A Sneak Peek and A Reminder

I finally got a little mojo going last night and finished the tree in my living and dining room.  It's not a complicated tree, or even a tree in the traditional sense really, but after several days of staring at bare branches in a container I decided it was time to dress them up a bit. 

Once I'm done with both of these rooms I'll take some pictures to give you the full effect of it, I'm really loving the way it turned out.  Simple and natural with a touch of sparkle and beachy'ness, my favorite combination this time of year.

I also wanted to remind you of a few wonderful things going on this weekend.  Starting today, there are two wonderful barn/tag sales happening.  One is at Ekster Antiques outside of Leesburg, Virginia.  I featured Ekster's last sale in a post (HERE).  And several of the photos I took at that sale are also gracing the pages of this month's Romantic Country Magazine (Yipee!!), which should be in your mailbox or on newsstands sometime in the next few days.

If you live in or around DC or northern Virginia you won't want to miss this weekend's barn sale at Ekster!

The other sale which starts today is a tag sale going on at Chartreuse and Co. in Frederick, Maryland.  I've never been to Chartreuse and Co., but my dear friend Connie has and she tells me it's a "must" see.  If you click on the link above to their site you'll be treated to lots of photos of all of the wonderful things they currently have for sale!

It's also a Vintage Source weekend, the last one for 2010, and it's sure to be a good one!  The Vintage Source girls always end the year with a bang, and based on their "New Arrivals" page this sale looks like a great one!  During their sale weekend in December last year I picked up my lovely horse pull which holds my Christmas stockings!

I also want to take this opportunity to say goodbye to a wonderful woman, great friend, and one of the Vintage Source "mommas,"...Cathe Chiomento.  From the moment you meet Cathe you can feel her warmth and great infectious personality.  Cathe also has an amazing sense of style as you can see by the photos above of her home, which sold in just a week!  She and her husband are moving back to Pennsylvania to be closer to their children and grandchildren and St. Mary's County will be a little less bright once they leave at the end of this month.  Best wishes Cathe, and I can't wait to see all of the beautiful things you will do in your new home...I'll definitely be coming for a visit sometime soon, with camera in hand!

And last, but certainly not least, don't forget about the wonderful sale going on this Saturday at my friend Susan's home which I wrote about HERE!  Trust me when I say that you won't want to miss this sale either, and why not make a day of it and go to both Susan's sale AND The Vintage Source's sale...with lunch in between of course! 

If you live too far away to go to any of these sales never fear.  Over the next week I'll be sharing with you a few of my favorite Etsy stores and online retailers.

And for those of you who live in southern Maryland, I'll also be sharing a few of my favorite local stores so be sure to check back!

In the meantime...Happy Shopping everyone!

Ekster, Ekster, Read All About It

As I mentioned in a previous post, I went to photograph a barn sale for Fifi O'Neill and Romantic Country Magazine a few weekends ago.  It was my first "real" photo assignment, and I was a little nervous about the whole thing.

But I knew, based on what I had seen from previous Ekster Antiques barn sales that it really couldn't be too hard.  I mean, how hard can it be to shoot beautiful things in a gorgeous setting just outside Leesburg, Virginia?  Lots of great vintage items, antiques, ironstone, chippy furniture, and so much more...so what's not to like or better yet, take pictures of?!

Caroline and Jon-Paul Saunier (pictured above) live in a historic home set among rolling hills in the rural town of Hamilton, Virginia.  The same wonderful sense of style they have used to create their own home, (which was photographed for Fifi's upcoming book entitled Romantic Prairie Style), translates to their wonderful barn sales held several times a year.

In between sales, Caroline (a native of Holland) and her sources scour Europe looking for the perfect pieces to sell at each of the sales she and Jon-Paul hold in one of the huge old barns on their property.

Before each sale, they post pictures on their Facebook fan page "Ekster Antiques" to help whet buyer's appetites.  And lines form early each morning during their weekend sales as people eagerly anticipate the event!


 

Fifi selected her favorite photos from the shoot to use in an upcoming issue of Romantic Country, but here are a few to give you an idea of how truly massive and wonderful each of the Ekster sales are.  It was all I could do to snap photos instead of grabbing everything in sight to take home with me!

Caroline and Jon-Paul work tirelessly before, during, and after each sale...I don't really know how they do it!  And even though these shots were taken in 100+ degree heat, and at the end of the first day of their sale, they were still going strong and looking fabulous!  In the photo above they were enjoying a quiet moment before closing up shop on the day I was there.

If the items alone weren't enough to make you swoon, the way they are displayed is a feast for the eyes!  Just take a look at some of the beautiful displays and unusual wares they have for sale at great prices!

This beautiful old turquoise metal bed was calling my name!

And in addition to 2 stories worth of barn to ooh and ahh over, they also have tents set up outside for even more wonderful things to choose from!

And in case your tastes run a little funky, never fear, there is something for everyone at an Ekster Antiques sale!

I had so much fun meeting Caroline and Jon-Paul and wandering around photographing all of the really cool stuff they had for sale that day!  And just before we left, Mr. Tide and I went downstairs to pick out one of the beautiful old glass fishing floats I had spied earlier.

I loved its deep green color and how someone had apparently repaired the old netting which had finally let go over the years, not to mention how large it is!  And when I took it up to the counter to pay for it, Caroline gave it to me as a gift for coming out to do the shoot!!

I was floored by her wonderful generosity and now this beautiful float is happily living in my front flower bed surrounded by yellow and coral colored lantana!  When I get a free moment I plan to clean it up a bit and bring it inside.  I'll find the perfect spot where it can reflect the sunlight and brighten even the darkest winter days, so thank you again Caroline and Jon-Paul!

I hope you enjoyed seeing a few photos of this wonderful barn sale and to find out exactly when the next Ekster Antiques Barn Sale will be held (sometime in December), be sure to become of friend of Ekster Antiques on Facebook!  Trust me, you'll want to mark your calendars...I will be heading back to get some ironstone which I'm still kicking myself for not bringing home!

And be sure to check out Romantic Country Magazine to see more pictures I took of the Ekster sale!  They will be in one of the upcoming issues!  I'll be sure to let you know when it will be featured!