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.

The Trouble with Cats

Poor Oscar! It seems he has lost his identity as the alpha cat in the household. His tail is in a twist!

Here's the new alpha cat or so he thinks! Percy likes to throw his weight around, stir up trouble and
destroy things.

Molly is having none of that alpha cat stuff.  She hates him and she openly defies him. Makes for

some mighty tense moments in the household.

 My newish dining room chairs? I bought them almost 3 years ago when I bought the condo. Percy
had at them and...

he thought they might look better with fringe.  I disagree.  He also bit the nailheads out of the sides of the chairs.  I could not tolerate having a choking hazard in the condo so I brought the chairs downstairs to my office.  The kitties do not set foot in my office.

Oh great! Let's have another altercation. Percy can hold his own now.  He weighs more than Molly and more than Oscar too!

According to my vet, I am living with three social groups. She says they're trying to figure it out. She offered some suggestions.  Let's hope they figure it out soon!

Cool antique find

I spotted this antique chest at Canal St Antiques about two weeks ago.  I liked it because it was black and it had glass knobs.  It looked small but I thought it might be the perfect size for a corner in my kitchen that was badly in need of a little sprucing up.

I had one of those butcher block carts that can double as an island in the kitchen corner.  It was too big and too tall for the area so I was looking for something smaller.  I also wanted drawers so I could store dishtowels and maybe some small dishes in it.

So after measuring the kitchen space and the chest, I took the plunge and bought the chest. After a major struggle transporting it out of the car and up some stairs to the condo, I placed it in the corner of the kitchen. Wow, I am out of shape! Note to self, ask for help next time!

It fit nicely in the corner with room to spare. As you can see, there is a heating grate on the floor so I had to make sure that the chest did not cover it completely.  It is the perfect display spot for my collection of Anthropologie teacups. That's a chalkboard platter from Pottery Barn.  This may not be a permanent display, I am always moving things around.

You can see that I have some wall art over the chest so I had to make sure the chest was not too high.

That's my bedroom door to the left in the photo.  Yes, I put a number on the door. I wanted it to
look like a hotel room door.  The curtain to the right is made of a black and ecru toile fabric.

The chest does have some flaws and scratches.  After all, it is from the 1800's. I don't mind, it just adds to it's character.

 I bought a reproduction of a French dryer rack from Brissonte in North Reading.  I think it suits my Anthro teacup collection.

I love these teacups and the colors are perfect for my kitchen.

Here's the wall art I mentioned earlier.  My little ode to France. The Steinlein print is one of my faves. I actually saw this print at my vet's office and thought it was so me that I googled the artist's name. I then found a print on Ebay and the rest is history.

I often write messages on the chalkboard platter but not today. I'd like to find a nice quote to write on it. Nothing too long, I'm a lefty so I smudge my words.  I usually have to write from right to left on a chalkboard.

This is the adjoining wall with the Harney Tea wire rack and a little clock.

Surprise, the interior of the drawer is red! Again, this is a nice accent color in the kitchen.

I'm still playing with the display on top of the chest. If you look closely you can see that the box is a tea box.  The samovar is Russian and needs to be rewired for American use. I think it is pretty but not sure that all of that looks good on the chest. I will probably stick with just the platter and teacup stand.

I hope you enjoyed your mini tour of my kitchen.  I have tomorrow off so I will post about my weekend activities soon. So far I am planning to attend a craft fair and then have lunch with friends.

And then of course there will be football!  Hope you all have a great weekend. I am linking up with Cindy of My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday.  Check out her post here and then check out other particpant's posts through her blog.

Canal Street Antiques

About a week ago, I discovered a new spot for antiquing.  It's located in Lawrence, Massachusetts at 181 Canal Street.

At first it might seem overwhelming.  After all, there are 50 dealer spaces to investigate in this old mill building.

I really want this for my dining room. I've been looking for a chandelier for about 3 years now. I would love to replace the ceiling fan in the dining room with a chandelier but I never found one I really liked. I think this one is it!

Wouldn't this be quite the conversation piece? It would be perfect in a home office. Don't you think?

There is so much to see here. I went twice in 2 weeks and I am sure I still missed some items.

I love trunks.  They are great for storage and decorating. 

I have one just like this. I got it for free, found it by the side of the road!

This piece is fabulous. I don't need it but it would be a nice addition to a bathroom. It was sold.

I spotted this for a friend.  She is looking for a vintage coffee urn and this one is lovely!

Lately, I'm into marble. I have a new table with a marble top. I'll share later. This piece caught my eye.  I need a bureau for my bedroom so I came here looking for one.

And here is the object of my desire. An Eastlake Victorian bureau circa 1885 with a marble top. The dimensions are perfect too. I am thinking seriously thinking about it.

I really like this lamp, however, I don't need a lamp.

And this one reminds me of one I already have.  I bought from a woman who was selling her Victorian home.  Mine is blue, this one is more reddish.  Mine is from the 50's and this one is from 1967.

 I liked this lamp with the small green shade. Even the bottom of the stand was decorative.

I love the way some of the dealers merchandised their booths. They knew how to showcase their items.

Another cool lamp.

You know I gravitate to teacups!

                                             I love these drawers from a sewing machine table.  I bought two of them.                                              I already have one at home that I use to house my CDs.

Don't this just scream Autumn to you? I can see these on a Thanksgiving table.

The fabric is a little funky but I love this chair!

                                               Hmm, this china cabinet looks familar! It looks like my grandmother's china cabinet that now resides in my dining room.

                                            
                                            They also have auctions at 181 Canal Street.  I highly recommend Canal Street Antiques.  I did buy a great piece and I will share it in my next post!