Monday, October 3, 2011

Salt In My Wounds

Sitting down to post on this blog of mine, the one about finds and treasures, has been sporadic of late. In fact many days go by without a word at all. I've been writing at Abundant Picnic more often. Life has gotten in the way. It has taken up any free and quiet time and given me their complete opposites instead. Life has also become challenging and sad, not exactly the lovely emotions that give me a jumping off point for happy blogging.

Time being, my circumstances feel like the crashing sound of waves, the stinging salty air and rocky cliffs that barely hang on and slope downward into the depths. Dramatic as that all sounds, and it is, I've not been out having fun and collecting finds. So for now there's not much to share in regards to vintage finds.  Will I get back to life in the junk lane? Surely do hope so.


In need of another kind of story and wondering what I've been doing?  Then you can visit ~
http://www.abundantpicnic.blogspot.com/

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Romantic Home & Me


photo via abundantpicnic.blogspot

Certainly this lucky gal (moi) has been mentioned because of her  MYconnection to the author. Yet, I'll take it just the same! How nice to find myself in the middle of Cindy's blog - http://romantichome.blogspot.com/2011/09/show-and-tell-friday_29.html. Look at this article and you'll see a different perspective of the Goat Hill Fair. Something other than my own drivel. Pictures that I was unable to capture while manning my tent during the show! Cindy has a beautifully written and creatively captured blog that has been a mainstay of home decor readers for years! Go take a look! I'm honored to be named.

See what I missed??! Borrowing this photo from you, Cindy! Dang - wish I would've seen these! Told ya ...  another perspective ~



fabulous ruffle totes! photo from Romantic Home
 Here's a part about me ~
(Cindy, is this even kosher to do? I'm such a novice at blogging etiquette)


and here is my friend Shari!  She's always smiling!!! 


looking like a hot and weathered cowgirl - photo Romantic Home
Boy was it hot that day... just like Cindy mentions. Smiling, I was, pure fun and glad to see my friend.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Win Or Lose, It's How You Play The Game..

vintage football drawing

Victorious in the hunt! Many pleasurable moments, over many days of treasure seeking were had by me in the last half year. Goat Hill Fair was many months in planning and now, after the fact, I feel that I came out a winner! The game that I, we, as finders and collectors play can be quite exhilarating. Always on the look-out for that fabulous, over the top piece. The one thing that will make the perfect statement in someones treasure trove. I sought, found, repurposed, cleaned, painted and loved soooooo very many items. I sold quite a stash of them, yet I also brought far too much home again. Part of the game, I guess. So the camaraderie, the team playing and the making of a goal are a win-win situation. Yet this end result of what-to-do-with  and where-to-store-it feels like a type of loss.

I played the game fair and square.  I loved the win. I hate the loss....

UUUGGGHHHH....

Visions of yard sales and flea market spaces all Fall long may be the next game plan!

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Reviving The Tent

Back at it, again! I'll share some views of my booth and revive my Tent Revival from this past weekend. Soon you shall say - couldn't she please discuss something else? For now though, the party high is still in full swing and the topic is still headlining! Here we go ~

In the morning - we had this...

after hours of work - the grounds looked like a city of white peaked, fabric huts wherein lay treasure troves of vintage lovelies ~



the gates were open promptly~


Never thought I'd be ready, but I was waiting with minutes to spare and time for photos~



All mine ~




not loving this pic ( the Sunday Best slips)


a Bible at the Sunday Supper table




a little humor
 The stakes are pulled, the canvas folded and the tent won't be pitched 'til the cows goats come home....

Monday, September 19, 2011

Until Next Time



THE END.....

Dismantling of the tent and boxing up of the leftovers ended today. The Goat Hill show closed their gates and ushered the acutal farm animals back to their pens. Success is the word being passed 'round!

I had a grand time ~


Many of my wares went to other homes. The meeting of those collectors was such fun! All along I knew that the camaraderie of my fellow vendors would be high on the list of reasons I would love doing the show. Those tent neighbors of mine were more than expected! Made new friends, garnered many ideas and took with me gobs of good memories.


a still life of Tent Revival Sunday Supper

some of those friends

My next-tent neighbor ~


a snack at the end of a LONNNNG day


The lady responsible for this event did a bang up job. Compliments abound. She is a friend - I call her          Boss-'n-Boots ~


The fog lifted, the heat rose.... music strummed and tri-tips smoked. Goat Hill hosted thousands and hopefully they'll talk about it for months to come. Word is there'll be another event in the Spring. Shall Abundant Finds take part? I want nothing more. An experience of a lifetime.



Pillow=head, Bed=feet up, air conditioning=comfort ....... aaahhhhh

Tomorrow I'll share a couple of vignettes from Abundant Finds Tent Revival inside the tent....

Thursday, September 15, 2011

What Am I Doing Posting???

Why, oh why am I taking the time to write a post? Possibly no time management skills? Nope - just needed a break from some things Goat Hill! Not all things, mind you... just some! Because this post will of course have something Goat Hill, or "find-ish" about it!

So topic for tonight.... short and sweet..... (as I have zero minutos to do it)...


WHAT'S IT??

What in the world is this find??.... seems I will have to look it up, pose inquiries, or Google this item myself seeing as I'm nearly the only person that reads this blog!!  HHHAHAAA... and so, I shall!


