Oct 26 2009

cheap thrills

It’s been a while since I posted so I thought I’d show you some random things that I’ve picked up for a dollar or less that I really enjoy having around- there’s no rhyme or reason here- just things that always make me happy when I look at them.

bunny

Let’s start with the bunny portrait, which is on an old scrap of wood- I love how he’s chewing that twig like a toothpick. A dollar easily spent.

 

 

 

 

boot

 

This boot was made for walkin’, but there was only one. Otherwise I would wear it all the time, it’s fabulous. As I only have the one, I usually arrange flowers in it for parties. It took someone a long time to make this, and the photograph really does not do it justice. The embellishment is done thoughtfully and carefully- folk art at it’s best. Again- one measley dollar.

 

 

 

passport

This old passport belonged to a Louisville schoolteacher who took a trip around the world- I like to think that she went with friends and had a blast. The cool thing about this passport is all the entry stamps- the customs agents almost never stamp your passport these days.

P1030201

God bless her- anyone stuck with a name like “Ethel Koop” deserved to let that hair down a bit. I hope she had a spicy adventure or two.

Finally, I will leave you with this wonderful portrait of these two wild-and-crazy professional entertainers, the life of any party, and clearly fresh off the boat. They make me laugh out loud every time I wash my hands.

musicians

LESSON FOR TODAY- Are you broke and depressed? Scrape together a dollar and go to the flea market. You probably won’t be sorry.


Oct 2 2009

farm livin’ is the life for me

the Barn at Riverfarm

the Barn at Riverfarm

We recently moved out here to Goshen full-time, and I’d like to take you on a tour.

The Backstory: Mr. Flea got interested in old cabins and barns a few years ago, and started buying them up. Eventually he had quite a number of these structures dismantled and stored on the farm. His plan had been to put up a little cabin he could use for dove and duck season and that we could enjoy on weekends. What we ended up with is a large structure merging an Amish-built timberframe cattlebarn from Ohio with a log-built tobacco drying barn from central Kentucky.

view of the river

view of the river

 

So this is the Barn at Riverfarm. We live here full-time now with Thing Two, who is in highschool. Thing One comes home from Virginia for frequent visits.  A place like this is tailor-made for a flea market addict.

 

I love crusty old paintings. There’s Mark Twain next to the Pope who’s below Jean Harlow. That would be a good dinner party.

every cabin needs a washer on the porch

every cabin needs a washer on the porch

The lady who sold me the washing machine told me it worked good, but it’s washing days are over. It’s now a cooler for parties.

Instead of a hammock, we hung up this little boat from an amusement park in England. I think it needs antlers.

when I'm in the middle of a dream, I stay in bed, float upstream

when I'm in the middle of a dream, I stay in bed, float upstream

can't have too many quilts

can't have too many quilts

 

I keep my house too cold for most people. It’s not my fault if you have neglected to keep a decent layer of fat on your body. Quit whining and grab a quilt.

The basket is made from split-oak and came from my Mississippi cousins’ cotton farm. When I was little I kept my toys in it.

 

mmmmm- coffee nips!

mmmmm- coffee nips!

The kitchen is fun to work in- the stove came from the Archbishop’s residence in Louisville and we call it the Holy Grill. The pizza oven burns wood and gets heavy action in wintertime. The sink came from England via an antique dealer in Boone, NC. Don’t buy a sink from England. Their drains are a different size. The island is an old Chinese butcher’s table. I bought several Chinese things for a song when they first started showing up at the markets- now they are mostly reproductions.

kitchen2

There’s a lot more to show you- but I’ll stop for now.

Adios from Goshen! Gotta go do some more unpacking!

barnbook 005


Sep 15 2009

hang it up

I’ve had particularly good luck with art this season, so I thought I should devote a post to prints and paintings I’ve found recently. Please forgive the timestamp on the pictures- I have a new camera.

I’ll end up selling most of these but meanwhile I’m enjoying them

 

ridersThese two equestrian painting are watercolors I bought at the Big Flea in Chantilly, VA. The dealer told me he had had a lot of them- I got two of the last ones.  I’m pretty sure they are studies for larger paintings.

 

 

horse brigadeThe name of the artist is JW Dunn- apparantly an illustrator. So far I can’t find any info. My guess is that these are from the early to mid-twenties.

 Later in the summer I saw a large painting in NYC that was surely by the same person. Weird! This artist is following me around.

 

JW Dunn resurfaces in NYC

JW Dunn resurfaces in NYC

 

That dealer said she had found it at an estate sale in Maryland- so the artist had some connection to the VA/MD area- I’d love to find out more. I’m sure I’ll find another piece of this puzzle eventually.

