Boo !

Hi Everyone,

Back from Midland MI just in time to repack the trailer and head to Allegan MI for the last show of the outdoor season. Why bother unpacking the suitcases?

I am so sad. We love the Allegan Market for so many reasons, great customers, best friends and overall just a wonderful time. And it's over for another year. Boo hoo hoo hoo . . . 

Speaking of boo, amazing transition here. My fellow vendor and friend Jennifer Mahoney came up with this fall's entrance to our last Midland show. She explained the concept and really delivered. 

I give you, industrial farm pumpkins

Leave it to those pesky industrial guys to put their wares all over the pumpkins, but everyone enjoyed them regardless.

So we say goodbye to the outdoors and hello to indoor shows starting with the find market event in Plainfield IL on October 17-20, 2013.

Remember I am giving away a free pair of passes to that market, all you have to do is like the Facebook page to enter and post it here in a comment.

See everyone in Allegan, sniff, sniff.

Suz

the Muze

Look out Midland and a great give away

Hi Everyone,

Been super busy getting ready for 3 markets in a row, some of our favs and a brand new one.

We leave in just a couple of hours for our huge Shabby Experience in Midland Michigan at the Michigan Antique and Collectible Festival held on the Midland County Fair Grounds. It is a HUGE, spectacular show that includes our now famous The Shabby Experience and Industrial Way pavilion with several new vendors and a lot of your best favorites that everyone has come to love. So if you are within shouting distance, come see us this weekend in Midland.

The following Sunday on the 29th, is our last Allegan Antique Show for the year, sniff, sniff. This is hands down one of our loves, from the incredible staff to the perfect location, we just love our customers at Allegan. Can not believe it is over for the year.

Then we are getting things ready for the new market in Illinois called the find market event. This is going to be unbelievable. All of the vendors that are there are blending their fabulous wares in vignettes so that you are shopping settings, not endless tables of wares. Can not wait to see this open! It is a market that has never been done on this scale in the Chicagoland area, over 7,000 square feet! Take a look . . .

And guess what? 

I also have a free pair of passes to this show to give away to one lucky reader! Isn't that great? 

So here's what you have to do.

Simply go to their Facebook page, like the find market event and then come back here and leave a comment and tell me you liked them. Easy peasy! Then Mamie the Wonder Cat and  I will pull a name next week after we get back from our first Michigan trip and one of you is going to get to take a friend and shop the new find market event.

I need to get some rest, on the road in five hours!

Later,

Suz
the Muze

Ups and Downs

Hey Everyone,

Sorry I have been missing for a while but things here are a bit hectic, still. Wedding work is taking up so much of our production time and we have had long road trips.

Just got back from Indianapolis and I am going to try to be nice but it was a disastrous show from the get go.

First it was hot. Oh so hot, heat index into the triple digits.

So hot, the tree fell apart.

In the middle of the show. Really? and we have to fix it at 1 PM in the middle of the show? Who's in charge here anyway?

So they shut down our tent, our aisle and basically our business. It got reallllll slow.

Even the dogs agreed, Lola couldn't bear the boredom so she went to sleep!

Lola just gave up across the aisle from us. If there had been more grass, I would have joined her!

So our new goodies that we previewed, went unnoticed. Like our new doily bunting

It is gorgeous in real life.

We also had a visiting vendor in our booth. Eleanor and Grayce is run by our dear friend and fellow vendor Sharri Anderson from Midland MI. She sent down a huge assortment of her gorgeous spoon necklaces. They are hand stamped with cool phrases and the handles have just single words, like breathe, inspire and one of my favs, fearless.

Also loved the fact they looked so cool just hanging off a couple of nails on the top of an old onion crate.

You can also see Sharri at our Michigan Antique and Collectible Festival in our spectacular Shabby Experience and Industrial Way pavilion, directly inside Gate 4 on September 21 and 22. She will also be a fellow vendor at the find market event in Plainfield Illinois on October 17.

So we are all busy making and preparing our wares for all of you to visit. 


Catch up soon,

Suz
theMuze

Indy MIchigan recap

HI Everyone,

As promised, here are a couple of highlights and wind lights from our recent world tour.

At least that's what it felt like to us.

We started our little adventure heading to Zionsville Indiana for Nikki Winkles, A Vintage Farmhouse, Enchanted Spring Market on that first Friday and Saturday.

