It was that time again, to make the Monthly Pilgrimage to the SWEET SALVAGE Event, this Month's Theme was appropriately named 'Summer Lovin'. And though the Desert Summers are fierce, I have to admit, I still Enjoy the Lazy Days of Summer... the intense Heat actually makes you slow down and take it easier. The Kiddos are out of School on Summer Vacation, and so I can actually sleep in because their Salvation Army Summer Camp starts later in the Morning... just as I was leaving for my Girl's Day Out to hit all the Big End of Season Sales before some of the Shops Close for the Summer... and for the Event at SWEET SALVAGE!
My Favorite Piece that I didn't come Home with... would have to be this Altered Art Statuary encrusted with Seaside Treasures. She was quite Lovely... but also quite delicate on account of the exquisite Sea Fan Adornment, so I would have had to also find a Cloche high enough to house her had she wanted to come Home to Bohemian Valhalla... lest the Crew here 'alter' her even further! *Winks* So she stayed behind for some other Lucky Shopper.
And though it is not the Color Palette of our Home... for the Summer, and most especially for a Beach Cottage Vibe, I have always thought that Aqua, White and Organic Tones are very bright and refreshing, evoking a sense of living by the Ocean and capturing the Essence of Seaside Casual Living. If I had a Beach Cottage, I would probably gravitate to this Style and Palette for it and feel quite Comfortable for Seasonal Visits.
In fact, I think that part of the Beauty of having a Vacation Home would be Experimenting with different Styling and Hues than you might surround yourself with in your permanent Home. I have always Lived with Eclectic Tastes and so my 'Style' rarely remains Static anyway and is constantly in a state of Evolution and incorporating something New and Different... to stimulate the Senses, expand Inspiration and Exposure to something Different... and not live within narrow parameters of Decor.
In fact, how Fun would it be to be able to Decorate and Style several different Locations and allow your Imagination and Experimentation with Styles and Aesthetics to soar?!? I've often thought that if I lived in a multi-roomed Mansion I'd probably Style every room differently... with a different Color Palette, Theme and Style... to Transport you to several different Locales all under one roof... and allow for Mood altering Environments... Tranquil Spaces and Stimulating Spaces. Colorless Spaces, Neutral Spaces and Spaces saturated with a Monochromatic Color or a Rainbow of Colors.
Since every Summer I'm Jonesin' to be on Vacation at a Beach somewhere by the Ocean, I do find that every June I start gravitating towards Seaside Treasures and Beach Cottage Style in an Attempt to bring some of the Sea to the Desert in a small way. I start dragging all my Seaside Collections out of Storage and Decorating with them... and I'm Inspired by Beautiful Beach Inspired Creations like this Lovely Weathered Style Frame with Seaside Treasure Accents.
I Wonder, has anyone actually gone on Vacation to the Seaside and NOT brought back Found Treasures from the Sea that you either Scouted the Shoreline for... or picked up in a Local Gift Shop as a Vacation Souvenir? I thought not... you ALL have, haven't you? *Winks* It brings back Memories of a Good Time and Vacations of Yesteryear to surround ourselves with such things. Or... it Inspires us and keeps those Dreams Alive of the Tropical Paradises we have yet to visit and might have been on our 'Bucket Lists'.
And it is obvious that some of the folks in line are adept Power Shoppers on Steroids or something and most definitely on a Mission to 'Score' something Specific!!! Because no matter how quickly I've ever passed through those doors and zoomed to what I Hope are Pristine Vignettes for a Photo Op... the Power Shoppers have already beaten me to it, been there and 'SOLD' Signs are everywhere!!! *LOL* WOW, they must move like Greased Lightening... either that or I'm not moving nearly as quickly as I Imagine that I am?!? *Smiles*
Of coarse this huge Cast Iron Garden Hound Statuary was so stinkin' Adorable that I'm not at all surprised that someone made a Beeline right to him within moments of the doors opening... and how Cute is he wearing that Santos Crown?!
