Tuesday, August 30, 2011

You bless me...



You bless me.

Totally.
Deeply.
Incredibly.

How can I thank you for sending so much love and so many prayers my way this past week after I said goodbye to my sweet little Toby?

I hope you know how much each and every comment meant to me.
I hope you know how much I wanted to give each of you a hug of sisterly gratitude.

Do you know how brightly you shone the love of Jesus Christ into my tearful world
with your words, your hugs, your stories, and your prayers?

You did.

And it was a complete comfort.

I sank into it,
wrapped myself up in it ~

and felt so very grateful for you.

Thank you
from the bottom of my heart...




I was so thankful that preparing for my first time vendor experience at the Allegan Antique Market kept me and my mind busy last week.

It was a crazy busy week.

Tagging treasures, finishing up painting some items,
gathering up survival supplies to take with us,
cleaning and floofing the house before Debbie arrived ~
and then hauling all of the merchandise up from the basement to the garage.


Debbie and I were ready to go at 11am on Saturday.
Pam was working at a horse show that day, 
and Mr. Lakehouse couldn't get the day off from work.
So, Hubby and Pam's hubby {we'll call him Mr. Pam} 
helped us load up the horse trailer
and off we went.


For a few miles, anyway.....

until this happened.


{Mr. Pam lug-wrenching and Hubby jacking.}

One hour and one new tire later...
 we were on our way again. 

After finding our assigned spot and after a lot of miscalculating, 
recalculating,
grunting and groaning,
sweaty armpits,
dusty feet,
and a few grumbled "I hope this is going to be worth it...."
 ~
the canopy was up,
tables placed,
and the merchandise unloaded,

Debbie and I found ourselves
staring at...

this.






Oh, good gravy.
Where to begin....???

But we dug in and the "Floofing Fairy" just took over
in both of us.

As we worked, I saw some beautiful vignettes starting to take shape
and other vendors wandered in just to look at what we were doing.
(Debbie worked some real magic, I tell you.)

So, sit back and take a stroll through our booth...



{A last minute yard sale find made pretty for the market - that I wish I would have kept!}


{Our booth smelled absolutely heavenly from Debbie's lavender bundles.}












{My apothecary bottles and pots.}






{Debbie's beautiful pillows.}





{Pam's violin made even more beautiful with a little tulle.}





{This table was dedicated to all things by the sea...}



{Our farmhouse table.}








{An old desk reborn with Annie Sloan chalk paint, distressed with my new palm sander, and texture spray painted vintage pulls made for a beautiful vignette with Pam's old typewriter.}











{Nothing better than ironstone and lavender sachets.}






{I sanded the blue and gold eagle off that old crock and added a little French love to it.}






{Debbie relaxing with a friendly buyer....on my new settee which will replace the chaise on our deck - after a new coat of white paint and drop cloth pillowslips, of course.}


{Me, Pam & Debbie}


It was an exhausting weekend,
[realllly exhausting]
but it was so much fun greeting our customers,
sharing stories and laughs,
and connecting with some new blog friends, as well!

We want to thank you, fellow bloggers,
for stopping by and introducing yourselves to us.
We were so thrilled to meet you!
[A special 'hello!' to Tracey at Great Flower Lady!]
We only wish that we could have spent more time getting to know you ~
but Heaven's Walk booth was so busy,
we were just hopping!

We did get a chance to shop a little Saturday night after setting up
which was a ball! 
There was a block-party type atmosphere at the market while vendors were unloading and floofing their booths.
Deb and I nabbed a few really special treasures.

I'll share mine with you soon!


{ Tired but happy hugs }




[Linking with the wonderful parties at the lower right of my sidebar.
Click on the buttons and meet some new friends!]

39 comments:

  1. I am glad it was worth all your hard work, Laurie, you had such pretty items! xo

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  2. Laurie,
    Your booth is awesome!! So many pretty things...no wonder your booth was so busy!! Glad it was a good show for you guys.
    hugs,
    Cindy

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  3. Ohhh, I'm glad the show was a big success! Your booth looks great, Laurie. All of the different vignettes came together so nicely. I love those bottles that you made :)

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  4. Laurie, What a beautiful testimony of how God used blogland to help lift your spirits. He is such a loving Father.