When we arrived on Thursday to set up, it was windy and sprinkling. Poor Nikki was a little undone and my best advice to her was, "Breathe, as long as no one is bleeding and nothing is on fire, everything will work out just fine".

I was right. The first day of the show was really good and the people that came out to see us, were so appreciative as everyone brought their A game and there was a ton of lace, pink, vintage everything and lots and lots to look at down each aisle.

We had asked Nikki if we could scoot out a bit earlier than the 4 PM close as we needed to drive over 4 hours and get into Allegan Michigan and get set back up for the second show in three days. Nikki's family had us packed and loaded in record time and we were back on the road.

After a slight mishap, missing car keys in Kokomo IN, thanks honey, we finally pulled into Allegan after 10 PM, just exhausted. Our friends Mark and Christian from Lost and Found, the best shop in Grand Rapids, MI, just saying, had called because we were not in our space and they were worried about us. They hung around and help us set up and close up for the night. Bless their hearts, such good, good friends to have.

Bright and early the next morning after 3.75 hours of sleep, 5 AM, we headed back into Allegan. put our tent back together and had our usual, busier-than-a-one-armed-paper-hanger-day! After closing, we packed up again and headed into Midland for our 8 day, work your backside off, show up set for The Shabby Experience and Industrial Way Pavilion.

By the way, we got to sleep in Monday morning, it was divine.

I don't know if I mentioned last year, but the location of our special tent pavilion is directly inside Gate 3 at Midland to the left. I was told by powers to be that this was the worse location because for 44 years folks had been coming in Gate 3, about 89% of the crowds and they ALWAYS turn to the right to start their show experience.

I changed that in one single show last June, much to everyone's surprize and much relief to me when my idea worked! Whew, what a few tense moments waiting for that crowd to start making their way down our section.

My secret? Give them something unbelievable to see.

Last year was our bed of roses, literally an entire pillow covered in full bloom gorgeous roses, remember this guy?

Well, this year I decide on doing something a bit different and it started like this . . .

Take 16 different chairs and add 16 cans of different colors of Krylon paint and you get . . .

Seriously Blogger, get your act together!

They look so much better right side up.

Then take your drop cloth

Why is this one straight up, argh!

I wanted the design student to use it as a piece of artwork, really!

After they finish drying, take them on a ride to their new home . . .

Four golf carts loaded to the brim, all with these beauties, interesting to say the least.

I will post later and show you how they ended up. Basically cuz I can not find said pictures right this second and the SOB's are probably upside down anyways.

I am so tired and need to rest a bit before we go play at the new North Shore Flea up in Highwood on Sunday. Two shows in one weekend, we are definitely certifiable . . . 

Here's the schedule:

June 9 2013  -  North Shore Flea Market, 428 Green Bay Road, Highwood IL

June 28 2013  -  Harbor Market, 519 south Main Street, Benton Harbor MI

June 30  2013  -  Allegan Antiques Market, Allegan County Fairgrounds, Allegan MI

July  6  2013  -  Indie Arts and Vintage Market,  Glendale Shopping Center Parking Lot, Indianapolis IN 

Night . . .

Suz
the Muze

Update for Michigan

Hi Everyone,

This is a two second post as we are headed out the door AGAIN to Benton Harbor MI for the kick off to the Harbor Market there Friday  from 11-3 at 510 Main Street Benton Harbor MI.

Our trip to Indiana and Michigan was entertaining to say the least and I will leave with this picture to ponder on.

You know you are in huge trouble when you show up to build a show in the middle of nowhere and the local inhabitants are looking at your property to build a new residence because there is SO MUCH water everywhere.

And yes the flipping picture is sideways. I have sent it to myself four times and same results everytime. I give up.

In the background of the picture you might notice tent frames on the ground. This was Tuesday, tents were supposed to be up long before that. I knew I was in deep poo-poo -ka-ka as we were running out of time quickly. 

And it kept raining.

I will post in a day or so to let you know what happened,

Til then, see you in Benton Harbor at the Harbor Market on Friday,

Suz
theMuze

Slips

Hi Everyone,

Another preview here of some of the new slipcovered journals that we are taking on the road. It is nearly impossible to get these photographed before they go flying out of our booth. Since each one of these is a one of a kind, it is a time crunch to grab their debut photo or the opportunity is gone. So many uses and so little quantity.

Here is Journal 1:

Love those little doilies with pearls.

