Weekend Tailgate Shopping

My Mom and I went to a Summer Sale and Tailgate Party last weekend at the Country Chicks. This is an event that's held 3-4 times a year. Michelle and I were approached by one of the ladies who runs the sales to join them sometime. She really liked our space and thought our style would sell very well amongst all her other vendors. It is something for us to definitely consider in the future.

There was a great variety of goodies to be had, most at really decent prices too.

But I only came home with this wood caddy. I think I'm going to put tools and paint supplies in it. I may have to go on the hunt for some blue Mason jars to poke things in.

I also hit a few garage sales of course and here's my loot. I think these were some of the best bargains I've found in a long time. Let's just say the $ I spent was in the single digits. Except for the wood caddy, that was a wee bit more. Everything needs a makeover though. Bring on the paint.

Man Cub not included. He thought he was pretty funny sneaking in the chair when I wasn't looking.

Hope you have a great week!

Antique Fest, Part 2 and a Giveaway Opportunity You Won't Want To Miss!

~If you haven't heard yet, Robyn Story Designs is having a Mountain of Giveaways. One lucky winner will have the chance to pick amongst a mountain of fabulous prizes like a shopping spree or 10 cans of Chalk Paint. Yep, you read it right, 10 CANS!!! So be sure and click on the button and go sign up to win!

Now on to more antique fest. Here are some random shots of the whole proceedings!

There were plenty of treasures to be had but I only bought an old white platter and a small crock.

Then there was this. A fellow blogger was in town and spotted this pretty chair in a booth up the street from Jazz and posted on her blog Delusions of Grandeur that it would be perfect for someone like little old me to buy, paint and resell for a good profit. She was half right.

About the buying and painting part. She now sits in my bedroom and will not be sold! At least not anytime soon. I just LOVE this chair! It has a few tiny spots on the upholstery I haven't tried to scrub out yet and I will add some paint to the wood since it has some dings. I'm thinking gray or my favorite ASCP, Louis Blue. Maybe I'll win that giveaway and I can stock up on my supply. Overall though the chair is in great condition and was a score at the price I got her for. 

Thanks Vanna!

Antique Festival~The Jazz Junk

Yep, we had a big ole lovely pile of J*U*N*K for the antique fest.

See all this, it  belongs to All That Jazz. I can't believe we had that much cr*p to set out. None of the other vendors were interested in putting things on the sidewalk. Go figure. When we set up I was worried we were taking up too much room but it turned out it wasn't an issue. It worked out great for us!

That little white desk was one of the first things to sell from the sidewalk.  

It was bought for a little 7 year old girl.

Michelle brought  a lot of really neat  "vintage" rusty iron pieces from the ranch.

We had rust in abundance but didn't seem to have many buyers interested in purchasing said rust.

I didn't sell a single buoy. I had to haul half of them back home. 

I may have to chuck them in the ocean.

Michelle brought these from the ranch too. Aren't they cool! She sold one!

I sold these two end tables about a half an hour before I went to move the stuff indoors. Hallelujah!!! I was so worried I was going to have to haul these home and store them again because there is no room in the booth at the moment. Crisis averted. The tall green table at the far right (with the basket on it) sold the first night along with...

FIFI

Our mannequin mascot we had when we first started All That Jazz. She'd been floating around a while and I decided it was time for her to find a new home.

We had a pretty good weekend although the crowds were a lot smaller this year than last year. I'm not sure if it's due to the economy or the fact that there was a bigger antique show an hour and a half south of us.

It was still worth the effort and I had fun with Michelle. This will be our last "Jazz" event together since she's bailing on me at the end of the month. She's moved on to greener pastures! Literally.  There are some other changes just around the bend for our Jazz booth soon. I'll share when I can.

Stay tuned for the next post when I'll share some pictures from other vendors at the antique fest.

Have a great week!

Pink Saturday

I think I've found some inspiration for my dream "work" space. I'm sure off to the right hand side there, out of sight is plenty of room to paint all that furniture I've been working on for All That Jazz. A dry room with a comfortable temperature, good lighting and no wind blowing things into my wet paint. Yep. A dream space.

I just love the mix of the white woodwork and gray walls with color thrown in. As much as I love looking at photos of beautiful rooms decorated in creams and whites, I need to LIVE in color.  The green stool, floral accents and fresh flowers add the perfect splashes of color. This gorgeous room speaks my name.   Saaaaarresssss...Saaaaaaarrrresss...

