Great American Antique Show 2013, Liverpool NY

Looking Down through the Tent to the other tent

Brimfield.. May 2013

wow.. the days  have flown by since my last post..

Again this year, Vicki Potter , the Gypsy Paintbrush, and I set up together at Stephens Place.. in Brimfield and had a great week..

BRIMFIELD was a great show.. we had ordered a 10X20 tent and had a idea how our booth would be set up.. so SURPRISE #1.. the tent was a 15X15.. which is a whole different set up and not as easy .. less front open space and 5 feet out outside space was now gone.. it took us over 2 hours just to lay the footprint.. then the unpacking and seeting dispays.. after an 8 hour day we returned to our little cabin.. home away from home .. exhausted and feel into bed.. arriving before SEVEN on Tues. ( the first day of the show) to find the girls who had shopped with us last year, there waiting for us.. we felt bad that we were not as READY as we had hoped.. but got right to work and began selling right away..

I sold my 3 largest( in size) pieces within the first couple hours.. which took a load off my mind for the repacking nightmare!  and the day just kept  getting better from there..

We went "home" happy at 6PM.. again in bed by 9ish..

The next 5 days were good to us too, with several past customers returning..( they had shopped with us last year), Carolyn came all the way from Salt Lake City.. and now is hoping to make the trip to Madison Bouckville this Aug!!   .. and had 1 of my Syracuse customers come all the way with her daughter( who is living in RI)  to shop.. they were loving it.. just wish they had been there earlier in the week .. when things looked a little fresher.. We met some fun loving girls, who had a great time shopping, laughing and loading their car with treasures..

[caption id="attachment_516" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Debra one of my awesome customers from Syracuse and her daughter Liz ( and her boyfriend) came to Brimfield .. and went home with sonme treasures[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_514" align="aligncenter" width="640"] These 2 ladies are from Virginia .. and had gone to Vintage Bodega in the Outer Banks where Vicki had been set up just a couple weeks ago.. they found some treasures and even came back and bought one of my pillows[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_513" align="aligncenter" width="640"] This is Carolyn from Salt Lake City, Utah.. she met us last year and was back this year to shop with us.. she is even hoping to come back in Aug. and come to Madison Bouckville for the First time![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_515" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Karen, Mary Jane and Jody with some of the treasures they bought from me[/caption]

They were all so nice and really make what I do so much fun...

I hope to be better about posting..BUT.. well... I am not that good at it and never sit long enough to get it done..

 

My next planned show will be at Long Branch Park in Liverpool... The Great American Antique Show.. in JULY..

Have a Happy Memorial Day..

And remember ... KEEP HUNTING.. there are lots of treasures out there!!

Colleen

My trip to California .. part 1

I left home at 6am and traveled from Syracuse, connecting in Charolette and arriving at 2:15 Pst(5:15 est) where my son picked me up and we traveled by car to Santa Cruz.. Had a great dinner and checked into a Inn nearby.. in the morning we waled to a coffe shoppe and then walked to the beach.. back to the car and off to Monteray to the antique shop that I had read about.. afterspending an hour there and buying myself a sterling silver bangle , we went for more coffee and then off to Carmel.. great shops and back in the car to drive down Rout 1 along the coast.. It was beautiful.. but a little stressful with it's sharp curves and no guard rails over huge cliffs.. we made it to his house last night  and are having a relaxing day today..

2012 in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.



Here's an excerpt:

600 people reached the top of Mt. Everest in 2012. This blog got about 2,300 views in 2012. If every person who reached the top of Mt. Everest viewed this blog, it would have taken 4 years to get that many views.

Click here to see the complete report.

WELCOME 2013

Happy New Year.. I always love new years.. A time to reflect back to all the positive things that happened that year, remember all the sad things but know that it is a brand to start.. a clean slate for the coming year and all the possibilities that are to come..

2012 was good to me in a lot of ways..

My family is healthy and happy and that is always my first priority.. My granddaughter ( 18 Months old) is the sweetest child on the planet.. OK.. I am a little bias BUT that's the way I see it.. Both my boys  are happy in their lives  and I am so proud of the wonderful men they have become..  and My husband ..wow almost 33 years is as kind, loving and supportive  as when we first met.. without him I would not be able to pursue my Passion " The Vintage Room" .. he has been my rock in getting my business off the ground.. and   I am so grateful and blessed in so many ways..

My " Sisters" are always there when I need them... and always supportive of this crazy passion of mine.. calling  and encouraging me when I am doing a show.. which I did 14 of this past year!! even Picking for me off the side of the road, or if they are somewhere  and see something they think I would want , send me a picture.. Now , even, becoming more involved and Making things for me!! Thanks, Joan!!

And My Friends.. always supportive in so many ways:  helping me set up for shows, giving me much needed advise and support, doing the shows with me, coming to shops and shows and purchasing my treasures, and always encouraging me to follow my dream ..

I LOVE YOU all so much and appreciate each one of you in my life.. I have so many positive people in my life and am truly blessed..

