Winnie & Tulula's - The Grand Opening

Saturday, June 13th came and at 10:58am, 2 minutes before the doors opened at Winnie & Tulula's, the windows were uncovered. I'm not sure who was more excited. The folks on the outside looking in, or the folks on the inside looking out!

The crowds came in and they seemed pleased with what they saw.

Here is part of my space, before the crowds hit.

Many of the things you see found new homes Saturday.

You might recall that I planned to take an entire truckload with me Saturday, with the hopes of doing a reset before I left that evening. Well, every time a hole appeared in my space, David would make a run to the truck for more goods. By the end of the day, my truck was empty and I had a big smile on my face!

Another big thanks to Gloria, her staff and family for making the day run like a well oiled machine. To the other dealers, I'm thrilled to be a part of this with you. Y'all rock! I wish I could just hug every single person who came out Saturday for the grand opening. Thanks to you for making the trip to Athens!

A kiss for David. photo courtesy of David

Smiles with Mom and my sister, LucyJane. photo courtesy of David

Grins with Gloria, the Queen Bee of Winnie & Tulula's and Sweet Pea Collection.

photo courtesy of David

And giggles with Donna of Curious Goods! photo courtesy of David

A shout out to my boyfriend David, who was a big support through this entire process, from "I'm thinking about becoming a part of Winnie & Tulula's", to power shopping, to preparation, to setting up, to bringing his camera and making our memories visible in photographs. Wanna see what he took Grand Opening Day? Click here for the slide show and click here to go straight to his set. Enjoy!

If you didn't make it, come out any Wednesday through Saturday, 10a - 6p. 119 E Tyler St, Athens, Texas. What am I doing sitting in front of the computer? I need to go shopping!

Happy Monday!
~Mindy

ps. For whatever reason, my home computer is not allowing me to leave comments anywhere. Ugh. I'll try to get caught up on comments when I'm at another computer. It's always something!

Winnie & Tulula's - Part 1

We did it! We survived the grand opening of Winnie & Tulula's. Whew! Today, I am going to share with you pre-opening pictures. Pictures of preparation and setting in my space.

My next post, I will share pictures that David took of the Grand Opening, itself. He took hundreds of pictures and after weeding through the unflattering, blurry, bad lighting pictures, he will make public his album of the opening. I betcha he got some good ones! And if you were there, maybe there will be some pictures of you.

Thank you to everyone who came out and shopped with us. To the lurkers and regular comment givers, I thank you for introducing yourselves and it was great to see you! I'm telling you, that was one fun day! To the other dealers and to Gloria. I know we won't all be there at the same time very often. But, I really enjoyed sharing that pre-opening adrenaline rush with you. Yee Haw! Congrats to everyone for being a part of a great day in Athens!

Wanna see the other pre-opening pictures? Go here and enjoy!

Happy Sunday!
~Mindy

Spring Garden Sale in Dallas

Friday, I had the great fortune of attending the Spring Garden Sale at Portia's home in Dallas. Portia with Gina and Alan of Country Garden Antiques collaborate on this home and garden show. From outdoor vignettes to luxurious indoor settings, they put on quite the show.

Do you see the old blue/greens sneaking back into our pallets?

Wonderful pieces.

I am so glad I got to attend this show.

You know I took lots and lots of pictures! If you would like to see more, go here.

I set this post to come up at 11:00am, Saturday morning. What are you doing at home reading this? Shouldn't you be in Athens at Winnie & Tulula's Grand Opening? I know. Some of you couldn't come. Believe me. We miss you!

Hope you enjoyed Portia, Alan and Gina's show.

Happy Saturday!

~Mindy

Judy Hill Rocks the House

photo courtesy of David

David and I hit the road early yesterday heading for Judy Hill's home show in Kilgore, Texas. We got there about 45 minutes after the doors opened, and from what I could tell, the early folks were not shy about messing up Judy's displays, and taking the goods for themselves. Do you know Judy? She is the Queen Mother of J.Hill Designs. She decorates her entire home with priced objects. Lovely, priced objects. It's like an estate sale. Come in, shop everything. Everything (with few exceptions) is for sale. She offers fine linens, awesome antiques and lots of repurposed goodies. Besides her gift of acquiring good stuff, Judy has an ability to design and decorate space so well that you will want to slap your momma. To say she is "good" is an understatement.

