We're Headin' to the Junk Bonanza!

Several members of the FMS team are packin' their bags for Ki's annual Junk Bonanza just south of Minneapolis Minnesota this week.

Magazine Signing:

Ki and Heather will be on hand to sign magazines Thursday and Friday (times to be announced). Heather will also be a featured guest speaker on two panels at the Creative Connection event in Minneapolis .

Book Signing:

Get your fabric fix with creative crafting and sewing mavens Amy Barickman and Sandy Stone. They'll be on hand at 11 a.m. and again at 1 p.m. Saturday to sign copies of their how-to books being released in September

Vendors & Activities:

Along with 130 vintage, antique and junk vendors and artisans Marshall's Farm Market will be selling yummy, home grown fresh goodies.

Colonial Estate Buyers, LLC will be there to buy your unwanted gold and silver, so raid those jewelry boxes for extra flea market spending money.

Stop by the Arc's Value Village Booth to register to win the entire contents of a menswear-inspired tabletop created by stylist Jill Hinson entirely from items purchased at Arc thrift stores.
And don't forget to check out the Vintage Travel Trailers that will be for sale as well.
You can get all the details on the Junk Bonanza web site here.

Friends:

And you'll find FMS team member, Margo, hunting for bargains, visiting with junking buddies, and taking lots of pictures for the blog. Be sure you tap her on the shoulder and say "hello".

Party:

Please join Jill {and maybe a few special guests} for

a blogger/shopper/vendor party

Friday, September 17

from 6:00pm - 10:00 pm

at Dunn Bros./Eden Prairie

8107 Eden Prairie Road

Eden Prairie, Minnesota

It's all guaranteed to be a fantastic time, hope to see you there.

Good Things Come In Small Packages

Bigger isn’t always better, and that’s true even when it comes to flea markets. For our next issue of Flea Market Style magazine, we’re rounding up a list of the country’s best small flea markets — those with less than 100 vendors — and we want your recommendations. This is your chance to give your favorite small-town, way-off-the-beaten-path junking destination some love!

To submit your suggestions, send an email to:
fleamarketstylemag@hotmail.com with “SMALL FLEAS” in the subject line (do not respond to this post as comments has been disabled for just this one time). In your message, please include the name of the flea market and the city and state in which it’s located. (If you know its website address, write that down too.) Give us at least one reason you think it’s a must-shop flea market. Is there a particular vendor you adore? A special edible treat you can only find there? Unique early bird specials?

Don’t forget to provide your name and contact information so we can get in touch with follow-up questions, if needed.

If your suggestions are even half as interesting as the ones from the Name Calling post, this will be a treat. (For the record, I thought “Girls Gone Junking” and “Garage Sailors” were especially clever. But the comment that made me laugh out loud was from Gaia, who said: “My husband sweetly refers to me as ‘Queen of Crap.’ I prefer just ‘Junker.’ ”)

Blogged by Christine

Junkers Defined

In our experience there are 3 types of Junkers. So let's clear things up with some definitions.

Junker #1 "The Shopper" likes to peruse antique stores and sales for that unusual vintage treasure that speaks to their heart. Usually drawn to specific items they collect. They see it, buy it, take it home and love it. Attire is most often fashionable and clean.

For the gals, shoes are stylish and clothing is on trend and pressed. Hair and make up are in place at all times. Approach with caution when spotted shopping, as she is single minded, focused and easily startled.

Junker #2 "The Junker" roams the rows at a flea market, or follows a lead to someone's recent haul. Doesn't mind digging down in the dirty boxes, under the tables, behind over and under piles of this and that, looking for that treasure that makes their heart jump for joy, while they try to contain there excitement as they ask for the price. Never mind the years of dirt, it's perfect, and they know it.

They take it home & clean it. Then they either find the perfect spot in their home, or add it to their stash of stuff that they will haul from booth to booth & sale to sale, waiting for junker #1 to fall in love with it and take it home. Usually seen in comfortable yet non flattering clothing and sensible shoes. Stains, rips and paint droplets can be found on most of their clothing, and on the female junker, make-up is at a minimum. When shopping approach with caution. This junker will stake claim to their stash and hold firm until the deal is struck.

Junker #3 "The Picker" We adore pickers, they are the ones that scour the countryside, rummaging around in folks barns, out buildings and even digging in old trash heaps, looking for the perfect item, that junker #1 or #2 will just love. They don't clean it, many times they don't even price it.

They haul it from flea market to flea market until #1 or #2 finds it. "Pickers" are usually tanned from lots of time outside in the elements, hands are calloused, and smiles are friendly. No caution needed, as the picker is a friend to everyone, especially folks ready to buy.

Sometimes the lines between these three types of junkers is blurry, Many of us falling into all three categories at one time or another. What type of junker are you?

