Paper Roses

Whew! What a busy weekend. Originally, we had planned to stop at Midland on the way to Ohio, but just plain ran out of time. So we changed the plan -- head to Ohio Saturday afternoon, unload at Katie's Sunday morning, drive like crazy people back to Indy to restock Midland, plus squeeze in some shopping for inventory and supplies. Yikes.

We made all our stops, but were ready for some R&R today! SoBo looked great -- Katie is definitely getting her spring on. Love these wonderful paper roses she found. Hope they will be followed by weather warm enough to grow real ones soon.

Is it just me or has this winter been tougher than most in recent memory? I'm totally ready for spring. Check back later this week to see what we have up our sleeves for Kane -- we'll be getting our spring on! Let's hope we get some weekend weather to match. xo

A Little More Bill and Gosia: Architectural Anarchy

Wanted to leave you this week with just a few photos from Bill and Gosia's fabulous new shop, Architectural Anarchy. Housed in a historic factory building, the 7400-square foot space is not to be missed. Just take a look:

Coming soon -- space for events and more! Stay tuned. The shop is located at 2229 S. Halsted in Chicago. Phone 312-226-4125. But you really have to go see it for yourself! xo

Field Trip: From A to Z; Wheaton Report

Sunday, after the Wheaton Antique Market, Joe and I headed to Chicago's fabled South Side for a visit with two of our favorite clients, Gosia Korsakowski and Bill Rawski. Separately, Gosia owns Blue Bell Bazaar, a hugely popular etsy site, and Bill, ZAP, the largest movie prop house between New York and LA. If that weren't enough, they joined forces two years ago and in November opened Architectural Anarchy, a gorgeous retail outlet. But I won't even get to that until a later post.


First, take a peek at their first "curatorial project realization," a museum-like exhibit at 205 S. State in the heart of Chicago's Loop, done in conjunction with the Chicago Urban Art Society.


While everything is discretely for sale, the presentation begs that you stop and consider each collection of objects for its beauty of form. Gosia said that the non-traditional setting and location, plus the fact that objects are for sale, have challenged a lot of visitors' conceptions about "museums."

Joe and I had fun playing "Where's rhubarb?" (our version of "Where's Waldo?), quietly searching for items we've sold amongst all the treasures. Here's Joe and Gosia after finding a couple!

Next stop on the tour -- ZAP, Bill's multi-story prop house in an old factory district. Stepping inside is like falling down the rabbit hole. Everywhere you turn, it is well-organized chaos -- a visual catalog of the last 200 years.

Bill's business includes renting props to movies, businesses and private clients for events like weddings or photo shoots. The warehouse also includes separate spaces dedicated to his restaurant decorating clients, restoration/repair/re-creation ventures, and Architectural Anarchy, the shop he shares with Gosia.

There's no way a couple of photos do ZAP justice.

Imagine this -- one row -- times fifty. Literally amazing! Check back later to see more of Bill and Gosia.

Wheaton Report

The show was a good one, kind of quiet starting out, but then fairly steadily busy until about the last hour. Industrial, projects and painted furniture were our best sellers, although garden held its own. Many thanks to all who came out to support the show. We're back to Ohio this weekend, then we'll be full steam ahead for Kane's season opener. Have a great week! xo

Half-Off Admission to a Taste of Spring

Print out this post and bring it with you SATURDAY to the WHEATON ANTIQUE MARKET for HALF-OFF your admission to a "Taste of Spring." We are gonna be all about garden, but will also have furniture, great smalls, industrial and more. Details are just a click away on the show sidebar.

Plus, there is also an awesome orchid show going on at the same time* -- what could be better! So make plans now to join us. Come get your spring on! xo

*Sorry I folded this! Also, please note that Wheaton is ONLY ON SATURDAY.

Just a Little Late!

I know it's a little late, but HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY from rhubarb reign! Valentine's Day is one of my favorite holidays, mainly because it's so uncomplicated, at least compared to Christmas. That always feels like a marathon, while V-Day is just a walk in the park.

But we love making projects for both. The challenge for February is to make an item special enough for the holiday, but with broad enough appeal it can be left out year-round. Color is key in doing just that. Here are a few examples of what we came up with, starting with the photoholders pictured above.*

Add to that our altered-art trophies and heart-shaped magnets;

as well as these collaged candy tins. Sweet!

Grayslake (where these pictures were taken) was a great show -- thanks to all who came out to support it! Garden was hands-down the biggest seller, followed by industrial and then smalls. Guess mid-30s felt like spring, compared to the single digits earlier in the week.

And now we're working on next weekend. Make plans now to join us for Wheaton this Saturday; remember to print out the coupon below for half-off your admission. As always, make as many as you'd like to share with friends. And speaking of garden, the Wheaton Antique Market will feature a second show -- the Chicago Suburban Orchid Sale -- going on at the same time. Join us for a little taste of spring. xo

*Our thanks to JoAn Babb for permission to use her bottle idea!

Half-Off Admission to Grayslake!

Due to the vast amounts of happiness it has inspired (in both shoppers and dealers!), Zurko Promotions has extend the HALF-OFF ADMISSION discount for the entire first quarter -- which includes this weekend's Grayslake Antique Market.


