fleamarket morning.

by Jolie

i stumbled upon an old word document the other day…a little something i wrote several years back about the mystic of fleamarket mornings. some things have changed since i wrote this…(i.e. we no longer stay in our little old rv (moment of silence…GoD bless cousin eddie)…but the passion and the soul of the fleamarket, i’m glad to say, is still the same…
here it goes…thought y’all might want to take a gander…
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“It was a typical flea market morning…but it felt like anything but typical to us. We were nestled deep in the country…in Warrenton, Texas. Where the population is less than the speed limit, where you can still see the stars so thick at night you could almost pluck them from the sky…and where you can look any direction and see lush rolling hills, covered in grass that looks like rich velvet the color of Kelly green, dotted with grazing cattle and capped off with white cotton candy clouds perfectly placed in a baby blue sky.

{image: keely marie scott}

This particular morning, there was a crispness in the air and a pure Texas dew on the ground. Amie and I needed to get to the tent early…it was almost opening day of the show and we had a full day of unloading, climbing ladders, hauling furniture, and constructing mini-vignettes ahead. Our alarms unwelcomingly awoke us from much needed slumber at 6:30 am. Home sweet home during the antique show is our junky little RV, affectionately referred to as ‘cousin eddie’. It’s tiny and completely cramped – 2 people can’t pass through the ‘kitchen’ at the same time, one person must sit in the booth seat and let the other pass by- but cousin eddie has been our cozy little home for many an antique show and it’s almost bittersweet to think of other living arrangements.
The sun was just beginning to peak it’s majestic head above the bovine-dotted hills…electric pink, neon orange, and deep purple velvet splattered the sky begging the dew to evaporate and the dense coolness to rise leaving us a beautifully picturesque fleamarket day in the country.
Amie and I threw on our vintage fringe jackets, leather gloves and grabbed the dolly. As we started to walk the mile trek from cousin eddie to our tent, we passed through the fleamarket grounds; we navigated ourselves and the dolly through the geographic terrain of untold junk, sleepy tents, and early rising vendors with their morning coffee. I remember the feeling I had as we walked by some of the funkiest, coolest junk ever….salvaged car fronts with their original paint-perfectly rusty and perfectly one-of-a-kind, vintage letter press pieces all piled in huge buckets, old tubs with funky mannequin legs sticking out of them…I remember looking at Amie as I dragged the dolly behind me and knowing that we both had the same surreal feeling …one of pure joy and gratitude for this life, this day, this morning. It was so beautiful and graceful and perfect that I believe we both almost felt guilty that we could be so lucky. We both smiled and Amie said: “Boy, traffic sure is hell this morning, huh?” That pretty much summed it up.

{worldly treasures abound...}

{the most eccentric finds are always at HeCTOR the COLLEctoRS}

{junk...makes me happppppy}

{funky junk at MyLiSSA's}

{theresa cano of garden antqs vintage}

{kwaku...our fleamarket dalai lama}

{jimmy kuhl...aka jimmy COOL}

The rest of the day consisted of indescribable hard work. Our bodies ached, our muscles screamed, we were completely dehydrated and delirious from the manual labor…as we crawled into bed too tired to eat we almost felt like our bodies had been beat. But at the end of this day, we still knew we chose this life, we were the lucky ones…and we were right where we wanted to be.”
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see y’all at the fleamarket!!! we open on FRiDAY, sept 23rd at NOON!!!! yeee-hawwwww!!!!
and be sure to read about our BiG NEWS heRE!!! and HERE! more info coming sooooon!!!

September 21, 2011   30 Comments

true-blue & tragic.

by Jolie

it’s reallllly a travesty. a true-blue tragic reality. and it’s practically IMPOSSIBLE for us to understand. BUT, the word on the street is that SOME of you… HAVE. NOT. BEEN. to. ANTIQUES. week.  

{gasp}

i must take a moment to compose myself.

{i don’t know why i inserted this pic here…i guess just because i love it! a totally fleamarket-worthy cutie pie in the gypsy tent}

OK…so a quick little post to give the NEW kiDS on the BLoCK & the ANtiQUES week veterans, (aka. the never-say-die JuNKin ROAD WaRRIORs) the 411 scoop on the most important & most recent WHATCHA-GOTTA-KNOW deets of antiques week. antiques week 101 if you will.

as OFFiCiAL ambassadors of JUNK, we feel it’s our duty to keep y’all posted on all the exciting happenings of antiques WEEK.

leave no woman behind. leave no piece of junk un-turned.

there’s always quite a bit of confusion as to WHEN antiques week begins…and the answer to this is as clear as, well, mud. every field has different opening dates and while some junkers welcome early shoppers, others prefer you wait until they are officially open.

we set up at ZaPP hALL in warrenton…it’s where the cool kids are. actually there is great, awesome JUNk everywhere at antiques week, as far as the eye can see…and if you have time, you should cover as much ground as possible!

