A Flea Market Style Halloween!

He Said: Whatcha Got Cookin'...?

I love food.

If I'm not buying it, cooking it or eating it, I am thinking about it. While it hasn't been the best thing for 30 years of weight issues, it is definitely part of what it means to savor life. As a child, I was plagued with horrible ear aches and sore throats; and while it did mean lots of cold, frosty drinks, my mother said that once the tonsils came out I couldn't stop putting food in my mouth! It's true, and I really haven't looked back.

When our kids were young, we made meals every night of the week - Sunday dinner type meals - and I figure I've peeled more potatoes than the Irish military! It was a small thing that I could do for my family, and very natural, as I truly believe I was born to cook. I may have gotten it from my great-grandmother who owned a restaurant in Swanzy, New Hampshire and people came come from miles around to eat her food. In the same way that I feel close to my flea market finds, I am definitely a genetic reproduction of my ancestors. I seem to just know what to do with things... it's innate and I relish every trip to the grocery store. The possibilities are infinite and that's how I roll (Parker House, in case you were wondering..).

Now I'm not always well loved for my food concoctions and sometimes my path to the final dish is muddled. My meal bloopers include a lunchtime treat for my wife that we called NOODLE HAM CHUNK which is still the root of much amusement for Jenny, and a chocolate pie I made for my sister using chex mix as the crust. Oh how could I forget a cocoa cake- like filling (laced with coconut) which I have never ever been able to replicate... I was 12 when I made it! I've dredged chicken cutlets in pancake batter - thinking I'd found a new way to make fried chicken (can you say heavy?). I've replaced Bechamel sauce in chicken divan with unflavored plain yogurt, all the time thinking "this thick creaminess will be delicious" (can you say bitter?) I've followed the directions on an unsweetened chocolate package - for a child who was desperate for brownies to take to school - only to discover that I had made just FUDGE. (can you say uncontrollable tears...hers, not mine?!) Still I am ever curious, willing to try new things, adventurous and interested. And, of course, ready with my spoon to taste (no double dipping, I swear).

Some of my concoctions do pay off... like this delicious breakfast casserole with apples and maple syrup

Now that our girls have been gone (for the last 4 years), I don't cook as much at home due to long days and a whole lot of cooking at work, but I still fantasize about dinner, what I might make and what foods might make great combinations for magazine stories or web sites. I'm maniacal about it; my assistant walks through the door at 9 am and I am eager to hear about what she roasted, grilled, sauteed or baked the night before... and I assure you by the end of the day I have already asked her several times what's on the menu for that night (she thinks I'm a freak). True to my nature, I've had many assistants over the years and they've all endured the quizzing.

When I met Linda MacDonald - from the fabulous Restyled Home blog and now a compatriot in the FMS magazine - I instantly felt connected to her very traditional values and attentiveness to a proper meal time with all her family in attendance. It was a real hook for me in our friendship, and having read about her culinary feats on her blog (she has magical menus that inspire her husband to complete renovation projects) I knew that she would be a great new source of inspiration. After all, her Canadian-ness was downright international and I knew that it would be a source of fresh and flavorful fare. So, what came next? A simple e-mail everyday: sometimes I fill out only the subject line and send it with great anticipation of what delectable menu will fill my mailbox and what new ideas I might glean. I liken it to Breakfast at Tiffany's when Holly Golightly gives the weather report to Sallie Tomato at Sing Sing. Linda didn't get the parallel, but then she hasn't seen the movie. Now I sometimes get messages out of the blue with a "just in case you were wondering, (nah-nah, nah- nah) I've prepared a pork roast with two kinds of potatoes (carbo loaders, I say!) and coconut cream pie for dessert." These can come on particularly long days for me when rolling out a Pillsbury prepared pie crust would be way too much effort. But that's okay; we both get something out of it.

I feed my mind and she gets to brag.

My first culinary success? A jelly roll I made during summer vacation at age eleven... who's bragging now?

