49th Annual Dolly Johnson Antique Show Follow Up

Well, the month of March has come and almost gone and a lot has happened around Hill Country House. 

   First things first.

 It's only right that I follow up on the great antique show I did in Ft. Worth, the

 Dolly Johnson Antique and Art Show.

Before I begin I want to say thank you to a few folks.
 The first morning I was sitting in my booth and two women came in to look around.
One asked "Are you Ann Williams?" When I replied yes, she said "Well, we read your blog and your kitchen turned out just great!"
 I was so surprised - I am not sure why, because of course I know anyone can read what I put out into the wild blue blogsophere - but I think more than anything, I was so humbled.
I am not a prolific blogger.

 I write when the spirit moves me. I know I have a few readers, but more than that, I have kind friends who read my blog.
 I do not think of myself as someone who has a big readership, though.
 So, I want to say thank you to those women in particular, and I am so sorry I did not ask your names!
The fact that you came by my booth at the show and mentioned my blog and my KITCHEN,
(which I am still loving sooo much!) meant so much to me.
So to the sweet ladies who came by that morning,  please leave me a comment here so I can properly meet you and  thank you!

Now, on with the show.......................

I might remind you here that I began as a passionate collector of antiques years ago.

 I loved and still love all kinds of folk art.

 I love ethnic things, colorful things, textiles, and quirky handmade objects.

 I am crazy for the patina of things well loved.

This is important because I think there are those who love old things and those who don't - it's just as simple as that. 

 I love OLD things.

 Over the years my collections began to take over my houses and my bank account. 

I needed to sell - sometimes to upgrade, sometimes to simply edit, and sometimes to move on from a particular collection completely.

I began by selling a few items in my friend, Barbara's, booth at Round Top a number of years ago.

Gradually, I filled her booth with more and more items, and she had less and less. 

She began to do more design work and less antique shows, and I began to do more antique shows. 

So, here we are today - I do shows and she sells a few items here and there in my booths!

Does Barbara still love antiques? 

Absolutely. 

Do we still have fun antiquing together? 

You bet!

I have loved this old handmade truck from North Carolina for years. 

My husband loved it too, and for a long time did not want me to sell it.
 He, too, realizes that we can't keep everything we love.....especially if we want to continue hunting treasure.

 I had a collection of fruit still life paintings for a while.

 This one was one of my best.
 Fortunately it went home with a friend.
 It's always good to know our favorites go to good homes!

 These old cigar tins crack me up!

 Of course, "between the acts" refers to an intermission of a live performance, as in a play or musical of some sort.....but some find an implied humor of other sorts in them. 

 I have also sold them to stamp collectors for the stamp that seals the box.

 I had three of these folded books on hand at the show, each folded in a different pattern.

The couple who bought them was going to use them at the table of their daughter's wedding. She was getting married in an old library and the table was to be decorated in flowers and old books. What a lovely idea. 

I was thrilled that they appreciated this old paper folding art form.

I began collecting old Mexican pottery many years ago.

 My best pieces were all found in the United States, as the pottery was made for tourists and many folks brought entire sets home from their travels back in the 30s, 40s and 50s.

 These folky pieces are from Tlaquepaque, near Guadalajara,  Mexico and are very recognizable by their scenes of every day life of the Mexican people.
The pattern is getting more and more difficult to find, and the large serving pieces are really rare, especially those in mint condition.

I love the pottery, but over time have realized that if I don't have room to display and enjoy my collections, I may as well move them on and let someone else enjoy them.
 I only sold a few pieces at the show, but interestingly, those who really expressed an interest in the pottery,  LOVED it, and already had large collections.
 One woman bought one special black bowl for her house in Santa Fe, where she already has every other piece in her collection.

 I fell in love with this white top hat in my friend, Stephanie's booth.

Why yes, so in love was I that I had to buy it!!
 The only person who would love it more is my daughter, who has been on the look out for a cool top hat for quite some time!

 Perfect for her 18th birthday, don't you think?

 I never could catch this dealer in his or her booth, but it was so amazingly clever and creative. These bracelets were made from baseballs!

Yes, baseballs!!
Aren't they so fun!

 The fun of this show was in the variety of objects shown and in the creativity of the booth set ups!
 I passed by this giant horn every time I walked to the front of the building and it made me smile every time!

 LOOK! there is my friend and neighbor at the show, Janet, of Talk Sweet Talk blog.

She is working hard back there in the corner, probably writing up sales tickets!

 Janet is one of the most clever dealers I know. 

She has the world's largest collection of word flash cards and picture flashcards, plus the best ironstone, butter pats, tea cups, dress forms, man forms, jewelry (more on that in a sec) .....just you name it, if it's clever and fun, Janet probably has it in her booth!

