diy

…road to lucketts: do i need a truck?

May 16, 2013 By christen 5 Comments

YES! Well, technically no, but YES! Especially if you are shopping for furniture or bigger pieces OR you just like to shop! You will not be disappointed by the 200 vendors and will finds lots of treasure.

I found a picture of the line Saturday morning from last year.

I had people buy pieces from me, go home, rent a truck and come back the next day. This happens. And if I did not have my own UHaul that I was driving out there I would need one too!

So, if you can’t get a truck try to bring your SUV with the seats down and if you can’t do that, then bring rope to strap things to the roof of your sedan. I’m not kidding!

This is an idea of what you will see if you have not been.

Here’s what I ended up bringing home last year.

From The Luckett’s Blog: What do I do if I can’t take my purchase with me or my car is too small?
Items purchased at the Lucketts Spring Market must be picked up by Sunday, May 19th at 5pm. Items sold by fair vendors can’t be left at the Lucketts Store past Sunday – we just don’t have the capacity to store 170+ vendors-worth of purchases.

You really don’t need a truck, but if you know you are looking for bigger pieces then think about it

See you there! Blue Egg Brown Nest will be in the Field of Gold. Doesn’t that sound lovely? It is!

Luckett’s Spring Market

May 18, 19 10-5

Admission $7 (children under 12 free)

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: blue egg brown nest, chalk Paint, diy, Fair, lucketts, Lucketts Spring Market, UHaul

…favorite things friday – the doors

April 26, 2013 By christen 2 Comments

Once upon a time I was at a flea market shopping when I came upon a lovely blue door. It was old with wide planks and I envisioned cutting it down and using it as a coffee table. I had a wrought iron frame and had put a piece of furniture grade wood on top of it per my MIL’s suggestion. But, thought it could be even cooler with a barn door. So, I tore off the price tag, as one does at these types of sales, and held onto it until I was ready to pay. When passing by the door again I saw a girl lifting it from it’s resting place and getting ready to put it in her car. I try to avoid confrontation most of the time, but when it comes to the rules of flea market ettiquce I cannot bite my tonge…and I wanted that door! She said she had just paid for it at the counter and it was hers. I proceeded to remind her of the rules and held up my ticket. It did no good and she drove away. Fuming.

I got over the incident, but not over my love of old doors. I have them all over my house. In my hallway, my study and one in my master bathroom leaning against the wall near the tub. All chippy & wonderful.

Doors are a great example of adding a bit of rustic-love into your home without going overboard. Lean it against a blank wall. Make sure it has character, peeling paint, an old lock, broad boards, etc. I don’t even mind if it’s a bright color as long as it’s chipping. I also have a way to adjust a color if it’s not the exact shade you want that I’ll be talking about next week. So buy the door!

A white door always works as long as it’s OLD.

I find it very hard to pass by an old door without wanting it. I was at an estate sale last week and all I wanted were the doors off their hinges! Unfortunately, they were not for sale And, yes, I did get some funny looks for asking.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: blue egg brown nest, diy, Door decor, interior design

…Building a Business: Vision

April 23, 2013 By christen 4 Comments

As in life, authenticiy is the greatest gift you can give yourself. I have more respect for people if they are who they are without shame or trying to cover up their person. I may not like every style I see out there, but I can respect it if it’s genuine. This is true of your business. I have said it before, it will show if you are not being true to your vision & style. You will be unhappy working extra hard to create a look that is not your own and people will notice that you are full of hot air if you can’t back up the look you are displaying or discussing.

At a very young age I had dreams of living in a cottage somewhere in England filled with textiles, old books, lanterns and other interesting objects. (Of course I also thought I wanted to be one of the Bronte sisters as well.) My dad and I used to shop at antique shops in New Hampshire during the summertime and I loved finding objects that were old and had a story behind them. He also showed me the love of design & creating things by hand as I used to watch him make hand-made jewelry as his dad did before him.

(This is actually my oldest daughter designing with Papa)

I hadn’t really developed my style or had the money to really develop it, but I knew what I liked.When I started Blue Egg Brown Nest, I loved that cozy, European feel, the vintage style like I was seeing in certain magazines, homes & shops. There were colors that I loved and as I started down the path of decorating my own home, I honed in on what I loved & wanted to create.

(This demi was my first piece of inspiration.)

If you are going to have a creative business, you need to spend every day working on it and thinking about it. If you are going to spend all that time & energy you need to know your vision and almost make a mental mission statement. Don’t divert from it. Be consistent. Start as you plan to go because as you get traction, clients will associate you with a certain style and aesthetic. They will recommend you to friends looking for that look. They will think of you when they want a particular item that suits their needs. If you are all over the place, it will seem confusing and people will not hold the same type of loyality to your shop & work.

Ask yourself these question:

What is my style?

What do I know?

What do I appreciate?

What do I gravitate towards?

What is my history?

What am I good at?

These will be very easy questions if you are attune to yourself and possibly difficult questions if you are still developing who you are. A creative business is so personal. It has to just fit together. Kind of like Fiona in a vintage dough bowl.

Your vision and your style need to be integrated into who you are and what you yourself love. If I went out and sold, say, contemporary ceramics I would not be any good at it. I don’t really gravitate towards that look; I don’t have it in my home & frankly it just doesn’t excite me. Now, if you put me in an old bookstore and told me I could pick anything I wanted I think I would have to take a few deep breaths out of excitment. That is me and I know what I like.

Your vision will come through your business. I you haven’t developed your style yet, keep experimenting until you find what suites you. You will know when you find it because you will be good at it, you will study it and educate yourself. The adventure of your own creative business will endure as long as you so stay true & consistent.

Filed Under: building a business Tagged With: annie sloan chalk paint, blue egg brown nest, Building a Creative Business, diy