Flea Market This Sunday

There is a big flea market in Portland this Sunday, May 30th from 0900-300pm. It is advertised on Craigslist with over 175 tables, inside and outside. It sounds like they have alittle bit of everything! Antiques, collectibles, tools, fishing gear, jewelry, coins, ect. I have decided to join in on the fun as a dealer, and check this place out! Sue of "BirdSong" from our "Vintage Gathering" crew will also be there selling her stuff too. Her and I will have our tables inside, because lately the weather has been so crazy! However, this week-end sounds like it's going to finally be nice and sunny. We are both marking some stuff down, cuz we want to have fresh things for our next Vintage Gathering Sale. I guess breakfast is even served inside the lodge! Sounds like a one stop shopping center. The address is 5401 N Lombard-2 miles off I-5 Exit 305B.

Most everything I own has come from a flea market, thrift shop, estate or yard sale. That is how I choose to decorate my house. I have always decorated my house with my thrifty finds. When I was first married, alot of years ago, I shopped like this because I had too. We were a young family on a shoe string budget. To this day, my daughter loves to shop for clothes at the thrift and consignment stores. However, she still loves Nordstroms on occasion!

See that curvy wrought iron chair on the left? I found two of those at the Rose Bowl flea market in Pasadena. My hubby and I took a road trip a few years ago to see what a big California flea market is all about. That was an extremely fun trip! That flea market is huge! They have anything, and everything! It is just fun to look.

I will never part with my curvy wrought iron chairs from California. Every time I look at them I smile, and remember our fun trip to the big flea market. I don't put cushions on them, cuz they are too beautiful to be covered up.

I also came home with this little wrought iron beauty from the same flea market. She just sits at the end of the bed and looks pretty.

I went to an Estate sale a few weeks ago, ran by the gentleman's daughter. Her dad had very good taste. And believe it or not there were a few things with the Goodwill bin stickers still attached. Of course I bought those things! Her prices were very, very reasonable, as she just wanted to be done with it all. I got some really nice and unusual things, but I'm bummed I found this sale on day two. Anyway, on the side of the yard was piles of stuff she was going to just throw away. I can't tell you how many times I have found good stuff in the throw-away pile! Of course I had to look! I found a rusty 1910 license plate, and this precious little shabby book, "Gift of Prayer". Well, I put my large stash, and two free things in the car and went home. A week later I was busy getting ready for our first Vintage Gathering flea market, and I opened this little book to price it, and this is what I read, "O Lord, Thou knowest how busy I must be this day. If I forget Thee, do not Thou forget me." Oh, my gosh! This book is talking to me! Thank you Lord for speaking to me from this shabby little book, that was just sitting out in the rain! Of course, it is a keeper now!
Hope to see you on Sunday and join me for another adventure at the flea market! You never know what you're gonna find!

A Belated Vintage Gathering report

You're asking yourselves, where the heck have I been? I have been very nearby, and busy, busy, busy! I really started feeling the pressure to start getting ready for our first flea market about three weeks before the big day. Cleaning stuff, pricing everything, painting, and also finding more really good stuff that I knew everyone would just love. {cuz I love it too!} I actually took this picture thinking I had time to do a post before the sale.......a preview.......didn't happen.

Most everything in this picture has found a new home, thanks to my wonderful customers at the Vintage Gathering sale.

My hubby just happened to have a friend with a really big U-haul. Let me tell you, I jumped up and down for joy! Usually we have to make multiple trips to get everything to the sale. That U-haul was filled to the brim! I don't want to even think about how many trips that would had taken! I'm thinking I need to seriously think about buying a big trailer, or something. Then I could do more flea markets too! Not only was the U-haul full, but we filled up the hubby's pickup truck too! When you are gearing up for your first flea market of the year, you are so excited to make a big debut!
I had so many beautiful treasures to share. That tea cart on top of the pile was painted an 70's green when I found it, so of course I painted it white. Surprisingly it did not sell. It will be at the next flea market in June at the Regifting Store.

Well, those are the before shots, and I was so busy at the Vintage Gathering sale, that I totally forgot to take any pictures. My daughter was helping me too, cuz that was mom's day gift from her. I truly could not had done the sale without her help. She said she had so much fun, and everyone was so nice, that she wants to help me at my next sale! Wow! Thanks to all you great people for making such an impression on her! Then after the sale, my mom came and helped with the packing up. Yeah, girl power! I'm glad some other of my blogger friends took pictures, and you can find them at Uncovered Ruby.blogspot.com, Essenses of the Past , and AVintageGathering.
So after the sale, we can go back to living a normal life for awhile until the next sale! First order of business was to get busy on all my planters and pots with some flowers. This year I decided to go with alot of pink and white. Yes, my flowers are even color coordinated! It's just more soothing to me.

So, my hubby and I are sitting in our outdoor living room {as we call it}, and he says's "You should hang your chandelier out here." Ok, now that's all I had to hear! I sprinted upstairs to grab the chandelier from the guest bedroom, and before he could get out of his chair, I was ready for some chandelier hanging! Now put your great idea to work! I'm pretty sure we are the only one in the neighborhood with an outdoor chandelier. And it is gorgeous! When the sun is shining, it is especially beautiful, with the light reflecting off all the prisms. I love it! What do you think? You can enlarge the picture by double clicking to get a better view. If I would had been thinking I would had of turned on the chandelier lights!

Also, right before the flea market I decided to take on more space at Uncovered Ruby. Goodness knows I have enough stuff to fill a barn! So, if you have not been to Uncovered Ruby lately, I suggest you come visit! Our shop has expanded, and we have alot of new dealers with alot of neat things. My new space has allowed me to bring in some more furniture, which is exciting, cuz I am always finding some nice pieces.

I currently have a french looking dresser that is just darling. If I had the room I would probably keep it. I also have a really cute hutch, that looks so pretty with all the white dishes displayed.

However, the white dishes aren't selling. What's up with that? They are priced very low. Any lower would be free. Is anyone else having that problem? I am just afraid to buy any dishes anymore. I passed up a whole set of old china, complete with casserole, etc for $20, cuz I just didn't think it would sell. It takes up alot of valuable space, when it doesn't move.

Thanks for reading my lengthy post, and I promise I'll be more timely with my blogs.

And once again, so many thanks to everyone who came out to our first "Vintage Gathering".

You made the sun shine so much brighter!

Michelle