Category Archives: hardware store

blogging, family, family fun, finding inspiration, flowers, garden, gardening, grilling, hardware store, Hardware Store Life, Home, Life experiences, Life In Wilkes, memories, Natural World, old hardware stores, old school hardware store, Repurposing Materials, retreat, Rocking Chair, seasons of life, service oriented hardware store, Shop Local, southern living, Southern porch, Spring, spring cleaning, Spring Gardening, Summer

Yard Personality

May 7, 2026 hardwarelifewife Leave a comment

From the farm to the classic Southern porch, outdoor spaces have always been a source of comfort and connection. Whether it’s a grandparent’s porch or a friend’s carport, these outdoor spaces offer a perfect blend of all things nature and relaxation. All the while, these outdoor areas reveal a sense of personal warmth permeating from the home. Read on and learn more about creating your own unique Yard Personality.

I can remember going to visit my Grandparents house which we called “the farm”. As young kids we had a large open space to run and play outside. Often as you would drive up to the farm, you could find my Grandma and Grandpa Adams outside on the porch or they would be sitting under a shade tree in lawn chairs.

*Old Beautiful trees dotted my Grandparents landscape at the farm as a young kid*

The cousins group had loads of fun playing on the farm. We had a large open space to run and play outside. Thankfully, we were always within earshot and eyesight of the adults who were visiting outside. A small creek ran behind the house and we cousins would end up there in our wanderings and play.

I recently visited a friend. We were sitting outside on her carport. She has created a sweet, little spot to retreat to… complete with an outdoor rug, comfortable, cushioned chairs, music playing, and yes, a ceiling fan just to name a few amenities. The natural breeze flowing through the porch made it a perfect spot to spend a warm afternoon in conversation with good friends.

These family memories coupled with my recent visit to my friends house, got me to thinking about how people use or don’t use their space/ yard and how “individual personality” can impact outdoor spaces and its uses.

*Living on a Farm… yard personality of its own*

Growing up and living in the South, I would like to note that probably one of the most common outdoor spaces that people use are porches… front/back porch, or maybe even a screened in porch.

**Porches: a place where stories are told and memories are made** …This long, large porch located in Valle Crucis has been a favorite of ours *for many years*

The PORCH… where HOME meets the outside world. A porch allows us to connect with the exterior world, all the while, enjoying the creature comforts of being HOME.

These outdoor “rooms” are often used as a gathering place or even as a place of retreat. On a Southern porch, you can definitely “sit a spell”… one can watch traffic go by, swing, rock the day away in your favorite chair, view the stars at night, or simply listen to the sounds of nature.

Within the confines of a porch outdoor space, one can let the worries of the day wash away. Complete with and no phones or technology. Add in a cold beverage in hand, and the perfect porch sitting weather is upon us, minus the pollen!!

*New Rocking Chairs from WCH are a perfect way to spend a afternoon relaxing on a porch or deck*

As we sometimes do, Richard and I will go for a drive on a sunny afternoon. I love to “window watch” from the vehicle window as we make our way down the country roads.

Those Sunday afternoon adventures make me realize that Summertime is a wonderful time to notice the little bits and pieces of Yard Personality from the exterior and my car window…You know it when you see it as we make the “drive by”. Kids in the yard playing games, or even noting an interest in gardening with flowers abounding from the yard. Then I spot Rocking Chairs on the front porch as we pass by. The visible story of the homeowners unraveling right in front of your eyes… neatly kept lawn and shrubs, and orderly gardens. Or maybe just the opposite, flowing gardens that seamlessly wander from one area to another, featuring an old chair, chipping paint holding a garden treasure, the grass waiting to be mowed. Both of these scenarios create a sense of order and peace for each homeowner because that’s exactly what they wanted. Marked distinct features of personality that dominate the Yard…just from a quick glance as we drive past.

This chippy chair holds a strawberry plant on my back porch.

