see what i saw ..

seems things have been on a whirlwind since we finished Canton last month .. we took a quick trip up to visit family in illinois on a wednesday.. rod drove straight thru ..normal/bloomington, illinois .. had a small family pre-thanksgiving meal on a friday and came back to texas on a sunday .. then had a small thanksgiving meal with nephew and great niece and great nephews .. it was fun to spend time with family .. but i have done very little for the upcoming canton .. however, i have scores and scores of vintage Christmas to fill the booth with .. and lots of furniture finds .. so come out and see us this month .. should be one of the most enjoyable months of the season .. we are located in the new lock and leave building connected to the entrance of the Arbors .. you can't miss it .. we are booth number 7 .. and we will be there on Wednesday ..

now to show you what i saw when i was in illinois .. i couldn't let the trip go by without getting a pic or two to share ..

if this doesn't get you in the Christmas spirit, I can't think of what will .. enjoy ..











can you imagine? all i can think of is where do you put this stuff when it's NOT Christmas? and of course, how much we could sell all of those for .. lol!

love ya! hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving ..
troy

the way of Canton ..

we just finished the October November Canton and it was one for the record books .. in all aspects .. a local police man said it was the biggest crowd at Canton since 1996. .. after 20+ years of doing Canton, we finally have one of the premier spaces at the market .. at least i feel that way .. the new lock and leave building has a feel all it's own .. it was the first time in 20+ years we have been able to leave the grounds on Sunday afternoon before the sun went down .. it was the best show in a long time for us .. everyone loved the new space and commented so .. it felt like home ..
the way our booth looked on thursday morning ..

the way our booth looked sunday morning ..

considered the main entrance to the Canton First Monday grounds .. off hiway 19 .. the new lock and leave building in the distance .. we are the second booth in on the left .. space # 7 ..

a burlap and muslin lamp shade i created .. the base of the shade had an approximate 24" diameter .. i had it lit for a pendant shade ..

our pillow cabinet .. it's an old pine wardrobe .. perfect for the shams and pillows ..

the booth on saturday morning .. i tried to change the booth up every morning .. it was fun moving it around to give it a different look and seemed to pay off ..

a chaise i covered in vintage lace tablecloths .. inspired by curious sofa ..


slipcover cabinet i had Rod create for the shop .. made using an old wardrobe .. cut out on the end .. chalkboard on each side of the opening ..

if you want to see more pics of our booth check out the pics in our facebook album..

hoping your month is filled with happiness and love ..
love ya'
troy

finding it ..

finding JOY today can be difficult and frustrating .. however, i have a secret that works for me and wanted to share it with you .. though it is now effortless, i work real hard at greeting each day and each gift, surprise or show of affection with a silent "Thank You, Father" ..sometimes i even shout it .. and i can't begin to relate how many times i have used that phrase these past few weeks .. even though it seems every other day brings a new pain and a little less brain power .. i feel very blessed ..

junk exchange had decided this month would be it's last show at canton .. the shoving and loading and unloading of furniture and setting up of displays was just getting harder and harder to do, and canton was building a new lock and leave that would have made it difficult for us to maneuver into our parking space late on set-up day, which is when we like to get there to avoid the traffic of set-up ..

we applied for a space in the new lock and leave and figured if we didn't get in, then this would be our last show .. there were only 10 spaces and hundreds of applicants for the 10 spaces and honestly, we didn't hold out much hope .. we thought it would be nice and of course felt our merchandise warranted such an honor, but there were literally hundreds of applicants .. we were notified the middle of this month we were accepted .. SO ..Thank you, Father!!! .. our NEW LOCATION is in the NEW lock and leave building now known as ARBOR GATEWAY .. we are SPACE # 7 .. how lucky is that? Thank you, Father .. what this means, is we can set up our booth like a shop and lock it up at the end of the show instead of packing it up like we have for the last 20 years ... Thank you, Father...

see this statue? if you have ever been to Canton, you know where this is .. it is located directly at the main entrance off hiway 19 .. see the building behind it, that says THE ARBORS .. well, you can't really see that NOW .. now, there is a big building in front of that entrance .. that is the ARBOR GATEWAY .. we are in space # 7 of that NEW building .. so easy to find .. Thank you, Father ..

