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

Soapbox Time

Hi Everyone,

Just a quick follow up note to the market experience in Indy last weekend. Fair warning I am on my soapbox!

The music festival we showed at, and I used that word cautiously, was actually held in a neighborhood called Broad Ripple. Unbelievably cool neighborhood with great restaurants and shops. The best part is that they are all INDEPENDENT BUSINESSES. 

Now the reason I make such a huge deal is independent business is what we are, we breathe, we promote. All of our fellow vendors are independent businesses so we are all in favor of it.

Recently a Whole Foods try to sneak into Broad Ripple and the residents took up a huge battle to keep a huge chain out. They already have two independent food stores and are thrilled with them, so no big stores are welcome.

Here is the slogan we saw everywhere, especially on T-shirts.

Sweet Angelique let me take her picture and I promised her I would write an article supporting Broad Ripple and all their wonderful INDEPENDENT merchants. Keep strong and keep going, we like you just the way you are. Yes, let's KEEP Broad Ripple LOCAL.

I will now step down off my soapbox,

Suz

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

With a little bit of love . . .

Hi Everyone,

As promised, I was able to grab a picture of the newest creation my DH was able to finish before our North Shore Flea visit.

A little bit of background first tho. I really wanted to incorporate these windows into something more permanent when I found out who they were and where they came from.


And so our window frame story begins . . .

In 1880, in Grand Rapids MI, Charles Sligh had a furniture company that made furniture from imported Honduran mahogany as well as walnut, gumwood and maple. His pieces were unique in style and finish like this streamlined dressing table.

 The Sligh Furniture Company stayed in business for a little more than 50 years and after they closed, the huge buildings left behind went on to host a myriad of businesses.

 Over the years parts of the buildings required serious maintenance and remodeling and even a few of them were demolished. Our windows came from one of the Grand Rapids buildings. Today, part of the remaining buildings are home to some of the coolest antique stores, industrial goods shops and more. If you are ever near 445 Century SW, Grand Rapids MI, stop by Lost and Found Antiques and Buckley & Douglas, the most amazing new industrial store ever! Tell Mark or DJ, Susan sent you.

So I present to you the newest version of a tiny piece of the famous Sligh Furniture building, our window frame flower box,

I can see red geraniums or bright colored petunias or even a herb garden. Just so many possibilities.

The cool thing is that some of these boxes are on a mission and I will tell you more about that once they move and get to their new home.

Later,

Suz
the Muze 

A video to make you go Ah ha!

Hi Everyone,

Just a fast note to share a cool video that I received today from another artist. It makes you go hmmm.

There has been many a day when I know I should create but something or someone gets in the way. The longer you stay away from creating, the harder it is to get back to it. Ask any if us that do it for a living, it really is a sad truth.

So next time you find yourself in a slump pick one of these twenty nine ways to stay creative.

Enjoy  


http://player.vimeo.com/video/24302498?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0

Suz
the Muze

New lives

Hi Everyone,

Well, we are juggling more than ever, shows coming up, getting items made for the new venue, the find market event for October, custom orders and weddings. Then on Friday, I am training wild animals . . . not really but I feel I can do anything anyone throws at me at this point.

While treasure hunting in one of our warehouses, we came upon these guys.

Last year sometime, we got these windows from a fellow vendor , Hi Tom !, and was thrilled to find out they had been rescued from the Sleigh Furniture factory in Michigan. We got about 50 of them at the time and had forgotten that we set aside the ones that were broken or needed help. They are over 50 years old and in need of some serious TLC.

The thing with windows is they are like cats, they seriously have nine lives. While they may not be great for a building anymore, they are hugely popular with artists, beautiful for wedding settings, make great photo frames, room dividers, the list goes on and on.

These guys are going to become part of new flower boxes if my Chief Carpenter finds his tools this week. I also thought they might look really cool on the outside walls of the General Store at the find market event. So I have at least 3 ideas and I will probably have a couple with us this weekend at the North Shore Fleas market.

So stop in and take a little bit of history home wit you this weekend.

See you at the NSF

Suz  

the Muze

garden rivals

Hi Everyone,

Currently we are up to our alligators in coffee bean bags, making them into double wine bags for a charity event happening soon. We were so honored when they asked us the design a bag and tag for their event and with all the other stuff going on, thought we had better get out ahead of this project.