Here we go ... 2013...

A good start to the year  will be my trip.. one week from today to California to see my youngest son.. he has taken the whole week off and we are meeting in San Francisco.. and driving to LA along the coast with lots of stops in between at wineries, antique shops, restaurants ( he likes to eat at GREAT places), stopping in places like Santa Cruz, San Jose, Santa Maria,  Los Olivos, Santa Barbara, Carpenteria, and Pasadena and going to the Rose Bowl Flea Market.. spending time in LA before flying home.. Can't wait!!   Because of this trip I will not be doing the January Syracuse show as planned!!

I have many other shows planned and  will post a list soon.. so check back!!

While on my trip I will post when I can of all the great places we go..

Wishing you all a HAPPY NEW YEAR .. one filled with love, peace, friends and contentment ..

Here is a picture of my First sale of 2013..  painted for Rebecca..



Thanks for a wonderful year.

Happy Hunting,

Colleen

October Show...

 

Wow.. It is already the last day in Oct... which means it is Halloween.. which now that my boys are 31 and 27 (tomorrow).. Happy Birthday to Jeremy.  I don't really decorate too much... I go for more the fall decorating..  gourds , pie pumpkins  and white pumpkins in a big Silver plate punch bowl on the coffee table is my way of welcoming the fall..[slideshow]

 

 I also wanted to share with you some of the great people I met at the last show I did at the Syracuse Autumn Antique Show last weekend.. I was a great show ..

  This is Margaret who bought Spoon jewelry..

 

  She was having so much fun deciding which to choose.. she decided on a pearl pendant!! hope she loves it as much as I did making it.. Thanks!!

 

   I also met Pam and John.. they went home with a great beveled mirror with a Paris theme and a vintage wash stand.. They saw it, fell in love and took them home

[caption id="attachment_482" align="aligncenter" width="225"] More happy shoppers!![/caption]

 

    I met so many wonderful people with the same love for VINTAGE, Romantic , French, chippy, shabby.. treasure as I have.. 

  After the show I received so many nice comments through e-mail and on my Facebook page.. great note from the mom whose daughter bought my french chair.. she had been looking for a chair for her desk and it was the perfect fit.. and from Janet, whose  daughter goes to Oswego and will be getting her own apt. soon and loves the shabby Chic look.. and Jennifer, who just moved here and was excited to be at the show and is now looking forward to the Jr. League show.. ( the next show I will be at .. Nov.16-18.. also at the Syracuse Fairgrounds.. but that is another post.. to come ) 

 

  I so love what I do... I am very blessed  to have the wonderful support from wonderful friends and family.. Val.. you are awesome.. thanks so much for coming and helping with set up and coming back with Michael to see the show.. you rock those boots..    and Sandi.. my champion cheerleader, who always has such positive things to say about my displays and " treasures".. thanks so much for coming to the show and helping .. and Shopping..and of course Tim, who is always willing to do whatever.. he left Sunday with " STUFF' tied to the top of his car.. and my Friend and fellow junker, Vicki. ( the Gypsy Paintbrush.. who came up from North Carolina for 2 weeks to do the show). we had so much fun shopping.. sure we can fit it..  painting, going to auction ( what were we there for about 8 hours), packing, unpacking, repacking... but just hanging and drinking wine was a treat.. Thanks so much for all the advice and tips you've shared.. it is much appreciated..

 

   well,  until next time.. Happy hunting..

 

Peace and love,

Colleen

Where did September Go???

Hello...

Is it really October already???

I thought with taking the month of Sept. off of doing any shows I would be "CAUGHT UP"" ..   I guess in this business that NEVER happens.. any down time is filled with Painting, Sewing, or my favorite.. SHOPPING.. which includes auctions, estate sales, flea markets , house calls, antique malls and picking junk from the side of the road , which proved to be my best pick of the month, thanks to my sisters.. who spotted a Very French Sofa on the side of the road and after trying to get it in Both of their cars, had to call me to bring my van ( and husband) ...that thing was heavy.. Only wish I knew how to reupholster... That will be a winter project.. though I am not saying what year that will happen in..
Also, in Sept, both my sons were here for the long Labor Day weekend.. which was the first time in over 3 years that we.. both kids, my husband and I were together .. so I took every minute I could with them.. We had so much fun.. and of course, it went by way too fast..

Sept.. is like NEW YEARS for me.. My husband is a teacher, so it is back to school and Garden harvest time..( which will be a new post in a day or two..)  It is tax time too.. Time to  have the furnace serviced and the chimney sweep comes to clean the stove pipe, time stack the wood for the winter.. and change the closet from summer to winter..UGG!

!  Though I love the change of seasons .. I do not like to be cold... I prefer 80 to 30 degrees!!!

I have been busy sewing this week.. I have 2 large shows in the next couple month and open houses at both shops I am in and also a lot of painting to get done before the snow flies.. I will post more pictures soon...

HAPPY HARVEST..
Colleen