Here we go AGAIN!!! Let's Blog...

Hey Nesters!

I know it's been some time since my last blog post...OK...a LONG time.  Starting a "brick and mortar" shop has been a huge undertaking. I'm not complaining, it's just the whole idea of opening the The Robin's Nest was to simplify my life.

SILLY GIRL

Nearly two years later I am finally starting to find my footing.  Birdie #3 , last one in the Nest, will be a Junior in High School, and Birdie #2 will be a Senior in College.  I always thought that the older your kiddos were...the easier it was.  Well, that is just NOT true!  The drama is bigger and somehow I control nothing.  Unlike the days when I controlled the coming/going, meals, bedtimes, friends, you get the picture.

Now, however, at least I'm older and wiser.  A little yoga and a little wine go a long way! 

"Zen" Robin has been feeling the need to get her words out! Wisdom, maybe, entertaining, definitely! I'm so glad to be back to blogging again..  Thanks for taking this journey with me!

Drop me a line, I'd L-O-V-E to hear from you!

Cheers,

Robin

Le't Get this Show on the Road!!!

It was a simple thought...."let's remodel the totally dysfunctional kitchen in our newly purchased 1882 farmhouse!" Robin's famous last words...."How hard can it be????"

Well.........It's HARD! Of course, being the frugalista that I am, (title courtesy of Logan, 15) I signed husband and me up for as many tasks as possibly to keep the costs down. "Of course we'll rip up the vinyl and plywood ourselves"...savings $600! Graciously the previous owner had nailed down plywood under the yucky vinyl flooring to protect the 1882 yellow pine plank floors. Ok, did I say nailed? I must have removed 4567 nails!! 4001, 4002, 4003....you get the drift! During the first half hour a bee decided to fly into my work gloves and sting me!!! So there I am, the only woman amoung 5 workmen jumping up and down screaming, "I got stung!" The supervisor kept looking at me like I was nuts! He later told me that he thought I said, "I'm done!" , while only 1/4 of the floor was removed. Maybe his hearing has been impaired from all the power tools!

So, did I fail to mention that I can have a pretty severe reaction to bee stings? Just to be on the safe side, I iced it, dabbed baking soda goo, and get this....took 4 tsps. of Benedryl!!! I continued to pull nail for about 2 hours, getting slower and slower and the Benedryl worked its magic and my eyes began to feel like lead weights. I tiptoed off in hopes of taking a quick cat nap. Two hours later sleeping beauty awoke, missing jack hammering the basement CONCRETE utility sink. Man........bummer!

As the pictures above boast...the original lathing strips and plaster are pretty much all that remains of my former kitchen. Stay tuned to see how we progress!

Who doesn't need another end table???? Theyfill in those empty corners, they hold our nightly glass of wine, the hold lamps that light the books we read. I have been busy as ever...whipping out power tools. Or "power toys", as I like to call them. I found a vintage fruit box in the barn this morning that was begging to be made into a small table. Lucky for me, I have salvage wood from my 1882 farmhouse. A junk diva's dream come true!! I proceeded to whip out the chop saw to cut the table top strips and the legs. Then, unfortunately, hand hammered the piece together. I've got to get a nail gun for the air compressor....hey, great Mother's Day gift, if anybody's listening!! An hour later I ended up with a darling little table that would be perfect on the patio, sunroom or family room. Now the question of the day......do I sell it at the next Chartreuse tag sale or keep it? Well......I could always make another one. However, the wine glass and patio are beckoning me. Decisions, decisions! Until we meet again....gotta go put the tools away!

Take Two....Let's try this again

Gotta say.....I'm a little overhelmed with all the technology that surrounds us each day! I sooo want to be a blogger! When I was a teenager I faithfully wrote secret entries into my diary each and every day, only to be discovered and "blabbed" by my little brother Joe.

Last year I failed miserably at starting a blog. It's a new year and a "older" new me. I'm going to try this one more time!

I recently returned from an amazing trip to Texas to rummage the fields of Warrenton and waltz dreamily through the tents of the Marburger Antique Fair. My 5th trip....I never get tired of seeing the creativity that abounds in the "vintage" community! That's what we are, a community! I had the honor and priviledge to meet Sue Whitney, of Junk Market Magazine!! Holy Cow!!! What an AMAZING lady!! If you get a chance, make the trek down to Texas in the spring or fall, you won't be disappointed!

February's Tag Sale Delights!

Me (Robin) finding time to relax during the

Feb. Tag Sale rush!

French Paper and Pearl Birthday Crown!

Wonderful paper goods from The Robin's Nest!

