Join us at the 2014 Country Living Fair!

In the Northeast? Looking for a Fun activity this weekend?

The Country Living Fair is the place to be!
 

Last spring, one of the best events I attended was the Country Living Fair in Rhinebeck, NY, and I'm so excited to be able to go this year, too! It starts this Friday (June 6) and runs through the whole weekend. It's a fun, family-friendly activity where you'll find tons of shopping, how-tos, antiques, home decor... and plenty of design and decorating inspiration.

DIY Metal Folding Patio Chairs Makeover

Vintage Metal Folding Patio Chairs

DIY Spray Painted Metal Chairs with Caning

This was a super easy DIY patio chair project, using only 2 cans of spray paint! Remember those four metal folding chairs I picked up at the Country Living Fair? Well I knew right away exactly where they were going to go (my Patio Table desperately needed some chairs). And I knew they were going to get a few coats of spray paint, I just didn't know which color they would be.

So I played around a little before deciding on the final color. You can see my first two choices here. Liked them both, but not enough to live with. The light blue was just too light, and didn't look different enough than the original chairs, and the pink didn't go with the patio table, although it was pretty cool. I was really hoping one of those would work because I had them both on hand, but since they didn't, off to Home Depot I went, and there, the green color was speaking to me. 

I'm not going to bore you with details about how I spray painted them, because that's all pretty straightforward. But here's what I used: two cans of Rustoleum Painter's Touch (I think the color is Eden, but I will confirm next week) and a makeshift drop cloth. I highly recommend the Rustoleum spray paint. It sprays so nicely. In a previous post I mentioned that Michaels had a better color selection than Home Depot, and while that's true, I don't think you can compare the quality and ease of use of the two. The Krylon I used on the light blue didn't have nearly the coverage of the Rustoleum. It was a lot more work for less output. But, onto the the transformation.

My favorite thing about the color transformation is that it makes that beautiful caning stand out even more. I just loved the design of these chairs because of that caning (and my affection is certainly strengthened by the fact that they were made in the USA!). I'm loving how they look with the free Patio Table and my Laminated Tablecloth! 

I know, I went with my traditional green and blue color scheme, but it's just what felt right to me here. I'll branch out on colors with some projects soon, I promise! In the meantime, my family's enjoying actually being able to sit down when we eat our dinners outside now :)

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Country Living Fair

What to Expect at the Country Living Fair

Rain or Shine, You're Sure to Have an Amazing Time!

For years I've been reading my Country Living magazines and dreaming about attending one of the fairs in Ohio or Georgia. I'd thought about making the trip from NY, but it never worked itself out. So this year, when I saw that there was a new location, Rhinebeck, NY, I was thrilled (nevermind that Rhinebeck is a mere 30 minutes from where I used to live; our move last year put us 2 hours away. But still, certainly a reasonable day-trip distance).

I was determined to attend the fair, despite the fact that the same weekend was packed with other commitments for my husband and daughters. But I didn't want to pass up this opportunity, so I called in reinforcements (i.e., super babysitter), and made my plans! Friday was the only day I could even think about sneaking away, so Friday, it was. 

Thursday night, I packed my lunch and backpack, filled the car with gas, went to the ATM, and made sure the fridge was packed with snacks a-plenty for the kiddos. Everything was going according to plan... until I woke up in the middle of the night and heard the soothing sound of raindrops. I like sleeping when it rains, and for a minute I was lulled back to sleep, until it hit me that this rain sounded intense. It was not just one of those nice spring showers; it was heavy, steady, teeming rain... with (according to my iPhone) no signs of stopping for another 36 hours. 

Suddenly, my visions of frolicking through the fairgrounds, camera dangling from my neck, snapping photos whilst eating an ice cream cone and simultaneously pulling a wagon full of vintage and handmade purchases, came to a crashing halt. Rain?! That was not in the plans. But, I shall not be deterred.

On Friday morning, I woke up, put on my rain boots and rain jacket, reluctantly put my Canon Rebel away (iPhone camera only today) and headed out to Rhinebeck. I'd been to Dutchess County Fairgrounds plenty of times before, and it's humungous, so I was prepared for a crowd... and the Country Living Fair did not disappoint. There was a line of cars to get into the fairgrounds, and while I didn't have to wait to buy my ticket, there was a steady stream of people flocking in. It wasn't quite as jam-packed as the Sheep & Wool Festival, although that can be attributed to the fact that there were fewer vendors (and farm animals), but it was still crowded. Definitely got a few elbows to the ribs and an umbrella or two flung in my face....

The Red Door Antiques

The Red Door Antiques

But the important part: the booths were amazing. Just downright beautiful! I'm posting pictures of some of my favorites, among them Hi Ho Home Market and The Red Door Antiques (that last link is to her blog). I had so much fun just admiring the uniqueness of each booth. If I had it my way, I would attend the fair for more than one day, just so I could really have a chance to appreciate everything, but alas, that wasn't in the cards this year. And on the subject of "having it my way," there was a lot more I would have loved to take home with me, but I had to keep my budget in mind. So what did I get? 3 vintage thread spools and a set of 4 vintage, folding, metal chairs from the 1940's (soon to be transformed to accompany my Hand-Me-Down Patio Table. Update: here's that chair transformation!). Unfortunately the nice guys who sold them to me don't have a website (because they usually don't do these kinds of venues; they usually do movie sets... which, I believe, makes my chairs infinitely more glamourous).