{the biggo texas sky and zapp hall. image: keely marie scott}

everyone always asks what to wear…and we have observed, that antiques week has it’s own sense of fashion couture. if your boots were made for walkin, wear them kicks. if not, wear COMFORTABLE shoes.

another must: a HAT. cowboy hat, sun hat, baseball cap…whatever fits your fancy, just bring a hat…the TeXAS sun is biG & bright and the fields are, for the most part, not shaded.

ALSO, pack sunglasses, sunscreen, cash, a tape measure, your camera, and a good backpack or tote bag.

just remember…anything goes…

and more is MoRE…

{the roadies back in the day... XOXO!}

the good news is…if you forget any of the above, you can more than likely find it at antiques week!

 

FoR JuNK-O-RaMA prom “shag-carpet couture”…refer to CaCTUS CREEK DaiLY’s “WHaT TO wEAR” post.

{image: keely marie scott}{image: keely marie scott}

{image: keely marie scott}

NoW…get ready! pack yer gear! leave all worries, anxiety, and STReSS at home!

THIS. IS. YOUR. SOUL. VACATION.

do NOT miss that memo!!! i repeat…THIS. IS. YOUR. SOUL. VACATION.

now hit the ROAD & get yer BOOTY to the FLEAMaRKET!

September 15, 2011   36 Comments

antiques week. the low-down.

by Jolie

A QUiCK 411 on all the latest, greatest and HOTTEST news about this ANTIQUES WEEK!!!

OFFICIAL WaRRENTON/ROUND top ANtiQUES WEEK dates for the ZAPP HALL SHOW: FRiDAY, sept 23 (the JG tent opens around noon) – SATURDAY oct 1.

JUNK-O-RaMA PRoM: ThURSDAY, sept 29 at twilight at the gypsy TENT!!! an ABSOLUTE MUST-do! FLuFF yer VinTAGE prom dress and spit-shine those CoWGiRL boots! read HERE for the scoop on JuNK-O-RaMA prom as told by FaNCY of CACTUS CREEK DAiLY!

{JuNK-O-rAMA prom spring 2011. image: keely marie scott}

and CLiCK here to read our ProM BLoG from a few years ago!

WHAT you should KNOW about this SHOW:

  • we’re plum over capacity at our storage facility so we’re gonna have to part with the awesome JUnKY goods we used in MirANDA LAmBERT & BLaKE SHELTON’s wedding this past may… from chandeliers to antlers, from rugs to mason jars…it’ll all be in our tent!

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  • HoT NEWS FLASH!!… HGTV (yes, that’s right. H!G!T!V!!!) will be coming to THIS ANTIQUES WEEK! & gueSS where their TENT will be? heck yeah! RIGHT beside our tent at ZaPP HaLL! come see ‘em & get some freeeee swag! and if you really wanna keep up with the action, follow ‘em on twitter!

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  • BLoGGERS!!! don’t miss the ever-growing BLOG parTY hosted by theresa CaNO of GarDEN ANTQS VINtAGE! SunDAY, sept 25 @ 6pm!

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  • don’t forget to make yer reservations NOW to eat at the oh-so-famous ROYERS caFE!! THeY start taking reservations for dinner THIS THUrsDAY @ 2pm! CALL 979.249.3611! and THEY invented a NEW pie and named it after us! the NEWWWWWW JuNkBERRY pie…GOOD GaWSH, it’ll make ya wanna slap yo mama! get a slice. hell, get a whole pie. you’ll thank me later! AND be sure to stop by the brand spankin new ROYERS PIE HAVEN at HEnKEL square in downtown RouND ToP! opening by next WEDNeSDAY! coffees, pies, muffins, scones, french toast casserole, homemade granola, and MORE! Deeee-LISH!

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  • Be SURE to make a trip out to RaCHEL ASHWeLL’s THE PrAiRie in ROunD ToP! the GRAND opening PaRTY of her NEW rachel ashwell shabby chic couture store is SepTEMBER 27 at 6pm…RaCHEL will be signing her new book!

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  • Don’T miss LiVE muSiC & RoyERS ROUnD ToP CAFE food at ZaPP haLL every night! it’s a TeXAS-sized good time under the stars!

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MUCHO IMPORTANTE WiLDFiRE UpDATE! the wildfires HAVE NOT affected antiques WEEK!!! come one, come ALL!

BUT please, please, PLEASE remember there is a STATE-wide BURN ban..this includes no cigarette butts thrown out of windows, no campfires, no smores, no running your car on the side of the road or in a pasture. y’all please help us help TEXAS!!!

To get ya reallllly in the mood for AnTIQUES WEEK and the thrill of the hunt…read here!

good grub and great juNK!

{i'm so jonesin' for 1 of these babies! homemade pimento cheese w/523 types of cheeses on homemade bread!}

it’s the beST good time this side o’ the MiSSiSSiPPi!!

