Texas Antiques Week

I am so grateful for the freedom to fly free!

Spring is one of the most welcomed seasons, a time of renewal evoking the senses with fresh flowers and new life. It is a time for me to fly free on my biannual gypsy trek to Warrenton for Texas Antiques Week, also known as Round Top. I spend two weeks in “the field” with my incredibly talented friends buying and selling our beloved junque.

 

Texas Antiques Week, a precession of fields stretching twenty-six miles between Warrenton and Round Top, is a serious shopping event each spring and fall. It is safe to say that Texas Antiques Week is more accurately three weeks long, with each field having their own start date. A shopper can find everything from high end French antiques in fancy air conditioned circus tents, to rusty treasures uncovered only by digging in a pile of junk.

Picture by Antiqueweekend.com

Picture by Antiqueweekend.com

The fields each have their own quirky personalities. The fields of Warrenton can be likened to any typical high school lunch room, an idea I stole from my friend Kim. Zapp Hall is where the cheerleaders and jocks party like rock stars. Renck, Bar W, and North Gate are where the ag students sell their rusty treasures and typical flea market finds. Venturing out to Excess and Clutter you’ll find the hipsters on the fringe of society.

Guess where you can find Flown The Coop?

There is so much to be said about all the marvelous fields within the twenty-six miles surrounding Warrenton and Round Top, but I love the people who add to the whole experience.

Brian and Meloney Russell, of The Seedbox, travel from Missouri with a truck, trailer and a U-haul packed with their sought after, hand picked treasures to sell at Warrenton. Along with their wonderful pieces of vintage furniture, they bring along their adorable granddaughter Ivy, who has become a celebrity in these parts.  It is safe to say that she  has almost everyone wrapped around her little finger, including Bud from Royers Round Top Cafe. She once told a customer at Royers, “You can’t sit in the chair by the door because that is Bud’s chair.” It is precious when she tells customers at the booth, “Come on it and let me know if I can help ya!” Ivy celebrated her fourth birthday during the spring show. It was heart warming to see all the people, who have become like family, stop by the booth to wish her a Happy Birthday.

The talent that is represented in the fields brings buyers from across the country. This trip I had the privilege to get to know some of the buyers from California.  Next fall I hope to join my friends from Orange in what will become the go-cart round-up. I’m sure Peggy will lead the way, or not.

Two memorable events!

This year I had the pleasure of attending the 3rd Annual Private Bloggers Luncheon at Royers Round Top Cafe. A joint event with the Dallas Market Center (DMC), the luncheon combined Royers famous food with a special event organized by DMC. Carley Seale, owner of The Gypsy Wagon spoke to the group about the Round Top experience. Carley spent years shopping Texas Antiques Week with friends and family before she launched The Gypsy Wagon. Having only been a dealer in the field, it was interesting for me to hear the strategies of the dedicated group of annual shoppers. Carley and her friends made years of memories and bought treasures that are proudly displayed in their homes today. Check out Carley’s Instagram at @dragginmywagon for the pictures she shared.

Another highlight of my trip was the Round up in Round Top, an evening soiree hosted by the Dallas Market Center at the new Henkel Square Market. The night was complete with a buffet catered by Royers Round Top Cafe, a fashion show by Rodeo Royalty and a special fiddler performance.  Miss Ivy stole the show as she watched the fashion show paraded in front of her, completely in awe of the models. It was a fantastic evening!

Flown The Coop changes venues

Now that spring is behind us, we are already looking forward to the fall Texas Antiques Week. Flown The Coop, along with my friends at The Seedbox, will be flying over the Bar W field. We are excited about the change of venue, located on the main Bar W Road just passed the office on a corner lot to the left.

What are your favorite memories?

I would love to hear your favorite memories of Texas Antiques Week. Do you love a particular field? Are you a dealer in the field? What is your best find? Any advice for a novice to the fields?

If you are planning to take a dream trip, I suggest you pick up a Round Top _ Warrenton Show Daily Magazine. You can find them on Facebook and their web site. It is the Bible of any trip to Texas Antiques Week. Wether it’s your first trip or you have a biannual tradition, please make sure you find your way to Bar W and visit Flown The Coop and The Seedbox booths!

 

The Dallas Home and Gift Market

Last weekend I had the privilege of working with Brian and Meloney Russell of The Seed Box Antiques at the Dallas Total Home and Gift Market in the Vintage FINDS market hall. I was their sales and social media gal during the opening days of the market. I always learn a lot about the business and get inspiration for Flown The Coop when work along side this talented couple.

I’ll admit that it wasn’t all work and no play. I even ventured out on my own to explore the International Trade Center. I’m not sure how buyers for retail stores make it through their experience without getting overwhelmed. There are so many great showrooms! Peacock Park DesignsPark Hill Collections and Natural Life were a few of my favorite!!! My mission on my adventure was to get a latte at Starbucks. I ended up aimlessly wondering around for a couple hours. “Tiffany needs to get a latte not lost-e,” became the running joke for the rest of the show.

