Gilmore Car Museum Flea Market

HOT.

HOT.

HOT.

(94 degrees on set up day) 

SWEATY.

SWEATY.

SWEATY.

(96 degrees on show day)

Hair up. Check.
Deodorant on. Check.
Lots and lots of ice water. Check.

FUN.
FUN.
FUN.

That's the kind of day we had at the Gilmore Car Museum a couple Saturdays ago.

Over 1,000 people came through the gates to oooh and ahhhh over 400 vintage cars, trucks, boats, and campers.

Now...let me tell you...

I'm not normally one of those gals who get all geeked over blingy cars.
I'm not usually impressed with fancy schmancy cars loaded with bells and whistles
that try to make a big statement.

I'm just happy that my SUV starts when I turn the key.

But, I've got to tell you that I had a ball watching all of the really old vintage cars rolling past our booth.
Motors softly put-puttering atop skinny tires.
Horns "wa-hooooga-ing" back and forth.
People in costume waving from rumble seats.
More people in costume riding antique bicycles around the property.
Old Cris Craft boats with their ultra shiny wooden hulls.
Retro music playing over the loudspeaker.
It was so much fun!

If you follow my Facebook page, you know that on that Friday morning at Doster Emporium,

Georgina and I stuffed these two trucks with our goodies to sell,
and took off merrily down the road on a blazingly hot morning.

We arrived nice and early, but I was immediately distracted by a couple of trucks parked close by.
I ooohhed and aaaahhed over them.
I stroked them,
and imagined myself rolling happily down the road hitting all of the flea markets and barn sales in complete boho style.   :)

I ended up buying this fabulous hippy chic truck

because it had my logo on it.

Hey! Get away from MY truck!

Juuuust kidding.

I really bought this one.

I WISH!!

[I've always had a thing for vintage pick up trucks.
Haven't a clue where it comes from,
but I'm totally obsessed.
I'm still kicking myself for not buying my SIL's perfect buttery yellow vintage truck
she had for sale many years ago...]

But we did have a fun day selling treasures to wives who were bored looking at vehicles and heard the flea market bug calling their name.

Here are a few pics of our cute little booth.

We were allowed a 20x30 space for a $10 fee.
Yep....only $10!

We seemed to be spilling over a wee bit,

but didn't have a close neighbor...

so we spraaawled. :)

 We busily got to work setting up before the morning rush,

and created vignettes here and there.

Three of my white end tables - sold.

My Aubusson rug - sold.

My old window box - sold.

Chicken wire cloche - sold.
A few framed pictures - sold.

My round oak table - sold.

Then, halfway through the day,
the "Rug Police" stopped by and informed us that we had to roll up all of our rugs laying on the grass.

Say what???

Since we didn't want to hauled off to be tarred and feathered and put in shackles,
we begrudgingly complied.

This French inspired mirror was transformed in my basement with ASCP in Duck Egg and Old White and distressed a bit back to the original gold.

Dry-brushed vintage frame with a photo of a woman who looks amazingly
like my grandmother did when she was 20 years old
on top of a 
pink folding table I painted with ASCP 'Antoinette' and stenciled a random damask pattern on top with 'Paris Grey' and 'Old White'.

Hmmmm....I'm thinking that Georgina's cute little footstool on the table

may be in need of a makeover at Heaven's Walk.

Lots of vintage jewelry - sold.

Plaid thermos - sold.

Blue & white Delft bowl - sold.

Brass swan - sold.
Some crocheted doilies - sold.

We had a pretty successful day.
Sold a few things.
Drooled over a few trucks.
Waved to a lot people.
Talked to even more people.
Handed out a ton of our business cards.
Didn't get taken to jail.
Drank a gallon of water.
Wished we had gallon of margaritas.
And sweated off about 5 pounds.

It was a fun day spent with my junkin' buddy.

♥

Georgina (from Doster Emporium) on the left and me on the right -- before we sweated our makeup off.

~  Blessings  ~

Sending hugs to all of my new followers!


