"The Lure of the Label"

When my nest became empty, 

I had to fill it with something. 

My present-day fill, 

Junk!

It is often at an auction that I get

the best deals on

crates and wooden boxes.

My daddy's first cousin lived 

in Florida so we got a cardboard box 

or a nylon bag of oranges for Christmas every year-

no wooden box in my day.

In antique stores and flea markets.
a crate like this may sell in range from $35-$50.

Wooden crates are collected now and are often 

found in sheds, under junk, under the house, 

in storage or in the attic.

Dusted off they are used as bedside tables, 

book cases, toy chests, storage and 

of course, displays in antique stores, 

booths and flea markets. 

I recently read an article entitled, 

"The Lure of the Label."

In early years, fruits and vegetables 

were shipped in large quantities by railroad.

Labels with colorful art

attracted buyers and boosted growth.

Around 1955, the wooden box

was replaced with cardboard.

Nothing can replace the character of aged-old wood, 

loose nails and water stains

unless it's the natural wood grain and holes or the label.

Now crates are produced in mass production

and sold in home good stores and 

leading retail craft stores.

Will have fun using my crate 

for display this weekend.

This is the time of year 

to get busy in the booth. 

Have a Happy Week, 

Bonnie:)

Sorry that I've been absent these days. 

I've been burning up 1-20, I-75. amd I-24.

Junk from the Trunk

I went to stash my trash  treasures

in the trunk on Saturday.

A gentleman said,

 "I don't think you can get the table in there."

I said, 

"I can get the table in there!"

A junker knows how many loads

the old junk trunk can hold.

This was my favorite purchase of the day.

A small metal file drawer.  

It was the first thing I spotted in Donna's booth.

This was my second favorite find. 

Take a look inside...

Great wooden box painted white and made pretty with Mod Podge.

Inspiration!

These old pieces will be transformed soon.

I'm thinking chalk paint and chalkboard paint.

Since my booth is primarily filled with white,
I may just clean these up and sell as is
just to have some contrast.
They are in great shape.

The blocks were in a quarter bin.

I asked if I could have all four for 25 cents.

YES!

Santa mugs among Autumn leaves. 

Yes, soon it will be Christmas Day. 

I only do SMALL pieces of furniture. 

I love the vintage clothespins. 

The other sewing notions were some of the FREEBIES!

A white cotton table runner and 

white wrought iron candle holder

that I'll use as a towel rack.  

Transformations to follow.

Bonnie:)

Mr. H hates my junk. 

He said, "I am not Sanford and my son lives in Nashville."

Something Bear-y Scary?

I went in one little shop last weekend, something-bears.  

Bears and the mountains must go together.  

They were everywhere-decor, not the real thing.

The owner of the cabin where we stayed said 

that bears enjoyed visitors at this place.

Well, they were not invited!

I'm sorry, but I'm not into bears or scary.

I bought this little guy.

This is as close as I get to scary.

This black thing was seen in our neck of the woods 

a few months ago. 

Here he was a few weeks ago or one like him. 

This and rattlesnakes is why I don't do the woods.

I heard that someone recently found a rattlesnake 

in their home.  The kids heard the rattlers.  

Thank God, my roof is fixed.

It's festival time here in Kaolin-country

and Homecoming tonight.

Everyone comes home, and I'm just not in the mood.

So, I'm skipping the parade and festivities 

and I'm going pickin' tomorrow. 

I've got a trail mapped out

and I'm going to to Distressed Donna's Down Home place. 

I know the general direction, but that's all.

Distressed Donna Down Home 

always finds the best deals.

You've seen one Kaolin Festival, 

you've seen 'em all. 

It's not the same without my children anyway. 

Have any of you been face to face with a bear?

Not me, never have been, never want to be!

Happy Weekend, 

Bonnie:)

What I Love About Being a Vendor

There are many things I love about being
a vendor in a local flea market.

One being this,

other vendors make great friends.

Meet Sue at #3 Antiques.

The idea for the name was inspired.
She said, "#3 because my daughters and me make three."

Sue and I grew up in the same church youth group.

We have since reconnected and share some of the same loves. 

 Sue is one of my best customers.

We have the same tastes.
If we bump into each other she says, 

"When you gonna bring something new?"

She buys from me. I buy from her.

Is there any other way?

If you want something from her booth, you better grab it.

I kept going back to the bench.
I thought about it.

Will it fit?
I measure.

How can I get it home?
Mr. H has the truck.

Is it practical?
Who cares???

It's G-O-N-E!
Understood rule:  If you love it, buy it!
Don't think it about it.

#3 Antiques is my go-to place.
You know, the place that feels like home.

Sue's many hobbies include junking,
collecting, spending time with her family,
particularly the GRANDboys,
and gardening.

Sue says, "I love potting and piddling.
It is food for my soul on days 
when I just need to be."

This is Sue's go-to place.

Love the screen door!

The old sink in the shed was
salvaged from her grandmother's
house when it burned.