Have you ever thought about your distinct yard personality??? I haven’t ever given this topic much consideration, until recently. Is this really a legitimate topic… Absolutely!!!

First let’s define the term “YARD”. According to our purposes of this topic… a YARD is the entire surrounding area around the house, including the grass, pavement, porches, other outdoor spaces, and includes dedicated gardens.

*Walkways are an important part of Yard Personalization, visually what is seen as you approach the front door? Is it welcoming to visitors?*

In essence, the YARD is ALL useable outdoor space. Looking at the term YARD, the opposite is true in the United Kingdom. The garden IS the whole. Yard would not be the proper terminology.

*Gardens are the baseline of the individualized personality in the UK, it’s nice to include the whole perimeter of your usable area in **Yard Personalization** here in the US*

Processing this new concept of Yard Personality, I think it’s crucial to understand that People will prioritize their needs and wants into how they want to use their yard based upon what it’s important to them. Of course, often budget is a factor… but the use of good ol’ elbow grease, sweat equity and repurposing materials can make a huge impact!

After a quick visit at my friend’s house, I concluded that she has beautifully created a place to relax and uses that space as a place to retreat after a long day at work.

According to a quick Google search, most people fall into a few key categories when it comes to YARD PERSONALITY. I was extremely curious to see where I would fall… or not be found.🧐 Would my style potentially overlap with more than one???

*This sweet little stained glass frog would look great in any outdoor space.*

My curiosity got the best of me and I kept diving into it. Here’s my modified list to keep it simple and easier for writing purposes.

Yard Personalities:

1. The Lawn Expert… these individuals create a carefully designed and manicured/maintained yard. Gardens are well kept or maybe not present because the emphasis is literally on the beautiful the yard itself.

*The Gardens pictured here at Tryon Palace are a perfect example of the “Expert”*

2. The Lover of Nature… The Yard and Gardens meandering about, flowing with a variety of colors and styles of flowers. Areas are designed in the yard to attract various species of wildlife(hummingbirds, birds, butterflies, etc) and you may find seating areas present to enjoy the fruits of their labor throughout the entire yard.

*Planting to attract wide variety of bees, butterflies, etc*

*Bird houses and feeders in all shapes and sizes available at WCH*

3. The Entertainer…This individual may have a Grilling area is set up to entertain and to cook up a great meal, a festive outdoor table set to welcome friends and family, maybe a fire pit to welcome guests, lawn games, swimming pool, you name it, the Entertainer will have it!

*BBQ sauces, rubs, Traeger pellets, and grill accessories all available at WCH for the summer entertainer*

4. The Kid and/or Pet Friendly Yard… Basketball, volleyball, soccer goals set up in yard, or swimming pool visible…riding toys scattering along the driveway or the yard, outdoor play areas created for the kids, or maybe even a tree house. Backyard fences keep the kids and pets within view and allow them to play safely.

*Pool water testing and chemicals are available for purchase at WCH all summer long for family fun😎*

This is just a small sample of brainstorming that I did to imagine these different types of Yard Personalities. I feel sure that this is only scratching the surface!

My mind then wandered back to my own to Spring “to do list” as I began refining and defining my Yard Personality. 🧐. What area(s) did I want to focus upon in my own YARD???? After some thought, I decided our back porch needed a bit of TLC.

*A good back porch cleaning was necessary… we have some great items at WCH for outdoor clean up*

So I’ll pose the same questions to you. Did you find a Yard Personality that you strongly identified with??? Is your yard in shape for the upcoming Spring and Summer season??? 🧐🧐🧐

*These handmade wind chimes would make a great addition to any yard or garden*

Currently, I’m slowly trying to make a few projects a reality and keeping within budget using objects that I already have… finding a new way to repurpose them, and adding in color/texture as I can. I’ve slowly been working on my back porch area over the last few weeks adding a few things to make it more comfortable for us to use on a regular basis in hopes that it will become a welcoming space for all of us as well as our guests.

