My dad is a Jack-of-all-trades, and like him, I am restless without a project. Because we share this need to create, I wanted to create something with him, to learn from him, to craft an heirloom that would forever remind me of him and his talents.

So when Amazon Prime Day hit, I bought a mattress. 

I didn't buy a queen to replace our old mattress. I upgraded to a king.

That left us without a bed.

I'd been dreaming of giant tufted headboards since the hotel we stayed in on our honeymoon, but they just weren't in the budget. (They can easily break four figures.)

But I did have a trailer full of salvaged lumber, a sheet of pegboard, a fistful of coupons to Joann Fabrics, a ton of ambition, and a sweet, patient dad.

So I decided to make my own bed.

We did it in two parts: the headboard (the giant tufted masterpiece of my dreams) and the frame. Here's how we did it:

So, what's a French cleat? Click here to learn more. They are great! (My dad made mine for me.)

Thanks, Dad, for all your help. This literally would not have been possible without you. I learned so much and I'm so happy with the way it turned out. Thank you for working for the low, low price of love, hugs, and chocolate chip cookies. I love you, and this is an experience I'll never forget.

I found a permanent home for my treasures! Because shipping furniture and mirrors is tough, I've decided to close my Etsy shop. But don't worry! You can still shop Pearls & Ferns at: 

Antiques of the Midwest, LLC
57534 110th St.
Wells, Minnesota 56097

 It's a beautiful antique shop! Check it out!

Come see me in Blue Earth at the Faribault County Fair!

I'm packing up my treasures and heading out on the road! 

Come shop with me at the Faribault County Fair's Flea JUNKtion in Blue Earth, Minnesota on Friday, July 28 and Saturday, July 29!

This is my first vendor event, and I'm so excited about it! I'll be there with my sister Jill, who will be selling Agnes & Dora clothing. Come see us – make your home and your closet beautiful at the same time!

 It'll be so much fun! Can't wait to see you all there!

Here's a sneak peek of this refinished beauty.  The finished product is in my Etsy shop!

It was not until I could not leave my home that I realized how much beauty matters.​

Epilepsy stole my independence for nearly three years. I lost my driver’s license due to uncontrollable seizures. I was stuck. My home became my prison. 
Since I could rarely leave (the nearest gas station was five miles away and my doctor had forbidden me from riding a bike), I focused on turning my home into a sanctuary. 
Friends and family came to my rescue and tolerated my requests to stop at thrift stores, craft shows, boutiques, antique shops, and estate sales. My husband even indulged me by letting me stop along the highway if a piece of furniture happened to be abandoned there.

I hunted for inspiration everywhere. And I found it.

​I now love my home.

I have transformed it into a sanctuary. I have filled it with things that I love: old books, mirrors, candlesticks, and tufted furniture. I have inherited collections of dishes and figurines, and I Have made a place for them.
My home sings the song of my family, of our history. I hear my great grandmother sing “Turkey in the Straw” when I open her jewelry box. I can smell my grandpa in his old pipe. And the elephant figurines I inherited from my Grandma Fern sit out on display where they remind me daily to keep my head up. (Elephants with their trunks up were lucky, Grandma said.)

I found a way to honor my family’s history through the beauty of my home, incorporating old with new, familiar with strange. I threw in dashes of bright color and a few rescued furniture pieces, and the result is a symphony of sights.

I want to help others achieve that feeling, to bring joy and peace through beautiful spaces filled with light and energy and meaning.