Antique Shopping in Upstate New York , Genevives's..What a find!

Where did I shop for the Red Shed this weekend? Montreal, the Adirondack Mountains, and Upstate New York, near Saratoga Springs! Montreal is one of the oldest cities in North America, but it is also very BIG, lots of traffic, and very expensive. I was only able to spend a few hours on "Antique Alley", a street actually call Notre Dame, and covered with Antique stores. I will share some of my great finds in a near future blog. Saratoga is also a very historical city, with tons of great Victorian houses, but the shopping was a little commercial (ie Eddie Bauer, and Borders). I had scouted out a little city called Ballston Spa, before I left. It looked a lot like Grapevine, Texas, where the Red Shed is located. It has a small consolidated main street, lots of historical buildings, and 10 or 15 antique stores, and I had plans to visit every one of them.

I worked my way up and down the streets. Some shops were kind of junky, which is OK if you don't mind digging (I don't, and I did find some great things) , some were crammed full and musty smelling, a few were typical malls, and some were nice and neat, though uninspiring. I spoke to pretty much all of the owners. The shops were VERY quiet, and the owners were groaning a bit about the economy, and asking how business was in Texas. I had one last shop to visit and then I hit PAYDIRT! I strolled into this precious shop named Genevieve's,

Owned by an adorable red head name Christi Taci (below)

There were three customers holding items, waiting to check out while Christi was helping others load vintage furniture and iron cribs into their cars. The shop was bright and white and smelled great. Christi was happy and positive and she radiated energy!

Here are a few photos:

She said "Oh, I am so sorry, I have just been wiped out this weekend!" Music to my ears, since her style and inventory were so similar to the Red Shed's.

We talked for as long as I could take her away from her shop without feeling guilty. We talked of the advantages of being stylized, and positive, and how it's not possible to get enough of Chippy Whites and Beiges, and glass, and French treasures.

It was so fun to see and meet this great young lady succeeding among so much "competition".

Here is a little more eye candy from her store, (you will have to wait to see what I bought) and if you are ever in Upstate New York, be sure to stop by Genevive's!

Junk Bonanza Antiquing Trip Sep 10 - 14

Not much time left to join the next

Red Shed Antiquing Trip!

Join Us…September 10 – 14th, 2008

for an unforgettable Antique and Junking weekend at the Junk Bonanza Show near Minneapolis and throughout the beautiful Minnesota countryside. We did this trip last year and it was a BLAST!
Trip Exclusives:
Lunch, book & signing w/ Ki Nassauer of Country Home, and designer & Country Home editor Matthew Meade
Red Shed Girls Escort
Four nights Deluxe Hotel Accommodations
Daily Breakfast
Fantastic Group Dinner
Transportation thoughout the Minnesota countryside
A MOVING TRUCK to bring home your treasures home to Texas
Early Entrance to the Junk Bonanza and a special Goodie Bag!
Junk Bonanza Tee Shirt
and many more surprises and goodies!
Some shops are opening JUST FOR US!
All for $759.00 (double occ) plus airfare. If you are traveling solo we will find you a roommate. For Details, Visit or call RedShedOnline.com 817-310-6006 You do not have to be from Texas to join this group. Join us from any state and deduct $100, if you are not using the moving truck. This is a perfect mother-daugter, sisters, or girl's trip! Use those frequent flyer miles!
Here are a few photos from last year's trip!

Creative Classes / Altered Art / Create your own Antiques at the Red Shed

Explore your creative side! We have had so many people ask us about learning how to make some of the wonderful, unique treasures that we sell at the Red Shed. Maybe you would like to turn some of your own collections into pieces of art, or just make a lasting and clever display from your old family photos. This fall our brilliant friend Jeanne Stregles (who created all of the collage cards below) and our resident designer, Michele Jones will be teaching and hosting creative classes at the Red Shed. Each class will be designed so that you can take home a completed project at the end of the class. These precious cards will be the first project and will teach collaging skills. The collage is affixed to a heavy vintage paper and the edges are sewn. Can you imagine sending a great card like this to your Mom or Grandmother and have the featured photo be her as a child?

Future classes will include soldering gun lessons so that you can make soldered charms and great art pieces like this one made my Michele Jones out of vintage bottles and costume jewelry:

If you have ever taken classes before or thought about it, you should know that the Teacher is the MOST important part of the process. We promise that Jeanne is the BEST!

If you are interested in a schedule of classes please contact the Red Shed at 817-310-6006 to be put on the list, or send an email to TheRedShed@earthlink.net. We don't have the exact dates yet, but they will start in the fall. Classes will be limited in number and first come first serve! I know I am getting my name on the list!

Valarie

East Texas Antiquing and New Friends

One of the great things about having Antiquing as both your hobby and your vocation, is all of the great people that you meet! I was so excited when I found out that Carolyn Westbrook was having a show this weekend on the grounds of her home in (near) East Texas. I found it was only 20 minutes from where I live so headed on out. I met Carolyn and her mom, and they were both as nice as they could be. Carolyn didn't want me to take this photo because we were all trying to beat 95+ degree heat, but I think she looks great. She was very busy with her sale, so I appreciated her taking a minute to talk!