Work in progress from my back porch, flowers still yet to be planted, repurposing my strawberry planter as a quick side table… hanging baskets and crates to warm up the siding using vinyl siding clips, very easy project!!!

Another thing worth mentioning, a portion of Yard Personality can be attributed to how you use found objects or even Art in your space.

*These unique outdoor lanterns add a nice touch of Art and beauty to your existing landscape*

Art is often a form of creative expression and imagination which can be found in a visual form. It could be the appearance of hand created objects, like bird houses, or feeders, or the appearance of a symphony of vibrant colors from the garden, or Yard Art.

*These PVC bird houses found at WCH are exceptional!!! Long lasting and made in NC!!!*

The use of Art can evolve with your imagination and creativity all the while, looking at needs and wants within a given outdoor space… ultimately bringing vibrancy to your Yard.

Let your imagination and creative energy shine this year! Wilkes County Hardware is here to support your new found passion and dedication to creating and developing your own unique Yard Personality, making home a true place of retreat and comfort.

*Store Hours: Monday through Friday 8am-6pm , Saturday 9am-3pm*

blogging, family, hardware store, Hardware Store Life, high touch surfaces, Home, Laundry Day, Laundry Day Tips, Laundry Room Organization, Life experiences, old hardware stores, Shop Local, southern living

Laundry Daze… All Washed Up and Drumming Up Excitement for a Job Well Done!

March 17, 2026 hardwarelifewife Leave a comment

Thankfully we have moved beyond the old washing tub but WCH has a variety of sizes if you need one

Doing the laundry can be a thankless task, especially when you are raising a family… leaving you in a bit of a daze. The laundry can pile up quickly if it is neglected. Then the questions begin…MOM… where is my favorite shirt ??? 😳 Have you ever been there?

A new WCH favorite t-shirt, now available in store!

I’m going to “lighten the load” a bit with this childhood memory. The Brady Bunch was an all time favorite show of mine growing up. Bobby, one of the youngest Brady children. In this laundry based episode, Bobby got his suit covered in mud, extremely dirty, and decided to wash it before his mom and Alice got home from shopping hoping to prevent the discussion he didn’t want to have with Mom.

Bobby put the dirty suit into the washing machine, then began to pour in the SAFE washing powder out of the box into the washer. He stopped momentarily, only to pause the flow of washing powders, then decided he needed the whole box😬. He sets the washing machine, and walks away. He cleans himself up, changes clothes, begins his homework. I think you know where this is going laundry wizards.

When Bobby returns downstairs, the laundry suds have already made it to the kitchen door. He enters the laundry room, and the suds are above his head, filling up the entire laundry room. Carol and Alice come home to find Bobby covered in suds!

Pick up your favorite laundry suds at WCH!!

Doing the laundry can be a monotonous task, and sometimes I might even feel like Bobby… washed away with suds. As I’m writing this blog post, I have one load washing, one load waiting in the laundry basket to be folded and put away, and two more loads sorted and waiting to go in after the first load finishes up 🤪.

One might would say the most glorious thing about finishing the laundry is the actual 5 seconds that the laundry baskets are actually empty! I feel that one! Yes, once the day comes to an end, the dirty clothes are back…. Leaving me to feel like surely there HAS to be more people living here that I don’t know about because 3 people surely can’t create this much laundry! 🤨

I will admit that the winter months are harder. The extra layers of clothing needed for warmth can make doing the laundry a more daunting task each week and one might think about “throwing in the towel”. But yes, that would create more laundry, right???

So the Question of the Day, is how to be efficient and productive with this ongoing, never ending cycle of laundry? 🧺 🧺🧺🧺🧺🧺🧺🧺🧺🧺🧺🧺🧺🧺🧺

Do you do laundry everyday or just a few times a week? I have found that if I try to do a bit of laundry each day, my “load” is lighter. If I wait a day or two into the week, the laundry seems to never get finished! Ugh!

