So, participating in the Lucketts, VA Antique Fair felt like a cross between Christmas and camp. Like Christmas, you spend a lot of money (buying a ton of product for the show), there is a lot of build up and anticipation, there are late nights a few nights before the big day, there is a huge mess to sort through AND it's a lot of fun despite all the work. It also feels like camp to me since there is a lot of bonding that happens when you are working long, hard hours with an inspiring, incredibly talented group of women. We helped each other lift an insane amount of furniture, joked with each other and laughed so hard I cried. Ate junk food and shopped together. There was already a bond between us, and that bond was further cemented with the memories we take away from Lucketts and the magnificent women that made it happen. Thanks girls for the teamwork, laughs and memories!

Here's a recap for those of you that were not able to join us (we missed you).

Here's the Saule Spielberg version if you're not into reading at the moment:

Silk&Burlap at Lucketts on YouTube

We loaded 4 box trucks, 2 pick ups, 2 SUV's and a car on Thursday.

We were able to load the stage Thursday but couldn't set up yet since it's in an old school auditorium that is a pre school today.

We were a well oiled machine working together as a team. There were 10 of us girls + these very strong men (if it hadn't been for them, I may have cried and thought twice about Lucketts next year)

The parking lot later becomes packed and chaotic as dealers from all over the U.S. pack it in with their treasures.

We were able to get into the auditorium Friday at 2pm and had to be out of there by 9pm. This picture is a little blurry since all were moving rocket fast to set up a huge amount in a very short period of time.

Trying to put all the pieces together.

Completed space.

Modern Farmhouse.

Beautiful antique pine drop leaf table paired with modern reproduction Bertoia Chairs (sold) and chippy vintage farmhouse chairs.

Antique camel back sofa with new white denim slipcover, $899.00

Metal bar table with modern Ghost stools. Table + one stool sold.

Acrylic nesting tables, sold.

Vintage egg basket with great patina.

Saturday morning before the crowds came. There was a huge line to get in at 10 am.

The crowds packed it in all day Saturday. Sunday it was pouring rain in the morning and a muddy mess, so fewer attended but we still had a steady flow of traffic.

Whew, almost done and feeling tired in the bones. Fran of &Coco, Wendy of Beans&Buttons and Saule of Silk&Burlap watching the last few items get loaded onto the truck.

As ready as we were to call it a day at this point, we still had to take what did not sell back to Chartreuse&co and unload it there. Fortunately the 4 truckloads+ we went down with was reduced down to only 2 truck loads back. Thanks to everyone who came to see us and sorry we missed those of you that shopped the barn this weekend. We appreciate your support.

xo

Watch our Silk&Burlap movie of our move to lucketts for the weekend here 

We accomplished moving a fantastic amount of inventory one piece better than the next.

You have to join us down at Lucketts to see what we have created!

Sat May 22nd and Sunday May 23 from 10-5 in the auditorium at the Lucketts community center.

Fun day today working hard in the beautiful weather with Saule, Molly, Gail, Virginia, Kelly, Fran & Lindsay. The work was physical and grimy loading & unloading 4 box trucks, 2 pick ups and 2 large SUV's but it felt good to be a part of something exciting and fun. Exciting to see how we take eclectic finds and blend them into something beautiful. Exciting to see everyone's response Saturday morning. Exciting to meet new people. Exciting to see how many venture out to visit us this weekend. Fun to be driving in a convoy. Fun hearing Molly and Gail tell us our fabulous finds are "stupid" or "embarrassing." I can't wait to put it all together tomorrow to see all we've been stockpiling turn into something lovely.

Here are some pics of us loading up:

Almost all of those truck and trailers in the parking lot picture are ours, so needless to say, we've got a ton of groovy stuff to check out. We PACKED the stage since we can't set up till tomorrow. Right now it really looks like a heap of junk, so I love seeing the transformation process. I'll post pics tomorrow of the set up and the end result.

Here are some individual pictures of some of the smaller pieces we have.

The newly slipcovered antique sofa and gilt chairs hadn't arrived yet, so I'll post pictures of those tomorrow as well.

