heritage beam & board barn sale

today was a "me" day. i don't get too many of those, so i took full advantage. ryan took the day off work, took charge of the kids, and i ran flying out the door.

my destination was a flea market-style barn sale up in elkhorn wisconsin, (near adorable lake geneva), hosted by heritage beam and board. the company salvages barn wood from area barns being demo'd and repurposes it into handmade furniture and decor (you know, like, those amazing barn wood ceilings that you and i both want)?

the business is co-owned by two best friends, adam krauklis and seth hanson, and their wives emily and andrina. they host these semi-annual barn sales at seth and andrina's home in their barn, which serves as the heritage workshop and headquarters. i had heard that these sales are a team (and family!) labor of love, so i was excited to finally get to one first hand. i was also excited to meet event stylists michelle and gretchen stibolt, whose work i've heard great things about.

begin long drive to wisconsin in car with no air conditioning. actually, i'm not complaining. the breeze was beautiful and the scenery was even more beautiful. on a day like this, it is so fun and relaxing to drive in the midwest.

as i pulled up to the blessedly-middle-of-nowhere barn headquarters of heritage beam & board, this is the scene that greeted me (along with two adorable and super friendly dogs):

their darling sign was out front and the barn was draped with B-A-R-N S-A-L-E. i love it when people reassure me immediately that i am in the right place.

now, i unfortunately didn't have any friends who wanted to ditch work or kids to come shopping with me (i know, what is wrong with people!?) so let's you and i grab a venti from starbucks (wait, we had to do that a long time ago as we're already off the grid, so let's pretend we did), and do the sale together, shall we? forgive me in advance for all the freaking out i'm about to do.

i'm so giddy to go in, but we have to poke around outside this adorable farm first, don't you think?

this chicken clearly wants us to stop poking and just go shop. we should obey the chicken. we are entering the barn.

a peek at one of the rooms...oooh there is so much good stuff around that corner! and look at this cute gallery wall:

 gasp! lindsay letters prints are here!

cool, i am guessing those were horses. sip coffee. admire myriad of treasures on main floor of barn.

look at the ceilings!

this barn is amazing. let's wander off and investigate their workshop. then don't let me forget to go back and grab a red vintage clock i just saw.

oh man, i am drooling over this little chest full of, well, whatever it is that they use to build furniture. too bad this isn't for sale...

urrrgggh!!! their stock piles of barn wood. i need this for my bedroom ceiling. quick, i'll distract them while you start putting it in the car.

oh, i forgot, we brought that tiny air-condition-less jetta. dang! i guess i'll keep saving my pennies in a jar. i'm also officially adding this beauty to my wish list:

for a huge, heavy, handmade custom coffee table like this, that is a great price. seriously, it's huge. let's go upstairs.

i can't get over this barn. i think i overheard they're going to start booking weddings here. i love the dried flowers they put in the window.

these vintage signs coming up the stairs are so cute, and somehow, it's not the least bit hot! that's a nice surprise on an 86-degree day, isn't it?

oh man, that travel poster is incredible. [sale stylist michelle stibolt, who, along with her daughter gretchen styled this whole ridiculously amazing event, stops to tell us that all the travel posters are bonefide vintage and were salvaged from emily's grandma's house. whoa.]

oh wow, look how michelle and gretchen decorated the ceiling. what are those, tablecloths? doilies?

oh my goodness, look at this. we have just hit the lindsay letters motherload. i heard they're carrying her stuff in hobby lobby now.

dude! the lady at the cash register is buying my red vintage clock! i lose my focus for a minute wandering the workshop and this is what happens. i'm grabbing one of these gold foil prints now before someone snatches them up too.

sip coffee. i want everything.

all these cute dresses are from ever +mi crush. i'm definitely going to have to look them up when i get home.

{update, i just did, and you can see these dress styles here and here - insert love-struck-eyes-emoji!}

great fan. i have one like this from my grandma's house that is mint green and still works perfectly. i'm waiting until my kids are passed the age where they'll stick their fingers through the fist-sized openings to break it out again.

[now we run into adam krauklis, one of the co-owners, who talks to us a bit about the furniture they make. most of the pieces have a photo laying on top of the barn where the wood came from that was used to build them. you can tell right away that he's passionate about the story and history behind each one.]

this coffee table is calling to me again. i'm surprised by how soft and smooth the wood is on top. 

[michelle offers to give us a sneak peek at a room they're finishing and will have open for tomorrow. um, yes please.]

look at all of their delicate handmade decorations. michelle and gretchen have a robust event styling business, including weddings, called "off the beaten path." they are truly aptly named. all of their business is through referrals and word of mouth...they don't even have a website or business cards. but if you're interested in them, i know a girl who knows a girl...i can hook you up.

vintage wrapping paper. sigh. love it. back out in the barn loft, there's still more to see of the main event:

well, i think it's time to say goodbye before i get into serious trouble. 

here's emily, adam's wife, (cutest ever) at her little cash register. she rings me up for my lindsay's print and a piece of botanical art that was salvaged from adam's grandma's house. adam, it's definitely going to a good home. 

on the way out, we're enticed by one more purchase. who can say no to this cute kid? [we are good and buy water, even though we want to buy fanta and potato chips.]

aaannd now they're setting up a farm stand and flower market! we've really got to go.

we made it back to the jetta, and i escaped having only spent $22. that was about the greatest exercise of will power i have ever exhibited. [you really went bananas though. i mean, it's embarrassing how much you bought. you're going to have to rent a u-haul for all that stuff.]

thanks for being my shopping buddy. that was fun. and thanks emily, adam, andrina, seth, michelle & gretchen and the heritage beam & board family for having us!

oh, p.s., the sale is going on for two more days...saturday june 28 and sunday june 29, 2014, so to all my local friends: get there! keep track of heritage on facebook and instagram too and we'll do the next one together. in real life.