And I peered past him to Admire that Gorgeous Stained Glass Salvaged Window... which was being 'SOLD' nearly as quickly as I could snap an Image of it!!! Ya gotta be Fast... to Capture the Great Pieces through the Eye of the Lens or Hope to Purchase them I tell ya! Shopping gets Intense Immediately after those doors open!
And so I usually focus on the Close-Up so that I can Retreat into my Zen Shopping Experience as the Shopping Frenzy around me ensues. And Weave my way thru the Crowds to look for the Photo Ops I don't wanna miss so that I can bring it to you my Friends and allow you to Experience it all Virtually with us and Receive Inspiration.
And perhaps add SWEET SALVAGE to your Vacation Itinerary and 'Bucket List' of places you have yet to Visit? Each Month I always meet folks who have made the Pilgrimage from afar and are Experiencing it for the first time after having heard about it here in the Land of Blog or through the Junquing Grapevine or Favorite Publications. I know that there are Events, Shops and Shows across the Land that I have on my 'List', how about you?
And this Month's Event did have a Fabulous Preview Party the Night before Opening Day. Alas, due to the Family's Health Crisis and Night-time being the most difficult for The Man and Princess T's Respiratory Issues I couldn't Attend this Month. But I'm certainly looking forward to the Halloween Inspired Event Preview Party they are sure to have in September!!! It would take a Team of Wild Horses to keep me from that one! *Winks*
And the SWEET SALVAGE Boutique never disappoints for Great Fashions, Accessories and OOAK Bling Creations and Vintage Jewelry!
My Preferred Boho Fashion Sensibilities are well suited to Summer in fact and I was Delighted to see lots of Boho Style in the Boutique for Summer. And the Boutique Area is always packed with eager Shoppers, so this is one area you have to head to early to get the best Selection before it's picked clean by the above mentioned Power Shoppers!!! *LOL* I would have to say that Large Choice Furniture pieces and Unique Smalls move out the fastest from my Observations.
But since there are layers and layers of Fabulous Inventory, and it is replenished throughout the four day Event, not to worry, you're sure to find something to 'Score' no matter what speed you shop at?!? *Winks* I'm Living Proof of that since I am a Leisurely Zen Type Shopper... no Shopping Frenzy Madness for me... and I like to take my Time and soak the Visual Beauty and Styling in because I know how much Hard Work, Talent and Thought go into the Process of it all by the Stylists.
I like to Imagine what Inspired each Stylist to Create their Vignette Themes and where they might have Traveled and 'Picked' to 'Score' just the right Inventory to make it all come to Life?!? And I like to Imagine the Story they're Telling through the Art of Display? The Ambiance and Atmosphere they are Creating for us to Enjoy and Escape to via the Canvas of our Imaginations? You cannot Imagine all of that if you are too focused and intent on Power Shopping at the Exclusion of Experiencing the Atmosphere and Visuals put there to Delight and Inspire you.
And I do sometimes Wonder how many Overzealous of the Shoppers Forget and Fail to do what this Sweet little Vignette Suggests and 'Look'? Sure, it's a SHOPPING Experience and that is often the Primary Focus, to 'Score' those Treasures you Hope to Decorate and Style your own Spaces with... and I totally 'Get that part of It'. I often have my 'Mission Statement' on what I'm Looking and Hoping to 'Score' too.
And Ironically, even though I'm a Leisurely Zen Shopper that takes my Time to Savor everything around me AND Photograph it for you my Friends to Share here in the Land of Blog... I always still manage to get exactly what I'm Seeking... as if it waits for me Patiently and all of the other Eager Eyes and Frenzied Souls somehow Miraculously miss it!? This Event my 'Mission Statement' was to procure some tiny Metal Vintage Flower Frogs... and as usual my Friends Cynthia, Ron and Robert had the ones I was Hoping for and I 'Scored' a Sweet Quartet of them! Booyah!
In fact, I was Delighted that there was such a wealth of Flower Frogs for this Event to choose from... enough for most of us who were Jonesin' for some! A Sweet Lady and I were Sharing the Spoils of Discovering this mound of them in my Friend Nancy's Vignette.
