Junk Bonanza

It's happening again.....

the Junk Bonanza is almost here!!

Mark your calendars: 

September 13-15, Canterbury Park, Shakopee, MN.  

If you've never been, this is the year to go!

Here's a link to my "review" of 2010's Junk Bonanza-with a few details of what I saw & what I purchased!

I've seen photos of fabulous pieces and items that vendors are packing up to bring with them for the show!!  They all always "restock" for each day....so new items are up for sale every morning!

If for some reason you can't make it this fall, you won't have to wait an entire year....they have now added a SPRING Junk Bonanza....all the fabulous junkers will be back April 18, 19, & 20! So get these dates on your calendar as well!

Fall Bonanza:

Thursday, September 13th: 10 am to 5 pm

Friday, September 14th: 9 am to 5 pm

Saturday, September 15th: 9 am to 5 pm

Spring Bonanza:

Thursday, April 18th: 10 am to 5 pm

Friday, April 19th: 9 am to 5 pm

Saturday, April 20th: 9 am to 5 pm

Rain or Shine (Bonanza is an indoor event)

Admission

Price is $9 per day (Cash and checks only at door. ATM available on site.)

Children under 12 are free

Sorry, no pets allowed on the grounds

If you can't make it to Shakopee in September, you've got another chance for junking this fall. The Duluth Junk Hunt is happening again! More dates to get on that calendar: November 9 & 10 at the Encounter in Duluth!

Check out the Junk Bonanza and the Duluth Junk Hunt sites for more details.....see you there!!!

Successful Junking

If you didn't make it to downtown Duluth this past weekend for the first annual Duluth Junk Hunt, you missed out!  It was a complete success!  The space was filled with junk of every kind....from larger pieces of furniture, home decor, fabulous planters (with flowers already planted for you) made from old mailboxes, to gorgeous jewelry, clothing and more!

All the vendors restocked after Friday, bringing in more fabulous antiques, furniture, and vintage items for day 2.

We can't wait for next year....and there's even talk about having TWO Junk Hunts....perhaps one in the Spring and then another in the Fall!  Keep watching the Duluth Junk Hunt's website and make sure you  "like" the Junk Hunt's facebook page to keep up on information and details for next year's hunt.....you won't want to miss it!

Junk Hunt

The first annual Duluth Junk Hunt 
will be held this Friday & Saturday from 9-5!  


I am SO excited for this event. It is planned & modeled after the Twin Cities' Junk Bonanza that happens every fall at Canterbury Park (which I LOVE).


There are over 10 vendors that will be selling all things vintage, antique, re-purposed, shabby-chic, retro, jewelry, and more!!! There will also be coffee, scones, ice cream, and other treats available to snack on while you peruse the "junk"!

I will be there selling realia by Jen, so stop by & see me....I'd be glad to help you find a new "bauble" to add to your jewelry wardrobe!!  She has such fabulous pieces, from her refined vintage collection to her current Spring gaijin collection, which is to die for (see a few photos below)!!

Come out & shop "vintage" this Friday & Saturday, 9-5, at the Encounter: 201 E. 1st Street, downtown Duluth. Check out the website for specific vendor lists or if you need more details!
It will be an event you don't want to miss!!!

Do your CLOTHES tell a STORY?

If the outfit you are wearing right now were to tell a story, what would it say?


I have often thought about this, as people have commented on different outfits and/or pieces of my wardrobe....what do I say each day with what I wear? Do I want to say something? Does it have to say something about how I feel or who I am as a person? Such an interesting idea to think about...

This is also one of the questions at the end of a fabulous book I just read, The Secret Lives of Dresses by Erin McKean. My sister passed it on to me while on vacation, and I finished it in one day! It was a fun and interesting read--keeping my attention from the first page right up until the last. I definitely recommend it! Here's a short synopsis:

Dora has always taken the path of least resistance. She went to the college that offered her a scholarship, is majoring in "vagueness studies," and wears whatever shows the least dirt. She falls into a job at the college coffee shop, and a crush on her flirty boss, Gary. Just when she's about to test Gary's feelings, Mimi, the grandmother who raised her, suffers a stroke. Dora rushes back home to Forsyth, NC, and finds herself running her grandmother's vintage clothing store. The store has always been a fixture in Dora's life; though she grew up more of a jeans-and-sweatshirt kind of girl, before she even knew how to write, Mimi taught her that a vintage 1920s dress could lift a woman's spirit. Surrounded by regal gowns, sexy sheaths, and Jackie-esque suits from decades gone by, Dora makes a curious discovery: Mimi had been secretly writing down and giving away stories about the dresses in her shop.

