Home for Harvest in the Heartland

The end of September/start of October was a whirlwind! I made three trips to Warrenton/Round Top in two weeks and then flew back home to IL to spend some much needed time with friends and family. What a short yet wonderful weekend it was! The one season that I miss the most is definitely fall; last year I didn't make it home until Thanksgiving so I missed all that is great about fall in the midwest: fields being harvested, crisp air, and colorful trees. I made it a priority to get back home this fall and I am so glad I did! 

Many great fall memories center around a bonfire roasting hot dogs and s'mores. Where I am from, that is called a wieny roast! My parents were gracious hosts to my two best friends and their families. The kids had a lot of fun feeding the sheep in the barn. 

 

How sweet are my nieces and nephews!? They all take after their Aunt Sarah. ;)

Another core component of a wieny roast is the hay rack ride. We improvised this year and did a golf cart ride! Worked well for our small crew. They posed on the straw and then we had to ditch it for our ride.  

 

After kids enjoyed hot dogs and smores, the girls headed into town! What a wonderful time reminiscing with my best friends since grade school. 

On Sunday, my parents and I headed to west toward Macomb to visit my grandmother. The fields of Central IL are dotted with these massive wind turbines. It is crazy how slowly they move considering how windy it is, but I can only imagine how much those blades weigh. 

 

 

That weekend was the first of the Spoon River Valley Scenic Drive, a collection of festivities along a long stretch of roads from west of Peoria to beyond Farmington. There are endless small shows with vendors and tons of yard/barn sales! You better believe we took that route to Grandma's; it was literally over the river and through the woods! With tons of stops along the way...    

 

 

These aren't your ordinary garage sales. These people had great stuff! At the above sale, I found a great old doll with bright green eyes, several tarnished silver dishes, old ammo pellet bags, and a few Ball mason jars. 

This show was on the edge of Farmington and had quite the lunch crowd!

This place had lots of goodies too! I found some more Ball jars, old glass milk jars, and a fun wire basket that I can fill with monkey brains/hedge apples. 

 

Notice all the coats and hoods - there was more than just a chill in the air; it felt downright cold in the 40's.

This barn sale was GREAT! Wish I could have filled a U-haul with all the goodies here.
Instead, I chose between these two chairs. 

 

And I went with this one on the bottom. My aunt saw this and couldn't believe I paid money for it.
I think it is perfectly shabby! It has a great shape and could easily be recovered
(by someone who knows how to do that).

Here are some more great sights from my Midwestern weekend:

And here are some goods I found while there:

Loving the industrial style desk and the two chippy shutters.

This old farm table was a steal! 

It looks like no matter where I go, I can find a deal! Luckily for me, my parents are driving down to Texas in less than two weeks to help me with my first 'real' show, the Rusted Gingham Barn Sale. It is in Gonzalez, TX on November 2 and 3 and it is worth the drive if you are within a few hours. I went as a shopper last year, and it was so much fun that I am going to be a vendor this year! This weekend has been filled with lots of prep work  - I am so anxious and excited to see it all come together, and so very thankful my parents will be there to help! 

It was great to be home even if it was for just 48 hours; I didn't get to see lots of other friends and family members, but I treasure the time I got to spend with those I did see. And I look forward to the next trip back!

Have a chic week,

~Sarah