Going to the Antique Show

Happy Monday, everyone!!!  Jordan and I are excited about the posts we have ready for you all this week.  Be sure to come back.  Wow, what a gorgeous week-end we had here.  It was the perfect weather for the annual Bluegrass Trust Antiques and Garden Show.  Like many cities around the country, Lexington hosts one of these shows every March, and the proceeds to go the preservation of historic sites and homes in our area.  There were over 100 exhibitors selling fine jewelry, silver, furniture, posters, garden wares and more.  They also brought in some luncheon speakers who are usually decorators pushing a new book and talking about the work they have done.  I got to see/hear decorator Thomas Jayne who was the presenter at the luncheon I attended.

 

 

This horse was great.  Since we down-sized, though, I have to love something a lot before I buy it.  We eliminated half of our belongings when we moved three years ago, and it was a liberating experience.  I don’t want to get bogged down with a lot of stuff ever again.  That’s why you  see me reusing my things over and over in different ways.  I only kept what I love.

 

That being said, I do not fit the description of the ideal customer these vendors want.  Sorry…..

 

 

However, I do love looking at the displays……

 

 

and talking to the vendors.

 

 

They realize we all aren’t there to buy.

 

 

My favorite eye candy fell into the garden displays areas.  I loved this old concrete post with the candle.

 

 

And this one with the horse.  Oh, I love that horse.

 

 

This chippy table and chairs also caught my eye.

 

The vintage posters always make me smile.  Thank goodness I don’t have any empty walls big enough for them.

 

 

My wallet isn’t big enough for them either.  They are quite pricey but so beautiful. (Thousands.)

 

These blue dishes really stood out against the dark wood, and that cow was placed in the perfect spot.

 

 

Do you have any old wooden shoe forms lying around?  Here’s the perfect DIY project for you.  Make a mirror frame with them.  How clever is that???

 

 

This old leather chesterfield is one of the best sofas I have ever seen.  It was so masculine and perfect.  It made me want to smoke a cigar.  It was so Ralph Lauren meets Prince Philip.

 

This might be a DIY project for you, too.

 

 

I would guess that this vendor called “It’s For The Birds” from Baldwin, GA is one if not THE most popular.

 

 

The man is so humble, too.

 

 

He comes every year and brings 40 rustic birdhouses that he designed and built.

 

Usually they sell out on the first night during the opening gala celebration.

 

 

However, this year he held back a few so that people who attended the show on the first morning had a chance to buy some.  And let me tell you, they were selling like hotcakes.  By the time I got to his booth, there were just a few that didn’t have SOLD signs on them.

 

 

The artist builds his birdhouses based on the designs of historic homes, buildings, and churches across the country.  For instance, he built a replica of Ronald Reagan’s birthplace for this show.  He has even been written up in Southern Living magazine.  I was told that this is the only show he does each year.

 

 

Another popular vendor is William Wood who makes these floral arrangements out of metal.

 

 

 Until this year, I always thought they were made from wood, but I was reading his name and not the medium he was using.  Duh….

 

It’s hard to believe that isn’t a real, honest to goodness flower.

I did end up buying one thing because I loved it and have been wanting one. It potentially has a shelf life, and so, it won’t add to my clutter.  I’ll share it with you later this week.

 

Take care.