Round Top Part II

I think I got some really interesting pieces this year. Some of the items are things I collect and others are just items that I thought were unique, and a good price.

Here are just some of the "smalls" I bought at Round Top.

I have been slowly building a collection of white pyrex or fireking mixing bowls, these two I found in a tent that was set up next to a house off of hwy 290. I paid just $10 for both.

I found this horse in Warrenton on a half price table. I am really starting build a collection of these ceramic horses, this is my 3rd horse purchase this year. I think I paid $10 for this blue beauty.


3 items in this pic; silver plate bowl with lion, huge amber beads, and an agate slice.

Bowl - $4, Amber beads $30, Agate slice - $4

And here is a close up of the lions head!


Gold and Black silhouettes - $15

Silver vases, these vases are ceramic with a metallic finish. I am going through a mercury glass phase and these vases really fit in with the look I am trying to achieve.

Vases $8 for both

And of course milk glass. I went in to this shopping trip saying I was "not going to buy any more milk glass". But these pieces were really unique, and I knew they would be great additions to my collection.

I found these botanical prints at an antique store in Carmine off of hwy 290. The booth's seller was closing shop and everything was %50 off. The sale price was $5 dollars each!

Round Top Part 1

This past weekend I headed to Round Top for the semi-annual antiques weekend. I met my mom, sister, and some good friends to spend way too much money, walk miles and miles until my entire body hurt, and have way too much fun.

On this particular trip I was not looking for anything specific, just some good deals and more items to add to my storage unit. Below are some of the larger pieces I purchased.

Gold shelf $20



Cursive L (is about a foot tall) $5

Planning on painting it black or turquoise and hanging it somewhere??



Small coffee table $12

And the best purchase of the weekend!!!!

DRUMROLL PLEASE

Italian gold leaf side tables (they are a little beat up, and are missing a few knobs but the price was too good to pass up). I was in Carmine checking out the local antique stores when I saw just one of these tables outside with this tag on it. Now to most people this would be a great price, but the piece did have some problems and I was debating whether or not I could save it. But then I saw that there was another matching table with the same tag on it. However, I was still struggling with my decision, so I went inside the antique store to ask the owner about the tables. She said that she was trying to get rid of them and would give me a deal. So I asked "what's the best price you can do" and she said "$50 bucks for both" and I said "Sold"!

With some gold leafing, two knobs and some TLC these table are going to look "AMAZING"



The next post will be of all the smalls I bought, and yes there are some milk glass pieces included.

My Apartment

All of my "used" furniture looked really great in my old apartment in Dallas. I lived in a small complex in the lakewood area. "The Durango" was renovated building from the 60's or 70's and the management company Power Properties. The apartment had hardwood floors and dark blue grey accent walls that were a really nice backdrop to my collection of modern/traditional/hollywood regency decor. Below are photos from Power Properties website of my old complex and a "show" apartment.

I now live in a new cookie cutter apartment with wall to wall carpeting and plain white walls, which see to accentuate the scratches, tears, and worn out places on my furniture. And I am not quite sure if my stuff really fits, but I will let you be the judge.

Too much stuff Too little space

Over the past few years I have lived in several small apartments, with and without roommates. So although I have a passion for collecting furniture and knick knacks, I usually do not have enough space to showcase them in the place I am living. Case in point, about a year ago at Canton First Monday, I had found a great deal on an old patio set (the pieces were aluminum and had that bamboo/chippendale look going on).

I found a love seat and small tables from one vendor, and 4 chairs from another. The catch, I did not have a patio to put the pieces on, in fact I had never lived in a place that could have accommodated any type of patio furniture let alone 8 pieces. It took me trips to get all the pieces back to my apartment, where they sat taking up the entire back of the dining room and living room. The only choice I had was to get a storage unit.

Though this may seem crazy to some, I continue to buy items that I have no physical space in my apartment to put them. But I remember once reading about a designer who said that he had multiple storage units where he stockpiled all of the pieces he had collected over they years, so that when he did finally have a large enough home he would be able to fill every room with his special pieces. This is the story I am sticking to as well.

Latest purchase that I have no room for in my apartment. A vintage wheat grass metal wall hanging. Bought at the All City Indoor Market held once a month at the Pharr International Convention Center.

And, a piece that I do have room for, milk glass.

Turquoise

I love turquoise, it is my favorite color! I do not believe that you can ever have too much turquoise anything. I am constantly buying turqoise jewelry , as evidenced by my own personal collection below. I am always drawn to anything in a store that is turquoise. Some of the turquoise items I own; fiesta dishes, retro drink glasses, milk glass and too many other things to list here.

Turquoise Jewelry, real or costume, I don't care!!!

I haveturquoise sets of necklaces and earrings.

Turquoise Earrings

and.... Turquoise Bracelets and Bangles

Turquoise necklaces

Turquoise rings

Obnoxious maybe, But I don't care, its Turquoise and I LOVE it!!!

Coral

After I graduated high school my dear friend Elizabeth invited me to go with her family to the Cayman Islands. It was on this trip that I had my first interaction with coral. Of course, we were snorkeling and scuba diving and the rule is "DO NOT TOUCH OR YOU WILL KILL IT!!!" The coral and the island was beautiful and the trips was an experience I will never forget.

A few years later I really, really wanted some coral as decoration for my home. At the time all of the real stuff was way out of my price range and they really weren't making any reproduction coral at that time. Eventually I found this beautiful piece at Marshall's, and I was happy and content with my fake coral.

Then while driving to Dallas, my mom, sister and I stopped in Salado to look around. They were having an outdoor flea market (with all of 3 vendors) I bought this small piece of real coral for $1 dollar.

Then a few months later while at Round Top I got this piece for $10.

And just this past weekend my mother and I stumbled upon the tail end of an estate sale, where everything was half off. Mom bought a ton of silver serving pieces, and I got some more coral.

This brain coral was marked $10, but paid $5.

And these two peices with their stands were priced $5 each so paid $5 for both.

The Guild Shop

One of my favorite places to pick up unique pieces of jewelry, glassware or home decor is The Guild Shop of St. John the Divine in Houston. This charity/resale/consignment shop located in the heart of Houston, carries almost anything you could imagine. Because it wears so many hats, taking donations and consigning items, the inventory is constantly revolving, which is good and bad. Good, there is always something new to see when you go in, and bad because if you don't buy it when you see it, it will probably be gone the next time you go in. They also lower the price of items every few weeks and the lower price is listed on the tag. So lets say there is a great armoire but right now its $450 but in a month it will be $375 and in 2 months is will be $199e. If you can wait and you are lucky you could possibly get the armoire for half of its initial price.

The Guild Shop carries, furniture, kitchenware, home decor, art, clothing, linens and jewelry and tons of everything else in between.

Some of my guild shop purchases.

Gold elephant plant stand.

Yellow necklaces.

Gold wheat sconce.

Bull horn.

Art.