Round Top Winter Antique Show

I set up at the Winter Round Top Antique Show last month. 

The winter show is held every January for just one weekend.

 It's a great show, held at the Big Red Barn, and is a appealing mix of regular Round Top dealers, some dealers who typically set up at Marburger Farm during the spring and fall, and a variety of other antique dealers from Texas and other parts of the country.

Antique lovers, and curious lookers come from all over, but lots and lots from surrounding towns. 

I had quite a few customers from Houston, Austin and Dallas.

It was clearly a great getaway weekend for some groups of women.

 I could tell by their spirit of laughter and chatter - probably a great respite from the hectic pace of the holiday season just passed.

 

I won't say my booth was sparse - it was too full to be called gallery style - but I wanted to have some space around my things this show.

The French chairs sold immediately, so I really did  have some open space!

Some folks like lots of clutter treasure to dig through - I do too sometimes - and some like seeing a booth with fewer items displayed clearly, easy to see and study.

My photos were taken with my iPhone, so they are not the best, but I did have fun with some of the apps! 

Can you tell?

I love old handmade textiles and exhibited some of my best hand hooked rugs, professionally mounted and hanging on the walls. 

I think antique hooked rugs are often under appreciated for the art form that they are, and mounting and hanging elevates them to the level they deserve. 

Apparently several people agreed with me and a few went home with happy customers - actually, happy designers, taking them to clients!

The tramp art cross from North Carolina sold, and I have to say, it was one of my favorite pieces of folk art and hard to part with!

This is a fabulous offering box of some sort that I still have  - have to say I am not too sad about that.

One day it will find the right home!

The top of a painted tramp art box that left the show on Sunday - tramp art was a hit at this show.

The triangular chip carved folk art shelf came from Vermont years ago.

It has actually been in my collection and was one of those things I thought I would never part with.....but alas, if one wants to continue to collect, one must continue to sell!

 It went home with a designer from La Grange, Texas..... who, by the way,  I had the best time talking with and sharing antiquing stories with!! 

Just down the row from me were Hector and Susan Skinner of Fun Dustrial.

They always have the coolest things and set up the best displays!

Love the variety of dress forms.

What a wonderful old scale.

I LOVED this old urn filled with old iron garden stakes and wish I had stopped long enough to price these pieces. 

The urn itself had such gorgeous edges.

I thought the swans were such fun!! 

You can't see if from my photos but they had some old glitter on them, which I am always a sucker for!

Another great old urn!

 When I finally got to stroll around the barn on Sunday,
 I paid a visit to my friend Theresa of Garden Antiques Vintage.

She always has the best things and these clock faces are a great example!

Dress forms, vintage lace dresses, cowgirl hats,

old pewter, silver, and

love the yellow bicycle!!

I was so happy to see my old friend, Agnes, at the show. 

She used to sell tons and tons of dried flowers and wreaths, and may still.....but now she is also selling lots of sea shells and beautiful bottles with shells on top. 

All different sizes of bottles, and all shapes and colors.

 She had had a fantastic show by the time I saw her on Sunday, so she was low on inventory, and I still loved all that I saw!!

 Imagine what I missed!!

            She had a couple of lamps in her booth that I also liked as they reminded me of lighthouses. 

Aren't they great?

Love these.

Brought this one home with me!

Another old friend, and antique dealer extraordinaire, is my friend, Gayle Green. 

Gayle has been an antique dealer for years and years, and is now a regular Marburger dealer.

Gayle's antiques are classic. 

She is not a trend follower. 

Her things are good, they are true antiques, and they do not go in and out of style - they are timeless.

She knows majolica, chalkware, textiles, tramp art, and a variety of other antiques. 

I bought some of my first vintage faux bois pieces from Gayle many years ago before faux bois was in or out, and certainly before it was reproduced in big box store catalogs. 

Good, old chalk kitties.

I always love a good old basket with layers of old paint. Just love it.

So, there you have it. 

Just a smidge of what was good at the Round Top, Texas Winter antique show. There was a ton more - I just didn't get to see it all because I was so busy!! 

Next on the agenda? 

Fort Worth, Texas!! 

Yes sirree!! The 49th Annual Dolly Johnson Antique Show!!!

In fact, I am so excited about setting up at this show, it deserves it's very own post.....so, stay tuned!!!

Back in the Saddle.......First things First

First things first, give credit where credit is due.

When I last posted - I think it was in the afternoon on Christmas day - I shared some photos from my Pinterest boards.