Wanna see our pictures? David, photographer extraordinaire, has his flickr set all organized here. And here are the pictures that I took. Enjoy!

Check out this wheelbarrow and shovel serving platter!

Judy now has a blog on her website. You'll have to swing over there and see what wisdom she is sharing today.

Tomorrow, I will share pictures of the Spring Garden Show at Portia's with Gina and Alan of Country Garden Antiques. These are exciting times!

Saturday at 11:00am, I hope to see you at Winnie & Tulula's for the Grand Opening. 119 E. Tyler, Athens, Texas. Just follow the glow of the pixie dust!

Happy Weekend!
~Mindy

Pre-Show Rituals

Since joining the gang at Winnie & Tulula's, I have been working like a mad woman preparing for the Grand Opening. David has joined in on the fun, as well.

After some major buying sprees, we have become one with Gorilla glue (literally), paint, a hammer, nails, screws, my garden hose, a scrub brush, soap, oil, wax. Well, you get the picture. We have been working! Not to mention popping some Tylenol and stronger things. Cranberry juice and Captain Morgan's coconut rum mix nicely. David prefers cold beer. I have woken up in the middle of the night to write down ideas of placement and vignettes. David designed and produced my price tags.

Last weekend, we took a truck and trailer load to the store and worked hard. So much so, that unless I get more inspiration in the middle of the night, I'm about ready. Now, guess what I'm doing this week in preparation for the opening...

Monday, I joined a tanning salon. My tan is not what it needs to be.

Tuesday, I got my oil changed. It was past due.

Today, I got a pedicure. Much better. Seriously? Is everyone so calm before their coming out party?

Thursday, David and I are both playing hooky from our real jobs and we are heading to Judy Hill's in Kilgore and then to price a few things at Winnie & Tulula's. Later that evening, we are heading to the Antique Garden Sale at Portia's in Dallas.

Friday? Hmm...Work on my wardrobe? I have yet to figure out what I am wearing Saturday. Isn't that important? Should I match my space? Or wear my traditional camouflage pants, combat boots and a black tank top? This is almost daily attire for me when I am "junking." Alas, perhaps not Open House attire? Hmmm...

Fess up, you dealers. Tell us about your rituals. Are you busy up to the last moment? Do you lose sleep, like I have? Do you toil and trouble over your outfit? Did you set up in your driveway weeks before the big day? How do you prepare? Inquiring minds want to know.

Happy Day!
~Mindy

ps. David, thank you for all of your time, support, assistance and love during this new venture!

Take My Advice

I don't know a lot. But, when I give advice, you really should take heed. Here is my advice: Rearrange your life this Thursday through Saturday. Book flights. Jump on a bus. Carpool. Whatever. Texas is a happening place this weekend and you will wanna be here. I actually know a lady coming down from Kentucky for all this fun. Seriously! Theresa from Time Worn Interiors is headin' South in an empty box truck.

Here's what you do: Thursday, you will want to head to Kilgore. Judy Hill is hosting a home show, in her home of all places. I made my first appearance at her last shindig and you can bet your bottom dollar I will be at this one. The woman has skillz. Yes. With a Z. I do not offer a sneak preview, but I do offer photos that I took at the last show. Click here to enjoy. If you are coming, holler at Judy via her blog and she can give you directions, etc. See you there!

Next bit of advice? Friday, you will want to hit Big D for Portia and Gina and Alan's home show. Go here for all their info. I have witnessed a lil Gina & Alan magic. Teamed up with Miss Portia, this has to be one crowd pleasing show! I'm taking an empty truck, for sure.

And Saturday. Here is what you should do Saturday. Put 119 E. Tyler St, Athens, Texas into your gps. With due diligence, follow all directions. By 11:00 am, you will want to be at the front doors as they open, for The Grand Opening of Winnie & Tulula's Antique Mall. Sweet Pea Collection is also enjoying a re-opening at a new location right next door. Just over a dozen dealers have been throwing magic pixie dust into these rooms and you will, I promise, wanna see.

If you take my advice, I will see you there, there and there.

Happy Tuesday!
~Mindy

Waiting to Exhale in Boston

Vacation. Holiday. Going anywhere but here. 'Tis the season, isn't it?

David and I, along with several family members, are heading to Boston, Mass for the 4th of July.

So far, we have no agenda. Where to go? Who to see? What shops to visit?

Come on blogland. Help us out. We need a plan. Some idea of what to do. What do Texans do for fun in Boston?

I'm sure there is some wonderful history to soak up. Any good hole in the wall places to eat? Shop? Visit? What can you tell us?

Happy Monday!
~Mindy

Workin' It

Things are hopping in Athens! There is a buzz and excitement among the dealers there setting up. David and I were at Winnie & Tulula's yesterday and are heading there again today.

Nope. No pictures. People. There MUST be some mystery. Show and tell can happen next Saturday. I want you to be surprised by my own goodies, as well as everyone else's. So, hang in there. We'll have lots and lots and lots of pictures to share after the Grand Opening. I promise.


While working yesterday, Gloria told us there were beverages in the fridge. And it was then that I learned of something good, currently coming out of France. Rieme (with an accent over the first e). Are you familiar? The bottle I chose was a limonade with natural orange essence. A sparkling water with yummy flavor. Speaking of which, the quicker I get back to W&T's, the sooner I can grab another bottle. Bye! Time to hit the road. I hope you are having a refreshing weekend.

~Mindy

Friday Finds

Do people like wicker anymore? I saw this at a yard sale today and it is super clean. There was no price on it and I didn't ask. More curious than anything, I guess. I did find something I wanted and was making that purchase when the seller said "Now, let's talk about the wicker." I jokingly said "Keep the change and I'll take it." He said "Ok."

What? he he he I like my luck this week. Maybe I should go buy a lottery ticket.Remember the yard sale I shopped early Wednesday? You know the one. I went back today to get all the other bargains I could get. I drove up at 7:50 am. A full 10 minutes before Judy said she would be selling anything. Lo and behold. What to my wondering eyes did I see? Folks loading up their cars with all the good, cheap stuff that I wanted. Before 8, mind you. Ugh. Judy got $6.25 out of me and I headed on to greener pastures.
The For Sale sign might be my favorite catch of the day.

I hope you enjoy some good shopping this weekend. Saturday, David and I will be in Athens, setting up for the Grand Opening. Has anyone told you that the doors at Winnie and Tulula's open Saturday, June 13 at 11:00 am? It's a fact.

Happy Weekend!

~Mindy

Wanna See?

Update: SOLD!

Can you hear it speaking to you?

Check out the thickness of that butcher block.
Admire the galvanized shelf, body and drawer.

Try not to drool on your keyboard.

Even the backside is amazing.

This is the piece I spoke of in yesterday's post. It is 5' long. 2' deep. 2' 9 1/2" tall.

What do you think it did in it's first life? What would you do with it now?

My plan is to sand down the butcher block top just a bit. I've heard some bleach could help. Then I've heard about a butcher block restorer. Someone else suggested bri-wax. Do you have any experience with such beauty?

Wanna see more pics? Click HERE.

Soooo, was it worth the wait?

Happy Thursday!

~Mindy

For the record. I do intend to pretty this up and then sell it. While I like it plenty, I don't have the space or need for it.

It Called Me by Name

I made a run up to Primitiques this morning to do a little work. On my way back home, off the road a bit, I happened to see a yard full of organized items. You know what I'm talking about. Lines of tables with lamps and crocks and glasses and stuff. A couple beds lined up. Organized clutter. Did I mention a lot of tables? Be still my heart.

