Rate My Junk, October Edition

I have a backlog of stuff waiting to be placed for sale in the booth,
but I think I sorta need to have another installment
of "Rate My Junk" here.

This picture was snapped in the store before we brought it home. 

Once again, I'm torn about selling it (big surprise there, right?). 

It's been at the foot of our bed for over a month now, 

it's the *perfect* shade of green and I really do sort of heart 

those way cool metal handles on either end.

So.....rate it!

Sell it, keep it, seek therapy for my unhealthy attachment to second-hand furniture?

Super cute little white kitchen cart.

 It has just the right amount of patina on top and functions equally well 

as a utilitarian piece or as something more decorative.  

These seemed to be a dime a dozen in Warrenton, 

but this one is in much better shape than many I saw.

Moving along...

Purchased at church rummage sale for $4.

Not cleaned up a bit yet, 

just bare bones retro beauty shining through here.

The best part is the chunky removable top 

which is made of some sort of heavy ceramic tile...

 As I was heading up to pay for it, 

I overheard one church lady say to another 

"You see Martha, I told you that somebody would want that!!" Too funny.

My next purchase is going to require a bit more audience participation.

Please, gentle readers, settle a bet for me here...

Is it garage saling, saleing, sale-ing, or sailing?

I've seen all of the above used, and even though most folk 

seem to choose the "sailing" version, 

I have a hard time wrapping my head around that one. 

I don't know about you, but there's no large bodies of water 

where I'm shoppin', nor is a life-jacket de rigueur. But I'm open. Edumacate me.

A quarter!

Scored while garage sal....sail....sale-....errr, while shopping in someone's garage.

 

This is now sitting pretty behind the chippy green 

piano music stand in my booth. Re-framed, of course.

And speaking of frames...

Big score with the two more ornate looking ones on the right. Right?

I had an epic day Saturday, with tons more rummage 

and garage sale finds, now to just get them photographed 

for your perusal and cleaned up to sell!

Off to work I go. Have a super fab Tuesday!

And The Anthropologie Giveaway Winner Is....

I am pleased and honored to announce
the lucky winner of my very first giveaway!

Giveaways are about milestones, and mine in particular was to celebrate

the opening of my very first Antique Mall space. 
Fiona and Twig was born!

I dreamed it, I blogged it, I did it!

And couldn't that truly be the motto
of so many of the beautiful and creative folk here?

So while I'm definitely celebrating my shop space opening,
this giveaway was also to honor all the gentle, generous,
altogether wonderful souls who have enriched my life
by virtue of their genius and just plain selflessness. 

So enough lollygagging, as my sweet grandmother would have said!

The winner is:

Cathy of Mille Fleur
 

If you will be kind enough to mail me with your contact info, I will be delighted to pack this loot up and ship it to you jiffy pronto.

Again, thanks so much to all who entered. I do hope you'll stick around, there will be another giveaway coming up for my 75th post. Details to follow in the days ahead!

Have a blessed Sunday,

~ Anne

What's in your bucket?

I confess, I never saw the movie "The Bucket List" .

It's about two terminally ill gents,
played by Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman,
who take off on a road trip together armed with a list
of all the things they want to do before they kick the proverbial bucket.

I quite like the idea of this, and as of late, 

have felt compelled to slowly but surely empty my own  bucket after years of relative complacency.

So....what's in my bucket?

Since first seeing the magnificent Broadway musical 

Les Miserables almost 20 years ago, and having seen it 16 times since, 

I have always wanted to sing the role of Fantine on stage.

Something visceral stirred deep within me the very first time 

I heard the opening strains of I Dreamed a Dream.

Odds of accomplishing this: slim to none, 

but I can still sing the libretto joyfully while driving, cleaning, painting....

Next on my list?

To become more proficient and polished 

at the whimsical world of mixed media/altered image art.

I see a great opportunity now to produce and sell 

mixed-media creations in my booth, and eventually, in my own shop. 

