It is time for this road warrior to hit the open road. The Road has a way to clear my active mind and set my soul free. I’m off to see family and friends, hunt for treasures, experience spring for the second time, and then to come back to Burton recharged by the adventure.
Don’t get me wrong! I’m not escaping from anything. In fact, I’m torn between wanting to stay put and the call of the road. I’m hoping to use the endless hours on the road to listen to books on tape and get infused with new ideas. Road therapy is part of my creative process.
I’ll share my adventure on Facebook and Instagram @2Flownthecoop. AND…You’ll be the first to see any cool piece I discover.
Are you looking for a certain piece? Email your item or list of items to Eckhardt.tiffany@gmail.com I’d be happy to text you pics of finds that might work.
The Coop
Jeff will be the ring master of this shit show (might even wear the socks) Saturday and Sunday (May 20 & 21, May 27 & 28). Marlene will keep Flown The Coop open Thursday and Friday (May 25 & 26). They will be happy to see you!
The Coop will be closed June 1rst – 4th.
Road Trip Therapy
I hope you are able to hit the road soon! I’d love to hear your stories from the road! What has the road taught you? What treasures have you found? What are your fondest memories of the road? Where do you plan to take off to this summer?
May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
the rains fall soft upon your fields
and until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of His hand.
~Tiffany
And the birds fluttered around her writing “YES” in the sky!
This Christmas has been an emotion roller coaster for me as I reminisce Christmas memories and focus on creating new Christmas traditions with Jeff. Doubtful I’ll get through writing this without becoming a sappy mess.
Growing up my Mom made sure my sister and I had perfect Christmas memories. We grew up making more cookies than our neighborhood could eat, stringing popcorn and cranberry garland, visiting Santa at my grandpa’s Masonic Lodge, driving to downtown Columbus to see the lights, decorating the tree and waking up to a living room full of presents on Christmas morning. I’m sure it was very similar to our friend’s Christmas, but it was magic to me. This picture cracks me up… not sure why I was shooting my sister a stern look.
When Jeff and I were raising our little family, I was either really into Christmas or the biggest ba-humbug in history. I never felt that I could live up to my expectations and was exhausted before I even attempted to gear up for Christmas. Somehow, we managed to create a few traditions that stuck over the years. We made cookies (always buckeyes), hunted and cut down the perfect tree, decorated the tree, topped the tree with a lift from Dad, and a new pair of pajamas on Christmas Eve. Most years the kids opened all their presents before Christmas because Jeff and I simply could not wait. Cutting the tree became an all day event, as I insisted on hunting the tree farm until I found the perfect tree, regardless of the weather. As the kids got older, the traditions were for my benefit. Yep, the kids were having a blast!
The year before we all flew the coop…. oh boy, did the years fly by.
Over time, I experienced my favorite traditions in other ways. Like the year my sister and I baked cookies with my Grandma.
My Mom now makes Christmas cookies with Emily, my daughter and her friends.
Emily and Jacob (daughter and son-inlaw) have started their own traditions, including cutting down a tree from our favorite tree farm. Emily posted to Facebook, “We got a Christmas tree. I was channeling my mom and made us walk all the way to the back of the tree lot, in the cold to find the “perfect” tree. Good memories.” LOVE that girl!
I LOVE the smile on her face!
Last year Jeff got to place the star on the top of our tree for the first time.
This year I went shopping alone for our trees (yes I said trees, meaning two for our house and five for The Coop) and bought them from a big box hardware store. GASP! After all these years I discovered that I can get seven trees for the price of one. However, it will never have the same magic.
This year Jeff and I started a few new traditions. He joined me in making buckeyes.
We went to see The Nutcracker at The Festival Institute in Round Top. Jeff and his mother, Ginger, had never seen The Nutcracker. None of us had experienced The Festival Institute. Wow!
This was my first year to decorate The Coop. I honestly enjoyed transforming The Coop, making ornaments and hosting Christmas At The Coop. I look forward to Rocking Around The Coop next year. Great memories to build new traditions upon!
I miss the traditions of my childhood and the ones Jeff and I created with our kids. It is heartwarming to watch my adult children maintain some old traditions, while creating their own. Jeff and I have whittled down the traditions in our empty nest and have enjoyed a slower paced holiday. I’m insisting we wait until Christmas morning to open our gifts, a first for us.
The traditions are fun, but it’s the people I created them with that is priceless. I’m so grateful for a rich life filled with family and friends!
May your holiday season be full of joy! In the midst of a hectic season, I pray that you savor time with loved ones and make memories to last you all year long!
~Tiffany
And the birds fluttered around her writing, “YES” in the sky!
~A reminder for me to surrender to the journey and trust.
Sentimental
While most people are busy dashing from one holiday event to another, I find myself curled up in our “empty” nest decorated for two and thinking about the journey. This year had unexpected bends in the road. I wonder what 2014 will bring? It feels good to be still, enjoying our first Christmas tree at FTC headquarters and establishing new traditions for the two of us.
I am excited that Flown The Coop has settled into a nice routine of quality shows and feel blessed beyond measure with customers who have become friends this year!
Even though Jeff and I have “flown the coop”, we are grounded by our expanding family! We are having fun planning our daughter’s wedding in 2014 and getting to know our son’s girlfriend and her son.
“If you aren’t in the moment, you are either looking forward to uncertainty, or back in pain and regret.” Jim Carrey
I am determined to not allow the mountains Jeff and I had to climb this year wear me out. Cancer, a stolen trailer and other various disappointments slowed me down a little.
Cherishing the relationships in my life and enjoying rest in December will rejuvenate me.
If I live the life I’m given, I won’t be afraid to die. ~Avett Brothers
There is no way to predict which way the road will bend in 2014, the uncertainty is both scary and thrilling. Life is a journey.
I’ve spent time researching trends, dreaming of projects to undertake and looking at what worked in 2013. When it comes down to it, I know this journey is best traveled simply pursuing what I love. I envision “Road Work Ahead” signs along the way. And that’s ok.
I love being the author of my job description and pursuing new ways to connect with junque and the lovers of junque. I love deep roots in family and strong friendships.
source unknown
I hope to be known as a person surrendered to LIVE the journey given me, despite the unexpected bends in the road. I will reread this post mid year and see where I stand.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Hope your December is filled with the warmth of your relationships and traditions. I also hope that 2014 will be the beginning of an excellent adventure! Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love. Fly free!
~Tiffany
And the birds fluttered around her writing “YES” in the sky!
May was a fun month that seemed to fly by! The buying trip to Ohio was a huge success! My workshop is officially “hoarded” up and the Flown The Coop booth at Chippendale Eastlake Antiques is fully stocked.
Shopping is one of my favorite parts of the business, and is even better when friends and family tag along! You never know who you’ll meet up with in the field. This time I found Mrs. Beasley!
Jeff joined me on this trip. Shopping hours on end is not his favorite part of the business. We joked that he became my personal porter.
Jeff proved to have a good eye for treasures! He found this egg scale, which was immediately sold to a farm in West Liberty, Ohio after being posted to Facebook. The Springfield Extravaganza kicks off the show season in the midwest. I was so excited to shop it for the first time since I moved to Houston. It was fun to see my friends at Dorcey’s set up under their big circus tent. (click on the image to view the Vine Video)
Shopping trips are serious work, but a trip to Ohio would not be complete without spending time with my family and friends! On the way to Ohio we stopped in Memphis to see our dear friend Erin, and heard award winning Blues at the Hard Rock Cafe. We arrived in Ohio in time to celebrated Mother’s day with my family. Jeff and I enjoyed hanging out in the evenings with some of our favorite people. Here’s Kelly, Michele and I after a dinner in Urbana. These ladies always make me smile!
On the way back to Houston, we stopped at Brian and Meloney’s home in Missouri. They own The Seed Box Designs and have a fabulous home in the Ozark mountains. We enjoyed hanging out on their deck, showing them our picks from Ohio, seeing what they’ve been working on and feeding the cows with Miss Ivy. It was exactly what we needed before our last leg of the trip.
Returning to Houston
First thing on the agenda after returning to Houston was a booth redo at Chippendales. My daughter Emily was in town and helped me whip the booth in shape. Many of the new pieces have already flown off to new homes.
The Dallas Market
It’s now June, which means summer in Texas is really heating up! It’s also quickly approaching the time for Flown The Coop’s debut at the Vintage Home Market, going on during the Dallas Gift Market June 20-24th in the Market Hall North across from the World Trade Center. I have a week to finish last minute projects and pack it all up.
June and beyond
I hope to spend more time blogging about my adventures in the future! Time seems to fly the coop. I get busy working on projects and hunting new treasures. There are so many aspects of the business I’d like to share; from buying, repurposing, merchandising, selling, etc. What would you like to read more about?
There are no shows scheduled for July and August, but I’ll hook up the trailer to Miss Dixie for anther buying adventure this summer. Stayed tuned for stories from June and beyond… and follow our flight pattern on Facebook for a daily dose of Flown The Coop!
~Tiffany
And the birds fluttered around her writing “YES” in the sky.
Flown The Coop will take part in Folk Magazines year long Journaling Agenda, a community journaling/blogging project. Here’s to the first blog of the year!
Dear Tiffany,
It is safe to say, 2012 is over and you can move on.
Looking at your 2012 ~ Goals, Mantras and Dreams Board on Pinterest, the message is clearly the importance of pressing on. You are a dreamer. You always will believe that you can create the life you want.
2012 challenged that belief.
The year started with a move to Houston, Texas. This was not your choice. Leaving your two grown children in Ohio was difficult. Fulfilling Jeff’s dream of living near his family, you made the move with the love of your life and was hoping for the best. You didn’t do so well. You missed your family back in Ohio and the best friends in the world! You learned that you are a small town girl, who enjoys knowing your neighbors and walking around a historic downtown with lovely old homes. You missed The Depot, your favorite coffee shop, where the community gathers for their daily dose of Java and everyone knows your name.
With a wounded heart, but not a wounded spirit, you pressed on. Not many people in your new home understood that you were having a crisis of belief. You questioned, “Could you really be happy and fly free when you didn’t have the ability to choose your circumstances?”
Despite the Houston traffic, you managed to find your way around the “fourth largest city in the US.” Exploring a new city is always fun! You even managed to find a new coffee house to frequent, Boomtown. You enjoyed decorating your little flat in Rice Village, but parking tickets and loud college students made it clear that it wasn’t the ideal situation. You longed for community and a feeling of place. You and Jeff decided to end 2012 by placing a deposit on a rental house in the Heights. The Heights is a neighborhood inside the loop that in many ways feels like your small town and is the only thing like it in Houston. The cost of living is drastically higher than we are used to, but the decision felt like a leap towards creating the life that you wanted. After your move in January, you will be able to make new friends, get involved in community and even walk to Boomtown! You learned that given time, you can find what your heart longs for if you are willing to pay the price.
You hustled in 2012 and will need to hustle some more in 2013!
Flown The Coop made the move to Texas too. It was a scary move for you. How would you find ways to buy and sell, restore and repurpose wonderful Junque? You rose to the challenge and Hustled.
You set up at several shows in Texas. You did Canton, Warrenton, Junk Salvation, Discovery Green Flea Market and the prestigious Urban Market Houston. In July you opened a booth at Chippendale Eastlake Antiques on 19th street in the Heights. Your were even invited to help out The Seed Box at the Dallas Market. All of these opportunities inspired you work harder at Flown The Coop. You learned a lot about merchandising from the pros in the business. You were encouraged to discover a niche, which is still a work in progress. The best part in stepping out in the various opportunities was making fabulous new friends! You have the best colleagues and customers who continually support your dream of flying free!
Creating a life on purpose is very important to you. In 2012 you learned that even when life isn’t zesty, you don’t have to be caged. You can fly free! The happiness you long for isn’t in a destination, but is in the way you travel. You’ve proved to yourself that you are strong, willing to persist and that you have the ability to start over!
Life is a journey, come travel with me!
~Tiffany
“And the birds fluttered around her writing “YES” in the sky!”
Not one to sit still… we’ve been in continuous motion for several weeks now. It has been hard to write about every adventure. So here’s a little recap of the highlights.
May 30 – June 3 Our last month in the field at Canton was bitter sweet. We won’t miss battling the elements, but already miss our friends!
June 8 – June 17 Trip to Ohio. Oh… where to begin? Life is not all work… we all need to be refueled by fun times with family and friends! This trip was the perfect mix of junking (aka work) and creating memories of fun times!
Ever wonder where I get my spunk?
Grandma Maggie is 92 and loving life. She inspires me! 🙂 She took me to many garage sales over the years and is an excellent negotiator. I got to spend one day taking her to lunch and shopping at the Goodwill. 🙂
Hanging out with my parents… they truly have a better social life than Jeff & I. 🙂 Had lots of fun at dinner with them! They sent me home with a treasure that I’ll never be able to sell. Dad gave me grandpa’s tool chest filled with antique tools. It now has a new home in my living room. 🙂
I was very thankful to see my kids and my sister’s family too! I miss them so much!!!!
Enjoying life with friends
Had more than one adventure with this group of ladies… Kristie Herlong, Kelly Gingery and Michele Savoldi! 🙂
While in Ohio, Michele Savoldi hosted a Girlfriends and Grapes night at her house. The evening was over the top wonderful!!!! Michele thought of every detail creating a wine tasting with three whites and three reds, pairing each with delicious bites! Above is a picture of us on the “step and repeat” she created for the event.
Kelly organized a fun night on the town, hopping from Milestone 229 to The Jury Room… what a fun group of peeps! A few of us even went to Skully’s to dance to the 80’s!
We had the chance to hang out with many of our friends throughout the week. It was also fun running into friends at the Depot Coffee House! Gosh… I miss ya’all so much!
I really DO have the best friends in the world!
Junking… of course!
Isaac Cohn, a young entrepreneur from Urbana, Ohio struck the jack pot while I was visiting. He won the bid on an attic full of vintage clothing. We helped him sort through his booty and had fun trying on his vintage treasures. I am so proud of this young man! Stay tuned for more on his thriving vintage clothing business, Montage!
No trip to Ohio would be complete without a visit to my favorite junk store. I was all prepared with my clip board and everything. I wasn’t prepared for the emotional break down I had though…. who cries over missing a junk store? GEESH! It was worth it. I uncovered some really cool junk and one of my favorite pieces… check out this cabinet I scored! It is proudly displayed at Chippendale. I think it could be a great piece as a vanity in a bathroom or as a buffet in a kitchen or dining room!
A huge highlight for me was spending time with my friend and original Flown The Coop partner, Kristie Herlong. One day, with a bottle of wine and the Dixie Chicks blaring, we had a blast re-staging her shop at The Boston. It was just like ole times. 🙂
Wow… we fit A LOT into those five days!
Sadly, we had to pack up our treasures and hit the road again….
June 18 Redo my booth with all my new treasures!
With only a couple days to redo the booth at Chippendale, I worked hard to fit all my new treasures in. I definitely need to learn the balance of getting a lot of junk in the space and setting up meaningful vignettes. No time to fret with it… I had another adventure to get to.
Driving into the sun once again… 🙂
June 19 – June 22 Dallas Market
Brian and Meloney Russell of The Seed Box Antiques invited me to help them for a couple days at their booth at the Dallas Market, Vintage Home FINDS. I was excited about this adventure for several reasons. I had never been to market before. Seeing the world trade center for the first time was a bit overwhelming. I really enjoy hanging out with Brian and Meloney and am always challenged to work harder on my business. Also, I love seeing all the regulars that set up around Brian and Meloney. I don’t mind being their plus one. 🙂
As always… their display was over the top! Check out my album on my Facebook page for more pics!!!!
June 23 First day working at Chippendale
Starting off with a sidewalk sale! I love jumping right in with Shop Heights 19th Street Summer Tent Sale. It felt like I was back in the field as we set up our tents and filled it with fun “junk” from the shop. It gave us a chance to display a sample of all the great merchandise inside Chippendale.
It was a great day! I love the vibe on 19th and how the locals show their support!!!
What’s next?
Not sure what July will bring. As of this moment we don’t have any July travel plans. I do, however, have a list a mile long of projects that I’ve collected. I am always up for an adventure though! Stayed tuned.
Dedicated to those who can’t be caged!
~Tiffany
And the birds fluttered around her writing “yes” in the sky!