Incidentally, Janet took all the great photos of my booth that I have shared here!
 With  all the things I had to remember to get to Ft. Worth for the show, wouldn't you know my camera would be the one thing I'd forget!
Thank you Janet!

See the precious little girl statuary? 

She is holding a ton of ironstone butter pats. She had to unload them at some point on Saturday, though, because she sold and was going to a home in Dallas to live in a girl's bathroom. 

How cute must that be!??
 Can't you see the bowl filled with soaps and shampoos and other girl stuff?

The large cream pitcher, probably an advertising piece once upon a time, used to be mine.

It sold too.  It went to the same home as the concrete girl holding the bowl. 

 I wish I could see that house, filled with such unusual and fun treasures!

This, kind blog readers, is the piece de resistance!! 

Janet makes these charming necklaces and sells them individually at her shows. 

I walked into her booth during set up and fell head over heels in love with the whole lot of them!! 

All stacked up on the neck of this wonderful old dress form....well that thing  happened  where I can't help but grin from ear to ear,   smiling with humor and joy and excitement and  saying without even thinking  "I want it, I want it ALL!!"

Spoken like a true addict collector!!

No, I did not buy it all! 

I did not even buy one, thank you very much. 

But, I still think about the little coffee cup,  the whisk broom and the little green chair - after all, these are some of the things I love.......I think I should have them, don't you ?

A Few of My Favorites at the Marburger Farm Antique Show

As I have mentioned before, here, it is antique season in Texas.

 One of my favorites, and one of the largest venues for finding just about any vintage or antique treasure you might imagine, is the
  Marburger Farm Antique show.



Several of my absolute favorite dealers anywhere will be here again and promise not to disappoint.

Janet, from
  Talk Sweet Talk,

 will be set up in the old farm house at the show.

I first met Janet when she was set up at Cole's several years ago. I have not seen her in a while, but I follow her most creative and inspiring blog. She has the best eye and I was smitten immediately with her knack for display, her collections, and her sense of design in setting up her booth at the show.

 Like so many of the people I have met in the antique business, she is just the nicest person and a delight to visit with.

 Talented and clever,  and you will love what Janet does with
WORDS!

Another favorite, whose booth I fell in love with before I ever met her, belongs to Nance.

Nance writes a blog, My Favorite French Antiques, and her booth at the show
promises to tempt me, again, with antique paintings like this one of two dogs......

Gorgeous, yes?

Nance also has tons of beautiful French furniture and accessories.

Paintings, architectural fragments, tapestries, mirrors............

Nance's booth will not disappoint you!!


Setting up at Marburger for the first time,

but a long time vendor at the square in Round Top,

 is Richard Schmidt.

I have only met Richard and his wife Janet a few times, but they are guaranteed to be a hit at Marburger.

Ohmygosh, I'll take one of each please!

As life would have it, and not surprisingly, Richard and his wife are
friends with another longtime favorite of mine,

Vintage Sculpture creators,

Brad and Sundie Ruppert.

I have several of their charming and oh so clever sculptures and it has been fun watching them grow in recognition and popularity over the past years.

"Let Your Love Shine Thru"
I bought this fabulous piece quite a while ago and love it more every day.
 It has moved around my house and sits in my bedroom now. Like any piece of good art, it intrigues me every time I look at it, noticing different details Brad and Sundie created.

Sculptures range from folky angels, horses, hearts and arrows and fabulous mirrors.

Every size and color imaginable and the most clever combination of materials you will ever see!

I have longed for this piece ever since I saw it.
Full of personality and color, it is a prize example of their work. I case you can't find room for a cupboard, they make tons of smaller pieces of folk art that are just delightful.

Old friends, Alan and Lindra of Parkhouse Antiques  set up at Marburger and always have the most beautiful booth.

These photos were taken last year.  I can't wait to see what they do next week!

I have shared with you just a smidge of what you will see at this show.

From the most elegant to the most quirky, and everything in between, this show gets better every year. Be sure to visit the website and try to get here any time next week between Tuesday, March 29 and Saturday, April 2.

If you have favorite dealers at Marburger, or you are a dealer at Marburger and would like to be featured here at Hill Country House, please leave me a comment and I will be happy to post about you!

All photos used in this post either my own or were taken from the site referenced.

Round Top, Texas - Great People, Great Antiques

One of the best things about the antique business is the people! I love the community of folks who have a love of old things. Shortly after arrival at the Coles show on Monday,(one of the many shows opening in the last few weeks) I met the delightful Janet Romine. Learn more about her antique business, "Rubbish" here.

I like to study how other dealers set up their spaces at shows, always in hopes of improving mine when I set up the next time. Regardless of whether the merchandise is something I want to buy, the creativity and work that goes into a good set up is huge! I enjoy the visual education as much as I like the antiques.