Working in Laundry Room: A Few Things To Consider

Set up and have an organized, useable space to work. Don’t forget to Clean your laundry space… wipe down your machines, and laundry baskets! Use Lysol spray to disinfect your fabric baskets. Cleaning the laundry room is more than mopping the floor. The Laundry Room is often a high touch area in your home, just like your kitchen appliances are and frequently used technology items!

Lysol and Clorox wipes are available at WCH, easy cleaning tools for your laundry room tasks

2. Include an area for air drying clothes OR to hang clothes as they come out of dryer. I have found that if I hang up clothes as they come out of the dryer, laundry is a much easier task even if I wait until later to bring them up to the closets. And the side benefit, less ironing!

3. Do you have a system to deal with Lost socks and coins? Some people tuck socks into a mesh bag, others throw the lost socks into a basket to try to reunite them later… coins??? That’s an easy fix, use a mason jar or even a cute little basket holder to catch those odd ball things that fly out of pockets unknown to you!

A cute woven basket can add a pop of color to your laundry space, to catch those coins… available at WCH

4. Keep dryer vents clean and clear… keep a small laundry trash can handy for disposal of laundry lint. Your dryer hose should be cleaned out regularly!

Use a small galvanized metal bucket or a basket to catch those lost socks, or even a small plastic bucket… easy to carry around and doesn’t take up lots of space

**Clean out your dryer lint after each cycle. A deep clean of your vent system should be done at least twice a year.**

5. Leave the washer door open once you finish laundry for the day. This will help with odors and mildew buildup.

At the end of each washing day, I open my washer door and the detergent bin to reduce odors.

6. Lastly, set up a laundry system that every single person in your household can easily understand and use in your absence, especially if you are the main laundry guru. For example, everyone has a separate basket/bin to put away their own clothes, or each family member knows how to sort, use washer and dryer, and deal with laundry once if it finished in the dryer.

How to prevent a “washed out mess” in the Laundry Room:

Sort clothes by colors.
Read your labels and set your washing cycle accordingly.
Only fill washer 3/4 full so detergent can work efficiently. Also speaking of efficiency, Be mindful of how much detergent you use. If using a liquid detergent the recommended line on bottle cap is probably too much if load washing isn’t really dirty, or heavily soiled laundry.

Less plastics in laundry cycle! Try these laundry detergent cubes now available at WCH

4. Keep laundry supplies well stocked… laundry detergent, Oxygenated cleaner, and a good enzyme spray like a pre-treatment cleaner. I also keep Dawn detergent in my laundry room for oil based grease stains… I often deal with those type of stains fairly regularly in our household. Did you know that Wilkes County Hardware can keep you stocked on your laundry room essentials???

5. Pretreat stains prior to going in washer. Dawn detergent works well on grease or oily stains. Most Food stains can usually be removed by using an all purpose stain remover that is enzyme based. Dirt stains… borax, baking soda, Oxy, or washing powders can be helpful.

6. Wash and dry laundry with the actual weight of clothes in mind. For example, Towels and blue jeans are much heavier and will require more drying time. It is probably best not to wash these together. Spread the love… do two separate loads of these items! Lighter weight clothes should dry faster so you might want to consider a short, time dry cycle and take those out first as the heavier weight items continue to dry.

7. Make sure you have a system that works for your family when it comes to checking pockets. I personally don’t check pockets prior to doing laundry unless I hear the jingle going into the washer😳😬 We are all responsible for checking and cleaning out our own pockets in the Searcy household. But I’ll admit, sometimes I do find things like nuts, bolts, coins, box cutters, pocket knives, etc. The absolute worst, a Sharpie marker or pen!!! Ugh!!! No one wants to have clothes ruined by these!!! I’m speaking from my own personal experience!!