Journal 2

A little bit Parisian

Journal 3

I am glad I got to grab them. One that didn't make the photo op was a slipcover that is making the news down in Zionsville Indiana for a show highlighting The Vintage Farmhouse Enchanted Spring Market on May 24 and 25. It was gorgeous and we are thrilled to be highlighted on the Indy Style show. AMM on TV, what could possibly top that?

I will catch up with you soon I hope. We are about to head to 'our' market in Midland Michigan and it is going to be unbelievable this year. But first we have to build it. Hence the 8 day visit to Midland.

Soon,

Suz 
the Muze

First you take a hundred yards of . . .

Hi Everyone,

Thank you for all the questions and prayers about the Mother unit, as we refer to her around here. 

Here's the update: She is home, resting, feeling a bit feistier than usual?, and a handful right now. 

The good news today was the nurse that checks on her after each hospital stay deemed she was a bit stronger than she expected and that I should indulge in a glass of red wine at night to help lower my newly discovered, slightly high blood pressure. Before you all go off the deep end on me, yes the Dr knows and we both contribute it to the added stress of her illnesses of late. (3 hospital stays in 9 weeks. There isn't a nurse or facilitator I don't know on a first name basis at this point) So, she will be monitored and I will be monitored and we will go from there.

It seems a question I get a lot, especially on the road is how we actually 'do' handmade things and stay on the road. These people would freak out if they knew the half of it. One CHF patient, one heart patient, one very full time business and then, there is everyday life. I am thinking about trying out for the circus in my next career change because I can juggle like no one else!

The other secret tho is planned quantity.

Like one of tonight's projects.

I have needed to replenish some a lot of items on our Elements board. You know, that skinny board with all the cool tags, ribbons, naked runners and embellishments on it? 

Well, here is the secret,

Quantity

Yup, like today's adventure. I needed scrunched ribbons so I took 400 hundred yards of ribbon, added the secret sauce and started the process. Tonight, while catching up on Scandal, that show is insanely intriguing, we got 'bundles made'.

Tons and tons of beautiful bundles just waiting to go on the road for our 4 shows in 3 weeks program. They are going to look so good.

Just shoot me now . . . please! They are going to look a whole lot better than I at the end of this next leg.

Now I need to stop typing and finish the new embossed hearts I am working on. Maybe a picture before Friday for NA DA, maybe not. Who knows these days. It would also help if I had the foggiest idea as to how to finish them right now.

Here's that schedule, you read it, it drives my blood pressure up I think,

May  17 - 18  2013  -   NA DA Farm Event  2423 South Woodlawn Road, Esmond IL 

May  24 - 25  2013  - The Vintage Farmhouse Spring Market  9180 Hunt Club Road Zionsville IN

May 26  2013  -  Allegan Antiques Market, Allegan County Fairgrounds, Allegan MI

June 1- 2  2013 - The Shabby Experience @ Michigan Antique and Collectibles Festival, Midland MI

June 30  2013  -  Allegan Antiques Market, Allegan County Fairgrounds, Allegan MI

July  6  2013  -  Indie Arts and Vintage Market,  Glendale Shopping Center Parking Lot, Indianapolis IN 

I do know sitting quietly at night, creating magic does indeed lower your blood pressure. I think I will move over to my other desk now, if for nothing else, health reasons and the sheer joy it still brings,

Suz
the Muze

Little and big blessings

Hey Everyone,

It's late Saturday evening and we just got off the road from our unbelievable stay in Allendale Michigan, more about that in a moment.

Since we were only home three days last week, I was unable to correct the huge boo-boo on my last two posts, so here goes,

On our way to beautiful but oh so cold Iowa, we encountered a snow storm worthy of Chicago standards as pictured below

Couldn't see 10 feet in front of the truck and trailer in the middle of ABSOLUTELY nowhere. pitch black Iowa.

We finally check in at the hotel to get our much needed rest, thinking this is a freak thing and will be a distant memory in the morning when we see

Yes, everything coated in snow. So we head to breakfast to see these fine folks

who had driven over 400 miles for the tulip festival in the next town over (Iowa speak for 23 miles away)! Tulip festival cancelled due to the fact the tulips refused to show up, didn't blame them one bit.

So we head off to the flea market we had driven all night to get to and it was the worse disaster we have done in a long time. I am sure under different weather conditions this would have be fabulous but we encountered a snow covered, already soggy county fair ground. This ends up in the worse mud I have ever tried to navigate. Tractors are everywhere pulling huge trucks and SUV's out of the mud, me and a whole lot of other folks are covered up to our knees from trying to get between the buildings and praying out loud that you didn't fall on your behind and did I mention that it is now POURING down rain? 

