Score! Another Fun Time at the Auction! (11-16-11)

What can I say? I can't resist a great item, especially when I can visualize how perfect it will be for a future show...

I went to the auction yesterday, and in the heat of the excitement, I bought some pretty sizable items. After getting lucky with a darling little wicker loveseat and table, I started getting worried that I might have to just abandon them, for lack of space in my little trusted PT Cruiser... But there was no way I'd give up without trying to get as much as I could cram inside first!

I can't believe I got it all inside!

The "Personal Transport," a versatile little car...

And I gotta say, this car is something else when it comes to carry things! Once again, it did not disappoint. It took me a while, but I was able to fit the following inside:
- white wicker loveseat with cushion
- white wicker table
- pale yellow wooden chair
- wooden child-sized chair with plastic woven seat
- gorgeous designer-brand red vintage-print comforter
- box of vintage Christmas decorations
- box of miscellaneous books abandoned by someone
- damaged blue quilt
- red-colored round accent table
- wicker sewing basket
- box of dishes and sewing supplies
- vintage cream-colored suitcase abandoned by someone
- three-tiered white platter thingie
- grey Pyrex mug
- small wooden shelf
...Not counting my large-sized bag, a picnic blanket, two bath towels, one bottle of water (for radiator leaks), many shopping bags, and a folding stool (in case the urge to sketch were to strike me in a place where I might want to sit)...

Getting Ready for the Next Show (11-15-11)

There is so much to do to get ready for the next show! Once again, I am a vendor at the Plucky Maidens Junk Fest, this coming Saturday, at the McMenamins Grand Lodge in Forest Grove.

A few days ago, I made a trip to the generally excellent Stars Antique Malls in Sellwood. The rust and ragged look had spread like a mold from booth to booth since my last visit. Most everywhere, it was the same fake shabby white stuff, with the same "Paris" plaques and other such decor accents. An innovative look can easily get cliché when everyone does it... I made the decision that my space would be replete with colors, especially reds, a cheerful touch since the weather starts getting really dreadful at this time of the year.

 At Gary's suggestion again, I set up in the studio, to get an idea of what items I could fit in my little 6' x6' space.

A great turkey platter for Thanksgiving

I love the red coffee pots!

The Big Day at Edgefield (08-18-11)

 ...I have Gary to thank for the wise idea to set the entire booth up in the driveway, to see what fits and what doesn't. This saved a lot of time during my booth set up at Edgefield.

We were so busy, I barely had the time to walk the grounds to look at other vendors' booths (consequently, I still don't know what other people sold). My booth was next to Wendy and Ron Brown's Vintage Market. Wendy has beautiful items, and she also has a nice variety of furniture. As for me, haha!, I've been known to get interested in weird stuff, such as the electric fuse box or the headless doll that drew many comments from visitors...

I couldn't have done this without my four children, who all helped in one way or another. On the way there, we took Gary's truck and trailer and my PT Cruiser, and as soon as they were unloaded, Valérie and Christopher turned around to make another trip back to the house and load up again. Julia helped with setting up, she took care of signage, and worked as money changer. Monica helped her brother and sisters take everything down and pack up. Luckily, it took only one trip to get home...

It was an exhausting but fun experience. I must also thank the Plucky Maidens for the great planning, carried out down to the small details, -such as someone walking around passing water bottles to thirsty vendors-, and the lunch provided was perfect.

Preview: My Booth for the Junk Sale (08-17-11)

At Gary's insistence, I set up a "trial" booth in the driveway, to see where everything will fit tomorrow.
Since all the outdoor stuff was spilling out of the gazebo perimeter, it quickly became obvious that I needed a full 10 x 20 space rather than the 10 x 10 I had planned for (luckily, I was able to secure a larger space at the last minute)...

What a huuuuge task! (But it looks so cool!)

Beautiful pictures

SOLD! Large 7 x 9 Red Woven Rug (08-08-11)

This fantastic, sturdy flat-woven rug will brighten and enhance any contemporary decor and would be the perfect in an Ikea-style decor.

Photos show the rug folded halfway due to its large size.
It has been cleaned and was in a smoke-free home.

Approximate dimensions: 7' x 9.'
Price: $45.

