More Than Just a Building...

My wife, Jenny, is the genius behind our studio. She recognized early on in our career that working at home with young children and a photo crew was far too to impactful on the normalcy of family life. The food in the fridge always had to be tagged as to what could be eaten, and the kids never knew where the living room sofa might be or what table they could perch at to get their homework done. "It has to change," Jenny declared and we got in the car and drove around until we found something.

There was little thought about any of it. We knew we needed a space and we had a certain amount of money to spend and that would be the basis for whatever we found. We were more than lucky: we found a great brick building in the town where our kids went to school. It was just placed "up for rent" and it was exactly the amount of money that we had allocated. The angels were definitely with us and continue to be as we enter our thirteenth year in this great space.

 

My studio kitchen was a raw empty space that once housed the area's first pizza oven. We replaced its boarded up windows to let all the light in.. My sink is a rescued treasure from a junk store that has an amazing prep area for flower arranging and food prep.

Daylight is really our thing and without any knowledge back then, we rented the best possible space with the most amazing daylight. I think of this studio as a portal for beautiful images... and it really is just that. If you follow my work, you might recognize the raw space in the pictures below; but then again, the beauty of my space is that you probably won't recognize it. We have shot every inch of the building with some of the sets being literally 4 x4 inches or all 2000 square feet. It's wonderful and amazing and it continues to support and love us as we love it right back.

Our wonderful friends renovated and replaced all the plaster with up to date dry wall when we had more than we could handle in our business. This allowed the light to reflect throughout. We added the staircase and we meet at the round table for planning, brainstorming and of course, lunch. You can really see how the daylight blasts through the front windows... that space is a real sweet spot.

My studio isn't usually this tidy. It is normally filled with projects in process... including crafts, entertaining and collecting ideas and, of course, work on FMS magazine!

Like my props I believe this building beckoned us to it...wanting us here. It embraces our presence and provides us with so much great material. I hope you enjoyed the tour!

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Blogged by Matthew Mead

A Bowl with a Soul...

One rule to live by in the flea market guide to life...

IF YOU WANT IT... REALLY WANT IT... THEN GRAB IT AND HOLD ON FOR DEAR LIFE.

Anyone who read my post last week about how my "flea market finds find me" know that when I shop, I hear voices. This is true... these items really call out to me and we find each other like the positive and negative of a magnet.

 

One such story happened at the Junk Bonanza just over a week ago and I still hear the object calling for me.

The great thing about being a friend of Ki's is getting in to check out the market before it opens. Now I must be honest, it is "looking only" as Ki has a strict rule about sales prior to opening. In any event, I had what you might call a "preview." On my stroll with my wife I heard a medium sized footed ironstone bowl call out to me... I honed right in on it and wanted it immediately. I said to Jenny, "if we are separated when the Bonanza opens, please get me that bowl." My wife is great about that kind of thing and I never gave it a second thought.

Now one thing I like as much as flea marketing is making pies. I'm pretty good at it, especially in season and I fancied that footed bowl for mixing my berries, apples, or peaches with sugar and spices before turning out into a silken pastry crust. But it wasn't to be...

Enter Heather Bullard...

she strolled the show with Jenny as well and fancied the bowl for herself. Jenny told her I had dibs and knowing Heather as I have come to know her, she definitely respected that position. We joked about it and although mildly irritated I still had visions of it in my studio kitchen just awaiting those fresh seasonal ingredients for pie making.

Enter Nancy Soriano...

former and much-loved editor of Country Living. She is the best... and she also fancied the bowl for herself and smartly tagged it with a note for the dealer that she would soon return upon the opening of the show. I discovered this clever tagging concept shared it with Heather and although happy for Nancy, we both felt a bit empty in not having been savvy enough to get the bowl for ourselves.

Now Heather confided in me that she aspires to being a perfect pie maker and baker but that the skill has been somewhat ellusive. Hmm. I thought... then she really didn't need the bowl or even see how perfect if would be for the task I had envisioned for it. In an odd turn of events Heather shared the bowl story with Nancy... filled her in on how we all coveted it and lo and behold it now resides in Heather's kitchen in Southern California.

Something seems fishy to me.

Perhaps there is a "sisterhood" of the footed bowl that I am unaware of... or both thought under false assumptions that I already might own one, two, or three of these style bowls (could be... didn't hear it from me). Nevertheless, my pie making future lies in "iffy" jeopardy without the bowl and my thoughts are that the sharing of this story might in someway provoke Heather to give the bowl to me so I might use it in all its "pie making glory". After all, it did call out to me first and Jenny can back me up on it.

HEY HEATHER, MY PIE FILLING CALLED AND IT WANTS ITS BOWL BACK.

Should I see one again, rules or not, it will be more then difficult to pry it from my "flea marketing clutches".

Matthew

Cool Junk!

As a first time visitor to Ki's Junk Bonanza, I was blown away by the amazing treasures filling the aisles and tables. Although I started out shopping with Jenny Mead, I soon realized that that kind of shopping has to be done alone: a personal experience, if you will. It has always been my way to carefully examine nearly each and every item in a shop that I like. The Bonanza was like having everything I ever wanted under one roof.

Shopping heaven...in technicolour!

