The Junk Bonanza and connections

 Well, where do I begin!?!

Still recovering from all the fun and excitement of our Junk Bonanza excursion with the girls.

First stop in Shakopee was the wine and spirits store where we picked up a bottle of wine for the motel room.(We never finished even one bottle of wine).

The next morning when we hit the show bright and early (we were in the early bird group), we met Mark Luke and Ki from Flea Market Style Magazine, had someone take our picture in the Junk Bonanza truck, sampled their mini donuts, and waited in the chilly Minnesota morning for the doors to our adventure to open.  We were advised to separate

and each do our own thing, so we wasted no time chit chatting and started on our mission.
One of the first booths I came upon after heading to the Bonanza store to pick up my very first hoodie (can you believe that!) and an early bird t-shirt for Julie, was the booth I was told to look for by Jeannie LaBelle of The Gilded Junqueyard. 

So, here she is Gretchen Schaumann of Mimi-Toria Jewelry Designs. Told her Jeannie said to say hi, and of course we had to have a picture taken, and I had to look at her beautiful creations, and since Jeannie told me I had to buy stuff for me and not the store, or it would be just another work day, I bought a bracelet.  It was a silverplate spoon handle with a grape motif on which Gretchen had embossed the word, "wine", and then added rosé colored beads and a little silver wine glass.  Perfect memento of our outing.  I love it!

 

On to taking photos of a few displays, with permission, of course. But my iphone soon was running out of power.. It too was overwhelmed by it all.

and when I tried to send them back to Tina, she said they were coming in almost like a video. So much for documenting it all photographically.

Back to shopping.  Came across some really cool metal letters - large and industrial looking - minimal selection, but there was a "G".  OK "G" for Gile, now to find an "r" and "j", think wall display at home. Mission accomplished after visiting several more booths indoors and out. 

A booth attracted my attention and items were flying out of there so fast there soon would be nothing left.
It was all black and grey and rusty and white and some touches of aqua including aqua architectural columns.

The chandelier was so bright in the middle of the rusty gazebo, that it was difficult to capture the detail.
Had to get a photo of this urn with, among living plants and other delights, were player piano rolls.  Tina has come up with a wonderful reuse which you will have to see for yourself at the shop.

 


Ended up buying this cool fireplace screen, which was of course too narrow for our fireplace.  To sell or to find a good use...hmmm.  Had to remind myself that I was buying for myself, so took those found letters and mounted them on this screen, took down the print that was above the amoire and replaced it with my composition.  Added the home fire extinguisher and one of my spool candlesticks, a great tin basket (the treasure from our recent fantastic Seattle warehouse wedding event) and a gift from a friend, wood and metal brick red wheelbarrow, and voila! something else for the kids to give me a hard time about.

Speaking of which, my oldest daughter recently asked her husband how he would describe her mom. He replied, "free-spirit"  He said she is the most free-spirited person he knows.

Imagine going from "Church Lady" to "free spirit" all the while maintaining the very same moral code.  Huh!?!