8. Have a laundry system in place that whole family can live by and understand!!! Everyone pitches in to help with the laundry here at our house. As it comes out of the dryer, we hang up clothes that need it. Socks, towels can be dumped into the laundry basket. Some families use a bin system for each person so they can put away their own clothes. The point is to get everyone involved because every family member has a vested interest in their own laundry!

9. Use dryer balls to reduce drying time. Another quick hack is to use an older dry bath towel and throw it into the dryer so clothes will dry faster.

My laundry day wish for you… hoping that it “all comes out in the wash” soon so you can enjoy those few beautiful moments when it’s all done! And remember, Wilkes County Hardware is here to help you when you are feeling all washed up and ready for a bit of laundry day success. 🧺

2016, A new journey begins, blogging, customer service, entrepreneurship, hardware store, Hardware Store Life, historical building, legacy, Life experiences, Life In Wilkes, memories, nuts and bolts, old hardware stores, old school hardware store, Orgill Hardware Show, service oriented hardware store, Shop Local, southern living

2016

January 20, 2026 hardwarelifewife Leave a comment

It’s trending right now to post memories from 2016. So why not???

Ten years ago our journey as hardware store owners was just beginning! Here’s a quick look back at Wilkes County Hardware from 2016.

Reading the picture captions below for each photo memory from 2016 to learn more about our first full year of hardware store ownership.

At our first hardware show in August of 2015, we ordered new fixtures for the store. Richard began to reset the hardware store in early February of 2016…starting at the back of the hardware store

The Key desk had already been moved to its current location (near the back door entrance) inside the hardware store and out of this back corner (the old location) and a new handrail was installed from materials right inside the hardware store.

Benjamin went to his first Orgill hardware show with us in Orlando February 2016.

Y’all might recognize this rocking chair… it came from our house, as a nod to our new venture, bringing a more relaxed atmosphere, offering an opportunity to sit and relax.

In 2016, The hardware store was still a bit of a maze… prior to the reset. The “maze like feel” slowly disappeared after the reset in 2016 and the years that followed.

These old doors were uncovered by layers of pegboard that covered a significant portion of our front entrance area… more light flooded into our store!!!

Wayne’s valuable knowledge of keys, and all products made Richard’s transition easier . He was a mentor from the beginning.

Gerald stayed with Richard the first several months to help get him acquainted with each of the different facets of what WCH was… pool season would be a new learning experience for Richard. We truly appreciate his support, insight, and commitment to help grow our new business. Gerald is the BEST!

Bagged goods arrived at WCH in 2016… another FIRST… and the legacy of the chicken begins.

Richard had to dive into the 2016 pool season and learn the ropes. Benjamin… well, he just had fun 😎

2016… showcasing our family favorite products on Facebook.

Our first logo hat…we may need to bring this one back!!!

A gift from a dear friend, now part of our wall art

Putting all of our services in one place for customers to see for the first time in 2016!

Christmas 2016… Moravian cookies have become a staple each year since 2016!!!

Recognized as Small Business of the Year for our work in 2016!!!

Looking forward to 2026… thank you for your support and continued patronage!!

Thank you for shopping local!!! We do have the absolute best customers!!!

A new journey begins, aging, blogging, breast cancer, Cancer, change, December, End of Year Reflection, finding inspiration, hardware store, Hardware Store Life, journey in life, Life experiences, Life In Wilkes, memories, photography favorites, Resilence, seaonal change, seasons of life, southern living, Transitions in Life, Western North Carolina, winter, Winter Photography, writing process

Seasons of Change

December 22, 2025 hardwarelifewife 3 Comments

“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heavens.” —Ecclesiastes

The four seasons… Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter are all marked a significant changes in how we interact with the Earth. Each season is uniquely beautiful and transformative. The never ending cycle of nature adjusting to each distinctive season.

Daffodils are one of the first to bloom in Spring, bringing our landscape back into full color.