She featured lots of lovely antique pieces and several beautiful antique iron beds, and of course her signature custom bedding. It is just gorgeous and perfect for any shabby, cottage, or paris apartment style bedroom.

This sale also featured Linda and Ludmil of Willow's Nest. These are two of the nicest and most kind people you will ever meet. I met Linda a few months ago and she has fast become one of my most admired people. She is just dripping with creativity and is a classic beauty. I wish the antique concrete dog was not covering her up in this photo. The shift she is wearing is just fabulous and is made from a vintage French sheet!

Their displays are always breathtakingly beautiful.

Ludmil created this garden cart, and Linda filled it with paper flower made from old patterns.

Linda and Carolyn both have shops open in Arbors III during Canton weekend. See you there! (If it is not a Red Shed Saturday Show weekend!)

Valarie

White Slipcovered Furniture and Other Dirty Little Secrets

We have a couple of really nice pieces of slipcovered furniture at the Red Shed right now. I'm sure you have heard all the myriad of advantages of slipcovered furniture....how great it is for kids and animals, because you can just pull off the slips and throw them in the wash....well, I am fond of slipcovered furniture but read on... as I have wanted to share the real truth and nothing but the truth about slipcovers for years.

Our first piece at the shop is the cute pink club chair below. It was custom slipcovered for the Red Shed by Barbie Sheffield of Sheffield's Custom Slips . Be sure to enlarge this photo and take a look at the pin tuck piping detail...it's gorgeous and so soft! Barbee is a seamstress extraordinaire! This great chair is only $289.00!

Our second piece at The Shed is this gently owned, slipcoverd couch from Quatrine. Quatrine is the Rolls Royce of slipcovered furniture manufacturers. This 8 foot sofa is a dark tea stained linen, with a raw edge piping detail, and down cushions. The slipcover, as well as the sofa underneath, are both perfect! New, it would have been well over $6000.00, but it could be yours for only $1999.00. You know what a deal that is if you have priced out a similiar piece.

Now, as I stated, I love slipcovered furniture, but here is what I have learned. I have a white slipcoved denim couch (below) in my kitchen (yes, kitchen). I have pets so I am SO THANKFUL that I can wash it, however the slip, being denim, it is VERY heavy, and I usually have to take it to the laundry mat (sp?) to use the industrial machines, and it can still take up to 4 hours to wash and dry all the pieces, so I usually only do it twice a year unless there is emergency spillage (yes, I am talking red koolaid). Then I normally, 1. Scream at the perpetrator 2. Rip off the cover, 3. Throw it in the bathtub with a lot of hot water and bleach, 4. Step on it with my feet like I am squishing grapes to make wine, then 5. Figure out how to get it from the tub to the dryer.

I really wish I would have had this couch made from a lighter weight fabric.

I have another slipcovered couch in my living room. It is a floral and made from a lighter linen blend. It is much easier to wash and I can easily do it at home so long as I split up the loads. I was told by the manufacturer that the slips are not actually made to wash weekly or monthly, but really just a few times a year.
As I mentioned, I have pets. Two cats, one dog, and one grandchild. As well as various visiting grand pets, step pets, etc. Well, a twice a year washing is not that often. So I know what I do in the interim, but I wondered about everyone else? A while back one of our Red Shed customers sent us some photos from her daughter's new home in Austin. Her new home was filled with gorgeous slipcovered furniture from Quatrine, and it was SO FABULOUS, here are just a few photos:

Well, we were dieing with jealousy. I had met the mom, but not the daughter and the the first thing I said was "I guarantee you, NO PETS, NO KIDS!" . Imagine my surprise when a few weeks later, this adorable young mom was shopping at the Red Shed with her two toddlers and she identified herself as the daughter! I said "NO WAY!" and told her about my comments. She said that she had not only kids, but pets and that most of the time the furniture was covered with quilts.

Well this made me feel SO Happy and Normal, because in reality, here is what my white couch looks like most of the winter:

And here's what is looks like most of the summer: (Thanks, Arthur, for demonstrating the need for a quilt) That's just the reverse side of the red one. The quilt is easily pulled off and washed on a regular basis, and can be ditched if "appropriate" company is coming over.

Here is the throw on my other couch (Thanks, Hunter, for the demo). I had a friend who told me that when people from church came to visit, she would throw a sheet over her couch so they wouldn't get animal hair on their dark suits. I decided to do just the opposite, and I just yank this blanket off when company comes, and stash it behind the couch.

So, I still have a LOVE AFFAIR with slipcovered couches! I have had mine for about 4 years and they both still look brand new. Also, if I ever get sick of the pattern or colors, I can just have a new slip made. I have other friends who have pets and stick with regular couches. They usually have to replace them every 2 or three years, even if they do try to cover them.

I just wanted dispel a few rumors and now you know my dirty little secret! What has your experience been with slips?

Valarie