 

bitchThis huge pastel portrait actually made me laugh out loud when I found it. I may not be able to part with it. Growing up, I knew several women who could have been the subject  (which is beautifully done, by the way- but holy night- she is one scary mother! ) I hear someone cracking an ice tray   every time I walk by it, and there js a ghostly whiff of  Elizabeth Arden and cigarettes.

She’s obviously in a foul humor. Maybe her daughter grew up and wrote a book.

 

 

"I told you, dear, no children on the patio during grownup time."

"I told you, dear, no children on the patio during grownup time."

 

I’ll save the rest for another post.

a piddling portion of paintings and plunder 2009

a piddling portion of paintings and plunder 2009


Sep 8 2009

crossing the Delaware

Catching up on some more summer memories-

Last July, Southern forces (consisting of Stuie, Weezie and yrs truly) convened in New York City to rendez-vous with Pooh, our undercover Big Apple operative.

garage

 

I am happy to report maneuvers were successful! I was able to hit the Garage on the west side but only got through the upper floor before my friends called a break for lunch. I was able to grab a tantalizing photo of the ground floor action through an open bay. I’m going back in a month, so I agreed to go without pitching a fit.

 

 

 

After taking a bite out of the Apple, the Ageing Chick Army piled into Pooh’s car and headed west towards Bucks County, Pa.

I should pause and briefly describe this vehicle, since it is also an old friend. It’s a chocolate-brown Mercedes that belonged to Pooh’s mama, who we all knew since babyhood- all our mothers were good friends. After Nina died, it was just not possible to let her car go.  It’s just like she was later in life- a classy brunette with some miles on her. Pooh keeps the Ninimobile in the city, which is a pain but worth it. It’s like riding around in one of her purses. I would not be surprised to look down and find a mint and a Kentucky Derby ticket stub between the seats. The air conditioner works, which is awesome since you can’t open the windows.

 

 

Golden Nugget

So anyway, we rolled west into New Jersey and hit a popular market by the river called the Golden Nugget- we all bought pretty vintage linens and some other teeny things- I got some great french plates and a bunch of old magic lantern slides- I have no idea what to do with them but something will come to me.  I found a fabulous Masonic lodge medal- a really great one, but walked away and I’m kicking myself still. That one goes into the “shoulda” file.

 

open banner

 

it was a gorgeous day

it was a gorgeous day

 

 

Afterwards we went into Lambertville, which is the cutest little town ever. We had a great lunch and poked around in the shops.  I bought a Chippendale mirror that looks wonderful in my dining room. I rarely buy in retail shops- but the prices were terrific. In one place I saw a little transferware mustard pot that was identical to one I had bought at the Garage two days before- and the price was exactly the same 10 bucks I had paid for mine.

 
I love my mirror!

I love my mirror!

 

 

 

 

fancy meeting you here, Mr. Dabney!

fancy meeting you here, Mr. Dabney!

Late in the afternoon we were shopped out and ready to leave. As we moseyed down a side street on our way to the Ninimobile something caught my eye- there in a shop window was a print of a handsome gentleman in uniform. Screeching to a hault, we all started laughing. We happen to know this guy! He’s the father of another good friend from home. At least 40 years ago, several of our daddies had posed as officers in historic uniforms for a bourbon whiskey ad campaign. Who would imagine we would be looking at one of these prints of a man we all grew up with in Kentucky sitting in a shop window in Lambertville, New Jersey. The shopkeeper thought she had a sure sale until we told her that all our parents already own the full set.

 

 

The Aging Chick Army gave the day an A+. We picked up wine and cheese and crossed the Delaware into Pennsylvania to spend the night at a beautiful and very old farmhouse that was restored by two very talented friends of mine. Thus well-provisioned, and with Cornwallis’ army nowhere in sight, the troops were lighthearted and  slept like babies. The next day we hopped back and forth across the river and explored several charming little towns on both sides before heading back to the city. Chick trips are the best, y’all. This little piece of the Delaware River might be my new favorite place.

 

 

Lambertville doorway

Lambertville doorway

 

shop

 

Lambertville, NJ


Sep 7 2009

haute funk Sunday

 

lburg,in

I took a couple of Flea Circus customers to one of my favorite monthly markets in Indiana yesterday- the pickin’s were good as usual, and the dealers reported healthy sales, which I’m always glad to hear. Disappointed dealers get cranky, and who can blame them? The work they put into these events is grueling. When the dealers are sad, the festive atmosphere of an outdoor market can deflate a bit. God bless ‘em- they keep coming back with fresh stuff and renewed enthusiasm! Without these people, the shows would disappear, and I would basically curl up and die.

Anyway, we had fun. The mother/daughter team I escorted scored some good finds- a wonderful copper boiler, a great Empire mantel clock (working!) and a sweet pair of white fringed vintage cowboy boots, among other things.

 

nickOf course, I managed to find a few doodads myself. Nick had his usual array of jewelry fragments- I picked up some nifty enamel bits, fobs, bridle decorations and etc. to use in future projects.

 

 

JadeiteI love Jadeite, but have resisted starting that collection so far. Still, I love to see it.

you better come on into my kitchen, because it's gonna be rainin' outdoors

you better come on into my kitchen, because it's gonna be rainin' outdoors

So it did start to rain, which sent some of us scurrying.  It’s funny to watch- some dealers move like lightning to cover their stuff, and some just let it go and watch it roll. It’s already rusty, right?

rustbucket

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

jeepersJeepers creepers! These are the most divine frames I’ve ever found. Normally I would replace the lenses- but they are so outrageously thick they make the glasses even more interesting. .

 

 

 

holy cow

 

 I wish I could meet the woman who wore them. She must have been almost totally blind, but still she had the style and attitude to sport these babies. The silver work goes all the way back to the earpiece.

 

Hank tried them on and couldn’t walk across the room.

 

I also found several fabulous primitive pieces for the kitchen project I’m working on- couldn’t bring them home so I will drive to the dealer’s place in Richmond, Indiana soon to pick them up- and grab a look at the other things he says he has in his garage. It’s gonna be good, I guarantee it.


Sep 4 2009

summer daze

It was a busy summer for the Flea Diva! Let’s take a stroll down memory lane, scanning the curb for good junk as we go.

I started out with a trip to Camp Country to drop off  Thing Two with his brother, Thing One for their annual summer sojourn in the Smokies. I then headed north to Virginia to check out the Richmond Big Flea.

I enjoyed the show and found some great stuff. I bought an old wooden shoe rack and a very cool hanging cabinet, which are both going in the Barn Sale this winter. Other finds of note- some beautiful brown and white transferware cake plates, a pair of galvanized chicken waterers with great architectural lines, and some very interesting paintings.

The best stop in Virginia was a great spot called Luckett’s General Store. The yard alone made my heart start beating faster. I love the setup here- the store and porch are jampacked, and the parking area is dotted with the sweetest little sheds full of stuff- I could spend days here and fill a truck without any problem.luckett's yard

They have occasional shows with other dealers set up by the store- I can’t wait to go back for one of those! It’s a pretty long haul from Louisville, but would be worth it, I’m sure.

luckett's

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I cannot stop thinking about this fabulous wood-burning stove. If I go back and it’s still there, I’ll buy it. Mr. Flea will have a fit.

 

woodstove


Aug 28 2009

Hi y’all!

Hey out there to all my fellow antiques afficionados, junk addicts, trunk slammers and garage-sale prowlers!

this is not my house

this is not my house

This summer I found myself in the right place at the right time to hatch a new business and fulfill a lifelong dream. I’m now the proprietor of FLEA CIRCUS TOURS, specializing in customized shopping excursions to antiques fairs, flea markets and country auctions for anyone who would like to go along.  It’s the perfect excuse to spend as much time as possible doing the thing that makes me happiest! Mr. Flea smells a rat, but what can he say? I’ve joined the lucky few who have turned what was a hobby into a livelihood! At least, that’s the idea.

Anyhoo, the website is up, business cards are printed, and fingers are crossed. Visit www.fleacircustours.com and let me know what you think!

I’ll be posting a diary of sorts here as we go rollin’ along, happily seeking out the unique and unusual things that are out there to enjoy.

I‘ts been a great summer! I’ve been junking in Virginia, New York, New Jersey, Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio, and I did a big chunk of the 127 Sale- aka THE WORLD’S LONGEST YARD SALE. That one is not for the fainthearted, folks. Two days and I made it about six miles. Bring your own toilet paper- I’m just sayin’.

The pickings were FANTASTIC- sadly, I left my camera somewhere between Frankfort and Lawrenceburg, but it was totally worth it.

127 SALE BEST GRAB- a brand-new tweed Hartmann suitcase that matches my other luggage for five bucks

127 SALE BIG ITEM- a light-up FRIED CHICKEN sign from the roof of a diner

 

a gorgeous day in New Jersey

a gorgeous day in New Jersey

 

a helpful dealer in Virginia

a helpful dealer in Virginia

transferware in Tennessee

transferware in Tennessee

 

I‘ll post more summer highlights soon- meanwhile, here comes autumn! 

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