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Mixed just right.

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by the Artist

The Carpenter stopped back at the shop mid morning. There are days like yesterday where he leaves at 7:30 and doesn't reappear until 7:30 or later pm. So it was worth stopping what I was doing to make the most of this unexpected appearance.

I walked into the shop and asked what he was home for. He said.. "mix stain". I ran and got my phone to capture the moment (I'm always on the look out anything interesting to share).

I have never paid much attention to how he mixes stain. He's been doing it for 30+ years. He can match any existing stain or create a custom color. It's just instinct for him now. 

As I held my phone steady it hit me that he is really a stain "mixologist". A stain "bartender". He had those confident movements all the way down to the "shake". Pretty impressive. And as you will see he didn't waste a single bit of stain. Head to Facebook to see the January 18, 2017 video! https://www.facebook.com/ApplewoodINC/

So here's to our resident "stain master", "mixologist" and "bartender".

He'd be happy to mix up just the right color for you!

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Full.

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by the Artist

Another week is upon us. Every Sunday the Carpenter and I sit down after brunch and plan the crew's schedule. Well the Carpenter lays it out, I write and email. It's a practice I initiated after leaving my office job. All those Monday AM kick off the week meetings! Even though we don't sit in cubbies and work in different locations.. it's been a good thing. The crew knows the work load, goals and expectations for the week. It gives the Carpenter an opportunity to pause and gather his thoughts. Even though the plans always change as the week progresses.. at least we all start out on the same page. Or should I say.. the same side of a 2 X 4!

We have pretty much completed our Jay St Project which was a rather large interior remodel- bath, new floor warming system, heating system etc. It was the project of technical details.

The crew is bouncing between our Wacouta Condo Project and our Lecuyer Project. I'm particularly excited to see the finished Lecuyer Project (you can see this project photos by clicking here https://www.applewoodremodelers.com/in-progress/) because we are collaborating with Fluidesign Studio http://www.fluidesignstudio.com/on this kitchen remodel. 

I've been enjoying some side design projects. Just completed a dear friend's wedding decor. She and her husband were married at the Scandia GammelGarden http://www.gammelgardenmuseum.org/ in a historic vintage church by candlelight! It was so beautiful but very cold as the church did not have heat! I have a new appreciation for the early settlers of Minnesota!

I've also been continuing to sell our "Painted Apples" which has been surprisingly enjoyable as each piece goes home with someone who is excited to have it!

So we're off to a full 2017. Hopefully we will be too busy to notice the cold!

 

Egg bake and skating.

by the Artist

We had a whirlwind Christmas. Highs, lows, and in between. I'm sure like most people if you were to admit it. We decided to have a relaxing day today, build a fire in the wood stove, have brunch and open a few gifts from my family and friends from out east.

So much for plans! The Carpenter woke up to an email this morning that our fresh excavation for a garage addition had nicely filled up with water, following a day of unusual Christmas rain. And now it was turning into a skating rink. Albeit a skating rink you'd have to climb down a ladder to use.

I was busy preparing an "Egg Bake" for our relaxing day. (I have heard that egg bakes are a Minnesota deal.. and I'd never successfully made one... or a hot dish either! Not in this New Jersey girl's genes I guess). Anyway.. I know the Carpenter and I know he would not be able to enjoy my lovely egg bake (fingers crossed) knowing he had work to do. So I said.. "hey just go. We will eat when you get home." Along with... "do you have hip waders"... no he said. I have some rubber boots that go below my knees. I said... well what if the water is higher then your boots?. He said.. well then the water will go in my boots". sigh. (my sigh)

Off he drove with ladder and pump and I placed the raw egg bake in the frig.

And now I wait. And have time to share this story. And why am I sharing it other then because I have the time to... and I need to distract myself because I'm so hungry... is because this is the guy that would be in charge of your project. He's there. For whatever happens. Even the morning after Christmas on a now blustery cold winter day. In his short boots, with a pump and one ladder. Oh and also because we keep it real here.

Hurry home Mr Carpenter... the coffees hot and hopefully the egg bake is edible.

 

 

Snow and then some.

by the Artist

We've settled into winter here at Applewood. A fresh snow came over the weekend sprinkling 5" of white on the lawn and trees. The first snow is very pretty. And now we look like we are living in a snow globe and it feels all "Christmasy". That's nice for December! We can start looking forward to spring come January!

We are just wrapping up two inside projects. Have gotten a good start on the third and fourth. And the fifth project waiting to start will find our crew outside during the winter bitter. We've got good timing!

The Carpenter still has too big of a hat collection. :) And we continue to search for craftsman carpenters to add to our crew. I've been busy preparing for an annual insurance audit and working on my usual social media and design projects. 

