Wanna go shopping? Good. Me too. Let’s go to Leftovers in Brenham. I think of it as a different kind of General Store. The kind where everything is generally fabulous. Know what’s fun to do there? Look up more than down. You’ll find the most interesting things that way. And also, look in. Some of the best treasures hide in the cabinets. We wouldn’t want to miss the Tongue Dish. Well, maybe we would. Ick.
Or as my mother taught me, “No thank you. Tongue’s not my favorite.”
It’s not just an Antiques Show, it’s a way of life!
While you shop the show, it definitely pays to pay attention to the “back of house” story going on. So many, many vendors move to the Round Top area for the event, and their living arrangements are often quite out of the box. My favorite are the Casitas; some rolled in just for the moment, some set up with full amenities for semi-annual use. As far as security goes, a pair of anxious chihuahuas seems to be a popular part of the package. Go ahead and click, they’re so cute!
Up in the Carmine Y show area, Linda Haddock was happy to guide me on a walk-thru of her latest “Anita’s Casitas” offering. If you’re shopping for a minihomeonwheels, her refurbished models seem like a good buy. And while you’re there, check out Linda’s antiques booth. She’s worked as a professional merchandiser (Hello Neiman Marcus) and it shows.
I wouldn’t want you to accidentally scuttle past this special spot for top-shelf treasures.
RT’s in-crowd loves its Box Road heroes, Michael Ouellette and Donnie Volkart and they’re right, these guys have got the eye. If you find yourself thinking that their booth feels familiar, it might be because Donnie has a strong presence at the unparalleled Uncommon Objects antique shop on Austin’s South Congress Street. I was in need of a little off-season antique fix today, so I went down to South Austin and took some photos of the Volkart folk art there to add to the photos I’d taken at his booth last spring. They’re all here together and I hope they’ll take care of any cravings you might be having.
Here’s some Show shots.
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And here are some shots of Donnie’s Uncommon Objects.
It’s always amazed me to see how the Antiques Week vendors take almost every single antique out of Round Top when they leave. Really, only a charming handful remains. The fabulous Lizzie Lou and Junk Gypsy World Headquarters and a few other spots in Henkel Square are usually open every weekend. And there are some special Big Red Barn shows and auctions. And you can find plenty of antiques in La Grange or Burton or Carmine or Brenham. But how many folks have visited Round Top during the off-season and been surprised to find a town full of music and pie and fine art and clothing boutiques, not a town full of antiques?
The newly arrived Round Top Vintage Market should help fill the void. Barbara Griffin and Pat Boyd have taken Emma Lee Turney’s wonderful antique mall (man oh man I miss that MOUNTAIN of quilts in the back on the left…) and brought in loads of new vendors with bunches of vintage finds.
There’s some dynamite mid-century fun, and long aisles of decor inspiration from Show vendors like the Vintage Round Top, and quite a few things that lean just so. I’ll stop with the and and and and ands if you promise to stop in some weekend soon, or during the Show when a snow cone won’t do because you need full-on air-con relief.
If you looked carefully during the Spring 2014 Antique Show, you surely spied a tufty new textile trend: The Vintage Turkish Tulu. Peeking through the over-dyed patchwork and silky suzanis, these scraps of fabric or pillows or rugs are ready to become one of the next big playthings for mid-century-modern-global decoristas everywhere.
To fill you in and make you an expert on the topic: The name Tulu means “long haired” and the rugs’ signature element is shiny angora goat hair that’s been dyed in earthy or vibrant colors. Turkish shepherds used these as sleeping mats, so feel free to think of them as rug/guest bed combos, especially if you’re outfitting an upscale yurt. Which apparently more and more of you are.
I love a color-on-color-on-color room aesthetic, but for now I think I prefer these brilliant whiskery rows of goat hair as pillows. Or wait, how about as upholstery on the back of a big old wing chair?
Do you find yourself incredibly inspired by all this shaggy goodness? You might want to contact Marilyn at The Screaming Shopper. She’s a Texan who lives in Turkey part-time, and she’ll happily be your guide through the markets of Istanbul.
If you go, will you write a Guest Crush post about your trip and maybe bring me back one or two small rugs?
The good news? You've discovered The Crush List. The not so good? I haven't been actively posting here for a few years now, which means the never terribly reliable details about my crushes are even more unreliable. Antique vendors have switched venues, shops in town have moved or passed on, donkeys may or may not be in the same front yards... In spite of the risks of massive misdirection I've left the site up in hopes that it still achieves its goal - to inspire you to visit Round Top for the Antiques Show or any time you have the time.
With that said, I leave you to explore this random list of my very favorite things about my very favorite place. I’ve tried to capture the area’s special pieces and parts. Some are big deal, some are small gestures, some are legendary and some are just tiny pip and squeak.
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