We dined with the MacDonalds several times during our visit this summer, and while the ice tea seemed like a complicated request (though there may have been some nerves with the author of ENTERTAINING SIMPLE in the house ) Linda made a mean seafood chowder (there must have been the meat of twelve lobsters in there) and a deliciously decadent Mulligitawny soup. Both were so memorable it's as though I've consumed them over and over again in my mind. Oh, and did I leave out the biscuits? Pure genius...and kudos to her husband, Paul, who made them.

From time to time I will send Linda an idea I've been working on, and while I have some national clout in food preparation, it's not always enough to sway her to try something different (you might have guessed she passed on trying out my cheeseburger soup recipe). That's okay; I've got things to try and she's got chicken to dredge in pancake batter (I never did tell her that one didn't work out...)!

If you're so inclined, post a comment and let us know what you've been cooking up in your kitchen! A deliciously detailed menu will be just fine!

***(blogged by Matthew Mead)

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To hear Linda's take on the topic, head on over to her blog for the She Said alternative entitled, On the Menu.

Turning Roses into Money...Flea Market Style!

When Jenny and I first met, we had absolutely zero money. Zip, nothing, nada... nothing in the bank, nothing stuffed in the mattress, nothing in the change jar... nothing. I learned at this time what could be purchased in lieu of groceries at the gas station and employed our gas card many times to put dinner on the table. We had few pasttimes other than cleaning the fridge and reorganizing the cupboards, but I did convince her to go to the flea market on Sunday's. Many times I would go to sell things I had collected and maybe pick up something new with the proceeds (that is when I could convince her that we could make some money on our purchases through sales to other dealers).

Each fall, my parents would rent a house on Nantucket for a week. Jenny,the kids and I would travel down for a long weekend and enjoy (at their expense) a bit of island respite. The great thing about the island - other than everything - is that the downtown is dotted with quaint shops that sell all kinds of antiques and home furnishings; and,in the year prior, I had made a contact with a woman who sold romantic antiques (this was what I called it pre-shabby chic) and was looking for oil paintings of roses.

The weekend before our Nantucket trip, we went to one of my favorite flea markets (Howland's in Amherst, NH. -  it was awesome and no longer exists...replaced by a Walmart). We found a few small items, but I was really searching for rose paintings to take with us to sell to the shop owner. On this trip, we found a beautiful oil painting of a single rose. It was an oil rendition in pink, on a brown background, with a hideous white frame (that looked like it came with the Sears brand Provencal "little girl" bedroom set). We purchased it for $10.00  - which was probably slated to help pay for the ferry ride - and I convinced Jenny that we would more than double our money. I pried the canvas from the frame and discarded it immediately. Aah...a work of art in its simple glory.

Now, no one was happy to carry the booty on to the boat, but I told them it was for our benefit and we would have profits to show for the extra effort. The next day I would take the painting, and a few others I had collected over the years, and meet the shop owner to sell and collect a tidy profit. In the meantime, we would soak up the autumn island beauty, azure sky and all.

Upon our arrival, I made the call to the shop, set a time to meet, and found out quite abruptly that the owner would only take consignment...so much for the tidy profit to defray our costs and maybe get us started on some pre-holiday shopping at some of the shops! BUMMER! I left the painting with the shop owner, and held my head low for having let Jenny down. As I explained the situation to her, I got a firm and admonishing, "I told you so!"

We made it through the trip - I mean really, we were on Nantucket with my parents who are probably the most generous people I know (so don't feel sorry for me) - and we had a fabulous time and there was, indeed, a silver lining. Several weeks passed and I got a check for the frameless canvas of the pink rose on the brown background). That check was for $450.00, which is many percentages higher than doubling our money (I'm creative, not mathematical, so my figuring out that percentage is not going to happen). It came in the nick of time, with many bills accumulating, and I knew I had to do something with the money that would be memorable and impactful. I cashed the check and asked for only  $1. and $5 denominations and took that money home to our tiny apartment (our bed was in the living room... don't feel bad, though, it had a fireplace and crown molding) and spread it out all over the bed. When we got home, the lights were out and I lingered in the mud room til Jenny turned on the light and laughed with joy and glee. Of course she had no idea of the amount that was piled before her... but knew that it was much needed no matter the amount and was thrilled to discover its lineage (score!). And I was able to pat myself on the back for one thing that went right. We've never forgotten what the flea market has afforded us throughout the years... it is an infinity pool of inspiration, friendship, ideas, exchange and sometimes cash. It has led me to people like Ki, Sarah, Stacey, Linda and of course, JENNY, and it continues to reveal more and more about life and myself. And if you are ever looking to make an impactful and memorable moment out of cash no matter what the amount, get small bills and spread it over your sleeping spot.