    And wow...you pulled it off gal! Everything looks so wonderful! And I love the crock you did, and your apothecary bottles!! Fabulous!

    You all make a great team, and I'm so glad that you had a successful selling spree!

    Have a delightful week!
    Hugs,
    Becky

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  5. It all looks so beautiful! You did an amazing job!
    Faye

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  6. So glad you had a good show. Everything looked great. Thanks for sharing your beautiful photos.

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  7. That looks so great !!..i hope you feeling a little bit better !!.....love form me....xxx...

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  8. I'm delighted to have discovered your Beautiful Blog this Evening... your Photos are amazing and what a great space you had, your Gift for making fabulous vignettes is evident! So much eye candy I could wander around shopping for hours surrounded by all that visual inspiration!

    Blessings from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian

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  9. Oh what a space you created with your pickin' cool items! Makes one want to buy it all! Get some rest and come on back to show us your newest finds!

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  10. BOY you did sell a ton!! you did not have all that when I stopped by~ was so glad to to meet you! I really want to meet in Plainwell and do lunch. Let's plan on it when wedding season slows down.. TTYL

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  11. Oh my goodness...you have such an amazing style. I found something I wanted in EVERY picture!!! I only wish I could have been there to buy. Maybe someday...
    Blessings & Hugs,
    Karen

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  12. Wow...what an amazing display of goodies! Your vignettes were stunning and so well planned. Loved looking at all of your creations...great job~

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  13. LAURA, I WOULD LOVE SOME OF THOSE PRETTY THINGS, WISH I COULD COME ALONG. DO ME A FAVOR PLEASE, HUG DEBBIE, A BIG SQUEEZY HUG FROM ME. SHE'S A GIFT. SMILES, SUSIE

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  14. Glad you all had a fun time and everything looks good! So, so glad you didn't have to change that flat tire by yourselves.
    Love the set ups and hope you sold most of your stock before heading home.

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  15. Wow! It all looks so fabulous! All your hard work was worth it. Loved seeing the before picture and then the transformation. Hope you sold everything!

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  16. Love the booth! Looks great! WOW -- you had so much stuff! XOXO

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  17. I am so glad that it went so well, everything looked gorgeous!!! I love the pic of Debbie and that nice man. :) I hope you are resting a bit this week girlie, you deserve it!
    Hugs!
    xoxo

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  18. Sweet Laurie I am so sorry for your loss. I wish I could give you a hug and sit on your porch with tea and scones(that I would bring to you). Our lil fur babies love us unconditionally which makes it that much harder to see them go. I have not lost a pet in my older age yet, so I don't know what it is like. I do know that I think about my sweet Bella one day leaving me and I cry. Oh dear, It will hurt. I hope as the days go on your sorrow will become less. Your booth is just dreamy!!! I want that 'by the sea' sign! I also love the tiny 'dream' sign too. I sure wish I could come by and visit and shop at Heavens Walk! I will be setting up my Seawashed booth this Friday, but it will be a tiny space...nothing like yours. If we lived near each other I would ask if I could set up a tiny table of Seawashed art in your Heavens Walk booth. Wouldn't that be fun? I am sorry I have not been around as much. I've needed to spend more time elsewhere and also let my shoulder heal. I think of you daily. Love you my friend, Kerrie

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  19. Hi Laurie!
    Oh my...the booth looks absolutely wonderful!
    I'm going back to take another peek so I don't miss a single detail!

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  20. What a LOVely booth. You have so many great pieces. I am doing my first flea market in October and booths just like yours are always so inspiring! Have a LOVely day!

