A few weeks behind

May was absolutely crazy! Between 3 weddings and lots of school functions, there wasn't much time to do any antiquing...but I did squeeze in a trip to Llano one day a few weeks back. I never got a chance to publish the pictures of some of my favorite spots, so here they are.

My first stop was to a place that is probably an eye sore to locals, but all the junk in front signifies its potential for great finds. I hit this 'store' probably ever other visit, as the merchandise doesn't turn over all that quickly. The first time I visited, I have to admit I was a bit afraid - outside, I was thinking about how I might get tetanus if I cut myself on the maze of old junk, and when I opened the door to go inside, I was quickly met by a ferocious looking doberman pincher. Ok, so he was miniature, but he was growling and looked mean. Turns out he couldn't harm a fly and was a sweet old dog just looking out for his owner.

I have found some great rusty carts and scales here, but I left empty-handed this last time.

I headed on to Llano and hit my favorite shops, Binky La Faye and Whimsey's. Both of these stores are amazing in that each booth is so creatively designed and the stores are filled with awe-inspiring vignettes. It is obvious that the owners seek out talent in vendors, not just people who can pay the rent and throw old stuff in a space.

Even the covered walkway to the stores has displays filled with treasures.

Sorry for the glare, but you can see a great old bicycle hanging in the reflection!

Do you see the pair of little skunks? These pepe' le pews came home with me!

The following are pictures from Binky's:

 

And now to Whimsey's:

At first I thought those bottles still have the thrift store or garage sale tags on them - but then I saw there was a clearance sale, and those jugs were a quarter each! They also came home with me. What a deal!

It was a great trip and I came back with lots of goodies! I made a point to focus on buying more smalls, since that is what is driving my sales right now - back in the winter I couldn't keep a display piece, and now I can't seem to sell one! But I can't complain as I am selling lots of little things - skeleton keys, glass bottles, flashcards, tarnished dishes, old springs, any small box/organizer. During the first two weeks of May, the ONLY items I sold were the skeleton keys and glass bottles!

I took some time on Memorial Day to rearrange and bring in lots of new pieces. Here are a few (rather blurry, sorry!) pictures of my space at the Austin Antique Mall:

I hope you are having an enjoyable weekend. Mine was both relaxing and productive - I am so proud of myself for finally getting all my laundry hung, folded, and put away from the last month. Though the month of May was crazy, it was filled with lots of fun times - the laundry could wait. But now, bring on the slower pace of the summer!

Have a chic week,
~Sarah

A Soldier and His New Wife

Congratulations to a wonderful couple, Shannon and Jeremiah, on their marriage this weekend. I had the pleasure of attending their wedding Saturday near Bulverde, TX. The drive through the Hill Country from Austin was gorgeous with plenty of wildflowers still showing their glory. Shannon was a beautiful bride who found the perfect location at Twelve Oaks Bed and Breakfast - the oak trees provided great ambiance for an evening full of celebrating this couple. 

After opening Shannon's handmade invitation, I knew the decor at this wedding would be great. Fresh lavender and burlap were adorning the tables, and the signature cocktails even had a splash of lavender syrup - the lavender champagne was a hit! 

 

Even the groom is decorated!

 

 

 

Candles were added to the centerpieces before dinner. What a beautifully simple yet elegant tablescape!

The weather was absolutely perfect!!!!

The groom's cake was decorated with a helicopter.

 

What a great burlap banner!

Bronzed cowboy boots!

The ring bearer by the bar's burlap banner.

Thank you, Shannon and Jeremiah, for all you do!

Both Shannon and Jeremiah have sacrificed so much for others. When I met Shannon in grad school, I was impressed to learn that she had served in the United States Air Force for four years. She has since earned her LCSW and is now a child advocate and Guardian ad Litem for Bell County. Her new husband Jeremiah has been in the United States Army for eight years and is a Warrant Officer. He has served in Iraq twice and Afghanistan once as a crew chief on the Black Hawk. Shannon and Jeremiah are moving to Alabama this week as Jeremiah was accepted to flight school and will become a helicopter pilot for the Army. 


I wish them all the best on their new journey and am so appreciative for what they do for others. 

One last piece of decor from the evening sported by the ring bearer...

Congratulations, Shannon and Jeremiah! 

And Happy Memorial Day to you all. 

Have a chic week!

~Sarah

New School Goes Old School

Just as I was typing the title of this post, the song "School's Out for Summer" popped into my head. I can hardly believe we are down to our last two weeks of school!

I have been spending a bit more time in our middle school library these last few weeks because my students are doing a research project with our awesome librarian. Being in the library makes me realize just how great our new school is; our school library is as big as the one in my hometown! We just celebrated our ten year anniversary as a campus and wow, our kids have amazing resources at their fingertips in our beautiful new building. They also have the wonders of technology to help them with research - did you know that they don't even have to learn the grueling steps to creating a bibliography anymore? MLA, APA, alphabetizing, ampersands, citing of pages, using correct abbreviations, inverse indenting, ugh! Now, this way cool online database does all that and more for them after they input the necessary information. Unbelievable!

Despite learning all these great new tools for research, I find myself distracted in the library - by all the great displays of junk! That's right, there are amazing vintage finds all over our library thanks to the funky eclectic style of our librarian. Paulette moved to our campus this year from the elementary down the street, and when I first walked in the library this fall and saw train cases sitting under the front bench, I knew we would have lots to talk about! Vintage window displays, mason jars, old records, globes, a shabby white cabinet, suitcases, movie reels, trunks, velvet riding helmets, board games, an old school desk, sporting equipment....this woman has great taste!

I just had to share her style on here because I am pretty certain it is underappreciated by her 11-14 year old patrons (though our students are great and probably ask her lots of questions about the cool old stuff).

Take a look at how she warms up the huge space:

Do you see that oar on the middle shelf? I have one just like it at the booth!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Look at that great view and the helmets up above the window.

I just found these boots on the shelf last week! I wonder if the kids try them on?

 

 

Go Cougars! Cute banner. 

 

 

 

Here she is! It is no surprise this library is always filled with students -
she has created such an inviting and inspiring environment. 

Check out this necklace that her sister made from typewriter keys -
she sells these on Etsy.
I need to get the shop link to share with you after I get one!

I have so enjoyed getting to know Mrs. Rodriguez this year and explore her treasures around the library. I shared my blog with her several months back and am now excited to say that she too has a blog about her vintage finds - My Junk Obsession. In her latest post she describes herself as the 'quintessential librarian of the 1950's' - I say she is the perfect combination of old school charm with modern day funk. Our students are so lucky to have such a caring librarian. And I am glad to have a friend to talk with about treasure hunting!

Nine more days of school....but who's counting?

My kind of gardening

I sure love to admire gardens, but the green thumb in my family stopped at my sister. A few weeks back, my mom (Happy Mother's Day, Mom!) helped me with my annual spring planting; last weekend, I finished up planting some larger purple fountain grass. My 'gardening' is really the equivalent of me providing a feast for the area deer, and probably comedy for my neighbors as I attempt to dig into limestone. If, by some chance, Bambi doesn't eat my plants, then the drought kills them or strong winds blow them over. Yet, I am persistent and have high hopes for my most recent deer and drought resistant crop.

But one of my favorite blogs, Curious Boys, does my kind of gardening:

 

You think that would look good next to my mailbox?

Boys, I have some of your great tall crusty garden art in my flower bed out front. So far it has survived the deer, drought, and wind!

Follow Joe and Glenn as they perfect the art of pursuing imperfections. Here is another one of my favorites from their garden:

 

(Both photos are from http://curious-boys.blogspot.com/)

Have a chic week!

~Sarah