I also realized that I could easily be swayed to change my entire decorating style based on one strategic purchase. Cool junk abounded under each roof, and if I could have brought home any of the following items, I'd have been a happy girl, indeed.

Check out this wall of galvanized lockers from Mustard Moon. I couldn't fit them all into my puny camera screen, but you get the picture:

Who could ever get enough retro letters?

More metal baskets, perfect for a mudroom or pantry:

This doll house, with its jaunty orange roof, would be just perfect for a spooky Halloween scene. It didn't fit in my suitcase, however...

I tried to convince Matthew that this would be the perfect Halloween costume for him. A sword and a pair of tights, and he'd be good to go!

Now, this is a much better use of a tire as a planter than what some country folk do.  A few strategic cuts, a wash of paint and an old wheel well and it is ready for some fall mums!

Last but not least, this is Ki's little friend. He is missing an, ahem, appendage, but I turned him around and he went about his business. You just might be seeing more of him...in time.

So, have I sold you on joining us next year??

The Undeniable Collector...

A reader commented the other day about perching her flea market finds in the backseat of her car... artfully arranged so as to view their reflections throughout the car ride. I, for one, can really relate to that sentiment. For some of us there is a kinship to our finds. I often say that my collections find me. They call out as I walk the rows of a flea market, and settle into my mind as I mull over their price and my ability to purchase them. I identify myself as a collector... and I wonder so often about my collections. Have I brought items with a past together? Were some of my many items loved by a single person and then reunited by me after years and years? Who handcrafted these pieces and how does the spirit of the owner and maker live on in each piece?

Indeed, I know how much each item means to me. I have pictures in my head from the time I find it as to what I will do with it and how it will appear in my work. I have many items in duplicate and triplicate (we joke at the studio that there are "backups" and also "backups for the backups".) For me they are joyful and friendly and things that give me purpose, inspiration and ideas. I value them not just because of what they are and how they are used - but also for color, shape, texture, or what I might serve in them - and how I might display them.

Ki and I have really reviewed our collections, our props and favorite things to help us inspire the stories in Flea Market Style. ... not that I haven't gone out looking for fresh and additional inspiration because I have and do (its the way I validate my obsession as a JOB). But I do feel connected to these objects I collect. I have to, because they inspire and lead me to the end result which is an idea for you all to hopefully use and make your own.

In other words, it is likely that you will see me this fall with a yellow ware bowl, a wire basket and a vintage mirror all buckled into the back seat...all headed to their new, loving home.

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(blogged by Matthew Mead)

On Location...

I'm back in California after a 4 day whirlwind trip to the great Junk Bonanza. It is indeed all it's hyped up to be...full of junk treasures and wonderful people. Each day was filled to the brim with shoots, shopping, meetings and eatings.

Today I thought it might be nice to give you a glimpse of what it's like to be On Location. The glitz, the glamour and the reality! First I have to tell you what a delight Jenny Mead is. She has a great sense of humor and a terrific eye for styling and getting the perfect shot. I'm really looking forward to working with her on our shoot next week.

And on the other side of the coin....here's what it's like to work with the famous Matthew Mead.

As you can see by the photos, he is definitely a people person and works well with others. I've heard he can be quite demanding and difficult but as you can tell here he was charming and fun loving to work along side. Can't you tell?

Don't worry, he didn't make me cry and if you look closely you can see I am about to completely burst out laughing. Because in reality he really is funny, easy going, open to others' ideas, full of genius and downright engaging to be around. Just like I thought he would be.

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(blogged by Heather Bullard)

What a Bonanza!!

(This week will find a series of posts about all things Junk Bonanza, as they relate to the Flea Market Style team. Follow along, and you just might feel as though you were really there, too!!)

Night at the (not so) round table:

I'm back, we're back, and Ki Nassauer's Junk Bonanza, 2009, was a raging success! Not only did we shop from some of the most creative and talented vendors, but we also were able to gather the team and view the layouts of the magazine collectively and have a whole lot of fun while doing it. I cannot pinpoint exactly what my favourite part of my trip was; but if pressed, I would have to say that Friday night - going over the layouts and my feature - was a serious highlight! As I sat around the table with Ki, Matthew, Jenny, Stacey and Sarah, I was struck by the degree of talent sitting before me and just how much I really don't know about the process. I drank in as much information and observations as I possibly could and made a mental note to Google those terms that went completely over my head. I was fascinated by Stacey and the intuitive process she follows in her role as Art Director, and Sarah, of course, is an incredibly talented writer who has a visceral reaction to images and is quick on the draw to come up with an accompanying story. She probably felt my eyes boring into her with admiration as she so confidently shared her vision for each feature. Oh, and of course I hung on Ki's every word, especially because it was my first real time spent with her and I was just so interested in her every observation. Matthew deftly led the meeting with his usual aplomb and his long professional history as a magazine editor is so evident; and yet he is so open to everyone's suggestions and questions...even mine!! Jenny, whom I adore if you didn't already know, is like an encyclopedia of knowledge and helps organize everything while also being a great source to bounce ideas off with her own wealth of experience and knowledge. The most  amazing thing to me, was that while surrounded by this powerhouse of industry professionals, I felt totally included. I feel secure in the knowledge that I am working with a group of fun, smart people who value what I can offer to the group.

It was definitely a night to remember...

