Yep, I've been Sourcing and Booth Foofing like Mad this week...
It's time to prep the Booth for yet another Event at THE BRASS ARMADILLO WEST Antique Mall! Actually both Locations will be having 15% off ALL Inventory August 2-5!!!
I Love the Special Events... the Customers Love the Special Events... and its always so much Fun!
Alas, having a smaller Booth means that I have to be selective about what Treasures I've recently Sourced can be brought in and go with the Vibe of the Inventory already in there or make room for.
My Vision for the Future will be to eventually get a Showroom and bring it ALL in and have more Styling options and room for larger pieces.
But for now I'll have to be Content to work with what I have... and as Tim Gunn would famously say, "Make It Work!" *Winks*
And meet the Challenge of Styling a very Small Space... and pulling back the reins on my Grandoise Visions... *LOL*
Which some of you can relate to if you're also Styling Smaller Spaces, be it a Booth, a Space at a Show, a Small Shop or a Cozier Residence that means Editing is crucial.
And me being, well, ME... you know what a particular Challenge I have at being an Editor!!! *LOL*
It most definitely is NOT one of my Strengths! And I find it to be agonizing in fact...
I want things Styled and with a Wow Factor, but without looking Cluttered or like an Episode of "Hoarders"! *Winks*
So Imagine me TRYING to use Restraint?!?!! What... your Imagination isn't that good you say?!? *LOL* Well... just TRY to Envision a more Restrained Version of Me... Styling a Small Booth... and you totally get the picture of why it takes me so long once I start foofing...
That it can be a very fine line for me, the Queen of Excess... between 'Just Enough' and 'Too Much'!?!
So, while Sourcing for Booth Bound Found Treasures I've attempted to focus on Smalls... since I don't want to be Storing Large Acquisitions until there's room for them in my tiny Booth.
And I've been Happy with the Smalls I'm Discovering in my Junquing forrays...
And seeking out somewhat of a Theme of Items that Compliment each other in a Vignette...
And are of my particular Aesthetic... and yet... not just what I'd Love to Keep... but what I can Let Go of without an Internal Battle waging all of the time so as to be a good Business decision as well as a Passion! *LOL*
Do any of the rest of you in the Biz of flipping Collectibles, Antiques, Vintage Lovelies, Art and the like also sometimes struggle with this?
But in a way I've also found it to be extremely Therapuetic in the Editing, Purging and Letting Go Process...
Because the more often I do it and Practice it, the better at it I'm beginning to become! I'm no longer as Attached to Things that could become an Income Generating Enterprise to my Family. And even the Props could go from NFS to Sold if someone is Jonesin' for them badly enough. *LOL*
Because I can always find more Props that will seem Just Right... and I've found that with Small Spaces you need to switch things up regularly to keep it Fresh and Interesting... rather than predictable or boring.
And seeing how excited my Customers are when they Discover a Found Treasure in my Booth makes me Happy too... because I know firsthand what a Rush it is to 'Score' during the Thrill Of The Hunt!
To bring back that Coveted Item you may have been seeking for quite some Time...
Or have a Nostalgic Soft Spot for in your Heart because you used to have one... or someone you Care about had one... and now you have one yet again that evokes Happy Memories or a Special Meaning that is deeply Personal and a part of Your Story!
And I'm learning to Pick from outside of my own comfort zone and Styling preferences... and Source those particular Items that I know our Customers are digging and want. These miniature Porcelain Animals for example that I included in preparation for the Event... but which have been Selling like crazy so I've got to get busy and add more to the Booth already since half of them Sold in a Day! I guess peeps are really digging dinky 'lil Dogs?!? *LOL*
And it really is Fun to have an Area of unlimited Styling options that I can Re-Style on a Whim... since it makes the Family a bit crazy if I constantly do that at Home! *Smiles*
And my Booth can become my own little Laboratorie of Design and Styling... experimenting with options that I might not always Style with at Home... but here, anything goes because it's not static and is ever changing and evolving at a much faster speed than Home Decor often does. I don't have to Live With this... so I can indulge my Fantasies in Styling and Decor.
And my Sweet Young Booth Neighbors on one side, Kendra and Suzie, have a similar Aesthetic and Style so we have great Synergy between our Booths.
And I have a brand new Booth Neighbor on the other side now, Betty... and I'm Loving her Vibe and Style too... so come check out her new Space!!! In fact I shall be Profiling several Booths at the Mall in the next few Posts that have been Prepping for the Event, so that you all will get a VIP Sneak Preview! Shhhhhhhhh!!! *Winks*
And yeah, every so often I just cannot pass up a Larger Killer Piece that will eventually be Booth Bound when I have the room for it...
And so I've got to temporarily find room for it at Bohemian Valhalla until it can be squeezed in to Inventory!!! *LOL* Industrial Style Desks just can't be left behind now can they?!? *Winks*
Nor can FABULOUS Wall Art... like this beyond Amazing Autographed Pin-Up Girl Style Framed Photograph of a Beautiful 1940's Era Famous Actress!!!
Rosella Towne... Loved the Dress, the Hair, the Make-Up, the Shoes and Styling of this Era... so Classic... so Classy... so Old Hollywood Glam!!!
And she's certainly a Classic Beauty and it was Fun to find out more about the Hollywood Movies she Starred in opposite some very well known Hollywood Leading Men of that Era!!! Including one who became President!
And having a Signed Piece is always a Special Rush... and yet it also makes me wonder why anyone would part with such a Special Piece as this... even if they Inherited it? I like to Imagine that she Autographed it especially for the Original Owner of the piece... who obviously Cherished it and took good care since it's in Amazing condition for it's Age.
And finally... before She was Booth Bound, the Bisque White German Madonna had to be Photographed beside the Larger Color Version in my Personal Collection. Mine is over 100 years Old and a Favorite European piece... so it was a bit difficult to part with the Monotone Version, which is very French Nordic Style and will look great in a room Styled that way.
I'll tell you more about the upcoming Event in Future Posts... be sure to stop by Booth #44 when you come Visit us...
Blessings from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian