Hippy Chic and Naked Mannequins

The first local antique market of the season opened up today.

Considering the long, cold winter and

long, cold spring we've had here in Michigan,

I vowed that I was NOT going to go if it was cold....or rainy....or snowing for that matter.
No way, Jose.

The day dawned cold.

Like 40 degrees.

But it wasn't raining...or snowing.

So after rolling out of bed at 6am, 

I pulled on jeans, tee, heavy wool winter sweater,

woolly socks and tall boots,

grabbed a cup of hot, sweet coffee and headed out the door into the dark morning ~

leaving the Mister all snuggled up in bed with Maizie.

A half hour later after I pulled into a parking spot in the field and started walking toward the market,

it started to rain.
Not much, but enough to be irritating and turn a good hair day into a very bad one.

Oh....and did I mention it was blowing?
Really blowing.

Like blowing hard enough to flip my umbrella

(which had been tucked into my purse as an afterthought)

inside out?

Yeah.

It was blowing hard...and raining.

NIIIICE.

And the Mister was back home all cuddled in a nice warm bed...

You could have heard my moan of despair all the way to Wisconsin, I think.

So, there I was...battling not only my bad hair whipping around my head like a wild banshee,

but standing in the rain in midst of a wet, windblown crowd shaking my umbrella like a crazy woman trying to get it right side out again.

What FUN.

But...being the die hard shopper my momma brought me up to be,

I forged ahead with my shopping radar tuned on high.

The rain did stop after a while,
(thank you, Lord!)

but the winds screamed around the booths threatening to pick up the canopies
and swirl them away like Mary Poppins.
I really think I saw a cow blow by me at one point...
(or maybe it was one of those large metal sheep that one guy makes?).

I made my way past women wrapped tightly in a colorful quilts over their winter coats and hats,

and men with pink blankets around their shivering shoulders

attempting to stay warm however they could.
(Real men DO wear pink blankets, you know.)

I stared in disbelief at a crazy man in shorts (shorts....really?)

 taking photos of a bare naked mannequin

in all her cold, busty glory.
(Oh, I can just imagine the story HE was going to share with his buddies over Friday night beers.)

I sauntered slowly past the food trailers inhaling the spicy aroma of fried onions and sausages,

my stomach growling in dismay.
There was no way I was going to spend my money on food.
(Get over it, Stomach.)

My first purchase, appropriately enough,

was a queen quilt and sham set.

In perfect condition and softly worn.

 I hugged it to my chest 

and seriously considered becoming a blanket mummy like everyone else.
But at least the front of me was warm.

I continued walking...

a stuffed squirrel and deer antlers,

huge wooden vintage market signs,

wicker furniture galore,

rusty hinges and antique glassware,

painted and distressed cabinets and tables,

and garden trinkets

lined the aisles.

 Escaping the howling wind for a while, I ducked inside one of the buildings,

walking past walls of paintings, mounds of jewelry, and a pile of rugs.

A pile of rugs???
Whoa.

I stopped dead in my tracks when my eyes landed on this beauty

half falling off of a table.

It was small.  Only a 2'x3', but so beautifully worn with it's faded blues and pale pinks.
I knew instantly that it would make a beautiful pillow cover.
(Do they even make strong enough sewing machine needles to do that...?)

I also nabbed this rug off the same table for our kitchen ~

also wonderfully worn and threadbare in spots.

At a nearby booth manned by a cool, chic, hippy gal with carrot colored hair,

I spied this knife set, complete with cheese knife and cake slicer.

It was love at first sight when I touched those handles.

Beautiful, shabby chic, porcelain...

made in England nonetheless.

Hippy Chic gave me a great deal on them.
I could have hugged her!

I happily stuffed them in my bag.

I wandered through the throngs of half frozen blanketed people

(who were all mumbling about the miserable weather),

and almost stumbled over this sweet blue bench

sitting in the middle of the aisle.

All by itself.

It was destiny.

I picked it up and turned to find the booth owner

who seemingly appeared out of nowhere ~

which can be quite unnerving when shopping with an iced brain and contact lenses full of blowing dirt.

The tag on it said $15.

After squinting my eyes and asking my usual.... 
"Can you do any better on the price...?",

he replied, 
"How about $5?"

I think I shoved my $5 dollar bill down his shirt in utter joy

and danced away singing the "Hallelujah Chorus".

Yes, I was the crazy, wild haired banshee woman you saw singing her way down the windy road.