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  21. Oh Laurie, it reminds me the day I was off to Alameda in San Francisco...8 hour drive and on my way the axle broke on my trailer! UUGGHH...what a day..my wonderful husband rescued me and had me back on the road 8 hours later. It took me 16 hours to get there...it was totally exhausting...but I had a blast!
    Your booth turned out wonderful!!
    Just wait...you will be craving...when your next market will be!!!
    xoxokathee

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  22. WOW, Heavens Walk is beautiful. Good job and I know in the long run you enjoyed it all. Love the relax sign. I know you needed to relax after all the effort it took to put a lovely show together.
    Lovely!!!
    xo Jeanne

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  23. What a lovely booth but soooo far away from me...wish I could have come and had a mooch...looked great...I love the relax sign too...glad it took your mind off things for a while...
    Love Gail x

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  24. its amazing how the Lord works. giving you something to keep your mind going, and hands moving. He always knows what we need. the booth looks beautiful. i have a booth in an antique mall here where i live, and i enjoyed seeing so many ideas to display treasures your booth. take care.
    blessings,
    aimee

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  25. I am a true believer in Our Lord and Saviour and I always count my Blessings each and everyday , I thank Him and I ask for others to recieve His Blessings and make life easier for each one . I found you by fluke yesterday (no Fluke , God placed you on my laptop), and I just wanted to thank you for sharing your life and heart with each of us . Im a new Blogger and I too just want to share a piece of Gods Love with everyone who allows me to on here. Im so sorry for your loss of Toby . I know your pain and I know it's just not easy to say goodbye to those little ones who were part of our life for only a short while . My prayers for your hurt and loss .
    I so much loved your booth and what all there was in it . My only wish was to be able to visit it . Im only a state away .. (a Buckeye) and for now , I will just have to enjoy your 'special things' on here . God Bless , CindyKay

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  26. Laurie!!
    How beautiful everything turned out! so perfectly imperfect :) Laurie you and Debbie really pulled it off and staged your booth at the event to really be proud of, I love, love, love it!!!
    I am sure you did great, the first of many to come.

    See you soon!
    xoxo
    Dore

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  27. Your things are so beautiful it's hard to take it all in!

    I would be delighted if you would link to my Potpourri Friday Party which started this afternoon. It would just make my day!

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  28. Hi sweetie!

    I'm stopping back by to say thank you for linking to Potpourri Friday and helping to make it a success! I appreciate you, my friend! Hope you will plan to come back again next week.

    And I'm still trying to take in the beauty of all the wonderful things you had in your booth! Would love to shop with you!

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  29. Hooray for you all!! Your booth looked fabulous. I am so happy for you getting to do something like this that I know you enjoy so much. Bravo!!

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  30. Great that it all turned out well for you. Your booth looked amazing! Thanks for sharing with us at BC Good Life Wednesdays.

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  31. I love how you decorated your booth. So many wonderful items.

    Dee

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  32. Very nice booth. And a nice piece for you to take home. Glad you had fun with it, and sorry about the tire....
    Hugs,
    Ellen

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  33. Hi Laurie, Your space turned out so wonderful, all your special creations and displays. the desk is such a gorgeous color, hope someone grabbed it and took it home. Hope you're doing better this week, staying busy after losing one of our little buddies really helps. Thanks for always linking up your wonderful posts and ideas to VIF, you always bless me! xoxo Debra

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  34. Laurie,
    I am so sorry for the loss of your sweet pet. I still miss my childhood pet, he was sweetie. Your booth is amazing! Love the seashell garland! Great job on your vignettes!
    Thanks for joining me at HSH!
    Sherry

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  35. You gals sure know how to set a scene. So sorry to hear about Toby.

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  36. Oh my gosh--I am speechless--this is all total perfection--pure dreaminess, Laurie!!!

    And I am sorry to hear about Toby...Big (((hugs))) to you.
    XO
    Cindy

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  37. Hi Laurie, Congrats! Oh, you and Debbie did a gorgeous job with your booth! So glad you have joined in the flea market fun and selling!
    Isn't it just so much fun?!! Your booth looks just fabulous. Wish I was there to shop and visit! Hope you sold lots too!
    Hope you are doing okay. So sorry to hear about Toby. I'm sure the show was a helpful distraction.
    You are loved in blogland!
    ~ Julie

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  38. Hi Laurie, just a small note, Since I did not find your blog button, I created one from your header image. Please visit my blog's sidebar to see if that is fine with you or I shall replace any image with it, as you like it :)

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  39. Laurie,
    Such lovely shots! I could've spent 10 minutes looking at the details of each one of them!
    Wish I could've seen it in person!
    Becca

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Bless you and thank you for visiting! I read each of your comments and treasure them all. So, please make sure your settings will accept emails, or leave your email address so that I can reply! ♥ Laurie