Todd Farm Flea Market

This morning was crisp and sunny. A perfect Fall morning and also perfect for a trip to the Todd Farm flea market. I got up earlier than usual and headed north to Rowley, Massachusetts.  The market opens very early.

When I arrived the grass was still wet under foot. The vendors were set up in the fields and I was ready for some serious fleaing. I went by myself so I could breeze through at my own pace.

Such a variety of items! And some very cool stuff. I liked this bird cage with stand. And this man

is showing off his version of Todd Farm chic.  More about Todd Farm chic later in this post.

Little iron furniture perhaps from some antique dollhouse? It was very detailed.

Some of the chicest people there were the vendors. This man sold handmade belts. They were well done!

He said the belt on the right was made from melted silver dollars.  Nice handiwork but more than I could pay.

This birdhouse was quite the conversation piece.  A true work of art. Steampunk birdhouses.  They were really cool. I did buy something from him but not a Steampunk birdhouse.  They were out of my price range.

Here's another birdhouse. If you buy one you must keep it on a covered porch. But obviously open porches are best if you want birds to use your birdhouse!

Can you tell I was smitten with the birdhouse? Ok enough already!

I vote this most creative use of a propane tank.  I told you that had it all at Todd Farm!                        

This old sewing machine at a fabulous table with it. It was in great condition!

I bought something from the owner of this very creative space too! His name is Jamie and he was so sweet he let me leave some of my purchases in the back of his van until I finished shopping.

You can tell Jamie had a flair for display.  His van had curtains on it! And all of his little vignettes were so eye catching.

I was speaking with a woman named Ann Marie who was a Jamie fan and she commented that no

one but Jamie would think to put a typewriter with china.  But it looked good. 

  Another one of Jamie's displays.  Nice china set and glasses but I didn't buy these either.

This was so pretty.  A perfect tablescape for an Autumn morning.

This desk set was Jamie's too.  He asked $25 for the set of two desks and chairs yet someone who wanted them thought it was too high of a price.  Wish I had the room for them I thought the price was fair and the desks were in good condition. Just a little scratched.

Of course my eye was drawn to the teapots.  That blue one was a real beauty!

 Ok, about Todd Farm chic. My attire for the excursion consisted of a boiled wool jacket for warmth, a black long sleeve jersey, blue jeans, and my waterproof boat shoes.  Green in color.

As I walked around and observed those in attendance, I noticed that people actually put thought into their attire.  Whereas I thought more about comfort and the fact that I might get dirty looking at old things.

This woman said she was an artist and she also liked the steampunk birdhouses. I liked the color of her sweater, so perfect for this season. And those boots were fab!

This woman looked very artsy to me. Is this reminiscent of the Annie Hall look? That's what comes to my mind anyway. For now we shall call it Todd Farm chic. I guess the next time I go back there I will wear one of my nicer jackets and a scarf or hat so I can be Todd Farm chic as well.

Back to the shopping, nice silver pieces.  I do love silver teapots but no I took home no silver.

Ah, yes, the architectural salvage guy.  Very cool stuff.  And that door knob in the front went home with me. I also got the plate that goes with it.  It is from the 1800's.

Nice wicker pieces, I was wondering if I would see some.  I would love to see some wicker on our porch at the condo.  We have no furniture out there and it needs some attention.

These heating grates were at the architectural salvage guy's booth. I saw a pot rack made from a grate like this.  What a great idea! I have a grate that I could use as a pot rack but my space in the kitchen is limited so it probably won't happen.

Here's the last of the photos.  This caught my eye, looking so pretty on an Autumn morning.  I will definitely show you my purchases in another post this week.

Hope you all had some fun this weekend too.

Flea Market Finds

It's Saturday and a perfect day to visit a flea market. I chose to go to a flea market I had never been to before. This one was in Revere, Massachusetts in the basement of St Anthony's Church. I had heard from friends that this flea market
had some great finds. I am usually looking for teacups (because I don't have enough), linens, and interesting old books. Occasionally I look for jewelry.

When I entered the basement of the church, I was overwhelmed. A quick scan of the space and I almost headed back out into the cold. I have no interest in old records, shot glasses, dishtowels with crocheted tops, and tupperware. No offense to those that like things like that but it's just not MY thing.

I did go through each aisle because you never know. There were a few teacups for sale but nothing very pretty or interesting. Finally, one bright shining light.
There was a table, beautifully merchandised. She used wooden boxes and crates to display her wares. She had old books and interesting items. She was eager to speak with her customers. I found out she used to be a merchandiser at a department store.




Every item I bought came from this one woman's display. The books and the old magazine caught my eye. They will be great for display. I will enjoy reading the poems and the magazine has some wonderful old ads in it.




The hatboxes will make elegant storage pieces and hold any clutter at bay. I think I will use them on the bookcase in my hallway.



This sweet little miss spoke to me. The seller told me she thought she was about 40 years old. If you looked at the back of her you would see she was originally meant to be a pajama bag. Do you remember those? I do, I had one when I was a kid.




Here's another view of her. She may just sit on the chair in the living room. Not quite sure where she'll look best, but, I am happy she has a new home. All she needs is a name.



This interesting item is part of an iron fence taken from a baptist church in Lynn, Massachusetts. The woman at the booth told me her husband does a lot of restoration work and he had to do work on the church fence. It was my good fortune to run into her at the flea market. She thinks the piece would make a nice doorstop. I think I will just display it on a shelf. To me, it's just really cool to look at and it doesn't need to be functional.

So after a disappointing start, I think you can see I had a fun time at the Revere
Flea Market!