the performances of our two previous NW winters). BUT, NOT ME! The roads have been so bad I have had to work from home for a week. :o) I am even sitting on my porch right now in 20 layers of clothes writing this blog...as happy as a lark (and very closely resembling the Michelin Man)!!!! HEE HEE HEE HAW HAW HAW!!!
Happy Holidays!!!

Icy Joe and Eskimo Jermonne
The Boys of Barn House

The End of Our First Season...

Well y'all...our Season Finale was more than we could have imagined!! Our goal was to create something mystical, magical and very different from any of our previous shows. We also wanted to celebrate the first year of Barn House AND celebrate with all of the wonderful people who we have met and who have supported us in this crazy journey. To say the least, it quite a party!!
We stayed up most of the night cooking in preparation. Then there was getting up extra early for "hair/make-up/costumes" and putting the final touches on everything. Of course, there is NEVER enough time...even if you go to bed at 2am and wake up at 4am.
SOOO, you know there were a few things that still needed to get done and we were rushing around like lunatics in the morning. I had forgotten that we ran out of paper for Miss Honey-Money (our credit card machine) at the previous show. So the night before the show, Natalie volunteered to stop and get some for us. BUT, who would have thought she wouldn't want to have paper loaded in her RIGHT BEFORE THE EVENT???? Yes, Drama!! So 15 minutes before we opened I was on the phone with customer service trying to get her to cooperate. Because this is not her first "stunt," I have another name for her that I can't really share at this time.
Earlier that morning, Barry (aka, King of Tarte) was rushing to the store get all the other stuff we forgot...Cindy was STILL trying to glue on her black-feathered-fierce eyelashes...Joe was running in circles with eye-liner in one hand while trying on different outfits with the other...our FIVE friends from New Mexico were upstairs fighting over the last little bit of remaining hot water. I, having only a couple of hours of sleep, thought it was a good idea to start preparing the mimosas. The only problem was the champagne was still at the house...so I (sleep-deprived) thought it was easier to load 6 magnums of champagne in the passenger side of the pick-up and drive to The Barn, but "accidentally" slammed on the brakes causing one of the bottles to roll off the seat onto the floor (where I had some of the other bottles) -- Yes, a champagne EXPLOSION was upon me!!!! Just in case you were wondering why my Gothic make-up was a little smeared, this is why...
Speaking of mimosas...we didn't realize some people wouldn't read the big old sign next to the dispenser. We will admit, orange juice + champagne does look like just plain old orange juice in a beautiful glass apothecary-style dispenser--especially if you didn't read the sign (or have never heard of a mimosa). One young woman guzzled down about two or three cups before realizing she felt a little funny. "OMG, does this have alcohol in it???? I have never drank...it's against my religion!!!" OOOPS!!! Leave it to The Boys of Barn House and Queen of Tarte to corrupt the innocent with our shenanigans. Fortunately, she eventually found a lot of humor in the situation and signed a waiver not to sue us.
From the bottoms of our hearts, we thank all of you who have come out to Barn House to support us!! Your participation had made these past several months absolutely amazing!! Merci Beaucoup!!!
So now we need to apologize for being a bit M.I.A the past few weeks. After the show ended and our close friends headed back to New Mexico, we have had a bit of "Post-Season Depression." We haven't replied to your comments, and barely have been replying to calls and e-mails. Before the show, one of our goats (Nettie) got really sick. She ended up not making it and died a few days after the show which was really hard on us both. Needless to say, the last show of 2008 has been a little bitter-sweet. We thought we would be happy to have a break from the hectic pace. Now, we miss it all. I think I even miss all those creepy dolls and doll heads that lurked in the corners...We are really going to miss snatching up strangers and hugging them just for being here! And seeing and hugging all of our friends every month. Yes, we have been a little off-track. But slowly, the inspiration has been coming back. Joe and Cindy headed out last weekend with a trailer full of treasures for "The Magic of Mistletoe" show that The Waltzing Witches (Terri, Kat and Robyn) put together. Their wonderful show full of amazing artists/vendors and an incredible turnout of customers!
Joe and Cindy were embraced by Terri, Kat and Robyn and had an absolute blast!!!
I couldn't make it to the show unfortunately, but from everything they told me, the show was great! And not to be one to miss a party, I am REALLY upset I couldn't go.
In the midst of our post-season depression, we had lost a bit of direction. Our "voice" was gone. We hadn't been visiting blogland because I was dreading having to post anything new. THEN, our close friends and mentors Linda and Ludmil of Willow Nest introduce Willow Nest Farm...their new Home, Store and Bed & Breakfast in Burton, TX. AND, they step onto the scene with an amazing new hybrid of a blog/website!!! If you haven't seen it, be sure to check it out. Ma & Pa Willow are doing BIG things out there in Texas!! Something they said about us on their site snapped us out of our funk. Yes, inspiration is upon us! HEE HAW!!!

What's next for Barn House?? Well, we have the 2009 calendar set. In the interim, Joe is working on "Studio BH" or "The BH Studio" or "Basement BH" -- haven't quite figured out the name, BUT it will be our Winter/Spring basement staging for our on-line store that will include special BH treasures and creations. AND we may even have some special events at our house for our best customers!! More to come...

Joe & Jermonne

Taking Barn House On The Road!

Just when you thought we were out of your hair...we are back!

This weekend Barn House & Queen of Tarte
will be guest vendors at The Magic of Mistletoe show in Chehalis, presented by The Waltzing Witches!!!

Event Location
Robyn's Nest Antiques
330 NW Pacific Ave
Chehalis, WA 98532
360-740-0221

Hours
Early Shopping ($5) November 7th 3pm-4pm
November 7th - 4pm to 8pm
November 8th - 10am to 3pm

J & J
Barn House

P.S. - Sorry we have been M.I.A. lately. We have lots to update you on, including "The Funnies" from the final event and what's next for BH. Thank you for all of the wonderful comments...we are finally getting our heads back above water and hope to update the blog very soon!! :o)