(all images taken at the Junk Bonanza)

Tag... Linda's It!!

I, Linda MacDonald,  have the esteemed (?) privelege of being the final Tag, You're It interview. I took the high road and refused to give in to that inner voice telling me I was the proverbial school-yard "last pick" (~sniff~). In fact, I am totally okay with it as I get to be interviewed by my friend Jenny Mead, the real boss over at Matthew Mead Productions, and Matthew's lovely wife (kidding Matthew! No I'm not, Jenny...).

As you might know by now, I am a typical blogger and have a whole lot to say most of the time; so I am still amazed that Jenny was able to pull any new material at all from me.

What's that saying about saving the best for last?

 Hah!!

And we're off:

Resourceful even as a child, I discovered a pool really can double as an ice rink!!

Q. Do you have a family recipe that was passed down to you?
A. Of course! My mum was/is not a baker, but she knows how to wield some dough - in the form of the best pancakes, the best Yorkshire Puddings, and (my favourite) Irish potato and soda bread that is fried up and served with bacon, eggs and beans...with HP sauce, always!! Very unhealthy, but always awaiting me when I come to visit!


Q. Is it true you fantasized about going on a date with my husband where you picnicked and antiqued? (only kidding)
A. Well yeah...until I was told he leaves his laundry lying around. Then the bubble burst!! hah!

Q. If you could have a professional organizer come to your home, which room would you have them reorganize?
A. Ummm, do you really need to ask this question? As you well know (after seeing it firsthand!), it is my garage. Basically we have too much stuff: seasonal decorations/accessories, tools...everything! My garage is a major embarrassment, and when my husband raises the garage door to work on projects, I die a little inside from shame! I can almost hear my neighbours tongues clucking...


Q. If you had a whole weekend to yourself what would you do?
A. Oh, that would be glorious! Never happens! But if it did...I would rent a movie that no one else would like or watch a whole day of HGTV, just to see the shows I never seem to catch. I would start and finish a good book. I would order in Chinese, have a super long soak in the tub (with my book!) and turn up Madonna or Rihanna really loud, dance around my kitchen and sing as though I can. I'd play a few games of Scrabble with a friend, revel in a clean house and catch up on my favourite blogs.
Then I'd get bored and lonely and start calling my family!

Q. What are your Thanksgiving rituals?
A. Being a Canadian, we are lucky enough to have our holiday in October, when the weather is still nice and the leaves are still on the trees. Thanksgiving is perhaps my favourite holiday because there are no gifts, no pressure...just a long weekend and turkey. We always have a pumpkin carving party and line all the pumpkins up on our porch in front of the kids and take a picture. When the kids were younger, we would take them to a local pumpkin farm, now closed :(  and corn maze after dinner. When we returned home, we'd eat dessert and then let the turkey drug kick in. The day after Thanksgiving, I bring out the Halloween decorations!!


Q. What is your favorite cookie recipe?
A. Hands down, a proper shortbread: hard, for dunking into my tea. I can feel myself gaining weight just thinking about them!


Q. Do you have a secret hiding place?
A. I wish! I often sneak out to our porch swing when the noise gets too loud inside...but they always find me.
(I am irresistable to them, apparently!)

Q. What is the strangest thing you have ever eaten for breakfast?
A. I can't eat as soon as I get up, so tea and toast around ten is perfect for me. When I was in high school, I used to catch the morning bus at a corner store. Sometimes I'd pop in and buy a bag of plain potato chips and eat them on the bus. I could get away with it then, but certainly not now!!

Q. What is your favorite ice cream flavor?
A. Mint chocolate-chip or vanilla. I don't like a whole lotta "stuff" in my ice cream. When I was pregnant, I would occasionally indulge in Haagen Daz' vanilla-chocolate-almond ice cream. That didn't turn out so well...

Q. If you accidentally dropped the Thanksgiving turkey on the kitchen floor, but it still looked good, would you feed it to your guests?
A. Yes. Absolutely. My floors are spotless! Three cats is NOT a problem. As for turkeys, the very first one I cooked, I left the bag with the "innards" (as I call them) inside. I think that is worse!

Q. Do you eat crackers in bed?
A. No. But I eat popcorn there...

Q. Are you more like Ernie or Burt?
A. Oh, I am definitely Ernie. Bert is a big nerd, and I am more dippy, like Ernie!

Q. Any guilty pleasures?????
A. Oh yeah...potato chips, fizzy wine, America's Next Top Model, Cake Boss and I read the tabloid rags while in line at the grocery store. Did I just admit to all that? Oh, and buying too many decorating magazines and never throwing any out is also a very bad idea...

Q. Who do you like better Matthew or Jenny?
A. Well, Matthew is great to bounce sarcastic humour off of and amazes me with his talent and generosity, while Jenny is a fellow coffee drinker and great ally, who shares many sensibilities with me. Both have magnetic personalites and I love them both!

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We hope you enjoyed our little game of tag, you're it and if anyone wants to play along, consider yourself tagged!!!

Stop by Monday for the first of the posts about what went on at the Junk Bonanza. We had a blast!!

Tag...Jenny`s It!

