Blind Moxie

      ....MOXIE.... 

I think that my husband considers that my first name.... 

I've never been one to shy away from a challenge,

& currently things are no different

 

 

My mom and I ran across this quote yesterday & it made us laugh....

if anything could be someone's mantra....

this would be mine for sure!

         

            ....BLIND MOXIE....

 

I am in the process of opening a new business...yikes,

but they say it takes an entrepreneur 

an average of 3.8 tries to get it right. 

 

Here's to being slightly above average with try #3

 

does this make me naïve? 

is it blind moxie or is it simply blind faith? 

 

it is a crazy thing stepping out on your own,

and seeing how the chips fall...

but I can't wait to get started

 

I can't wait to see what happens....

and to quote Gilmore Girls..

"if we go down in two years...

it will be the best two years of our lives"

 

So keep us in your prayers as we move forward with the pop-up shop,  Plaid Umbrella - vintage home store

in Yorkville, Illinois. 

We are moving into the building this week,

and will have our first sale on February 26th - March 1st....

 

www.plaidumbrella.com

 

So exciting!!!

 

 

 

 



 

New Vendor

I am a new vendor at this great pop-up store! 

Come visit us on February 26, 27, 28 & March 1

Procrastinating until it is Perfect

After thirty months of putting off the inevitable,

I am finally writing a blog post...

regarding my inability to

write good enough blog posts. 

 

 

What is good enough???

That's a good question...for me "good enough",

is what everybody else is able to do...
and I fall short on.
......... 

Good enough is:
Beautifully photographed,
amazingly written &
well thought out posts

about wonderful families &
exciting lives,

as well as funny anecdotes
regarding a small child 

or even a simple trip to the grocery store.
.........

Sounds simple enough...right???

 ......... 

Over the last two years
I have found myself wanting to write fun,
but slightly contrived daily snippets; 

those...

I am ashamed to say,
would have only been partial truths

(because the truth wouldn't have been funny enough 

or even interesting at all for that matter).
   

In trying to create a motivation to blog...

I even came up with cutesy names for each day

(like Meatless Mondays & Thankful Thursdays). 

Because I see this on so many really great blogs, 

I can only assume that this helps
the blogger keep focused

(which I desperately have needed). 

 

I have written hundreds of blog posts in my head,

but when I actually sat down to the computer

it just wasn't good enough for me to ever publish. 

.........

 

So I have written nothing...
nothing in 30 months. 

Nothing that I could say that I was proud of,

that I could say was true to me.

.........

I am such a go-getter when it comes
to so many things,
I have started two businesses from scratch,
without a dime to my name,
and I never take no for an answer,
but when it comes to

putting myself out there in this type of forum...

I am severely frightened...

incapacitated really... 

Frightened that I can not write like 
all of the other bloggers. 

Which is funny because I love being different,

and not conforming to the norm....
but for some reason this is different for me.

I know that this may sound trite,

but I am hoping that I can step out
of my comfort zone

and just write, purely and honestly. 

Not for myself to look better
or to seem just like other blog writers.
Just to be myself...
A girl who lives with her husband & kids,
in a simple suburban home.
Someone who has so many short comings.

Including procrastinating until it is perfect!!!!  

   
.........
 

Over the months I hope to give you
a touch of my life,
my loves & my hopes... 

as boring and simplistic as they may be.

.........

You can do anything!!

Almost 15 years ago,

I was blessed with a beautiful baby boy. 

This was not in my life plan,

but apparently God had something else in mind. 

I had been going to college up until

the summer before Caleb was born

& I was determined that I could continue this path on my own.

Totally caught up in finishing school,

I found an apartment near the college that I had been attending.

I had everything set-up to go back and finish my degree.

I had found a job for some extra cash &

a daycare on campus that was super convenient. 

The plan that I had for my life was seeming to work itself out,

 regardless of my supposed set-backs. 

The semester was starting in a few weeks

& I was beginning to move into our new house.

It was a cute old Victorian split into two apartments. 

One of which had been completely remodeled,

& one that they were still doing work on.

My big sister & I took a load of things

to the new house one evening,

excited to show her what a great life I was going to have.

We walked into the apartment to a tremendous stench,

that was definitely not there before.

What in the world could that possibly be? 

We both recognized the smell,

but we weren't sure how it was possible,

& then we saw her, crawling out of the bedroom,

wondering who was disturbing her sleep,

the actual resident of this house,  

a mangy feral cat.

No matter what we do in life,

& no matter what we think our life plan should be,

God has another one........

This house & plan were someone else's

& it never did become ours.

I did eventually finish school, but not on my terms. 

It was all God, leading me down the paths that I needed to go,

helping me to understand his plan.