September 13, 2011   25 Comments

every tee tells a story…

by Jolie

in junk gypsy world, every tee tells a story. and the first ever JG tee started really, as an accident. 

twas many, many moons ago at the famous round top/warrenton antiques week…we had been peddlin from show to show across texas for a couple of years buying and selling our junky wares. we had heard the legend and lore of round top antiques week but of course, could never have imagined the true motherload-junk-mecca that awaited. our maiden voyage to antiques week, we set up at marburger farms and then for the next show, 6 months later, we landed westward down the road a bit. 

{rutersville, texas...just down the road from warrenton}

and then, 6 months later…fate intervened and we unpredictably set up camp at what would become our new junk home and our new junk family….zapp hall. 

{ZaPP hALL antique show in WARREnTON texas…good times and great friends}

amongst our piles and piles o’ junk, random roadside loot, and gypsy-fide decor, we unloaded a few boxes of tees amie had designed on a whim….and couldn’t believe our eyes… 

the women flocked to the boxes like a macy’s 1-day sale. they were diggin through the neatly folded, freshly printed tees faster than we could unpack ‘em. we decided the most prudent thing for us to do was to step back and stay outta the way. tees were flyin through the air and by the end of that day, we had sold almost every single tee BEFORE the antiques show even began. and on the next day, we sold the tees off our backs. literally. dirty & sweaty…sold the very tees off our backs. they wanted those tees, and they wanted them baaaaad. 

and that was when we realized…women connected with this tee. they got it. women felt the soul that was woven into the art of this tee. women WANTED to wear something that spoke to them as this tee did. and it was right then that we knew. we had to make more tees. we had to pour passion and soul into more tees. it was our art. our creative spirit. it was something unexplainable. it was our density (get it?? marty mcfly from back to the future…’you are my density’ :) great movie. buuuut i digress…)

it. was. junk gypsy. 

so which tee was the first you ask? which tee started it all? 

{the original "WeLL-behaved women rarely make history" tee}

so here’s what happened…amie & i have always been avid doodlers and collectors of quotes….and this particular quote “well-behaved women rarely make history” by laurel thatcher ulrich had been stuck to amie’s mirror since our college days.  

she ran across this vintage image of old cowgirls arm-in-arm at the cowgirl museum & hall of fame. and to her, it signified a million different things. trailblazer, strength, aspiration, inspiration, independence, empowerment, sisterhood, beauty, STYLE. 

amie’s mind is like a glittery tumbleweed spinnin’ through the universe…it sometimes touches the ground but stays a few feet off most of the time as it spins and twirls. it’s cluttered and messy and beautifully, whimsically chaotic and kinda like a roadside diner, it’s 24/7. so with no formal training in graphic design, amie gathered elements from her favorite things, an old cowgirl photo, an inspiring quote from one of history’s greatest wordsmiths, and a frame scanned from a fleamarket find – an old vintage photo album …. and the rest, as they say, is history. 

so now ya know…the story of the first ever junk gypsy tee. but stick around, cuz as i said earlier, every jg tee tells a story…and there’s many stories left to tell. 

***and just fer you…we’ve brought this oldie but goodie outta retirement in honor of our first edition of ‘every tee tells a story’. Pre-OrdER now on a super-comfy, heather gray, short-sleeve scoopneck tee OR on a wild n’ crazy LiME GREEN boatneck tee with bell sleeves.***

March 7, 2011   22 Comments

our JunK diaRIES #2

by Jolie

We’ve got a long ways to go and a short time to get there but here’s a little peek at what’s been going on the past few days… (and by the way, out here in the cow pasture, our internet connection is about the speed of molasses soooo i’ll probably keep this post short & sweet) 

we’ve shopped… 

{amie found this 1951-ish vintage diner-style jukebox-a GREAT find!!}

{we are soooo lovin this cAt CaNVAS!}

{one of my faves...how great would this look in the kitchen?!}

didn’t buy these but i just couldn’t resist taken a few pics…

{old DoLL factory molds}

{we've said it once, we'll say it again...there ain't nuthin you can't find at the fleamarket!}

 we’ve caught up with GreAT friends…

{JoE PeTE...our favorite & ELuSIVE INtERNATIONaL MaN of MySTERY}

and always a priority in our book…EaTING!

{JaniE ordering at LEGAL TenDER}

seriously, their homemade pimento cheese sandwiches are ThA BeST!!! 327 different kinds of cheeses on homemadE BrEAD (and have i mentioned how much i loooooove bread??!!!!)! deeee-licious!!!!

{behind the counter at the LeGAL TeNDER saloon}

and of course…our daily couple o’ stops at the CoFFEE bUG!

{simpLy the best cup o' JoE on EarTH}

and here’s what the tent looks like as of yesterday….

{yep...a long ways to go and a short time to get there...}

at the end of every day, we’re just happy to be here…and finding great junk that makes us smile is just icing on the cake!

**for more play by play action…y’all be sure to check out our twitter page…uploading pics alllll day long!**

March 25, 2010   7 Comments