by Clint Harp
To my beloved wife, Kelly: Thank you for believing in me. Thank you for being my partner in this insane journey, and most of all, thank you for choosing me. I am the lucky one. I could only be so fortunate as to be sitting on a porch with you one day when we’re in our nineties, looking back on a life well lived.
To Hudson, Holland, and Camille: Being your dad has brought me the kind of joy I’ll never quite be able to describe to you. Each one of you makes me smile every day just by your sheer existence. As you grow up, I hope you know your mother and I want nothing more than to see you be who you were made to be.
To Mollie Glick, my literary agent: You are amazing. Thanks to you and Matt Horowitz and all those at CAA who helped bring this book to life. I truly appreciate your belief in this project, as well as the hard work you put in so I could get my shot.
To Michelle Burford, my coach and cowriter: I couldn’t have done this book without you. How you stumbled into my path is a miracle, and I’m so thankful for everything you poured into this story. Maybe one day we can put on tight red sweatpants and paint the town.
To my awesome editor, Matthew Benjamin, and the whole team at Touchstone and Simon & Schuster: Thank you for taking a chance on me and my story.
To Darrah Gooden, a dear friend to Kelly and me: Thank you for lending your unreal artistic talent to the illustrations in this book.
To Robert Sebree, you have photographed seemingly every musician, actor, and artist there is over the last however many decades . . . and then lucky me got to step in front of your lens. Thank you for your amazing work making me look presentable for the jacket of this book. BBQ on me.
To my parents (all four of them!): Thank you for loving me. Thank you for raising me. And thank you for giving me the life I’ve had. It truly is the reason I’m here today, and your love and support have shaped me into who I am. Mom, thank you for teaching me to laugh, and love, and hang on till it hurts. And Dad, thank you for teaching me how to make people laugh and for putting a ball in my hands.
To my siblings (full, half, adopted . . . whatever!), Bonnie (and Mike!), Becky, Suzanne (and Mitch!), Ben, and Miracle: I am lucky to have you in my life. Thank you for going for your dreams and being the wonderful and beautiful people you are.
To my uncles and aunts and cousins and nephews and nieces: Thank you for the incredible parts you’ve played in my life.
To my mother-in-law, Debbie (Mimi!): I just don’t know what we’d do without you. Through every journey Kelly and I have taken in our married life you have played a pivotal role. You are irreplaceable. There are hours of work where you poured out your own blood, sweat, and tears which no one will ever see. Without them we wouldn’t be here. Thank you hardly feels like enough.
To my father-in-law, Bob, and his wife . . . thank you for your love and wisdom and support as Kelly and I continue to jump out into the unknown and take on whatever comes our way.
To Johnna and Jonty: If things don’t work out like we hope they do, can Kelly and the kids and I just come live at Wood Farm with you guys? I’ll sand as many boards as you need, Jonts!
To Paul: You were right. Things really did take on a life of their own. I now find myself covered in sawdust at the end of the day, and I hope you’re somewhere on a park bench covered in birds.
To Chip and Jo: Well, I’m just really glad I needed gas that day in 2012—and that you did, too! Thank you for asking me to build those first tables when I had very little to show for, and for making me a part of Fixer Upper when you didn’t have to. It’s hard to put in words, truly, but I’m forever grateful. Whenever you need a table, Jo, I’m there.
To everyone at the old Scripps, which is now Discovery, Inc.: Thank you for the chance you give me to do what I do in front of a camera.
To our team at High Noon Entertainment: Thank you for every second you’ve pored over film, making me, Kelly, and our team look good. And please keep making me look like I know what I’m doing . . . I need all the help I can get!
To Britt Duke: You’ll never know, amigo. I can’t even begin to thank you for stepping out like you did to become part of our crazy venture when you had every reason to run for the hills. You don’t work for me . . . I get to work with you, and I’m so thankful I do.
To John Alexander: Thank you for being one of the most genuinely kind and honest people I’ve ever known. Throughout my journey in Waco, you’ve always been a part of the story, and I’m so thankful.
To Joe Nesbitt: Are you crazy?! Thank you for loaning me money and believing in me even after I showed up in your office covered in sawdust and left it all scattered on your desk and your floor. I’m a mess, but somehow you saw deeper. I’m grateful for you, my friend.
