Texas Inspiration at Marburger

I love that so much of the talent at Marburger Farm comes from right here in the great state of Texas! Last week I showcased vendors from afar, but this post is dedicated to those who are relatively local for this national show. 

My first vendor is a couple whose style I first got to know in my own town of Austin, both at the City Wide Garage Sale and at the Austin Antique Mall. They had a large booth there for awhile when I did, and I could never visit the mall without stopping by to see what creative items they had for sale. Mike and Nancy of House Wren are beyond talented. Here's plenty of proof:

Look at that lawn glider covered in grass! 

Mike makes all sorts of repurposed lights like the one above. 

Here's a better look at the grassy glider. 

Another Austin vendor I got to know at the City Wide Garage Sales is Janet from Rubbish. This time, I was really getting into looking at her stuff, but I didn't realize it was her space until she got my attention. I usually recognize her goods (lots of old flashcards!) right away, but there was something about this year's Marburger booth that had me fooled for a bit! 

I loved her slide and had to show it from multiple angles. 

Janet is known for her flashcards, and I love the colored pictures hanging on the wall in the back too. 

That rusty community center sign is something else! 

Right across from Janet is her friend Stephanie from Fluff out of Dallas. These two together have way too much fun, not only as neighbors in the Marburger tent, but also they camp as roommates the week of Marburger. When I say camp, it is really more of a trailer in the woods sort of thing (not to be confused with "glamping"...maybe it is called "tramping"?), but the stories they tell are over the top awesome. So were Stephanie's old VW bumpers.

Stephanie also had tons of old vanity mirrors lining the top - they were a hot seller!

The paintings at Tobacco Road Primitives stopped me in my tracks - the picturesque Texas scenery and characters were so well done! I spent a good deal of time talking to one of the owners, who lives just minutes from Marburger, but this artist is actually out of Georgia. She said he had never been to Texas, yet his artwork captured the landscape so well! 

Love that Longhorn and calf!

While there are so many other super talented Texas vendors at Marburger, the last one I got pictures of is The Vintage Round Top. I believe this is only their second show (see pics from their first here), but wow, they sure are experts at this already! So much of their booth had sold by the time I got there on Tuesday afternoon.

The green just pops in this picture. 

I hope you enjoyed a little tour of the Spring 2014 Marburger Farm Antique Show. Be sure to visit the links of these vendors to see even more inspiration!

Have a chic week,

~Sarah

Coast to Coast Inspiration at Marburger Farm

It is still hard to believe that a little map dot with a population of less than 100 midway between Austin and Houston becomes the destination for antique decor twice a year - but one step inside any of the white tents at Marburger Farm is enough to make anyone a believer that Round Top is at the top of the list for antique shows.

As a premiere venue, Marburger Farms draws some of the most talented designers from across the country. This big show is a huge undertaking for vendors, particularly those who have lengthy commutes; they spend months designing their set, days driving it to Round Top, and several more days setting it all up. I like to compare doing a show with moving an entire apartment - and then changing your mind and moving back to the original space (but hopefully with lots fewer belongings!), all in the span of a weekend or a short week. In the case of Marburger Farm, which is a five day show, lots of vendors spend more time on the road getting to and from the Farm than they do actually selling.

I want to showcase some of my favorite vendors, many from afar and others from right here in Central Texas. This post will feature those who travel great distances to get here. 

Up first is the talented couple from South Porch Antiques. They make the drive to Texas pulling a trailer full of treasures at least twice a year for Marburger, and a few years back when the Country Living Show was in Austin, they came three times. I am exhausted just thinking about that drive!  But I am so glad they make the trip because their booth never fails to inspire:

That swing was something else and already sold by 1pm on opening day.

South Porch's neighbors in their Marburger tent actually drive in from the other coast. Ludwig and Linda of Willow Nest are out of San Luis Obispo, CA, though they are former residents of the Round Top area. Some of my favorite purchases came from their booth at the City Wide Garage Sale a few years ago...how I wish they still showed there! But I do love seeing Linda's whimsical and romantic wares in Round Top. 

Across the way from those couples are Matt and Heather from Perspective Design and Antiques out of New Mexico. I first saw them last fall; their space was even bigger and better this spring. 

Their details in the decoration of smalls are impressive.

Their style is one of a kind - industrial yet elegant.  

Back to the east coast, vendor Sweet Pea Home hails from Florida. I love everything about her booth and spent lots of time trying to capture the essence of her space. 

Having just returned from a two-day show about four hours from home (more to come on that soon!), I don't have a clue how these long-distance vendors do it - the amount of creativity needed to design and stage a show, the energy required to haul it, unpack it, and repack it, plus the charisma needed to sell for days on end is beyond exhausting. I am in awe of these talented designers and look forward to their seeing their hard work each April and October.

Check back soon for a post on some of my favorite Texas vendors and my experience at Petticoats on the Prairie this past weekend!

Have a chic week,

~Sarah

Warrenton: Where the Wild Things Are

Warrenton was filled with larger than life animals at this year's spring show.

Some were replicas while others were remnants of the past.

The Scary Baby Hotel was back again. This time the babies' heads were standing upright, unlike last year when the wind took down half the table. 

Here is a lone baby complete with an intact body.

Antlers are hot, and as a former discus thrower in middle school and middle school track coach, I really appreciated this old wooden discus. 

 I drive the bus to our track meets, but thankfully our buses are in better shape than this. I saw this bus last weekend but noticed it was gone on Tuesday - wonder if it found a new home?!

Big items were everywhere. 

And cars were lined up for miles to catch a glimpse of all the goods. 

Here is one shot of a vendor's vignette from the fields of Bar W. This is Tiffany from Flown the Coop's booth - her set up looked great!

From Bar W, I headed east to Renck Hall and Field to see my friend Theresa from Garden Antqs Vintage. Her booth was huge and decked out in lots of chippy white goodness. 

From Renck, I made my way to Zapp Hall, where I stopped to admire the impressive decor in the old dance hall. 

Diane of Blends had beautiful pieces and great displays as always.  

It was a late spring in Texas and the drive to the fields was gorgeous thanks to an impressive showing by the wildflowers. 

From wild animals to wild flowers, Warrenton was the place to find wild things over the past two weeks. 

It was a great spring show and I am already looking forward to the fall! Stay tuned for a post about my trip to Marburger Farm and I hope to see you at the Petticoats on the Prairie show this Friday and Saturday! 

Have a chic week,

~Sarah