 DESIGN TIP: It takes a lot of bills to make a KING-SIZED BED look covered!

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(blogged by Matthew Mead)

Shopping With Ki..

Since we are sharing behind-the-scenes stories, I thought I’d share mine about what it is like to shop with Ki Nassauer.

Now, I must start out by saying that this is a dream of mine. I’d been reading Ki’s column in Country Home for many, many years. I was one of the first members of the American Junk Club, and am an all-around Ki “wannabe”. Out of the blue a few years ago, I emailed her and suggested that she come to shop at a local flea market near my town. After getting to know Ki over the last year, she finally took me up on my offer.

Well, it just so happened that our jaunt to the flea market was scheduled at the exact same time that Flea Market Style was given the green light. So, our little shopping trip turned into a full feature for the magazine (insert happy dance here). My son happens to be a photographer, so we dragged him along on our little trip to photo document it all for the magazine.
Yep, I’m just a little bit proud!

The first thing you need to know about Ki is that she NEEDS her coffee, and is rarely seen without a coffee cup in her hands.

She is also a perfectionist, and this became evident during the picture- taking portion.

Ki also loves dogs, and any puppy in her path required a stop - to rub bellies, ears, and talk a little baby talk before shopping could continue.

Not to mention the autograph signing and chatting with her fun and wonderful fans:

Full of fun, Ki is never too busy to cut up and act silly with vendors and/or their more eclectic wares...

Back to shopping: Ki is a pro; she knows what she wants pictures of,  knows how she wants it to look, and that is her focus. But she also loves to visit with the vendors - which is necessary when you are writing a story about a flea market and its vendors. I, on the other hand, am a power shopper! I am used to covering lots of ground in the shortest amount of time, with my sights on the finish line. No stopping to smell the roses for me! But knowing that I was a tour guide, I toned it down and let Ki set the pace. Good thing too... but there was so much ground we didn’t even get to cover!

So we shopped, visited, partied, ate, and took lots of pictures which you will see when the magazine comes out. I think you’ll be very impressed with the beautiful shots and wonderful junk we found, and with the vendors we got to know.

On an side note, we did not get all the shots we wanted on that day. So, Ki nicely asked me to return the following month with my son in tow, and get a few more specific shots. “Oh” she said, “and be sure you are wearing the same clothes.” So I happily wore the same shirt, necklace, earrings etc.jj so it would look like it was the same day. How will you be able to tell??? We’ll I’ll give you one hint. In one of the magazine photos, be sure to get a good look at my roots. I had about a month’s growth on my hair since it had been last colored.

Oops!

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(blogged by Margo Arrick)

An Update and a Winner!

Matthew and Jenny send along their gratitude for all the support, prayers and encouragement sent their way. According to Matthew, Oscar made great strides today in his recuperation... walking, jogging and eating. He will be coming home this evening and they will be so thrilled to have him back. Matthew also sent along this collage of  Oscar from a photo shoot of Oscar last year:

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Now, another thank you is coming everyone's way for joining our first ever blog party! We were so thrilled so many of you took part, and we have tried to get around to as many posts as we can but, boy, there sure are a lot of you and your talent and creativity is boundless!! As promised, we drew a name for the winner of the coffee bean bag from Ki's Junk Revolution store.

Enough already, you say?!

Okay.

The winner of the bag is.............

Jaime of Modern Country!!

Congrats Jaime! Please send me your contact info and address so we can send your prize out to you!!

