The new Antique & Design Center

Found our home for the next 10 days, the new High Point Antique & Design Center.  And is it looking good.  This was previously the Maitland-Smith building.  It's been updated and and is showing some really, really good stuff.  Spent the day setting up the booth.  It was just a bit chaotic (as setup day's tend to be) but everyone was pleasant and fun to work with.  Can't wait to get going.

Swimming the Ashley with Pat Conroy, Leo and Sheba yesterday

Possibly the most enjoyable all day drive yet.  Linda and I started early yesterday, driving to High Point pulling a 12 foot trailer full of furniture.  I don't think anyone tells a Southern tale better than Pat Conroy, and after living in the low country for a few years, we have a particular appreciation for the area.  Linda purchased the books on tape v. of Pat's long overdue "South of Broad" at 5:30am and the next thing I know we are pulling into the DoubleTree in Greensboro at 5:30pm.  -  Wonderful story.  But the odd thing is there were sooo many similarities between his main charactor - Leo King.  We're only half way thru.  Can't wait for the 12 hour drive back home next weekend.

Robert Trent Jones Wedding

Sunday morning I drove out to the local Robert Trent Jones clubhouse to check on a table that's on display in the entry.  It was another beautiful day, and someone was setting up for a wedding. 

This is a truely beautiful setting and clubhouse.  I hear the golf course is exceptional as well (I wouldn't know).  The few times I've driven through the courses to the clubhouse I get a distinct Hilton Head feeling - in a good way.  Another wonderful jewel in the Shoals.

Robert Trent Jones Wedding

You are a redneck if .. .. ..

Ok, this is the one that cranked up this YAARI blog post.  Paddling the creek, I usually end up with a little trash someone else threw out on a recent paddle.  But, lately, I've been finding more and more GLASS beer bottles.  I don't really want to think about what this will do to someone (or some thing) walking the creek.

I don't understand enjoying a beautiful natural resource like this - and TRASHING it at the same time.  And I really don't get tossing glass in the creek.  So, this qualifies as a REDNECK in my book.

Hopefully that's it, but I'm guessing there are more to come. 

by the way, above pic was Sunday's haul (2 glass bottles in the bottom.

Maggie's not taking it for granted

There probably aren't many locals who haven't met Maggie and Jason Chen.  They own the areas (and my personal fav) hottest (as in always PACKED) restaurant in the area - The Rice Box.  But what Maggie was glowing about last night, is that she (as of Thursday) has become the areas most recent U.S. citizen.  Congratulations Maggie!!  You, your family, and your restaurant add a wonderful diversity (not to mention the home-made pot stickers) to the Shoals.

You are an Redneck if:

Let me start out by saying, if you can't tell already, I love my home-town, love and am proud of my Southern roots.  But from time to time, I see things around here that really get to me.  So, I'll be adding to this "Your are an Redneck if" post from time to time.  But, I think it's only fair that we start - well - close to home.

1)  You are an Redneck if:  You will be exhibiting at the High Point Market next week and think your 23 year old sport coats (2) are perfect for this quite dressy occasion.  Even though one is Brooks Brothers silk with more than a bit of dragging pocket syndrome, and the other is Burberry all cashmere.  I really do think these two sport coats will be fine for the occastion. But, designers, be sure to stop by, look me over, and help me plan my wardrobe for the April Market.

Imagine what John Lennon would say

Wondering what John would have to say.  Let it be???  I don't know.  Thinking about john Lennon on what would have been his 70th birthday.

Received the AppleTV yesterday?

Just received this second generation AppleTV yesterday.  It's TINY!  Approx 4"x4"x1" thick.  It arrived just in time to complete my planned slide show presentation of the RWF story.  I'll be working on organizing the slideshow pics and final touches over the weekend, and more than likely in the DoubleTree Greensboro next week.  If you'll be attending the High Point Market next week, be sure to stop by!

