We went exploring again this weekend!
It all started with a a text last week from the hubs. It read “Want to go antiquing next weekend?”
I almost passed out from shock. I quickly replied, “Yes!” before he changed his mind (or found out what “antiquing” meant).
So Saturday morning we met friends, Lauren, Bret, Jacqulyn, and Kit, to head West. Our destination was Lucketts, VA for their annual Spring Market.
Stu and I had NO idea what to expect. Ethan just knew there would be snacks involved.
About 50 minutes later, we entered the town of Lucketts, VA. The main attraction is the Old Lucketts Store, which is host to the Spring Market. The market consists of row after row of cutesy, tootsie vintage and antique vendor booths.
In a word? Heaven.
I could go on and on and STILL not portray the amazingness that was this market. I could have spent ten hours there and still not explored to my liking.
We were totally unprepared. We didn’t have much cash, no way of carting large items around, and no plan for what we needed. So I used the opportunity to find inspiration. Just another 100 projects to add to my ever growing list!
Here are just a few I may be dabbling in soon:
I loved this painted dresser. The large fluer de lis adds dimension without making the piece too busy. The glass knobs add the perfect vintage touch. This would be such an easy project to do with a yard sale or Good Will furniture find.
I loved these HUGE mirrors. They would be great in a house with very tall ceilings. The architectural detail and weathered look would add so much character to a living or dining room. Or heck, an entryway.
Much like Hansel (random Zoolander reference anyone?), chalk paint is “SO Hot Right Now!” There was even a booth dedicated to a fancy mix of chalk paint, tinted to the color of your choice, and finished with a special wax to make it more durable. This table was one of many chalk paint covered tables throughout the market. I thought it would be perfect for a kids table in the very near future.
Love this eye chart! I’ve actually made one for our living room wall, but this one is so cute with the painted fabric pinned on a distressed wood board. Just some fun and different eye candy!
This table was in, by far, the MOST fabulous booth at the show. Almost everything under this tent was already sold, as the displays were breathtaking. I just loved this harvest table done all in white, wood, and glass. I felt like I was sitting in a Pottery Barn photo shoot…except better. People were losing their minds over it all.
I’ve been meaning to make a new wreath for our door, and this just may be the one I
copy
emulate. Anyone recognize it??? It’s a Miss Mustard Seed original, and yes, I did meet THE Miss Mustard Seed! If you don’t know her, she has a fabulous design blog that I pop over and explore frequently. You can just get lost in her site. She’s been featured on HGTV.com, the Nate Burkus Show, and in countless magazines. And there she was, just as sweet and down to earth as can be! Her booth was beautiful and full of amazing stuff. I quickly said hi and introduced myself as it was lunch time and the Little Man was getting ferocious.
Speaking of the Little Man, boy was he a good little market-goer! He loved watching all the people, riding around in his stroller, and toddling amongst the interesting scenery. We almost walked out with this very-cute-but-too-expensive child item:
Melt my heart cute!! He was even turning the wheel back and forth. I don’t know how I resisted handing over my credit card to take this vintage tractor home with us. As people walked by they stopped to watch Ethan emit cuteness, ooing and ahhing at his adorableness. We eventually dragged him off and just walked away…we have no room for this item in our house. Plus, Ethan probably wouln’t even play with it if we had it at home, available for him all the time. I’ve learned this about toys…
He was so well behaved and made it even more fun for us adults. We were so busy looking around and enjoying ourselves that we didn’t even stop for lunch! Ethan ate plenty—grapes, blueberries, and a peanut butter sandwich. But the rest of us survived on a couple bags of sugary kettle corn, which we passed around until it had to be banished. That stuff is so addictive!!
What can I say, I liked the antlers! Lauren, however, thought they were really gross and kept her distance.
Stu gets kudos too, as he was such a patient dad/husband—feeding and entertaining little man while I dove into booths to examine each and every item within. Everyone took turns pushing the stroller, aka “the shopping cart”, full of our group’s little purchases.
When we’d had enough of the hot sun and everyone was starting to fade, we made one last stop at Tarara Winery for a quick tasting. Ethan showed off his walking/swinging skills on the path to the tasting room. (I’m realizing from these pictures that my outfit, while very comfortable, was not very flattering.)
I can’t get over how cute Ethan’s smile is in this picture!! I promise, he did not have any wine.
So it was yet another amazing day spent exploring with our Peanut and good friends. And you know what? This whole day only had to cost $17 per person. That would cover the cost of market admission AND the wine tasting. I think I spent another $40 on items at the market, but would have been 100% content walking around just taking pictures and being inspired without spending a dime. It is just one more of so many fun, cheap, family-friendly things to do in our neck of the woods!
Future Exploring: We drove through Leesburg, VA on our way to Lucketts. It’s been added to my list of Places To Explore. It was full of cutesy shops that one could mosey through for hours.
It was a pretty darn good day.
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