Fossil sells vintage???

Am I coming late to the party....or was this a secret to all of you, too??

I was cruising around the web last night, and popped over to Fossil.com to check out the new watches and handbags they have out for Spring. On the sidebar I notice a category called Fossil Finds, clicked on it and was SHOCKED to find loads of vintage goodies waiting to be added to my little shopping cart! 

I had no idea they sold cool old stuff!!

They have old signs...

chippy paint bird cages...

antique glove molds...

and a nice selection of old cameras, too...

Quite a few things have been sold already, like this super-cute aqua camera...so apparently someone out there knows this is going on in the world of Fossil! 

You know I love my vintage, so this is going to be a site I check regularly now for the must-have one of a kind item...so I thought you should know, too! 

Pop over and take a peek, they have some fun things!

On a 'work' note...I am back to my warehouse for another 12 hour painting marathon today! I sure hope my Chicago peeps are looking for painted furniture this weekend. Every last inch of my trucks are going to be packed and it is going to be a gorgeous weekend at the flea!!! Hope to see you there!

more Southern shop love...Time Worn Interiors

Yes, I am STILL talking about the shops I visited durning my trip to Nashville back in March. Hey, what can I say, I shop A LOT and some shops are so fabulous I have to tell you about them just in case you are in the area. It is my duty as a dedicated vintage shopper to keep my peeps informed about the ones that are sooooo worth the time to stop. 

Ok, today we are talking about Theresa's shop in Glendale, KY. (Theresa has the fabulous blog Time Worn Interiors, so do pay her a visit and tell her Hello!) It was right on my path home from Nashville, to Illinois so I knew I HAD to see it. It was a Sunday, so she was closed that day but was sweet enough to come over and open the shop for me. Isn't it just so cute?? I love the chippy painted brick an black double doors. This is how I would want my shop to look if I ever have one. 

I knew as soon as I peeked in the front window this was going to be a good one. You know how you get that little rush of excitement and then panic all at the same time when you just KNOW you are going to want to spend every last penny you have? Yep, I had that. 

But then I get inside and I panic because I love it all so much...and I get overwhelmed and don't know what to buy so I freeze and don't notice things I REALLY should have bought until I get home and look at the pictures and want to scream. Yep, I had that happen, too. 

Just look at this old hardware cabinet!!!! Could I possibly put enough exclamation points to express how much I love it? 

{sigh...}

And then there was this open beadboard cabinet. I was soooo close to getting this one. But, I knew it would not fit in the SUV we drove on this trip. (slap in the face reminder as to why you ALWAYS see me driving a truck. You just never know when you are going to need to haul something!) 

But I did get that big, beautiful mirror hanging next to it. Yay!

Theresa has this cute little room tucked in the back of the shop. She had my bed all made up and ready...how did she know I was going to want to move into her shop? Haha! I am totally kidding, but this is such a cozy little space...I would love to be her live-in shopkeep!

This cute little cabinet with chippy old paint was at the foot of that bed. Now this one I knew I could fit in that silly SUV we were driving so it came home with me. I looooove it! A perfect mix of chippy pale gray and white paint. 

This is a shutter from an old barn. Isn't it gorgeous?? You can just tell how grand that old barn must have been to have such a beautiful and HUGE shutter. 

The way she did the display inside of this big birdcage was genius!

And just because I am obsessed with old houses, I just had to show you this cute one that is right next door to Theresa's shop. Isn't it just so stinkin' cute?? The whole town of Glendale was cute! 

In your travels, if you are anywhere near Glendale, KY this town is soooo worth a visit. Give yourself some time, though. For a little town it has an AMAZING number of antique shops to see. We were in a hurry so only had time to stop at one other shop where Theresa had a booth. I wish I could have seen more, but I know I will be back soon! 

Do pop over and check out her blog. She just came back from doing the Marburger Farms show in Texas but will be doing more shows this year, so even if you can't make it to Kentucky, she may be bringing Kentucky to you!

feeling random...

You can always tell when Flea Market season is here...my blog posts become less and less frequent...and my days revolve around a paint brush and a warehouse busting with furniture waiting for a makeover. Since I have not posted this week, I thought I would just do a little 'follow up' to a couple recent posts and let you know what has been going on here at Casa Farmgirl. 

Let's see..

Speaking of furniture...I have been painting a LOT lately, so in just a couple weeks I will be back at the Kane County Flea in St. Charles, IL with a whole lotta this...there will be my usual white with a little black, gray, aqua and a few other colors sprinkled in. 

I had such a huge email response to my post about my trip our to my Mom & Dad's for Easter. To answer everyone at once...the photos of the barns and the cows are mostly from farms along Hwy 20 between Stockton and Galena, IL. A couple are from a road I don't know the name of that branches off of Hwy 20 outside of Galena going towards Platteville, WI. If you drive that route, you should be able to get some of the very same pics, but wear tall boots! You have to walk through some very deep ditches and over a barbed-wire fence. The things I do to get shots for you girls! Haha!

