Country Living Fair (part 1)

I’ve been hoping to hop on here for days, but time (and energy…) did not permit!

To top it off, my desktop died a few weeks ago, so all photo editing and blogging is being done via my sweet pink 9” netbook.  Woohoo!  I love a good challenge.

 So…onto the good stuff!

Yep.  This past weekend was the first-ever Country Living Fair in Austin, Texas.

It was crazy fun.

Crazy fun!

I have to give major props to my sweet father-in-law for packing The Beast for me.  I honestly couldn’t have fit even half of what he fit into it. 

 He is truly amazing!

I had to take a before pic of our booth space as well. 

Sparce.  Blank.  Sad.

(although I do have to say that we were pleased about our neighbors hosting that groovy green shutter wall just next to us.  Nice!)

And here’s what we did to it!

I have to say that some of the vendors there were insanely talented when it came to set-up.

(I have 2 separate blogs coming that feature all my favorites!)

I’ve also included a few pics of our newest  treasures that arrived just in time for the market.

Cherries Pottery from West Germany.  (Sold)

Enamelware Coffee Pots from Switzerland, Germany and France!

(some will be online shortly. After laundry...)

Groovy Placemats with mini napkins.

Oma's Laundry Shelf.  (Sold)

 For those of you who know me well, Austin is my old stompin’ grounds, so this Fair was uber special to me. 

Not only did I sell like a mad-woman, but I also had the blessing of seeing  tons of old friends, and I  loaded up on TexMex and ‘Ritas (all weekend long!).

Now that’s a fantastic weekend!

I’m hoping (and praying!) that Country Living will host this show in Austin again and again.

Like I've said before, Austin is the best for vintage, food, and fun!

Stay tuned for some awesome pics and intros to other amazingly talented vendors who were at the show.

Blessings!

Paris, Anyone?

Passport? Check.
Comfy shoes? Check.
Camera ready? Check.
Paris, anyone?

I realize that many of you are starting your spring & summer plans, so each spring I re-post my mini little travel series on "hopping the pond" (aka traveling to Europe!).

Here's the order!

Week 1: YOU can go to Paris too!
Week 2: Get Yer Transportation On!
Week 3: Where to Sleep?
Week 4 : Eating your way through Europe...yummo.

Ready for this week? Part 1: You can go to Paris too!

I’ve been hopping “across the pond” for many years now - the first trip when I was just seventeen years old. (thanks grandma!)

As I return from each trip, I love sharing my various experiences, but I always come across the same comment from so many lovely ladies.

Most of the time, it goes something like this, “Oh, I would love to go to Europe someday, but I could never afford a trip like that”.

And to that, I say,"Boo honky!" (that's Texan for "whatever")
Start packing yer bags, sister!.

First let’s do a quick cost comparison. Let’s compare a stateside trip to the Coast versus a trip to Europe – this way you can see the cost difference on paper…

Oh, and I did these numbers, assuming that 2 were traveling...



So, for $910 dollars more, you can accomplish your dream of traveling to Europe. Trust me, that $910 is worth it!
(since I first published this post in 2010, flights pricing has increased some, both for Stateside flights and Europe. In the end, the price comparison remains the same!)

Wanna be frugal? Then do your homework!

Book your own flights…I go both to individual airlines sites, as well as the big dogs like Expedia and Travelocity…it takes time, but you need to be your own travel agent.


Forget hotels – stay in an Apartment!
Our family finally caught on to the blessing of renting apartments all over Europe. It's much cheaper and you get to live like a local!


Eat with ease via bakeries and local grocery markets – that crusty bread and cheese is dreamier than you could imagine!


Forget the rental car…while in Europe, travel like a local via Trains!


Get your Europe fund rolling now.
A yard sale is a great place to start!


Don’t touch your Europe fund – no matter what!


You will have memories to last a lifetime…and hopefully some over-stuffed shopping bags to take home with you as well!



So...are you intrigued?
If a trip across the pond seems appealing to you, stay tuned for next week’s detailed version of The Frugal Mama Takes On Europe!

Keep Calm And...

So I'm sure by now, most of you have seen more than enough of the Keep Calm posters. They're plastered all over Pinterest, Facebook, Google, you name it. It started off like this...

And they've evolved into these...

I thought I had seen them all, until yesterday. The UPS truck stopped outside (that's always nice), and I couldn't think of a thing that I had ordered. That's because the shipment wasn't for me. It was for my husband. And here's what was delivered...

See the little army men? Those came in the packaging. Once again, I'm convinced that my soldier is really a paid boyscout! Just something funny to lighten up your week!

A Word About Linens Junkies...

It’s well known that I’m a linens junkie.
(In nicer terms a “collector”.)

In honor of all my fellow linens junkies out there, I’m posting on the green-ability of collecting vintage linens.

