Farm Chicks Time!

Though I won't be there this year- vending or attending- I had to take a moment to give Serena, one of my favorites in the vintage world, and her amazing Farm Chicks Show, a shout out.

Beginning Saturday, June 1st at 9am, the fairgrounds in Spokane, WA will be transformed into an amazing wonderland of vintage goodness. A curated show, Farm Chicks is one booth after another just full of some of the best vintage in the country. If you're anywhere near Spokane this weekend- I highly recommend a trip to the show- you won't regret it!

{Wild Whimsy booth via Heather Bullard}

It's been a sad and strange feeling the last few days, knowing that I won't be a part of the fun this year. Though I'm grateful to not be loading a trailer up right now- I do wish I was headed to Spokane for a weekend of vintage shopping. If you attend, you'll have to tell me all about it- I might be jealous, but I'd love to hear what you found!

it's DIY time! (and the winner is...) {giveaway now closed}

happy Friday morning everyone! i know you're all dying to see what today's giveaway entails, but before we get to that, i wanted to share a special DIY with you.

many of you who visited the booth at Farm Chicks commented on the bunting backdrop i used. it was pretty awesome right? it was similar to the bunting Melissa and I used in the dear darling booth last year, except this year i had a bit of a crazier vision- a whole wall made of it!

since the theme of this year's Farm Chicks Show was 'Find what you love', i knew i wanted to incorporate hearts into the booth design, to play along with the theme. i had a few ideas running through my head (you can see some of my other inspirations on my 'farm chicks booth' Pinterest board), but after asking Melissa if she'd be willing to sew for me (i'm terrible at sewing), i decided on this sewn paper bunting again. 

i have a large stash of vintage dictionaries, most in poor shape, and since i wanted to keep the booth consistent with my black and white branding, dictionary pages seemed like a great choice for the paper. after cutting all the pages out of the binding with a rotary cutter, i ran a few pages at a time through the Sizzix cutter we borrowed from Melissa's mom, using a heart shaped die. once the hearts were cut, i counted out piles that would make a long enough piece of bunting to hang from the top of the booth to the floor. Melissa then sewed one pile in a long row to make one row of bunting. it was super tedious, but at least we did it together (Melissa usually does it by herself when she makes them for party decorations). 

once we had enough vertical rows for the back wall of the booth, we made a few horizontal rows to run along the tops, then i winded them all onto pieces of cardboard to keep them tangle free until Farm Chicks!  

the bunting in the lower left photo is one of Melissa's creations that she occasionally sells- so cute!

i think bunting like this would make a really cute photo backdrop for a wedding or party, don't you?

so, as we promised many of you, today Melissa has re-posted the tutorial she created on her blog, Re.Stock, for making this style of bunting. we hope that you'll want to tackle this project yourself after seeing how simple it is! even if you can't sew (like me), it's a great team project, so enlist the help of someone you know who can sew!

last, but not least, since i know you can't wait to find out who won yesterday's giveaway, the winner of a necklace from Prairie & Pearl and a gather and hunt tote bag is...

Theresa Hanson from Yakima, WA! Congratulations Theresa! Send me a message with your mailing address and your necklace choice (I know you like the locket, but feel free to change your mind), so I can mail your prize to you!

if you haven't won yet- don't lose heart- there will be two prizes to win in today's giveaway, and you'll have all weekend to enter! check back soon for the big giveaway post!

the big recap and tuesday giveaway! {giveaway now closed}

i can scarcely believe that this year's Farm Chicks Show is already over! when you're working on one project for so long, it's always a strange feeling when it's over. especially when the big event just flies by!

we had such a good time at the show this year. we saw some old friends and made some new ones, met so many wonderful customers, and sent lots and lots of great vintage goods to new homes! the show is always a bit of blur, and this year was even busier than last year, but i did manage to snap a few pics just before opening each day.

