an exciting season to come...

UPCOMING EVENTS

Vicar Antiques and Garden

192 Castle Shannon Boulevard
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15228
Saturday, September 1st: 8am – 1pm

Phipps Conservatory

1 Schenley Drive
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213
Friday, September 7th : 1pm – 7pm
Saturday, September 8th : 10am – 7pm
Sunday, Septmber 9th: 10am – 5pm

home rennovations - part 1 of 1, 598, 428

our home

foyer - during

second bedroom - before

second bedroom -during

family room - during

master bedroom - after

master bedroom - during

family room -after

  

Tools required:

• crow bar & rubber mallet
• 4 day rental of power sander and edger
• scrapers for the tar on the floor
• beer & tylenol

This is by far the most exciting and rewarding project I have ever tackled.  After 6 years of architecture school and 4 years of working as an architectural designer its funny what fear and physical and emotional pain a house renovation can induce.  Our next project is to build built in bookshelves on both sides of the fireplace in the family room... Wish us luck!

Moving Forward

Phipps Conservatory May Market

I'm happily recovering from the past two weekends. 

This last show was amazing and it was by far our most profitable.  Thank god Mark was able to join on Saturday to help out.  Set up for this show was on Thursday and Friday it was open from 9am - 7pm!  So, on Saturday I hit a wall around 2pm and just had to sit in the car for an hour.  Its all worth it though...

• During the show before this one (Vicar Antiques and Garden) I met a woman that I might share a retail space with... Amazing.  Our business ideas put together in a cool space and in a good location will be perfect.  We are going to met up this week to discuss this possibility.  (which reminds me... i should call her)
• At this show I met a man who works at a local aquarium that offered all the seashells they have for my products (they have been throwing them away).  This is going to be a great source... We were running out of shells and were about to have to go to the ocean for more :)
• We are also starting to work with some amazing vendors. 

The Buttercup & Thistle soap
http://www.etsy.com/shop/BUTTERCUPandTHISTLE

http://www.etsy.com/shop/MySalvation

My Salvation - Quote from Dana... "I am in awe of the beauty of mother nature and fascinated with discarded treasures and vintage finds. I combine taxidermy, unusual, salvaged and sometimes mis-matched items to create modern tribal, southwestern , religious inspired, and ooak looks. I am very spiritual and enjoy reading about fairies, lore, myths, gods, goddesses and the occult. I find inspiration everywhere."       

upcoming events

This spring spruce up your home and garden with something unique...
Join us at our

UPCOMING EVENTS

Vicar Home and Garden's Fleatique Bonanza
http://lebomag.com/3335/vicar-home-garden-sponsors-outdoor-market/
rescheduled to this
Saturday, May 5th from 9am – 2pm
192/194 Castle Shannon Blvd., Mt. Lebanon
Corner of Castle Shannon Blvd. & Shady Drive


Phipps Conservatory - May Market
http://phipps.conservatory.org/exhibits-and-events/events-calendar.aspx
Friday, May 11 and Saturday, 12, 2012
Fri., 9:30 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sat., 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.  

featuring our NEW PRODUCTS

• pet beds made from vintage crates and contemporary fabrics
• shipping palette coffee tables
• gorgeous planters
• framed botanical prints
• and even more vintage finds!!!

Feeling Good

We just had a very successful show, bought a house and the weather is great... Good day

 

shows

trax farm flea market

shows for this spring and summer

We are signing up and scheduling our shows for this spring and summer. The funny thing is is that I actually very much dislike participating in shows. Its so stressful to get everything together, packed in the car, and then unpacked and set up at your table or booth. Then you have to sit there smiling for about 6 hours. It mades me feel like a carni plus its exhausting, both emotionally and physically.

However, it is all for the end goal of having our own store front... also it feels great to hear all the positive feedback from the customers!

So, the shows we are looking to participating in thus far are:

• I Made It! Market - Chili with the Works - April 14th, SouthSide Works
• Phipps Conservatory Flower Show - May 12th and 13th - Phipps Conservatory
  
• I Made It! Market - SouthSide Works Exposed - July 13th-15th, SouthSide Works
• WE NEED to sign up for MUCH MUCH MORE...
  

first post

hi.

i'm kate. my husband, mark, and i are starting a business named road to the lake house. so we wanted to start a blog about our company, the process of starting a business... with all its manic ups and downs.

to let you know more about us and our business...

us:

mark and i met while getting our masters in architecture from miami of ohio. after 5 years and 5 cities we decided to adopt 2 cats and to live in pittsburgh. for us its perfect. we are close to the mountains for hiking, campfires and general exploration. its not too far away from my family's lake house (which our store is named after) pittsburgh also has an amazing art and young entrepreneurial scene.

after the ups and downs of the architecture world the last 4 years mark decided to pursue a career in construction while i build the foundation for our company.

the store:

road to the lake house is an urban chic home and garden lifestyle product brand that focuses on eco friendly and embody reuse, social responsibility and organic growth.

road to the lake house combines an urban hipster boutique and a traditional home and garden store. The focus on reuse, local products and sustainable development while creating beautiful home decor.

right now in our 10 year plan we are building momentum by selling our products at local indie fairs and through local stores... while we build up capital and look for the perfect store front!