this month we also participated in a local show organized by the Shopapalooza Ladies called "Fall into Christmas" .. it was a fun event and we made some nice new contacts .. and met some wonderful people ..rewerked furniture .. texas pickers .. Thank you, Father ..

below are a few images of our booth at that event .. it was a one day event ..



so Rod has been busy building us display pieces for the new space and the sewing room has been a whirl of excitement with fabric flying through the air .. we also have at the end of this month the Junior League of Waco show "Deck the Halls" .. Sherry is doing that show .. and Rod is doing Canton and I am going with him ..again, Thank you, Father ..

you must come to Canton this month and see the new booth space .. junk exchange has found some incredibly lovely pieces to fill the space and i know you will love the new look .. we will be bringing things for sale that we have not offered before due to the unpredictability of the weather .. now with the new lock and leave we feel secure paper goods, fabrics and lamps and shades will not get damaged ..

each day is like a new chapter in this amazing book .. Thank you, Father ..

well my mind has gone totally blank on what i wanted to say .. so i will close with Thank you, Father and give you all my love ..

Troy

sexy hangers ..

we have decided to add vintage lingerie to the items we offer for sale.. we feel it will add something to the boudoir theme we have going .. i remembered i had some of those vintage padded lingerie hangers stockpiled, but we must have sold them because i sure can not remember where i packed them or placed them.. i thought about what to do as i didn't want to hang sexy lingerie on just any old hanger .. so i came up with this ..(when i say i came up with this, i honestly don't remember if i saw it somewhere and it just kind of stuck in my mind and therefore i felt it sprang - springed? - sprung? - from my twisted, confused mind .. but i thought it was cute, so if i stole the idea from you, my apologies)

i think it sets off the lingerie quite nicely .. it is a simple wood hanger wrapped in strips of hand torn (how else?) cotton muslin and accented with a simple bow at the throat of the hanger, finished off with a dangle-ly charm made using a vintage key and a swivel ball hook ..

i began with these simple wood hangers .. we see them everywhere down here in Texas ..

then we had some excess torn strips that were destined more for the trash than another project as they were too thin for the ruffles on our pillows ... so i made use of them here ..

we have a stockpile of vintage keys .. we usually place them in our popular junk bags and sell them 5/ $1.00 ..

added the key to a vintage swivel ball hook, from the fishing department ..

and it made a cute little dangle ...

then tied it to the throat of the hanger .. directly underneath the bow ..

now isn't that the sweetiest little (yeah, i said sweetiest) .. hanger ? .. you could even soak the muslin strips in rose water then dry them for an added touch .. me .. i just sprayed them with some tea rose .. which always reminds me of my momma ..

enjoy the day .. love ya ..

Canton Sept / Oct 2011

i love Canton in the fall .. and this past weekend did not disappoint .. we had lovely weather and generous crowds .. everyone seemed to be in a good mood .. and it was such a pleasant time ..
sweet queen anne dining table, dressed with a vintage cotton tablecloth in pink and green .. flanked by a pair of shield back side chairs with tapestry damask seats in cream and eggshell ..and a pair of oak side chairs dressed with our vintage inspired cotton muslin slipcovers .. available here ..

vintage side table chalk painted in cream accented with vintage toile wallpaper on the top and at the drawer front ..

another view of the dining table and side chairs ..

a pile of slipcovers .. topper and skirts ..

pillows of muslin accented with a block printed burlap patch and featuring raw edge ruffle of 3" .. available here ..

mr & mrs pillows .. 16" square .. a popular item for us .. featuring an envelope back and 3" wide raw edge ruffle ..

basket of kings crown burlap / muslin pillow sham ...

love the bench .. perfect for end of your bed .. deep hand tied tufts .. accented with vintage wallpaper and featuring storage areas behind the small doors across the front ..

the dollhouse large enough for a bookcase .. had a stack of old books to display, but forgot them at home .. lucky for you this item did not sell and is available at our shop location at laSalle shoppes antiques & craft mall ..

love the fall look of the ginger jar .. it's a pattern by masons but i forget the name at the moment ..

love it when girls / ladies gather and love on our products .. makes me want to be more creative ..

more loving from our customers ..

a pair of pumpkin head sweethearts greeting the cooler weather to come .. may all this month be special for you and you enjoy the road you travel ..

love ya'
Troy

welcoming Fall ..

