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

Awesome Emma's Internship; Kane Preview

Since last Thursday, we've had the privilege of hosting our very first summer intern here at rhubarb reign! And to give credit where credit is due, it was actually her most excellent idea. Earlier this year, the daughter of one of our favorite Chicago customers asked if she could come and spend a week with us to get an idea of how the business works from the inside out. And we were thrilled. For you see, Emma is not only a customer's daughter, but has been an awesome vintage shopper in her own right since we first met her at the tender age of 8.

We tried to sketch out a plan for her week's internship that would cover the essentials -- that first you have to find it, then you have to prep it, then you have to price it, load it, set it up, sell it, pack it up, then repeat! And she has been a real trouper -- getting up early, staying up late, working super hard, and being totally charming the entire time. My intention was to have her be the guest blogger for today's post, but we ran out of time -- which in itself if a good "lesson" -- there just never seems to be enough time to get in everything you'd like to in this line of work.

I was especially thankful for this opportunity,  to get to know Emma better, to have the novelty of a daughter for one week, to get a peek into teen-age-girl-dom, and to have a chance to share a little of what I've learned over the last 20 years in this business. I think mentoring is extremely important; I have so appreciated the time people have spent investing in me both personally and professionally. It is one of the best ways to learn.

We will miss Emma tomorrow when her mom comes to pick her up. They are off on a college visit. But we wish her well, thank her for her time, and will look forward to hearing about all her future adventures!

KANE PREVIEW
We are hard at work getting this weekend's load ready! Remember it is going to be a little early this month, as Sunday is July 1, but do plan to join us. Dress cool and bring your water bottle!! Check Facebook Friday for a peek at what we are bringing. Looking forward to seeing you there. xo

Gifts for Art Friends, Bookend and Allegan Preview

 GIFTS for an ART FRIEND: Don't you just love that title? I was tickled when I opened the latest copy of Somerset Life and found this article, which proclaims that for many girls like us, there is just nothing better than a gift of VINTAGE GOODNESS. I couldn't agree more! One of my favorite gifts for years was a small, brown velvet purse with a beautiful gold clasp that my mother-in-law got at an estate sale for 50 cents. It's the bomb. Like the author, I'm always stashing away boxes and containers that are just waiting to conceal the perfect little vintage treasure for a friend. What about you? Are you smitten with vintage goodies? Do you hoard boxes, bags, ribbon and trinkets to make your packages extra special? Send a photo so we can share and spread the love around!

BOOKEND: NOMAD by Sibella Court
I have to confess that I am not much of a traveler, at least not in this phase of life. Except for the armchair variety. And that's why I love everything by Sibella Court. I just got this one, purchased with my Amazon points, thank you very much. And it is splendid. Full of the romance of exotic locations, from Japan and India, to Syria and Italy. If you are not yet familiar with Court's work, don't delay. She has her own shop in Australia, but also works for Anthropologie. You'll soon be smitten, I guarantee it.

ALLEGAN, HERE WE COME! Last week, we restocked at Midland and delivered a load of furniture to our pal Katie at SoBo Style in Columbus, Ohio. Have been shopping ever since, getting ready for Allegan. Hope you can join us -- we have a terrific load in the works -- will get new photos up on Facebook later this week so you can have a peek at what's coming. Plus -- ta-da -- we want you to meet our summer intern, Ms. Emma Waldie! Do plan to join us. Show details are located in the calendar section of the blog. Just click the link to visit the promoter's site for additional information. Can't wait. xo

P.S. Thanks for everyone for the nice comments last week! Sorry to always be poky in responding. But I will! Stick with me. xo

There's Just Something About a Ruin

 Last week, my husband and I took our son, Jack, on a college visit. Truth be told, I think he was really more excited about stopping here on the way home. This wreck of a building was once a fabulous department store in a small town not too far from where we live. At some point, there must have been a fire. The upper floors are open to the sky. And home to pigeons. I am a little surprised that the place hasn't been condemned. But it is so crumblingly romantic!


The middle floors are decorated like something out of the latest Anthro catalog; just add model and you're all set:

But this is what Jack really wanted to see -- an entire floor of vintage vinyl. After an hour's sorting, we lugged home a big stack of  78s -- all jazz, his favorite. And the owner was so kind! A twinkle in his eye as he priced them out for us. Jack can't wait to get back to look some more. And I'm happy to go, too, just to soak up the atmosphere! Have a favorite destination you'd like to share? Leave a note and tell us about it! xo

 GRAYSLAKE: Classic Rewind -- SUNDAY ONLY

Remember when Grayslake was a one-day, knock-down, drag-out shop-a-thon? Well, for one time and one time only, we are taking you back there! This month's show will be just ONE DAY -- SUNDAY, June 10 -- from 8 to 4. So leave your New Coke at home, grab your track shoes and come join us!

As always, print out this page for HALF-OFF regular admission. See you SUNDAY! xo