Nearing the end of our Tag, You're It series, Heather Bullard, Contributing Editor of Flea Market Style magazine is interviewing Jenny Mead - Matthew's wife - President/Project Coordinator of Matthew Mead Productions (and a talented photographer herself!). Jenny also has a wonderful sense of humor (with a dry bent, also!) and you will get a great sense of what the rest of us love about her through the answers to Heather`s questions:

Jenny, is this you?!

Q. What are some of your behind the scenes duties at MGM?
A. That is classified...

Q. What are your favorite things to photograph or feature?
A. Things that don't move. I have shaky hands. I would love to be really good at impromptu people shots, but I just haven't figured it out yet.

Q. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
A. Anywhere within driving distance of my children would make me happy. Right now, we are in New Hampshire, Renee is in Florida and Michelle is in Oregon. I hate it.
Or quintessential France would be nice...

Q. Are you a coffee drinker? If so, what kind; and if not, name your poison.
A. For some reason this question made me think of my childhood. We lived way way up in the country - the nearest place to get milk was 20 to 35 minutes away, depending if it was late or on a Sunday. My mom, who rarely drank coffee, had made herself a cup and realized we didn't have milk. Being a resourceful woman, she looked in the freezer for vanilla ice-cream and found only chocolate. Well, my obsession was born: CHOCOLATE AND COFFEE. I wake up for coffee. I don't like it strong, flavored, or with sugar.
My mother and father-in-law gave me a coffee maker that produces a perfect cup in literally one minute. I wake up, push a button, have coffee. Life is good...

Q. What is always in your fridge?
A. Ice cream, which must have some kind of chocolate in it. Oops, I guess that is the freezer, technically. Milk for coffee. Oh, and sometimes something sticky on the shelf...

Q. Do you have any hobbies?
A. There are many hobbies I would like to have. I have even purchased supplies, but..........

Q. Favorite vacation spot?
A. Quintessential Paris, hands down. That may be because I have never been to Ireland, England, Italy, Netherlands...........or our great national treasures....... I do believe I should see my own country first. America has so much diversity to offer us;  keeping that in mind, I would like to see our national parks out west.

Q. Favorite meal of the day...breakfast, lunch or dinner?
A. Breakfast, because it comes with coffee and makes me get up and going.

Q. What was your first job?
A. I was a bank teller in the days when there were ten windows and a teller in each one. I loved it.

Q. Do you have a favorite movie?
A. YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN!!!!! I remember when I first saw it at the drive-in with my mom, dad and sisters. A giant bag of home popped popcorn...yummmmm. I think I was in middle school then, though I could be wrong about that. We repeated that famous line "put the candle back" a million times.
As a follow up and a very close second, I love THE PINK PANTHER.
As you can see, I have a very sophisticated sense of humor...

Q. What would your dream house look like?
A. I have an old Country Home tucked in my bedside table that I haven't looked at for years. I remember flipping through its pages and seeing "the house". If the time ever comes where I can build what I want, I'd rush right up the stairs and instantly have the design and floor plan. I just can't remember what it looks like. It's perfect though...

Q. How did you and Matthew meet?
A. We were both working at a gift/floral shop. He once threw a pound of candy kisses at me and they hit me in the neck. He still swears he was tossing it to me...but I think he just wanted to kiss me!

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Next up, Jenny interviews Linda MacDonald (me!), the bonafide blogger who normally is a poor sport about playing along with tags, awards and the like! I am beginning to realize it`s actually kind of fun!!

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(blogged by Linda MacDonald)

Tag...Heather's It!

Our Tag, You're It series is proving to be a lot of fun (at least we are having fun!). Next up in the hot seat is Heather Bullard.
Sarah Egge, writer extraordinaire, is interviewing Heather... so with her writing resume, it had better be good!!

(Just kidding, Sarah!!)

That Heather...she always had a flair for style!!

Q. What wakes you up in the morning?
A. Usually my Boston Terrier, Bella. I rarely use an alarm clock because I'm an early bird.

Q. Favorite movie?
A. Oh man, this is hard. Probably The Holiday or any of the Bourne movies.

Q.  If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?
A. On a 50 acre farm near the ocean. This is a fantasy question right?



Q. Morning dove or night owl?
A.  A mix of both. But I function better in the am.



Q.  If you could be named anything else, what would it be?
A. Since it took me years to embrace my given name, I suppose I'll stick with it. But when I was a kid I wanted to be named anything that ended in "y" or "ly" or "sty". A child of the late 70's early 80's, can you tell?

Q.  Pets? Have one? Want one? Hate them?
A. See answer 1. And yes, I've always loved having pets.

Q. What is your best flea market memory?
A.  Too many to count here. But I'd say anytime I go home with a bargain or long sought after item makes for a great memory.


Q. Favorite flower?
A. David Austin's Abraham Darby. Intoxicatingly beautiful...


Q. Top dinner party guest (living or dead, celebrity or not)?
A. My Grandpa...I miss him terribly. Just him, nobody else compares.



Q. What’s always in your fridge?
A. Diet Coke, coffee creamer for The Man, tons of fruit, eggs and condiments. Lots and lots of unused condiments.

Q. What’s on your house’s wish list?
A. New french doors in the dining room, a remodel for one of the upstairs bathrooms, new flooring upstairs and a hen house for the backyard. Oh, and new paint in the living room. This list could be endless!