As the dust, or should I say snow, starts to settle on the Chartreuse and co February tag sale and had a chance to look through the many pictures and post a few that either excited me or made me giggle! Of course I am speaking of the first picture of myself, a.k.a. the "cheesecake" photo! Donna, one of the fabulous vendors at Chartreuse was kind enough to take a few pics of me "draped across" a stunning cream upholstered chaise. Hey, what can I say? I LOVE my new paper crowns, fairy wands and of course the amazing cupcake toppers! Just had to contain myself and not lick the icing off of the Starbucks cupcakes I used as display. After all, who can resist a double "mocha chocolatino latte extravaganza" cupcake....wasn't that the flavor? yuuuummmmmy!

This month's sale did not disappoint those who braved the elements, cold/wind/snow/slush/mud (need I say more?) and traveled to Buckeystown, MD to spend a few hours with the Chartreuse and co gang! There definitely was a lot of color and a bit of spring in the air. Everywhere you looked color delighted your eyes. It's time to think gardens, flowers and outdoors. Not to mention the fabulous lighting available to brighten the rooms still dark waiting for the longer days of spring and summer. All girls are waking up from our winter hibernation and our brains are exploding with new vintage goodies to help you usher in the warmth of the new season.

Side note.....Lately, I've been playing with the program Photoshop. After a few painful tutoring sessions with my 22 yr. son, I think I've got the hang of adding backgrounds and frames to my pictures. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this post's photos. I'm tryin' to zip things up a bit. We'll see how it goes....
http://www.fleamarketchicks.com/

With all the snow I have had time to play with some of my new "goodies" from
the shop, Chartreuse and co, in Buckeystown, MD. The offerings are a mixture
of traditional, industrial and modern vintage. If it's old and cool, it'll be at
Chartreuse. I started Flea Market Chicks about 5 yrs. ago as a way to justify
my "junking" expeditions. Little did I know that I would end up with
my dream job. Shopping the world over looking for one-of-a-kind vintage
treasures to share.

I have the privilege of belonging to a delightful group of creative women who
offer a once a month tag sale, in of all places....an 1900's dairy barn. As you
walk up the pathway, you are greeted by a cheery "chartreuse" door. Walking
through the doorway transports you into a "vintage wonderland"! Dazzling
chandeliers, opulent silver and scrumptious upholstery abound. Even now,
after being there for nearly 2 years, I am giddy when I first open that green door. Before I can even think about preparing (fluffing) my space to get ready for the
next sale, I MUST look around the whole barn (both floors) to delight in all the
amazing finds that the other girls have brought in. I am usually in awe of the
talent that surrounds me! It's one thing to search and find the perfect vintage
piece of furniture. Creating a vignette that makes you want to "move right in" is something else. These gals have a way of displaying their "wares" that astounds
me. Truly "magazine" worthy.

If I have peaked your interest...check out my website ttp://www.fleamarketchicks.com/ and click on the events calendar for more tag sale details.

As I have said many times before, I am in love, love, love with vintage paper. I recently ran across these spectacular rolls of gilded embossed vintage wallpaper. These rolls might be a little ragged, but yet they are still elegant and regal. Reminiscent of a time when wallpaper was hand-printed and embossed. Long gone are the days when hand-crafted was the normal production method. As I look at these french blue and gold tattered rolls I start to image the room that they adored. A dining room with 12ft. high ceiling immediately comes to mind. A spectacular crystal chandelier hangs above an ornate scrolling rococo style table. Velvet upholstered dining chairs surround this magnificent table providing comfort and "joie de vivre" at the same time. Many bottles of French wine and divine food have been consumed while friends and family have dined, enjoying both the company and the room. The most important question of all....what am I going to do with this little treasure?????

Lighting up dreary winter days...

As I sit here with my fourth cup of coffee for the day, yes I have caffiene issues, I look out my window to see gray dismal clouds. I know how important snow and rain are for the earth, but I have to say...they just bring me down. I look forward to the longer days of summer when the sun peaks through my shades and wakes me up.

This love of sunshine and bright spaces easily explains my love of lighting especially vintage lighting! I believe that every room should have a daring chandelier or light fixture from the past prominently featured for all to gaze upon! I truly believe that I have spent more on lighting my house than the actual house itself. Many is the trip/vacation that I have returned with an amazing fixture only to scratch my head in deciding if I have room to install it. Did I mention that my daughter's playhouse has a chandelier? Enough said....I'm a vintage lighting junkie! If we ever move, I'll have to buy at least a dozen fixtures to replace the vintage lights that will go with me to the next house. Ladies..."the fixtures do not convey with the house." You know what I mean?

This love of lighting lead me to design and create lampshades out of vintage bank deposit bags that I found in Roundtop, TX last spring. Standing in a muddy field, I saw a treasure trove of real lighting potential! The couple I bought the bags from couldn't believe I was going to try and make lampshades with the ratty old stuff. Hey, where there's a will, there's a way! I haven't found a challenge that has scared me yet....my favorite saying is after all, "How hard can it be?"