The Vintage Barn

Nothing Beats an Open Road, a Great Friend and FABULOUS Finds!!

I love this time of year when the sun is shinning and the flea-markets are open for the pickin'. It is a time for short trips, "girly getaways" and loading every square inch of the truck! These mini adventure on country roads renew my soul. This trip was no exception, with a great friend and a flea-market destination the open road was calling our name.

One of my favorite finds was this turquoise metal cart with wooden boxes. The options for it's use are only as limited as the imagination. This is when SELLING my finds gets tough. Let's just say some of the finds my not make it to the selling floor of my shop for our July show.

I love this statue with it's perfect aged patina (pictured below). This may be on for the private collection!

The flowers on top of this statue are really a vintage hat. Perhaps I will wear it at our next vendor tea??

This piece was one of my favorite finds of the day. I just love the character and patina. His Rosy cheeks are so colorful and cute!

 

Some of my favorite vintage pieces to look for are anything with that has to do with old advertising. I love this tin I found for Christies Biscuits. I am not sure what this paper barrel used to carry but I thought it would be too cool in a living room filled with favorite blanket or pillow!! Oh, must resist keeping everything!

See, this Royalite tin is something I would buy for myself...so hard to sell finds like these!!

It is difficult to see in this photo but these Adirondack chair have a beautiful chippy patina of brown white and turquoise!! I have three for the taking!! So, I may have some of these things in my booth at The Farm Chicks but most will be at our show on July th.

On to the next find....take that American Pickers, this is Idaho style!!

XOXO

Rolane

The Vintage Barn
 
 
 
 
 
 

Meet Brenda Buckingham, Vendor and Friend...

Brenda Buckingham has always loved anything creative . . . as a little girl she was always drawing or re-purposing milk jugs, toilet paper rolls and whatever she could get her hands on into anything from purses to doll houses.  In her early twenties she received her degree in graphic design, but after working in the industry for a couple of years, found it to be very "industrial" with very little room for creativity.  

Shortly after marrying, she convinced her husband to buy her a scroll saw and she was soon hooked cutting out signs and whatever decorative things she could think of with the saw.  She began doing many craft shows and soon ventured into doing larger pieces of furniture.  Recreating furniture from discards and pieces of furniture that once had a different purpose eventually became a large part of her business.  Old windows and doors began to be reclaimed into cabinets, old beds into benches, etc.  

Wanting to still use her graphic design skills, Brenda also began painting custom signs and still enjoys doing this.  She also enjoys painting and has recently began exploring folk art painting.  She also loves finding old farm style treasures and fills her booth with many of these great finds.  "For me," Brenda says, "the chippier and rustier the better.  I love thinking about the life an old piece may have lived . . . an antique platter with a chip on it, makes me wonder how many family dinners it served . . . a worn old rocker, makes me ponder how many babies were rocked off to dreamland . . .There is just something naturally warm and inviting about antiques."  

Brenda put on antique shows for a few years at Granges in both Spokane and in Fairfield and she also had a shop with monthly "junk warehouse" sales for a time, but these days has just enjoyed being a vendor in various shows in the area. Brenda has started a blog, showing her daily life as she pursues being creative while balancing her life as a wife and mom to three teen-aged boys.  They are now in the midst of moving to an 1898 farmhouse on 10 acres and will be chronicling that move and the gradual "redo" of it in future blogs.  She hopes to do sales on the farm in the future.  To see her blog, visit her at http://pastblessings.blogspot.com/ 

Brenda loves the Vintage Barn sale, loving the country atmosphere and relaxed atmosphere for the shoppers.  Her spot, set amongst the raspberry patch, she believes is the best of the show and she always teasingly tells Rolane, "I want to be buried there."  Come say "hi" to her at the next Vintage Barn Show.

 

XOXO

Rolane

The Vintage Barn

A Country Getaway...

I have to admit that some of my favorite weekends are the ones spent with my girls and I. Don't get me wrong, I have a WONDERFUL husband but even he needs a break from an all girl household. So, the girls and I set out for a country getaway to visit my soon to be sister in law for her wonderful bridal shower and retreat to her family ranch for some R&R...country style.

First on the agenda was driving to rural eastern Oregon to attend her shower at a friend's family farm circa late 1800's. The weather was not cooporating but the HUGE shop on the property was perfect for hosting the shower. I have always loved driving by this farm (pictured above) and was thrilled to be able to take a closer look.

I happend to meet some great creative women at the event that turned out to be FANS on our Facebook page. Special "Shout Out" to Michelle (right) of Jewelry By Day and Natalie of Another Daft Idea!! Checkout their sites!! I made sure to let these girls know about The Vintage Barn Antique Show, The Farm Chicks , The Creative Connection Event and the Country Living Fair. All shows well worth checking out. I love networking....there is power when women meet in numbers!!

Next up, my soon to be sister in laws beautiful 1910 Farm/Ranchhouse for some R&R, great hospitality, beautiful country setting, horses, cattle and all.

My favorite horse of all was Chip...Mr. personality as you can see!!

 

This weekend was wonderful. Simple, country, refreshing and time well spent with family.

" I know well that happiness

 is in little things...."

-John Ruskin