We interrupt your regularly scheduled blogpost . . .

Hi Everyone,

While things are in frenzy gear in Rockford this morning getting ready for The Vintage Market to happen, we are taking a slight detour south. Good luck Polly, we hope everyone has a great time!

You know it is going to be a great day when you are on a plane that looks like this. Absolutely quiet and comfortable. Bless Southwest Airlines hearts. They probably heard we needed to make a quick, top secret trip despite the fact the Mother unit decided to head to the hospital . . .again and blessed us with an empty flight. When was the last time that happened?

For you sports fans keeping track, this will be the fifth back surgery in under two years. Friday, completely without warning and no trauma on anyone's part, another vertebrae cracked. So sweet Candy is holding down the fort while we get this trip in, only a couple of days to make an appointment we couldn't cancel and Fran has another surgery.

Other than that, nothing else's happening.

Sent from over Colorado, where it is SNOWING . . .

Suz
the Muze

They're Here ! ! !

Hi Everyone,

These lovely pots of lavender are already here and getting prepped for The Vintage Market in Rockford next weekend. These are specifically grown for our Illinois climate. Imagine fresh lavender in your garden or patio pots.  Put this one on your calendar for sure as a "can't miss event"! It will be lavender crazy, fresh potted lavender, dried hand-tied bunches and sachets all at one great market.

A wonderful, century old home, gracious at every turn and chocked full of goodies from 15 outstanding vendors, all bringing their very best wares to share with you.

We also picked a couple of these beauties as well, I really got into this shopping for really fresh plants!

Beautiful, manicured topiaries of many different varieties, rosemary and myrtle to name a couple. We will offer different sizes and varieties, something for everyone and every need. They are such a nice addition to any room.

We will also have a few pots of gorgeous blooming plants, tulips, hydrangeas and violets, all in glorious spring colors. I would take a picture but they are currently in our shower, don't ask!

In the meantime, runners are being stitched, journals designed and banners assembled, other than that, not a thing happening. So I need to get back to work.

Just make plans to get to Rockford IL next weekend, April 19 and 20, for this wonderful event. Shabby, vintage, French, romantic, farmhouse, whatever you call the style, it will be there, lots of it and in every form.

Suz

the Muze

Sachet this way Dear . . .

One of us is really tired today, can you tell?

Hi Everyone,

Despite rummaging thru 1880's barn doors and corrugated steel roof panels, there has been a huge flurry of activity here the last couple of days. Oh and don't forget the 'estate sale' I stumbled on in my Mom's neighborhood. Sorry folks, but a total of 43 pieces of assorted items, (mostly dirty Rubbermaid) one riding lawn mower and four pieces of furry furniture does not constitute an estate sale! But I did score a 42" round to 60" oval kitchen table for $5. It will make a good display piece down the road. Remember me saying this in about 6 months. Just saying . . . 

After an afternoon of sewing at Fran's, I finally finished our little sachets. Two little packets tied with a stem of our dried lavender finishes them up nicely. 
















Now Mom's house smells like wonderful lavender. And pizza. She was in a pizza mood and who are we to deny her want for pizza? Not I, that's for sure. I didn't have to cook tonight! Yeah!

So, now we have lots of little bundles, all dressed up and ready to travel to Indianapolis next week. And then on to Rockford, hopefully there will still be a couple left.

Here's that schedule again . . .

April  6 2013  -  Indie Arts and Vintage, Indiana Sate Fairgrounds, Indianapolis, IN

April 19 - 20  2013  - The Vintage Market, 919 Garfield Avenue, Rockford IL

April  28  2013  -  Allegan Antiques Market, Allegan County Fairgrounds, Allegan MI

May  6  2013  -  Indie Arts and Vintage BACK OUTDOORS ! ! ! Glendale Shopping Center Parking Lot, Indianapolis IN

May 10 - 11 - BIG ANNOUNCEMENT COMING   STAYED TUNE ! ! !  

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

We are cutting butterflies this evening, designing tags and playing with a new box of lace and burlap that arrived yesterday,

Later,

Suz
the Muze

International Relationships and laughter

Hi Everyone,

Almost finished our sachets today, my back was not cooperating with the whole sewing and ironing program I had laid out for today's activities. Along with Fran care, lunch and dinner for her and talking my dear friend Ana into buying another building and opening another business, it was a really, really full busy day.

