Though I couldn't stay long on Opening Day and certainly the quality of my Photography suffered for rushing and checking in at Home constantly... I was able to make it back to the Sweet Flea Event Today when the VA Respite Caregiver came to give me a worry free Day Out. Where my entire focus could be on Moi and having a leisurely carefree Zen Experience... where-ever I wanted to be and whatever I wanted to do for the day! And it was certainly a Sepia Inspired day to be sure... where I seemed to be drawn to everything luciously Sepia in Hue!
For some Mysterious reason Sepia has the most Calming Effect on me, so being surrounded by my Favorite Non-Color is very Soothing and Relaxing. And it wasn't long before I spied the Main Acquisition I would come Home with for the day! This Fabulous Sepia Hued Boudoir Doll, from Sweet Kim's Collection and marked down for the Event almost 50%! Be still my beating Heart!
Her Ensemble is just my Style and she was right at Home in Bohemian Valhalla...
Joining my other Boudoir Doll for the Holidays, they look as though they could be Sisters don't you think?
She even has her own Vintage Brooch Pin... obviously she's a Bohemian Bling Gal just like Moi! *Winks*
So the Christmas Vignette at the Hearth is now Complete.
Oh, but Boudoir Dolls on Sale were not the only Sepia Treasures I brought Home. Deeply Discounted Treasures abounded for this Customer Appreciation Event and though Lord knows I don't really NEED another Vintage Chair... when I spied this Sepia Upholstered Beauty marked down to a mere Twenty-Nine bucks... well... you know...
It mos def caught my full Attention and I had to come in for a closer Inspection... *LOL*
And take everything off of it so that I could Admire the Aged Sepia Upholstered Splendor and Fondle it! Yes, I was definitely falling in Love! It felt like Buttah... Brocade Buttah to be exact!!! *Winks* So, yes, it came Home with me and will be part of the Art Studio Cottage Make-Over... where I'll be putting many of my Vintage Chair Collection to 'Work' at a Harvest Table "Creation Station", where I can get together with Friends and Family for Creative Quality Time Banquets to Feed our Souls!
And there were even other Items that definitely caught my Eye and I was prepared to Purchase... but when I turned them to view the Price Tags... well... Amazingly they were one of the "Take Me Home FREE" hidden Treasures scattered about the Shop! This Fabulous Conch Shell with Coral and Sea Fan on top happened to be one such Freebie Treasure I was Lucky enough to receive Gratis!!! *Color me Happy!!!*
Now I'm fairly certain that not everything at the Event WAS Sepia... but it seemed as though I gravitated to everything that was and Photographed it without even realizing it until I began downloading the Images and seeing the Common Theme of the Color Palette that drew me in strongest and held me there, Captivating me Visually.
I seemed to be in a Sepia Trance of sorts... only seeing that which had that predominant Hue!
Have you ever had Moments in Time where you only seemed to see one Color in almost everything because that's where your Focus lay? I was totally Reveling in my Sepia Fantasyscape... and Envisioning my Sepia World... I definitely could really Roll with this as a Predominant Color Palette at Home or in the Studio for at least a Season... or maybe even longer.
I procured this Adorable Child's Cabinet Card Sized Vintage Photo in a Wonderfully Aged Sepia Hue... she looks very much like some of my Grandchildren did at that very Age so she'll fit right in as an Adopted Instant Relative.
And this Gorgeous Down filled Vintage Linen Burlap backed bolster sized pillow with Belgian Cut Velvet front and Vintage Velvet and Metallic Trim was another 50% Markdown Item that I 'Scored' for a mere Twelve Bucks! Pillows are another one of my Weaknesses and if they happen to be one of yours too, there are a bounty of Fabulous Pillows marked down deeply for the Event!
In fact, some of the Primo Items in the Shop were Deeply Discounted... such as this Beyond Amazing Pedestal.
I just KNOW you've got to be Swooning over something you've seen aren't you? *Winks*
I just couldn't Believe how fast Time was standing still and yet flying by... since before I knew it I was out of Time and having to head for Home!