i'm so thankful for all the people that made this year's show possible:

my mister, who did most of the heavy lifting, and took the weekend off to help

my booth helpers-
Melissa, who puts up with me, sewed all that bunting, and always makes me laugh
and
my mom, who started this journey, in a way, by taking me to antique shows as a kid

Aaron- Melissa's mister, who watched the little one all weekend so Melissa could help me

my dear friend Katie who helped get stuff ready even though she had to stay home this year

the talented Rebecca, who altered my dress for me

and last but certainly never least,

Serena- whose hard work all year long makes this show such an amazing time!

for those that stopped by to say hello- it was so great to meet you in person and i hope you had a great time at the show! if you purchased something you love from me, please send me photos- i love seeing where things end up and how you use them!

oh, and as we mentioned at the show, the tutorial for making the sewn paper bunting is up today!

finally- as promised on facebook last week- we're doing a giveaway-a-day this week! today's giveaway is one of our new tote bags! each bag is made of sturdy cotton canvas and will make a fantastic reusable shopping bag, purse, or diaper bag.

to enter to win, we're keeping it simple today- just leave a comment below with where you plan to use your tote bag. the winner be drawn at random at 9AM (PDT) tomorrow, so make sure to leave your comment by then. i'll announce today's winner on tomorrow's giveaway post.

good luck!

weekend update (and new arrivals)

happy Memorial Day friends! i thought i'd check in with some of the weekend happenings around here...

90% done with cleaning, tagging, and packing the Farm Chicks Show inventory!

a new hair color. i'm going back to my natural, dark blonde color. it'll be a bit of process, but it's off to a good start.

deciding on shoes for Farm Chicks (via text messages with the bestie)

we went to a 2 year old's birthday party yesterday- so fun. all the little ones there were so cute playing together outside!

i also had an exceptionally good day at the thrift on friday so there are some great new arrivals at the Fremont Vintage Mall space...

fundue anyone?

love love love. almost kept this one it's so good.

these were handed out at Boeing's family day in 1972. they're the material that had to be punched out to put the windows in the plane, turned into souvenir trays. cool!

an Ingrid picnic ball, just in time for Memorial Day picnics!

this microscope projects the image onto the wall as you look at the slides!

what have you been up to? i hope you're enjoying this monday, even if you don't have the day off!

gratitude

today i'm feeling grateful for little moments of delight...

in the midst of chaos.

it's a bit wild around here lately- prepping for the Farm Chicks Show has completely taken over our apartment, and most of my waking moments. i'm so excited for the show this year, but i will be so glad when i get all the cleaning, sorting, pricing, wrapping and packing completed! until then, i'll strive to find gratitude in the simple things.

what are you grateful for today? i'd love it if you'd leave a comment and let me know!

happy weekending

i'm just about to jet out the door and hit the road. heading over to Yakima for a few days with the bestie- we're having a work/crafty weekend where we'll be making the backdrop for the booth at The Farm Chicks Show! 

don't worry- i'll keep an eye out for rattlers!

of course, we'll also be checking out some estate sales, so in lieu of a regular finds to fancy post, see what we're finding by following along on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. 

happy weekending to all of you! 

gratitude

it seems a bit fitting that i'm posting this later in the day than i normally like to, because today i am grateful for...

time.

just a few short weeks ago, wednesday would find me scrambling to get a blog post up, get ready for work, prep some goods for the shop, and race downtown to put in a few hours at my bookkeeping job. rushing to the shop space afterwards to get it stocked before closing time, then back home to get a meal ready for the mister and i. now, i know this sounds a lot like everyday life to most of you, and i'm certainly not complaining about having work in this day and age when so many don't. but, days like that were wearing me down. (getting a little personal now) having fibromyalgia- a chronic pain and fatigue condition- makes normal tasks seem overwhelming at times, and juggling 3 jobs and a business could just push me over the edge into painful exhaustion.

fast forward to today. so much has changed in those few weeks. now, with one less job to juggle, i spend wednesday's working on blog posts, thrifting new goods, prepping inventory for the shop and Farm Chicks, re-stocking the shop, attending to issues in the apartment building (job #2), and taking care of normal life stuff. it is an unbelievable gift to have an extra day each week to get things done and i am so thankful for it.

i'm grateful for my mister, working a job he isn't enthused about, in order to provide some financial stability for us and allow me to take the last few months we have in Seattle to pursue my business more fully. i'm grateful for all my customers, whose purchases support this passion of mine and who motivate me to keep finding vintage treasures. i'm grateful for you, dear reader, and for your comments that remind me that i started this blog to inspire and build community around something we all enjoy. i'm grateful for all the blessings in my life, and for the provision of additional time to enjoy them all.

i know time can feel like an enemy some days, and even with that extra day, i still know that despairing feeling well- a never ending to-do list vs. days with never enough hours in them. i'm trying to let my gratitude strong arm that despair into motivation, but i'm curious- how do you find time for what you love to do and what you must do? what's your relationship with time like?

i'd also love to know- what are you grateful for today? i enjoy getting glimpses into your lives through your comments!

p.s. all the clocks in these photos will be available for purchase at The Farm Chicks Show- just a short month away!

finds to fancy

happy friday everyone!

wow, it seems like forever since i've posted, even though i really only skipped a day! i hope you'll forgive me for the lack of a curated life this week- i was tending to the toddler daughter of some friends while they were busy having a new baby! to all you stay at home moms out there- i salute you- i was exhausted by the end of the day!

i've been out on hunt all morning and i found some fun things! i've got lots of prep to do so i can take things to the space at the Vintage Mall for the weekend, so today's post is a quick one.

remember the cool, red laundry hamper that Melissa shared in a finds to fancy back in February? well look at what i found today...

a blue one almost just like Melissa's! we have a knack for finding similar items, so it doesn't even really surprise me that i found one so much like her's. unfortunately for me, since i don't have a laundry room, i won't be keeping this one. that's good news for all of you who are planning on coming to The Farm Chicks Show though- since i'll be bringing it with me to the show!

what did you find this week? i'd love to share your very own finds to fancy- email me and we'll set it up!

finds to fancy

happy friday everyone!

i'm taking the day off from a finds to fancy post, so i can enjoy my time in California, but to tide you over, i'd love for you to check out a site i mentioned earlier this week...

{photo via My Favorite Find}

My Favorite Find, the new venture from The Farm Chicks' Serena Thompson, is like a 24/7 finds to fancy post! check it out today to see what others are finding, and even add your own (but make sure to share them with me too!).

i know you'll love it!

i'll see you all next, week, when i'm back in Seattle! have a great weekend- hope you find lots of good stuff out there !

random roundup

today, instead of a tried and true post, i'd like to introduce another occasional feature: random roundup. sometimes there are things i'd love to share here, but they don't really fit into any particular category, so occasionally i'll just round them all up and share them anyway! here we go...

Significant Object Challenge

an object from the Significant Objects project {photo via Significant Objects}

Rob Walker, who created the project Significant Objects (now a book), a challenge to writers to create a fictional backstory for weird and mundane objects, which were then auctioned off on Ebay with their new backstory, is at it again. together with Kurt Anderson, Walker picked three objects from a Manhattan thrift store and is challenging you to create a backstory for the object and submit it. Walker will judge the entries and choose a winner. the prize? the object itself! here's a little video with more:

i love projects like these because they challenge us all to look at discarded objects with new eyes. one of the reasons i love what i do is the joy of seeing something with it's own history that i've gathered find new life and a continued history, whether in my own home, or one of my customer's homes. i think the Significant Objects challenge offers the chance to imagine a new life for the silly objects they picked.

to enter the challenge, visit Studio 360.