When the seasons begin to change, so do the needs of our loyal shoppers… each of the four seasons can bring a small shift of seasonal sales. Spring begins the lawn and garden season. Summer shopping is marked by a large demand of pool chemicals, and lawn and garden products.

Flowers are in abundance during the Summer season

Fall hardware store shopping centers around the demands of preparing for cooler weather, our customers are looking for stove pipe, wood stove maintenance products, rakes, and more!

Winter, the cold months, our customers need kerosene heater maintenance, heating essentials, and Christmas gifts!!! Each of the four seasons keeps us busy with ongoing orders, and resets of seasonal supplies. We shift with each unique season.

Winter can bring cold temperatures and snow!

This reflection on the four unique seasons brought to mind the different “Seasons of Life”. We shift from season to season. I believe AGE is not necessarily a factor in these shifts in the different seasons of life.

I began to dwell on the changing of the seasons as we head into a new season, Winter.

Don’t we go through each of the four seasons as we age, possibly over and over again depending on the circumstances of your personal situation?? Hmmm… our lives are seasonal??? Can you imagine which season you are currently living through right now?

Spring as a living season is full of renewal, change, new growth, and planting. This season is marked with new beginnings… like purchasing a new home, getting married, falling in love again, beginning a family, a new career, the list is long!!! Feeling of hope abounds in the Spring season.

Summer is a time of warmer days, time feels endless. The phase can bring more growth opportunities, whereas, harvesting your hard work from the Spring season. Taking risks becomes easier, pushing harder outside comfort zone. Motivation is key.

Fall is a time to reflect. Reflection brings the opportunity to learn from mistakes, making plans for next phase, adjusting goals, noticing change, and simply enjoying the beauty around you, practicing gratitude for all things in your life.

Winter brings rest. Winter is a time to recharge your batteries. If you are in the winter season, you might be experiencing sickness, or grief. With the “stillness” of the winter season, it can often bring clarity or wisdom (looking back and having peace) from earlier seasons previously journeyed through.

“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” —Ecclesiastes

Whatever season you find yourself in life’s journey, relish it. If you are currently feeling the depths of the winter season, spring will come.

Footnote: I often begin writing pieces for my blog months prior to publication.

This specific blog piece I began writing and processing prior to finding out about my diagnosis of Invasive Ductal Breast Cancer.

After reflecting on this blog piece, I’m currently in “winter”, looking forward to seeing “spring”.

Whatever season you find yourself in right now, please know that seasons change and each will not last forever. “When your heart is tired, and your spirit is worn, remember God is your rest. He will renew your strength and carry you through the storm.” Isaiah 40:29

blogging, Blue Ridge Mountains, community, customer service, Discovering Roots, entrepreneurship, hardware store, Hardware Store Life, historical building, journey in life, Life experiences, Life In Wilkes, Natural World, NC Mountains, nuts and bolts, old hardware stores, old school hardware store, Resilence, service oriented hardware store, Shop Local, Summer Photography, The Gift of handmade, Western North Carolina, work, Works in Progress

“Grounding and Grafting” into The Hardware Life

August 1, 2025 hardwarelifewife Leave a comment

The world of flight and aviation offers a unique experience, viewing our world in a very different and special way. Air flight offers one the opportunity to be “in the clouds”flying through and above the clouds. Being in and above the clouds presents the possibility to witness a place where our humanity is not truly visible everyday, a new and unique experience.

When I have the opportunity to fly, I always reserve a window seat so I can watch the clouds, and the sky. Graciously, my husband always grants me the courtesy of the window seat. My mind always soars with excitement once the plane begins to reach elevations above the clouds. From the safety of my window seat, I’m able to enjoy the beautiful sight of mountains, river valleys, oceans, and the cloud line below.

I grew up in Wilkes County, where our daily view includes the Blue Ridge Mountains. Simply, as one steps out the back door step, those mountains are sending a glorious daily greeting. I must admit, these mountains “ground” me as I continue to age. Even in the mundane activities of the day, like running errands, or maybe even if you’re headed off to work …those mountains are not far from our view. The mountains “grounded” in nature without the need to explore air travel in order to experience our surrounding beauty.