Janet has a true talent and I found her space absolutely charming! Unfortunately, I was on sensory overload and a little frazzled from a short night of not much sleep. So, what typically happens with me is that I love the connection and the conversation, then I need to focus on really looking at the details, and then, with all good intentions, I plan to come back and visit some more and maybe spend a little cash with that great dealer.

Cute Janet in her pink Mexican dress, which we discovered we both still love after wearing them for many years!

However, at Round Top (meaning all the shows going on in the Round Top area) there is so, so much to see and sometimes I never make it back to that show. Add to that the hot Texas weather (I'm talkin' hot, sweaty, sticky, "suck the energy out of even hard core antiquers" weather) and often one has to just stop and take a break, even though there is always more to explore!

I had every intention of getting back over to see Janet, but will have to be satisfied for now with checking out her blog . Wow, is she talented!!

Love her knack for display. Notice the scalloped paper hanging along the tables over the black table skirts. Also, I LOVE the tags with random words on them all along the top border of the walls. Believe me, it is not easy to find ways to decorate those ugly pegboards we often have to contend with at antique shows.

Janet loves old flashcards and so do her customers. She has started another business in addition to her antique business and you can read about it here.

To be quite honest, I need to go to her website to understand ALL she does. My brain was fuzzy when we talked and she has such passion and excitement for what she does. I want some of that energy. I know I sound senile, but I really think it was the heat, sleep deprivation, and sensory overload!

Loved the monochromatic scheme of her booth, with just a touch of pink here and there. What a treat to stumble upon Janet and her delightful space. I look forward to following her!

Oh boy - here we go. Tuesday was the opening day of the Marburger Farm antique show. The Texas sign says it all - we do it big here in Texas!

This show has gotten huge and this is just a fraction of the anxious shoppers lined up for the opening at just one of the many tents and small buildings .

Every shop and every dealer must find their niche. Once upon a time, at the fall Fredericksburg antique show, I had the pleasure of spending the show set up right down the aisle from Linda of Willow Nest. It was Linda's first time here and she and her husband, Ludmil, had hopes of moving to our town and opening a shop. As time passed, they realized that this just wasn't quite the right place for them, and they felt a tug in their hearts for the town of Burton, Texas, just down the road from Round Top. They have since opened a fabulous shop in Burton and are quite happy where they have landed.




I was most delighted to see their incredible booth set up at Marburger Farm and had only a brief visit with Linda as they were very busy. I am so happy that they have indeed found their niche. I wish them all the best in their endeavors. I am constantly amazed at the number of creative people I have met in the antique business and they truly fall into this category!



Okay - enough talk on my part. Here are some more of the wonderful booths set up at the Marburger show. I tried to choose a variety to share so that you can see, there is truly something for everyone here!

Loved this booth - a blend of rustic and French and Mexican.................

More beautiful old leather bound books than you could ever need..................

This blue painted demilune table with the gilt fragments just took my breath away!

Gorgeous French furniture and pottery.............

Cutting edge industrial pieces and very handsome lighting..............

I am not inclined to buy circus pieces, but this booth really did have all the old things you remember about the circus or going to the state fair - so full of charm.

One of my favorite dealers, Mary Jackson, from Colorado, had a wonderful assortment of art and accessories.Click photo for details.

More funky and fun, mixed with elegance and whimsy...........

Aren't these urns gorgeous?

I loved the simplicity of this red metal chair next to the glass float and the water bird...........

Love the old barber pole and the Indian rug - again, something for everyone!

Same booth - transferware, tramp art, fine art...............does it get any better?

Oh wait - it does! These large zinc wall pieces were absolutely stunning.

I loved these books covered in old French manuscripts - absolutely charming.

It just goes on and on, and this is just a smidge of all that I saw.................

an amazing faux bois bird house - how cool is that?

I adore these Spanish or Mexican chairs, but the price was waaaay out of my league!

This amazing piece of folk art is the best from Brad and Sundie Rupert, artists extraordinaire from Iowa. LOVE their work!!

Simple, but something about this horse head mounted above the old gate just made me smile.

Walking out of the show, hot and tired and needing to get home........... I stumble upon these French doors - Aahh!! my heart skips a beat......measure, get a price, drool over the detail - the faded green paint, the scalloped trim, the old iron, the detailed inset paneling........ wish, wish, wish I had an immediate need for them ..........begin to talk to myself... "have some discipline, Ann , come on, walk away........walk away. Good bye gorgeous, green painted doors. May we meet again someday".

P.S. For more on this great show, visit Cote de Texas, Velvet and Linen, Beadboard Upcountry, and The Bunny Bungalow