Tag Archives: travel

treasure, wedding

tell me everything you know

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About Brimfield.

Friends, May is on the horizon.  And it’s going to be phenomenal!

For one, we’re getting hitched.  I will have tons of details and pics to share here on the blog afterwards.  Can’t wait!

And speaking of after the wedding…you may have guessed we’re taking a honeymoon.  And our honeymoon week just happens to fall on Brimfield week.  Honestly, I didn’t plan that although one of my dreams has been to visit Brimfield and take it all in.  The antique wheelin’ and dealin’ mecca of the universe!  What better way to spend a romantic week as husband and wife?  Our first romantic week as husband and wife for that matter.

junk sign

Ok. Ok. We’re not spending the entire week in Brimfield.  I haven’t completely lost my mind.  It is a pit stop on the way to our real honeymoon in remote Nantucket.  A location that we both have always wanted to visit.  We can’t wait!

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So tell me what you know about both Brimfield and Nantucket.

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What are must sees and dos in Nantucket?  We’re planning on lots of bike rides around town in matching cable-knit sweaters casually draped over our shoulders with fresh baguettes resting in our woven bicycle baskets.  Yes, seriously.

Beach Cruiser

And some fishing.

For Brimfield, we’ll be arriving in the beginning of the week so I’m hoping to watch the magic unfold while avoiding the late week traffic.  What fields are musts?  What are some local eateries that we should hit up?  Tell me everything you seasoned Brimfieldians!

pile of vintage

And yes we’re bringing a truck to stock up.  And perhaps His & Hers flea market carts.  Pure romance.

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musing

down on the bayou

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Whew! It’s been awhile but I’m back! I took a long weekend visiting New Orleans.

Or Nawlins as the locals say.

Warning: this post has nothing to do with furniture, DIY or the like.  My life is in overdrive at the moment and you get to listen to me live out loud if you so choose.

New Orleans city photos

We had a great time exploring the city and did we eat!  You name it – grits, bananas fosters, po boys, muffaletta, crawfish, biscuits, beignets.  More beignets.  I’m sure I’m forgetting something.  Oh alligator.

New Orleans bayou aligator

More about that in a minute…

So this was round 1 of bachelorette parties for me.  Yeah, I’m that girl.  Between all of the eating we did so much laughing and walking that I hope I burnt enough calories to still fit in my wedding dress since we’re just a month away from the big day!

New Orleans city photos

I love the unique architecture and culture the city has to offer.  In a way it feels like you’re in a European city but nope New Orleans is all ours since the Louisiana Purchase for $15 million in 1803.  Yup, I took that tour.

new orleans city

New Orleans city photos    New Orleans city photos

At the end of the trip, we decided to get out of the city and go for a cruise on the bayou.

New Orleans bayou

We took an air boat like this which up until now I had only seen on TV.

New Orleans bayou

New Orleans bayou

We made friends with a few locals…
New Orleans bayou

 The aligators were close …real close.  Exactly as the swamp tour brochure promised!

New Orleans bayou aligator

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Did you know alligators eat marshmallows?  Me neither.New Orleans bayou   New Orleans bayou aligator

I even held this little guy.New Orleans bayou aligator

Back to the grind now!

I’m in crunch mode preparing for this Sunday’s Clover Market.  My milk paint workshop series kicks off tomorrow (there’s still room if you want to join us). And the new shop in Doylestown, Serendipity, had an amazing first week so I’ve got to restock!  Thanks to everyone who made the grand opening.  Now you know where I was…   unless of course you follow me on Instagram then you already knew about all of the debauchery.

musing

sunny la & milk paint

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I was fortunate to spend last weekend in warm and sunny Los Angeles.  The trip came at the perfect time.  I wasn’t sure how much longer I could stand the cold, grey east coast days.  Don’t get me wrong, I love having 4 seasons and being a Philly area native but, man, the end of winter drags on, doesn’t it?

Of course this big ol’ rosette succulent was growing in LA, not here.

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I left my camera behind but I did end up capturing a bit of vintage eye candy with my phone.  I shared a few on instagram throughout the weekend.  In case you missed it, here goes…

The west coast has so many swoon-worthy low slung midcentury sofas.  Love them all and don’t you know I was lucky enough to come home to my very own moved right into the living room!  (You may remember my rant about my sofa and other furniture last week.  Reveal to come soon.)

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Last week on Apartment Therapy, I read a feature about a new vintage store called Shopclass LA.  It looked divine online so of course I had to go, don’t you know.  This is a must visit next time you are in town.  They nailed the Danish modern style at a really great price point even for LA.  So many fun treasures to be found…

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I am pretty sure Colleen at Freshvintage should own this neon sign.  I wonder what it costs to ship.