Sweet and uber talented friends such as Dawn at The Feathered Nest 

have been encouraging and so very inspiring in this quest, 

so I hope to have some pretties to display soon.

Odds of accomplishing this: Pretty darn good *fingers crossed*!

Next item...

Go to Angkor Wat.

Angkor Wat is one of more than a dozen magnificent temples 

in the vast metropolis of Angkor, the capital of the Khmer Empire 

from the 9th to the 15th centuries. 

Located in Cambodia, it is listed in Smithsonian Magazine 

as one of 25 places you must see before you die. 

I have to concur with the good folk at Smithsonian here. Breathtaking.

Next up...

Rest.

Breathe.

SLOW. DOWN.

That's probably the thing I most need to accomplish right now.

I've been firing on all cylinders for weeks now,
and truth be told, my tank's a bit depleted.

We sometimes forget to stop, take a breath, look around,
and actually congratulate ouselves on what we have accomplished.

Instead, all we tend to see are the dreams unfulfilled, the expectations not yet met.

My day job is as a respiratory therapist
and I often work in critical care settings.
In other words, real life or death stuff.
It really does serve to put things in perspective
when one is wont to reevalute their life.

So while my "bucket" might still be full of things not yet achieved,
my heart is actually quite full of all that I have.

And you?

How does your list look?

Don't forget, you have until

Saturday, October 10th, 11:59pm CST

to enter my

Rockin' Anthropologie Giveaway

Just sign up as a follower and/or leave a comment.

Have a great weekend!

This post was edited to remove
any photos not taken by myself, Anne Lorys.

Anthropologie Giveaway , Last Call

I had originally set the deadline to enter my celebratory 

Antique Mall Booth Opening

for earlier this week...but I've noticed that entries keep trickling in, 

with the majority of them saying they learned about 

it via the rockin' Dawn at The Feathered Nest.

Check's in the mail, Dawn! ;-)

Seriously, I want to thank everyone who has left me 

such kind and supportive comments, and for sharing in this happy occasion.

The drawing for the winner of this giveaway 

is still set for Sunday, October 11th, but you now have until 

Saturday, October 10th, 11:59pm CST to enter.

Here's a reminder of the loot and swag being raffled here:

$25 gift card to Anthropologie 

and

a lovely Anthropologie cloche

 

Plus a couple of surprises, too!

To enter, simply  

become a follower and leave a comment.

That's it.

Many thanks to all who have embraced me with their generosity and kindness.

May your kindness be returned to you hundredfold!

Blessings,

Anne

You better believe I made it without my hubby!

I seem to have become a handywoman of sorts
since opening my first antique mall booth recently.
I dunno, something about necessity becoming a mom or something....

The gals at Shanty2Chic are throwing an

I Made it Wihout my Hubby

party (or as I like to call it, Extreme Makeover, Ugly Dresser Edition) over on their blog, so here's my contribution to the festivities!

To my dismay, I have no true "before" pics,
but I purchsed this woeful little dresser at a local flea market
for a pittance. It was dressed in a thick coat of black paint and had no drawer pulls.

I thought I'd be thrifty and decided to tackle the paint job
with a super cheap gallon of white from the Habitat for Humanity store.

Exhibit A:

Oh, one other small detail...I'd never painted furniture before. 

Hard to believe, eh? ;-)

I pretty much took nastiness to a whole new level with this project.

Realizing that skimping and shortcuts just weren't gonna cut it, 

I did my research and headed off to the Depot to get the tools of the trade.

Afrer sanding, priming, painting with Behr Creamy White Paint, 

doing a Ralph Lauren Tea Glaze and putting on Antique Glass Knobs 

( all without my better half ), here's the final result:

All dressed up and ready for her new home at my booth!

Be sure to head on over to see all the other industrious wives at

Shanty2Chic!

The Man Behind Fiona and Twig

Meet my Handsome Husband...

I felt a bit guilty that I had no photos of my own from Warrenton which featured HH, but Theresa Cano of Garden Antqs Vintage came to the rescue! She was gracious enough to snap this pic of HH and myself in her beautiful space, and doubly gracious to allow me to use it here on my blog.