I turned around, drove up the driveway and exited like I'm not shy. The lady, Judy, was working hard, getting things priced and out. I inquired what time they would be opening their Yard Sale and she told me Friday at 8:00 am. She advised that she won't sell anything before then, as she doesn't think it's fair to sell before then. She said she is running an ad in the paper (crud).

I fully intended to respect her rules. No buying until 8, Friday. Yes, ma'am. And then, I saw it. My heart still beats faster as I think about it. It spoke to me. Do you know what I'm talking about? Nay. It didn't just speak. It called my name.

I turned to Judy and inquired if they would be selling the piece. She said yes. I asked how much. She told me. I offered her more if she would let me take it today. Guess what. It is in my truck at this very moment.

This is a wonderful little lesson that I learned from my friend, Richard at Alston's Old Home Place. "Offer more to secure your purchase." He's told me about doing this for years. I've never had the opportunity, nor the cash. But, today was a different story. And I am declaring myself the winner!

I know. You want to know what it is. Don't you? Sorry. It needs to be cleaned up, worked on, beautified. After that, I will load it up and take it to Poetry or to Athens or to Warrenton...and then, you'll get to see it!

I promise.

Happy Wednesday!
~Mindy

Random Tuesday

These are exciting times! The Junk Sistas had a fundraising raffle and raised $2500 for Baby Bella, the beloved granddaughter of Debbie and Danny of Talking Trash. I am the lucky winner of two contributions. One of my prizes is a gift certificate from Theresa at Garden Antqs Vintage to be used on/toward something from her fabulous stock. Kinda makes my skin tingle. I am looking forward to shopping her at the new antique mall in Athens. I know she will have wonderful things to choose from.

The other prize I won is a variety gift tag set from Janet at Sweet Talk. My cards came today. Love 'em! They came so nicely packaged in this envelope.

And the first word I saw was "Congrats"...how smart is that? Are you familiar with Janet? She is one creative lady. Head on over to her site and place an order. I do love supporting Real People.

Now onto some randomness. This was my odometer last night when I was driving home. I thought it was interesting enough to note.
Are you ready for more random pictures of items I will be taking to Winnie and Tulula's for the Grand Opening? I do, so much enjoy sharing them with you!

Happy Tuesday!

~Mindy

Tag Fever

Seriously? I think I have been tagged 4 times in the last couple weeks. Y'all are so fun! Thanks for wanting to know SO danged much about me! I was kinda thinkin' I was boring y'all to death with my play-doh tasting. But, apparently, Andrea from Junk-Fest wants to know more. Six MORE things about me:

Let's see...

1. I went to Canton Trade Days this weekend and I forgot to take any pictures of all my blogging dealer friends out there. Oops! I saw Lillie from the Junk Palace, but I've have never met her before and didn't realize the lady I was talking to was Lillie. Ugh. Sorry Lillie! It was nice talking to you, though I didn't know who you were!

2. I met some of the ladies from Girl's Gone Junkin' at Canton and I found them to not only have kick booty stuff, they were absolutely delightful! Do you know these ladies? Cathy, Deidra and Sue. Each and every one of them, has the most marvelous hair! I kid you not. Amazing hair. From them, I bought something white, something linen, and a couple chalky things. Yes, these goodies will be at Winnie and Tulula's.

3. I spent the entire morning on my driveway, with all of my W&T goodies. I have blue tape on the concrete, marking my space size. By the time I go set up in Athens, I will know where every piece goes. I feel very " Judy Hill " doing this. From what I understand, she did this each time before her Canton Shows. 4. I live on 5 wooded acres. My neighbors would have to walk through the woods to actually see my driveway/mock store. So, I don't think there will be any complaints about the mess, nor theft of the fine goods.

5. I love a man named David. He has been oh-so-supportive of this new, time consuming commitment of mine. When I mentioned the idea of joining Winnie and Tulula's, he is who pushed me to jump on it. Mayron and Theresa got behind me and shoved, too! Thanks, y'all! I am quite thrilled to be in on this fun, hip endeavor!