Yes, there is validity in what we do!

You see, anyone can run to the nearest JoAnn’s, Hancock’s, or Ballard’s for some fun fabrics to play with.

But we linens collectors go the extra mile.
We search high and low for the unique pieces of the past, and in turn, we give these retired pieces new life again!

Yep. You could say we’re “green”!

Want to be green with us?

Here are some ahhh-mazing ways that you can upcycle fabulous vintage textiles that you may come across...

The easiest way to dress up a basic couch?
Just add a vintage quilt loaded with colors and, voila!


Today I came across this little snippet from Blonde and Co.
The mix of these linens makes me giddy.

Even better, they are simply placed together and you get a screaming fun retro look. Nice.

I often run across linens that are just loaded with stains. If the piece is uber cheap, I’ll buy it to use as a cutter. Here’s an idea I hadn’t thought of... cut and paste sweet pieces for scrap booking?!


Yes, indeed!

My favorite upcycle mama is obviously Poor Pitiful Pearl.
Yes, Ms. Shauna is a friend of mine, but I give her props not only because she’s an awesome person, but also because she is great at what she does.

This past fall my birthday present was a custom apron dress via PPP.
I sent her my favorite scraps, and she created this fab apron top for me to wear to my markets.


My daughter and I each have one now, and I can pretty much tell you where each and every square came from. That's cool!


Next up, check out these baby shoes I found via Etsy.
Handmade from a vintage tablecloth!


I do realize that pillowcase dresses have been done for some time now, but they are still such a favorite of mine.

Can’t you just picture a teeney little carefree girl, skipping through a field in one of these? Sweet.


So now, when someone pokes you for your extreme collecting abilities, you can easily defend your cause.
You’re not only collecting, you’re actually saving something else from ending up in yet another landfill.

You’re quite the hero.

I hope this Spring finds you well.
Easter is just around the corner...my favorite!
Blessings!


Here's who we're hanging out with this week!


Apron Thrift Girl

Knick of Time Tuesday

My, Oh My!

Elation!
Excitement!
Grinning ear to ear for hours now!
Breathe.
Here goes....

When you were flipping through your latest issue of Country Living magazine, did you happen to see this ad?


I know that as soon as I saw it, I was crazy excited.
For any of you who have been sharing blog-time with me for a while now, you know that Austin is my stompin' grounds (although we don't have the pleasure of living there anymore), and Country Living is such an inspiration both to myself and my business.

I've been following the Country Living Fair (from afar!) for years now!

And now I can share with you that (drumroll...)
today I received confirmation that Sweet European Dreams will be participating as a vendor at the Country Living Fair in Austin!

If it weren't the end of a very long day, I would post a picture of the perma-grin that I'm wearing right now!

So that's my exciting news!
Can't wait to share this adventure with you all and I especially hope to finally meet some of your sweet faces in Austin, in April!

Until next time...So much time and so little to do. Strike that. Reverse.

Out with the New, in with the Old

Dearest vintage-loving friends,
I hope that 2012 is finding you well!

We are finally back in routine from the holiday madness!
I always look forward to a new year.
Not sure why, but it’s like a breath of fresh air.

And speaking of fresh, I’ve started a pre-spring purge throughout the house. Amidst the great purge, I’ve been noticing a trend in my giveaway piles.

I clearly remember registering for sparkly new must-haves at department stores for our wedding, and now I find those formerly treasured items slowly exiting the premises.

And what’s replacing them?
Secondhand treasures that I’ve picked up at thrift stores, estate sales and auctions.

Yep. Out with the new, and in with the old.

Not only do I love the nostalgia of these sweet picks, but I love the quality of the materials they’re made of. Odd things of the past, such as wood and glass!

And with my recent discovery of the dangers of many household plastics,
I feel good about going back to the basics that I grew up with.

So now I’m playing around online and thought I’d share some fun swaps (old for new!), that could easily make your place a little greener this year.

Here they are!

I have a thing for deviled eggs, so egg platters are always a must.
(I'm actually still kicking myself for selling a precious Italian one a few years back!)
If you want to buy something new, here's one from Tupperware.



But, here's an upcycle option that I found on Etsy.



I could have bought this cheery bed set at Dillards...



But then I found this vintage chenille coverlet instead!



You can save your pennies (a lot of them) and get this cute owl canister at Anthropologie...


Or, you can adopt this little guy off of Etsy...



If you have a thing for linens (like I do!), then you could add some poppies to your kitchen via Williams-Sonoma,



or you could follow Oma's lead and go vintage!



Cute stuff and the prices are right as well!

I love that thrifting is fanatical right now. You can pretty much decorate your entire home off of fun finds from the past, while saving money as well.

If you plan on thrifting or picking this weekend, I wish you much fun in finding just the right pieces (and prices!).

Until next time...be blessed!