Now let me preface this bio on HH with this disclaimer: He is not really in any way shape or form into the whole antique-vintage-flea markety-junking-Warrenton thing.

Not a bit.

But boy oh boy, is he ever the go-to guy when you need someone to either push your Wonder Wheeler all stinkin' day long, cart heavy furniture to and fro, repair a wonky drawer so's I can sell it in my booth,  listen patiently while I prattle on endlessly about all my bloggy friends....you get the picture.

Heck, he was an avowed lifelong cat hater who has grudgingly come around to loving my girl, Winnie (although he'd be loathe to admit it *grin*).

So yeah, in many, many significant ways, he truly is the man behind Fiona and Twig.

But he is an astonishingly accomplished gent in his own right.

He was a Nationally ranked swimmer in college, and made it to the Olympic trials twice. At one point, he was ranked 8th in the world.

He is an accomplished thespian, having performed community theatre for years (and with the awards to prove it).

He has tirelessly taught High School Chemistry and Physics for many years, as well as coached swimming. In fact, 2 years ago he was named Coach of the Year for his region.

But his greatest achievement? It might just be putting up with me.

Love ya, HH!

Big Orange Betty Revisited

I'm re-posting one of my very first blog entries today, as I'd like input from y'all. I had every intention of selling Betty once I became a dealer and had my own booth, but now...well, now I'm sorta attached to the old gal. What would you do?

It's going to be tough to part with her once I get a booth or shop off the ground and running.

Oh, my apologies, I haven't introduced you to my newest family member yet.....this is Big Orange Betty.....

She's a little self conscious about her height, being 7 feet and all.
A chunky hearty farm gal from the plains of Minnesota, donchaknow.
How she made it to a flea market in the Texas Hill Country is likely a tale to rival the very best of Lewis and Clark!
And don't ya dare even think about calling her Ugly Betty...why she'd just as soon whomp you upside the head with a rolling pin as put up with that sort of sass.

One of the local antique store Proprietoresses (is that a word?) had her eye on Betty for a few weeks prior. I know this because said Shop Owner is a friendly acquaintance, and we've shared tales of our latest finds and acquisitions.

On the morning I picked Betty up from the market, my trusty friend Junker Earl informed me that Shop Owner owner had come by bright and early before I had arrived to make doubly sure that I still wanted Betty and was planning on picking her up. I know for a fact that Betty wouldn't have left with her anyway....even though I got her for a steal at $85, Shop Owner has a glorious shop full of beautiful but pricey treasures. Betty, being a simple gal, instinctively felt more at home with me.

So, me and dutiful husband and dutiful friend loaded her up and off we went. Got her home and began to play dress-up....

A little strip of burlap to temporarily cover the stains....

Enough lollygagging Betty, time to get to work!

Out with the unpacked wedding china, into your watchful bosom, old girl.

She's going to be tough to say goodbye to on that fateful day, but say goodbye I will. My shop will need a good-hearted, big-boned sentry like Betty to keep an eye on things.....donchaknow?

Can't a girl just get some love?

Meet Helga, my Booth Hussy.

 

As usual, ignore the fugly pegboard.

I brought some new stuff into my booth today 

(eeeks, I can't believe I just typed that last sentence! My booth! ) 

and I decided Helga needed some spicing up a bit. 

She already had the lampshade hat and brooch, 

but she wasn't quite saucy enough for my liking.

Enter the flashcards.

All I added was the question mark after "sailor", 

and I think she now has just the right amount 

of sass and cheekiness now. Dont ya think? ;-)

Reminder: Deadline for entering my big lollapalooza 

Anthropologie Giveaway is midnight CST tonight. 

Winner will be drawn from a cloche hat (how fitting!) this coming Sunday, October 11.

All you have to do is become a follower and leave a comment. Easy!

Anthropologie Giveaway Extended!

'Morning All!