Many of my junk projects never make it to the photo studio. I am pretty fussy about my creations and have been labeled by my fellow marketeers as "particular", along with other less complimentary descriptions. Corners have to line up, finishes have to adhere properly, and above all, the project has to work when readers recreate it at home. I am into T & E: trial and error.

I was working on a paper junk story this past weekend, and things didn't go so well. Our kitchen was strewn with old books, decoupage materials, a paper cutter, tape, glue, drill, scissors...you get the picture. My idea was to jazz up the lampshade from our bedroom, beginning with some old book pages. Sounds simple, right? You would think so; however, after a few hours of trying to smooth the bubbles out of the pages I decoupaged to the shade, I gave up. I even called my daughter in CA for her advice (she spent her entire high school career decoupaging magazine ads to shoe boxes and cards), to no avail. I realized at some point one just has to throw in the towel. To prevent completely destroying the lampshade, I figured I must carefully remove the bubbly pages and somehow revive the shade.

As I began the removal process, I realized it wasn't all coming off. I took a second look at my demolished lampshade. Not so bad...or is it? I put it back on the lamp and my husband hasn't commented. Not sure if he has even noticed it is different! I hear most husbands are like that....

Obviously the shade project didn't make it to Matthew to be photographed!

I consider it a real Blooper!

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(blogged by Ki)

In Support of Oscar...

Just as attending a flea market on Sunday morning is a necessity... so is the companionship of a dog. I am a dog convert. Indeed, I was always a cat person until my very special rescue cat died of a brain tumor over 8 years ago. I had never before known a cat that would meet me at the door or eagerly sit in my lap, or curl up just as close as possible when I went to sleep. Losing him left an amazing hole in my life, and although I have had other pets, I never thought I would find that same friendship again.

Enter Oscar:

Six years ago, when my eldest step daughter went off to college, I gifted Jenny with a six-month-old Yorkshire terrier named Oscar. I had read a great deal about the breed, and my hope was that our new Yorkie would attach himself to Jenny and fill the void left by Michelle's departure. What I wasn't prepared for, was how Oscar and I  bonded (especially at meal time) and how the sound of his feet wherever I went brought me such joy. He has since become my best friend and constant companion, and he follows me from room to room - whether at home or the studio.

About 10 weeks ago, Oscar began having a great deal of pain and we thought it was joint pain from something like Lyme disease. He began a varied course of medicines in the hope that he would bounce back quickly. Needless to say, that didn't happen; and now 4 veterinarians later, he has been diagnosed with deteriorating disc disease and must face surgery to remove the deflated cushions in his spine and fuse the open spaces left behind in order to take away his pain and restore him to his usual personality (which has been spotty at best). The surgery takes place today (Tuesday) at the esteemed Angell Memorial Animal Hospital in Boston. It has been a hard ten weeks, and this coming week - and the ones in the future months - promises to be long and stressful. So, it is necessary for me to ask this great community to lend their positive energy, their love and prayers and send them Oscar's way this week, and for the next few months, as he undergoes the surgery and recovery to find his way back to comfort and good health. This request makes me feel like I am actively doing something to help him... something that will lend him some levity as he and I both deal with his recovery.

Like everything, this is not without risk; and as I watch him resting, I hope and pray that this course is indeed the right one for my best buddy. Thank you in advance for the prayers and positive energy.

~ Matthew~

Join the "I'm a Flea Marketeer Party"!

Woohoo! It's our first ever blog party and we are all really hoping our invited guests show up! For those who haven't been following along, today is the day you can share your favourite flea market/thrift shop/yard sale treasure with us and give us all a peek!

If you have a favourite treasure to share with us on your blog, please add your link below. Perhaps it's a favourite flea market find from days gone by, or maybe you just snagged it this past weekend. Either way, we want to see it! And, like every good blog party hosted by MckLinky, there are a few rules to make sure things run smoothly:

1.Add the permalink to the specific blog post, not your general blog address.

2.Link back to the party from your post so that your readers can come and see what you are sharing today!