{photo and layout via Antique Archeology}

Kid Pickers

speaking of history, Mike Wolfe, of American Pickers fame, has a passion for experiencing history through the object he collects. now, he wants to pass that passion on to a new generation with his new project, Kid Pickers. the project, which features a secure (and COOPA compliant) website for kids to share their own finds and learn more about 'pickin', will also include events (with proceeds going to charity) at Mike's Nashville Antique Archeology store, as well as a book for kids.

it's exciting to see a new generation getting excited about history through the things of the past, and it sounds like Kid Pickers is a great place to get your child started in pickin'.



My Favorite Find

{photo via My Favorite Find}

another website, that just debuted last week, offerring a place for anyone to share the things they find, comes from the lovely Serena Thompson from The Farm Chicks. Serena started My Favorite Find as a place for people to go to share their vintage/antique/junk finds, as well as find information about events and shops in their area where new things can be found.

i had mixed emotions when the site first launched, because i've been working on some similar functionality to add to the mix here at Gather and Hunt and it always bums me out when someone beats me to the punch (this happens to me frequently it seems!), but all that's faded because My Favorite Find is really a great site with helpful resources, a good interface, and an amazing woman at the helm! it definitely meets a need in the vintage world and it's exciting to see people's finds added daily! i encourage you to stop by and explore the site!



What's Country Now

{photo via Heather Bullard}

i wouldn't necessarily consider my style to be 'country', but i do love Country Living magazine, especially the direction they've taken over the last few years. i always find decorating inspiration, as well as recipes and project ideas in the pages.

recently, Country Living put out a 'What's Country Now' issue, highlighting their editors picks for all the trends in country. it's a great issue with a lot of really cool things and people featured, but they're expanding on the topic on their website and recently did a post asking some bloggers 'What's Country Now'?

{photo via Wisteria}

the bloggers featured include:

Serena, who i just mentioned, from The Farm Chicks and My Favorite Find
Victoria Smith from SF Girl By Bay
Amy Merrick from Emerson Merrick and Design Sponge
Heather Bullard from Heather Bullard (who also styled the cover of the March issue)
Eddie Ross from Eddie Ross

and many more!

even if the term 'country' makes you cringe and brings up images of blue wallpaper borders with geese, i think you may be surprised at what you find on the Country Living site- give it a try!


what random things are you excited about this week? share your links in the comments so we can all join in!

gratitude

this week's gratitude post is short and sweet (and late) because i had a longer than usual work day at one of my 'day jobs' (i really meant to get this posted this morning but ran out of time just after finishing up with the photos). the good news is- today will be one of my last days at this particular job, which means i'll have more time to focus on the site, the space at the vintage mall, and gathering goods for the farm chicks show booth! i suppose that could have been today's gratitude really- but i don't have any good photos for it. ;)

instead, today i'm grateful for this:

no, i'm not an archer or a bow hunter, i just love the way it looks (i'm sure my brother, the hunter, would be laughing at me if he was reading this)! it also has a bit of extra meaning for a few reasons...

one. the mister and i, along with some of our good friends from the church we met at, have little inside jokes regarding a fellow in the bible named Joash and 'dropping bows'- like i said, inside joke (that probably isn't funny to anyone but us)!

two. because of said inside joke, i think this is one of the first vintage pieces i've found that the mister was actually excited about (it's not that he's opposed, vintage just isn't his thing so he doesn't get excited). it was fun to bring it home from idaho knowing he would be happy i did.

three. i found this at the Funky Junk Show while Melissa and i were on our girl's weekend celebrating all our accomplishments with dear darling, and enjoying a few days together sans babies before her newest arrival made her debut. it was right around when i was working on launching Gather and Hunt and the bow and arrow imagery really jumped out at me as a potential logo. it would be nearly 4 months until that logo came to life thanks to my talented designer, but i think this bow, with it's arrows, will always remind me of the early, exciting, and slightly uncertain, days of Gather and Hunt.

i recently found some more colorful arrows to replace the hunting arrows that came with the bow (a little safer).

love the model name!

aren't they neat?