Three hours later,

I still couldn't feel my fingers or my nose, and I was ready to hit the road.
I was ready to leave the land of the frozen Blanket Mummies behind.

My sofa, cozy new quilt, and nice warm house were calling me.

So, I started back to the field where my SUV was parked.

Until.....

until....

until....

my radar zeroed in on THIS little treasure.

Oh. My. Gosh.

My feet were planted squarely in front of her.
I wasn't moving for anybody.
She was mine.

I swooned over the thin, worn, rose patterned fabric on her.

I loved her pink chippy legs.

I adored the way someone had tried to lovingly hand stitch the vintage fabric back together,
patching the holes with muslin.

I stared.
Mesmerized.
In love.

I touched the stitches and ran my hand over the thin, lineny fabric.
There was definitely horse hair under there,
which in my mind, made this little beauty quite old ~
and I loved the thought of having a little horse hair in the house.
(Strange, but true.)

But.....where to put her??
What room?
What corner?
What place....?
There had to be SOMEPLACE for her to fit in my house.

"That fabric is very vintage and very rare.
I can't remember the name of it, but Google it and you'll see.
Oh....and I can do better on the price, you know."

I looked up to see Cool Hippy Chic smiling in front of me.

"How much better....?", I tentatively asked,
not taking my eyes off of her
{the bench, not the Chic}.
The price had originally been $48,
cut to $35.

"Oh.....how does $20 sound?"

For 20 bucks, I'd wear her around my neck if I had to
{the bench, not the Chic}.

I quickly paid Hippy Chic before she changed her mind and went on my merry way.

And wouldn't you know it,
by the time I got home....
the sun was shining.

Go figure.

So, Rare Vintage Rose Bench is now happily living in our vintage farmhouse,
(which room however, remains to be seen)
and I'll be looking for more of Cool Hippy Chic's wonderful treasures next month.

Now...where to put her......?
{the bench, not the Chic}

Thus ends the first seasonal installment of "Blanket Mummies of Allegan".
Stay tuned for next month when I may bring you
"Drowned Banshee Rats Raid Allegan"
or maybe even
"Sweaty Banshee Poses With Naked Mannequins in Allegan".

In Michigan,
 you never can tell.


~  Eucharisteo  ~

Linking to the linky parties on the lower right of my sidebar.

Kitchen Sideboard

As much as I flipped head over heels when I discovered a frantel for my kitchen a few years ago
at the antique market
and still love it dearly to this day
and will never ever get rid of it...

I heard the angels singing again when I walked past this sweet shabby chic sideboard
at the antique market last month.

[cue chorus......
Laaaaaaaaa!!]

Doing a quick double-take
while backing up as fast as my feet could take me without tripping and falling flat on my bum ~

I walked up to her,
stroked her smooth painted surface,
pulled her drawers open and shut,
peeked inside her cupboard doors,
and admired her curvy legs.

I felt my eyes glaze over...

and I sighed.

There was a lot of space for dishes, and linens, and silverware, and candles.
She was beautifully worn all in the right places.
She was equipped with all four of her original casters.

I knew she was coming home with me.

After chewing the vendor down to an amount that was much easier to swallow,
I couldn't wait to get home to see how this sweet sideboard looked in my kitchen
topped with flowers and paintings and pretty blue goblets.

A few Italian Florentine floral pieces I bought for $4 each
found their way into the vignette.

Another vintage find was this benediction which now rests on the mantel above our bed.

Back to sighing over the sideboard...

splashed with morning sunlight.

I had some rose prints left over that hadn't been pinned up yet,
and after looking at that big blank wall behind the sideboard,
I thought I'd try something.

"Oh....yes," my heart whispered.

And I sighed again.

~  Blessings  ~

[I am currently working on a project that I think you may like to participate in!
Should be ready in about a week.
Stay tuned!]


Linking to the linky parties on the lower right of my sidebar.

A Bit of Blue

Blues, purples, and lavender are blooming at Heaven's Walk.

Not only out in the gardens, 

but inside as well.

There just something about mixing those deep, magical colors 

with blush pink that sweeps me off my feet.

Delphiniums, roses, and fluffy little carnations

plunked into a French body pitcher.

I think this is my favorite mix of flowers yet.

Pale pinks create a serene still-life on the living room fireplace mantel.

A whisper of lavender on the vase grounds it.