Thanks for checking us out & check back soon, as Saule the techy made a toe tapping movie of our fun day, I'm sure it will be on IFC soon.

xo

Since a good percent of our store is funky, beautiful vintage, we spend a good amount of time at auctions, estate sales and flea markets. Lately it seems many others have come out of hibernating, making prices go up, sometimes putting a lot of our coveted items out of our range. What's a girl to do when this happens?? Well, we're going more often and networking, sourcing out new contacts and places. We have several events in May to stock up for, so we're out treasure hunting several times a week these days. Today is no exception. It's 5am and I'm on my way to Saule's and then we're headed out of state in hopes of finding some fabulous deals & style to bring back to Maryland. Wish us luck, will posts pics later.

xo

It has been several weeks since I've blogged so I have much to share. I was in CA visiting my sister and her family and had planned on sharing pic's of some of my favorite stores but was disappointed to find many of them have closed, I guess due to the bad economy. This made me stop & reflect on how lucky we are to be doing what we love during a tough economy. We took a risk and started this adventure, pretty much when the economy was bottoming out last year. I am glad that we are doing things probably smarter because of the economy and grateful our customers continue to support us, allowing us to grow our dream. Something else I am always excited about is the abundance of vintage and antique treasures here on the east coast. Prices in my favorite stores in CA that are still open are at least 3-4 times the price tag in our store and comparable stores here in Maryland. I don't expect things for free but being on a budget with three young girls, I always appreciate a good value and feel that much more fortunate having access to cool antiques and can actually afford them. Visiting family was lovely and I miss them every day yet it was good to get back to get hugs and kisses from my other girls and to get back into the Silk&Burlap groove.

Sweet cousins and my little Hope spending time together in CA.

We ventured out today on foot to escape the house and grab a bite. Not a lot of traffic on the roads, we passed more people on foot….

Downtown is still buried, but businesses are open.  We passed Tiara Day on the way to lunch:

Volt was open….snow fixe menu $35 for 3 courses! Too bad the kids were in tow:

So on to Brewer's Alley for lunch and beer:   dessert didn't stand a chance

Of course the walk home would not be complete without a pit stop at Moxie for Bread Pudding to serve tonight after dinner…

Time to get back to work….we have a lot to do to get Silk&Burlap ready for Tag Sale weekend!

Did I really just type those words!? Finding joy in another blizzard???! “As if” is what my California born self wants to tell my new Maryland self. I am not known for being weather tolerant. I like blue skies, sunshine and temps ranging from 60-80. I do like an occasional snow and I like some rain, can’t stand wind and really can’t take days on end of rain, cold temps or huge amounts of snow. Considering that our little town is bracing itself for it’s 3rd blizzard (a record breaking winter in the way of snowfall) of the winter, I am not naturally thrilled about it. I feel claustrophobic and limited by the snow. I want to move about freely and go when I want to go. I want to paint without worrying about the many brain cells I am losing in an unventilated space. Wah, wah, wah, wah right? Exactly! Which is why I am searching for joy and embracing the moment. Big deal, it’s snow. We have a warm home that I spend so much time caring for, it’s days like these I should enjoy it enveloping us in it’s warmth, and memories we are creating in it. My family is safe, warm and healthy and they are all HOME! It always comes back to this for me, being HOME. So what’s to cry about, we are HOME.

Joy is….

My girls are sitting around the kitchen table playing a board game, and they’re NOT fighting.

Dan is making us dinner tonight

We have power (knock on wood and say a prayer it stays that way)

Enjoying the pretty spaces in our home we’ve created:

I bought this chippy house pillar in Denver to give our then suburban house character. I still love it and have it in a corner of our 1910 Victorian home. My husband shakes his head at it & thinks I’m strange which makes me enjoy it even more.

I usually see this Buddha candle holder when I am doing yoga at home (don’t be impressed, doesn’t happen nearly as often as it should and the kids are usually running through the house, slamming doors while playing hide & seek—not all that Zen sounding) and something about this black Buddha brings me joy.
I am excited that we will be carrying a few Buddha hands and heads next month. The anticipation for the store and my home thrills me.

Beautiful, weathered stones collected from a Palos Verdes, CA beach on my last trip out to see family. Joy in the simple. Joy in nature. Joy from the memories.

I love this chair that sits in my home office. It’s an old industrial office chair Saule & I found at an auction. I reupholstered it in a faux fur leopard. I love the contrast of the masculine, sturdy metal with the fussy, bold fabric. Every time I step in to my office I experience joy.

Not only is this pretty, but it is a family piece reupholstered so it always brings me joy. My Mother-in-Law gave this to us and I appreciate her generosity every time I see it. It was a fabulous red when I received it but 3 girls later, it was showing too much wear.

