Team Profile: Karla Cunningham!

Our Flea Market Style team profiles continue with today's installment on Karla Cunningham!

Seamstress and horsewoman extraordinaire, Karla is one of the talented gals who turn the FMS project ideas into reality, one stitch at a time!

Here's a peek at her uber-organized workroom. Aren't you covetous?!

Karla's smile and her great sense of humor light up any room she graces! Without further adieu, here's Karla!

HOME BASE: Ocala, Florida

FMS JOB: "Go to person when a sewing/idea project needs to be sewn yesterday for the magazine."

DAY JOB: "Multi-taskmaster of the house, husband, flower gardens, stable, animals and two Etsy shops -- Blue Gate Vintage and Remixed Stitches."

ALTER EGO: "Hmmm. Has to be my sister, Ki. Where does she get all those ideas??"

"FROM": "Raised in Minnesota, raised my children in Florida, spent 10 years in Michigan and back now to Florida to retire."

DREAM JOB: "Lucky to have had two! #1. I worked as a visual merchandiser in an upscale casual clothing/bedding store where I had lots of vintage props to use (my first exposure to “junk”). #2. I worked 6 years part time in an exclusive chocolate shop ( where I gained 10 pounds and acquired a love for all things chocolate!)"

BEDSIDE READING: "Favorite authors are John Sanford, Randy Wayne White, Stuart Woods, Robert Parker, to name a few. No bedside book for me, I’d never get any sleep….Once I start a book, nothing, and I mean nothing, gets done until I’ve finished the book."

IF THE HOUSE WERE ON FIRE: "First I’d make sure the husband and animals were safe, then I’d grab my computer and jewelry that was passed down to me from my mother and grandmother."

CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT: "Chocolate, family and sunshine ( in no particular order)."

PERFECT DAY: "Sunshine + cool breeze + lake/ocean/river + quiet = perfect day."

ON THE iPOD: "LOL, I’m just happy to finally have gotten high-speed internet and a laptop! Country living can be a bit behind the times."

FAMILY: "DBH -- Dearly Beloved Husband and thirty-something sons Matt, who lives in Australia, and Mike, who lives on a sailboat in Southern Florida (whom I'm very proud of!)"

PETS: "All adopted and re-homed forever. Oliver, our 16 year old cat; Zan, (my son Matthew's 12 year old cat; Mia, our six pound Toy Fox Terrier ( ruler of the cats); and Fillip, my Oldenburg horse that I ride."

COMFORTABLE CLOTHES: "Loose non-designer jeans + Junk Bonanza T-shirt + slip-on shoes + big straw sun hat = comfy outfit!"

WILL NEVER BE FOUND: "To say 'never' !!! When I moved to Florida from Minnesota I said 'I would never live in the cold again.' Well, I remarried and I ended up living in Michigan for 10 years. Brrrrrrrrr. Lesson learned is never to say never to anything!"

STARTS THE DAY: "With 8 hours of sleep, caffeine via a Diet Coke/Pepsi (which usually lasts all day) and a breakfast of protein and carbs."

ENDS THE DAY: "Exhausted."

GUILTY PLEASURE: Ice cream and chocolate

NEVER LEAVES THE HOUSE WITHOUT: "My shoes on."

FAVORITE JUNKING HAUNTS: "Currently the local metal salvage yard and the Mt. Dora Flea Market. Sewing haunt would be S.R Harris in Minnesota. (Ki promises to take me to the LA fabric district if I ever visit). Always open to new fabric places and junk adventures."

BEST ADVICE: "Don't clutter up your life with 'stuff' and new isn’t necessarily better. Look to the past for items that can be recycled and repurposed to give new life. Oops that’s two pieces of advice."

Want to read more of Karla's musings? Check out her blog, Remixed Stitches!

And stay tuned for more profiles and behind-the-scenes stories as we count down to the spring issue!

Kim

Our Best to You!

Wishing you

all the wonder of the season

as you share and create memories with friends and family.

Wishing you

wonderful celebrations in Flea Market Style!

Ki, Stacey, Christine, Margo, Kim, Tim and Cammie

Team Profile: Margo Arrick!