Erin wrote this book after she had been writing stories about dresses within her blog, A Dress A Day.
In an interview she gave, she explains, The idea at the beginning was to come up with a coherent narrative that would link the Secret Lives of Dresses stories from the blog (which tell a story from the perspective of, what else, a dress). But as I worked on the narrative it went from being just an excuse to string a bunch of stories together to being a story in its own right. Voila: novel.

Her Secret Lives of Dresses stories within her blog are SO fun to read.....and SO clever!

This just completely got me excited about owning a clothing store/boutique again! LOVED IT!!! I would LOVE to own any kind of boutique....a vintage shop, a unique local women's boutique, or even a shoe store--but adding that twist, that every (or at least most) of the items in it came with it's own "story" is completely FABULOUS!

I also found a few other books, about dresses with stories, Dreaming of Dior and Dreaming of Chanel by Charlotte Smith. The blog, Dreaming of Dior, has more info about the history behind the writing of the book, but here's a little bit about the first one:

Dreaming of Dior, a new book published by Harper Collins, traces the fashion adventures of author Charlotte Smith who inherited the amazing Darnell Collection from her godmother, Doris Darnell. The 5000 pieces in the collection, dating from 1790 to 1995, have all had adventures of their own, some poignant, some inspiring, but all fascinating with each dress telling a story of its owner's life. The stunning illustrations of Grant Cowan brings the stories to life in a book that is both beautiful and informative.

There are so many books out there about fashion, just as we wrote about Nina Garcia's "what to wear" books in our so....now what? post. There is anything & everything out there about fashion & style....from style guides to picture books, and they are all fun to read, even if you have just a small interest in fashion.


They may even inspire you to write your own, or at least think about what you wear and what is says about you....
what story are you telling when you walk out the door?



Some dresses are worn by only one person,
and so that’s the kind of person they like.
-The Secret Lives of Dresses, Erin McKean

Vintage Loves

LOVE LOVE LOVE this collection from Free People!!

I cannot say enough fabulous things about the treasures they have found....WOW!! The collection caught my eye immediately when I opened the catalog to see this....

I was in love with the styling and the set which included such a gorgeous vintage vanity....LOVE LOVE LOVE.

Now, I have never been a major fan of Free People, mainly because of the high price tags on items I could do without...but this new vintage collection, I want to own it all!! If only there were an endless supply of cash entering my bank account....

oh....a girl can dream, right?!

Especially about this AMAZING cuff, the Erikson Beamon Opulence Cuff...listed in the catalog I received just this week for a mere $818...but not to be found on the website...hmmm? Could it be sold already? Because these Vintage Loves items are true vintage, they are one of a kind, so once an item is sold, it is gone....



My eyes continued to love what they saw as I turned the pages to find this, the Erikson Beamon Dripping Jewels Necklace...priced at a reasonable $978! Clearly I tend to fall in love with all things unaffordable....



Another piece I would love to own, and at a slightly more affordable price of $268, was this amazing vintage chainmail evening bag.....oh so perfect!



The catalog was amazing, as I continued browsing and wishing...all of my favorites came from "chapter 2 treasures"...but I loved how the next chapter, "the sketchbook" contained true sketches of the clothing pictured next to the model....FABULOUS!!

I was so impressed I grabbed the catalog the next morning to bring with me to work so I could scour the website in search of "my treasures"....only to "add them to my wish list"....in hopes that perhaps one item will still be available when my next paycheck arrives??!!

During my search, I also read a little bit more about this Vintage Loves collection and the vintage buyer Ali who discovers all the treasures:
I have handpicked each item with love, bringing thoughts and emotion to each piece. I am a pirate of the beautiful, a collector. Vintage loves is filled with items that will captivate you and lock you into a world of curiosity. I am thirsty for intricate detail and items that have a rare personality, items full of life and meaning. ...Bringing you a special collection of handpicked one of a kind vintage loves, a world of charm and charisma— a treasure chest of exclusive finds.

I agree...exclusive finds is right! I highly recommend checking out the fabulous Vintage Loves collection of treasures from Free People....if nothing else, it's fun to dream....and create wish lists!