Linking to the parties on the lower right of my sidebar.
Just click on the buttons!

A Little Florentine

Last Sunday was a successful day at the market.

No, I didn't bring home any fruits or vegetables.

It wasn't that type of market.

I was up at 6am to be in line at 8am for the Allegan Antique Market

which is held every last Sunday of the summer months.

It's located at the fairgrounds and has over 400 vendors.

Lots and lots of treasures.

Lots and lots of buyers.

Lots and lots of fun.

I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw this little gem as I sauntered my way down the second aisle.

It was the first time I've ever seen a piece of Florentine furniture here.

I'm hoping that becomes a trend.  :)

I couldn't grab this little gem fast enough,

and danced happily away with it 

after paying $15.

I just love it!

I also found a few Florentine trays that I couldn't pass by.

The colors were beautifully aged and faded ~

and looked so pretty stacked

on top of the Florentine table.

Another little treasure I brought home was this blingy little candle holder.

I walked by it.

Looked at it.

Picked it up.

Put it back down.

Walked 10 feet.

Turned around and looked back at it.
Ignored the strange stares from nearby vendors.

Walked back to it.

Pulled out $10

and

paid for it.

I'm so glad I did.

Though I'm not quite sure where it will end up hanging...

I'm enjoying adding a little more bohemian feel to the tousled elegance 

here at Heaven's Walk.

(I never really lost my hippy-chic soul, I guess.
Still love my worn, flared jeans,
big, dangle earrings paired with an armful of bracelets,
maxi skirts,
and flip flops.)

My splurge for the day was this beautiful chandelier.

My eyes glazed over when I walked by it.

I think I ran into someone,

tripped over a shopping basket,

knocked over a display,

stepped in someone's lunch,
and ignored more stares from nearby vendors,

(yeah...shopping with me is an experience)

but never missed a step

as my hands reached hungrily for this beauty. 

The wiring on it needs a little TLC,

so I'll be bugging The Husband once again for his expertise ~
or ask him to teach me how to rewire it.  :)

It may end up with a few more crystals that I have stashed away in my basement abyss,

before the big decision is made on where to hang it.

I would love to hang it in the living room above the coffee table.

I don't even care if it's a working light or not.

I just love the look of a chandy in a living room.

But I'm worried that with the room being so small,

it may eat up visual "space".

Do you know what I mean?

This photo was taken earlier this spring.

 

On the other hand,
I'm not sure it's big enough for the space.
There's nothing worse than a too small chandy hanging in the middle of a room.  :)


Or should I hang it over the round wicker table in the corner

and move the candelabra....?

Or in the hallway on the second floor landing to replace the ugly boob light...?

Or.......someplace else....?

Suggestions??

~ Blessings ~

PS ~ My friend, Georgina (remember her from Doster Emporium where I have my booth?) and I will be vendors at the Gilmore Car Museum/Swap Meet & Flea Market this week Saturday!  

 There will be thousands of cars, vintage boats & campers from all eras, cars for sale,

swap vendors, flea market vendors, door prizes, and museum exhibits. It is a judged show and a People's Choice Show.  www.GilmoreCarMuseum.org

Stop by and do some shopping! 

I promise you'll love the treasures I'll be selling!  :)

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Click on the buttons for more summertime fun!

A Closer Look

I'm joining Kathleen at Faded Charm today for White Wedneday! 

Hope to see you over there!

If you remember my post from this past Met Monday where I shared my latest flea markets finds with you,

I was naughty.

I left you all hanging.

Such a big meanie, I am.

Sorry. (hehehe!)

Well, fear not.  I'm here to make nice.

Remember this birdcage that I got for free?

A nice lady threw it in with another purchase I made?

And you didn't know what purchase that was?

And it was my biggest (literally) purchase of the day?

(It was verry French looking, I might add.)

This is what I carted home hanging out the back of my SUV.

Well.....it was a little more than this, I guess.

And a little more than this....

And a tad more than this.