It's always nice when a fellow Shopper has more of a Sharing and Caring Mentality about dividing up what is Mutually liked or Desired and not Greedy about wanting it ALL!!! *LOL... yes, I have ran into the 'All or Nothing' Types too on occassion! They can be more than a little Edgy and Aggressive, can't they?!?!* It is a bit of a pet peeve of mine to run into a particularly Crazy one that is Shopping as though they've Lost their Mind... and all Civility as well! *LOL*
But even when it's over 112 degrees outside some Power Shoppers haven't slowed down one iota to a Leisurely Pace yet and are so Intense, sometimes Tense and certainly in such a Hurry when they Attend a Show or Event! I think that would Steal my Joy and I wouldn't be having a Good Time... how about you? I don't usually do well in large crowds for this very reason... Mob Mentality sometimes sets in and takes over when too many people are vying for the same coveted things and Feel a Sense of Perceived Urgency to get what they can before someone else gets it first!
If you are a Power Shopper, or an Intensely Aggressive Shopper to get exactly what you Desire, how DO you actually 'Feel' during the Experience... is it still Pleasurable for you... or is it Stressful because of the Intensity, Urge and Focus being so Strong? Are you ever Embarrassed at how you React towards fellow Shoppers in hindsight if you get too caught up in the Moment and it's kinda out of Character for how you usually are in everyday Life? I just Wonder... because I'm a People Watcher... and it often Appears that the Countenance of some shows the Strain of Desperately Needing to Obtain what they Desire at all costs and Competing with others to get it!
Do you ever Wish you had Slowed Down, been more Considerate and Polite and not been so Obsessed to Obtain? Or... was the Satisfaction of 'Scoring' enough Reward that there's no Shame in your Game and this is your Usual Shopping M.O. and maybe even your usual Personality Trait and Character? I always just Wonder when I'm Watching and Observing this Type of Shopper... they go so Hard... even though it's just Stuff!
And maybe it was the Intense Heat of the Day... but the Frenzied Shoppers left earlier than usual and the Crowds cleared out to a busy yet Orderly level within a decent amount of time so I stayed a little while longer than usual after Purchasing my Flower Frogs so that I could get some Images to Share and take you with us Virtually this Month.
Because it really was quite Enchanting to see what Summer Lovin' The Sweet Team had Created for us to Enjoy!!! As usual it was all done with such meticulous Attention to Details.
And for me at least it's the Details that Count!!! How about you? Do you Notice and Pay Attention to the Details? Or are you more a Big Picture and Panoramic Type Visually and Inspirationally? Or perhaps a blend or balance of both?
I Love the Opening Day of any Event or Show because of coarse the best Treasures and Styling are Present then, but I do find it to be the most Intense and so I usually have a Hasty Exit Stage Left. It was nice to hang around for a while longer this Month and Savor it a bit longer. Though I had loads on my Itinerary so I was limited by darn Time Constraints to get it all in on one Girl's Day Out without missing a Shop on my List!
And Visit with Friends who meet up on our Monthly Pilgrimage there... such as my Friends Gail and Judy.
And of coarse our SWEET SALVAGE Stylist Friends as well... such as Sweet Jackie... I look forward to seeing and Visiting with everyone each Girl's Day Out. For a Full Time Caregiver the getting out and Socializing with Friends is part of the Joy and what you look forward to, even more than Shopping actually... I've got enough Stuff even if I never bought another thing really... so I never really care if I 'Score' something Awesome or not... it's all Good and I still have a great time. Though I must say this Girl's Day Out I did 'Score' an Awesome Cache of Treasures, many ON SALE... some even up to Seventy-Five Percent Off!!! *Whoop-Whoop and a Happy Dance!*
And I do Hope you'll come back Tomorrow as we take you around the Event and Capture some of the Wonderful Patriotic Inspired Vignettes that Evoke a Sense of 4th of July Festivities, Bar-B-Ques and Picnics...
Blessings from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian