Thursday, June 23, 2011

Brimfield, Brimfield, Brimfield

No matter what sort of treasure makes your heart skip a beat, it's more than likely somewhere in the fields in Brimfield, Massachusetts. The show springs up in the middle of this quaint New England town for six glorious days each May, July and October.
There is a frenzied excitement each day with new fields full of dealers opening each day. And the crazy thing is, many of the fields open at daybreak or before. Shoppers are literally shopping by flashlight. And yes, there are lines to get into these fields forming hours before the scheduled opening. But, look out when the gate opens, it,s like the running of the bulls with everyone trying to get in at once. Crazy fun, but if you're afraid of crowds you might just want to wait a few minutes to go in.
This was Deidre and Amanda's first trip and it didn't take more than a matter of minutes for them to make their first purchases.

Dee had to have that lovely green hat without much encouragement from her sister or the charming sellers for the mad hatters. These two men were so sweet, the girls said they were their favorite vendors all week. I think Dee made a fabulous choice. She has been wearing vintage hats since she was about five years old.

Later in the week Amanda had to try it on as well. Simply lovely!

Now, let's get to some photos of the shows...

These chairs were just yummy. They sold immediately after the show opened. Oh well, they would have made it a tight fit in my luggage.

This little gem of a home was truly one of my favorite things at the show. Price tag? $6.000.00. I wonder if it sold. And who was the lucky little girl who grew up with this beauty in her room? And who could part with it?

I loved this booth. It was so serene. Everything was to die for. The large white arched pieces again, were already sold . But there was plenty of other treasures to see.

I wish I had gotten the name of the dealer who had these two ladies for sale. Just perfect, don't you agree?

There is so much more I have to share, so stay tuned.

Smiles,

Carol

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, Oak Bluffs

Yes, it's as beautiful as you've heard. And, no, we had neither a presidential nor a celebrity sighting.

We had breakfast at Betsy's Diner in Falmouth before we boarded the ferry. A diner true to it's name, and if you are familiar with the show, Gilmore Girls, it has a vibe similar to that of Luke's Diner. There is a sign posted right on the front door instructing you not to use your cell phones in their establishment. There are clear rules, as you can see, posted right on the menu explaining it all. Locals don't seem to mind these rules, as there is a wait to get in. And, yes, you must wait outside in the parking lot. The food was great and so worth all of the rules!

We were traveling to see Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard, and oh, those cute little cottages in Oak Bluffs. It's an adventure and an expense in itself just to get across the water. First, you have to park your car, for about $12.00, then you get onto a packed bus with people carrying everything from coffee pots to televisions with them, as there are no big box stores selling such things on the island. The bus route is winding and steep. It travels quickly and makes no stops. I couldn't decide if it was more like riding a roller coaster thru Walmart on the day after Thanksgiving, or that crazy trolley ride in the beginning of the last Harry Potter movie. But it was so worth it.
Once you got off of the bus, you had to purchase a ticket for the ferry to take you across to the land of the beautiful people. It was about $8.00 each way. We were hoping to see a whale, but all we saw were seagulls, ducks, and one brave windsurfer.

What's this? Land Ho! Vineyard Haven.

There were several lovely shops just steps from where you get off the ferry. My favorite was Mix, a small antique and gift shop. It was so cool! Fabulous vintage signs and art, as well as new accessories for your time at the beach.

After hitting a few shops, including a yummy cupcake shop, and crowded candy store with gorgeous-looking dark chocolate-covered marshmallows, we caught the bus, again $2.00 per town, or you can purchase a pass valid for 24 hours for about $7.00. We were headed to Oak Bluffs to see the Victorian cottages with their camp meeting history. We were not disappointed. It was so peaceful. These little charmers wind around street after street. And in the center of this little village sits the Tabernacle, an open-air gazebo with rows and rows of church pews. Services are held every Wednesday evening, bringing residents and visitors together to sing.

This one's for sale - any takers? A girl can dream, can't she?

All of this and just a short walk to the beach.

When I grow up, I want to be one of the beautiful people. I want to summer at Martha's Vineyard. I want to spend Wednesday evenings singing at the Tabernacle with my neighbors. No, we didn't see the Obama family vacationing there, but if being President gets you that kind of time off, I'm going to start my campaign tomorrow.