 I did not know the origin of most of them, but thanks to some savvy readers, have identified a few.

One of my favorites, the simple but so lovely entry hall with matching painted closet doors,

apparently belongs to HGTV star Sarah Richardson.

Who knew?
I am not a television watcher, nor have I kept up with HGTV in several years.
 I realize I have been missing a lot after looking at Sarah's website.

Her style is refreshing and  crisp and I can't wait to become familiar with more of her work.



Another favorite photo I shared came from the wonderful blog Color Outside the Lines  in a post titled
 Love......Fun Lamps!

 I don't think I actually knew this information at first, as I re-pinned the photo from someone else - the fun and the curse of Pinterest, at least if you are needing original sources!

Here it is again - I still love it - the lamps as well as the whole grouping of interesting things.

So, thank you to Artie of Color Outside the Lines!!


Now that I have taken care of that bit of business, I am going to get back to the business of blogging.

I set up at the Winter Round Top Show in January and had a great show.
Quite early in the show, one of my dear antiquing buddies marched right into my booth and said, quite emphatically,

Well, man!! You must have bad bloggers block!!!

Uh.....you noticed?

She proceeded to tell me how she lives in this little town way out in the middle of nowhere and reads my blog regularly (which of course is a very nice compliment) and how I had written absolutely nothing in weeks!!
Yes, I am aware of this.

 So, I of course did not deny her accusation.......it's a little more complicated than that, but who had time for a long story?

I'm just glad someone missed me.
Thanks, Gayle,
 (most fabulous dealer of majolica, tramp art, faux bois, textiles, tole ware,vintage Christmas,  and all sorts of incredible antiques ever to be found at the Marburger Farm Antique Show every single spring and fall! ) even if you are a bit direct in telling me how you feel!

Anyway, I am back and I have stories to tell.

Antique Season 2011 is Upon Us!!

A reader asked me to notify her of the antique shows coming up in the spring in Texas.

 I will be happy to do so, and to go beyond that and list some others around the country that are in the near future. 

Let me know in a comment if you want to add any to the list! All are welcome since we are all over the country as bloggers and antique lovers, right?

As I mentioned here this past weekend was the American Antique Show in NYC. As a follow up I would like to mention some fun facts I learned today here.

Photo Source

According to Nancy Gibson, of VandM.com's Design in Tell,  Leatherwood Antiques had quite the turnout in their booth with Martha Stewart, Bunny Williams, and John Roselli all in the booth at the same time!

Leatherwood specializes in early children's pottery.

Photo source

This little historical treasure was in the booth of Just Folk, from California.
 

If you didn't visit their website when I posted before, you really should.
 It is so well done and such fun!

According to Nancy, the hooked rug was purchased by a client of Mary Douglas Drysdale, an amazing designer who incorporates Americana into many of her designs.
This would be such a great show to attend......it is on my bucket list!


Speaking of Americana, the big Heart of Country Show is coming up in Nashville in February.

It is one of the prettiest shows I have ever seen. It is held at the Opryland Hotel and begins February 17, with Thursday evening's preview party,  and runs through Saturday, February 19.

I would be remiss if I didn't tell you about two other shows going on in Nashville during the same few days.
 
The Tailgate Antique Show
  is held at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds and is also a fabulous show.
I went last year and saw some stunningly beautiful booths full of really, really good antiques.

February 17-19, 2011
Thursday-Saturday
Show Hours
Thursday early bird:
8 a.m. to noon
$40 early bird admission includes both Tailgate and Music Valley plus readmission all three days.
General Admission
Thursday- noon to 5 p.m.
Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
$12 per day includes both shows

Yet another great show in Nashville is the Music Valley Show.

Click here for the scoop on both shows at the fairgrounds.

It runs in conjunction with the Tailgate show, also at the fairgrounds.
These shows used to be held at different hotels in the Opryland area and I remember trudging through snow and rain, across roads and highways to visit all the different hotel rooms where dealers set up. It was an adventure and fun, but the new set up is much easier on many levels.

The new venue at the fairgrounds makes for two unique, big, incredible shows, offering many more creature comforts!


February 17-19, 2011
Thursday-Saturday
Show Hours
Thursday early bird:
8 a.m. to noon
$40 early bird admission includes both Tailgate and Music Valley plus readmission all three days.
General Admission
Thursday- noon to 5 p.m.
Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
$14 per day includes both shows

CONFUSED? Don't be. Just show up at the fairgrounds during the times mentioned and you will see two beautiful antique shows all in one area.


