2013 Austin Junk Salvation Show

This was year 2 of the Funky Junk Sister's Junk Salvation show outside of Austin. Last year, I hit the J. Lorraine Ghost Town show site just before heading to the Travis County Expo Center to work the Country Living Fair with Karen and her crew. I was relieved that she was in the air-conditioned arena, because it was super hot. It was just as hot this year as it was last year! Yesterday Austin broke the record high of 95, and if that weren't enough, the humidity was close to 100%. I got there as the show was opening and managed to get out of there before it got too terribly hot...there isn't much shade at the old ghost town. 

Despite the heat, the show was packed with shoppers and filled with cool finds. I am always amazed at the creativity and talent of others when it comes to repurposing or redesigning vintage items. I might have been gawking at the sheer genius that is Debra King-Isaacs. Her tent was oozing with talent - she paints and bejewels old drawers, milk jugs, wooden boxes, and even metal buckets with her romantic designs and antique broaches.  

Even better than those beauties were the old cow bells - these are hard to find, and Debra turned them into eclectic showstopping pieces that would make any farm girl drool. 

These aren't the kind of bells you attach to a cow or take to the high school football game!

I look forward to seeing I Love Indigo's merchandise at Austin-area shows since she is out of Round Rock.

Another super-talented lady is Nicole from Revised by Co-Co's Creations.
She has great jewelry as well as display pieces. 

 

This year I finally met Billie of All in White; I first saw her goods at this show last year and wrote about her in last year's post. It turned out that we are neighbors, living within a mile of one another, but I didn't met her until this year's show. I hope it doesn't take another year for us to meet again!

 

 

How sweet is that little toddler bed?! Billie said she found it on Craigslist! 

White wasn't just at Billie's booth; here is a shot of all the white at the show -
which is only fitting, as the site is an old ghost town. 

Next up is Lisa from The Garden Cat. I've seen Lisa at several shows before, most recently when I was a vendor and she was a shopper at the Barn Sale in Gonzalez this past fall. It was great to catch up with her and learn more about her connection to the Junk Salvation shows in the Northwest. Lisa is probably one of the only vendors who has sold at both the NW shows and the Austin one! Read more about her story on her blog, Peace, Love, and All the Good Stuff.   

 

 

 

 

Well, I take that back...Naomi from Heirloom Vintage has also shown at the Portland Junk Salvation shows! She recently relocated to the San Antonio area from the NW, and she doesn't have a website for her newly renamed business - but from the looks of it, she will need one soon because her look is a hit!

The cold lemon water with fun beverage straws was a nice touch. 

 

Her set-up with vintage linens and ironstone dishes make you want to have a picnic -
if it weren't close to 100 degrees!

Darn it! I just now read that sign on the building that said all dishes were $1! Naomi, if you have some left, I will take them all! How could I have missed that?!

 This chalkboard sign is walking away!

I always find something that reminds me of home - 

my cousins Kera and Lora are from the Hog Capital of the World. They even have a town-wide festival known as Hog Days. In case you are wondering, it is August 30- September 2. 

I thought those were the dog days of summer? 

Have a chic week,

~Sarah

Step Back in Time

Happy Mother's Day to my wonderful mom! I got to celebrate and spend time with her and some of my other favorite ladies this weekend in IL, including my sister, grandmother, one aunt, two cousins, and three great girlfriends. It is always refreshing to come home for a visit; it often feels like I take a step back in time, where my life seemed to move at a slower and simpler pace. One of my favorite shops in Washington, IL is appropriately named "Step Back in Time." After landing in Peoria, my mom, sister, and I stopped at this jewel.

The window and entryway displays are always my favorite. I bought a few things from this vendor and have my eye on a few others.

Not sure this will fit on the plane, but I bought the white window frame around the bird houses. I would love to put framed photos inside the frame and hang it in my entryway.

My stylish sister Mary found a few goodies for her upcoming show at the Six Chics Market - if you are in IL, mark your calendars for June 1 and get to Clinton to see some talented vendors!

I'm drawn to any hutch, let alone one with chippy aqua painted shelves.

This shop has over fifty vendors and three floors full of a variety of styles: shabby, garden, primitive, Americana, and architectural salvage. There is something here for everyone interested in decorating with vintage.

Loved the world map with pins marking where the former owners visited.

In the lower left corner is a key listing when and where they visited.

These ladders are awesome. There are some great finds in the basement.

But the best find was the time spent with this lovely lady.

Here she is with her freshly picked organic and locally grown rhubarb from the garden.

Last night she turned her pick into a delicious strawberry rhubarb pie. YUM!

Thank you for everything, Mom!

Happy Mother's Day to all you mamas out there.

Have a chic week,

~Sarah

Fun in the Big Easy

I took a very quick trip to New Orleans this weekend. I have been there dozens of times for both work and play, but no jazz fest, trolley rides, or Bourbon Street for me this time; I was there to visit a very dear friend. She and her husband are welcoming their first baby this weekend. I'd like to be able to say I helped out, but I can only say that if 'helping' includes getting a culinary tour of some great establishments in their adorable neighborhood. They are definitely ready for Baby, so we enjoyed a few lazy days of shopping and dining out. I got such a different view of the city seeing it through the eyes of residents and staying in an old home. Even when I'm not searching for it, I managed to find some vintage charm!

This is their precious abode. Standard features on old homes in New Orleans are super high ceilings with near floor to ceiling windows. I loved how elegant all the window coverings look inside, and the molding around the windows provides a beautiful frame on the exterior.

This building is at the end of Aden and Dan's street, and the Mississippi River is on the other side on this building. Being from central Illinois, I loved that this building says "Illinois Central Railroad." This line goes from New Orleans to Chicago and passes by my hometown.
Old brick warehouses like this are all over and give character to the businesses.

I guarantee that grocery shopping would be more enjoyable if my store
looked like the store where Aden and Dan shop.

I love color, and this city's houses are bathed in bright shades! I stayed in a neighborhood just off Magazine Street and enjoyed the varying colors within one house and throughout the block. 

This house features four colors: eggplant, olive, lemon, banana, and papaya.
And the exposed brick is weathered perfection!

I couldn't pass up a stroll through an antique mall.

 

 Next door is a locksmith with antique hardware.

And somewhere near that is a store that sells funny things like these:

I know several people who would like these items. I'm not one of them.

These, however, I could go for. Probably should have bought a pair, but that's what socks are for, right?

Someone tapped into their creativity for this waterfall design.

Cute little vintage boutique. 

 

 

 

Aden and Dan also exposed me to a New Orleans tradition: snoballs. These delicacies are made of super-fine crushed ice and any combination of syrup flavors you desire.
While I was there, I had a raspberry, blueberry, and coffee cream snoball. Delicious and refreshing!

Even the Big Easy has blue balls.

Of course I was referring to jars.

Have a chic week,

~Sarah