Marburger: An Unforgetable Farm

This teacher took a field trip today: sans kids. I quite literally made a trip to the fields and enjoyed every second of my time at the Marburger Farm Antique Show's opening day. A huge thank you to Theresa and the Marburger team for extending an amazing opportunity to bloggers with their VIB (Very Important Blogger!) pass! This gave me the perfect reason to take a day off and experience one of the country's finest shows. I have been briefly just once before, so I was excited to see what all the talk was about. A teacher always has to justify the instructional purpose of a field trip; this field trip provided me lessons in history (tons of old stuff to see), fine art (gorgeous paintings), sociology (some great people watching), horticulture (learned the names of some dried flowers), design (no explanation needed), and economics (withdrawing cash from an ATM that isn't your bank is not cheap). 

They gave us a press badge and an awesome swag bag! 

I was rushing trying to get there at 10 for the opening bell, and then traffic came to a stand still. 

 So I killed some time capturing the scenes around me. 

I passed the future home of the Junk Gypsy Company!

Love this great old sign:

 

20 minutes later, we are still moving at a crawl toward the farm.

The first sign that I have arrived!

As you can see, about a hundred cars beat me there. FYI, the gates open at 8am on the first day. I shot for 9:50 but rolled in around 10:30 due to the traffic (I later learned that a funeral procession went past the farm at 9:30). Another lesson learned in time management!

I'm here!

And one of my first stops is always to the bathroom; I love the juxtaposition of traditional outhouses next to the luxury potty trailers. I shopped and talked for about an hour before I made my first purchase:

Wine not? I mean, it was just after 11 and I was going to be there all day! 

I had the opportunity to meet Tara from the Marburger staff in the office. She was super nice and told me that some special shoppers were arriving by helicopter later in the day. I was in the thick of shopping when I heard the chopper announce its arrival. Do you see it there in the distance?

I quickly made my way over to the make-shift landing pad in the cow pasture. 

No celebrity sightings here, though there were some lovely security guards on hand.  

I love seeing the officers on horseback in Warrenton and Round Top.

 

I don't know where the passengers would store all their purchases in this ride!

Yet another mode of upscale transportation - is this some kind of Ford limo? Is that a quad cab?

Remember the view of the barren tents in my last post? This is that same view today.

And here we have a true celebrity sighting! This is Rachel Ashwell, the founder of the 'Shabby Chic' design concept. 

I needed a lesson in how to straighten my accessories before taking a picture with this gorgeous lady!

This sweet soul is Marie, the wonderful hostess who gave me the amazing tour of Rachel's bed and breakfast, The Prairie. She is an absolute doll and I was as excited to get my picture taken with her!

I missed the opening bell, but I did catch an adorable girl doing a little photo shoot with the bell.

We didn't need much instruction in meteorology to know it was time to get going when these clouds rolled in.

Just as I got to my car, I got a little unwanted lesson in ecology. As I changed from my rain boots (which weren't needed at all - the ground dried out completely from the weekend's rain) to flipflops at the car after shopping, I saw something move in the grass. I looked closer to see one of the scariest looking spiders standing about two inches from my toes. At the time I didn't know what kind of spider it was, but upon describing it to Theresa and Cruz, they were certain it was a brown recluse. I started researching this species tonight and was thinking of posting a picture, but it freaked me out so much that I had to stop. Should you choose to know more about this kind of spider, that will be your homework. 

There is so much more about which to write! I hope you will check back often to see several more posts about my amazing field trip to the farm. I will close with some pictures of a few of the great items I brought back from Marburger. 

Hard to see with the lighting, but two twig wrapped trees and a rusty glass-topped side table.

I am in LOVE with this little chair. Thank you, Theresa!!!!

I hope you enjoyed reading the first installment of today's trip!

Have a chic week,

~Sarah