Her hideaway holds her collection of
vintage gardening tools, old hose nozzles,
 oil cans and enamel pans.

I love the #3 metal sign.

Much of my home is furnished
with finds from #3 Antiques.

I bought the white chest and it was too small.
 I had a yard sale and she bought it back.

That's the way we roll.

I admired these two pieces and she said,
"Here, take them."

The chest I bought from #3 Antiques a couple of years ago.
It is larger than it looks, and it's perfect. I paid $65 for it.
The most I have ever paid for anything from her booth.
The table under the window was made from a vintage baby bed.

I bought a white vanity and painted it gray.
She bought a gray chest from me and painted it white.

Where did these two came from?
So that was the bump(s) under the rug!
I'll take these, please.

What do I love about being a vendor?

Other Vendors!

Other vendors make great friends.
Other vendors make great customers.
Other vendors make business better.
Other vendors do not compete.  WE compliment.

Drop by and visit #3 Antiques at Hidden Treasures.
Open Thursday-Saturday
10:00am-6:00pm.


Bonnie;)

Adding a Little Color to My Fall

Today I added a little color to my Fall.

I picked up the place mats at Dollar General.

They were more than flea market price, 

but less than Walmart, and the quality 

was very nice.

I couldn't find matching napkins 

but I found two tans and two fall greens.

They were 25 cents each. 

She said, "Just take 'em."

Yes, FREEBIES!!!

I work with small space.

The centerpiece is a compote and a pumpkin

between two small pumpkins on ironstone. 

I added a pop of color to the ordinarily white vignette.

Ugh..the flowers.

I paid $2 for the lantern.

I have since pulled the silk flowers.

I just can't handle fake in any form or fashion.

I added some burlap and an 

embellishment to a $1 candle. I made two.

I will use these to add some fall to my booth.  

I hung a fall canvas.  

This is the look from the den.

Ughhh. I really need to paint.

Maybe that will be the next project.

Can you tell what I did today?

Bonnie:)

A Little Add To The White Room

Today I picked up a table that I had 

put on hold at the flea market.

(Yes, there are some benefits to having a booth.)

It was scratched up pretty badly 

and so I added a coat of eggshell white.

The table was made from a vintage baby bed.  

Is this not wild?

I just couldn't paint over the little lambs.

This is a little glimpse of what is to come.  

Remember the room before?

How do you like the change?

The framed picture left of the window 

was added.

It was taken by my nephew, Sam.

It is a photo of an angel that is on one 

of the oldest graves in the city cemetery.

I have pillows to add to the bed, 

a lamp to add to the table, 

more mirrors to add to the wall, 

and small touches here and there.  

Not much inspiration lately, 

but today was a fun day.

Maybe going back to work helps.

A Chippy, White Mirror

I bought the first mirror today 

for my mirror collage. 

It's very old, the glass is loose and 

new wire needs to be added for hanging.

Although you can't tell here, 

the mirror is beveled

and the chippy is just right. 

I can't hang it yet until it is repaired 

and Callie is getting too close for comfort!

Uh uh, no missy prissy !

The Nashville Flea Market is today.

I asked my kids to be on the lookout

for more mirrors.

Hope you are having a happy weekend.

Bonnie:)

The Touch, The Feel of Cotton

I grew up in a small railroad town.  

At the turn of the century, 

it was buzzing with activity.

Not only was it a railroad town,

it was also a cotton mill town.

There's nothing like 

the touch, the feel of cotton, 

don't you agree?

The cotton mill in my home town

was called 

Washington Manufacturing Company.

Yesterday while I was browsing Hidden Treasures, 

a new vendor brought in a bag of 

Washington County cotton. 

It was in the original package, 

signed and dated.

A cotton mill is a factory housing powered spinning

or weaving machinery for the production

of yarn or cloth from cotton.

From 1900 to mid-century, cotton was picked by hand.

In the 1950's, our church purchased the lot joining 

the property and planted a cotton field. 

The members picked cotton to pay the expenses

of the home-mission church.

Cotton baskets today are expensive. 

The flea market price for the large basket is $120,

the middle basket is $85

and the smallest basket is $35.

I'm thinking of a song that Mama used to sing to us:

When I was a little, bitty baby

My mama would rock me in my cradle

In them old, cotton fields back home. 

(refrain)

Oh, when those cotton ball got rotten, 

You could pick very much cotton, 

In them old, cotton fields back home. 

It was back in Lousiana

Just about a mile from Texarkana 

In them old cotton fields back home. 

We grew up with a cotton field behind our house. 

We flew our kites in the cotton field 

and played up and down the rows, 

but no, thank God, we never had to pick cotton. 

I love how we use cotton today

in weddings and special events. 

These photos was taken at a wedding

that I blogged about last year.

The wedding designer is incredible.

There's really nothing like 

the touch, the feel of cotton.

Bonnie:)

Did any of you ever pick cotton?