Me and Gina from Peacock Park Designs

Brian and Meloney’s booth is always over the top fabulous, winningThe Best of Vintage FINDS for their display during this market, a much deserved honor. There is excitement in the air the morning of opening day as their loyal customers line up awaiting opening of market and a chance to be first to slap a SOLD sticker on the one of a kind merchandise. I captured the phenomenon in the video below.

CLICK THIS TO VIEW VIDEO:   The Seed Box Antiques

Vintage FINDS is a relatively new concept for the Dallas Market Center, the recent debut was in January of 2012. I am blessed to have made friends with many of the vendors and to make new friends during this market. Here’s a peek at the selection at Vintage FINDS.

Flown The Coop will be joining The Seed Box at the next Vintage FINDS market in June. Excited is not a strong enough word for how I feel. If you shop the Dallas Market, please stop by the Vintage FINDS market hall and see us!

 

One Crazy Month!

Updates from our continuous flight…

 

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 4  Move into our new “coop” at Chippendale Eastlake Antiques.


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!

The Green Owl at The Boston

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!

Urban Market Houston

My weekend with the pros….

Making friends in the field

I had the privilege of meeting Brian and Meloney Russell of The Seed Box Antiques last March at Coles’s Antique Show in Warrneton.  I really can’t say enough good things about this couple.  In my opinion, they take merchandising to another level.  I was impressed with the buying frenzy that took place when they unpacked their trailer for the show at 7am on a Monday morning. If you went to Warrenton in March, you definitely saw their load of body parts.  On top of all that, I discovered that they are genuinely nice people with generous hearts.  Oh… and they brought their adorable grand daughter Ivy to the show.  Ivy stole everyone’s heart and had everyone at Cole’s wrapped around her finger (including me).

Fast friends, I was excited to have veterans to talk shop with.  They invited me to have dinner with them and introduced me to more of the “pros” in the industry.  One night at dinner Brian asked me if I’d be interested in helping them a couple days at the Dallas Market.  I’m not sure how to convey my excitement.  My reply without hesitation was…

Are you kidding?  I’d work for FREE!  🙂

The Seed Box at Urban Market

I was really excited when I learned that Brian and Meloney were setting up at the Urban Market in Houston.  I hadn’t been to this market yet, but had heard that it was the premier show in Houston.  I volunteered to help for that one too!

While they take their work serious, we had some serious laughs hanging out all weekend.  I even got to go “junking” with them on Saturday.  EEKS!

Their displays are so inspiring…

I love Meloney’s display of her cuff bracelets “SKINS”…. each a one-of-a-kind design using the skins of baseballs.

Willow Nest

Brian and Meloney introduced me to their dear friends, Ludmil and Linda Marcov of the Willow Nest.  They had a gorgeous display at Marburger Farms!   The Willow Nest is a lovely mix of French country and unique treasures that Ludmil designs and meticulously hand crafts himself.

I was delighted to help the lovely Linda on Sunday.

Linda’s displays take you to the French countryside!  I was inspired by her as well.  It really was a privilege to help out… I learned so much!

I wish I had taken some good pictures of Ludmil’s bird houses.  Check out their website!  They are amazing!!!!

J Hill Designs

Several months ago a sweet couple stopped to talk with me while I was set up at Canton Trade Days.  I had a really nice chat with Billy and Judy Hill without realizing that I had met another “pro” couple.  Their J Hill Designs display at Marburger Farms in March was fabulous!  I was excited to see them at Urban Market.  They are another couple that is genuinely nice and exceedingly talented!

Just beautiful…

New Friends

While at Urban Market I met some new friends and had dinner with these creative folks on Saturday night.

Susie Skinner and Hector Vasquez of Fundustrial, along with their friend Mindy were so much fun!!!  I was in my element talking BIG IDEAS with Hector the Collector and enjoyed getting to know Mindy and Susie better.  If you are a regular at Warrenton…. You know these three talented pros!!!!  I went home with a few new pieces from their shop…. EXCITED!

Check out some of their displays….

I went home with a vintage mail sorter just like the one on the left!

New friends, Don and Kathy Gross of austinWOODHENGE are artisans that create handmade and hand painted items.  I love their paper boy bags!!!!  I am the proud owner of one of their creations!!!!

My prized new bag!

Totally inspired!

Urban Market is definitely the premier market in Houston and a must see.  Mark your calendars for the upcoming market October 27 & 28.  You really don’t want to miss a chance to see so much talent in one location!

 Come early… there was a line both Saturday & Sunday

Flown The Coop plans

Spending the weekend with the pros will have a lasting influence on Flown The Coop!  This week I’ll be hard at work on my final display in “the field” at Canton Trade Days.  Frankly, I was tempted to pare down my display in preparation for my space in Chippendale Eastlake Antiques.  No chance of that… I am inspired to rock it!

Hope to see you in a couple weeks at my home in the field!  May 30 – June 3  (Click on the map for an enlarged image)

 

 Happy Junking ~ Tiffany