3.Please visit as many of the other participants as possible and leave comments. That’s what a blog party is all about! We'll be around, too, checking out everyone's finds!

4.Double-check to make sure your link works and goes to the right page so it doesn’t get deleted!

Because it is our first party, we are launching it with a big old party favour, give-away style. So, if you link up to our party, consider yourself entered to win this, courtesy of Ki:

Coffee Bean Bag:

Made from recycled coffee bean bags exclusively for Junk Revolution

Black or brown graphic lettering on burlap

Lined with durable cotton fabric

Snap closure, small open pocket inside

Cotton web handles

10" T x 10" W x 3" DP

And, of course, if you tweet on Twitter or post about the party on Facebook, you will earn yourself another entry!

But enough about that! It's time to play show and tell, so please join the party below!!

Decorating for Halloween...Flea Market Style

(image source: The Graphics Fairy)

Fifteen more days. That's all we have until all of the little ghosts and goblins show up at our doors begging for candy. Some of us are Halloween crazy (Matthew) and some not as much (Ki), but all of us make some nod to the holiday, and of course we do it flea market style.

Halloween, done Ki's way:

And Matthew's:

And a little from me:

When at the Junk Bonanza in September, there was a respectable amount of Halloween decor and I was amazed by the creative pieces of vintage Halloween I found.

Here are some examples:

If you look closely, you will see that the lockers are labelled Bates and Goodwin, and the jack O' Lantern is actually a painted vintage globe.

And a beautiful Halloween shadow box. Wouldn't that be fun to make?

Now, I asked my fellow Flea Marketeers to tell me what their favourite vintage Halloween decoration is that they own, and they responded in kind:

Ki: "My fave is a giant black rubber spider with red eyes and bumps all over. It is about the size of a large hand and has come out of hiding every Halloween since the kids were small. The first year, I made it a spider web from white clothesline that covered my entire kitchen ceiling. Creepy! I spent days trying to figure out the correct design for the web and appropriate installation. We planned a big bash at our house for neighbors and friends, but it snowed 2 feet and only one family showed up...on snowmobiles!"

Sarah: "Honestly, my favorite Halloween decorations are good old-fashioned pumpkins, whether they are the funky bluish heirlooms or the warty gourds or the basic orange fellows. And I love to pile the little ones in my window box."

Matthew: "My favorite is a vintage "black cat" planter. I alternately place flowers inside it or candy. It is a real treasure!"

Jenny: "Hands down, I love the vintage paper articulated skeleton that we have and hang on the inside of our front door. He is so charming and adorable...he's definitely my favourite!"

Stacey: "I own several vintage halloween postcards. I love the art and colors! I hang them on a cord with clips in my dining room this time of year."

Heather: "I don't own very many Halloween decorations because I prefer to decorate for the autumn season. My favorite vintage piece would be any of my antique wooden dough bowls. They're perfect to fill with gourds, pumpkins, branches and berries and create a natural centerpiece for any table."

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Now, don't forget our I'm a Flea Marketeer  party (via Mr. Linky) is on Monday. Remember to get your posts ready showing your most recent or favourite flea market/yard sale/thrift shop finds. We can't wait to see what our talented readers discover on their flea market travels!

My Name is Ki, and I'm Just Looking!

I know I am not the only junker that enjoys a stroll down the plumbing supply aisle. Whether I am shopping a large home improvement center or my local hardware store, there is nothing like a little galvanized metal to ignite a blast of inspiration! I usually have a box full of vintage finds in my cart and my mission is to find the perfect connector, adhesive or tool to make my project become reality.

I get a few odd looks and roll of the eyes when I pull out my curious looking stash and explain my plan. They asked, didn't they? A few clerks see my request as a challenge, and end up walking me through the entire store to find the solution to my project. Others simply give me a blank stare and point to aisle 18. Over time, I have memorized the floor plans of most of my favorite haunts and often find myself directing customers to the appropriate areas. Sometimes I think I should whip out a My name is Ki badge and ask, "May I help you find something?"