We're counting down the days to the latest edition of Flea Market Style! To help you better know the folks behind it, we're sharing a weekly profile. Today, for your reading enjoyment, meet Margo Arrick!

Margo with her husband, "Mr. Roboto," and grown sons Allen and Alex.

FMS JOB: Behind-the-scenes gal Friday. Maintains blog, answers
 emails, sounding board for ideas.
BLOGS: about DIY projects and flea market adventures at
 Margo's Junkin Journal.
HOME BASE: East Texas
"DAY JOB": "In business with my  husband. We own a small
 electronics company that produces electronic music synthesizers
 and small-scale robotics."
ALTER EGO: "I'd be someone who can pull off the latest fashion
 trends, and not look like
 an absolute fool. Until then, I'll stick to
the T's and jeans."
"FROM": "I wasn't born in Texas but I got here as fast as I could!"
DREAM JOB: Prop buyer for movies and television
ON THE BEDSIDE TABLE: Flea Market Style Magazine
WOULD SAVE IF THE HOUSE WERE ON FIRE: "My dogs,
 my photos, computer and quilts."
CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT: Chapstick, chocolate, and family
THE PERFECT DAY: "Wake up without an alarm to an already
 clean house and no responsibilities; then shop flea markets
 in 70 degree weather without getting tired."
PETS: "Three geriatric rescue dogs. Greyhounds Gigi and Lisa and Rikku, a mixed breed."
NEVER WILL BE FOUND: "Shopping  on Rodeo Drive."
STARTS THE MORNING: with a shower
ENDS THE DAY: with prayer
GUILTY PLEASURE: Naps
FAVORITE JUNKING HAUNT:  "Wherever I am :)  No, really,
 I'm blessed to live near First Monday Trade Days in Canton, Texas.
 Other than that I love a good garage sale."
BEST ADVICE: "Quit taking things so seriously, Live and let live
 and be good to each other."
NO ONE WOULD GUESS: "I can recite all the states in
 alphabetical order."

DOG TRIVIA:
Margo has opened her home to several retired racing greyhounds over the years. "Greyhound with an 'e,' not an 'a'. It's like Dalmatian with an 'ian' instead of an 'ion'. I've had both breeds so I'm used to the error in spelling. Greyhound is a form of Great Hound, that's why the 'e'. Dalmatians are orginally from Dalmatia, that's why the 'a. Just a bit of doggie trivia for ya."

Margo, thanks for sharing!

Keep reading! There are more team profiles and behind-the-scenes posts on the way!

Kim

Team Profile: Christine Hofmann-Bourque!

Writer Christine Hofmann-Bourque and husband Kyle.

Our series of FMS Team profiles continues with writer/wordsmith Christine Hofmann-Bourque!

HOME BASE: Boston

FMS JOB: "I have one of the best jobs as an editor and writer on this magazine: I talk to junkers, vendors, artists, bloggers, authors, and collectors from all over the United States, Canada and England, and they tell me about all the cool things they're selling and finding and creating. Every day I learn something new and add more projects to my "I-have-to-make-that" list. Ki and Stacey and I have many marathon conference calls to brainstorm story ideas, plan photo shoots, and come up with the perfect headlines for our features. Our big problem is trying to squeeze all of Ki's great ideas into one issue."

"DAY" JOB: "More of the same! I write for a wide-range of publications, from college alumni magazines to personal finance magazines."

"FROM": "A small town in Pennsylvania called Hanover. Oh, you haven't heard of it? Have you ever eaten Snyder's pretzels or Utz potato chips? Those tasty treats are made in my hometown."

DREAM JOB (BESIDES THIS ONE): "I'd love to be a singer like Carrie Underwood. Too bad I can't sing a lick."

FAMILY: Husband Kyle

WOULD SAVE IF THE HOUSE WERE ON FIRE: "The charm bracelet my Grandma gave me.''

CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT: "My family. The internet. And wine."

THE PERFECT DAY? "Is it wrong to say watching a Lifetime movie marathon on a cold, rainy Sunday? It's probably healthier to say 'Running a half marathon,' but then I'd be lying."