Hi Ho Home Market

Bottom line, if you love vintage and handmade items, and can make it happen, I would definitely recommend the Country Living Fair. Even in the pouring rain, I had so much fun checking everything out. I loved hearing what people were going to do with their purchases (one lady makes pincushions out of the vintage spools!). And it definitely had the "muse effect" on me; I became even more inspired and motivated to work on my own creative pursuits. 

Thinking about going? Maybe this will help:

Kristen's Tips for Attending the Country Living Fair

1. If you're sure you're going, buy your ticket ahead of time (you'll save $).
2. Get there early to secure parking close to the entrance (you'll thank yourself later when you're lugging your purchases through the parking lot). And make a note of where you parked! There aren't neatly marked spots on the grass!
3. If you are going to Dutchess County Fairgrounds (Rhinebeck), don't bother bringing a cart/wagon with you. I had planned to bring a wagon, but it would have been too much to tow it around the crowds and through the wood chips . Most vendors will put a "sold" sign on your larger purchases so you can pick them up later, or you could just bring it out to the car and get your hand stamped for reentry. There's also a large-package check area, but I didn't use this. Good idea, though.
4. If you're going to Ohio or Georgia, bring a cart! I haven't been there myself, by Jeanne from JuNxtaposition is a Country Living Fair veteran vendor, and she let me know they work really well there, especially in Ohio.
5. Scout out the bathrooms as soon as you get there to save the stress of trying to find them with your arms full of bulky purchases (and possibly rain smacking you in the face).
6. Pack a snack/lunch and water. You'll save $ this way. And while the fairgrounds food is certainly yummy, I always regret it later.
7. Don't be afraid to haggle with the antiques dealers. If you're uncomfortable offering a lower price, consider asking the vendor if they can "go any lower." It's not rude, most of them expect it, and they'll be honest in their response. I overheard one vendor say, "We don't negotiate on anything under $20." Sounds completely reasonable to me, so keep that guideline in mind, if it helps! You shouldn't feel bad asking for a discount, especially if you buy more than one item. It can't hurt to ask. And once you try it once or twice, it gets easier. Just be respectful of the vendor.
8. Don't haggle with the artists. For those beautiful handmade items that take so long to make, the price is what it is, and it would be insulting to them to offer less.
9. Have fun! And don't have "tunnel vision," looking for the perfect thing. Just relax and take it all in. Something will "speak" to you; for me, it's usually something totally unexpected! 

Vintage Chifferobe DIY Part I

Vintage Chifferobe DIY Project

...making some progress, at least

It's really hot here today. And I want to be productive, especially while the baby's napping, but I don't know if I have it in me to do any more work. Even if I started painting, it's so humid I don't think the paint will ever dry!

So today I am posting pics of my current project, in its current state. I picked up this chifferobe a couple months ago at an estate sale. 


It was the last day of the sale; a bunch of siblings were selling the last of the items from their parents' house. I really just stumbled across this sale, because I happened to see a sign on my way to church (rushing there after an early-morning free craigslist pickup). After church, I told my husband I would just quickly run by this tag sale, and since I offered to bring the baby with me (and we had driven separately anyway), he didn't roll his eyes TOO much, and I was on my way.

As soon as I pulled up, I noticed this beauty. I loved the shape of it. I wasn't sure what it was from the curb, it almost looked like an old ice box or something. But I didn't really care. The sign said "Vintage 70's Chifferobe -  $40." Well, I loved it. I didn't love the color (which I do think is cool, it's just not in my comfort zone). And thanks to the $10 bill my husband had given me for something (that I ended up not using), I had a solid $27 in cash in my possession (I rarely carry cash... it's sorta bad... I rely on my debit cards way too much). So I offered my $27, and they happily accepted... and helped me load it into the car and tie the trunk down (because it didn't fit with the craigslist chair also inside-LOL-apparently my husband's big eye roll was reserved for when I pulled into our driveway after this). The back story on the piece (I love the back stories): they'd had it in their house growing up, and that they used to hide inside the little closet part when they played hide-and-seek. And would you believe, after becoming accustomed to it in our garage for the past couple months, my kids have been doing the exact same thing. I believe it was meant to be :)

It sat in the garage for a while, but I think I'm finally ready to do something with it. I decided that, when I'm done painting it (and finding new hardware-maybe at the Country Living Fair next week?), it will live in our family room. I'm hoping it can be a pretty exterior to hide all the papers and toys and supplies that have a tendancy to make their way up from the playroom on a regular basis... and instead of fighting it all (I really wanted to keep the family room toy-free since we have a designated play room now), I will embrace it (but at the same time hide it).

There you have it, the Vintage Chifferobe, Part I. BTW if anyone know anything about this kind of furniture--how old it might be, what it was used for? Please let me know!