I always appreciate the salesperson who commits to my junk quest and is willing to open little baggies of hardware along the way to find  just the right size...(I would never feel comfortable doing that on my own, of course!) We usually leave quite a trail of opened bags and loose parts along the way.

I also have to be very careful not to plop my soon-to-be purchases in my box-o'-junk. I don't want to be mistaken for a shoplifter! It's a junkers dilemma: those steel shopping carts don't seem to be equipped to handle all the little baggies, especially the opened ones...

I often think I must appear suspicious, as I spend much of my time researching new products and hardware that might just be the missing link for upcoming projects. That's when I desire to be left alone to slowly digest what the plumbing, electrical, and hardware aisles have to offer. I have actually been known to spend hours browsing.

And if approached by a clerk when I'm in this trouble-shooting mode, you'll be sure to hear, "No thanks, I am just looking...really!"

Now, please tell me I'm not crazy, and that you, too, are attracted to things like hammered metal paint, wire nuts, and broom handles?!.

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blogged by Ki

Let's have a Party!!

Okay. We have done the give-aways and played a game of tag, you're it or two, so now we have to complete our initation into the blogsophere by way of a good old-fashioned Mr. Linky party!! Considering the essence of our blog is showcasing Flea Market Style, we have decided we would love to see your treasures from flea markets, tag sales, yard-saling, and thrift shops. Because we flea marketeers tend to do the bulk of our thrifting on the weekend, why not have a show and tell Monday each week to share our finds?! Recently acquired or long-time loves, we want to see it all! All week long, I will be encouraging, nagging, and reminding you to get your posts ready for next Monday's inaugural I'm a Flea Marketeer party! So consider yourself warned: crack open that vintage piggy bank and take your pennies to the flea market et al. next weekend.

It's our party and you can come if you want to!! 

 Won't you please?

R.S.V.P below...after all, there just might be a door prize or two!

Deadlines and New Beginnings...

It has been a busy week in the Egge household, and not just because I’m careening into a deadline for Flea Market Style. We’re due to show our publishing company a fistful of stories at the end of the week (Eek! That’s today!) and I am trying to get the copy edited, and, in one case, written from scratch.

We’re also trying to buy a new house. After experiencing some growing pains in our lovely bungalow, we spied a two-story Prairie-style craftsman with 1 ½ more bathrooms than we have now. I know moving is a part of life, and I guess I thought someday we’d leave our first nest, but the reality of dislodging our family from this cozy spot has my emotions swinging from excited to fearful and back to excited in the course of about a minute.

I was talking things over with my sister the other day—as you have to do when you have a great sister—and she was filling me in on her crazy-busy life. We both agreed that our work keeps our rudders in the water when other things in life have us zipping this way and that. I’m grateful for this Friday deadline with the magazine. Even when it’s late at night and I cannot for the life of me think of another way to say “vintage,” (suggestions anyone?) it’s wonderful to have something stable and meaningful in which to engage my mind.

Yesterday, I wrote the story about Matthew’s creative ways to display cupcakes. He’s calling it Stand & Deliver (he has an amazing gift with titles, by the way. Bet you didn’t know that about him.).

 I am grateful I can steady my emotions by sinking my teeth into a sweet treat of a story.

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Blogged by Sarah Egge

Behind the Scenes with Heather

I just finished producing a house story with the talented Jenny Mead. She tackled the overall room shots and I did the styling and photographed the detail shots. Dividing the duties made for great teamwork and I'm sure will provide plenty of beautiful images for the magazine. This time I remembered to take a few photos to show you what it really looks like when you're doing a house shoot.

In order to get gorgeous shots you practically have to turn a house upside down. Bathroom things end up in the dining room, kitchen items are moved to the front porch, cabinets are unloaded and then restyled to look as though they were always that way.

Doors are removed from their hinges, rooms that aren't being shot end up being piled high with unused accessories, bags of groceries and buckets of flowers are moved from room to room until they find their perfect spot, and a makeshift studio/office springs up on the homeowners dining room table all for the sake of a gorgeous story.