To my whole family at Harp Design Co.: You guys are truly the best. Whether you work with us now, or you’ve worked with us in the past, you’ve played a huge part in getting us where we are today, and you make HDC what it actually is. Kelly and I are so thankful.
To my friends, mentors, teachers, former pastors and ministers, and second families: Thank you for pouring into my life. Thank you for being there for me when I felt like I was lost. Thank you for loving me when you didn’t have to.
Thank you to singers and songwriters and artists everywhere: As I wrote this book, I was never without my headphones and a powerful song. So many musicians have inspired me through their work, and it has always pushed me forward. I would need a whole ’nother book to lay out all your names and the work you created that has inspired so many.
To all those I’ve bumped up against on my own personal journey: Thank you, because you’ve been a part of my story, whether or not you know it.
And to the people at the beautiful Armstrong Browning Library on the campus of Baylor University, thank you for letting me take up residence there for months as I typed out over eighty thousand words in the creation of this book.
To Grandmom Camille and Granddad Donald: Kelly and I took a picture when we worked on our first house, just like the two of you did so many years ago. I miss you both so much.
To Grandmom Ann: When I was still a youngster, you pointed me in a direction that would push me forward and eventually make me the man I am. Thank you. You were among the strongest women I’ve ever known.
To Granddad Verner: I’ve tried my best to do it right the first time, just like you told me to. I’m not sure I’ve always succeeded, but I’ve tried. If you could see some of the things I’ve built, I hope you’d also see yourself deep in the grains of my creations. You weren’t perfect, but you didn’t have to be. You were what I needed, when I needed it. You put tools in my hands and grit in my heart so I could find my way farther down the road. You old buzzard—thank you.
About the Author
Clint Harp can be found regularly on HGTV’s hit show Fixer Upper as the dumpster-diving, reclaimed wood–loving carpenter and furniture artisan. He and his wife, Kelly, own and operate their business, Harp Design Co., and star in the new DIY Network show Wood Work. The Harp family lives in Waco, Texas. Handcrafted is Clint’s first book.
FOR MORE ON THIS AUTHOR:
Authors.SimonandSchuster.com/Clint-Harp
MEET THE AUTHORS, WATCH VIDEOS AND MORE AT
SimonandSchuster.com
/TouchstoneBooks
@TouchstoneBooks
@TouchstoneBooks
We hope you enjoyed reading this Simon & Schuster ebook.
* * *
Get a FREE ebook when you join our mailing list. Plus, get updates on new releases, deals, recommended reads, and more from Simon & Schuster. Click below to sign up and see terms and conditions.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP
Already a subscriber? Provide your email again so we can register this ebook and send you more of what you like to read. You will continue to receive exclusive offers in your inbox.
Touchstone
An Imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020
ww
w.SimonandSchuster.com
Copyright © 2018 by Clint & Kelly Harp, LLC
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information, address Touchstone Subsidiary Rights Department, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.
Some names and identifying characteristics have been changed.
First Touchstone hardcover edition September 2018
TOUCHSTONE and colophon are registered trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact Simon & Schuster Special Sales at 1-866-506-1949 or [email protected].
The Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau can bring authors to your live event. For more information or to book an event, contact the Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau at 1-866-248-3049 or visit our website at www.simonspeakers.com.
Illustrations by Darrah Gooden
Interior design by Kyle Kabel
Jacket design by Jonathan Bush
Jacket photographs by Robert Sebree
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Harp, Clint, author.
Title: Handcrafted / by Clint Harp.
Description: New York : Touchstone, [2018]
Identifiers: LCCN 2018018648| ISBN 9781501188985 (hardcover) | ISBN 9781501188992 (pbk.)
Subjects: LCSH: Harp, Clint. | Cabinetmakers—United States—Biography. | Furniture making—Anecdotes.
Classification: LCC TT140.H37 A3 2018 | DDC 684.1/04092 [B] —dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018018648
ISBN 978-1-5011-8898-5
ISBN 978-1-5011-8900-5 (ebook)
Fixer Upper and Wood Work are trademarks owned by Scripps Network, LLC, and are used on the jacket with permission.