A Front Booth Make-Over!

I know, I know....It is about time that I re-did the front booth!  Where does the time go????  Just wanted to share a few quick pictures of the front booth make-over.  They were closing and turning out the lights and I did not have time to run to the car and get my camera....so here are some not so great (quick) shots taken with my phone.  I am particularly in love with the hotel maids cart and the bow ties.  I bought these bow ties a while back and struggled with the best way to display.  So I went on E-bay and bought some old starched colors to put them on.  Still could not figure a cool way to show them off....until I stumbled upon this old store fixture (I think it was for bags of chips).  Now I think they show off perfect!  It was fun playing in the booths...I have not done this in a while.

Staircases to Heaven....

I don't know what it is about a beautiful, grand staircase that can take your breath away!

They can be such beautiful art in any home setting.

Sometimes they are the major focal point of a room....

Sometimes you can picture Scarlett coming down the stairs in that gown that was made from the curtains...

And sometimes they are more breathtaking than practical...

They don't always have to be grand...

or even in good shape

...for us to appreciate their beauty!

They make beautiful settings for a special occasion...

...or just a beautiful setting.

Although you would have to live in a mansion to have most of these staircases, they are fun to look at and dream of the home that they grace.  I would feel funny in my shorts and flip-flops going up and down these stairs....I might have to dress up every time I wanted to use them.  Beautiful works of art!

A Great Time at the Homestead Antique Fair....

My dear friend Georgia saw this red industrial table being unloaded and was immediately drawn.  The next morning when I arrived (before the show started), I noticed it has a sold sign on it.  She is going to use it in her den as her television table.  She said she would send pictures....going to be so cute!

My mother and I had just talked about keeping the silver piece on this table (the one with a plant in it) and using it in my backyard...it sold within the next hour!   I don't have a clue what it really is...but I loved it.

This was so cute when we opened, but the bottom row of glasses sold quickly and left a hole.

These wire baskets were HOT this show...I had several and they went the first day.

The "Beware of Dog" gate sold to a regular customer (Kathy) who is giving it to her boss as a gift.  He raises and shows dogs!  I hope you score big points with him!

I guess everyone is working on their yards as several pots were bought.

This wonderful old wooden cart sold to Jennifer from the Pecan Inn.  Jennifer has bought an old building in downtown Hico and restored it.  On the second level are 3 rooms that are for rent and we were lucky enough to get one.  I will spare the gushing as I plan to post pictures later....but it is incredible.  She is opening a Wine/Liquor and Food shop downstairs and this cart is going to display wine.

The yellow did not sell well.  Don't know if it was the stuff or the color?  I love it and guess we will try again later.

I love the red!

This birdhouse certainly got a lot of looks, but ended up coming home with me!

Did not know there was such a market for old sprinklers.  Folks kept asking me if they worked and I would have to explain that I bought them simply for decoration and color!

The birdbath behind the fence caused some technical difficulties...see the last picture below!

I love this old rusty birdhouse....it is going to the mall next week.

The backdrop to the scene was suppose to be several wonderful old shutters and windows hanging at different levels.  Unfortunately, the wind would not let this happen....so you have to punt and change your vision.

As I was lifting a VERY HEAVY birdbath that a customer bought, I was mortified to hear a loud rip.  The breeze coming in my shorts led me to know that I had just ripped my pants BIG TIME!  But luckily, I am blessed with wonderful friends at the show who quickly offered support in the way of flower pins and chip clips.  Although I loved the support, I finally had to run back to the room and change my shorts!

We had such a wonderful time at the Homestead Antique Fair this weekend.  It is a great show with amazing dealers and customers.  It is truly like a family reunion as we set up and then again as the regular customers start coming in.  Mike and Brenda (the owners of Homestead) take such good care of all the dealers and bend over backwards to make us comfortable and successful.  They host a wine reception Friday night for the dealers and I bet the thought we would NEVER leave!  Mom and I talked on the way home about how much work it is to do this show and the time and vacation commitment it takes.  But we both quickly said that it was so very worth it to get to spend time with all the amazing dealers and customers that we have grown to love.  Mark your calendars for the Fall Show...the second weekend in October!

Stuck Between Styles?????

