Back To Junk School

We're only days away from Funky Junk Labor Day Weekend, in beautiful Sandpoint, ID! I've had the pleasure of going through my stash, and what a stash it is! I'm bringing the best of my junk to fill and I'm sure, overflow my booth! This means days and nights of work, cleaning, painting, marking, envisioning; and I'm just one of a whole group of people who I like to call artists, who are doing just the same thing this week.

Most people in this business we call "Junking" or "Antiquing" or "Crafting" are truly gifted, talented, professional and perfection-oriented people who love what they do. And it shows. I'm humbled to be among the group gathering at Funky Junk this fall for our eigth(already?!) show. Wow, I'm blessed.

I've named my booth Back To Junk School this fall; I love vintage anything school~I come from a long line of teachers, so makes sense, right? So I have some special finds I've pulled together for Junk School. Our red bicyle poster has inspired part of my creating too, so there will be the obvious, bicycles and the more subtle, or not so subtle, reds. The rest is a huge stash of funky and functional finds brought to you from me, so enjoy!

So, here's some math homework for you my junking friends. One funky booth x 25 + food + free music + cool old grange = (answer below).

Love. Fun. Junk.
Hollie=)

Answer: You having the best Labor Day Weekend ever in Sandpoint, ID Saturday & Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days because the $2 admission is good all weekend and there are fresh junk & goods delivered both days; not to mention Sandpoint to explore both evenings and Monday!! See you there!

Funky Junk Junk

Here's a peek at some of the things making their way up to Sandpoint, ID in a WEEK! There is always so much to see and do and be inspired by at Funky Junk shows and my mom's booth has been a source of finds for years. This year we've combined booths, so you get double the junk love and double the fun in the Joy Harvest booth! These pics are just a sample of the junk to come...
Hollie

Alisa's Garden

Hi. Sometimes I get tired of talking about me, and this is one of those days! I love reading other people's blogs and get lost quite often for hours at night when maybe I need to be sleeping and instead, find myself reading, learning, enjoying. I've recently been introduced to Alisa's Garden blog and love the photography, recipes and stories. It's nice to get away from me for a day. Enjoy visiting Alisa's world! And then in a week or so, come and enjoy the Funky Junk world for a weekend; I know Alisa is!
http://www.alisasgarden.blogspot.com

Funky Junk Vendors

I'm so in love with fall. I love the air and the trees and the warm days and cool nights. And even back to school. For four years now, I've also had Funky Junk to be part of the reason I love fall. This will be the fourth time we've gathered amazing vendors from all over to share in a junking weekend that feels more like a party, or a really great family reunion. I love our vendors and spend most of my time wandering the booths instead of staying in my own. I love seeing the work of their hands; the finds they have gathered; hearing their stories from since we last talked; finding that we have more in common than we ever knew.

So, soon my craving for fall will be tasted, and another fun junking weekend will commence. Hope that you too can be a part of Funky Junk Fall, where you'll find your own one of a kind funky find; but you'll also find vendors who are one of a kind amazing.~Hollie

Yesterday's Connection
Joy Harvest
PlayHouse Soaps
Little Red Hen Pies
Carol~Marketplace Antiques
Scout Vintage Clothing & Accessories
Just Because Antiques
Junebug Furniture & Design
Ladybird Jewelery
Sophia's
Ballyhoo Girl
Hand Me Down Quilts
Old Idaho
Iona's Antiques
Rustic Radiance
Sister's Creed
Parson's Place
The Best Nesst/Wanderlux
Reclaimed Charm
Out of the Woods
Rustic Pine
Revamp...
And more confirmed fun coming soon!=)

Before The Junk, The Beach...

August means our family takes a trip to Coeur d' Alene, ID for a beach day. And it's an easy stretch for me to deliver Funky Junk postcards and posters, and then visit some of my favorite shops on the side. This year we enjoyed the beach more than ever; our boys are getting to that age. I even managed to bring some retro plates to use for our sandy lunch. We squeezed as much beach joy into our day as we could; then Mark drove me around town and listened to endless episodes of Wonder Pets on the DVD player so that I could squeeze some funky junk joy in, too.

Java coffee is a must stop for a coffee drink and a cookie, yum! I traveled down a side street and enjoyed the Tangerine boutqiue. I loved the awesome repurposed displays on display at Tangerine, and I bought myself a new pair of sunglasses to replace the ones that broke that same day. How convenient! I always head to Wiggetts to leave a poster; they have a huge selection of treasures to peruse, and a really cute sign leading up the way to even more upstairs! Walking downtown in a pair of sandals in the sun is sweet; I felt like I had taken a trip far away. While mid way through my walk, I happened upon some vintage parked bikes, and some really cool bicycle owners with whom I chatted. I of course asked if they would take a picture of my poster and their bike and they kindly obliged my funky request.

With our clock ticking we drove the Funky Junk boy filled van up 4th street to hit some of my all time favorite stops. Hippie Kat is a vintage clothing shop and the day I went she had the most amazing vintage dress on display; and a cute mustard yellow chair to boot! In a side alley, I spotted this really cool RenewD van...I want to know more! Paris Flea Market is always on my must shop; Jamie from Bizi has the first booth on the right inside, her vignettes make me want to sit and stay awhile! Oh, if only I could have thrift shopped that day, Coeur d' Alene boasts a huge amount of fun spots to wander through. We ended up at Forget-Me-Not; where Nancy and Sally fill the yard and house-store full of finds you can't believe. I had so much fun looking and went home with some yellow Pyrex snack bowls I had been looking for~yea!

I'm having some floaty, happy memories of our family funky day trip to Coeur d' Alene and so happy we took the time get away for a staycation that felt like a vacation. Now on to Funky Junk Labor Day Weekend; and to another beach, this one in Sandpoint, ID!!
~Hollie

One of a Kind Funky Finds...

I just love junk. There are so many more important things in life, I know. So many people I know and love have gone through hard, hard things and low, low times as of late. They are coping and living through the junk in their lives right now, with grace, dignity, courage. So what does my junk matter, really. But it does. There is something that happens when I'm junking, creating, repurposing, painting, cleaning, hauling, making things change. When I'm bringing back life to items that for all intents and purposes should be in the dump. (Some if it was, but I rescued it.) So there it is, the junking is saving me. When there is chaos reigning around me, I find calm in the junk storm in my garage, and joy in the junk piles awaiting me in my office. Thank the good Lord for the junk, and for the amazing people of the junk who share the love of it all with me. That is the reason the junk matters, and that is the why of my junk love.