ON YOUR iPOD? "Anything that gets me running (a little bit) faster."

COMFORTABLE CLOTHES: Pajamas and fleece robe

WILL NEVER BE FOUND: "Without a fully stocked pantry. I love to cook."

STARTS THE MORNING WITH: "Diet coke and peanut butter on crackers. Don't judge."

GUILTY PLEASURE: The Real Housewives of New Jersey

NEVER LEAVES THE HOUSE WITHOUT: "My GPS. I've gotten lost in Boston more times than I care to remember."

FAVORITE HAUNT: "I love eBay. I get so excited when I 'win' an item! But then my husband reminds me that I didn't 'win' it, I bought it. Potato, Po-tah-to."

Christine wanted to share this flag made of license plates, a treasured possession made by her sister Jennifer.

Because she is a renter, Christine has opted not to mount this heavy beast on the wall. In the meantime, she's found another great use for

As a memo board for miniature FMS printouts!

"It's a great way for me to figure out what stories are working, what needs to move to another place in the magazine, and what I still need to write!"

Watch later this week for another FMS behind-the-scenes post on producing the magazine! And keep watching for the eight team member profiles to come!

Kim

Team Profile: Kim Yeager!

Yesterday in a friend's kitchen during the 14th annual mother-daughter sugar cookie frost-fest.

Hello Flea Market Style friends! Our weekly team member profiles are appearing in no particular order (though Ki generously suggested I hit the lineup early to coincide with the launch of my web site and blog. More on that later!)

So here I am, splayed bare by the details!

HOME BASE: Minneapolis

FMS JOB: Blogger, contributor, project-builder, utility player.

"FROM": Williston, N.D.

DREAM JOB: "Living it! In addition to being a team member/blogger for FMS and the Junk Bonanza, I am founder/principal at Lark Nest Design. The decor/styling and refurbishing business is a hat trick; I get to assist clients/play with fabric/perform curbside rescues. (Shameless plug: I've also just started blogging there , and would love you sign on as a follower and visit the Lark Nest Facebook page, in support of a fellow flea marketeer!)"

BEDSIDE READING: A pile of Wall Street Journal clippings and "Panic: The Story of Modern Financial Insanity" by Michael Lewis. Ex-business journalists like me never die, they just shift their interest to nighttime reading."

WOULD SAVE IF THE HOUSE WERE ON FIRE: "Besides family and pets? The door jamb that charts our daughter's growth!"

CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT: Sanding deglosser, E-6000 glue, western boots and beautiful fabrics.

ON iPOD: "This presumes I can operate one. I am still trying to prove myself worthy of my smart phone."

FAMILY: Husband, Terry, and daughter Beret Claire, 16, both notably fabulous.

PETS: Rescue cats (Tony) Oliva, 23, and (Joe) Mauer, 17, both notably lazy. (Details for the curious: Yes, Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer was not in the major leagues when this cat was born. They were renamed from the dubious monikers 'Skittles' and 'Misty' when adopted.")

FAVORITE NONPROFIT: Minnesota Ovarian Cancer Alliance

YOU WILL NEVER FIND ME: In the woods during tick season.

GUILTY PLEASURE: Old Law & Order reruns with a glass of Chardonnay.

DAILY UNIFORM: Jeans and boots/grown-up clothes for meetings with decor clients.

STARTS THE DAY: With startribune.com and two fingers of French roast.

NEVER LEAVES THE HOUSE WITHOUT: iPhone, tape measure, paint fan decks, rope and a list of estate sales.

NO ONE WOULD GUESS: "I am a sub-par seamstress. Oh wait, everybody knows that! No one would guess that after a great ride as a working journalist on metropolitan dailies for almost three decades, I am having even more fun now."

FAVORITE QUOTE I TRY TO LIVE: "There are two kinds of people. Those who do the work and those who take the credit. Try to be in the first group. There is less competition there." -- Indira Ghandi.

Thanks for reading! Stand by for more profiles! And remember, the spring edition of Flea Market Style is only three months away!

Kim