I think I am currently searching for a new style???  I am going to the same places I have always scored big in the past, but just not finding the wonderful pieces or inspiration I used to.  I think maybe my style has changed, or is trying to....and I am searching for it.

I still LOVE the old and unusual.

I will always be attracted to things that remind me of my childhood...like the wonderful old iron beds with cozy linens and quilts that my grandmother's had.

I think I will always have a passion for red.  I heard a designer once say that you should always have something red in a room...no matter how small.

Color in general is appealing to me.  Picking a pallet and creating a room around that is something I love to do.

Maybe a nod to a more french look????

I also love the idea of mixing in industrial.

Some more formal pieces are catching my eye now!

And my country (farmhouse) roots are still there.

I don't know...maybe my style is growing into a great big hodge podge of clutter.  Mixing some formal elements with a farmhouse look...throwing in some french inspiration with a piece of industrial and a great pallet of colors!  Now, if I could just fit in the iron bed...I would have it all!  I will keep looking for my style over the next few months...what inspires you...what makes up your style?

Thank You Donna Summer...

Okay, you will please bear with me as I post an unusual post for me.  Usually I post pictures of vintage finds either at our Antique Mall, a show that we did or inspiration from other dealers.  But today I am taking poetic license and ramble a bit about Donna Summer.  Weird I know!

I was shocked to hear that Donna Summer has passed away from cancer.  I had not even heard that she was sick.  Apparently it was a very well kept secret as most in the industry did not know.  After the initial shock wore off, I was surprised to feel a bit down the rest of the day.  I am not a celebrity worshipper.  I certainly have singers and actors that I enjoy and am a fan of their work....but I would never approach a star for an autograph or even make an attempt to get close.  I have never written a fan letter and don't follow any of them on Twitter.  So I was puzzled why Donna Summer's death had left me feeling so sad.

As her death seemed to weigh heavy on my mind,  I pulled up videos of her on YouTube last night and watched her perform some of my favorite songs.  As I was glued to my computer and kept clicking on the next song, I found tears rolling from my eyes.  REALLY!  After several videos, it finally struck me that I was not necessarily mourning the death of a celebrity, I was in some weird way mourning the  loss of my childhood. 

Every song brought back a flood of memories.  Donna Summer's music was a staple of my high school years.  A time where I had no mortgage payment, was not worried about a 401K and did not have to grocery shop....food was just always in the pantry!  As I listened to Hot Stuff and Bad Girls, my mind raced with memories of my Grand Prix full of friends on a Saturday night, with the windows open and us cruising the roads between the Sonic and Gibson's Parking lot.  These songs blaring on the radio and us dancing and singing to the top of our lungs as we drove.  No worries except scraping together a few bucks for gas.

Last Dance closed out every high school dance!  You were sweating in your polyester clothes and tired from the night of socializing, gossiping and dancing....but you knew this song symbolized the end of the evening.  You quickly grabbed your date, wrapped your hands around their waste and danced slow for just a minute....then Donna would hit her note and the drum would start to pound.  You let go of your date and danced with all you had to that disco beat for the last dance of the evening.

I never really understood the connection that my parents and their generation had with Elvis.  People touring his home, traveling for miles to pay homage on the anniversary of his death....and the passion they held for this man.  I think now I get it.  Elvis represents something for them.  Something innocent, yet daring.  A simpler time, but a rebellion from their parent's values...a coming of age.  His music was new and had a beat that had not been heard before....Elvis' hips and sexual appeal was so daring for his time and the youth flocked to it as a symbol of their independence.  I think this is what Donna Summer was for us.  Her disco beat was new and came at a time when my generation was getting ready to come into adulthood.  We danced to the sounds of her moaning out Love to Love You Baby with reckless abandon...as I am sure our parents were shaking their heads.

I know I have rambled on and on and I am sure to some it seems trite....but I have come to realize that every time I hear a Donna Summer song (until I am 100 years old), my feet will tap, my body will sway and my mind will go back to a carefree and wonderful time in my life.  I will forever be grateful to Donna Summer for giving me this and she will never die as long as her music is played and a generation of polyester wearing, platform shoe dancing adults smile and remember!   Thank you Donna...RIP.