Just print this post and bring it along. Make as many copies as you'd like to share with friends, too. Details are just a click away on the show sidebar. We have a brand new load of furniture, a van full of smalls, lots of new projects and the season's first peek at garden. Don't miss it! xo

What's in a Name? Plus Expo Report

People often ask us about the business' name, and I usually tell them to hold on to their hats, it's a long story. When I lived in Chicago, my business had a different name. It was one I never particularly liked. Not so much because it was a bad one, but rather because the name I really wanted was already taken in the state of Illinois.

When I moved back to Indiana, I jumped on the chance to re-christen, but to what exactly I wasn't sure. I liked the idea of rhubarb as a business icon -- it is versatile, tough, kind of quirky and quintessentially Midwestern. Plus my grandma and my mom always grew it in their gardens, so it has a lot of happy associations for me. But "rhubarb" just sounded a little lonely all by itself. My girlfriends and I were kicking it around one day, and they came up with the name "Rhubarb Road." I thought that sounded a little too country, but I liked the alliteration of the 2 rs. Then inspiration struck! I'd seen the logo of a make-up company, which employed a small crown. Rhubarb Reign! Eureka. We could keep the two rs and add crown as our logo. We switched to lower case and the job was done. Joe liked the name once we started working together -- and now its been "rhubarb reign inc" for almost 10 years!

Expo Report

Many thanks to all who came out for the Expo Show -- it was our best to date for that venue! We can't thank you enough for your support. While we sold more furniture than usual for this event, it was the smalls that carried the day. We're headed out now to restock, but take a look at two cuties that I picked up at the Expo for myself:

Darling English chalk pincushion from Judy Walsberg, Tapestries of Nature, and

this awesome light fixture, which I'm going to repurpose as a candle holder. Remember to check Friday for your HALF-OFF ADMISSION coupon for Grayslake! xo

Destination St. Charles: Expo Show and Some Panache

Don't forget to PRINT THIS PAGE and bring it with you this weekend to the DuPage Expo Center Show in St. Charles to receive HALF-OFF your admission to this awesome event.

Make as many as you'd like to share with friends, too! Now in its second season, the Expo Show has been a huge hit with dealers and shoppers alike, so don't miss it. Details are just a click away on the show sidebar.

And a Little Panache

While you're in St. Charles, be sure to check out one of my favorite shops, Panache. Started in 1998 by our friend and customer, interior designer Cheryl Herman, Panache was originally envisioned as a home store offering design services. However, customers were soon begging Cheryl to also carry clothes, because they loved her wonderful, Bohemian style. Panache has since evolved into a lifestyle store, offering home accessories, antiques, clothing, jewelry and more.

"My customer age group is broad," said Cheryl. "I once had a woman who was in her 80s buy a hip, Free People jacket. She was in the store with her daughter, granddaughter and great-granddaughter. It was cool; four generations and they all encouraged her to purchase the jacket. She was awesome."

Cheryl added that her bestsellers include antiques, handmades, Sid Dickens tiles, rugs and lighting. New for spring will be organic textiles, earthy colors, texture, vintage jewelry and interesting lights.

"I think my boutique is different because it incorporates interior design with apparel and accessories. It has an eclectic feel, mixing rustic with elegance. 'Panache' means 'elegance and style' in French!"

Panache is located at 210 Cedar Avenue; telephone 630-587-1090. Winter hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 to 5.

Editor's note: Joe and I would love to be able to visit more of our customers' shops, but the timing of shows often makes it difficult. But we're happy to try and work something out if you're interested. Just let us know! xo

Half-Off Admission to Expo Show Saturday and Sunday, Weekend Update and More

After you've dug out from the snow storm of the century and before you kick back to watch the Super Bowl, bring a copy of this post down to the DuPage Expo Center in St. Charles, Ill., and receive HALF-OFF your admission to the last Expo Show of the season. Make a bunch of copies and bring your friends, too! Now in its second season, the Expo Show has been a huge hit with shoppers and dealers alike. Don't miss it. Details are just a click away on the show sidebar.

As for the storm of the century, the first flakes are just falling as I'm writing this, but we heard about it all weekend. It was a topic of conversation in Indianapolis at Midland, where we used this funky group of frames to fill up an otherwise empty wall:

And all over Ohio -- at gas stations, restaurants and hotels, everyone was speculating. We did get a little break from it Sunday when we unloaded at our customer Denise Griffith's sweet little shop, Feather Your Nest, in Pickerington. Not a snowflake in site, plus we had lots to catch up on since we last got together at Burlington. And all the bright, cheerful colors in Denise's store overcome any thoughts of winter weather. Just check out the fabric room:

Denise offers a regular schedule of sewing classes, which are held in a large, bright workroom upstairs. All the fabric, patterns and trim made me want to race home to get out my machine. The fabrics' sunny colors echo throughout the store, from an entire room full of Vera Bradley bags and accessories:

to the front room, where the walls were just painted a fabulous chartreuse to complement the curtains Denise made from a lovely new Amy Butler print:

With all that luscious color, it's hard to think about snow. But once we were back on the road, everyone was back to talking about the storm. At Heart of Ohio, and then again at dinner, it was on every one's lips. So Joe and I did some strategizing; decided to shop on Monday, our usual day off, thinking the auction prospects might be a little grim Wednesday, and work today, thinking we might not even be able to get to the studio tomorrow. Who knows! My theory is that weather likes to sneak up on you; it's just not as much for it if you're prepared. And prepared we are! We have a whole new group of smalls, projects and furniture to share with you this weekend. So do plan to join us. And don't worry, we'll have you home in plenty of time for the kick-off! xo