*Watching a Sunset in our Mountains is simply the best view in the world*

Our home county of Wilkes is rich in local history. Here in Wilkes, Brushy Mountain orchards are bursting with many different varieties of apples and peaches that are harvested each season, bringing the only the best fruits to market and our local festivals. Trees that are typically successfully grafted are fruit trees. Grafting a tree in its absolute simplest form, occurs when two different parts of the tree are joined together as ONE over a period of time.

Beautiful Parker Orchard local peaches in a handcrafted wooden bowl by Keegan Watson

Several months ago I wrote a blog post about being “Rooted in Wilkes” and how “Grafting” has taken place over time in my own life. I’ve been taking time to reflect, and as we head into year TEN in our hardware store ownership, that journey exemplifies grafting. I still can’t believe we are beginning year number TEN in August of 2025.

*Our old historic building was home originally to a local poultry processing plant, our logo is nod back to those times . Check out the link* The Chicken Hat

Who would have thought that the girl who spent her summers running in the grass, barefoot, with a view of the Blue Ridge in the distance, and loved chasing lightning bugs, would “graft” and be firmly “grounded” into the hardware life?

“The Hardware Life”, started TEN years ago, as Richard and I began our new journey into hardware store ownership inside the 1904 era vintage, historic building that still exists on 10th Street in Downtown North Wilkesboro.

It was an exciting, challenging, scary, and ultimately life altering, a full-fledged “grafting” experience. We were going to have to find our “footing” in this new adventure. The thick fog and clouds were looming. We were flying into those unknown/unfamiliar clouds of business ownership. Initially, it was a total cloud fog. Would the skies eventually become clearer???

For us, navigating the thick cloud bank, of hardware store ownership for the first time caused a bit of anxiety. But, I’ll reference a flight analogy, with the sure and steady handiwork of an “experienced flight crew”, the heavy cloud bank was easily navigable. As the aircraft began cruising at higher altitudes, our “clouds” disappearing from view. Yes, we have experience turbulence over the last TEN years. It has been a bit of bumpy ride navigating this new Hardware Life.

To those who helped us navigate through the first stages of hardware store operations and ownership, we are extremely grateful. Thank you for helping us navigate to higher altitudes and enabling us able to gain some “grounded” confidence in our new normal in The Hardware Life.

With this new lesson in being “grounded” in hardware store ownership underway, Richard and I have somehow managed to survive this ever changing economic climate by continuing to adapt to our customers needs and wants.

Just because our building is old, doesn’t mean that we are the keepers of everything of times past. Don’t get me wrong, we treasure those legendary stories of our old 1904 era building and the rustic hardware store. But, holding onto and keeping the “dusty old items” on the shelf that no one is purchasing or needs anymore, will not help us make our bottom line. We have worked hard to build an updated inventory of hardware store essentials. All the while, building a unique hardware community. Richard and I have formed many new friendships with so many great people. We are truly thankful, grateful, and blessed.

*Our building dates back to 1904… look back* If These Walls Could Talk…

When we began this new business venture, Richard was excited about beginning a new career path, and exploring the opportunities to learn more about the inner workings of the hardware industry. He had always been around it, as he worked for a major paint manufacturer for over 20 years. Richard pushed hard for the first few years without me at Wilkes County Hardware.

*Key Making is an Integral Part of our Day to Day Business inside Wilkes County Hardware here’s a quick myth buster guide to keys* Myth Busters: Test Your Knowledge… MYTH v. FACT… Dispelling MYTHS about Common Key Problems

In those first few years of business ownership, I continued to work full time as an educator. My main initial contribution was setting up the social media platforms for our hardware store. Those platforms were maintained and updated regularly by me and I also helped out on weekends and summers as I could. We reset the hardware store to be more accessible to shoppers so merchandise was easier to find. Slowly over time, we have steadily grown a loyal audience on Facebook and Instagram, our hardware community has expanded.