Enjoying the day

After the hottest summer I've encountered, seems like every day has been - perfect!  Blue skies with temps varrying from 50's each morning to mid 70's each afternoon.  Unfortunately "this too shall pass".  We're getting just a little frantic around here, getting everything ready to leave for High Point Tuesday.  While running an errand yesterday, I was at a red light on North Wood, and got this shot of this lady and her dog enjoying the day on the bench in front of Magnolia Cafe.  If Ken allows dogs in the terrace, I might have to bring my family before the weather breaks for winter.

cutting a dado in this walnut bench

Here we are in the process of cutting this 2" wide, 2" thick dado through this natural edge walnut bench.  After we've made these repititious cuts, we just chisel the thin slices out, sand it smooth, and insert the 2" thick walnut shorty leg into place.

Linda's sushi lunch yesterday

We jointed friends at what seems to have become our favorite lunch spot (the Rice Box) around town yesterday.  We both had sushi, but Linda's was looking particularly scrumptious.

planing walnut beam

One of the best features of this type of sawmill is that the cutting head moves across the lumber, leaving this oversized lumber stationary.  Here, we've replaced the 60" wide blade with a small carbide planer head.  After 1 to 5 years of drying these slabs can't help but move a bit.  So, once the moisture content has dropped to appropriate levels, we plan them back off here.  The pic to the left is of a really thick walnut slab.  I'm hoping to complete one more piece (a heavy bench) to take with us to High Point next week.

Frank Stitts on last night's Nightline

Birmingham Alabama master chef, restauranteur and author Frank Stitts was on Nightline last night.  It was great to see another wonderful example of the South at it's best and most creative.  He was cooking big flounder with baby peas and clam sukatash, and discussing sustainable organic farming.  I haven't yet dined with Frank, but have been looking forward to it for years. 

Showing at the local Florence-Lauderdale Public Library

We delivered this HEAVY solid walnut "Scraps" dining table yesterday to be on display through the month.  But, the reason for being featured this time is quite a story.  When I have a few minutes, I'll get back and fill in the details.

finishing thick walnut tables

Applied the last coat of oil to these thick walnut tables, all in preparation for our baptism in the High Point Furniture Market in a few weeks.  We have six new tables to photograph today, then Photoshop and Illustrat(or) over the weekend, so we can have the 100 or so press books ordered Monday.  I'll share the completed pics soon.

rocky creek bed

Here's a pic of our rocky creekbed behind the house.  It's only 4 or 5 inches deep in this little shallow spot.  The light reflection thru the little waves from the dogs roaming was - entertaining.  I'll start sharing more pics of Cypress Creek and it's rocky creek bed in future pics.

sketchup oven design

I design most of our furniture in Sketchup, Google's aweme little 3d modeling program.  A few times during this oven construction project, I've just brought the MacBook onsite to work out a few some details.  Here you can see that we're beginning the sandstone work.  You can also see the planned roofline.  just fyi:  (just in case you can't clearly tell already) I'm NOT in the (or should I be) in the wood fired oven business. 

concrete cladding

Last weekend we added some thermal mass to the oven with 3" of concrete cladding (portland cement) - surrounding the arch of firebricks.

one more conference table delivery shot

I haven't yet been able to get a good shot of this walnut streatcher (at least an inside shot).  I'll bring some lighting and my panasonic back out to the club house soon to see if we can improve on this trailer shot.

Making progress on the creekside wood burning oven

Now that we are finally back on the project, we are making nice headway.  Yesterday my buddy Nolen helped mix and lay the 3" of concrete cladding over the arch of firebricks.  Then proceeded to lay the first three courses of sandstone bricks along the front and chimney.

With sketchup's 3d modeling program (which I use religiously for furniture design) I completed the design including the planned 4x4 walnut timbers and transluscent roofing. 

Today, we should have the brickwork completed.  From here, we'll let the new portland dry naturally for a week or two before we start drying it out further - slowly - with small fires at first.  I doubt I'll have time to start cooking before we get back from High Point. 

Local bakers - come out come out where ever you are!!