Kane County Season Premiere a Big Hit

Bright but chilly skies greeted shoppers at the season's first Kane County Flea Market. And what a show it was! Joe and I want to thank all our wonderful customers for making it our best of the year so far. Sales were brisk in all categories -- painted furniture, smalls, artwork, garden, primitives, industrial, and more. Now we're back to the drawing board for Grayslake -- stay tuned! xo

Cookie Exchange Extravaganza

Excitement was in the air as contestants from five states began to arrive at Lynda Boyd's home in suburban Chicago and place their entries on the judging tables for her ninth annual Cookie Exchange. Now stop for a minute and consider the cliche "excitement was in the air." What is that really like? In this instance, something akin to waiting at the top of the stairs Christmas morning combined with having to give your first speech would about recreate the feeling. It takes a lot to win the coveted Baker of the Universe trophy; entries are judged not just on taste, but also on creativity and presentation. And this year's contestants were all seasoned Exchange veterans. This was going to be no cake walk!
Oohs and aahs were heard as the tables began to fill up, each entry more beautiful than the one before. The photos only show a sample! For 2009, cupcakes were allowed, in addition to cookies. Lynda explained that the Exchange evolved from a pre-Christmas brunch when she lived in Michigan; this is the third one to take place in Chicago. Part of the annual struggle for contestants is to actually save room for the tasting, as the evening includes cocktails, appetizers and a fabulous Mexican buffet. Lynda even brings the fajita meat all the way from a speciality grocery store in Texas. While the airport security in Houston is used to this, it's a little more challenging to explain to the guards at O'Hare why you are coming through with a cooler full of frozen meat!

After dinner, the moment of truth arrived: time for tasting and judging. This is a peer contest, so everyone votes, but as host, Lynda excludes her entry from winning in any category. Each participant presents her (or his, as Joe was made an honorary girl for the evening several years ago,) entry, along with a fictional or real-life explanation. At this point the mood was somewhere between rowdy girls' night out and a knock-down, drag-out state fair baking contest. Both hilarity and competitive spirits runs high -- it's a blast, but everyone really wants to win!!

But there can be only one! Drum roll please: the 2009 Baker of the Universe is Virginia's Meri Drake, who also swept the Best Chocolate and Best Novelty categories. Mary graciously thanked her family, the Academy and Bakerella's recipe for their parts in her success, adding that it only took eight hours of toil to make her Cupcake Pops, pictured above. We want to thank Mary for graciously taking the rhubarb reign-created trophy on her victory walk the next morning at the Kane County Flea Market! Go sista! For more on this, check out today's post from our excellent friends at http://www.artisansball.com/.

We'd also like to thank my excellent mother, Cris Causey, for baking rhubarb reign's entry, and Elizabeth Hary for proving the recipe. And to mention, ahem, with all due modesty that Team Rhubarb won the Best Improv category for the third year in a row! Go Joe!

And in all seriousness, we'd like to thank Lynda, our most excellent friend and customer, for a lovely evening. Lynda puts heart and soul into everything she does, this event being only one example among many. xoxo

All points south: Maddie Lisee to Midland

The wind was playing crack-the-whip with the van and trailer as we headed south along US31, destination, Maddie Lisee (http://www.maddielisee.com/), in Lebanon, Ohio. But the perils of the journey were well worth it once we arrived. Maddie Lisee's owner Heather Kramb greeted us with a wonderful little snack of red snapper with a ginger-orange sauce and a killer South African wine. We enjoyed spending the evening with Heather and her family, catching up on a month's worth of adventures.

The next morning, we were off to the store. In addition to her gifts as a hostess, two things we admire about Heather are her wonderful color sense and great taste in fabrics. She'd done a couple of dressers in the most amazing layers of blue, so we were glad that Joe had picked a complimentary shade for the 3-drawer piece we brought, pictured below. Also shown is just one of Heather's beautiful fabric choices. She's always kind enough to pick up some extra yardage for us. My only complaint was that our visit wasn't long enough. We left at 11, heading back to Indianapolis, destination Midland Arts and Antiques (http://www.midlandathome.com/).

Our goal is to restock our space at Midland every 3 to 4 weeks. Sales have been strong this month, so we brought in several new tables, plus lots of smalls. A favorite were some 2-foot green enamel letters -- the largest we've ever had -- spelling "TO HOUSES," as well as some killer locker baskets. We also did some shopping for Kane before leaving. Two personal finds were this terrific vintage sweater -- looks just like something from Anthro -- and these adorable fortune cookie fortune "albums" by artist/dealer Jenny Elkins. I love fortunes -- I have several jars of them, which I use for collage. But the album is such a fun idea!

This week we'll be turning our attention to KANE COUNTY, which starts its season Saturday, February 28. We'll be in our usual spot in the Main Building. I can't wait! Kane's two-month winter break heightens everyone's anticipation -- dealers and shoppers. It's going to be a great show. Come and see us. xo

Location, location, location: It's all about the neighborhood

Sugar-frosted chest seeks new owner Spring.Time pendant, made from vintage pearls, watchcase and millinery flowers

Joan Babb's artful display

Dealer Mark McKee, first human face featured on our blog!