I LOVE, love, LOVE this antique chandelier. I found it at The Brass & Copper Shop in downtown Frederick, MD and smile every time I pass it.

My new obsession, Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman brings me joy. Many laughs as well. These snowy days are perfect for curling up with good books, a stack of decorating magazines (just stocked up) or reading about someone else’s fabulous life and ignoring the stacks of laundry piling up.

This little corner brings me joy. The Mission oak rocking chair, my brother-in-law rescued from his parents’ attic, re-finished it and shipped it to me for Christmas. A wonderful surprise and generous gift. The iron piece leaning against the wall is off a window from a European church.

Saule found an old industrial store basket and had the great idea to line it and use it for the unruly pile of kids mittens, hats, scarves, etc that was taking over her house. When I saw what she had turned her find into, I told her I wanted one. Well, she found me one and made the liner to go with it. So in addition to loving the looks and function of this basket, I appreciate the time my friend took in finding it for me.

Vintage art of a pretty fairy girl. My daughter Lily (who reminds me of a fairy) wanted this so bad when I came home with it from an auction. I love that my kids dig vintage style. Every time I pass this, it makes me think of her & how groovy she is.

I love this picture so much, I burst with joy & laughter every time I pass it. Lily drew it in Kindergarten. She loves telling everyone how old her parents are. Look at Dan & his 3 hairs on his head!!

As much of a pain as it is, it sure is lovely. I’ll find joy looking out from my warm & cozy home.

My 3 girls in their jammies commenting on how sparkly the snow is when the sun shines on it. Beautiful!
I could keep going, now that I’ve started this quest to find joy, it is all around me but this is already too long. Ultimately the snow will pass and I will have the memory of time spent in a home I love with my family that I LOVE even more.

Enjoy the snow!!

So here we are up to our waist in snow. And it is starting to fall again. Kids are getting restless, the snow is losing its' rock star status. We are learning too much of a good thing even applies to weather events. What is a mom to do?

Put the cookies in the oven. And serve them up fancy!

I recently discovered a new favorite table accessory for kids. It came to me by accident really. I had noticed cute little vintage snack sets at auctions and since they were usually in their original boxes, they caught my eye frequently. I was given a set by someone who won it in a box lot and didn't want it. It was not as cute or fancy as others I had seen, but I knew what it was immediately. My oldest has a thing for partitioned plates, and I have many plastic plates and trays that satisfy his need to keep his food separated. I of course have been trying to get rid of all things plastic in my kitchen. I dislike that it wares down, it cannot be microwaved or thrown in the over to reheat, and that it should be hand washed. What was ever wrong with glass to begin with?

These vintage snack sets are of course made of glass, are the perfect size for kid size portions, and the novelty of them makes eating a snack (or meal) from them a special event on any ordinary day. I find my toddler eats more complete meals if I serve her from this vintage plate and cup.

So, here we are…

cookies hot from the oven + vintage snack set = snow day bliss!

Keep an eye out when you're on the hunt for Vintage. You can pick them up for a song…I am hooked and would buy another set to keep my kids happy… and eating.

If you know me, then you know I LOVE great lighting, especially chandeliers, lamps or pendants dripping with crystals. If it's vintage, all the better. Oh yes, I also have a weakness for industrial lighting—old schoolhouse, warehouse or General Store light fixtures. To me, great lighting is jewelry for the home. In fact I love a chandelier as much as I love a drippy bracelet.

I have a chandelier in almost every room of our 1910 farm house. My four year old daughter, has a beautiful vintage tole lamp with a marble base and loads of crystals, an antique brass & crystal chandelier, a sweet vintage porcelain lamp and a vintage inspired candlestick lamp from Pottery Barn Kids. I could go on & on. A good friend of mine asked me the other day, "if you had a son, would you put a chandelier in his room too?" Hilarious that she is actually thinking of me and my known obsession of chandeliers. No, I would not put a chandelier in his room, I would have a blast sourcing something industrial.

Besides the style and appearance of the actual light, the ambiance light provides is critical to a room's mood. Good lighting also performs many tasks: overhead lighting, reading. spot, etc. I love driving in the dark and seeing houses aglow from the inside. It makes me think of family gathering and warmth.

At Silk&Burlap we are constantly in search of great lighting, vintage and new to enhance the home. We are increasing our selection this month and have a fun variety to choose from. Come see what it's all about by special appointment or at our next Tag Sale February 19-21, 2010.