"LIFE LIKE A PORCH"

Porch furnishings can be as simple as a rustic 

table and an old rocking  chair. I've had this Mission style

 rocker for about 10 years now. It has lived on many of 
our porches.

Hey, Y'all! Summer is slowly slipping back into our lives. Hectic schedules are gearing down. Days are heating up and getting longer. Even the Earth celebrates in abundant beautiful, fresh produce. My earliest summer memories are of evenings spent with my family on our wrap-around deck. My brothers and I spent many hours trying to catch fireflies or discovering shooting stars in the warm summer night. I also have many memories of sitting next to my grandmother on her screened porch as she rocked the porch swing and shelled just-picked field peas for our lunch the next day. 

My brother, me, and our grandmother on the porch about 12 years ago.

While we lived in McKinney, I found a new fondness for porches. I met one of my best friends because she is an avid porch sitter and happened to call out to me 

They don't often build porches like they used to. 

This was my friend's house with its wonderful porch.  

She recently moved to 100 year old cottage 

on the same street--still with a great porch!

as I walked by with our newborn son. That friendship has thrived more than 20 years and counting! Through the years we spent endless hours 

My friend is a true Porch Master--her new porch is always welcoming and beautiful.

sitting by candlelight on her expansive, historic porch sharing stories and an occasional bottle of wine.

The southern porch is the quintessential place to visit with your neighbors. It is often the place of stolen 

kisses or the place to enjoy the morning's first cup of coffee. I have a true fondness for porches. 

Coleman Cottage was our home for ten years. A 100 year old Victorian, it had both a side porch and front porch complete with porch swings on both. One of my daughter's favorite memories is of us sitting cuddled up on the porch swing as a thunderstorm approached.  

We liked to listen to the thunder and watch the lightning dance across the sky. Sometimes, we simply sat together and watched a much needed rain soak into the parched ground in our north Texas yard. 

A wonderful porch on an old timey "dog trot"
style historic log house in Independence, TX.

There was no television, radio, phone, or computer. Simply our loved ones to share the moment with. It's such a simple thing, yet so difficult sometimes to unplug from the world and simply be together.

One of my favorite books, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells, captures southern porch culture so well,

"I want to lay up like that, to float unstructured, without ambition or anxiety. I want to inhabit my life like a porch."

This lovely passage is the basis for a design seminar I 

will be presenting from 10:30 - 11:30 a.m., Thursday, June 6 at Hermann Furniture. The presentation is free, but reservations are required. If you've ever wondered how to create an inviting porch or garden room, I'll be offering ideas on how to select and combine color and styles, repurpose vintage items, and inject tons of personality into this common space between the street and  your home. Following the design seminar, I'll be signing copies of First Monday Murder A Jimmie Rae Flea Market Mystery from noon to 1 p.m. By the way, 

 the early drafts of FMM were written on our porch! 

Until next time, 

Peace, love, and all the good stuff, sweet friends!

A HOT JUNKIN' TIME IN THE OLD TOWN

Hey, Y'all! What a fun time we had at the Funky Junk Sisters Junk Salvation Vintage Market at the J. Lorraine Ghost Town near Austin, TX. After a wonderful somewhat (by Texas standards anyway!) cool spring, we were treated to a taste of summer in the form of hot, humid, and windy days at the ghost town. Nevertheless, we true junkers glisten a little more sparkly and just keep on doing what we love to  do--

 JUNK!

visit with each other --

 and JUNK! some more--

We caught up with Naomi of Heirloom Vintage. Sadly, I did not get a pic! Arugh! Anywho, Naomi and I met at Junk Salavation and then at Plucky Maidens Junk Fest  in Portland a few years ago. I did find this pic of Naomi's pretty booth at Junk Salvation in Hillsboro, OR. Promise I'll get lots of pics of her booth next time!

Since we were both Texas girls living in the Pacific NW, we found out we had many things in common...like someday returning to Texas. Well, we both got our wishes. Naomi and her family moved back as recently as March. Her Heirloom Vintage wares still have the same farmhouse fresh look and she still sold everything she took...just like in Hillsboro! I look forward to catching up with her again at many future vintage markets. 
 

  I was thrilled to see so many familiar faces, including Jennifer and friends of Covered in Glitter.

Your Hippie Cousin Designs and Finds had the old General Store lookin' quite cool and funky!

 Just love their colorful, funky-chic vibe!

The Vintage Farmhouse had fantastic chalk painted sideboards--she mixes her own chalk paint. Beautiful!

 Distance didn't detour Chic to Antique from being at Junk Salvation. They traveled all the way from Cocoa, FL!!

Friday night was fun! As the sun set the flickering lanterns came on...night JUNKIN'!

Thanks to Funky Junk Sisters, Linda and Dixie, for traveling across this great country of ours to host such a unique, fun TEXAS 

JUNK SALVATION Vintage Market! 

Y'all ROCK!

Until next time, 

Peace, love, and all 

the good stuff, sweet friends!

IT BEGAN WITH A LITTLE JUNK SALVATION

Hey, Y'all! Are ya ready for some Junk Salvation? 

Just what is Junk Salvation, you may ask? 

Well, it's an incredible vintage market hosted by sisters, Dixie and Linda, a.k.a. Funky Junk Sisters. Their brand of Junk Salvation Vintage Markets was recently named one of the

top 25 Flea Markets according to Romantic Homes magazine. In fact, it's also been rated one of the best vintage markets by both Flea Market Decor and Flea Market Style.

So now y'all know the facts...here's the low-down.  This Friday and Saturday, May 17 & 18, the Funky Junk Sisters will be hosting their 15th vintage market in Manor, TX at the J. Lorraine Ghost Town. This awesome venue is only about 12 miles east of Austin, TX. 

Early shoppin' for junkin' happiness begins at 6 p.m. Friday night until 9 p.m. Shoppin' fun continues Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be LOADS of fantastic vintage, repurposed, and antique stuff, yummy food and drinks, and a live band...what's not to love about that deal? 

I first experienced Junk Salvation Vintage Market three years ago in Puyallup, WA (for my Texas friends...PULL-Y'ALL-UP.) I went to the spring Junk Salvation Vintage Market with some junker buddies and experienced pure JuNkin' BLISS!! I'd never been to one place with so much rust, patina, beautaciousness. I was totally HOOKED!

So, I signed up for the fall show. It was my first time to take Garden Cat Vintage to a vintage market venue. 

   

It was a blast! That wonderful experience as a vendor led me to do four more Funky Junk Sisters 

Junk Salvation Vintage Markets from Puyallup, WA to Portland, OR over the next few years. 

It's a wish come true...I've met so many wonderful, creative people and had so much fun! I have met many life-long junker friends

When I moved back to TX last summer, I didn't think I'd get to experience any JUNK SALVATION Vintage Markets again...at least as a vendor. So imagine my complete excitement when Dixie and Linda announced they were coming to Manor, TX again this year!! This will be my sixth JUNK SALVATION Vintage Market! 

Garden Cat Vintage will be set up here at the "Doctor's Office." 

I'll be bringing a whole lotta star-spangled-rusty-wicker-GARDEN wonderfulness!!

 

Life is Good!!

So don't be shy...come on out and experience Dixie and Linda's Funky Junk Sisters Junk Salvation for your very own selves this weekend!!

Come get your own Junk Salvation!

Until next time,

Peace, love, and all the good stuff to y'all!