AWOL - On the Road in Maine and Texas

I have not posted in the longest time.  I have had a few of those non stop weeks, and I had the good fortune to travel to Maine with dear friends, Barbara and Mary.  Back home for a few days, and I leave again tomorrow for Round Top! Can't wait!

In the meantime, here are a few photos from my trip to  Maine with much more to follow when I get back at the end of this week.

We stayed in a house near an old granite quarry. This is what the surrounding area looked like - gorgeous, just gorgeous.

Amazing sunrise from my room early one morning.

Had lunch in Camden, Maine one day and this was the lovely view from the park.

Got to do some great antique shopping in Wiscassett. Great photos to come soon!

Adios for now - off to the Texas shows!

Yeehawww!!!

AND the Marburger Farm show! 

To read The Howdy, designed by the talented Cynthia Kinney of Houston,  on line, go here. Turn to page 2 to read a feature by yours truly!!

Back soon with lots of photos and antique adventure stories!

Round Top Report - Spring Antiquing in Texas!

My trips to the antique shows in and around Round Top, Texas are always a great distraction from the responsibilities of real life for me. I can wander for hours, taking in the variety of vintage and antique goods - some merely decorative and some truly historically important, and everything in between!

 Sometimes someone comments that they were disappointed in the shows.  I rarely feel that way when it comes to Marburger or Round Top. I may not necessarily want to buy anything (rarely is that the case!) but the antiques and the design of the booths can entertain me for hours.

First stop, Marburger Farm on opening day. What a treat!

The photo above and the one below are from the booth of Allen and Lindra, of Parkhouse Antiques, and old friends from Dallas. I usually don't even get to visit with them much at the show because they are too busy selling all of their wonderful wares!

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Of course, Linda and Ludmil, of Willow Nest, always set up a fabulous booth full of pretty and curious things. Love the saints all under glass.

Linda can be spotted over in the corner taking a breath after a wild and exciting beginning of the show. Most dealers reported a great morning with lots of excited shoppers and lots of sales! I love hearing that.

One of my new favorite dealers is Shannon from Clutter Antiques in Dallas. She had an assortment of interesting items - a rather eclectic gathering, like I am attracted to - maybe that is why I was drawn to her booth.

This shot of a lovely painting is difficult to see clearly,  but the painting is attached behind the two wire shelves. It is vintage Italian, painted on fabric. It is quite large and is of a young woman drinking from a fountain, in a lovely courtyard. I loved it! It is haunting me and I may have to call her to see if she still has it. I doubt it, though - it was most charming!

I also loved this painting, AND the old pique assiette pots AND the clock faces AND the metal sconces holding the pots.............AND the tramp art box.......need I go on?

 I really enjoyed talking with Gloria Lopez of City different Antiques in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She and her husband had an assortment of great Indian and western items, old trade signs, textiles and lots of good folk art.

Love this old sign from Ft. Worth!

 

I am sorry to say I do not know who this booth belonged to, but I just loved the blue background and the beautiful assortment of antiques.The paintings spoke to me and the gold mercury glass just popped on  that great looking sideboard. I didn't even see the gorgeous painted screen until I just posted this photo. I wish I could go back and see it all again!

I could safely say I could have bought everything in the booth of Margaret Bostick's The Silk Purse. She had an exceptional group of tramp art and other folk art frames, great 19th century pottery from Belgium, some old wire pieces, and some gorgeous lighting.

Did I mention religious figures, furniture and fabulous concrete planters?

Oh yeah, I could enjoy those planters very much.

One last shot of this gorgeous booth. 

I really enjoyed my time at Marburger this season. Looking at my photos I realize how many more I  wish I'd taken. There is more to see and learn about than one can really describe. I would love it if I could go back today and see it all again, but alas, all the booths are dismantled and the dealers headed  to various destinations. I guess that is what makes it all so special - an amazing gathering of people and antiques, all just for a few days. What a feast for the senses!

I headed to Round Top the next day and took a few photos at the Big Red Barn. I did not arrive with the crowd at the start of the show, but got there about noon. There was still a ton to see, but also a ton of SOLD tickets. Great for the dealers! It made me so happy for them I hope they all had a successful show.

 

 It's a good thing this incredible tramp chest had a sold ticket on it. It would have been a huge temptation for me! It was in the booth of Mark Morris of Ohio.

Longtime dealer and friend, Katie Johnson, always has exquisite furniture, early antiques and folk art. This portrait and old wooden car are no exception. Katie reported a buying frenzy earlier in the morning! 

Didn't get the name of this dealer, but again, I just thought there were so many pretty things in his booth. Click to enlarge the photo to see the fabulous papier mache pieces on stands. I wish I had asked about them. I am not even sure what to call them - maybe music stands - but they were fabulous.

The same booth as the previous photo - I just had to get a closer shot of this basket of very old velvet fruit. It was just exquisite and in really good condition. I also love the drop leaf table with original green paint.

Well, there you have it. Another Round Top antique season come and gone. I just wish I had had more than a few days to visit. I didn't even get out into the fields at Warrenton to see so many other great antique dealers. I hope the shows went well for them. 

Now, on to more hunting and gathering for my next show - the Comfort Spring Antique Show on May 1 and 2, 2010. Hope to see you there!

One More Thing.......... Marburger Farm Antique Show

I posted last night about a few of my favorites at Marburger Farm Antique Show from Fall of 2009. I showed you this photo that I took, but did not have any information on it. 

After my post I decided to read some more of the Cactus Creek Daily blog and look what I stumbled upon!

and this......

and this!

According to the Cactus Creek Daily, this is "Two Girls Stuff", owned by Marie and Rhonda. Read more about these two here.

I remember their booth being very crowded and I recall commenting to one of them in passing, "I love your booth - you have a great look".  I got a quick smile and a "thank you", and then she was off to help another customer.

As an antique dealer, it is hard to visit with everyone who comes in your space,  especially if you are fortunate enough to be busy writing sales tickets. At that moment, that was the case here for Marie and Rhonda.

For all the dealers out there last week and this one, I wish you lots of busy days and lots of ticket writing!!

Musings about Life and Coincidence

Earlier today I was catching up on my blog reading and was amused when I read Joni's latest post on her new collection of beautiful cream ware AND about the clock she bought at Marburger Farm last week for her kitchen.

Joni has exquisite taste. I love seeing what she does in her own home as well as in her client's houses. While I have a true appreciation for the style she loves, I have quite another style.

Mine is quirky, eclectic, folky, maybe even funky (okay, weird). I can't define my style other than it is colorful, casual, sometimes Southwestern, some Mexican and Italian, but not always...... more farmhouse than formal..........I love what I love and that is just me. We both love antiques and share a fanatical interest in design. As different as our personal styles are, we keep stumbling upon similarities between us.

In case you have not read before, I was once married to Ben's (aka Mr. Slipper Socks) brother. Had our timing been a little different, Joni and I would have been sisters in law. As it happened, we found each other through blogging!

The amusing thing about her post was that I had snapped a picture of her clock without realizing it when I took this photo. You see, I loved a lot of the things that dealer, Mary Jackson, from Colorado, had in her space at the antique show. She had a great variety of Southwestern items as well as a very nice collection of paintings and lamps, mirrors, silver trays, folk art pieces, and one particular fabulous old French clock.

I bought several items that just spoke to me from Mary. My choices are not the even close to being similar ! This old, hand carved from one piece of oak, Indian, is a great example of hand made folk art. He just needed to come back to the hill country with me! Do you think he is to redundant standing in front of the painting?

The other item is a very old iron planter with a water bird sitting on it's side. Perhaps a type of heron? Anyway, the planter is painted and resembles majolica in a way. Do not ask me why - I just love it! Sometimes I am attracted to things now that I know in years past, I would have thought were ugly as sin! This piece is one of those things. Like I said, I just love it!! Go figure.



Here she sits, posing on the hearth before taking her spot on the coffee table.......for the time being. You know how you have to move new things around to see where they fit best........and then of course, move them again when the spirit moves you!

Now she has a birds' nest in her planter to keep her warm. She is quite unique, isn't she?

Next I will tell another story on Joni that I could SOOO relate to. It involves the falling clock and some falling pottery (at my house!) - if you haven't done so, read her post about the falling clock here.

Round Top, Texas - Great People, Great Antiques

One of the best things about the antique business is the people! I love the community of folks who have a love of old things. Shortly after arrival at the Coles show on Monday,(one of the many shows opening in the last few weeks) I met the delightful Janet Romine. Learn more about her antique business, "Rubbish" here.

I like to study how other dealers set up their spaces at shows, always in hopes of improving mine when I set up the next time. Regardless of whether the merchandise is something I want to buy, the creativity and work that goes into a good set up is huge! I enjoy the visual education as much as I like the antiques.

