This is me and my husband, Stoney, on our way to have unexpected fun in Illinois.
We just got back from Arnfest, a vintage machinery celebration. Arnfest is a playful nod to “Ironfest” (say it like Elvis!). Now that my husband has his fun toys unloaded and packed away, the garage is all mine—time to start working on my Halloween Garage.
If you love Halloween fun, check out my Halloween Garage videos on YouTube: Osuzyqzq. I’ll be posting updates as I go!
The Detour We Didn’t Plan (But Loved)
We squeezed in a visit to the Illinois Railway Museum—and wow, it’s amazing. Stoney instantly hit it off with a bunch of the guys there who share a passion for woodworking and vintage tools. A lot of retired folks volunteer up there, doing hands‑on restoration on whatever needs attention. I wouldn’t be surprised if Stoney heads back just to help out sometime. It was such a happy accident that we ended up there.
How We Ended Up There (A Very “Us” Story)
Stoney has recently gotten more into woodworking as his hobby and is building his workshop getting old vintage tools because they look cool and are made to last. We love the look and style of old vintage tools. Little did I know this would become my new hobby tracking it down and several long road trips to get all this cool stuff. This all started because Stoney bought a stand for a 1950s Craftsman Jointer—yep, we went all the way to Kentucky for it.
Then we dove into eBay and Facebook Marketplace hunting for a jointer that fit. Along the way, I found a post on the Vintage Machinery website where our new friend Brian had restored one years ago. I tracked him down on Facebook… and, the next thing you know, a couple of weeks layer we were geeking out over trains and restorations at the Illinois Railway Museum. Totally unplanned, totally perfect.
Our "new" Jointer that we drove all the way to Crystal Lakes, Illinois to get from Brian. He lives in Michigan but we met up in Illinois to get it. He's such a great guy. So knowledgeable, kind and friendly. Oh! Illinois is beautiful. I loved all of the farmland, barns and lovely farm houses.
Our other new toy - 10" Craftsman Table Saw. (I'm known for stalking Facebook Marketplace late at night Like 3am and waking Stoney up to show him a must have, lol. I found,this the night before we headed to Arnfest and made arrangements on the way to get it in Illi
We had a great time—machines, history, and a community that loves bringing old things back to life. Now, with Stoney’s haul tucked away, I’m rolling up my sleeves and switching to spooky mode. Let thevdecorating begin! I've already bought new Halloween toys to add.. Check out my Suziness Designs on Silhouette for some fun Halloween designs and easy projects you're going to love. 🛠️👻
Subscribe on YouTube (Osuzyqzq) for lots of Spooky Season fun!
My gang.