Oh and celebrating my nephew's first day on his new job. and reading emails, wonderful emails from all sorts of great folks.

First up early this morning was a client who was over the moon with some new ideas that I came up with for her daughters wedding. That's a great start. Then there were several phone calls and emails about having actual lavender plants for sale at The Vintage Market in Rockford. Yes, we scored big time thanks to Theresa in Michigan!

Beautiful real lavender plants.

That will one day hopefully look like this

Yes this could be yours! With a little water, a little sun and a good growing season. Get yours in April at the Market in Rockford IL.

A full day with Fran care, sewing, ironing and a great dinner, thank God for Rival Crockpots, I'm just saying, and soon it was back to business at the office. Tons of work just waiting for me. Argh!

Then about 10 minutes ago I opened an email that made me smile and laugh out loud. No, the latest edition Shoppers of Walmart is not out, but an out-of-the-blue hello from some great gals we meet last market in Indy.

We had been swamped and I don't remember exactly what transpired up to the point that I do remembering asking one of the gals where she was from. I could distinctly hear a German accent. Well me being me, you can enter an eye roll here, when given the information that they were actually from Holland and Germany, came up with the monikers that Heidi and Gretchen were shopping our booth to other customers in our place at the time. You all know me, everybody gets into the conversation. We all were laughing quite hard and they were saying that when I go to the Netherlands to shop that great Burbri Antiek they wanted to come along as real life tour guides. What, were they serious?

Naturally I agreed, rather enthusiastically. I couldn't imagine how cool that would be to actually shop with someone who knows the ins and outs of a foreign place that well. 

So imagine tonight when I opened an email addressed, Dutch connection:) how surprised I was to read the following. . . 

We met at Indie Arts and Vintage on the 9th of this month and I just wanted to let you know that I really enjoyed our chat.

I was there with my bestest friend. You referred to us German girls as 'Heidi and Gretchen'. LOL

Although truth be told I am more Dutch than German. Well, I'm equal parts... but I FEEL more Dutch since that's where I grew up. ;)

You even wanted us to go to The Netherlands with you to shop for antiques!

I do hope you remember us. We should be able to go to your next show at the Indy Fairgrounds too. :)

Have a wonderful evening!!

Irenea aka. Dutchy

I believe you called me Gretchen, due to my dark hair ;)

Not only did we remember, George and I started laughing out loud because we remembered how funny they were and just a down right delightful to have in our booth. We definitely couldn't forget them. Nope, not at all.

I have said it before and I will keep shouting it from the roof tops, we are so incredibly blessed to meet and share our lives with some of the coolest people on the planet. It really is the true nature of the group we are fortunate to show with and the great visitors/customers/friends we meet along the way. 

It's after 11 PM and I still have a couple hours of paperwork to go through, so we will chat again,

Suz 

the Muze

Merci bouquets, lots of bouquets

Hi Everyone,

Now that we are back in reality, (thanks LBT for a great relief effort), I am back crackin' the whip in the ol' production scene. There simply is never enough time to get ahead.

The DH is thrilled that one of our 'projects' has finally met it's end. We literally gathered all our strength and wits to gather lavender the past two days. The whole house, both vehicles and a couple of noisy four legged pests that can not keep their noses or tails out of anything of mine, are all scented in the absolutely wonderful fragrance of lavender.

Our bouquets, that will be available in snow covered Indy in just a few days, turned out very nicely if I may say so myself. Each bouquet is about 14" to 18' in length. I found a beautiful gathering basket to display them in.

OMG ! ! !  I can not believe this goofy Blogger is now turning pictures upside down. I was over the moon that all the pictures I took were right side up and when they downloaded into this format, viola', upside down. This could seriously drive someone to drink beyond all sensibility. So maddening.

Okay, back on topic, I apologize for digressing. Blogger makes you do things like that. 