love love love love Fall .. love the colors, the temps, the excitement .. just plain love it .. it is one of my favorite seasons .. lol ..

i am always excited to see what the magazines are doing for fall .. i stumbled on the current issue of country living and fell in love with the article on the pumpkins .. thought, i can do that .. (don't you love that song from Chorus Line) ..

so .. i started with this ..



in an effort to achieve this ..



and came away with this ..


now in the article they said they used paper .. actually copies of fabric pattern .. scanning the fabric and then printing it out on the computer .. but i didn't read that part .. so i used some vintage fabric that i had .. tore it in strips and glued each one on .. then i used scrap pieces of burlap to create the leaves and stem .. then i used a water based polly for the topcoat .. to seal it .. still have one more to do ..

taking them to Canton .. we leave this coming Wednesday .. i am going with Rod this time .. we are in Arbor 2, spaces 217 & 218 .. if they don't sell at canton, they will be at our booth at LaSalle Shoppes on LaSalle Ave in Waco ..

our neighbor dog, chico .. come to visit and see what i did to the pumpkins .. such a sweetie ..



we got him back onto his side of the fence and tried to repair it .. afraid he is going to hurt himself .. but he likes shooger and keeps trying to come visit ..

sharing a song here .. enjoy ..



love ya'
Troy

cashmere passion ..

i have a thing for cashmere sweaters. i can't stop buying them at thrift stores and used clothing stores. i have stacks of them. i tend to buy the ones that are cream, gray, black and warm toned colors. i have v neck, crew neck, turtle neck, vests, cable knit and just plain comfy.
i remember my first cashmere sweater - listen to me, i talk about them like it should have been a memorable event. but i guess it was. i love the look of a sweater with a good fit. but, i hate the texture of most sweaters. they just plain itch. i can wear a cashmere sweater on a cool morning to brunch and feel wonderful. i have worn cashmere sweaters that are over-sized and perfect for just laying on the couch and watching an epic old movie. there is nothing more enjoyable than a cool dark room, a Susan Hayward movie (Back Street), curled on the sofa, a down pillow, a bag of animal crackers, iced tea and wearing a cashmere sweater.
my first cashmere sweater - i bought with my mom at a church rummage sale. i was 15 years old. the sweater was at least 20 years old. i was drawn to it for the graphic diamond pattern - which is very much in style now - and when i picked it up, it was as if the heavens had opened up and sent down the lashes of angels to weave this heavenly creation. i was in love. i didn't even know what cashmere was and picture if you can a 15 year old country boy in a family of deer hunters conveying his excitement to his father. yeah. well, he loved me just the same.
so, i have a thing for cashmere sweaters.
i think i need to find a cabinet to put them in - preferably something with glass front doors.
p.s. old worn out sweaters also make great throw pillows.

love ya'
troy

Waco, That's My Home Town (Produced by The City of Waco)

My Aunt posted this on my Facebook page and I thought it was about the cutest thing I had ever seen .. it's a jingle written about my hometown Waco .. back in the late 50s / early 60s .. I think .. about the time I was born ..

Watch it .. for fun ..

love ya'
Troy

Canton - Sept 2011

rod just left for Canton this afternoon .. we had some things that got in the way of getting there until today .. so he should be pulling into our booth about the time this entry is posted to the blog .. i stayed behind again to care for our two dogs .. shooger and jax .. i did get some pics of some of the things he has with him that we got done for this month ..


remember this wicker set from earlier in the week ? .. we reupholstered it and added some pillows .. loving it .. Marta, it wasn't that difficult .. we don't know how to repair wicker but the back of this just needed new upholstery .. so that is what we did .. sorry i didn't get pics as we went through the process ..


here is the set all upholstered .. i love the floral print ..


the set with the throw pillows ..


the chair .. it is so comfortable ..


i love the way the whole set turned out .. wish i had a big back or front porch to put it on and i would be keeping this set ..


a close-up of one of the pillows ..


a pair of cube tables that we upholstered and tufted the tops on .. love the way they turned out ..


a full size headboard .. just a little bit of burlap at the center and a coat of country white paint ..

enjoy your weekend and head out to Canton and say hi to Rod ..
Arbors 2, spaces 217 & 218 ..

also don't forget, we are in Waco now .. at the LaSalle Shoppes on LaSalle Ave .. across from Treasure City Flea Market ..

love ya'
Troy