From The Flea Market Style Team

Flea Market Style reunites old friends

Of all the wonderful things that have come out of the Canton article in the 2010 issue of Flea Market Style, this is the last thing I would have expected. First a little background.
I used to live in one of those neighborhoods that was full of kids. We all went to the same daycare, elementary school, churches etc. My very best friend was my next door neighbor Susan. She and I were, as Forest Gump would have put it, like peas and carrots. We played with each other morning, noon, and night. I was an only child and Susan had a Brother and a Sister. When they were gone I was lost, lonely and would count the minutes until they returned home and I'd be over there as soon as they drove up, ready to play all day long.

One day, to my horror, a For Sale sign appeared in their yard. I ran in the house in a panic, and my Mother in an attempt to console me informed me that it takes awhile to sell a house. Whew!!!!! I had a reprieve, it would be awhile before they moved. But that did not last long, their home sold pretty quickly and my best friend and her wonderful family moved away.
I remember moving day and playing on the lift of the moving truck. I remember they came back for trick-or-treat and we went into their old home, empty of all furniture and life, and dumped our candy out on the floor to check for "suspicious pieces". That was the last time I saw the inside of her house. Our parents made a few attempts to keep us in touch, but we never truly connected again.

Well a few weeks ago I got his note. "Hi Margo, I can't tell you how exciting it has been to find you. I had read and looked at my copy of "Flea Market Style" magazine several times and didn't realize that I was looking at my old friend and neighbor. The credit goes to my older sister Cheryl. She is a member of a ______ H.S. group on Facebook and had seen your name (she was thinking it must be you anyway) on a list for a get together. She was over last night and picked up my magazine (which she has looked at several times before too). She was reading the Canton article again and it connected with her that it was you. She walked in and said "Susan, this is Margo in this Canton piece".....ha, you could have knocked me over with a feather!!!!!!

You could have knocked me over with a feather too. I was so excited, and I can't wait to go see her and her sister again.
This is by far the best thing to come out of the Canton article yet,
and I wanted to share it with all of you.

Now...go out and find an old friend.

Blessings,
Margo

The Office

On one of my recent shoots I had the rare privilege of having my very own "Office". It happened to be one of the rooms I decided not to shoot which made it perfect to set up camp for the week. It was finely equipped with the very best marble topped farmhouse sink. It had gleaming chrome fixtures, a gorgeous antique mirror and crystal chandelier. Beautiful beadboard and fine wood trim surrounded every wall. I held all my important meetings in there. Boardroom discussions on props, lighting, room staging and lunch plans were frequently on the agenda. On occasion I would hold private meetings...party of one. ;-)

During the week we all made plenty of jokes about my "Office" but I tell you...it was the best cubicle I ever had! And just wait till you see how gorgeous the rest of the home is!

Smiles, Heather

The Creative Connection Event in Minneapolis

It all happened about a year ago, Nancy Soriano and Jo Packham of WHERE WOMEN CREATE phoned Ki to fill her in on their new venture. Ki insisted they check out Minneapolis on the weekend of the Junk Bonanza as a potential location , where they enjoyed vintage shopping and fun times. While there, they decided to make it official, the Creative Connection Event would be in Minneapolis in 2010, and would coincide with the Junk Bonanza weekend.

THE CREATIVE CONNECTION event is a 3-day conference, crafting extravaganza and shopping emporium for creative women, women entrepreneurs and “mompreneurs”.


Nancy Soriano packs her treasures from the Junk Bonanza

Has it been a year already? I guess it has. I remember that weekend well. You see, I learned that being one of the only folks at the Bonanza with a rental car was a real asset, and I was quickly recruited to shuttle the VIP's around. These ladies are all so nice, and I was excited to hear their plans.

This month's Where Women Create magazine features our chief cook and bottle washer Ki Nassauer on pages 70-73.


Ki doesn't have a traditional creative space right now, her inspiration comes from the flea markets and junk shops where she finds her treasures. I've shopped with Ki and I know how focused she is. Ki's mind is always going and she can just look at an object and come up with at least 10 creative things that can be done with it. I'm sure you'll enjoy reading her story.

Ki will take a break from the Junk Bonanza Thursday evening Sept.16 for the Autograph party at Creative Connection . See the Creative Connection Web-Site for full details.

Another member of our FMS Team is also busy with the Creative Connection event. Senior Editor, Heather Bullard, will be a featured guest speaker on two panels.

Blogging: How to Make It Matter More and
The Future Face of Retail: The Digital Marketplace
You won't want to miss either of these discussions, or the many other informative classes that will be held at the conference.

The Creative Connection will have a bus to take you to and from the Junk Bonanza.
It's gonna be a great time for all,
See you there-Margo

Name Calling

I’ve got my dictionary, thesaurus and a stockpile of diet soda, so I’m ready to start writing articles for the spring 2011 issue of Flea Market Style!

I know how creative our readers are, so I’m hopeful that you can give me a jump-start by answering this question: What do you like to call yourselves? Junk enthusiasts? Flea market mavens? Recycling gurus? Margo uses the term “fleamarketeers,” which makes me grin — and want to burst out singing the Mickey Mouse Club song.

Please share your favorite names in the comments. You may see them in the next issue!

Blogged by Christine