Recapping Vintage Market Days of East Texas

Last week, we got to participate in our first Vintage Market Days of East Texas event! Twice I had turned down invitations to join the show when it was in Nacogdoches. When it moved to Lindale, we were able to join the show!

Of course, anytime we have to up a tent for a show, you can count on it raining. We've been in a two month drought and the farm girl will always appreciate a good rain. Just a few days before the event, I was standing in our very low pond... anyways, the week of the show, Tropical Storm / Depression Imelda developed in the gulf and was predicted to head straight for us in east Texas at the exact time of set up and day 1 of the show. I declare, we need to start scheduling a August show, so we can get some late summer rain and avoid these droughts ;) 

Anyways, it was a rain or shine event, so we took extra precautions to protect our products. I bagged a set of shirts in each size and style, bought and customized a big umbrella, loaded the mud boots and slogger shoes, bought extra stakes and tie down straps in case the wind got up. Each weather forecaster give a different path and prediction - from a 1/2 inch to 3-6 inches of rain and wind varying from 5 - 35 mph. While we set up on Thursday, we dealt with a little bit of drizzle, but nothing major. On Thursday evening, the rain started at home (33 miles from the venue) and it rained all night. 

Loaded down! 

Let's go, Vintage Market Days, here we come!

 Friday morning, I woke up and checked the radar and guess what?!? The rain had passed over Lindale, while the farm got over two inches of rain! The best of both worlds!!! We were in the clear!

Tropical Storm Imelda passed us by! 

My mud boots and umbrella never got out of the truck! We got busy Friday morning and got our tent ready for business! Since we were expecting the big storm, we had only put up our props and tent on Thursday and didn't finish set up. Friday afternoon, we had about 5 minutes of rain and had to move a few things inside the tent, but we survived and our tent didn't blow away! 

The line forming to get in on Friday morning!

If you shop at Vintage Market Days, you probably love all these things as well! 

This was one of our smallest spaces ever, but oh how we packed it full plus we restocked daily. 

One of our favorite quotes from one of our favorite customers "You can never have too many baseball tees!" 

We were one of the smaller booths (and it was the smallest booths we’ve ever worked.) We still had lots of shoppers in our little space, sometimes waiting in line to get inside! You told us we had the cutest clothing there, which was a high compliment, since there was lots of clothing boutiques. You see, we are the makers and our items are all made locally and not mass produced. Our hearts and hands have prepared every item.

We were also told we were the most helpful. Helping ladies try on flannels, finding sizes, and even watering dogs and creating a make shift dressing room. It’s what we do! We are here to help you. 

Cookie was one of the cutest customers on Friday! And his mom picked out 3 flannels! 

Here's a video I did on Saturday morning. 

 Angea and I have had so much fun preparing and working this show! So happy to have a friend like her, who shares many of the same creative ideas as I do and we can share the booth spaces.

 Sunday morning, we got to walk around the venue and see several of the booths and took a few pictures in front of the take me away back drop.

 With the threat of rain gone, we were able to put some of our shirts on two sides of the tent and it really helped us show case many of the shirts and different designs. Since all of our flannels and plaid shirts are one of a kind, it really was a game changer to help the shirts be seen.

Donuts, snow cones, and food trucks... oh my yum! 

What goes up, must come down! 

We are so thankful for Jeff and Randy (Angea's husband) who helped us with set up and tearing down the tent! As we were getting the tent back in the bag, Jeff said "it's like putting skin back on a fish!" I'm sure everyone around us wondered what was so funny and if you've ever taken down a tent, you will be able to relate!

The show was over...On down the road we go...

As we were all loading up the playlist with your favorite songs was still playing. Willie Nelson sang “Here we go, on the road again
Like a band of Gypsies we go down the highway
We're the best of friends
Insisting that the world keep turnin' our way...” 

Seemed most appropriate for this traveling road show!! 

The event was well organized and advertised and we can’t thank Amanda and the VMD staff for hosting a great show and giving us an opportunity to be involved in a premier event.

We appreciate each and everyone of you who came, shopped, and shared about our business. Y’all are the best! We are grateful, thankful, blessed.

Miss the show or too far away to make an in person event? You can shop online in our etsy shop gypsyfarmgirl.etsy.com or our website rustandromance.com 

In October we will be at our usual booth at the Mineola Antique Fair, where we have lots of junk and all our clothes on October 11-12. 

We will also be returning to the East Texas Yamboree, where we will have an indoor, air conditioned, rain and wind proof space at the fair grounds in the "blue building." We are super excited about our home town show and have some exciting things in store for that show, so stay tuned! It will be October 17-19 in Gilmer, Texas. 

Slightly Obsessed with Flower Trucks!

Okay, I admit it, I'm obsessed with flower trucks! I even have a Pinterest Board dedicated to Flower Trucks. Check it out to see some fun inspiration and garden ideas. I really wish Jeff would let me plant flowers in one of his old trucks, but I seriously doubt that's ever going to happen.