Just like in real estate, a good location at an antique show is key to good sales. Outside, you need a tent. Period. A little afternoon shade and not too close to the trash cans or restrooms are all pluses on a hot summer afternoon. We also prefer level ground and being reasonably close to a main entrance. Inside, you want to be somewhat in the center of the action -- too close to the door and people move right past you, too far and you feel isolated. We like a corner because it gives better visibility, and long and narrow frontage always beats short and deep. Whether outside or in, we've found that staying in the same location has worked well for us.

And again, just like at home, good neighbors are key. A fun group of dealers with a positive attitude and an interesting mix of product will draw customers and create energy like nothing else. We first noticed this phenomenon at the Allegan Antique Market in Michigan where promoter Larry Woods was a "neighborhood builder." He actively recruited dealers whose product and personalities worked together to fill a previously dead spot in the show (the ground isn't especially level, and it's right next to the bathroom -- see above!) And his technique worked like a charm. Suddenly people were running to get to our "neighborhood" as soon as the show opened, telling us often how much they liked our part of the show. Success!

With the move to the new location at Grayslake, Joe has become a neighborhood builder himself. We've already talked about some of great people we have around us, but let me introduce two more: Joan Babb, of the Potting Shed, in Lake Forest, Illinois, and Mark McKee, of Golden Key Antiques in Howe, Indiana. Joan always has one of the most beautiful booths at a show, full of imagination. The key is her presentation, which she says is due to the influence of her parents' careers, a cross of the artistic with a good dose of German anal retention! This results in lovely objects, all perfectly packaged. Mark's booth is full of funky finds -- mid-century accessories, jewelry, ephemera, furniture and more. Be sure to look under the tables and in every container. I can't tell you how many times I've watched something I'd love to have snatched up walking away in someone else's hands because I didn't look closely enough. Mark is also quite possibly one of the nicest guys in the business. We've enjoyed getting to know Joan's husband, Fred, and Mark's partner, Sherman. Fine guys in their own right! Both Joan and Mark are in e-mail limbo right now, so contact me for their contact info.

Incidentally, there was a record crowd at Wheaton this weekend. Was it the sunny weather? The animal swap meet next door? Well, we're going to go with promoter Bob Zurko's assessment and says it's all about the neighborhoods!

Almost like spring at Grayslake

There's nothing that seems more like spring in Chicago than a 50 degree, sunny day in February. The contrast with the harsh weather that's preceded it makes you almost want to leave your coat behind! The great weekend weather brought a strong crowd out to the Grayslake Antique Market where many dealers were reporting good sales. We were pleased to sell all our large pieces of furniture, including a handsome Henredon buffet and the pretty claw-foot desk pictured below; Joe has been taking great pains to perfect our new painting technique, and we have been pleased by our customers' responses to it. We also sold most of our small furniture and a good share of the smalls in all categories. Two of my favorites were the found-item collages pictured that went to a new home during early buy.

I wanted to share two other great Grayslake dealers with those of you who love paper arts: 2 Sisters Things (www.2sistersthings.com), which sells a terrific range of paper elements (like the fun flash cards pictured), game pieces, findings and more, all at fabulous prices, and Patty Suttle(pasthist@comcast.net), whose vintage prints are to die for. Patty has pieces in all price ranges, from the wonderful old map of Paris pictured here, to an entire table of pieces that start at $1, which are perfect for projects. Contact these dealers directly for more information and be sure to visit them next time you're at Grayslake!

Many thanks to all our customers for their support and to all our on-line friends we see at the shows -- feels like homecoming now whenever we're together! On to Wheaton! xo

Just a quick THANK YOU

Wanted to say a quick THANK YOU to two lovely ladies and excellent customers for mentioning us on their blogs, Candy and Judy! So check us out, January 22 on Candy's blog, www.artisansball.com , and January 18 on Judy's blog, www.tapestriesofnature.blogspot.com. Both are talented artists -- visit their sites often, like we do! xo

Marvelous Midland

Know that feeling, when you drive up to a sale, whether it's an established outdoor market or a humble garage sale, that THIS is going to be a good one? It's that little tingle of anticipation about the finds that await just inside. Well, the first time we laid eyes on the Midland Arts and Antiques Gallery in Indianapolis, we had that feeling. And it has never disappointed us. The building is spectacular -- a 3-story, 19th-century brick factory that once housed a sash and door manufacturer, now is home to 2 floors of fabulous vintage treasures. Midland is heavy on the hip and trendy, from French furniture and chandeliers to turn of the century industrial pieces and contemporary artwork. The gallery has won numerous awards, and just opened a sister shop in Carmel, north of downtown. And the great thing is that there is terrific stuff in every price range. We have had a booth since 2006 and try to get down at least once a month to restock it. Check out these photos from our January trip:

The Midland Gallery is easily accessible from US 70; check out their website, www.midlandathome.com for directions or more information. The staff is also terrific. Call them about anything you see pictured here! Or better yet, plan a road trip. And tell them that rhubarb reign sent you!!