Q. What kind of shampoo do you use?
A. Pantene or Dove. Those giant bottles from Costco. I hate when they don't have the pumps because they are too big to hold.

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Thanks Heather and Sarah!

 Next up: Heather interviews Jenny Mead...and you're going to love her!!

(blogged by Linda MacDonald)

Tag... Sarah's It!!

Our next Tag, You're It victim  subject is Flea Market Style's Sarah Egge, Executive Editor/ Writer.

Stacey Willey, FMS Artistic Director, did a bang-up job interviewing Sarah with questions that showcase Sarah's wonderful dry wit. Sarah is a lot of fun, and I think you will all get that after reading her interview.

Here goes:

Stacey and her own "babies"...

Q. What do you collect?
A. Library fines. Oh yeah, you probably meant vintage stuff. I find pressed-glass goblets, galvanized-metal oil lanterns, and anything with owls or whales irresistible.


Q. What was your first flea market experience?
A. The What Cheer Flea Market in small-town Iowa. It was dusty, hot, and completely addicting.


Q. What is your favorite color?
A. Red.


Q. Do you have a favorite story you are working on for FMS?
A. Of course. All of them!


Q. What is better? Paint or wallpaper?
A. Paint, though some of the new wallpaper is really, really cool. I like modern style mixed with vintage homes, so I love the graphic patterns of appliqués and wallpaper. That said, I don't have any in my house.


Q. Do you prefer boxed lunches or brief fast food?
A. Taco Bell, baby. I have a terrible taste for junk.


Q. Do you prefer dogs or cats or both?
A. Dogs.


Q. What is your least favorite food and why?
A. Water Chestnuts. These tasteless, nutritionless discs are the devil's food, I tell you!


Q. What are you most likely to eat at your computer?
A. Dark chocolate. Though there are orange Doritos stains on a few keys right now.


Q. What household chore puts you over the edge?
A. Dusting. I prefer to wait until I can peel the dust off in sheets.


Q. If you could wear your favorite thing everyday what would it be?
A. Good fitting jeans, cowboy boots, a t-shirt, and a relaxed suede jacket.

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Next up, Sarah is set to interview a fellow Flea Market Style team member. Who will she put on the spot? Why, Heather Bullard, Contributing Editor for Flea Market Style. Watch for it!

(blogged by Linda MacDonald)

Tag...Stacey's It!!

Continuing on with our Tag, We're It! series, Matthew Mead slips into the interviewer's seat to "grill" Stacey Willey, Art Director for the new Flea Market Style magazine. Matthew has taken a bit of a quirky approach to some of his questions.
Hmmm...I think the questions we all ask tell just as much about the interviewer as the answers given by the interviewee!!

(Try saying that ten times quickly!)

 I think Stacey just won the cutest FMS baby award!!

Q. In the 1970's what color was your family refrigerator?
A. White. Everything was white. White walls, white appliances, white house, white vehicles. Which probably explains my fascination with color. I think I colored with crayons on many of the walls in my parents house...

Q. What is your least favorite food and why?
A. Water Chestnuts. Don't know why. Just don't like them.

Q. What are you most likely to eat at your computer?
A. Sweet Tarts.

Q. What household chore puts you over the edge?
A. Cleaning stainless steel appliances!


Q. If you could marry a muppet, which one would you chose and why?
A. The Swedish Chef. I loved that he could make a mean casserole using a tennis racket!

Q. What do you collect?
A. Baskets. Large, small, old and some new.

Q. What was your first flea market experience?
A. In Lineville, Iowa with my grandmother. I was about 5 and I remember her shopping for dishes. She loved (and still does), antique dish ware. I received my first mini tea set on this trip.

Q. Why did you want to design FMS?
A. The opportunity to work with Matthew and Ki - I knew Flea Market Style would be a fabulous project. I wanted to be a part of it.


Q. What is your favorite collectible?
A. Quilts. Not really a collectible, but I love the patterns, the colors - this is graphic design at it's best.

Q. How does vintage style inspire your work?
A. It's all so unique. I love the challenge that comes with designing for this style - some stories are beautiful and delicate while others are daring and bold. I react to the images when I design instead of having a set "magazine template" that the story has to fit into.



Q. What is your favorite color?
A. Not colors? You mean, one? Just one? Oh, I can't pick just one color. My home has 14 different paint colors! However, I am really into orange.... right now.


Q. Do you have a favorite story you are working on for FMS?
A. Again, one? Oh..that's tough. I would have to say my two favourites are from Ki and Matthew...but I can`t say anymore!!

Q. What are you looking to collect?
A. Dog books. I have a few from the early 50s. I would love to expand that collection. We love animals - we have two dogs and three cats - and lots of fur!

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Next up: Stacey interviews Sarah Egge, Flea Market Style`s Executive Editor/Writer.

And yes, Matthew always has a sense of fun!

Tag...Matthew's It!!

Our second interview in our Tag, You're It interview series has Ki interviewing Matthew Mead. Ki and Matthew are great friends, so she really chose some great questions to allow the rest of us to get to know Matthew better. Read on...

Baby Matthew...how cute is he?