We've also been busy interviewing for the "snack manager" position which has been open since last March. We have found a possible candidate and are anticipating meeting her in mid February if all goes according to plan!

We hope you are able to enjoy this busy season. I always say.. just take it one day at a time!

 

 

Greens anyone?

by the Artist

The Carpenter gave up his shop this past weekend for my sister-in-law's 10th Annual Holiday Greens Party. This is the second year it's been held in the shop. For eight years she held it in her home. That doesn't sound too bad. And it isn't if you don't mind evergreens of all sorts everywhere, ribbons, novelties, lots of debris and sap all over. I don't know how she managed. What a mess. But she loved doing it.

Now I'm helping. We take over the shop for one weekend. It's a ton of work but worth it in the end to see how much fun everyone has making their own arrangements. You get to be a florist, stretch your creative wings, have some laughs with friends, and head home with a custom arrangement you made... just in time for the holidays.

One of our current homeowners and her daughter came this year. I have helped her with design decisions and it was so nice that she came. She had a great time too.

Last week I walked into the shop when we were getting ready and I saw what the Carpenter had contributed to the party. He painted some festive art on two of our exterior work stations (old steel entry doors) that were propped up to hide shelves. What a guy. He never ceases to surprise me! He always supports whatever I take on.. even if it disrupts his work space. And that is how loyal he is to his customers. He's there for them. 

And he'd probably be happy to paint a Christmas scene on your door if you ask!

Click on photos to see larger!

Andrew

by the Artist

Today is a sad day here at Applewood. But a happy day for Andrew. Today is his last day. After spending the last couple years with us while he transitioned from college to career he has found a career position in Construction Management in Arizona.

Andrew will be missed. He always has a smile on his face and has a cheerful and helpful spirit. He took on whatever task was set before him with a great attitude.. no matter how messy or boring or tiring the task was. He spent these past two years learning the construction trade from the ground up. 

We wish you all the best Andrew as you begin this new chapter in your life. 

 

 

Click on photos to see larger.

Lofty goals.

by the Artist

Well here we are on the downside to the holidays. Are you ready? I'm not. I have really enjoyed our long fall this year. The Carpenter has too. But as usually happens projects have been inside since spring and now as we head towards cold and snow, the crew will be heading outside! Do you remember when we started the Modern Farmhouse Project http://www.applewoodremodelers.com/modern-farmhouse-by-the-lake/ in the dead of winter last year? Not only was it bitter cold but also bitterly windy as the crew faced the winds off the lake. Here we go again. Makes me want to curl up with a cup of coffee and a good book.

We continue to look for carpenters to add to our crew. One thing that has struck me... over the years we've heard comments... "you guys have high standards." I used to almost feel bad about that. Then I had this thought... not once has a homeowner complained that our work is too excellent for their home. Our standards are too high. Most of our homeowners are so pleased to find a company that strives for excellence. We don't only strive... we meet that goal. And we will continue to meet that goal. In this world of mediocrity and compromise we stand out. 

If you are a carpenter and value excellent workmanship please give us a shout. We would love to meet you! There aren't enough carpenters who really care about the details, about not hiding mistakes, about giving their best effort every single day, and who believe in the art of the craft.

We know you are out there... 

 

News & Blessing.

by the Artist

So much is happening these days at Applewood! So much we haven't been at liberty to share. All good things. We have been blessed with a bountiful fall of work. And as I like to say.. our basket is brimming with apples! Each project has been going well. And we continue to get busier and busier. We love working with our customers and helping them with the needs of their home. 

One of the news I can share.. we just hired a new crew member! He is going to start this Monday. That will make 5 strong! Will share more later about that. We are excited to be adding to our crew. And we will continue to look for more "craftsmen". Only the best for our excellent customers! We take longer to hire to find not just a carpenter... but a craftsman. Someone who will uphold our standards for building, customer service, and who catches the "vision" and believes in what we are doing. It takes longer to find the perfect fit but it is worth the extra time. 

On to another subject... recently I was at Target. I got in line to check out in a lane where the clerk was disabled. At first I was going to go to another lane.. then I thought.. what am I doing? Who cares if it takes longer. Well those of us who chose to stay in his lane were blessed. The clerk had a severe disability.. speech, motor skills etc. No other clerk was standing by him to help. He struggled to grab change out of the drawer and open a plastic bag. Even removing the plastic hanger on the clothing I bought was challenging. But he persevered. I looked around me at the other women in line with me. I could tell they were all touched by him and were rooting him on inside. You could just see it on their faces.