Fresh

They had maps, tons of maps but I particularly liked this crazy chair display.

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But the real reason I was in town was not to go vintage shopping.  You all know I do enough of that.  It was to celebrate a friend’s baby shower which was held at Spin at the Standard Hotel.

baby shower

If you want to figure out a way to get guys to go to a co-ed baby shower, include a ping-pong tournament.  Everyone had a blast!

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I found a few benches to swoon over at Spin.  This roughed up parsons style one had me feeling all warm and rustic inside.  Who knew sanding a bench and then not following through with the paint and primer would look so cool?

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And there were 2 of these vintage locker benches.  So simply old school.

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But there is certainly no place like home…faux rust and all…

Home

So that was my trip in a vintage nutshell.  Do you have any spring break plans?

Now that I’m back home, I have all of the dates and details ironed out for our first ever milk paint workshop series! 

Drumroll please…I have added a new workshop tab at the top of the page to address everything.  Let me know if you have any questions, comments or would like to join us as we paint our way through spring!  The first workshop is on Thursday, April 11th.

musing, treasure

old savannah

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A few weeks ago (actually more like over a month ago) we went on a road trip to Savannah and I promised some antiquing highlights.  I went to a ton of stores as the area is swarming with all types of antique, vintage & decor  shops.  I snapped a few pics as I oohed and ahhed my way through the region.  So here are my top 5 based on the shops I visited…

Where:  As the name implies, 37th at Abercorn in Savannah

Style: Designer House Co-op

What to expect:  A huge Southern house transformed into a cooperative of antiques and designer vintage.  You will flow from room to room discovering a different style in each (and not knowing how to get out).  This house is seriously huge.  There is also original art and jewelry and and vintage clothes and a garden area and I could go on.  You can easily decorate your entire home from this store.

What to love about it:  37th & Abercorn has partnered with the Humane Society of Greater Savannah devoting an entire room to the cause.  Treasures sold in the room where donated to the Society.

Where:  The Paris Market is in downtown Savannah at 36 W. Broughton St.

Style:  Ok so this store is not really an antique store at all but more of a retail store with a lot of cool reproduction pieces mixed in with original collections.  Think Anthropologie or Terrain with a Parisian spin.

What to expect:  Two floors of treasures styled just perfectly.  Exposed beams and stone walls create the perfect backdrop for changing displays.  Of course I loved the French coastal thing they had going on when I was there.

What to love about it: You feel like you’re in Paris yet you haven’t left the East Coast.

Where:  Take a day trip over to Tybee Island and don’t miss Seaside Sisters on the way in at 1207 Highway 80 East.

Style: Part gift shop, part antique co-op

What to expect:  Vintage coastal decor probably right out of old Tybee Island cottages or Florida before Disney.  Lots of bright colors, wicker, bark cloth and other linens.  Do I dare say shabby chic?  You’ll want to buy a beach house just so you have a place to put all of your new, brightly colored treasures.

What to love about it: My favorite author, Mary Kay Andrews, sells her found treasures (and books) here.  In fact, you’re looking at her space above.  She does book signings and other events at the shop.  The owner was so sweet to offer to have Mary Kay sign my book for me.  Side note, I can’t wait for her new book Spring Fever to come out next month!

Where:  Pinch of the Past is located at 2603 Whitaker Street in Savannah and they’ve got 2nd & 3rd locations in Greensboro, GA & Madison, GA

Style:  Architectural salvage & restoration

What to expect:  I love a good salvage yard but that is only the beginning.  The building is a huge old factory with a few levels.  It is neatly organized with everything from plumbing fixtures to lumber to hardware.  Expect to restore your home from this shop.

What to love about it:  Surprise!  There is a mezzanine level filled with unexpected vintage housewares organized in an antique co-op store way.

Where:  As the name implies Habersham Antiques is located at 2502 Habersham St. in Savannah.

Style:  Traditional antique mall with endless rows of booths

What to expect:  Find a great mix of vintage and antiques covering the genres.  Each of the 70 vendors seems to have their own specialty so there is something for everyone.

What to love about it:  It is not often in antique malls that you find neatly staged booths where vendors have an eye for display.  I was also very pleased with the prices here.

Writing this post has made me want to revisit the area and explore the nearly 40 antique and vintage shops.  I know I only scratched the surface in the 3 days we were in the region.  On our way back home we visited the famed Black Dog Salvage in Roanoke, VA.  Check out that post if you missed it!

What is your favorite region for treasure hunting?

treasure

sally

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I love salvages.  And I love antique co-ops.  No surprises there!  So when I stepped foot in Black Dog Salvage in Roanoke, VA I was in heaven.  All of that under one huge roof!

Ummm and it’s dog friendly!  Yes, I took Wilson antiquing.  And Ryan too.