After 2 hours, I was so cold, wet and sore from trying to walk in the muck I take my cold, drowned self back to the warm truck and trailer where you know who is waiting, ("go ahead honey, I'll wait here with the trailer) and we now head to the market in Indianapolis for the show the following day.

7 hours later of driving in RAIN, we arrive in Indy and collapse. The next day it is cold and overcast but never did rain. I figure there wasn't any water left because it had all fallen on us the day before.

We were home 3 days before we headed out again to the Shop the Barn Boutique Sale at our friends the Grzybowski's in Allendale Michigan.

This was so worth all the effort. We had seen bits and pieces of this fabulous new/old barn that they were building and it was so great to be part of the first boutique sale there. Wednesday and Thursday were so hot and humid during setup, I foolishly said,"Gee I wouldn't mind if it did rain a bit to cool things down, we'll still be fine"

Open mouth, insert foot.

Overnite it dropped about 45 degrees or so and we froze our backsides off. Oh and yes, it RAINED, both days! And then the sun came out an hour before we closed. Figures.

Customers still flocked in, enjoyed some of the hundreds of fresh homemade cookies and a cup of lemonade (should have been hot chocolate!) that Michelle and her fabulous kids whipped up, and that was on top of the 40 or so loaves of fresh all natural, hand ground wheat bread they made for sale. And did I mention, Karis, my favorite cat was a new mother to four kittens? So we had baby kittens to love as well. The perfect event.

Business was good but nothing topped getting to spend quality time with all 8 of those incredible young people of theirs. We were privileged to share several meals with them and just interact on a daily basis. Each and everyone is so uniquely individual, have wonderful talents and the best manners I have ever experienced. Just a cool group to be with and this is coming from a person who is not fond of misbehaving children. (Mildly stated)

They even have a built in entertainment.

And he is only 5.

If you remember correctly, I tried to steal him away back in October last year and I tried again this year. This little one is pure gold.

One of the great thing about Brian and Michelle's parenting is that they have raised these young people with a great sense of responsibility. You need to do something, there no shortage of young folk asking if they can help, we never had to ask, they just instinctively show up, willing to do anything and never a cross word and disapproval. And if it happens that you are not needed at that particular moment, well, you find a seat in the middle of the chaos and have yourself a snack.

This is Elijah.

We never knew what great one-liner was coming from him and he kept all of us in stitches all weekend long. He has perfect comedic timing and he's only 5.

When we were packing to go, he had to be included with the big boys helping load, so the very last thing was my purse. He was positive he could carry it, heck I have trouble carrying it!  I handed my very heavy bag and told him to put it in the front seat of the truck. Off he went, up the hill with my bag.

We had to laugh at him, so determined to make it up the steep hill and after a couple of minutes, he succeeded and couldn't have been more proud of himself. We congratulated him and his reply was that great grin, like he knew all along he would make it.

So to Brian and Michelle, we were honored and thrilled to have had such a great weekend christening that gorgeous new barn and participating in your fabulous event. Thank you from the bottom of of tired and cold hearts for all your hospitality!

To Luke, Joshua, Isaiah(Bill), Josiah, Victoria, Sarah Grace(Mary Clare), Isabella and Elijah, Thank you to each and everyone of you for all of your hard word and kindnesses you showed us this weekend. We think all of you are just the best and can't wait to see in you in Allegan in a couple of weeks. Help Mom as much as possible because she sold almost ALL of her furniture! and will need new pieces to show. 

We are home for a couple of days to get ready for the NA DA Farm Event this coming Friday. It is the only Illinois show we will be doing for the rest of the year, so come on out if you can.

Here's the rest of the schedule:

May  17 -18  2013  -   NA DA Farm Event  2423 South Woodlawn Road, Esmond IL 

May  24 - 25  2013  - The Vintage Farmhouse Spring Market  9180 Hunt Club Road Zionsville IN

May 26  2013  -  Allegan Antiques Market, Allegan County Fairgrounds, Allegan MI

June 1- 2 2013 - The Shabby Experience @ Michigan Antique and Collectibles Festival, Midland MI

June 30  2013  -  Allegan Antiques Market, Allegan County Fairgrounds, Allegan MI

July  6  2013  -  Indie Arts and Vintage Market,  Glendale Shopping Center Parking Lot, Indianapolis IN 

off to bed, I am really tired!

Suz
the Muze