I have yet to decide on a color roof for my exterior reno. I am seriously leaning towards the charcoal gray roof with a light gray paint color on the body of the house and charcoal shutters. But I am sure I will change my mind by tomorrow morning.

My new Willow Sofa from Crate & Barrel that I discussed here has had delivery pushed back to 'early or mid May'. Grrrr....could they be a little less specific? I get so annoyed when a product that is always promised as 'in-stock' suddenly takes a month to arrive. I guess I am just excited to get my sunroom pulled together. 

I know I still owe you a post on the flooring I chose for my sunroom. Right after we installed it, we had a week of cloudy days and by the time the sun decided to come out so I could get good pics, I was in the throws of furniture painting. 

{sigh}...I need a personal assistant. 

I am been out 'pickin' like crazy because I am super excited to be a vendor at the Nada Barn Sale this year! I am collaborating with a few of the most wonderful girls I have ever met! Susan from Maple & Magnolia, Julie, Anne and Nancy from Tattered Tiques (they have an incredible shop in Lake Barrington, IL where I sell my vintage wares) and Stacey from A Sort of Fairytale.

It is going to be AWESOME! Be sure to come out and say Hi!

(and for those of you that have emailed, I will not be selling painted furniture here, but my very favorite vintage finds...look for a little preview here and on my Facebook page prior to the sale in May)

This found me yesterday on Pinterest. Something I so need to remember these day...isn't the photograph amazing??? This is from the equally amazing Jeanne Griffin Oliver...love her and her incredible style. 

Well, that is as good as it gets for today, girls! I am off to the mighty warehouse to paint today. The countdown is on...the flea is 2 weeks from Saturday...YIKES!

Have a happy Wednesday!

exterior color decisions...

I am so excited to FINALLY be embarking on the exterior projects of our home. It is all about to change and all I can say is THANK GOODNESS! I think I have told you about a million times, I really only bought this house because it is right next door to my sister. I don't love the layout, I don't love the style, and I don't love having neighbors. But sometimes a girl gets sentimental and finds the crazy amount of fun she would have living right next door to her sis outweighs floor plan and style. {sigh...}

So back to the ugliness of my house. It is a one story ranch style, painted brick house from 1958. Luckily it is quite large, and has a high enough roofline we are going to finish the upstairs in a couple years. Not exactly the epitome of farmgirl style, that goes without saying. So, I have to inject a little cottage, a little charm and make it my own! (I will show you photos later...once it is done...because I am hoping it is going to be one heck of a change!)

We are getting a new roof, gutters, soffits, garage door, paint color and landscaping. Whew! I just realized how much work that really is once I started typing. What am I getting myself into again?? Today I am struggling with color. My roofer kinda needs an answer...like today...but I am almost 100% positive I will make him wait a few more days. I can't decide...

I am crazy in love with this color scheme...the brown roof, the light shade of gray paint and the touches of stone. This is a wood shingled roof, so I would have to try to achieve this feel with asphalt shingles. Possible? I think I can come close...Owen's Corning has a gorgeous architectural shingle called "Driftwood"...totally not a 1970s brown, but a nice shade with many tones to it. (my sis next door just put it on her house, too!)

But then there is the pull of a slightly darker gray with the brown roof.

and of course...the gray/stone/charcoal roof option is calling me, too...

As much as I am loving the gray paint/brown roof combo, I do love the simplicity and clean look of a light tan paint color with a brown roof...

but I have been seeing tan with a charcoal roof quite a bit lately, too..

which would look really nice with a charcoal shutter...

(all photos can be found on my Pinterest board 'exterior design')

Do you see my dilemma here? So many beautiful choices!! Of course, all these houses have a much different style than my own...but I can see elements in each photo  I can incorporate. Hmmm...

Which color combo do you like best??

a beautiful Sunday drive...

I hope everyone had a Happy Easter!

 It was such a beautiful day here, it was a perfect 68 degrees, the sun was shining...and the scenery on the way to my Mom & Dad's house was more beautiful than ever! I just could not resist showing you the beautiful area where they live...it is just so peaceful. I was laying in the hammock for a while and all I could hear was the wind and the cows down the road mooing every once in a while. {sigh...such sweet silence I miss now that I live with neighbors all around me...}

During my drive, I pass so many beautiful red barns...

and white ones, too...this is on of my favs, it is HUGE...I have always thought I should live here and make this barn into my shop. Isn't that big white area in the front calling for a big sign that says "urban farmgirl'? Someday...

I drive this path through the country a couple times a month. Without fail, when I pass this farm this doorway ALWAYS has a rooster or a horse perfectly posed in the doorway. I swear they know I am coming...

And then there are the calves...

I just can resist them...I mean look at those faces! How can you not want to pull over and take their picture? They were all out in the pasture grazing and as soon as I got out of my truck they ran right over to the fence. Cows always love me for some reason. They must know I love them back. They are such beautiful creatures...