Another beautiful show is the
 Nashville Antiques and Garden Show, held a little bit earlier in February, from the preview party on Thursday, February 10 through Sunday, February 13.

There will be several guest lecturers, one of whom is Charlotte Moss! Check out the show website for details.

Now, on to a Texas show that is smaller than the above, but a very good show.

It is the Boerne Antique Show, held at the park in Boerne, Texas. Boerne is just outside of San Antonio in the beautiful Texas Hill Country. This year the show will be the weekend of February 26 - 27.

This was my booth last year. It is a little picked over in this photo as it was a very busy morning. This show brings antique lovers from all around the area and is one of the most popular of the Texas smaller shows.

Of course, folks are gearing up all over Texas for the Round Top show and all that encompasses!

During the last few weeks of March dealers begin setting up all along Highway 237 outside of Round Top. Lots and lots of dealers set up around and in Warrenton, Texas.There are so many different shows going on up and down this highway that I could never mention them all. For different dates and locations go to
The Show Daily.


I will mention some of them, and if I miss you and you want to be featured, let me know!

The Zapp Hall show is a fun show. Zapp Hall is on Hwy. 237 between Warrenton and Round Top. There are dealers inside as well as all around the outside of Zapp Hall.

There is good food to be had and lots of spirited activity, music, and great dealers.

This show runs from Friday, March 25 through Saturday April 2.

Zapp Hall is a real place and is chock full of great antiques during the season.


Cole's Antique Show, also on the road from Warrenton to Round Top, runs from March 24 through Saturday, April 2, and is full of over 200 dealers. It is also in an air conditioned building with real bathrooms. If you have ever been to these shows you know why these are worth mentioning!

Another show down the road a piece is Ex-Cess, where dealers like Ed and Michael from Leftovers in Brenham, Texas have set up in the past.
There are other high end dealers in this show and it is definitely worth a stop.



A popular stop as you get further down the road towards Round Top is
Clutter.

Known for great antiques, fabulous displays and good food, this is a must stop. Even if you don't buy, the displays and tons of merchandise is all eye candy!

No list of antique shows would be complete without mentioning the FAMOUS

Marburger Farm Antique Show!

The show will be from Tuesday, March 29 through Saturday, April 2 this spring.

Getting bigger and better every year, the Marburger Show has something for everyone. From the finest of European antiques, to the quirkiest of folk art, to the finest of early country antiques, you have to see it to believe it!

The show is well managed and has lots of spots to rest your feet and enjoy a delicious sandwich or snack, or a glass of wine or margarita at the end of a long, full day.
I can't tell you how much fun this show is. Lots of bloggers will be writing about it in the weeks to come.

Here are just a few of my favorites from years past...............

Last, (for this list, but not for the season)

but never least by any means, is the show that started it all years ago.

The Round Top Antique Show

43rd ANNUAL SPRING ANTIQUES FAIR
Mar. 30, 31, Apr. 1, 2, 2011
Big Red Barn & Tent, Continental Tent
Carmine Dance Hall
Big Red Barn location open
9am to 8pm on Wednesday and
9am to 5pm Thursday through Friday
and 9am to 4pm on Saturday
Carmine Dance Hall open 9am to 5pm all days
Admission $10 Good for all days at all locations.

There you have it - the details.

Now for some photos from past shows.....

All photos from the Round Top show website


This is a show of quality dealers, good food, indoor restrooms and air conditioning.
 Like I said before, if you are a seasoned "Round Topper" you know why I mention some of these details!
If this will be your first trip, it won't take you long to figure out it is usually hot in Texas,
 Spring or Fall,

and port-a-potties get old, really old, fast!


NOW, lest you think I am finished......not so fast!

After you have so much fun at the above mentioned shows, you might find that when you go home you feel a little let down, a little withdrawal, shall we say, from antiquing.

Food doesn't taste as good, your kids and pets aren't as cute, you just can't get excited about anything......
Wait, you are not depressed. You just need another ANTIQUE FIX!


Well, hang on for just a few more weeks, and then make your way to

COMFORT, TEXAS 

for the best little country antique show around!

Comfort Park
403 Hwy 27, Comfort Texas
Only 1 hour from San Antonio on IH-10 West

Saturday - April 30, 2011 - 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Sunday - May 1, 2011 - 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. 

Come see me at the Boerne show and the Comfort show, and meanwhile, enjoy the plethora of  spring shows!
Chin up - the fun will begin soon.

Happy hunting!