Oh, yes.  Lovely, isn't she?

In fact, Debbie and I BOTH took one of these beauties home with us.  

You should have seen our faces when we spotted them - 

behind my free birdcage that was sitting on a little table.

I had my eye on the sweet little birdcage.

I failed to see the beautiful panels right in front of my face, behind the birdcage.

I started bartering for the birdcage.

But....then.....we noticed the panels.

Our chins dropped to the floor....

our eyes got as big as saucers....

and we did this strange, zombie, trance-like walk, side by side, over to them for a closer look at the price -- thinking there was no way we could afford them, 

much less get them home in one piece.

"Forty dollars a piece", the nice lady said. 

Our saucered eyes and now-drooling chins turned toward each other in awe and amazement.

"Forty?............That's it?" 

we whispered in quiet unison.

"Yes!" she sweetly replied with a huge grin on her face.

She must have thought we were a couple of nutjobs. 

I'm surprised that we didn't scare her darling little daughter who was there with her.

(She's probably still having nightmares about the look on our faces...)

Well, we couldn't get our last dollars out of our pockets quick enough.

We practically skipped out of that building...

well....as well as we could carrying two 50 pound wooden tri-panels 

and a birdcage.

It was soooo worth a closer look, wouldn't you say?

If you want a look at Debbie's panels in her lovely cottage, be sure to skip over and see her here!

Blessings and { hugs } to you!

~ laurie

Heaven's Walk Welcomes House at the Lake!

Good morning, sweet friends!

I am so very excited today I can't sit still!
Kinda like a kid at Christmas.

Not that I've been sitting still over the past few days, because I've been a busy busy busy

gal preparing for weekend guests here at Heaven's Walk. 

Cleaning, dusting, polishing, painting...whew! 

Hosting overnight guests is always a good reason do get those little chores done that always end up on the back burner, ya know? A little prodding and promises directed hubby's way and miraculously - things start to happen. (*wink)

My friend, my 'sister', Debbie from houseatthelake.blogspot.com,

(you have visited her blog, haven't you? It's sweet and cozy and totally Debbie!)

is driving down from the north with her hubby to visit my southern part of Michigan to kick back with my hubby and me. We've known each other for about 30 years, 

but haven't seen each other in over 10 years.
How could we not be sisters after all that time?

This, dear friends, will be emotional....I guarantee it. The hubs will stand back and roll their eyes and shake their heads and comment how dorky we are while we squeal with delight, hug and kiss and hug some more.
I can hardly wait!

After a tour of our grand, old, much-loved home and gardens, we'll all be imbibing  

(is that a word...?) 

in a couple bottles of Heaven's Walk homemade "Fat Cat-Happy Dog" wine on the deck (or front porch if the promised rain makes an unwelcomed appearance),
but guess guess guess what else we'll be doing.....?

We're headed off very early Sunday morning (rain or shine!) to a local flea/antique market that is only held once a month. Four hundred vendors will be waiting for us! Yeah, four hundred! Talk about eye candy. Soul candy. Vintage treasure candy! Total Retail Therapy! Does it get any better than this???!!

(Cue: more squealing!)

(Yes, I promise I'll share with you all the treasures that I just can't leave behind.  And I'm sure that Debbie will be blogging about her goodies, too!)

We're going to wander and drool and obsess and buy vintage treasures til the cows come home and we can't squeeze any more into my little SUV.

(Ummmm....on second thought....maybe we should take hubby's truck...)

So.....preparations have been made for our beloved overnight guests.

 The guest room has been primped, starched, fluffed and made cozy for them.

And yes, you recognize my 'Sea Isle' rocker from the front porch, don't you?

You'll have to stay tuned for a future post on how she ended up in the guest room!  

 Fresh, sweet lavender and hydrangea is on the nightstand because I know how much Debbie loves them.

Fluffy towels, bath supplies, 'Beach Mist' shampoo and lotion I nabbed from our vacation spot in Florida this past spring, and a pink mesh bag full of seashells all nestled into a wicker basket to make them feel welcome.