6. Call me an optimist, but I will have an entire truck load of extra merchandise with me at the Winnie and Tulula's Grand Opening, June 13. I fully intend to do a reset before I leave that evening, due to wide open spaces in my area. Ha!

Whew! There. 6 more things about me. Thanks, Andrea!

If you see your name on here, and if you are so inclined, you can consider yourself tagged. If you are reading along, be sure to click on those names and acquaint yourselves. I do surround myself with some good peeps!

Happy Monday!

~Mindy

Sneak Peek

I have been shopping all weekend. Must get good stuff for Winnie and Tulula's Grand Opening. Have you marked your calendar? June 13, 11:00 am. It's the newest antique mall coming to Athens, Texas! Here is your sneak peek at some of the goodies I have found.

he he he...Great stuff, huh?

Happy Sunday!

~Mindy

Vintage Cardboard Tubes

I have a new fascination. Are you familiar with cardboard tubes? No. That is not the official name, just my description. The first pictured one is 8" tall with a screw top. The top unscrews from the top portion and will screw into the bottom portion.

The second one is a little bigger. Mayron is 5'4", so it is about 3'6".

What is your take on these cardboard tubes? Their history or their future? Like em? I am one to like things more in bulk, so, I'm on the lookout for more.

Happy Friday!

~Mindy

Spelling Bee

I am a spelling fanatic. I like to spell correctly. When I turned 40 (I know the fact that I have reached that pinnacle may shock some of you), I asked for a new dictionary. I keep that dictionary beside my desk at all times.

When I was perusing match.com for a man, spelling counted. Seriously. David actually complimented me on my writing skills (spelling included) when he contacted me on match.com. See? We are so well suited, we share this desire for proper spelling! Have I mentioned that we have been dating for 20 months now? Indeed!

I digress. I just did a spell check and it says "no misspellings found". Whew!

So, are you aware that tomorrow night, Thursday evening, 8p/7c, the Scripps National Spelling Bee Finals are being televised on ABC?

My sister, LucyJane, and I will be planted in front of the TV. Pina coladas in hand. Cheering on whoever catches our fancy. We will raise our hand between our eyes and the TV, cover the word on the screen, and then fail miserably at spelling it out loud.

So, my friends, this is your public service announcement. Set your DVR, Tivo, old school VCR. Use a pen to circle it on your TV guide. Mark your calendar. Clear your calendar! Prepare to cheer on a child. Challenge yourself. Enjoy good, clean, simple entertainment.

And then, come back here and tell me all about it. If you give it a chance, you will realize and appreciate why I have watched the Scripps Spelling Bee Finals the last 3 years, without fail.

Love it!
~Mindy

Ketchup

Not really ketchup. "Catch up" would be more like it. It looks like most of y'all had a good, long weekend. I'm still trying to catch up with lots of you. Heck, I am still trying to catch up with me!

Let's see. Saturday was a much sunnier day in Poetry and we had lots of folks come out and buy from the community yard sale and from Primitiques. Thanks, y'all!

Alisha of Presh-Presh and Misti of M2 (that is M squared for you non-math folks), came by and what fun these ladies are going to be in Warrenton! And of course, I forgot to take my camera. Ugh. I also got to meet a lurker, Candy. She said she does not have a blog, she just reads all of us. She and some girlfriends are professional junkers from the Dallas area. It was so nice to meet you, Candy.

Sunday after church, David and I headed to Athens to check out Winnie & Tulula's home. David got to play with his new Canon 50D camera. Here is your exclusive look at W&T's, as it was Sunday. Have I ever told you that I love old buildings? Check this out:

These front, display windows are divine.

And here is Gloria, the direct descendant of Winnie and Tulula...and the Queen Mother of this concept antique mall.
I dreamed of chippy green walls Sunday night. Aren't they marvelous?

Monday, David got to name it, regarding our activities. So, we enjoyed putting together a futon for his screened porch and then we caught some rays in his swimming pool. My legs are as white as a catfish belly. You know that is white, don't you? I need to work on the tan. We grilled steaks, enjoyed margaritas and I tested out the futon for a nice little nap. This screened porch rocks!