Next stop, five glorious days of junk loving, junk food eating, Brimfield, Brimfield and more Brimfield.

Smiles,

Carol

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Salem, the Witching Hour

This city is truly magical. The brick-lined walkways make you feel as if you are in another century. It's totally pedestrian-friendly, even if you've forgotten your trusty broom. True to it's roots, there are potion shops and fortune tellers ready to direct you in affairs of the heart or other such matters. You can find the perfect witch's hat or let a wand choose you; so long as your intentions are good, all will be well. There are costumed tour guides ready to take you for nightly ghost tours, but, sadly, we didn't get to attend.

The Salem Witch Museum is a must-see for anyone with a desire to learn more about those historic trials. I think I found a relative or two in there. Don't forget about the house of the Seven Gables. And, yes, there is a statue of Elizabeth Montgomery near the center of town. Incidentally, two of us purchased vintage copies of the Hawthorne novel while in Brimfield. What a unique souvenir!

There is also plenty of modern day muggle shopping neighboring the potion shops. Urban Elements was a cool, edgy shop housed in an old building. This place had hot home furnishings as well as awesome accent pieces for home or office, and the shopkeeper was super friendly.

As for vintage shopping, Modern Millie offered consignment finds ranging from 50's prom attire and lingerie to up-to-date casual. Lots of great accessories too! They even advertise that they host after-hours mixers for you and your friends.

I wish we could have taken more time to spend in Salem, but there's always next year.

Stay tuned, up next we're visiting the church camp cottages in Oak Bluffs at Martha's Vineyard.

Smiles,

Carol

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Oops!

I apologize in the last post about Boston. I was trying to post the link to website for each of the places we visited, but I'm new to Blogsy and obviously didn't do it correctly. I promise I'll get it right yet.

Here is the corrected link to these lovely places:

Mike's pastry. www.mikespastry.com

Cantina Italiana. www.cantinaitaliana.com

SoWa open Market. www.sowaopenmarket.com

Smiles,

Carol

Boston, make no beans about it...

If you love to mix rich history and architecture with edgy shopping hot spots, Boston has it all. It's a melting pot of diverse villages nestled next to the beautiful ocean shore.
Our first stop had to be Mike's Pastry. It was Mother's Day, so there were so many families out for the day celebrating. There was a long line waiting outside just to get into Mike's. Once you got in, it was wall-to-wall people - no organized line, just loads of people shoulder-to-shoulder, happy to wait for their turn to get to the counter to place their orders. We found out quickly that you should order one of everything. Well...maybe two of the lobster tails. No, it's not seafood! It's simply the most delicious, flaky crust made to resemble a real lobster tail, and filled with a heavenly cream filling. It's absolutely to die for. We ordered lots of goodies to take back (in white cardboard packages tied up with string) as souvenirs and late night munchies for upcoming days.
Next we had a real Italian Mother's Day lunch at Cantina Italiana. Look for these awesome Little Italy neighborhood favorites on Hanover Street.


We spent Sunday morning at the SoWa Market located on Harrison Street in downtown Boston. It boasts a farmers market offering fresh flowers and homegrown fruits and veggies. There is also an artist market, as well as a vintage market, run by a wonderful lady and her boyfriend. In between these markets is a beautifully restored building housing shops for the edgy dresser or the shopper looking for some French designed home goods. We found cool shirts and bought yummy goodies. Oh yes, and our first vintage treasures of the week.

Wow, all of this just on the first Sunday. There's so much more to share.

Stay tuned...up next, we visit Salem.

Smiles,

Carol

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Brimfield, Brimfield, Brimfield

What happens when you take four South Texas southern girls to the heart of yankee country? You get days on end of shopping literally from dawn to dusk and loads and loads of fun. We left San Antonio and Austin on a Saturday morning and arrived to gray skies but a sunny disposition. We landed in Boston and couldn't wait to see what Massachusetts had to offer. We planned our trip around the famous Brimfield Flea Market. We discovered there was so much more to see and do. We visited Salem in search of some northeast magic, Boston, to see how a city with so much history can meld together the old with the new, and a day ferried across the ocean to the quaint cottage town of Oak Bluffs in Cape Cod. We packed so much into nine days that I think it's going to take a few posts. We took loads and loads of photos. I can't wait to share it all with you. I hope you stay tuned.

Smiles,

Carol