SOLD! French-Style Vintage Blue Dresser Looking for Romance (08-05-11)

Too often, the word "vintage" evokes images of beat-up three-legged furniture waiting for a merciful one-way trip to the dump, or rusty garden tools that have seen twenty-or-so seasons too many.

But this little blue dresser is oh, so darling, and so French chic without the froufrou, and so sad you haven't found it yet.

Stylish and functional with five roomy drawers, this dresser will enhance your decor and give it that classy "BCBG -bon chic bon genre-" French-style touch.

You'll love it at first sight, and it'll love you back for many, many years...

Dimensions: 36" x 18" x 34."

Price: $155.

SOLD! Vintage Distressed Maple Cabinet/Dresser (08-04-11)

Vintage Distressed Maple Dresser with a lot of Chic and a dash of Shabby!

This dresser will complement your decor and anchor it with the right vintage-chic touch.
Small compartment with door and three roomy drawers with vintage style brass drawer pulls. Perfect for CDs, toiletries, etc.

Dimensions: 34" x 19.5" x 29."
Price: $80.   

Featured Item: Large Antique Amber-Colored Stained Glass Window (07-22-11)

This absolutely gorgeous antique amber-colored stained glass window will be perfect as a decoration accent in your home.

The amber colored glass is actually one enormous piece of glass held in place by the lead grid. There is a small, nearly invisible crack at the top left, and one at the bottom left.

Approximate dimensions: 29 1/2 W x 39 3/4 H.
Price: $195.

SOLD! Antique Flat Top Victorian Trunk (07-22-11)

A real beauty, and the perfect touch for the shabby chic decor, this lovely trunk was purchased for a pirate who will use it to store her costumes and booty.

Lavish scroll detailing

This black trunk has been retrofitted with a flat top, to be used as a coffee table.
Lots of storage space inside and also has a tray.

Dimensions: 34" x 21" x 22."
Price: $55. 

I'm Gonna Be a Vendor Again! (07-11-11)

Exciting news! I've been selected to be a vendor at the Plucky Maidens Junk Fest at Mc Mennamin's Edgefield in August! Be sure to stop by my booth and say hello!

I've started going through what I can sell, and I got so many great items, it's hard to envision what exactly I have: antique trunks, paintings, framed chalk boards, dressers, chairs, small breakables, clothing... and more.

Roses in Bloom (06-20-11)

...Yeah, and it looks like this will be another year when I am going to forget to cut them... so there will be fewer blooms altogether. Still, so lovely...

Climbing Cécile Brunner in the background

Lovely in Springtime (06-20-11)

Here are some photos of the house at its best, when everything around is in bloom...

SOLD! Practical Artist Easel (05-31-11)

This portable artist easel takes me back to a beautiful carefree summer day in college, when I went to Laurelhurst Park to paint the scenery... I loved how I could simply fold down the easel into a convenient case with a handle and a shoulder strap. I could set it down on a picnic table, or open it into a full-sized adjustable easel with ample storage space, -including a palette and drawer for my brushes and paints,- and paint the peaceful view...

SOLD! Darling Brocade Chaise (02-25-11)

The darling chaise / fainting couch is gone. It was such a cute little piece of furniture; I was a bit sad to see it go, but happy at the same time, since this will make room for other great and unique things to come my way...

SOLD! Lovely Swedish Folk Painting (02-19-11)

On one of my recent buying forays into the world of auctions, I discovered this very beautiful folk painting on burlap.

I knew it was special and wanted to know more about it. So I went to the an event organized by the Scandinavian Heritage Foundation, met some very nice people, and was was pleased to learn that it was a relatively recent (Ahem! Over 50 years) example of Swedish Kurbits painting from the Dalarna region of Sweden.

Most exciting, I found a buyer! We agreed on a fair price and were both pleased, he because he told me that his father was from Dalarna, and I because this beautiful painting went to someone who clearly appreciated it.

Memories... (02-10-11)

Here is the photo taken with Gary's cell phone on the morning of the event... with some old-fashioned retouching.

Post-Show Exhilaration (02-05-11)

What an exhausting fun day!