As I walked out of the store that day.. I thought bravo Target! They've gotten a lot of bad press lately. I was impressed that they took a chance on this guy and believed in him.. even if he couldn't check out the customers fast. I was humbled about my own life. My petty complaints. I thought about serving those around me. Not being afraid to try something I am afraid to do. And I thought about the privilege of having a strong body and how I take that for granted.

I wish we could hire someone with a disability. But that isn't realistic in our line of work. But maybe some day when we are much bigger a non physical position would be needed. Estimating, project management, who knows. 

In the meantime I won't forget the experience I had that day. And also to not take for granted the blessings in my life. Very appropriate for all of us this time of the year!

 

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Looking forward.

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by the Artist

It's about time to focus on this blog. Today I'm thinking about the amount of projects we've had going on since summer and what is going to be an even busier November and December. And in the "in between" times the Carpenter continues to look for new crew members. We only need a few good men. They are hard to find apparently. 

We are currently finishing up a lower level remodel including a bath, and a larger interior remodel including two bath remodels. The Carpenter continues to be available to both homeowners to answer their questions. Last night he arrived home at 7. I always say... if you sign on with Applewood.. you will get solid moral support during the duration of your project. And with that comes usually additional work that we do our best to accommodate within project deadlines.

I had another sale last weekend for my chalk painted furniture line "A Painted Apple" in our front driveway. Traffic and sales increased because I put ads for every single piece I was selling on Craig's List. Had good activity for a few days. But still need to contact area shops to see if they want any "painted apples!" The Carpenter gave up on this endeavor of mine (I didn't blame him it's been a hard road) but is back to support me. Last night he came home with an old school desk from the 1960's. I've got plans for that!

Sale day was beautiful. Leaves were softly falling (I didn't need to get the leaf blower out) and the sun shined warm. I met some great people and got some good tips. There are a lot of members in the chalk painting club! 

Oh and in the past couple of weeks we topped 100 Likes (officially 103) on our Facebook page! That is cause for celebration. I started the Applewood page summer of 2012! I'm thankful for each "Like". It takes a loyal hardy soul to follow a construction company! 

 

 

 

Last night of vacation for 2016

by the Carpenter

(this was written this past weekend as the Carpenter sat by a lovely fire. The lake was calm as glass, the air was perfectly still. The moon was full.)

Yep, it's October 15. The Artist and I are on the shore of our favorite lake in northwest Wisconsin. Sitting by the fire, watching the full moon lift above the east shore of the lake and above the tree line across the water. The lake is so calm, I’m tempted to “chunky dunk” (camp lingo for skinny dip). But I won't.

We arrived on Wednesday with the intention of having no agenda for five days. This was a re-do of our lost vacation in July due to a funeral and some medical issues that needed attention, so here we are.

Of course there is some guilty feeling I always have when leaving work. Don’t know why, it’s just there. Fortunately for me that feeling is not as strong as it used to be. There was a day when we had a vacation planned, I would add up the cost of lost time at work and the cost of the vacation and make a justification that it was not affordable. Not good decisions. I never took into account what not taking a vacation cost in terms of refueling, time to rest, sometimes time to heal, body and spirit. Looking back years ago, there would be stretches of time several years long we never got away.

Yes I would have a day off here and there, go hunt or fish for an afternoon, attend the annual fall Olson men's weekend and a few various other things that got me away on occasion. But not the two of us. It was bad for awhile, never getting away.

Things have changed though. It is now a priority. We will be taking two weeks next summer and a year from now again on this same beautiful lake. And if the weather is with us and the ice is off the lake we will try again for a long weekend in May.

Like I said, it’s the last night. My mind is back home thinking of bids, schedules, upcoming jobs etc (don’t tell the artist). I really hate the fact I start my week and I’m still at the lake. I am working on that.

Ok back to the fire, the moon, and the lake, I still have 36 hours before work starts. Oh and the Artist thinks she hears a bear!

PS

Well the bear turned out to be a bear of a beaver! He rambled out of the woods and slipped into the lake. We didn’t know he was that close until we saw him swim by the campsite and crawl back up on to the shore. The amazing thing wasn’t so much the beaver, but what seemed to be following old "rollie pollie." I thought it was a snake at first. It turned out to be a very large Muskie! We watched this water parade for about 30 minutes. There goes the beaver, here comes Mr Muskie. About four times this happened. The Muskie never seemed to get too close, maybe he was looking for Beaver Jr. However, one time during the drive by, we were standing on a dock trying to get a better view, and all of a sudden, SWISH! Ol' MuskaLunger was waiting in ambush mode directly under our feet. His tail hit the side of the dock and off he went. I’m pretty sure I heard him cuss us out as he swam away for giving up his hideout.