Mmmmm....there's just nothing better in life than to climb into a bed smelling of lavender and sheets fresh from the clothesline.

A vintage family Bible passed on to us by hubby's dear mother sits next to beach and lake magazines to curl up with in bed.

 I pray that they both feel welcomed and loved and we have a memorable weekend of fun, fellowship, and laughter....oh, and a lot of treasure-gathering - which I promise will be followed by a lot of blogging by Debbie and me.

 So, hey....if you're ever in the neighborhood,
just remember that there's always a cozy bed with plump pillows, warm duvet,
and fresh lavender waiting for you at Heaven's Walk, friend!

 Hugs to you

~ laurie

A Beach House in the Country....?

Okay....I know you're thinking "What's up with THAT? How can you have a beach house in the country? What planet is she from, anyway?" Well, I am a beach-baby through and through. It runs through my veins, I swear. I grew up spending idyllic summers in my grandparent's big old cottage on Lake Michigan. Spending day after day making sandcastles on the beach, learning how to swim in the cold, clear water, collecting ladybugs in Coke bottles, and running down Mt. Baldy - the biggest, baddest dune there ever was - trying not to fall head over heels with a mouthful of sand before I hit the bottom. At day's end, I would be tucked into a big brass bed covered with grandma's homemade quilts and be lulled to sleep by the comforting sound of the waves rolling onto shore. You couldn't ask for more perfect summers...

When I married my hubby, we lived on a inland lake for 25 years. Boating, swimming, and fishing the summers away, and cozily huddled up in our cottage during the winter months - anxiously waiting for spring's return so he could put the pontoon back in the water and I could begin working in the extensive flower gardens that circled the house and shed.
Well.....we somehow found ourselves this grand old 1895 farmhouse in the middle of 12 acres of land a few years ago. I think we needed someplace we could spread our wings a little and were just ready for a change. We were seeking privacy and a little more peace and quiet, I think. When we woke in our farmhouse the first morning after the big move, hubby looked around the bedroom and stated, "I feel like I'm waking up in a Bed & Breakfast Inn." After that, we decided that we certainly needed to name this grand old dame.

A beautiful watercolor painting, created by a friend of ours on the lake (who, by the way, could be Kenny Roger's twin!), was given to me by my hubby one Christmas years ago and we hung it in our kitchen. It showed a winter scene of all of our dogs - past and present - walking along a snowy creek surrounded by pines. Two figures (hubby and I) can be seen walking behind them all in the distance. He had named it "Heaven's Walk". Needless to say, when I opened that up that Christmas morning....well, we won't talk about what a blubbering fool I became.....

That painting became the inspiration for our beach house in the country.

Ok. I know you're still wondering about the 'beach house' part. Seriously, I am getting to it.....

Before moving in to this house, I painted. Feverishly. Everything HAD to be the creamy white that I had grown to love over the years. I quickly slapped it over the burgandy walls in the living room. Next it went over the wallpaper in the study (yup - right over that wallpaper). And a lemon yellow bedroom became a soft white walk-in closet. (Yes, I own waaay too many clothes, but that's another story.)

After living with a 'shabby vintage flea market' style for a couple years, I found myself really missing the beachy feel we had in our lake house. One day, as I opened the second story windows to let in the fresh morning breeze, I found myself looking through the treetops to the nearby lake. It sparkled in the sunshine; shimmering in the breeze. It looked so close! Just like I was at the beach! (Well, almost....)
Yup. I had a revelation. Why couldn't I incorporate my beach theme into this house? We lived 3 minutes away from 4 different lakes! Hubby thought I was nuts, but I didn't care. I was obsessed.

And needless to say, my decorating bug took hold....and "Heaven's Walk" was born.

Now that I've told you a little more of who I am and what a dork I can be, I'd love to share with you the journey this house took me on during her transformation. She is a work in progress.....but aren't we all? :)

Blessings on a great day!

~Laurie