Q. Do you dream and if so, what have you been dreaming about lately?

A. I dream a lot and all the time... both sleeping and awake. My most memorable dream was flying like superman through the mountains. It was free and exhilarating and so unforgettable. I also dream about walking on the beach with my feet in the water and the air temperature not hot, but warm and pleasant, and I just want the dream to go on and on forever with miles of rolling waves and sandy beach stretched out before me...

Q. Favorite magazine these days (until Flea Market Style is published!!):

A. I love Australian magazines... there is something so fresh and unexpected from the folks down under. Among my favorites are DONNA HAY and INSIDE OUT.

Q. Best subject in high school or college or extra-curricular activities:

A. Creative writing was my thing and I loved writing those Alfred Hitchcock type who-done-it short stories where someone gets murdered with a pork chop and the murderer cooks the pork chop and feeds it to the detective.

Q. What is your middle name?

A.Well it begins with a "G" which makes my initials MGM... think famous General and you've got it.

Q. What is your favorite cuisine?

A. I really enjoy all different types of foods and all kinds of influences and fusions from a multitude of cultures. But I would have to say that my favorite cuisine is Thai... it is so fresh and tasty with layers and layers of flavors... I had some last night and LOVED IT.

Q. Where would you visit if you had the chance?

A. In general an extended stay in Europe... specifically, the linen, ribbon, twine and string mills of France and Belgium.

Q. Are you a morning person or a night person?

A. Most definitely a morning person. I like to get a day's worth of work done before 9 a.m. so that I can really get the most out of my work hours.

Q. What did you want to be when you were little?

A. A magician. I wanted to make things appear out of nothing. I think I use that technique well in my work, especially when thinking up ideas for what might be in the hall closet or under the kitchen sink.

Q. Are you a cat or dog person?

A. I love cats and was always a cat person until I got a Yorkshire terrier, which is really the best of both worlds. His name is Oscar and he has personality PLUS.

Q. Any pet peeves?

A. I am very easy going and accepting of a lot of things - not confrontational - but I am spoiled, in that I like things to go my way. So when they don't... well, that's a peeve.

Q. Favorite pizza toppings?

A. The cheese... it must be tasty cheese or there is nothing else you can put on the pizza that can save it.

Q. How many tattoos do you have?

A. None and I think getting one would be too uncomfortable for me. I live by what my parents taught me: "don't break the factory seal unless it's life or death"!

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**I'm up for accompanying Matthew to a Minneapolis tattoo parlour this week to get a big FMS tattoo on his arm. Anyone else want to come? One stipulation: we can't tell his parents!! You coming, Jenny?

Up next, Matthew interviews Stacey Willey, Flea Market Style's Art Director!

(blogged by Linda MacDonald)

Tag, We're it!!

As we aim to respect many of the traditions of the blogging community (we've already had our first give-away, with more to come!), we decided to have a little fun and interview each other using the ever popular tagging game many of you already take part in. We decided to ask fairly random things about one another, aiming to get to know each other on a more personal level.

In essence, to see what makes us each... TICK!

Now, as we all know, most real interviews typically include a press shot. Well, that just sounds a bit dull, doesn't it? We like to have fun over here so we've decided to show ourselves off when we were still cute and adorable. Enjoy our trip down memory lane (or have a good laugh!).

(Ki, age ten)

First up at bat is Ki Nassauer, co-editor of Flea Market Style. Though I won't actually meet her face to face until this week, I already think the world of her. She is down-to-earth and kind; and you will like her even more after reading her honest (and sometimes funny!) answers to the questions I posed to her.

Q. What kind of car do you drive and why?

A. I don't . I drive a truck! I love my GMC pick up with trailer hitch. I can't imagine driving a car in my profession. You never know when you are going to run into a big load of cool junk!

 Q. As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A. I was a tomboy growing up. I physically matured later in life (I take that back... I never really did!), so I fit right in with the guys: skinny legs and arms and no boobs. I never became interested in Barbies and the typical pretty girl stuff. I took pride in climbing the rope in gym class faster than the boys and spent most of my time in the barn playing with horses. I don't think I ever really thought about the future...I certainly never imagined I would be hauling junk for a living!


Q. What is your least favourite element of your chosen career?
A. Cleaning raccoon poop out of an old cabinet that was rescued from a vacant and rundown home or shed. My favourite element of my job is rescuing that old cabinet...


Q. What makes you mad?
A. Lies, and people who pretend to be what they are not.


Q. What do you feel guilty about splurging on?
A. Wine. I go through phases when I only buy the really cheap wine to cut back on spending; and other times, I decide to treat myself to the good stuff. I always splurge on good coffee, but never feel guilty about that.

Q. What are you most proud of about yourself?
A. My children, and what wonderful human beings they have become. I know that is not about myself; but I'd like to think I had something to do with it. Also, I believe I have inspired a small group of women to be confident, pursue their dreams and never give up.

Q. Least favourite decorating style?
A. Ruffly, pinky, girly...bet you already guessed that!

Q. Do you have a favorite story you are working on for FMS?
A. Yes; it's a project-based story using a common hardworking object, found at flea markets, in several different ways. I wish I could tell you more, but then I'd give it away! It starts with an F...