We got up super-early, and thanks to Gary's prodding, got to the fairgrounds early (if things are left to me, I tend to get distracted and leave too late...). Jennifer Hanson was already there; she had rearranged some things and made some adjustments to our booth. It now looked FANTASTIC!
I wanted to take a photo, so opened my bag to pull out my camera, and with horror and disappointment realized that I had left it at home. All the booths were gorgeous, - mine was absolutely lovely -, and here I was, with nothing to show for it. Not even thinking of using my own phone (and this shows how much I am not a morning person), I ran to Wendy Brown's Vintage Market booth phone to borrow her iPhone to take a couple of photos. Wendy has the most exquisite taste, and her booth, with its hand-painted striped canopy, was regal.

We were very busy all day!
Our booth was full. I was glad I'd decided to upgrade to a 10 x 20' space rather than a 10 x 10. We sold lots of small items, such as dishes, small collectibles, jewelry; the single vintage rubber stamps were a clear crowd-pleaser. In fact, we were so busy, I never got a chance to move the lovely trunks or dressers to the front, or to remove the large rug covering our fashion smart little chaise!

Check out the lovely furniture...

I had a chance to briefly walk around the building, and admired the other vendors' booth, ranging from the elegant to the romantic, and the four small travel trailers that had been brought in as part of the show's displays, all restored and decorated. Gosh, they were just adorable!

The day passed as if in a dream, a blur of people streaming in and out. Jennifer sold a couple of her gorgeous mosaic glass windows, and I could hear Gary, ever the salesman, shamelessly flirting with the customers (I'd laugh to myself, thinking I that really enjoy his sense of humor!).

At some point, a group of very pretty young women came to our booth and did a fashion-like photo shoot of one of them wearing the very elegant orange vintage orange cape on our clothes rack. Unfortunately, I never got a chance to ask them who they were, and where the photos might be posted...

Then it was suddenly all over, and we had to take everything down, and pack up. Our three daughters, Monica-Sophie, Valérie and Julia, showed up unexpectedly and helped load things back on the truck.

All in all, this was a lot of fun, and we can't wait to do it again!

Pre-Show Madness (02-04-11)

We spent all day getting boxes packed and labeled, loaded the rental truck, and due to a few glitches with the rental truck company, we didn't get on our way until after 12 p.m. I was really concerned since we were supposed to be set up and done by 4 p.m.

My friend Jennifer Hanson was already there; she had brought some of her gorgeous windows to sell in our booth, and thanks to her great organization skills and sense of style, we got the booth ready shortly after 4 p.m.

No Ducks and Bunnies Vintage

The building looked ravishingly pretty all set up, with lots of beautiful items, lots of teal, gray-rose, pale yellow accent colors...

I hope people will like the things we have to sell!

Auction finds (01-25-11)

Accompanied by my daughter Monica-Sophie, I went to an old-fashioned auction at an undisclosed location (...). We got so much stuff, I can't believe we got it all to fit on my husband's truck! It was a dicey drive back home, the both of us keeping our eyes on the side mirrors... 

The large shelves will be perfect for Gary's tools, while the beat-up grey bookcase will go in my art studio...

Unpacking the things for the Vintage Flea Market (01-24-11)

I've been unpacking, sorting out and pricing the things I could sell at the Funky Junk Sisters' Junk Salvation Vintage Flea Market.

As you can see, there are a lot of small things! Favorites of mine are that cute round black box with a blue ribbon... and the A clarinet case with the Indian decals (lined with golden brown velvet, it would make a perfect jewelry case)... and also that brown "Mom" embroidered cushion with a heart...
I hope they will find happy new owners!

Small treasures...

Trying to get organized (01-20-11)

...with my two buddies who are determined to try out every surface available.

Maxwell and Minette.

Getting Ready for the Show (01-17-11)

I started pulling things out of storage: cool shoes, lamps, small collectibles, and other items that caught my interest. I am going to look over the furniture in the next few days, to make sure everything is ready for the Big Day.

Lots of nice things.

Felix guards the treasures...

Come Visit at the Junk Salvation Vintage Flea Market! (01-06-11)

A dream come true! I have been selected as a vendor at the Funky Junk Sisters' Junk Salvation Vintage Flea Market in February! I am so excited!

Come visit my booth; I will have nice furniture and other stylish things... The coupon below will get you $1 off the entry fee.