So, I have been nose to the grindstone and had not being paying attention to Mom's gardens until this morning when I noticed the 'glories' as we call them in full regalia.

They are called gloriosa daisies not to be confused with black eyed Susan's. Don't ask how I know the difference please. It is a painful story! LOL!

This is another group that if you don't cull them in the spring, they call a blitz in the garden and pretty soon, they are all you have! Her patch this year is about 2' x 6' and there are more little groups.

Pictures coming this week of new stuff I promise,

Here's the road:

August 11  2013  - North Shore Flea, Highwood, IL 

August 25  2013  -  Allegan Antiques Market, Allegan County Fairgrounds, Allegan MI

August 31 - September 2  2013  -  Indie Arts and Vintage Marketplace with Warmfest at Broad Ripple Park, Indianapolis IN

Later,

Suz

the Muze

introducing two new Mr and Mrs's

Hi Everyone,

Back from a soggy Allegan Michigan trip, trying to dry out (again) and my Monday just got a whole lot better. Actually fantastic!

We have done a load of wedding items in the past few years, thousands of pieces and the one drawback is that I do not have action pictures from them. Out of respect for the couple, I will not post any pictures ahead of time just in case someone should see them so I have to rely on someone sending me just one picture to let me know how things turned out.

About a week ago there was a wedding in Michigan at a ski resort. It gave me some new opportunities to be a little more creative, ski lift anyone? just for starters. The couple, Pete and Mary Ann were not kids getting married and from the beginning were a joy to work with. Cool venue, mature adults and super agreeable with just about any suggestion I made and boy, did I make suggestions.

The weather for the few days before their wedding had been horrific, real hot, really humid and stormy. I held my breath until Sunday morning when it turned out to be a breathtaking gorgeous day, mild summer weather.

I sent a text to the bride Mary Ann on Sunday morning stating, "You are going to have beautiful day, enjoy every minute".

She replied , "Thank you! Just finished yoga and champagne! Can't wait"

You couldn't believe how  surprised I was when the next morning after the wedding I received this message, " It was perfect. Absolutely perfect". What a great text to receive, I was over the moon.

Somewhere in the back of my mind I was still secretly hoping to see what 'absolutely perfect' really meant and low and behold, that showed up today.

This morning I received an email from the new groom, Pete that read,

I just wanted to echo Mary Ann and tell you how happy and grateful we both were for all you did to make our wedding day magical.  I'm enclosing some iPhone and Facebook pictures that don't do your decorations justice but just to give you a flavor of the day.  We had so many people at Crystal Mountain tell us our wedding decorations are the best they've seen all year, and they were amazed at all the tables. everything turned out perfectly.

We'll be sure to get some professional photos to you when our photographer sends them to us..

It was a special and fun day and we really appreciate all you (and George, of course) did for us...

All the Best,

Pete & Mary Ann

It simply doesn't get any better than that, well almost because he did enclose a couple of great pictures.

Our newest Mr and Mrs banner is done with six different lace backgrounds but there is so much more on their bridal table. There is our burlap and lace runner, our mason jars for the floral centerpieces, our French marriage document and burlap silverware pockets, votive holders and the keys to a great marriage as well. That is what I see so far. I am hoping the new pictures will have even more detail.

But the cutest picture he sent, and by the way, isn't he just the sweetest thing to write his own thank you note? Just love the both of them, they were so cool to work with. Back to the cutest picture . . .

the other new Mr and Mrs, 

I present to you Mr and Mrs Peter Dow 

Love the expression on his face and isn't she stunning in that gown? Can not wait to see the rest of the pics.

It truly was a beautiful day and they made it more so. Thanks guys for including us and letting us know, we were thrilled everything was to quote 'absolutely perfect'.  You deserved it!

Suz

the Muze

beauty part deaux

Hi Everyone,

Funny thing about only being home a couple days at a time, you simply do not realize what an independent little bwitch Mother nature can be.

Case in point.

We use the back door to our home . . . a lot. Always caring newly made items from the house to the truck and trailer for transportation to a market. So not having gone out the front door in several weeks and not seeing it on a daily basis, boy was I surprised to see how the Echinacea plants had taken the rest of my flower beds hostage. 

