Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Best little pickin' place in Metro Atlanta


Located between Gainesville and Buford, and easily accessible from I-985, is the charming little town of Flowery Branch, home to a great antiques market (and auction) of which dealers generally keep mum about (myself formerly among them) since the awesome merchandise and deals found here are just too good to share!

This unique antiques market (details here) is held the first full weekend monthly (July 6, 7, 8 this month), has approx 100 dealer spaces, and offers something for everyone -- from $1.00 items -- to cool pieces that trendy designers drool over (and drive far to acquire). Operating about 30 years, with the last 13 years in the current building, it has always been one of my very favorite pickin' spots

 Here's just a few pics of a few of the many quality dealers at FB:

The extremely talented Tim Cash draws the big designers and dealers with his totally unique offerings
Keren Jackson has a keen designer's eye and decorator's talent....and I want to take home everything in her booth

I always find something I can't live without in multi-talented Mary Cyphers booth (Blogger randomly  deleted the other photos of her cool stuff, darn it) 

Lovely and talented Shirley Wilson is located just inside the main door, and always has the most remarkable variety of merchandise that she effortlessly blends together to make a spectacular booth every time!


Ok here's the dish on amazing Dena Johnson.....she literally has every single piece of vintage hardware imaginable in her booth! And tonage of unique architectural artifacts and (my personal favorite) cool rusty stuff


Lourdes Green occupies the first booth inside the main door to the left, and has an amazing eye for those architectural and industrial treasures we all crave
Don't miss Debra Satterly's wonderful array of creations....she makes everything from cool license plate flowers and signs, to trendy purses and unique burlap wall art using vintage items in a clever new way.
Jimmy Vo has outside and inside booths filled with those hard-to-find project supplies like vintage bead board and barn wood -- just to name a few -- at very reasonable prices. And Jim totally understands our lust for rust, as proved here with this awesome iron patio table

(**Be sure not to miss dealers Debbie Tanner-vintage jewelry, and Lowell-antique lighting and furniture --not pictured here)



There is even a yummy BBQ cafe on site (and across the street) to provide a lunch break.
(and there are several other antique shops next door and across the street)

Owner Tom Schulte runs both the antiques market and weekly auction, and just happens to be one of the nicest guys around!!

It's so refreshing to still be able to find unique and affordable merchandise, and this is the place for it!
 I've always wanted to post about this cool place, but dealer friends would say "don't do it!" 
 So, at the risk of having my 'dealer card' revoked, I just have to share!


Saturday, June 30, 2012

The Revival of Vintage at The Goat Farm in Atlanta, GA





  
 this might be my favorite show venue ever!
 unique and historic, the 12 acre compound is now home to artist studios and hosts
 music/art/culinary events
check out an interesting article about it here 
crazy-cool tables
brilliant repurpose: boombox speakers from vintage suitcases
 skirts made from recycled t-shirts--so comfy
some dereliction photog
i love this place
no goats in sight today
the farm is just west of midtown atlanta (note the lovely 'code red' air quality haze in the record-breaking 106 degree heat)

 links to artist info here

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Giant recycled metal folk art bouquet by Blue Chilton




In the charming little town of Rutledge stands this fantastic 12' tall sculpture made from recycled metal items
This talented artist used steering wheels, saw blades, hub caps, old tools, gears, horseshoes, springs and a bunch of other recycled parts and pieces.
And old stove pans!

This really makes me wish I had taken a welding class somewhere along the way!
I've been coming down here a lot lately to play my favorite golf course (The Creek at Hard Labor) and have lunch at my favorite nosh stop (Yesterdays -- where the fried green tomato sandwich and buttermilk pie is famous) and never noticed this cool sculpture before! 


Note:  If you live in NE Georgia, don't miss the Sunflower Farm Festival next weekend held in the lovely countryside near here on Sat and Sun 9-5 (approx 10,000 attended last year!) and take home a big bucket of giant sunflowers!