Janet has a true talent and I found her space absolutely charming! Unfortunately, I was on sensory overload and a little frazzled from a short night of not much sleep. So, what typically happens with me is that I love the connection and the conversation, then I need to focus on really looking at the details, and then, with all good intentions, I plan to come back and visit some more and maybe spend a little cash with that great dealer.

Cute Janet in her pink Mexican dress, which we discovered we both still love after wearing them for many years!

However, at Round Top (meaning all the shows going on in the Round Top area) there is so, so much to see and sometimes I never make it back to that show. Add to that the hot Texas weather (I'm talkin' hot, sweaty, sticky, "suck the energy out of even hard core antiquers" weather) and often one has to just stop and take a break, even though there is always more to explore!

I had every intention of getting back over to see Janet, but will have to be satisfied for now with checking out her blog . Wow, is she talented!!

Love her knack for display. Notice the scalloped paper hanging along the tables over the black table skirts. Also, I LOVE the tags with random words on them all along the top border of the walls. Believe me, it is not easy to find ways to decorate those ugly pegboards we often have to contend with at antique shows.

Janet loves old flashcards and so do her customers. She has started another business in addition to her antique business and you can read about it here.

To be quite honest, I need to go to her website to understand ALL she does. My brain was fuzzy when we talked and she has such passion and excitement for what she does. I want some of that energy. I know I sound senile, but I really think it was the heat, sleep deprivation, and sensory overload!

Loved the monochromatic scheme of her booth, with just a touch of pink here and there. What a treat to stumble upon Janet and her delightful space. I look forward to following her!

Oh boy - here we go. Tuesday was the opening day of the Marburger Farm antique show. The Texas sign says it all - we do it big here in Texas!

This show has gotten huge and this is just a fraction of the anxious shoppers lined up for the opening at just one of the many tents and small buildings .

Every shop and every dealer must find their niche. Once upon a time, at the fall Fredericksburg antique show, I had the pleasure of spending the show set up right down the aisle from Linda of Willow Nest. It was Linda's first time here and she and her husband, Ludmil, had hopes of moving to our town and opening a shop. As time passed, they realized that this just wasn't quite the right place for them, and they felt a tug in their hearts for the town of Burton, Texas, just down the road from Round Top. They have since opened a fabulous shop in Burton and are quite happy where they have landed.




I was most delighted to see their incredible booth set up at Marburger Farm and had only a brief visit with Linda as they were very busy. I am so happy that they have indeed found their niche. I wish them all the best in their endeavors. I am constantly amazed at the number of creative people I have met in the antique business and they truly fall into this category!



Okay - enough talk on my part. Here are some more of the wonderful booths set up at the Marburger show. I tried to choose a variety to share so that you can see, there is truly something for everyone here!

Loved this booth - a blend of rustic and French and Mexican.................

More beautiful old leather bound books than you could ever need..................

This blue painted demilune table with the gilt fragments just took my breath away!

Gorgeous French furniture and pottery.............

Cutting edge industrial pieces and very handsome lighting..............

I am not inclined to buy circus pieces, but this booth really did have all the old things you remember about the circus or going to the state fair - so full of charm.

One of my favorite dealers, Mary Jackson, from Colorado, had a wonderful assortment of art and accessories.Click photo for details.

More funky and fun, mixed with elegance and whimsy...........

Aren't these urns gorgeous?

I loved the simplicity of this red metal chair next to the glass float and the water bird...........

Love the old barber pole and the Indian rug - again, something for everyone!

Same booth - transferware, tramp art, fine art...............does it get any better?

Oh wait - it does! These large zinc wall pieces were absolutely stunning.

I loved these books covered in old French manuscripts - absolutely charming.

It just goes on and on, and this is just a smidge of all that I saw.................

an amazing faux bois bird house - how cool is that?

I adore these Spanish or Mexican chairs, but the price was waaaay out of my league!

This amazing piece of folk art is the best from Brad and Sundie Rupert, artists extraordinaire from Iowa. LOVE their work!!

Simple, but something about this horse head mounted above the old gate just made me smile.

Walking out of the show, hot and tired and needing to get home........... I stumble upon these French doors - Aahh!! my heart skips a beat......measure, get a price, drool over the detail - the faded green paint, the scalloped trim, the old iron, the detailed inset paneling........ wish, wish, wish I had an immediate need for them ..........begin to talk to myself... "have some discipline, Ann , come on, walk away........walk away. Good bye gorgeous, green painted doors. May we meet again someday".

P.S. For more on this great show, visit Cote de Texas, Velvet and Linen, Beadboard Upcountry, and The Bunny Bungalow