Q. What was your first flea market experience?
A. Unlike a lot of junkers, my mom and dad never took me to flea markets. My mom preferred new, contemporary furnishings (I believe being able to afford new meant she had survived the poverty of her youth). I didn't start attending fleas until I started JunkMarket ten years ago. My very best flea market story is of how and when I met Tom Howland, the man who taught me most everything I know about flea market shopping... and a little something about life (Tom had a heart transplant just over a year ago and will be back at the Junk Bonanza this year as a vendor). My business partner and I were shopping the Kane County Flea Market in St. Charles, Illinois, and purchased more junk than we could get back to Minnesota in my vehicle and small trailer. We panicked. Then we remembered the really nice man with large hands and a charming southern drawl with the red truck and the gigantic trailer. We had chased him down earlier in the day to get our hands on the most amazing corbels resting in the back of that same red truck. Perhaps he would haul our stuff to Mn? Long story short: we trusted Tom with over $10,000 in antiques and junk and he drove it to MN a few days later. Tom and his wife Belinda have been dear friends ever since! You meet the nicest people junking...

Q. Which foods do you hate?
A. Broccoli, cauliflower and anchovies.

Q. Who is the most famous personality you have met?
A. Not sure if he is the most famous, but it was the most fun: American Idol, David Cook... backstage. My daughter surprised me with a trip to American Idol while I was visiting her in LA.

Q. What, if anything, is Ki short for?
A.  Ki is short for KiAnn. KiAnn Christen Brown was my maiden name. Folks often ask me where it came from. I wish I had a great story, but the truth is my mom and dad just made it up. All five kids have KCB initials. My mom claimed it made labeling stuff for summer camp easier. I have not heard of another KiAnn. I hated having a different name when I was younger, but now I know that when someone googles my name, I am a one and only!

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Ki was interviewed by me, Linda MacDonald.
Next up: Ki interviews Matthew Mead!

A Sneak Peak from Stacey!

Stacey Willey, our super-talented Art Director, is perhaps the most popular member of the team: in fact, Matthew and Ki liken her to Santa, because when an email from her pops into their mailbox, they know they are in for a real treat. There is nothing like opening a file to see a feature you have worked on come to life before your very eyes. It is new to me, of course, but Matthew and Ki tell me the feeling of excitement and anticipation never abates!

As busy as she is, Stacey has been generous enough to share a "Day in the Life of an Art Director", and not unlike Santa, allows us to peek at our present (the magazine) without giving it all away. Good things come to those who wait, and we all have to wait patiently for this one!!

Stacey's (Santa's) Workshop:

Stacey has done art direction and graphic design for some of the best known magazines in the industry. So, is it any wonder she also has great personal style, too? Check out her amazing office/work space. The art work alone speaks volumes about her artistic style and fun personality ( though I think the painting is of Matthew and his wife, Jenny!):

As Stacey explains: "My office floor...sometimes you can't even see it. It's covered with books, magazines, font ideas, color chips, pattern books, etc.... oh, and my little dog likes to hide under the books when the mood strikes!"

Here is Stacey's desk, where the magic takes place. Isn't she organized and tidy? I bet it's always like that, though she did say she tidied up first: "I had to take down the Cinderella stickers and Nemo drawings by little Claire. Or...maybe keep them up?  :-) Who says Nemo can't be inspiring? As Dory says in stressful times "Keep on swimming...keep on swimming..."

Now for the sneak peak of what Stacey likes to call...

 The Wall:

According to Stacey: "It's just the start of a wall, so not completely full. I am so anxious to see it totally covered with layouts!"

Now, read on to hear more about the artistic process of our wildly talented Art Director:

Stacey's design process:

1. 6:00 a.m. Get up early. Try to find sketch book buried in covers from previous night.

2. Brush teeth and shower before kids wake up.

3. Find sketch book. Can't make out what I was sketching last night. Try to remember my thoughts...
4. Kids wake up. Dress them. Brush teeth. Breakfast. Out the door to preschool and day care.
5. Drive to Caribou. Order a skinny mocha with an extra shot of chocolate. See a very cool poster hanging    in drive up. Try to figure out what font is used.
6. Drive back home. Wondering where I can get that font!
7. Boot up computer. Study sketches. Still trying to remember my thoughts from the previous night.
8. Dogs start to whine. Grab shoes and take them for a walk. Work off those additional 100 calories from that extra shot of chocolate.
9. Back at computer. Read through emails. Delete.
10. Stare at wall with layouts. What font was that again?
11. Design one layout. Don't like. Rework. Don't like.
12. Refill candy jar with sweet tarts. Snack while studying layouts.
13. Rework layout.
14. Run upstairs. Inhale lunch. Run back downstairs. I'm on to something here....
15. Study sketch book. Oh.... that may work...!
16. Nope. It doesn't.
17. It's Dektoria Pro. Purchase font. Play around with it. Don't like it.
18. Move on to another layout. Is it really 5:30 p.m.?
19. Pick up kids.
20. Dinner, baths, read books, tuck kiddos in bed. Kiss hubby goodnight.
21. Trot back downstairs.
22. Study wall with layouts. Sit down and start to design....
23. Now I am really cooking. 4 layouts down. 1 more to go.
24. Getting tired. It's almost midnight.
25. Fall asleep at computer. Wake up. Take one last look at my layout wall. Yay! I like it. Head upstairs feeling good, but a little tired.
26. Grab sketchbook. Start to doodle. Yeah, that may work tomorrow. Lemme just sketch that....