Well, I had a such a positive response to my

Booth Opening / Anthropologie Giveaway

that I'm extending it for one more day.

 

See the beautiful Anthropologie Cloche above?

In celebration of my very first Antique Mall Booth Opening,
I'm offering one lucky winner this nifty cloche and a $25 gift card from

Anthropologie

Just like yesterday,  

all you have to do is become a follower and leave a comment 
 and voila! You will be instantly entered to win.
The drawing will be this coming Sunday, October 11th.

I want to give a big thanks to those sweet bloggers
who have linked back to my giveaway on their own blogs.
The generosity and selflessness is amazing, although not unexpected..

In the meantime, back to my booth sometime today to foof it up a bit (thanks, Sue!).

Have a great day!

My booth opened and Anthropologie giveaway!

 Look, y'all! IT'S MY BOOTH!!!

I'm so excited! The big day arrived with a minimum of drama and angst....
My booth opened today at the Antique Mall!

It was less than 2 months ago that I began blogging about my dream
of opening up my very first booth, and here I am!
I have to say, I really am quite thrilled with how it all turned out.
It's not perfect, but I'm proud and grateful for all the help and support
I've received from my family and friends.....that's YOU!

In celebration of this momentous event, I'm having my first giveaway!

I'm offering one lucky individual a $25 gift card from my favorite store and yours,

 

Anthropologie!

Awesome blossom, right?

There's more to this giveaway, 
but first some more pics of my booth!

 

 

And finally my two Jethro's, my Handsome Husband (left) 

and Dapper Best Friend hoisting my sign in it's future space!

Whew, that makes me tired (and giddy!) 

just looking at all these pics again!

The owners of the mall seemed to be super happy 

with my booth, and even suggested that the local newspaper 

could do a feature on my booth to drum up some publicity.

 But back to the Celebratory Giveaway....in keeping with the 
Anthropologie theme, the winner will also receive 
this gorgeous  Anthropologie Cloche!
 

Beautifully hand painted and distressed in a rich taupe/tan finish, the dome is a strong wire and has an iron knob at the top. The dome is removable and separates from the base which has feet at the bottom to raise it slightly. It measures 10" by 9 1/2".

The patina is just perfect for any style decor, 
but especially for those of you partial to the Jeanne d'Arc Living style. 
And if you're wondering who the super cute instant ancestor is in the photo, 
it's my very own mother! This beauty retailed for over $100 
when I purchased it awhile back, and it's proudly graced my living room 
for the last year or so. Now, in celebration of my booth opening, I want it to be yours.

 

 To have your name tossed into the proverbial hat, here's what ya do...

If you are a follower or become a follower, you get 3 chances.

If you leave a comment on this post, you automatically get another chance.

That's all there is to it! Easy, right?!

I'll be drawing the name of the lucky winner one week from tomorrow on Sunday, October 11th.

In closing, thank you all so, so much 
for being a part of this amazing ride with me.

Here's hoping all your dreams come true, too.

~ Anne

 

More Warrenton goodies, and the kitchen sink...

Well, not literally the kitchen sink.
But I'm sorta using this post as a catch-all
for several things buzzing through my mind tonight.

It's my dutiful and longsuffering husband fixing up 

my newly refinished dresser...that I painted and tea-stained all by myself! 

Supervision provided by the cat as per usual.

 I'm going with using the cat picture as my lead photo, since:
1. Whenever I post a cat pic, y'all go nuts over 'em.

2. Vintage Sue, Version 2.0, my new Junkin BFF, loves cats.

Firstly, lookie loo at the most expensive thing I bought in Warrenton last Saturday!

Pictures hardly do this justice.

It's vintage French lace, and I'm going to be using it as a backdrop to cover up fugly pegboard.

All together now....ooooh, ahhhh

Look at my pups in the background acting like they're not at all impressed....

Okay, stay with me here, people. On to the next topic.

Here's my new business card holder for my booth....

It's a porcelain soap dish!

 

Cute, right?

Moving right along.