As my son has grown up to be a handsome,

intelligent, kind, young man,

I think about all that we have been through,

& how excited that I am to be his mom.

He may not remember all of the trials that we have endured, 

but what a blessing they all were. 

Caleb, I can't wait to see what God has planned for your life. 

Just remember to keep an open mind,
focus on him & you can do anything.

Philippians 4:13 

I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. 

Caleb with his cousin Andrew @ his 8th grade graduation. 

May Market Recap

First & foremost, I would like to thank Traci & Monica of 3 French Hens & Anne Marie & Jason of Nada Farms for their unfailing dedication to making these markets successful.

May 12th, 2012

3 French Hens

Morris, Illinois

www.3frenchhensmarket.blogspot.com

I went with a bright & light look at 3 french hens this month. these great porch posts from the ladies at The Sandwich Antique Mart didn't last very long

lots of great vintage green paint

pendant light that my husband put together, made from a vintage green enamel colander.... I ended up seeing a lot of people walking around with similar colanders, maybe I should have received commission from the dealers selling them :-)



frames, mirrors, frames & more frames

say goodbye to the cutest little pink truck

SEE YOU NEXT MONTH @ 3 FRENCH HENS - JUNE 9TH, 2012

May 18th & 19th

NaDa Farms

Esmond, Illinois

http://www.nadafarmevents.com/

after selling a fantastic old door that my husband added huge horse tack hooks to it, I brought the buggy wheels on the 2nd day to finish the look off. you always have to check back at these sales on the 2nd day for the new items, or the items that vendors are willing to part with for less money.  The great grey farm table in this picture sold just like that...it was not coming home with me.

i love the comments on these cigar box purses!

Thank you Tim for your creativity

call me crazy, but I am in love with this dusty rose paint color.  I matched it perfectly with a wonderful linen/cotton fabric I used to make purses & runners.

no one has taken this pretty pink step-back cupboard home with them yet.  How cute would this thing be... as a cupcake display??

this wonderful oak table found a new home with Anne Marie.  it made a lovely display for my collection of game pieces.

NADA FARMS IS ONLY 2 TIMES A YEAR.  CHECK OUT HER WEB-SITE FOR FURTHER DETAILS ON THIS UNIQUE SALE ON THE FARM

New Things @ The Mall

On January 1st, my business ECLECTIQUE opened a booth @

The Sandwich Antique Mart

2300 East Route 34

Sandwich, IL  60548

815.786.6122

We wallpapered the back wall in a wonderful 100 year old truly trashed engineering book & we are so excited with the results.  

Our booth changes its theme every 6 - 8 weeks, so if this look is not for you, just wait a few weeks & take a look back. 

This pastel Spring/Easter look is what you will currently find @ the mall, but we will be completely changing for the

"antiques in the garden" show on April 13th-15th. 

A lot of our things are older/antique but we also work with a lot of  artists who produce great pieces out of vintage or used items.  Above we have some great pillows made out of a wonderful very old pastel quilt.  We also have runners & necklaces to match.  To the right you will find a fun pink striped purse hand sewn out of a wool sweater.

We have brought in a few fantastic pale tangerine orange pieces.  From the wonderful vintage peach lustre dish set to the upcycled vintage metal frames.

The combination of yellow & green is really one of my favorites.  We have several great vintage pastel, 100% linen table clothes to choose from for your Easter table.

Fantastic stocking stuffer pins, bracelets & head bands made from recycled sweaters.

  

& don't forget...Coming April 13th-15th @ the Sandwich Antique Mart... our booth will be "An Industrial Garden".  Street signs, metal tables, post office sorter, large sign letters (purchased from the Superman movie set), all sorts of great industrial gems just waiting for your home or garden..  

Also keep watching for a room re-due with some great finds that I got this weekend @ the Superman movie prop auction here in Plano!

Market Season

Amy & ECLECTIQUE are working on our market schedule for 2012, as well as a new blog!! I am hoping that Amelia & George will be more then a business blog, but a lifestyle blog. 

I am so excited to see what everyone is creating for the upcoming markets!

April 13th 6pm - 8pm & 14th-15th 10am -5pm

Antiques in the Garden
Sandwich Antique Mart
on Rt. 34 in Sandwich
http://www.sandwichantiquemart.com/

May 12th 8am - 2pm

3 French Hens
French Country Market
on Illinois Ave in Morris
http://www.3frenchhensmarket.blogspot.com/

May 18th 5pm-8pm & May 19th 10am-2pm

Na-Da Farm Barn Sale
Esmond, Illinois
http://www.nadafarmevents.com/

We are so excited that we have been invited to be a part of these wonderful events! God is so Good! Thank you to all of these women & Jason that spend so much time making sure that these events are successful!

~Amy