Stacey leaves us with one of her favorite quotes (from Storypeople):

"If you hold on to the handle, she said, it's easier to maintain the illusion of control. But it's more fun if you just let the wind carry you."

If you want to read more about Stacey, go here!

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Wasn't that fun?

And aren't you glad we didn't spoil the surprise?!!

(blogged by Linda MacDonald)

Another Give-Away!!

We Marketeers are a generous bunch. This time it is Matthew (with a little help from me!) who is doling out the treats.

(candy corn coronation is courtesy, Amy at One Day at a Time)

Head on over here to enter another great give-away!!

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(blogged by Linda MacDonald)

Halloween...He Said/She Said Style!!

While Matthew Mead is not known for being a scary kind of guy, he sure does like to try!! With the newly released second issue of Matthew Mead's Halloween - even bigger and better than last year's - Matthew will have you browsing through the grocery aisles, digging out the crafter's glue and imagining your Halloween decor in a whole new way!

Continuing with our He Said/She Said series, Matthew Mead and Sarah Egge - Executive Editor/Writer for Flea Market Style magazine and the writer behind Matthew Mead's Halloween - share their thoughts on all things Halloween...

He Said: It Takes a Team to Make it Scary...

My new Halloween magazine is out and once again it was a triumphant labor of love. It is always exciting when you see your ideas come to fruition and it is truly the result of a great deal of hard work and an excellent team. As always we had the tremendous support of Linda MacDonald of Restyled Home who does so much to perpetuate our brand through her amazing blog. And my dear friend, Sarah Egge - who wrote my special holiday issue back in 2007 and agreed to join the effort this year - turned in beautiful words to accompany my ideas and images. Each of us, including my two assistants "The Lisas' " as we call them (as they both have the same name) and Jenny (my wife), play intricate roles in bringing these projects to life... and I know as I speak for all of them that it is Sarah who made all of our lives very easy this year with her thoughtful and educated ways of writing about how to create our seasonal ideas. We all thank you for your "behind the scenes work", Sarah.

We are your biggest fans.

FYI: You can find the magazine on some newsstand checkout registers or on the shelves in the special magazine section of your grocery, pharmaceutical or home center. Also, please check out our very own free special downloadable templates on my web site: http://www.matthewmeadstyle.com/.

She Said: And It's Ghoulishly Good Fun...

I’m the first to admit, I’m not a Halloween kinda gal. Perhaps I overloaded as a child. Perhaps I was ruined as an adult when I dressed up and went to a party as “Cooter” from Dukes of Hazzard. It was not my - or anyone’s - best look.

But no one can get you in the spirit better than Matthew. After signing on to write his latest book featuring this mega-popular holiday, I was soon up to my eyeballs writing descriptions for, well, eyeballs made from wool felting, brains carved out of honeydew melon (that looked freakishly realistic), and delicious frog-green punch.

Matthew has a strong following of talented, skilled crafters, of course, but he also has a way of inspiring those of us who thought we needed a permit to have a glue gun. A big reason he and I work so well together is that I am constantly learning from him. I’m in the boat with all you readers discovering what the heck wool felting is, then saying, Oooh, isn’t this cool! The weekend after I wrote Matthew’s felted eyeballs story, my sister came to visit. I nearly ambushed her at the door with an old wool sweater and felting needles, determined to make a cool pillow. It worked! Of course it worked.

Because Matthew’s projects always work.

So thank you, Matthew, for the invitation to write for you, for praise that makes me blush, and for all the fun inspiration you’ve given me and thousands of others through the years. I popped 12 cups of popcorn one afternoon just to make sure a recipe would be written correctly, but for you, I’d pop 112.

(blogged by Linda MacDonald, with He Said/ She Said written by Matthew Mead and Sarah Egge)

A Stormy Photo Shoot...!!

Shooting a magazine on a budget means there is no room for do-overs, extending shoots into the next day, or rescheduling because of inclement weather. The deal is, we get what we get. On a recent dark as night morning amidst sheets of rain, you can imagine how worried I was as I drove to Elizabeth's (above) house for our photo shoot with Kim Cornelison. Thunderstorms were forecasted, with skies predicted to clear sometime in the afternoon.The promise of sometime would make all the difference in how many shots we could accomplish. Mind you, Kim is one of the very best in the business; so I trusted we would leave with incredible photos no matter what. The question was: would we get enough for our story?

Elizabeth and I had spent the previous day moving, rearranging and hanging - knowing that we would most likely redo everthing when Kim held her camera on it...and we were right! Despite the raging thunderstorm outside, Kim found great light from...somewhere. She truly is a magician!

Here is Kim, refeuling after working some of that magic!

Kim's husband, Alfie, manned the computer and downloaded as fast as Kim could get him images (we rewarded him with an able burger!).

Brent (below) kept busy helping Kim "find the light" and offering to give us a hand in the hanging department.

(I think he liked my pink Tomboy Tools screw gun.)

It's hard to believe it poured all morning judging from the pics I took during lunch break! Yep, the sun came out and we were elated that sometime came as early as it did! Thanks to a brilliant team we pulled off another great story for the magazine.

Cheers!

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(blogged by Ki Nassauer)