I debated about this last thing for a good long while.
I hate to offend, and I hate to seem ungrateful or unappreciative or just plain rude.
But I've decided to go with an award-free, tag-free blog.

There have been a handful of generous, thoughtful folks
who have given me these undeserved awards,
and I thank them from the bottom of my heart.
But I really, genuinely feel that I'm no better or smarter
or more talented than anyone else...that, and I'm afraid that given how
frantically busy I'm becoming, I still haven't given proper due
to the last couple of people who bestowed these on me.
And I'd hate to appear to just be flat out ignoring someone. That's all. Let's hug it out, k?

And now back to work.

Must start packing up my breakables
for the booth move Saturday morning.

Holy cannoli, that's tomorrow!!!!

Warrenton Regrets..

"Regrets, I've had a few:

But then again, too few to mention...."

Oops sorry, just channeling a little Frank Sinatra there!

All in all, my trip to the Junkin' Shangri-la
known as Antique Weekend in Warrenton was a huge success,
both personally and God willing, professionally.
I scored some truly amazing one-of-a-kind finds for my shop,
met and made some incredible new friends,
and took home enough warm and fuzzy memories to last me until,
oh, I dunno, at least

April 2010.  ;-)

But if forced to enumerate some things
I'd like a "do-over" for, here's my list:

1. 
   Wear more comfortable shoes. Yes, my cowboy boots were way cool and kick-azz,  but I came home with a blister on my right heel the size of a lemon. Cow-patties be damned, next time I'm wearing my Birks!
   
   
2. 
   Bring more cash. Seems like a no-brainer, but cash rules.
3. No 3......is actually no 4. Blogger is jacking with me today.
4. 
   Plan on spending more than just one day. I mistakenly thought that our inability to secure lodging in the immediate vicinity would be a deal-breaker. This native Texan shoulda just whipped out an atlas and did the math...lots and lots of affordable rooms to be had in Austin, and it's not that far away.
   
   
5. 
   Actually refer to the map/guide inside the Show Daily Guide Book before the drive back home. Another Captain Obvious mistake. It has a handy dandy cross reference guide in the back to help you locate just where to find which vendor sells what.
   
   
6. 
   Quit rationalizing about all the reasons why you can't go back....already spent too much money, gotta get the booth stuff ready for Saturday, blah, blah, blah, baby fishcakes.....just DO IT!!!! It's like Disneyland only better, it's like Canton on steroids (I totally stole that last bit), it's the most fun you can have smack dab in the middle of nowhere in a cow pasture!!!
   

One thing I don't regret?

This schweeet little purchase right here...

Have you ever seen anything like it?

If you have, you're a better man than I am, Gunga Din.

Cute little Asian inspired crusty child's toy chest, 

or as my husband is wont to call it, the "ugly baby thing".

It needs a little love, but once I give it a good spit shine and some polyurethane, 

it'll be ready to head to its happy new home.

Come see me at Water St. Antiques in Kerrville, Texas, 

for the ugly baby thing and lots, lots more!

Warrenton White Wednesday

I curse you, Kodak disposable camera!

Your pictures stink.

But 'twas I that left the dig cam batteries at home,
so the crummy quality is the fault of yours truly.

Still, I wanted to share some of the Warrenton related
white images I captured this past Saturday...

One of the ethereal, glorious Christmas displays in the
Country Garden Antiques tent. There so much pretty here
that it almost hurt my eyes. Swoon worthy, indeed.

Not White, but here's another one from their tent...

I can only dream of making my stuff look this good.

Love the white frame.

The blinding white flash from my el-cheapo camera, not so much.

And because White Wednesdays should be more about
the images than the words, I'm gonna shut up now
and share a few more white Warrenton snaps.

Christie Connelly's tent is not to be missed.

And a little something I picked up from my BFF Effie in Bar W Field. ..

which will be on sale at 10am sharp in my new booth 

at Sunrise Antique Mall in Kerrville, Texas!

Be sure to visit Kathleen at Faded Charm to see more wonderful white images!

~ Anne