a life in the day

So anybody else out there watch 'American Picker Sisters' last night? It was the first episode - basically a spin off of 'American Pickers' but with two girls who drive around the countryside in a Mercedes SUV, wearing amazingly cute outfits, and charm old men out in the sticks to let them peruse their outbuildings in search of treasure for their L.A. store. Most of which gets shipped back to their handy wonder carpenter who apparently will turn anything into a great piece of re-purposed furniture for a measly $100.00 according to their projected costs/profit charts...


Okay, yes I am being snarky. These ladies have great ideas, a beautiful store, and , well, my dream job..

But in real life it goes something like this...

I get a lead on some possible inventory and I drive out in the middle of nowhere in my '05 Honda with an open trailer and a back gate that sticks and I cant ever get off. And you dig through garages, basements,junk shops, wherever while you are either dripping with sweat(like yesterday I was SO HOT I put powder in my bra!) or freezing to death in the winter. And unlike last nights show, where there was conveniently a construction crew working nearby that just happened to have a spare minute to dismantle and load an entire outbuilding into their trailer, you start carrying and lifting and hauling your loot and hope it is lashed down good enough to not fly out of the back while you are going 70mph down I-96. Of course that never happened....(I wish) And then the work begins..

Unload, repair, sand, paint, upholster, wash, steam. rebuild. whatvere it takes, Often at all hours. And definitely not wearing a cute new outfit..And then praying own personal wonder boy (my husband Bill) has enough energy left after working at his job all day to do be my presonal carpenter and electrician and general can do anything guy..

And my fab vintage clothing partner, Abby. Who is just, well, crazy. Who gets up at 5:00 am and goes to estate sales and then to work at her day job and then cranks out 2 dozen custom order pieces and then comes to the shop with an armload of amazing vintage cleaned and repaired and ready to merchandise and still goes out to dinner and does it all over the next day...And Sue who has endless creative ideas and who's love for vintage textiles always provides us endless fabric inspiration..

So what makes us keep at it? We just cant imagine doing anything else! We are fueled every day by the same thing as the ladies in last nights show - seeing the potential in things that have a past, a history and giving them a whole new life! And having the opportunity everyday to share that with our wonderful customers who have the same passion for finding that perfect peice that speaks to them. It's just their search starts where ours ends...

Now if I could just get that Mercedes and a whole new wardrobe...

Come see what we have dug up for you and be inspired!