I had been so Lost in my own Head while checking out each Detail, each layer of a Vignette...
And that is precisely why I usually Enjoy returning to the four day Event at least one more Time after Opening Day, when the Shopping Frenzies have subsided and though busy, the Shoppers are more Subdued and Savoring the Ambiance and taking their Time.
I'm much more of a Taking Your Time Type of Shopper... I rarely Shop on Impulse... and so not being able to Thoughtfully Decide isn't as Enjoyable for me as Browsing... as talking to the Designers about their Inventory and Inspiration.
And the Provenance of Pieces if known. I Enjoy knowing and hearing the Stories of Old Treasures... either the Lives and History they might have previously had... or about how and where they were Found. The Back-End Stories Intrigue me.
And so this day I could spend Time Visiting with my Designer Friends and hearing those Stories while making my Choices. Here's my Friends Roman and Ron... Roman also helped me schlep all my Purchases to the Jeep... and Ron helped me with the Antique French Ephemera Purchases I was Agonizing over in his Section.
Now Ephemera always has an Intriguing Story. And these 1890's French Receipts from Business Ledgers were Amazing... just look at the Penmanship!!!
And the Business Logos...
There were so many that I was spoiled for Choice and narrowing it down to the mere two Purchases I was going to make was going to take some careful discernment and decision making on my part! *Le Sigh*
Lord have Mercy I was in Love with them ALL and various things about each's Penmanship... and in retrospect there are some I Wish I'd popped on... like this one!
But I finally settled on one with this Company's Logo and this Person's Penmanship...
And one with this Company's Logo and this Person's Penmanship.
And Ron told me that his Wife Cynthia had come up with the Brilliant Idea to Create Wrapping Paper utilizing overlapping Images of the Original Ledgers!
Just look at how great a Package looks wrapped up in the Paper!!!
And I could Dream up a Host of Creative Artistic Possibilities utilizing this Fabulous Paper so I bought a Roll of it. And just use the Real Deal I now have for Pure Inspiration.
Look how Awesome the Gift Wrap Paper looks in an Antique Frame slightly crinkled!!!
And if you were seeking out Fabulous Antique Frames there was a bounty of them too my Friends!!! Of every shape and size!
And loads of Supplies for us Fabric Artists!!!
And loads of Inspiration and Inventory for the Francophiles amongst us!!!
I'll Share a couple of other Discounted Purchases I came away with... including this Vintage Canvas Hat Form marked 50% off!!! When I usually find these they're almost always NFS and used for Display Purposes... so to find one for Sale AND at a Deep Discount... Booyah!!! I always NEED these for my extensive Funky Hat Collection.
And though in a Sepia Inspired Mood and Vibe... and subsequent Sepia Inspired Post... the one thing that snapped me momentarily out of my Sepia Fantasy was this... because the only thing I Love more than the Word Sepia... is the Word FREE... with a Go Ahead And Take Me Offer!!! *LOL* And yes, a FREE Tag catches me eye equally as much as Sepia Tunnel Vision apparently! *Smiles* And so I did... go ahead and Take It... because it is a Lovely Vintage Standing Wicker Planter... and it doesn't have to stay Pink... in fact... I'm thinking a good Coffee or Tea Spritzing ought to be just the thing to mellow it to my preferred Palette! *Winks*
And I couldn't resist procuring one more Ornament Art Tag for this Year's Christmas Tree... this is Message Art by the Talented Terry Parvan of WINIFRED STREET. I Love Terry's work and had the privilege of finally meeting her at this Show and chatting about Mutual Passions.
I Love the little Rusty Heart, Seam Binding and Old Lace Accents!
Be sure to come back Tomorrow my Friends... we'll be moving forward with Part III of the Sweet Flea Experience...
Because there's still so much to see since I didn't buy it ALL! *Winks*
Though the back of our Jeep sure did look like it, huh? *Winks*
Blessings from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian