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!
It’s my favorite holiday too! I love the spring antique show! Bluebonnets will be in bloom. The weather is unpredictable, BUT IT’S NOT HOT. Excitement blows with the wind as trailers packed with treasures begin to ascend upon our beautiful countryside. I’m convinced that even the birds are singing about it. What I look forward to THE MOST is visiting with friends who make their bi-annual pilgrimage to Texas to shop for their stores, find out what’s new in design trends and to be inspired by a creative community.
Flown The Coop will kick off our show March 16th and run through April 1st. We’ll be open 9am – 6pm daily. This spring we’ll host a St. Patty’s Day Karaoke Party in the back yard on March 17th 7:30pm. The Kountry Karoake Chick will bring her show to our back yard stage. Bad Girl BBQ will be here serving AWEsome BBQ!
GRAB YOUR BOOTS, or some comfy shoes, a coat (or shorts… who knows), a good hat, sunscreen, AND a good friend! Hope to see you!!!!
Flown The Coop will close for ONE weekend, March 2nd – 5th.
Sorry for the inconvenience, but this shop girl is taking ONE weekend off to visit family.
~And the birds fluttered around her writing “YES” in the sky!
Thank you to all of my wonderful customers {dear friends} for helping me put Burton on the map during the spring Texas Antiques Show! Each show just keeps getting better. Karaoke Night and White Linen Night were both huge successes. Karaoke Night felt like a scene from a Reese Witherspoon movie, as I watched guests approach The Coop carrying their lawn chairs and coolers to listen to Karaoke singers in the back yard. The community did not disappoint on White Linen Night either. Loved seeing the crowd dressed in white enjoying Libby Koch, Bad Girl BBQ and of course all the talented artists who participated.
It was an exhilarating and exhausting three weeks.
Now that I have had time to catch my breath, I am ready to take on new and exciting things at The Coop! The past few months I’ve been exploring high quality and light hearted items that compliment our “Industrial, Vintage and Homestead Goods” core products. I promise to never stray too far from our core, but would also like to
be delight and frolicsome, I want to be improbable beautiful and afraid of nothing as though I had wings.
Have you ever felt like an underdog?
I confess that I often feel like the underdog as I forge my way in a secret town. The underdog is a role that many entrepreneurs can identify with. We march to our own beat and take the path least traveled. Part of my mission at Flown The Coop is to promote fellow entrepreneurs and underdogs. I wholeheartedly believe everyone can achieve a dream by hard work, persistence, determination and being flexible to market trends. It also helps when your small business community focuses on discovering ways to support each other.
In May The Coop will add jewelry created by Anastasia Gregoire. Anastasia designs jewelry from vintage silver platters. Stayed tuned on our Facebook Page for details!
New to The Coop: Boomtown Coffee is now sold at The Coop in one pound bags of whole been blends {Ethiopian Amaro Gayo and the very popular Darkness blend}. You can now buy THE coffee voted number one in Houston at The Coop! {EEKS!} Jeff and I made Boomtown part of our daily routine when we lived in the Houston Heights. Our son, Hayden, roasts coffee and is a barista for Boomtown. We love this company and are thrilled to bring the Boom to Burton! #BringmetoBurton #BringtheBoomtoBurton 🙂
Items Just for the FUN
I am open to any idea that will make our customers smile! A few months ago my daughter texted me a picture of novelty socks that she insisted we carry at The Coop. So I did. The first weekend we sold ten pairs. SO FUN!!!! I love watching people read the socks. Most of them supports my sassy side.
When you stop doing things for fun you might as well be dead. ~ Hemingway
Spreading my wings
Despite my love for The Coop and my beloved secret town of Burton, I need to fly free from time to time. In May I will hit the road for a buying trip to Ohio. I have several stops planned along the way and will see my favorite pickers once I’m in Ohio. I hope to bring back amazing Industrial and Vintage finds. You can follow my journey on our Facebook Page and Instagram.
Contact me if you would like me to hunt for something specific for you! The Coop will be open while I’m on the road.But please call or check our FB and Instagram for possible closings.
That’s the scoop on The Coop! I’m excited to spread my wings with new ideas, products and an upcoming road trip. Hope you have something zesty to pursue! I’d love to hear about your adventures.
Dedicated to those who can’t be caged,
~ Tiffany
And the birds fluttered around her writing “YES” in the sky!
“Traveling is like flirting with life. It’s like saying, I would love to stay and love, but I have to go; this is my situation” Lisa St. Aubin de Teran
The Coop is currently at an all time low in the junk department. While I love pouring over beautiful catalogs, ordering from a catalog pales in comparison to the joy I experience junking, and meeting up with my friends who deal in the coolest junque! “Chief Junker” is my favorite hat that I wear at The Coop. Returning to The Coop with a trailer load satisfies my restless, roaming spirit with adventure. I hate to leave my beloved Burton, but I have to Fly The Coop. This is my situation.
The Coop will be closed January 14th – 23rd
Jeff and I are answering the call with a road trip to Ohio. Armed with audio books and a journal for my crazy ideas, we’ll hit the road next week. The hours on the road often feel endless. If I’m lucky, we’ll stop at a few interesting places on the way.
I know once we make it to our destination I’ll have plenty of treasures to pick from. I have an idea of what I’m looking for, but am always open to the unexpected. On our last trip Jeff bought a stack of eight foot church pews (the seats and backs, without the ends) from our friend Ken. I wasn’t 100% sold on the idea. They took up a lot of room on our trailer. There were enough ends to make four pews. Jeff cut the eight foot pews into four foot sections and added a galvanized detail to the ends. The finished product turned out fantastic. The owners of The Grand Texana saw the pews Jeff crafted and commissioned him to make eighteen short pews out of the remaining stack of eight foot pews. I shared this story with Ken. He laughed and reminded me, “Tiffany you weren’t even 40% on those pews.” Lesson learned. Jeff and I will never question each other’s wisdom or sanity when junking.
I am on the hunt for specific treasures for a few of our customers. I enjoy the satisfaction of finding the perfect piece and their delight when it is delivered. Email me what you are looking for at eckhardt.tiffany@gmail.com if you are interested in this service.
Remember to stayed tuned to the Flown The Coop Facebook Page and Instagram account @2FlownTheCoop! We’ll share our adventure on these two platforms.
Flown The Coop Reopens January 28th
The doors will reopen on Thursday, January 28th. Will you answer the call to fly the coop?Plan a road trip to be the first to pick from the treasures we bring back to Burton. While your here, show off your wings by taking a picture in front our Gen.U.Ine Free Spirit mural. Tag them with #2Flownthecoop so we can celebrate all our free spirits!
#BringmetoBurton
Happy Trails!
~Tiffany
And the birds fluttered around her writing “YES” in the sky.
It’s true! Time flies, much like a gen.u.ine FREE spirit. Since opening The Coop on March 25th, we’ve had so much fun nestling into our Burton home. We honestly LOVE the community and all our new friends. Thank you ALLfor making our first few months in business a tremendous success!
Hard to believe we are weeks away from another Texas Antiques Week!
Getting Ready for the BIG SHOW
Jeff and I will hit the road again for a buying trip. I already have a large load waiting to be picked up! I am super excited to visit my favorite dealers to see what they’ve uncovered in their latest hunting adventures. This promises to be epic!
Flown The Coop will be closed August 30 – September 22. The Coop will undergo a complete redo to prepare for Texas Antiques Week. During this time we will bring back our new treasures and create all new vignettes. Sorry, no sneak peaking…
The Burton Antiques Market
September 23rd – Kicking off the Burton Antique Market
Flown The Coop will throw open the doors September 23rd at 9:00 am. Be the first to grab the newest treasures from our buying trip and one of our BRAND NEW gen.u.ine FREE spirit tees. Don’t forget to snap a pic in front of our gen.u.ine FREE spirit mural. Tag us #2flownthecoop so we can highlight your pic on our FB and Instagram accounts.
Later that night we have a BIG treat for you… Flown The Coop will open our backyard stage from 7:30 pm – midnight for Kountry Chic Karoake & DJ. Bring your lawn chairs and BYOBeverages! It will be a fun evening under the stars with Denise and our favorite local karaoke stars.
September 26th – White Linen Night
Several months ago the idea for White Linen Night came to me while dreaming up events for Texas Antiques Week. I saw a throwback picture on Facebook from one of Theresa Cano’s Blogger Parties. All the ladies showed up dressed in white. The idea popped into my head: Burton needs a White Linen Night, much like the New Orleans and Houston Heights tradition celebrating the arts and surviving another sultry summer. So ladies and gentlemen, get out your favorite white outfit and join us on September 26th from 6pm – 9pm for Burton’s FIRST EVER White Linen Night!
Flown The Coop is teaming up with Market Realty/ Rita’s Antiques to sponsor White Linen Night. Artists, creatives and makers will line Live Oak St. in front of Flown The Coop. Live music will be on the porch of Market Realty. Food by the Burton Volunteer Fire Department will be located in front of Market Realty.
There is still room for artists, creatives and makers to join White Linen Night! Email me at eckhardt.tiffany@gmail.com for registration!
Putting Burton on the Antiques Show Map! Burton will roll out the welcome mat for pilgrims of Texas Antiques Week September 23 – October 3rd. Our charming little secret town has even more new Antique Stores and will host a few events you will want to be aware of during this bi-annual event.
September 26th Burton Trade Days, because it’s nearly impossible to have a garage sale in the country. Located at The Railroad Details from 9am – 5pm.
September 23 – 25th Volunteer Fire Department will serve BBQ at the Fire Department under the water tower. 11am – 7pm
Flown The Coop will be open daily September 23 – October 3rd 9am- 7pm
The BIG FUN will be here before you know it… I can’t wait to see all my friends I’ve made over the past several years! #TexasAntiquesWeek #BurtonAntiqueMarket #BringmetoBurton
I’m here to tell you that wild and crazy dreams come true. The day Jeff and I put an offer on our new home, I woke up with a vision for March 25th. We were going to have a party!I envisioned live music, food trucks and fun. Months later, I can’t stop smiling over all the tiny details that I envisioned fall into place.
For example, several months ago I began searching for an artist to paint a free flying mural on the outside wall of The Coop. The vision for it was vague. As time ran out on hiring a talented artist, I realized that this would have to be a DIY project. Could I really do this?
And the birds fluttered around her writing “YES” in the sky.
I sat down to my computer and played with different ideas until the mural emerged.
YES! It is exactly what I hoped for. With help from Jeff, a borrowed projector and the talented Stephanie Jarvis {who gave the mural wings}…. my vision took flight. A gen.u.ine free spirit!
Let’s kick off this party with a photo contest! It’s easy as 1.2.3!
1. Take a photo of yourself flying free in front of the gen.u.ine Free Spirit mural.
2. Post your photo to Facebook or Instagram with 3 tags: #2flownthecoop @2flownthecoop and #BringmetoBurton
3. The photo with the most likes wins a $50 gift card to Flown The Coop!
Contest rules: Contest runs March 25 – April 1. Winner will be announced on April 2. Winner will receive a $50 gift card for Flown The Coop merchandise in The Coop with no cash back. No purchase necessary to win. All sales are final. I will monitor Facebook and Instagram for photos using #2flownthecoop @2flownthecoop #BringmetoBurton only.
Can’t wait to see ALL YOU gen.u.ine free spirits! NOW LET’S HAVE A PARTY!
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.