I hope to catch up with y'all soon.

Shoot, I almost forgot, Misti at M2 tagged me. Didn't I just do this? But, she wants to know 7 things about me. So, briefly:
1. I liked the flavor of play-doh when I was a kid. Nice and salty. I'd choose Fritos now days.
2. I wrecked every car I ever had. Well, until I paid for one with my own money. No wrecks since then! Sorry Mom and Dad!
3. Everyone thought I was a boy when I was a kid. I had short hair and I went fishing with my dad. Can you say tom boy?
4. I was in All State Choir in high school. Yup. I was a choir goon.
5. I played 13 seasons of soccer when I was a kid. Loved soccer!
6. I want to be a donor when I die. Actually, upon my last breath, take my parts and then rush me to the furnace. I do NOT want folks staring at me when I am dead.
7. I like almonds. Salted. Smoked. Almonds. Yum!

Happy Tuesday!

~Mindy

Tagged

I have been tagged by Jan at the Polka Dot Barn. So, the rules are for me to link back to her and list six other bloggers that I want to know more about.

As a team player, I think it would be the funnest (is that a word?) to learn more about some of the lady dealers coming into Winnie and Tulula's. Don't you? This will be fun! Well, that is, if they have the time to play. You know, we only have until June 13, to prepare for our grand opening.

So, here we go, in no particular order:
1. Maggie at The Veranda.
2. Lillie of the Junk Palace.
3. Donna at Curious Goods.
4. Theresa of Garden Antqs Vintage.
5. Debbie at Talking Trash.
6. Gloria at The Sweet Pea Collection. I truly do not expect to hear from Gloria, the Queen Mother of Winnie & Tulula's. She is one busy woman, preparing the building for all of us. She keeps telling me that when I meet her, she will be the one looking like a homeless woman. Bless her heart! She is working it, for sure! Just go peruse her site and love that music. Great stuff!

Now. My task is to tell you six things that you might not know about me. And I will do that...But, as always when I am tagged, I make up rules. Let's see...alright tagged ladies, share with us 6 things that you might be bringing to Winnie & Tulula's for the Grand Opening. You can tell us 6 things about you, too, if you have time. I know you are busy!

I'll bring:
1. Rusty stuff
2. Chippy stuff
3. Painted stuff
4. White stuff
5. Metal stuff.
6. Garden stuff.
(was this a big tease, or what?)

And just for grins, here are 6 things you probably don't know about me:
1. I love Burt's Bee's chapstick.
2. Mrs. Meyer's home cleaning products rock. They are like perfume for my home AND they are functional.
3. My very first car was a Ford Pinto. And I live to tell about it.
4. I lettered in golf in high school.
5. I hope to retire from my "real" job in less than 5 years. he he he
6. I have 4 indoor cats: Ellie Mae, Jethro Bodene, Opie Jo and Country Bumpkin (Bunky). Am I country or what?

Now, you ladies who were tagged, you can take any or part of this assignment. If you desire, link back to me and then list those 6 things, and then tag 6 more bloggers.

The rest of you, check out these talented women and you will soon figure out how excited I am to be a part of this new venture!

The Poetry Community Yard Sale is tomorrow from 8:00am-1:00pm. Y'all come see us!

Happy Weekend!
~Mindy

Trends

Ladies and gentlemen, today is the day to share.

There are trends and there are trendsetters. Tell your secrets.

Who influences you? Do you follow anyone in particular? What current trends are you loving? Wood, painted or stained? Or no wood at all? Metal. Chipped, painted or rusty? Colors? No colors? What colors? Plaster? Chalk? Silver? Gold?

Me? I used to like unpainted woods only. American primitives. Oak. Ahhh...beautiful oak! No Euro furniture at all. I am evolving into less woods all together. I am watching clothing styles. I am looking at the big picture. I can't just be happy anymore with what I have always liked.

Ok. So, you don't have to tell all of your secrets! I just like the idea of knowing where you have come from and where you are going. Do tell...

Happy Thursday!
~Mindy