yes, that clamp light normally lives back there- i'm a fan of weird directional lighting!

what do you have gratitude for this week? i love seeing what you all have to say, so please leave a comment!

on the hunt: instagram edition

one of the primary ways i find goods for the gather and hunt shop is estate sales. the thrifts can be kind of hit or miss in Seattle and their prices have gotten a little out of control, so estate sales are the way to go. of course, sometimes estate sales are just as hit and miss and this past weekend turned out to be a feast and famine weekend at the sales...

famine. friday was terrible! two different sales and all i found were these two items:

love the colors on this cute water jug!

a whole stack of shooting targets from Sears!

they're great items, but only two things? come on!

feast. saturday was epic! i had seen a sale listed in west seattle that was being held by my favorite estate sale company out here- Donnelly & Donnelly (they are such good people and their prices are very reasonable)- and from the photos they posted i knew it was going to be amazing! 

my best 'haul' in weeks!

my good friend katie and i headed over a little over 2 hours before the sale started so we could get our names on the list. we grabbed some breakfast and then came back for our numbers (estate sales are complicated out here- but i'll save that for another post)- #15 and #16- not too shabby! with numbers like that we were in the first wave of people let in and we split up and started filling our enormous bags! 

heading out on the road at 6:30am definitely requires our fuel of choice- house made chai from Victrola Coffee

katie and i debated about who should buy this lamp. turns out katie has enough lamps, so i grabbed it for the shop.

katie picked up that cute raccoon shoe brush guy to put outside her apartment building for her tenants to clean their shoes. we accidentally broke one of 'coonie's' paws off but a little super glue set him right!

katie found some amazing stuff, including that beautiful turkish rug. it had a few little holes so it was a steal and it'll look amazing in her apartment!

while i was unpacking everything the afternoon sunlight was illuminating all the vintage colors just perfectly so i snapped a shot of the prettiest stuff.

my favorite find from the weekend. i saw this blanket in a photo and deduced which room it might be in. i made a beeline for it when we entered the house and snagged it seconds before another lady scooped up most of the blankets!

i hope you enjoyed this little peek into the weekend hunt! if you're intrigued about estate sales now, keep  an eye out for a post i'm working on- the g&h guide to estate sale victory. 

new arrivals

my apologies for the silence here over the last few days. i do have a bit of an excuse though- i've been busy gathering up new goods for both the vintage mall space and the farm chicks booth!

here's a peek...

sweet cow creamer

a travel bar set!

the cutest little 'baby brownie' camera

antique car horn- still working

some fun odds and ends

horse photo and some new frogs (i'm contemplating keeping all of these)!

cool world map mini trash can

brass directional light

a whole stack of suitcases!

a plethora of old atlas canning jars (love that green color)

a whole bunch of great office supplies

so that's what i've been up to. now to get it all organized and cleaned up! what have you been up to?

farm chicks love

over the weekend i received a fun email- my 2012 confirmation and the digital promo materials for The Farm Chicks Show! i admit, i had a tiny moment of panic when i realized that the show is only 4 months away (ack!), but then i remembered that just means i get to spend even more time out at sales, hunting down more amazing, beautiful, and fun vintage goodies to take with me to the show!

a few things i've been saving for the show

if you haven't heard about The Farm Chicks Show, it is a meticulously curated antique/vintage/'junk'/handmade show happening annually in Spokane, Washington. co-founded, organized and juried by the lovely and talented Serena, the show is a two day extravaganza of amazingness! vendors save their best goods for the show and you will see things you can't find anywhere else.

Funky Junk Jennifer's booth, photo by One Girl One Camera

last year, my bestie and partner in Dear Darling Vintage, Melissa and i were honored to be selected as vendors and we had so much fun!

this year, i'll be taking Gather and Hunt on the road to Spokane and i'm so excited! i hope to see some of you at the show this year! if you already know you'll be attending leave a comment below- i'm working on a special project for the weekend of the show and i'd love to be able to invite you along!