Literally. 


This was a single plant. 

 I now have hundreds of plants and more than 10 feet of thick bed coverage. Uh oh . . .

They sure are beautiful, don't you agree?

Not to be out done, across the bed is a single Shasta daisy plant that is larger that Vermont

It goes on and on with beautiful heads all standing proud and tall in the sun

I can not fathom how much better they would be had I actually attended to the needs. 

God, I love perennials!

Allegan details coming soon,

Suz 

the Muze

beauty

Hi Everyone,

You know that old expression,'Take time to stop and smell the roses'? Well, that doesn't happen often enough around here.

Our schedule, especially summer months when there is a huge overlap in show schedules, doesn't give us a lot of free time. To be perfectly honest, it doesn't give us any free time. When we are home, for that 96 to 120 hour time period, it is jammed packed with prep work to replace items, create items, find new items and attend to other family matters. It is a huge juggling act some days.

I have often spoken about my Mom and spending my days with her. Sometimes if she is up to it we create together or she will help with detail work until she tires out and heads for a nap. All this takes place at the place where I grew up, our family home. I am so glad she is still there as it really grounds me to see things I grew up with. Our home has several garden areas that keep us in flowering beauty for all the seasons.

At this time of the year, my Mom and I disagree BIG TIME about a little perennial that I have loved my whole life, her tiger lilies. The irony is that I absolutely can not stand being in the same enclosed space with Easter lilies, stargazer lilies or any relation to them. But her tiger lilies are my weak spot. Must be that color thing that I am so drawn to.

For the past couple of years, Mom has tried to dig up her bed of lilies until I find out about it and put a stop to it. I am on a one person save-the-tiger-lily campaign.

The original bed was about 2' X 8', jammed packed with hundreds of plants. This is what has survived the massacre.

The crop this year has already received death threats and I fear when I return next week they may be gone, so I snapped some pics today. I saw the guy next door that does Mom's dirty work watching me. He must already have his orders.

They are just now coming in

And whatever you do, do not touch the brown stamens as they permanently mark whatever they touch. I have lost plenty of clothing over the years due to these little buggers.

The color and beauty is not even close in these pics. They are breathtaking gorgeous.

But I did get to spend a few quality minutes earlier today admiring their strength and perseverance to my Mom's wishes of elimination. 

It's the little things like this that remind us everyday about the natural beauty around us, everywhere we look. So remember to take the time to stop and appreciate it.

Hopefully I will get to see them again when we return from Michigan next week.

Until then,

Suz 

the Muze

Sights from Midland

Hi Everyone,

Trying to recover from the more than interesting time in Midland last weekend before we head back up to Michigan again for our beloved Allegan Market. Lots of things to get ready and pack up for our customers waiting for us.

I did want to share a couple of fun things that we saw over the weekend. Yes, there were a few fun moments despite the weather woes.

First was a customer that was an artisan herself, not showing with us but she had the most interesting handmade skirt on.

This was the front

isn't that cool? It was from t shirts and my eye immediately caught the phrase 'Are you junk drunk'. What a great shirt let alone skirt.


this was the back

I just loved that phrase 'Michigan is handmade', too cool for a vendor to wear. She said a lot of people, regular folk as well as fellow vendors had stopped her and made comments and then there was me, 'Hi can I take a picture of your skirt'. Never a dull moment in our booth, no siree!

Another fellow vendor came to say hi to us and wherever she goes, her loyal and incredibly well behaved pal Binky goes with her. When Mom starts talking, Binky resigns herself to waiting patiently for Barb to finish, so she plopped her petite little self under my ironing board.

Isn't she adorable? She follows right along side of her Mom when walking, no leash, no wandering and then is patient while waiting.

I could not even fathom taking Jack and Ass anywhere like a market.

This was Lige watching for us to return back home, blinds be damned. Nope, they are definitely not market kitties. No way, not ever gonna happen.

Here's the next couple of weeks

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

August 10 2013  - North Shore Flea, Highwood, IL 

August 25  2013  -  Allegan Antiques Market, Allegan County Fairgrounds, Allegan MI

August 31 - September 2  2013  -  Indie Arts and Vintage Marketplace with Warmfest at Broad Ripple Park, Indianapolis IN

Later,

Suz

the Muze