In 2018, I began a blog, The Hardware Life Wife, to share stories about our business and our products. As a novice writer, my blog pieces were fairly short and mostly without pictures. Initially, in early days of blogging, I honestly couldn’t devote much time to focusing on the blog. It was mostly a “summertime project” and I worked on blog posts between planning school lessons while teaching full time.

But, after a few years of consistent blogging, it became a goal of mine to add as many authentic pictures as I could to help break up my longer content pieces that I was now beginning to write.

My blog was changing and grafting into a new direction. I had found that my photography was providing a visual experience for the reader, adding an extra dimension, or as I could say “branch” to the story that was needed. This visual graft, a realistic view, and a liaison to my personal experience, an offering from me to others as a shared experience.

*The Blue Ridge Mountains… where the clouds meet the horizon*

Surprisingly, my personal photos were well received. I was stunned. This new finding was giving me the confidence and the opportunity to share more of my personal photography for which, I’m thankful and extremely grateful. I enjoy sharing snapshots of my daily life. In the last few years, my photography has been featured in the annual Blue Ridge Photography Overview at Wilkes Art Gallery. Local amateur photographers from all over our surrounding area bring their best work to our local gallery to display in this juried exhibition.

Now, in 2025, my blog is a creative outlet for me as well as a way to share with others about our hardware store ownership journey. I am continuing to grow my audience and readership slowly and steadily “grafting” our daily lives into our hardware store business.

As life would have it, after those first few years of business ownership, it was becoming apparent, to both of us, that we needed to grow our business or simply move on. Richard and I decided to be firmly committed and “grounded” in our hardware store business and “graft” together. I launched into early retirement, leaving my 26 years in educational world behind.

How would two very different people manage to work together and still be harmonious? We now had the basics of hardware store ownership “grounded” into our reality. It took a bit of time to adjust to our new daily normal. “Grafting” together our skill sets, combining our strengths and weaknesses, utilizing them to bring the best hardware store experience possible our customers. Grafting at its core definition.

Fruit farmers often graft their fruit trees to create a new variety. The act of grafting… taking one plant cutting and merging with another, creating a unique union and the growth of a new species. Together, we grafted a new hardware reality working together to meet our customers needs, while continuing expanding our hardware store knowledge base.

*Our shelves are fully stocked with customer favorites and needed items*

Working together, Richard and I have slowly made changes inside our historic hardware store walls, such as resetting our shelves and changing the flow of customer traffic. Other avenues we have explored included adding a vast new variety of hardware products into our existing lineup, “Grounding and Grafting” our way through the hardware life.

But probably the most distinctive aspect that we are becoming known for, is finding and curating locally sourced handmade goods. All of these changes, within our small town hardware store “grafted” or combined together, we have tried to create a unique shopping experience for all who visit our old-fashioned hardware store in Downtown North Wilkesboro, locals and visitors alike.

As “grafted and now more grounded” business owners, we know the positive impact of being active within our community. In the last few years, Richard and I have worked alongside other Downtown Merchants, to form The Downtown North Wilkesboro Merchants Association. We both actively participate in this group and we are excited to see this group grow. You may recognize this organization, as we have collectively worked to create, The Spooktacular Festival for our community when the Greenway Trail of Treats was cancelled several years ago and The Spooktacular would serve as an alternative event.

In closing, as we begin year TEN, our Hardware Life story is simple. We thrive on interaction with our customers and our greater community. Without that, we would not exist. That’s how we stay connected and grounded. We have heard too many stories over the last ten years about how old, vintage, authentic hardware stores are just not around anymore. Richard and I are very thankful that our community still supports our local hardware store. Thanks for the opportunity to keep us firmly “grounded” in our community!

The Hardware Life – A wife's journey into the hardware business