Anyway, the what seemed like millions of very tender beautiful stems of lavender were all bundled up, about 150 to 200 per bunch, (I was not about to actually count) and wrapped up with our really strong heavy brown paper, a shred of lace and some wonderful jute twine! As I was tying them off, it occurred to me you could actually use these as wedding bouquets if you wanted to and wouldn't that be a cool scent for the bridal party. Maybe keep all prospective brides and grooms a bit calmer.

Our bundles will be on display with our lavender sachet packets as well. Indy will never know what hit them, it will smell so good in our booth. I will try to capture a pic of the sachets, God only knows which direction that will be in.

On to the journals tomorrow as well as new chalkboards. 

Never a dull moment around here, that is for sure,

Here's our schedule again.

April  6 2013  -  Indie Arts and Vintage, Indiana Sate Fairgrounds, Indianapolis, IN

April 19 - 20  2013  -  The Vintage Market, 919 Garfield Avenue, Rockford IL

April  28  2013  -  Allegan Antiques Market, Allegan County Fairgrounds, Allegan MI

May  6  2013  -  Indie Arts and Vintage BACK OUTDOORS ! ! ! Glendale Shopping Center Parking Lot, Indianapolis IN

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

I am headed to be creative,

Suz 

the Muze

Pew Bows anyone?

Hi Everyone,

Things have been in high gear here and being off the road has been a huge help, trust me when I say that. The joy of doing shows in a million places is meeting a whole lot of cool people, getting involved in really beautiful events, like weddings and celebrations and finding out where our things end up at, but the downside is handmade things can not be made anywhere but here.
Just a small hiccup

One consistent item we sell is burlap garland, by itself in rolls, made into simple bows, 

made into elaborate pew bows

I know, aren't they beautiful? But, after you have seen say 80 or 90 of them, they start to wear on you just a little bit.

Just like the 90 cases of burlap garland that just arrived. 90 cases, they go on forever and ever. Sad thing is they won't last long and I will be searching for scraps to finish something! Happens every shipment.

Remember this guy?  We all know how popular and beloved our wreath is. They eat up 4 rolls of garland at a time. 

It amazes me how long it takes to make the wreath, make the roses and whoosh, they are gone in the next show and back to the drawing board.

So on top of bows, runners, jar wraps and wreaths, next comes all of the new slip covered journals. They are all naked right this second and can not come out and play  but as soon as I can I will try to post pictures of them all dressed up and ready to party.

Schedules are picking up as well. First off the bat, is our new location in Indiana for the Indie Arts and Vintage Show. We are moving to the Indiana State Fairgrounds for this show only on April 6, 2013 and at the exact same time our show is going on, the 3rd Annual Indiana Artisan Marketplace is happening. Two shows one location. What a great Saturday! Make plans to spend the whole day with all of us at the fairgrounds.

One show we are thrilled to be invited to is The Vintage Market up in Rockford Illinois.

Here's my friend Polly driving to a junk sale now,

Just kidding Pol, but I do love that picture and truly believe you two could be sisters!

Here they are really,

She and her amazing hubby Steve actually open their home and invite 15 of us crazy vendors to come in and show our wares. Last year's Roscoe event was so cool and we all had such a great time. So on to Rockford next month. Please come join us and shop as Polly has listed, handmade, vintage, re-purposed, shabby romantic, rustic farm style and vintage garden. Sounds like something for everyone.

And it is finally here. Allegan is back and we couldn't be happier. We really miss all of our great friends up there and weather permitting, we will have a great show on April 28. Can not wait to see that beautiful area this year. Look out Larry, the block captain is on her way!

Here's the road schedule for the next little bit,

April  6 2013  -  Indie Arts and Vintage, Indiana Sate Fairgrounds, Indianapolis, IN

April 19-20  2013  -  The Vintage Market, 919 Garfield Avenue, Rockford IL

April  28  2013  -  Allegan Antiques Market, Allegan County Fairgrounds, Allegan MI

May  6  2013  -  Indie Arts and Vintage BACK OUTDOORS ! ! ! Glendale Shopping Center Parking Lot, Indianapolis IN

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

Can you believe two great events in Illinois? Pinch me, I must be dreaming. The car will think we are mad at it.

I am tired just typing all of that . . .whew. I had better get back to work

Later,

Suz 

the Muze