I created this turquoise truck with pink flowers as a "Goodbye January" graphic and it kinda went crazy on Facebook and then I decided it needed to be on some shirts too.

I had already started on the Rust and Romance flower trucks when I created the one of above and then we already had the red flatbed truck with flowers. Oh and then there is the Vintage Soul shirt with a vintage truck and flower!

Read more about the Rust and Romance theme and how it resonated with me on this blog post. 

Have I mentioned my daffodils and jonquils have started blooming?!? They are a couple of weeks early, but we are excited to see them.

Which Flower Truck is your favorite? 

(All the shirts are in my etsy shop now or I'll have them at the Mineola Antique Fair this weekend. The flannels and plaid shirts are all one of a kind, but I can always make more of the t shirts, if you don't see your size.) 

Rust and Romance

Recently, I saw the words Rust and Romance and they jumped off the page at me. For a long time, I've wondered what ties my wedding business and love of vintage lace, flowers, and  treasures with rusty junk, old pick up trucks, and our recycled / repurposed garden together. How do I describe my rusty creations and romantic wedding bouquets? What could a tag line for my shop be? 

I was immediately inspired to create this Rust and Romance graphic to put on shirts. It combines a rusty old turquoise truck, lace, burlap. galvanized buckets and crates of flowers, chippy peely wood background, and lights. 

I loved this picture of a navy burlap and lace bridal bouquet on one of our Farmall tractors. 

Our rusty gazebo - if you are new here, our gazebo was pulled from a trash ditch (yes, really) and we have had a blast decorating it each season with repurposed and second hand finds. The only thing purchased new is the lights and hummingbird feeder.

Shabby, Chippy, Vintage, Love

Our booth at the Mineola Antique Fair (open the second Friday and Saturday of each month.) 

Still debating on whether "Rust and Romance" should be on the shirt or not???

A rusty meat grinder became a garden container for this pretty succulent. 

 Miss Gussie - my rustic, vintage, camper trailer with all the romantic lace and shabby details.

 With my love at one of our shows...

  Well, I think Rust and Romance is just the description I was looking for! Don't ya think? 

The Rust and Romance shirts will be available soon.

Custom wedding bouquets and most clothing is available in my etsy shop or some of the items (plus so much) can be found at the Mineola Antique Fair. 

Split Skirts, Palazzo Pants, or Culottes

A couple of years ago, I purchased this pair of rustic, fun palazzo pants at a garage sale. I had never worn anything like them before, but let me tell ya, I quickly fell in love with them! I can't go anywhere in them without getting compliments on my outfit and they are super comfy and as I like to call them my "sassy pants!"

So of course, I go to googling them for more similar pants and of course I find nothing, nada, zilchola... Sadness I tell ya, I find something I like and can't find another pair.

I think my friends and Jeff got tired of me complaining that I couldn't find another pair and they kept saying "Make your own." I avoided it for a long time, then I saw a tutorial for converting skirts to pants and I finally said "ok, I can do that!"

 So let me introduce you to line of palazzo pants! I debuted these last month at the Mineola Antique Fair (where I photographed them) and now they are available in my etsy shop, so they can be shipped almost anywhere!

 I also learned a new word this week: 

culottes which means split skirt or any garment that "hangs like a skirt, but is actually pants." 

Often when I'm wearing them, I get stopped and someone says "wait, it's pants... I thought you were wearing a skirt! Oh, I love them!" So yes, culottes is the best word to describe them. 

So, without further ado, here's the ones I've recently made! 

This pair is brown and have a frayed hem. My personal pair was way too long, so I simply cut them off and didn't hem them. They fray some with washing and I think it adds to the rustic charm of them. 

Copper Culottes!

From Wikipedia: during the Victorian Era (mid- to late-nineteenth century European culture) long split skirts were developed for horseback riding so that women could sit astride a horse with a man's saddle rather than riding side-saddle. Horse-riding culottes for women were controversial because they were used to break a sexual taboo against women riding horses when they were expected to hide their lower limbs at all times. Later, split skirts were developed to provide women more freedom to do other activities as well, such as gardening, cleaning, bike riding, etc. and still look like one is wearing a skirt.

Denim culottes would be perfect for horseback riding!

And to that I say "Don't be like the rest of them darlin'!" 

 Ombre - this pair makes me think beach vibes / swim suit cover up / night out on the coast...

Burgundy with tiny little flowers...

I've got several plus size pair of split skirts, including this pink and green print.

Purple Palazzo Pants! Say that 3 times real fast!

This tropical pair has hibiscus flowers and even a few sequins for some added pizzazz.

Teal is always a fun color!

Light weight black and white print

This pair of safari animal print capris can also be called gauchos trousers, since they are mid-calf length. 

So these next two pair are super fun and oh so velvety! Full of texture and sass! These will be fun and unique to wear!

So whatcha think? Do you like or wear palazzo pants?

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