Tag Archives: Vintage FINDS

Zest For Life

Posted on by
Reply

Flown The Coop is dedicated to those who can’t be caged.  Our mission is to aspire to inspire creativity and a zest for life.

I can honestly say that I have stayed true to creating a lifestyle on my terms.  Jeff likes to remind me that I created my job (especially when I find anything to complain about).  I love my little shop, that provides an outlet for creative energy, and all the lovely people who have crossed my path since opening my doors.  Flown The Coop is not just a place to buy unique finds and gifts, but a developing lifestyle brand.  The kind of lifestyle that questions conventional wisdom, looks for alternatives uses for the discarded, and continually promotes the makers, creatives, entrepreneurs, and anyone who believes in pursuing a fulfilling life on their terms.

Flown The Coop is an unique mixture of Industrial, Vintage and Homestead Goods.  Curating industrial and vintage pieces for The Coop is my original passion.  I also enjoy finding fun gift items, like the Blue Q socks and oven mitts.  Our Homestead Line has naturally developed as I discovered local products that support Burton’s entrepreneurs.  I am excited to now introduce Young Living essential oils to the Homestead Line.  I am impressed with the Young Living seed to seal guarantee, that insures a pristine final product.  These products promote my new passion, WELLNESS.

Photo cred Who is Leading Photography & Garnished Events

My journey toward wellness began at the beginning of the year with a bundle of unfortunate health issues.  What started as a year to be Fierce, turned into the year of Resilience.  As a result, I dove into learning about wellness.

First Jeff and I focused on our diet, changing to a (more or less) Paleo diet.  I then created a wellness room for stretching and an inverted table for Jeff’s back (this was inspired by my friend Pamela Hutchins, author extraordinaire).  I discovered Lynsey Kramer’s Five Chicks Wellness Facebook Page and Instagram.  If you aren’t following The Yonder Way Farm, along with their various social media platforms, you are missing out!  They are the most adorable family with an impressive devotion to providing local and healthful food to the surrounding area.  I became intrigued by essential oils as I saw Lynsey share how her family was using them in their daily lives.

Convinced essential oils were worth trying in my pursuit of wellness, I purchased a starter kit.  It arrived just in time for a buying trip to Ohio.  Stress Relief became my friend on the way to Ohio as I drove through some hellacious storms.  I discovered Frankincense helped some skin issues.  A mixture of coconut oil and Panway helped ease lingering discomfort in my arm that I broke in February.  I used that same mixture, adding Copaiba, to help in healing my new tattoo.  Lavender helped me relax.  I picked up a car diffuser that made a HUGE difference in my truck (lets just say junking is a dirty job).  When I returned, I fell in love with Thieves.  I washed all my new pieces and the whole store, including windows, with a mixture of water, vinegar, dash of blue dish soap and Thieves.  I have enjoyed dropping Tangerine and Lemon into my water.  Honestly, I am a little surprised by how often I grab an essential oil during the day.  Check this info graph out for a few ideas:

There is so much to learn!  So… Flown The Coop is offering an Essential Oils 101 Class Thursday, June 15th at 6:30PM.   Lynsey Kramer will be teaching us the basics about essential oils and how you can incorporate them into your daily lives.

Come for light snacks and drinks. Weather permitting, we’ll hold the class in the back yard. If weather is not coroporating, we’ll move the class inside The Coop.

Check out our Facebook Event for more details and to let me know if you plan on attending.

 

I invite you to join my wellness journey.  I plan on sharing more as I continue to explore various aspects of living on purpose.  Cheers to a zest for life ~ let’s live with a lot of flavor and gusto!  What have you recently discovered in your pursuit of creating a lifestyle on your terms?  I’d love to hear from you!

~Tiffany

And the birds fluttered around her writing “YES” in the sky!

Texas Antiques WeekSSSS!

Posted on by
Reply

It’s that time of the year again!

“It’s my favorite holiday!”  Marlene Kahanek

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!!!!

Screen Shot 2017-02-17 at 10.16.42 AM

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!

I took a leap

Posted on by
Reply

And now I’m flying!

Two years ago I took a leap with my friend Kristie Herlong (now owner of Dorcey’s).  We naively set up at the Springfield Antiques Show and Flea Market in July, a traditionally slow month.  Kristie and I had NO idea what we were doing, but embraced the adventure and figured it out.  We were thrilled with our sales and decided to launched Flown The Coop.  I had no idea that a little experiment with junking would turn into a passion and sustainable business venture.  Making it up along the way and carving out our individual niches, Kristie and I have both “built our wings.”

These little wings have flown some distance since then.

Last month I shared a space at the Dallas Market Center, Vintage Home section with my good friends and mentors Brian and Meloney Russell of the Seed Box Designs.  Needless to say, I am in awe of where Flown The Coop has taken me.

It helps to have talented friends in the business!  Congrats to The Seed Box Designs for winning Best of Vintage Home!!!

A flight home

This month I will return to the Springfield Antique Show and Flea Market.  Two years ago I would have never guessed that I would travel such a distance to shop the flea.  I am still excited about the journey and the unpredictable flight pattern.  I’m so glad that I took the leap, Flew the Coop and continue to build my wings!

If you have a dream, take the leap!  You’ll figure out how to build your wings on the way down!  If you are a leaper, what is your experience?  I’m sure there are kindred spirits who could benefit from sharing your experiences.

~Tiffany

And the birds fluttered around her writing “YES” in the sky.

 

May Flew The Coop

Posted on by
Reply

[wooslider slideshow_speed=”5.0″ slide_page=”time-has-flown” slider_type=”slides”]

Time flies when you are having fun!

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.

 

Texas Antiques Week

Posted on by
Reply

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

Posted on by
Reply

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 Designs, Park 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!

Posted on by
5

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!