Wilson got along rather well with Sally the Salvage Dog.  Isn’t she sweet?  I suppose she is sleeping on the job though.

Of course it is very difficult trying to get a picture of 2 dogs together.  Here’s my best attempt.

Ok so enough about the pups of Black Dog Salvage…I first heard about this mecca when the store was featured on the Nate Show last year and knew that it was a must see.  When we planned out our road trip to Savannah, I realized that Roanoke was a route we could take.  So on our way back up north we made the salvage a pit stop.  At the time, I did not realize how huge the place really was nor did I ever imagine they’d allow Wilson to come in. 

The people working there were so nice.  I found a kindred spirit in Courtney who loves to paint and has recently discovered the wonders of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint too.  And hello she paints and salvages for a living!  Dream.  Black Dog stocks ASCP!

I also met Christa who does a heck of a job maintaining Black Dog’s blog.  Did you ever wonder where salvaged stuff comes from?  What did it look like in its original state?  She blogs about those old homes and buildings and the finds.  Amaze.

Sorry to say that I slacked big time on taking pics there because I was just entranced at the huge, huge warehouse, marketplace and outdoor space all filled with, well, old junk!  You know how much I love old junk.

So just trust me when I say you’ve got to visit Black Dog Salvage if you’re ever near Roanoke.  And no this isn’t a sponsored post.  The place is just that cool.

musing

a diamond in the rough

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I have sat down to write this post over and over again.  I really don’t even know where to start so I figured I will go from the beginning…If you have been following along here, you probably know that we were on spring break last week.  It was a much-needed break!  I traded in my laptop for a suitcase and my paint brushes for a car.  We took off on a road trip down the east coast and back.  Ryan, Wilson and me.  We couldn’t leave the little bugger at home so his bed took up the back seat.  The pup was definitely the most comfortable in the car.

The first leg of the trip was a 10 hour drive from Philadelphia to Charlotte.  We spent the day and night with family friends in their gorgeous home.  We could have stayed there all week and watched the creatures that inhabit and visit their wooded backyard.  Deer came right up to the deck to feed.

But our main destination was just another 4 hours south in Savannah where we spent 4 days and 3 nights.  I was so excited to return to the historic, haunted and romantic city and to share it with Ryan for the first time.  So was everyone else apparently.  The city was swamped.  It was hot.  Crowded.  In retrospect this part of the trip definitely did not go as planned.  Every time we ate out, our food orders got messed up.  Yes, every time!  We couldn’t find parking.  It was just not what I had in mind for a relaxing vacation.  Although I do still love the city!  We did enjoy some cool evening strolls around town when many tourists went back to their hotels for the night.  We equally admired the architecture of the grand old mansions and the worn down centuries old warehouses on River Street.

In addition, we spent a day on Tybee Island which is just about 30 minutes from the city.  Now this was exactly what I imagined.  An adorable vintage beach town chock full of cute cottages boasting bright colors and complementary names.

However, Tybee’s beaches aren’t pet friendly so we couldn’t visit the shore with Wilson as we hoped.  We checked out the lighthouse and then hit a state park where we could admire the Spanish moss dripping from live oaks plus tropical palmetto trees.

But don’t worry, I had plenty of sweet tea, cornbread and lots of great antiquing!  I will be back with details on some of my favorite stores and finds in another post.

After Savannah, we were looking forward to heading north to the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia where we could leave the crowded city.  The area was gorgeous but the cabin I booked was not.  We didn’t even bother staying in the filthy, spider infested home.  I have the heebie jeebies just thinking about it.

We cut that leg of the trip off and headed straight home to spend the remainder of our vacation in Cape May.  When we go to our own beach bungalow on Thursday, all 3 of us were ecstatic.  Home sweet home.  Sometimes you wonder, why change what’s not broken?  We set off on an adventure when all we really needed was some down time together in our favorite place.  It wasn’t all down time of course being the worker bees that we are.  I immediately got to junking and painting.  I missed my routine after all!

On Saturday night, the eve of the last day of spring break, we took a walk on the beach at sunset as we do so often.  I was getting down about going back to work and leaving our great (or not so great) adventure behind.  There wasn’t a cloud in the sky or another person on “our” beach.  The, ahem, 3 of us walked along talking about what’s next.  I was wearing one of my very best work outfits.  This one consisted of hot pink tattered sweat pants streaked in paint and crusted with wood glue.  (I really want to set the mood for you here.)  After commenting on how much I needed to change out of those clothes and shower, Ryan dropped down on one knee and proposed to me with a beautiful princess cut diamond.  Of course I said yes and Wilson did a happy dance too.  It was just so us as we watched the sun finally set and light up the sky in shades of orange in Cape May – our favorite place.

So that’s our spring break story. We’re getting married!!!!!!

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