It is made of English Ironstone - which is so very collectible. It has great patine (color).



See that gorgeous stamp (marking) above....

It is crazed too! No, not as in loony! Crazed means the crackle effect on the crockery. I believe in the glaze of the pottery. Some collectors really like this.... I think it adds a little something to the piece.

What purpose did this item serve? Surely it is very simple, yet I haven't a clue. You must twist the inner portion to line-up the notches in order for the lid-with-a-hole to come off...... see below >




There you have it... a quick post. So, what is this find??

By the way, I did accomplish price tags while I waited for the photos to upload. So, not too much time wasted!

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Quick Look

Setting up mock scenarios for the Goat Hill tent. .....


looks a little thrown together... not as it will actually be for the show...





and one last shot.....



In a few short days I'll post photos of the real tent!

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Abundant Squash

Well, look it here what I've got growing in the box garden ~



Squash of all kinds seem to be prolific producers, yet this season that's not the case in my yard. Usually abundant, but this time just UNUSUALLY ABUNDANT!!

There's a couple others too ~



Wish that the vines had produced dozens, alas they have not.... I'll make do with the few I've carved and bring them with me to display at Goat Hill.

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Not Just Hangin'

Paint brushes, hot glue guns, drills and nails

Santa and his elves would be proud of my workshop

Quite an undertaking this Goat Hill show

Much has been done, much more to do...


Here's a peak at one of my fun projects ~



vintage hangers w/cloth buttons

Some of the FINDS I've sought out are old wooden hangers. I've stamped a saying on each - "Sunday Best"..  since the Abundant Finds theme at Goat Hill harkens to tent revivals out in the country. I figured folks would hang their "Sunday best" in the closet and don them only on special occasions....

Here's what I found on sunday best :
n.
One's best and often most formal clothing.
[From the practice among Christians of wearing one's best clothing to attend church on Sundays.]


********************************************************************
Picked up along the way too were a couple bags of fabric covered buttons. I've added a button to each end of the hanger to prevent clothing from slipping down and off. An added touch is the finish spray I coated them with to help prevent catches and pulls from the wood. Like shown right here >


needs ironing...

Another Sunday Best item are my hand-dyed vintage slips. These slips were not easy FINDS. It has taken months to gather a dozen or so. I have to say they sure are purty. Lots of colors. Each has a little piece of decoration. There are old brooches, millinery flowers and new feathery sprigs. I'll be sure to wear one come the opening of GOAT HILL!

Monday, August 29, 2011

At It Again...

Couldn't help myself. After walking this morning I was reviewing in my mind some of the last minute items I need to locate before Goat Hill happens. As I've not done a show like this before - I've got lots of reviewing to do! I talk to myself daily... out loud even! I write lists upon lists. Doesn't seem much is being crossed off those lists! Anywho.... on my list of TO-DO's was to FIND more hangers. Would be simple enough if I weren't being specific picky about what type of hanger. They've got to be just soooo.

So, I did it - I stepped back in to a second hand shop. Even though I've declared that I'm not hunting for treasure. I'm supposedly full to the gills with FINDS. I'm not in need of any further Goat Hill stock, says she!  Nonetheless I came home with a boatload of goodies.

Barely had time to snap a shot of them. In fact these are hardly worth mentioning. The rest of the loot was already tucked inside boxes and itemized on lists, so I simply could not pull them out to show you.



Not such a good angle on this picture... that chair is RUSTIC PERFECT! soooo sweet! Can you tell that those two hat boxes are a beautiful shade of turquoise? The torn up and rusted screen is also a vintagey Jade-ite hue.Seems that I've got a color scheme going on for the show. Greens, blues and every spectrum in betwixt! Don't forget the yellow! It's all captured masterfully in this sunflower oil painting I picked up awhile back. Can you see it in this next shot?



I'd bet that the painting will find a home on my walls, rather than a Fair customer's shopping basket!


This basket looked just as it is - SO FRESH and PRETTY when I pulled it from the car. Just had to take it's picture. That sunflower head has a place in my tent at Goat Hill... along with many more dried flowers. Accumulated many of them today as well.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

FOUND : Food For Thought

Are you able to make sense of it all ?

If so, then let me in on the secret....

continue to scroll on down the page and read  decipher each sign....




Okay, so far so good, maybe I can wrap my brain around this... but, then comes the next few signs  -->


WHAT??? >

Now, I'm LOST... not FOUND!!   --->


?????????????

It definitely can't be said that these mountain walks of mine don't shower me with tons of fodder!

Monday, August 22, 2011

Here's What You'll Find...

AT GOAT HILL ~
(a vintage fair selling everything from aprons to whats-its)


Come see what you might find...

A simply elegant, white farmhouse sitting at a crossroads ..



check out that wrap-around porch!



that's the barn on the right


fretwork and details galore....
there will be vendors in this garden area too...




Fall is on it's way

Chicks aplenty...


and a few men too.... HA!

Vendors in tents, music and food...
Booths,  AND  ...




Some farm gadgetry...








A meadow view (or if you read yesterday - a "prairie")...


No surprise here - of course you will find - GOATS ON A HILL..





Y'all are privy to the purtiest little farm in the Santa Cruz Mountains... and the newest antique fair in the Bay Area.

All ya gotta do is FIND us!!

http://www.goathillfair.com/