 Happy Pink Saturday and thank you Beverly for hosting. 

You can find the PS links on her blog How Sweet The Sound.

On a side note, if you are a book lover, please pop over to my previous post HERE to read a review I did on a Novella written by a fellow blogger C. JoyBell C. It's a wonderful book and I would love to spread the word about Saint Paul Trois Chateaux: 1948  and share her amazing work with you fellow pinkies!

Have a great weekend!

A Book Review for a Fellow Blogger, C JoyBell C.

I've been blogging for a couple of years now with a very special woman named C. JoyBell C. Or as I like to call her, Bells. I came to know Bells through her beautiful and inspiring writings and poetry she shares on her blog, Writings...by C. JoyBell C.

Poetry is such a personal thing to the writer and yet Bells poems never fail to illicit some meaningful response from me. I always find something on an emotional level to connect with, sometimes things I didn't even know were there. She has an astounding way of putting things in a new light and turning the ordinary  into extraordinary.

I think that must be the true mark of a great poet, the ability to make the reader FEEL. Bells does that in abundance, each and every time.

She recently published her first book of poetry, 'The Sun Is Snowing' and then took on the task of writing her first Novella. My curiosity was immediately piqued. What kind of story would Bells tell? Would I hear the same voice in her Novella I know from her poems?

I ordered the book online and within days, 'Saint Paul Trois Chateaux: 1948' was at my door. I must admit I was a bit intimidated by the name to begin with. After all I am  a complete French illiterate. I needn't have worried.

The story Bells weaves is about a few distinct characters. How one night can alter a persons life forever. How another night many years later can do the exact same thing, depending on words spoken and words left unspoken.

When I opened 'Saint Paul Trois Chateaux: 1948', I was immediately transported to an intimate setting where you can  feel the tension in the air. I felt like an interloper listening in on a private conversation. A conversation with so much left unsaid, two people trying to keep things lighthearted all the while struggling with themselves to speak the words they REALLY want to say. How many of us have been there?

Bells hints at secrets long buried, letting you follow them into the night to see who keeps their secrets hidden, who tells half truths and who is brave enough to bare it all. She makes you want to fly to the end and see how it all turns out. I love it when a book holds that kind of suspense and you have to force yourself to slow down and let the story unfold itself!

'Saint Paul Trois Chateaux: 1948' did not disappoint, but then I knew it wouldn't. It is a true testament to the beauty and raw emotion that Bells shares with us so freely. While her book differs from her poetry, I could easily find Bells in her Novella, the passion, the boldness and that gift she has for drawing the reader in and making them connect and draw comparisons to their own lives. It is a glorious gift. Thank you for sharing your talent and your magic with us Bells. It has been a blessing to get to know you through your words.

Congratulations on your magnificent accomplishment!

~Sares

Please support a fellow blogger, and get a book that is a fabulous treat to boot!
You won't want to put it down!

To order your copy of  'Saint Paul Trois Chateaux' go here.

To order your copy of  'It's Snowing On The Sun' go here.

Antique Fest 2011

My town is having it's annual Antique Fest this weekend.  So if you are in the neighborhood, halfway between Portland and Seattle, come on by!

The Downtown area where we have our booth is actually called "antique row" due to all the antique shops in such a small area.

They close down two of the side streets and bring in a variety of vendors.

There are lots of goodies to be found.

Most of the shops offer discounts, including ours, usually anywhere from 10%~40% off.

The shops also put merchandise out on the sidewalks.

This was our small section of sidewalk we were allotted last year. I'm not sure if it will be as fancy this year. I am NOT hauling the rug outside and it was too hard to cover all the small things at night if the wind blew the coverings around. So it will probably be mostly furniture outside.

There will be plenty of good junk for everyone!

There is also a local Farmer's Market on Friday before more vintage/antique vendors set up shop for Saturday. It's lots of fun and this year the weather is promising to be perfect, in the low to mid 70's. However don't quote me on that because this IS Washington!

I'm getting ready to haul more things to the booth to sell for weekend. These table will be headed up there.

Before

  After the Annie Sloan Chalk Paint treatment.

Also going is this antique walnut cabinet I bought this weekend at a garage sale...

and this chippy shabby white desk...

and this poor little old lady. She's been waiting patiently for her moment in the sun and will finally get to see if she can find a new home...

and this wrought iron plant stand. Not to mention lots of little treasures I need to get cleaned up, priced, wrapped and packed up. Ahhh, the joys of a vendor!