I took a late spring wonder-wander drive around RT last weekend, and thought you might like to share in my roadside donkey moment. To experience these sweeties for real, just head out Round Top Road from downtown and the pasture will be on your left in about half a mile.
Because pictures are often enjoyed best when accompanied by a story, I googled “Round Top Donkey” to see what would pop up. These lines from a book called The Times of Round Top by C. Thornton are exactly what you need.
“Paula Giese (b.1919) rode her paint horse, Vergil, four miles from the family farm to attend Round Top School.
Paula tried to ride her donkey, Stump, to school but she could not always rely on Stump. Sometimes he would sit down when he did not want to go anywhere.”
Gotta love Stump. Now here’s your moment of donkeys.
The enthusiastic welcome wore off quickly once it became evident that I offered nothing more than timid, armpit-over-the-barbed-wire, city-girl neck scratches. Bring carrots.
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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