We're back at SWEET SALVAGE 'Sweet Flea' Event... the only thing I left behind that I'm having some regrets about is another mini metal Flower Frog... that wee one at the very top. I needed one and had an immediate use for it... but while browsing through a huge basket of Vintage Show Ribbons I set it down... and forgot about it...
But I came away with loads of Inspiration... I really liked this Idea of utilizing Clipboards to hang Maps and/or Art. I Enjoy Displays that aren't Static and you can frequently Change... and I'm a fan of Unframed Art. So this Idea would make perfect sense for my particular Aesthetic about Displaying a rotation of Art, Clippings and Photos. And The Man often refers to a variety of Maps when he's Planning one of his Adventures or a Road Trip we'll be going on, so it would be a visually pleasing way to keep the ones he's utilizing handy for easy reference.
And I just want to say to my Sweet Friends of the SWEET SALVAGE Team that we Love you guys too!!! You do such an Amazing job of Hosting these Monthly Events and your hard Work and Vision has been an unprecidented Success here in the Valley. The Talent and Skill at the Art of Display as well as Sourcing these Fab Treasures you bring to us is Appreciated and you all deserve the popularity and Success that has manifested from your Vision becoming a Reality!
Even though the Event is open to the Public for a mere four days each Month I know that throughout the rest of the Month you are Working tirelessly to Plan and prepare for it and the Unique Theme you will bring to Life.
The Excitement starts and builds in the Parking Lot as the lines of eager Shoppers forms before the doors open at 10:00 am.
So many 'Regulars' attend the Event each Month now that you see many Familiar Faces and Old Friends... we've become 'Sweet Groupies' of sorts, making Pilgrimages once a Month from various parts of the Valley of the Sun! *LOL* Gail and Judy come clear over from the far East Valley... and Pamela and I come clear over from the far West Valley... converging to Central Phoenix and the Trendy Melrose District to do our Shopping at least once a Month on 3rd Thursday. And many Loyal Supporters of the Event are now bringing Friends and Relatives to join in and have their first ever 'Sweet' Experience.
In fact we often make New Friends while standing in line... this Sweet and personable Lady and her Lovely Daughter were here for the very first time and we Hope to see them again because they were Delightful and Fun. Isn't she Absolutely Beautiful and so Stylish!? It really made me miss attending Events with my Lovely and Stylish Mom.
Word has definitely gotten out... in fact Tim Holtz and Friends were checking out The Sweet too! And you often see Celebrity sightings regularly as the Event is well known and Covered now and has been well received beyond anyone's Wildest Dreams.
This Month's Theme was reminiscent of a Fabulous Flea Market... the kind you Dream of attending because it has become Legendary as a place to 'Score' Treasures of a multitude of Styles and anything and everything can show up! From Furs to...
Furniture... and everything inbetween!
And SWEET SALVAGE Sourced it all... I can only Imagine how busy the Sweet Pickers must be all Month long inbetween Shows as the Clock is ticking towards the next Event!
And those that Create OOAK Jewelry and Art for the Event must be working tirelessly too in order to keep up with the Demand for their Beautiful Creations!
Because there is always such an Amazing Selection!
That I always want to look at every piece!
And read every Message...
Everything is always Displayed so Beautifully...
With Attention to Detail in the Presentation of each Piece... each a little Work of Art.
Being surrounded by even more and larger Works of Art!
And Interesting Vignettes utilizing a variety of objects in Creative ways. As a Lover of all that is Rusty and Crusty I am particularly drawn to the Vignettes that have that Rusty Patina and objects that could have been Barn Fresh from the Farm, an Abandoned Factory or someone's Attic and just now seeing the Light of Day in perhaps Decades!
I always like to concoct Stories in my Head and on the Canvas of my Imagination of when something was last used, it's Owners and what it's back end Story and History might have been up until now?
And of coarse there are always those Clever uses of objects that now have a brand New Purpose and Life because they have been Upcycled into something else... like Unique Light Fixtures!
Count me as a Huge Fan of Upcycled objects now used as Interesting Light Fixtures and of the Deconstructed Lampshade.
And of coarse of the Classic Chandies... but now not always hung from a ceiling or in an expected place... but placed anywhere for Interest, Eclectic Style and Illumination in less Formal ways.
And even Orphaned Chandie Prisms and Crystals are finding their way to new Purposes and Creations... no longer is a Chandie discarded or considered useless simply because it might be incomplete and missing a few pieces. Folks are valuing not only the Parts that make the whole to part out... but realizing that even in an Imperfect Form the Vintage or Antique Chandie still has Value and use just as it is... Perfectly Imperfect!
And the Nostalgia of Old Signage is definitely On Trend right now... even if you don't remember Parking being 25 cents all day, its a great Decorator Item and the Patina that only Time can Create in something that has Weathered outdoors, for who knows how long, can't be adequately replicated in a reproduction. So these pieces really do become OOAK and Individually Unique because even if more than one exists, no two ever Age exactly the same... just like us! *Winks* And some were truly OOAK Hand-Painted pieces and the only one in existance.
Even the Vintage Commercial pieces that may have been mass produced can still be a lot of Fun to Style with and use for a Project. I Love Commercial and Industrial Letters of all types and sizes and there are always a bounty of them at The Sweet.
And this Month there were some Lovely Specimens of Vintage Persian Rugs as well... SO HARD for me to Resist these... even though I don't really 'need' more Persian Rugs because Floor Real Estate not covered in Persian Rugs in this Ole House is in limited supply now...
So... next we'll be hanging them on the Walls... which is an Idea whose Time has come. *LOL* I've actually been trying to figure out the best and most effective way of hanging heavy Rugs on these Unique and 14 inch thick Walls that are 2 inches of Concrete on Chicken Wire Mesh affixed to 100+ year old Redwood Railroad Ties that have hardened like Petrified Wood over the Years! So hanging ANYTHING is quite the Ordeal and once its up its probably gonna stay there! *Smiles*
And for those who Love Mantiques... there's always a wealth of Inventory for your Man Caves as well! I'd say there's as many Guys shopping there now as us Gals!
As a matter of fact, even Santa {incognito in his Civilian Clothes} Shops there... or maybe he was just checking up on our Friend Judy in the background there to make sure she was behaving herself and not moving over to the Naughty List!? *Winks* As you can see I stole... ummm... I mean borrowed several of my Friend Pamela's Images because she has a better Camera than me! *LOL* We Trade Images all of the time... several Cameras and Photographers is always better than one, right?! *Smiles* Be sure to visit Pamela's Blog Link, she's got FREE Vintage Digi Stamps over there!
Rooting through an enormous pile of Vintage Show Ribbons in a Basket paid off for Yours Truly because that's how I 'Scored' my FREE Vintage Ribbon! Don't they look so Colorful and Lovely grouped together like this?! I shouldda bought more, they were all 50% off or more and I just Love Decorating with them! That Lime Green one and the Purple and Gold one were really wanting me to Adopt them too... you don't know how many times I picked them up and then put them back down. *Winks*
I can be like a Woman Possessed though when I'm crazy about something... the OCD really kicks into hyperdrive so I try to temper my urge to have it ALL! And exercise Moderation... but really... that other Pink & Green one should have come Home with it's Pink & Green Partner that I did Adopt, terrible to break up a pair of Fraternal Twins and leave one behind! *LOL*
See you back at The Sweet Tomorrow... we're not done yet! Still so much to see and Enjoy...
Merry Christmas from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian