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

headboard re-do ..

we have had this headboard for some time and we are finally getting around to uncovering it in the warehouse and getting it redone ..

above is the way it looked when we found it.. as you can see it had incredible 'bones' .. love the frenchy feel of it .. it is a king size .. to be secured to a metal frmae, aka a hollywood frame ..

below is the way it looked after ... covered in washed burlap, accented with crosses of raw edge muslin for the buttons and a ruffle of raw edge muslin framing the edge .. reminds me a frosted cookie .. lol ..


below is a close-up detail of one end ..




above is a great 1920s era wicker set we will be finishing out and sending with Rod to Canton .. we are upholstering it in a wonderful floral print .. the headboard is also going to Canton ..


the sweet bisque cherub duo is the base of a wonderful vintage lamp Rod discovered at a local shoppe .. he is bringing that to Canton also ..

Don't forget if you are in Waco .. visit our booth at the new LaSalle Shoppes Antiques & Crafts Mall .. you can read about it here ..

Love ya'
Troy

P.S. Please include my friend Anne's Mom in your prayers ..

thank you ..

moving in ..

we finally got all moved into our mall space at LaSalle Shoppes Antiques & Crafts Mall .. i am so excited .. and we have already started selling things .. which is always a good feeling .. we are excited that we have a place where we can allow our local customers to easily purchase from us ..

this is from the back of the booth, looking to the front .. we will carry a good stock of our pillow shams and slipcovers ..

this is the front of our booth .. to the right is a nice old Art Deco era chest of drawers that we wallpapered with vintage 1940s era wallpaper .. it wasn't there hardly a day and it SOLD ..

this is a view coming into our booth from the main entry .. our space is kind of in the middle of the building ..

another view of our booth as you come into the room from the entry .. the HOPE banner sold this afternoon .. we should have more banners in soon ..



a small vignette on top of the chest ..

If you live in the Waco area, please stop in and visit this wonderful new Antique Mall .. it is young and just getting started, but i think it is going to be a wonderful spot .. and the owners are some of the nicest people you would want to meet ..
It is located at 2221 LaSalle .. near the Treasure City Flea Market and the famous Circle .. the building served as a Hotel up until the 1940s .. some of the original rooms are still intact on the second floor .. if you are from Waco or attended Baylor University, you might remember it as the Unpainted Furniture Store .. they still sell unpainted furniture there, but are making room for a limited number of Antique & Craft dealers .. if you are interested in space, stop in and talk to Bill or Jean and tell them Junk Exchange sent you ..

Also if you head to Treasure City Flea Market or head out to Health Camp or the Elite Circle Grill or Rudys Country Store Bar B Q.. stop in and see the shop, you will like it ..

love ya'
Troy

we done did it ..

we did it .. we got the space .. great location .. great layout .. love the building .. absolutely love the people who own and run the place .. it is easy access from the interstate .. near an abundance of popular restaurants .. right around the corner from Baylor University .. and across the street from the only flea market in Waco ..

the name of the mall is LaSalle Shoppes Antiques & Crafts Mall .. it is located on LaSalle in Waco .. across from the Treasure City Flea Market which used to be the CIRCLE DRIVE-IN theatre years ago ..


this is the flea market as it appears today .. saturdays and sundays, this place is packed to the brim .. cars and people everywhere ..
this is what the drive-in looked like back in the day ..


our booth is all of the black and white tiles .. the double doors at the front of the booth will remain closed .. there is a ceiling fan above the space .. and the building is air conditioned .. this picture was taken from the back of the booth looking forward ..


this picture was taken from the front corner of the booth looking to the back stairway ..


this was taken from the opposite front corner looking back to the stairway .. the alcove under the stairs will be perfect for housing our slipcover and vintage clothing rack ..

super excited .. we decided against doing anything to the booth other than moving in and filling it .. at least for right now .. the owners said we could paint if we wanted .. being so close to the weekend and how close we are to the Holiday season, we voted and decided to live with what we had and stock the space .. we can paint after the Holiday season ... be sure and LIKE our FaceBook page and join in conversations and posts .. we will also be posting pics of the space once we get it all moved in .. if you live in the Waco area, stop in this weekend and see the space we should be all moved in by tomorrow .. we are right off Interstate 35 at the Circle .. 2221 LaSalle Ave ..

love ya'
Troy