Join Us This Weekend for ALLEGAN!

Come on out and see us -- the weather is gonna be FINE -- low 80s, sunny, who could ask for better!? And we have an AWESOME load planned -- tons of great smalls, wonderful new furniture, handmades and more. Show details are just a click away on our calendar sidebar -- see you Sunday! xo  P.S. Check out our Facebook page later today for a peek at what's coming!!

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When did this happen? It used to be that the Eiffel Tower was everywhere. And then one day, it was replaced without comment by the Union Jack. Posters, cups, banners, pillows -- suddenly, we can't get enough of its inherent coolness. I always wonder how this happens. Who decides these things? What an interesting occupation that would be. What would you even call yourself? Does someone start these trends or just spot them? Does anyone out there know? Seriously! I need to be enlightened. But in the meantime, I am lovin' it! 

And I have to say that the whole Union Jack thing started before the Jubilee and the London Olympics. Maybe it was the "Keep Calm and Carry On" phenom that started the ball rolling:

In any case, I will have my DVR fired up for the Opening Ceremony Friday night. What can England pull off to upstage the Chinese magnificence of the last Olympics? I can't wait to find out! And our little Indiana town will be cheering for one of its own, runner Morgan Uceny. How exciting is that? Go, Mo, Go!

We will be bringing some Union Jack handmades to this weekend's Allegan Antique Market. Hope you can join us -- show details are just a click away on our calendar sidebar. Will be posting some pics on Facebook Friday of what we are bringing, so be sure to check those out, along with the photos of our latest Midland finds. Until then, carry on! xo

Show Report: Berrien Springs; BookEnd

We tried a brand new show this past weekend, held only 45 minutes from our studio -- kind of felt like a working vacation! The location was ideal -- a small Michigan town, close to the lakeshore and not far from some larger cities in both Michigan and Indiana, not to mention Chicago. And the fairgrounds adorable -- the quaint, old-fashioned kind. Lots of potential. And we were pretty pleased with the results. Felt the traffic and sales were respectable for the first time out of the box. Signs, containers and handmades were our best sellers for the weekend. The show drew both locals and folks in the area just for the weekend. We handed out lots of cards, both for us and for Mishawaka Antiques. The show will be held again next year; sounds like Zurkos are planning two for 2013. My favorite part -- our most-loved food vendors -- The Olive Branch Cafe -- were set up right next to our building! Yep, I was over there breakfast, lunch and snack time!! Many thanks to all who came out to support the show. Next up -- Allegan! Plus we will be restocking at Midland this weekend. Come see us. xo

BOOKEND: Am reading "Wolf Hall" right now, by Hillary Mantel. LOVE IT. All about Henry VIII's early reign and the political intrigue so thick at that time. Have to be awake though, so it is taking me a while. Am constantly referring to the chart in the front of the book to keep all the characters straight. And in the multi-media arena, our AV librarian just recommended the BBC series "Sherlock," which is a modern take on the Sherlock Holmes stories. Lovin' that as well. A word of caution, though. Each episode is 90 minutes, so be sure you don't start if you don't have the full time -- you won't want to quit. And be sure to watch the hilarious BBC America commercial at the beginning. What are you reading and watching on these hot summer nights? Leave a comment and share! xo

BRAND NEW SHOW!

TIME for a ROAD TRIP! We are very excited to be trying a brand-new show this Sunday, July 15, at the Berrien County Youth Fairgrounds in Berrien Springs, Michigan. Berrien Springs is located in beautiful west Michigan, not far from Harbor Country and the awesome lake shore itself. So, how 'bout a little get-away -- come for the weekend or just for the day, but do plan to join us! We will be inside at the show, but not sure just where. Ask at the office once you are on the grounds if you can't find us. We'll have some lovely furniture, new handmades and lots and lots of smalls. Word is that the fairgrounds itself is adorable -- the old-fashioned kind that every market-goer just loves. We can't wait. Need more information? Click the link in our show sidebar to visit the promoter's site. See you there! xo

GRAYSLAKE REPORT: Hot was once again the story on Saturday, but thanks to the building's AC, things were hoppin'. Sunday started out slow, but picked up to a steady pace as the day went on. Sales were evenly divided among all categories. And, boy, did it cool down. Think everyone enjoyed the break from the heat! Many thanks to all who came out to support the show -- and a special thanks to our Saturday evening hosts -- Stacy and Nettie -- for a wonderful meal and excellent time! xo

Grayslake is this weekend! Come join us and shop in air-conditioned comfort!

Come join us for this weekend's Grayslake Antique Market! We have a wonderful new load of furniture, lots of smalls and prints, plus a bunch of great new handmades. Print this page for half-off general admission, too!  Remember that the fairground's new grand hall is totally air-conditioned, so you can hunt for treasures in fine style. As an added bonus, this month's Grayslake features Paper and Postcards as its "show-within-a-show." Great for collectors and crafters. Click the link on our show sidebar to visit the promoter's site for more information. See you there! Can't wait. xo

It's Always SUCH a Project: Metal Chair Makeover; Kane Report; Grayslake Preview

Here is our makeover candidate!

Our fav stripper!

Paint bubbling in 20 minutes!

It's Always SUCH a Project: Metal Chair Makeover

Joe and I thought it would be fun to try an experiment with these metal office chairs. Could we strip off the existing finish to achieve a sand-blasted look? First we removed the seats, being sure to remember which screw went where. Then we covered the metal with our favorite stripper, Citrusstrip. available at WalMart. A word of caution: while the can says it can be used indoors, it is really MESSY, so we recommend outside, away from everything, out of the wind. It only took about 20 minutes for the paint to bubble. Some places it came off easily, other places were really stubborn. We ended up needing to sand the chairs, too, but were happy with the results. Wanna give it a try? Expect to spend about an hour per chair. One can does about 4 chairs. If you can hose them off somewhere afterwards, that would be great! Otherwise, you'll need lots of wiping cloths. Let us know how yours turn out.

KANE REPORT: HOT, HOT, HOT! Which kept a lot of our regular crowd away. But we did have some good dealer sales -- yeah!! Lots of furniture went to new homes. And handmades did well. THEN A HUGE STORM HIT SUNDAY AFTERNOON. YIKES. Felt like it kinda of came out of nowhere. 80 mph wind gusts left a number of tents looking like spent arachnids. It was definitely scary. Check out the report from our outside pals, Judy and Anita, of Iowa Junk Gypsies. Glad you are OK, girls!

GRAYSLAKE PREVIEW: Because Sunday was the 1st, everything is early this month! Grayslake is this weekend -- July 7-8 -- do come and see us. I will post photos Friday on Facebook, as well as the HALF-OFF general admission coupon. And remember -- the building is air-conditioned. Whew. xo