Preparation for The Hobbit House

The Hobbit House has been in the works for several years.  Once I caught the "picking" or "junking" bug I have been addicted ever since.  I still have so much to learn but I enjoy the hunt.  I also enjoy the history.

Some of my first "picking" scores.

                                    

So for several years now I have been collecting interesting and unique items.  Some for myself and personal collections, but most for a future shop's inventory.  Wasn't sure how I was going to get there but knew I would.  Finally the time has come for me to open a little shop and test out this new venture.  It is a tiny place located where my family and I have a stone yard business.
  ***Quick Recap*** My mother and I started Classic Rock Stone Yard in 2005 when I returned to Rockwall after graduating from Texas State.  Soon after my whole family started working here and we are all still here to this day!

Our family's stone yard

My youngest brother, Brody, has been preparing for the shop to open too.  While I have been junking he has been planting.  Specifically, he has been perfecting and growing all the plants we are using at The Hobbit House.

Some carnivorous plants which will be featured at  The Hobbit House.

A variety of plants which have been being tested to their limits.

He has tested many varieties of plants such as Venus flytraps, ivy, succulents, and so on for various projects such as self sustaining terrariums.  By testing the boundaries of what the plants can endure, he has created many successful terrariums which are self maintaining.  Months and months of gathering native mosses not to mention countless hours of rock hunting is about to pay off for him.  He has been gathering special rocks, plants, and also propagating the plants - for years.

Succulent garden Brody created at his house. He created this for future projects to be sold at The Hobbit House. 

                            

He has basically been building his own nursery specifically for The Hobbit House, and it is quite impressive. 

Brody's succulent garden.

                            

The short amount of time he does have  available is dedicated to his now massive and beautiful gardens. The time and energy he has poured into this - especially after working all day everyday at an extremely stressful and physical job - well, let's just say no one would ever be able to do what he has done...what he is doing.

Now that his plants are ready to go, and I have a massive variety of items to use as planters, we will now be able to step forward to the next phase and combine our efforts.  Several years of diligent planning and preparing are about to be put to the test.  Although we are not "officially" open and are unsure when that day will be, we do have items for sale now.  We both have a vision of how we want to present the shop - inside and out - when people come in to see it or possibly purchase something.  We have both purposely hid items and keeping them under wraps until our day finally comes.  Had it not been for the many hiccups this year has presented we may have already had our opening day but perhaps the delay has been for a reason we just do not know about yet!

These have been unopened for over 2 months now and are going strong!

                            

We are both busy with our jobs at the stone yard but we are more than ready to pursue something different but also similar.  The Hobbit House will hopefully provide a unique factor with items that would enhance the beauty of the customer's home (which is why the customer would already be in our stone yard).  

Brody has made several stone and succulent planters which are at the stone yard.  They have stood the test of time and look amazing 2 years later.  People always want to buy them but since they are his personal testers they haven't been for sale.

I found the dish, he found the rock, and together made a heart shaped succulent planter!

             

This week I gave him the first batch of planters so he could do his thang.  Not a big surprise, they turned out great!

River Rock from our stone yard converted into a planter.

           

Several others have contributed to The Hobbit House which has been amazing!  I will give them a shout out in my next blog post for all the outstanding and thoughtful parts they play and have played. 

Stone bench with succulents at Brody's house.  Brody combind his creativity with  Andres Vazquez who built the stone bench.

But at this moment, I want to express my gratitude to Brody.  He believes in me and my vision.  But without his creativity or artistic input...well...it just wouldn't be The Hobbit House.  I am so lucky to have a brother like him and I am looking forward to what we may be able to accomplish together.