In the end, items are returned to their proper place (hopefully) and the result of all the magic appears months later as the "pristine" looking rooms you see gracing the pages of your favorite magazine. Including ours this Spring! So the next time you admire a "perfect" room you can remember what it looks like in real life behind the scenes!

I bet after reading this post, many of you are thinking...."Note to self: Don't invite Heather over". And really, I don't blame you. I can make a real mess while making things look beautiful.

Thanks so much for all your continued support and excitement over the magazine. Reading your well wishes and kind comments is like icing on the cake!

A Winner!!

Well, we had a great response to out Tomboy Tools pink toolbelt give-away! Some of you tweeted, Facebooked and posted about the give-away and earned yourself double entries. Thank you for spreading the word and for supporting us in our wish to bring you all a magazine that we are proud of and that you will all enjoy. We have all been busy in our various roles. Matthew has been busy shooting a feature for Ki, Ki is working on her own projects for the magazine, Jenny just shot an amazing feature and Heather helped out by styling it. Sarah and Stacey have been busy doing what they do best: writing and layouts, which is no small job! I have been working on wrapping up my feature, and I was lucky enough to have a sneak peek at the layout for it. To say I was thrilled is an understatement: thanks Matthew and Stacey!!

Now, on to the important stuff: revealing the give-away winner:

Congratulations to Spencer, at Bellamere Cottage !!

Spencer, I bet you will look so smart in your new toolbelt. Be sure to post a photo of you wearing it!

To everyone else: please watch for more give-aways of other great products in the near future!

Bits and Bobs...

It occurred to me that I never played show and tell with you to share what I bought at the Bonanza. Let me be clear: I left my heart in Minneapolis with a variety of amazing finds that I could not fit into my suitcase, nor afford to ship home.

~Sigh~

Still, I can't whine too much as I did manage to score something I have been looking for a long time, a vintage typewriter:

I also had so much fun buying bits of ephemera and these adorable little kitchen implements that are heading straight for my daughter's playhouse!

I just had to have this canning tool which I had seen Ki use as a wine bottle holder:

The pumpkin is made from old candlewick bedding, and I love its softer shade of orange.

Anyone who knows me, knows I love pom-pom fringe. When Matthew saw my purchase, he called them "dingle balls".

I think I prefer the pompom term much better...

Dingle balls just has a really funny connotation, you know?

I bought this vintage rack and these flash cards to remind me to be a fun mother from time to time...keep me on the not-so-straight-and-narrow:

What did I really want but couldn't bring home? Well, you will just have to buy the magazine to see it...and the favorite objects of everyone on the FMS team.  I can't wait for everyone to see what we have been working on! This magazine will not disappoint!!

Don't forget to enter our give-away. See what is up for grabs and enter to win here!

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(Blogged by Linda MacDonald)

Tools for Tomboys...and a Give-away!

Ki Nassauer is a junker who isn't afraid to wield a power tool. She has spoken before of her tomboy moniker as a child, and is ready, willing and capable to jump in head first and tackle a challenging piece of junk. But that doesn't mean she has to shun her softer side. In fact, Ki is a huge fan of Tomboy Tools and their great line of tools for women who aren't afraid of a little torque. If that describes you, then you will be happy to know that Tomboy Tools has partnered up with Flea Market Style to offer a give-away that straddles the perfect balance of femininity meets Tool Girl Power.

You like?

Here are the details:

•High quality leather tool belt

•Cell phone holder

•Fits 28" to 50" waist

If you want to win this perfect example of pink functionality, leave a comment below. If you want to up your odds of winning, you know the "drill": blog, tweet, or facebook about the give-away and leave us a comment letting us know. You have until Tuesday at midnight to enter, and we will announce the winner on Wednesday morning.

Girl, get your toolbelt on! But if it's a TomBoy toolbelt, Ki has a warning for you: sometimes the big boys try to steal her pink Tomboy tools...so hold on tight to yours! If you want to see the rest of their tool corral, head on over and start shopping...because even TomBoys like to shop!

Don't forget to enter!!