New iridescent blue Carnival glasses were discovered at a cold, rainy antique market this past weekend.

Shimmery purple and deep green seemingly glow from within the azure blue.

There just seems to be something very gypsy-like about these glasses.

When placed in rooms, the color blue adds depth and interest.

Two additional sconces (just like the ones I brought home last month)

were purchased from a dear friend, Michelle at reimagined just for you.

She was kind enough to sell me two more.

A German luster mug and small rose bowl were added to my small collection.

A pretty blue needlepoint canvas piece was purchased for only $9.50.

It may become a pillow.

It may just add texture and interest to vignettes...

One of the sconces was hung in the guest room.

The second one will replace the outdoor light that currently resides in my bath.

A bit of blue and a bit of bling.

It's always a good thing.

~  Blessings ~

Linking to the linky parties on the lower right of my sidebar.

Simple Summer Elegance

A couple weeks ago, under an absolutely beautiful blue sky and perfect temperatures,
I shopped
and shopped
and shopped ~
making it through the Allegan Antique Market three times
and discovering new goodies each trip through.

I have learned to be very particular with what I purchase.
It must speak to me in a special whisper.
The colors must be perfect.
And I must know exactly how I'm going to use it
or where it's going to be placed.

[Which may explain why you may find me standing in a vendor's booth,
staring at a treasure in my hand,
and looking like I've lost my marbles.]

When I set my specifically chosen purchases on my workbench to take this photo,
my eyes were delighted at what they saw.
A simple vignette that made my heart sing in an opera voice...
"Laaaaaa!"

Rose covered china pieces, a wooden sap bucket,
a Turkish prayer rug in perfect shabby chic colors,
and two pristine vintage brass sconces with beautiful crystals.

The sconces Michelle at reimagined just for you (who has a beautiful booth there each month),
sold to me were my favorite purchases of the day.
I love them so much that I'm going to nab two more from her at the next market.
I know exactly where I'm going to put them,
There are a couple walls just crying out for some.

These pillows were a fabulous find.
Elegant and oh so shabby chic.
The floral one in the front is actually filled with buckwheat hulls.

It amazed me how one small, sweet sconce can make such a huge impact on a wall.

I love it in the kitchen next to the frantel.

Simple summertime elegance...

Well, I'm off to make more dream catchers and fill more orders!
If you follow me on Facebook, you can see the latest one I just introduced to my collection.

And there is another new one that has been weaving itself softly through my mind
that I will be creating soon...  :)

~  Blessings ~

Linking to the linky parties on the lower right of my sidebar!

Little Pink Table

I have a "thing" for pink.

I also have a "thing" for pink and chippy.

Put them together 

and

I...am...in...pig pink...heaven.

So, when I wandered by this adorable vintage table at the antique market last month,

I stopped mid-stride.

(If you've ever shopped with me, you know that I do that quite often.)

Causing people behind me ram into each other like dominoes because of my sudden stops

is a very normal occurrence in my life ~ 

especially when treasure hunting.

(Unless, of course, I'm diving headfirst toward something, and that's whole 'nother story.)

As I deliriously walked around and around this little, pink chippy sweetness, 

she was singing my name ~ loud and clear.

She needed me and I needed her.

We were meant to be together.

I needed to see that perfect chippiness in Heaven's Walk.

So, while the throng of scattered people behind me picked themselves up off the ground...

(Hmmm...I can see this as a great diversion tactic in the future....)

I decided that I just had to take her home with me

(despite the fact of some unsuccessful bartering.)

She was covered haphazardly in original chipped, distressed layers of a delicious pale pink and creamy white
over a layer of vintage green.
She had knots, cracks, worn corners, and splits.
Perfect imperfection in my world.

Upon my arrival at home, and after giving her a good scrubbing,
I lugged the round, grey wicker table...
(see her there in the corner?)

out to a new home on the front porch.

and introduced Little Prairie Pink Table to her new one.

She looked like she had always belonged there.

*Sigh*

When I placed the vintage rose pitcher on her 

(that also found a new home with me),

and filled it with stock in the most beautiful pale lavender color ~

a soft, quiet vignette bloomed in front of me.

Silver hearts: RASCC

Vintage lilac millinery crown: Rachel Pallas

Can you spell  L.O.V.E....?

Yep.
I love you,
sweet little chippy pink table.

~  Chippy, Pink Blessings  ~

Linking to the linky parties on the lower right of my sidebar!