BrandNewToMe

Hello, and welcome to our Etsy shop! At BrandNewToMe, you'll find many handmade items as well as a few vintage pieces that I've found or collected along the way. I frequently use recycled, found, or vintage materials when hand crafting my items. Many of my items also utilize reclaimed wood that comes from 100-year-old barns in NW Iowa.

I live on a farm in rural northwestern Iowa with my wife, Vanessa and our three children: Bailey, Avery, and Graham (who love to "help" with Daddy's shop too). I work full-time as a nurse. My wife Vanessa is also a nurse and works part-time in our local clinics. Currently she is a stay-at-home mom supervising our children's distance learning.

I've always had a passion for coming up with new ideas and building things with my own hands. When we purchased our first home - like many other newlyweds - we were on a tight budget, but we were determined to make our house feel like a home. My wife and I would see things we loved but were not able to afford. Finally I decided to try and make one of the shelves we'd seen and loved so much. After that first shelf, there has been no turning back. Slowly, through bargain hunting, fishing through garage and estate sales, and turning one person’s trash into our treasure, our ideas have become a reality. Friends and family members began to notice the changes, and it wasn't long before they began asking me to create new items for their homes too.

When my wife suggested I look into opening an Etsy store, I wasn't sure I was up to the task. It was a leap of faith, but one that has been a true blessing. I am so thankful that the items I put so much of myself into creating are able to find a place in the homes of so many people, all over the world. Thank you for taking the time to read about our journey and for taking an interest in our shop.

~ Jared