Speaking of cows...I pass a LOT of farms with cattle on my trip...but these cows I always refer to as the Lottery cows, because they have got to be the luckiest cows on Earth. I mean seriously, look where they get to live! Waaaaaaay down there with a beautiful pond that is all their own and winding roads...{sigh...I want to live down there!}

They belong to that gorgeous red farm across rolling hills with ponds and lots of yummy grass for grazing. Lucky cows. 

There were a couple rebel cows that separated themselves from the herd and were way at the top of the hill by the road...look at the scenery behind them! Love....

I am so lucky to have such a beautiful place to visit. The view from my parent's kitchen window is just so beautiful...eagles fly over the hills, farmland as far as the eye can see. It is such a magical corner of the world. It was a perfect day in a perfectly pretty place. 

Hoping you all had a wonderful day, too!

Ok, back to work for me! I have a lot of furniture to paint today! 24 days until I have to load my trucks for my first show of the year! Ahhhh! I have no idea how I am going to get it all done! Anyone want to come help?! Hahahaha!

I have barn wood on the brain today...

In the Fall of 2010 I was asked to take on a monumental task. Huge. Outrageous. Downright crazy!

A farmer in Iowa was going to burn this barn down so he could make larger stockyards for his cattle. {insert my heartbreak here...I LOVE old farm buildings} Well....fast forward to the end of the story, and I ended up taking the barn down...along with a few family members so I could salvage it's beautiful wood and let it live on in a new way. My parents were kind enough to let me store half of the wood in their barn until I could drag it all home to my warehouse. Yesterday, I decided I should be a good daughter and give them their space back in their barn so I loaded up the trailer and brought home what I could. 

The drive between their home and mine is unbelievably beautiful...perfect blue skys, the sun was shining on the rolling hills...farms everywhere, it makes for good "thinking time" as I drive. I was thinking about all this beautiful old wood and what I could do with it all. 

 Half of the wood I took off had chippy white paint, but the other half is so special and pretty. This is actually a building known as a 'corn crib'. Farmers would fill the outside walls with corn to let it dry and for storage...and could still park their tractors up the middle of the building. The wood on the interior of the walls is my favorite...never painted but the wind that whips through the Iowa plains weathered it with a perfect patina...similar to driftwood. 

The first project I did was to cover one wall in my guest bedroom when I redecorated the room through a Cabbages & Roses sponsored project. I cannot tell you how much I love this wall. I want one in every room of my house.

But yesterday I was thinking about things like this:

table runners...

shelving units...

and shelves in my kitchen...

(the 3 above photos are courtesy of  my Pinterest boards. The sources are Style Me Pretty, Our Vintage Home Love and Nada Farm.)

And NOW to confuse my little brain even MORE...I want to find a use or all the roofing I tore off, too?? Oh, did I mention that? I guess I should clarify...the roof on this 90 year old building had 10 foot long sheets of the most beautiful corrugated galvanized metal on it. Perfectly weathered...just a tiny bit of rust...I want this on a wall in my house soooo bad. I am thinking of using it to cover the wall the fireplace is on in our basement media room. 

This photo shows the underside of the roof, the outside is a very light gray with all the incredible patina. 

{love...}

Anyone have any ideas for me? Or links to beautiful projects using barn wood and old metal? I would LOVE to hear! How would YOU use this wood if you had it?

Inspire me, girls! I need it!

Nada Barn Sale - coming in May!

I know our weekends fill up fast as soon as spring arrives, so I thought I would let you in on a fabulous Barn Sale going on in May that you don't want to miss! Mark your calendars, girls, I am so excited to announce I am going to be selling at Anne Marie's Nada Barn Sale this May! I am super lucky to have been able to team up with 4 other wonderful girls, and we are all going to share one huge space that is going to be over-flowing with vintage goodness! 

You can find me, along with:

Anne & Julie from Tattered Tiques

Stacey from A Sort of Fairytale

Susan from Maple & Magnolia

We will be selling our wares in a large space in Anne Marie's barn. I have been out poking around all sorts of places...barns, old industrial warehouse, estate sales, auctions....and I have found some of the most incredible vintage wares for this show! Now we just have to hope I can part with it all for the show! {hee...hee...}

I will not be bringing my painted furniture to this show, you can find that at my Kane County Flea Market booth May - October (see my sidebar for dates.) For this show, it is all about simple, beautiful old things. A little farmhouse in style, a little chippy and rustic and a whole lot of beautiful!

The sale is located in Northern Illinois, on one of the most beautiful farms...a perfect escape...a beautiful drive to the country outside Esmond, IL. There is nearby hotel, just in case you want to make a weekend of it and explore our little corner of the Midwest. If you want to learn more about the sale you can visit Anne Marie's blog here and her website for her farm events here. 

Hope to see you all there!