Brackets and Bluebonnets

My NCAA basketball bracket may be busted, but at least the bluebonnets are in full effect this spring! There were nearly no wildflowers last year due to the drought, so it is great to see such vibrant blooms this year.

 I CANNOT wait for this weekend's trip to Warrenton! So many of you have already been and I am kicking myself for not going today...thanks for sharing your pictures and getting me excited for one of my all-time favorite things to do - shop the fields of Warrenton! Hope to see you there!

Early bird gets the worm

This past weekend was the Austin City Wide Garage Sale. It officially begins at 10am, but if you pay a few more dollars, you can shop early starting at 8:30am. For the last sale in January, I was there even before 8:30 and was awaiting the doors to open. It is my version of heaven in Austin...I found so much great stuff that I had to take one load home and come back for another! I learned those few extra dollars to get in early were well spent, and I planned to be there early again for this show.  

I am definitely a morning person, but for some reason I was struggling to get going on Saturday. I was barely out of the driveway by 8:30, and I was disappointed with myself. But the rest of Austin was sleeping in during the SXSW festival, so I made good time and was slapping on my "Early Shopper" name tag by 8:45. I made a quick round through the event center and was sad some of my favorite dealers weren't there - everyone must be saving up for Warrenton! 

Because Andrew enjoys parking his car in the garage, I was on the hunt really just for 'smalls.' I did pretty well, finding some linens, a locker basket, some rusty little containers, and a an item I have never seen before - any guesses?

I thought it was an old wooden instrument box, but the seller informed me that it was an traveling teacher's kit that once contained a pull-out map. Sure wish the map was still in it! It still has the two dowel rods that the map was wrapped around, and it even has a map pointer! I must just have to take the pointer to school and walk around the room tapping it on my students' desks....

But the real prize from the CWGS was this old rusty galvanized metal sink.

I first saw it in Gonzales back in November at the Barn Sale . I took this picture there, and I really contemplated buying it. I think I ran out of room in the car, because I left without it. 

Fast forward four months and here it was again at the CWGS! 

Megan from Salvaged was selling this jewel. She has such great taste in vintage decor! I wish I had more pictures of her space, but I was too busy eyeing this beauty! I rarely walk away from something in which I am interested, especially something this unique, but I just wasn't sure what I would do with it and I didn't need to add yet another piece to my garage.  

I walked around the show a bit more taking a few more pictures. Here are some hurriedly taken shots with my phone: 

 

 

How great is this huge old basket?!

I am a sucker for anything that says 4-H!
"I pledge my head to clearer thinking, my heart to greater loyalty..."

Ohhhh, that dress form!

 

Look at that crushed velvet green chair!

The announcer came on the loudspeaker telling us that it was 10:00am and the doors were opening for general admission. People flooded in and that was my cue to go. I drove away and then realized the perfect use for that rusty metal sink. I was just a mile or so away and ended up going back to the show - but the line to get into the parking garage was insane! I knew if I bought the piece I would need to go to the loading dock, so I just headed straight there in hopes that I could talk my way in and come out with the piece. Mission successful - I got in and got the sink! I also enjoyed talking with Megan and wish her the best at Warrenton! If you go, be sure to visit her at Dillard's Field. I know I will! 

This bird found her worm.

Happy first day of Spring!

-Sarah

Austin City Wide Garage Sale

Tetris

When I was in 8th grade, my family got a Nintendo - no need to mention that the gaming system had been on the market for about 8 years at that point. If I remember correctly, I only had three games, one of which was Tetris. It was never my favorite, as I much preferred Super Mario Brothers 3 (I can still hear the theme music...I might have geeked out and been addicted for a summer). My sister was really good at Tetris and she would always beat me. Some people just have that innate ability to put things together in a certain way, and sadly I am not one of them.

But if practice makes perfect, I may have to take out the Nintendo on a future trip home to test my skillz (I wonder if it still works?!). I find myself continually playing some version of Tetris with this antiquing business. Either I am trying to pack all my odd-sized purchases in my vehicle, store my inventory in the garage, or stack things in the booth to maximize the small space. I have gotten pretty good with the booth, and I am typically better about managing things for display rather than storage purposes. I have even improved a lot with arranging junk within my car (though I cannot hold a candle to the packing that my mom does), but my garage organization has a long way to go. Somehow I missed out on that storage organizing gene that my sister inherited from my mom!

 My mom's impressive packing for my trip back to TX from IL last summer.

 In addition to a bicycle, we brought back a cabinet, mailbox, screen, several suitcases, metal milk crate, an old typewriter in a case, a few locker baskets, old metal bread boxes, and a million other little smalls packed neatly inside of all those containers...plus her, me, and our luggage.  I even bought a few more things on our journey back and somehow it all fit.  

Since I was selling so much furniture from late fall through February, I really started to stock up on pieces that would be good for displaying and also are sell-able. I love selling my display pieces now because I am armed and ready with another...but then March started and the sale of bigger pieces slowed - to a screeching halt. And the garage got out of control. I would add a new piece by just putting it wherever there was open space. I bought a great cabinet from Craigslist a few weeks back, and I didn't think it would fit in the garage so Andrew and I put it in our entryway...I might just have to 'store' it there for a bit!

Back to the disorganized garage...I spent an afternoon this weekend just trying to make the garage walkable and create some sort of order/visibility for the inventory. I really wish I had 'before' pictures, but I didn't think of that.

So after looking at this pictures, it doesn't look all that 'organized,' but I can assure you that it is a major improvement from before! There is actually about a four foot wide path out of the garage - I call that progress.

I did add more to the inventory this weekend. I bought mainly smalls and two (smaller) cabinets.

The first cabinet is already in the booth. There hasn't been a lot of noticeable change in my displays due to slow sales this month, but here are some pictures from today:

May all the things you love fit neatly in your space!

Have a chic week,

Sarah

Toes in the water

Sorry it has been awhile since my last post. We took a nice little vacation!  

The only activity beyond pool and beach relaxation was a trip to the golf course one beautiful morning.
Well, Andrew played golf while I cheered on Katniss and District 12 in the Hunger Games.
 

Beyond this pool you can see the Bay with sailboats.
I didn't get any beach shots - I was too busy sleeping in the sun and turning a shade of lobster.

This guy models our pace on vacation.
 He also models how the skin on my inner ankles will look in approximately two days. 

Thank you, Living Social, for providing coupons for an affordable and luxurious vacation!

I am so thankful to have a spring break!  It was a time for much-needed R & R.
I hope you had a wonderful week and are looking forward to a great weekend.
More Barn Chic updates to come!