Here we are at another Lucketts Market!  I miss the weather (believe it or not) and friends in Minnesota, but I am so glad to be back on the East Coast again and an hour away from Lucketts.  As I’ve shared many times over the years, it’s a special place to me not only because it’s an awesome and inspiring place to shop, but because the people at Lucketts are dear to me.  So many of them are a part of my story.  They encouraged me, showed me the ropes, took me under their wing, championed my successes, graciously wished me well when it was time to move on, and welcomed me back as one would expect from old friends.  I find the collective group of designers, vendors, and creative minds endlessly inspiring.  It’s a vibe I want to soak in any time I can.

I’ve gone to the last few markets with pretty specific shopping lists.  I needed furniture pieces for our new house, and there were a lot of holes to fill.  Now, we’re pretty settled and most of the rooms are furnished, so I am heading to this antique market feeling pretty content.  I was just talking about this with someone the other day, though…as much as I don’t really need any more antiques, it’s just too much fun to browse and pick up a few new treasures.  You really never know when you’ll find the perfect thing that speaks to you, which is part of the fun of secondhand shopping.

While I don’t need pieces now as much as I needed an island for the kitchen or storage for the studio, I do have a few pieces of furniture on the passive wishlist and there are some accessories I’m always shopping for.

One of the things I’m always looking for now is frames for my artwork, so I will definitely keep an eye out for those.  I am particularly looking for frames that are chunky, gilded, and smaller than 16 x 20.  I have a bunch of big frames at the moment and they are bulky to store and expensive to ship, so I’d like to use those up and focus my collecting on smaller frames.  I bought this one at the Lucketts Spring Market…

I’m also always looking for original art.  I’m a fickle art buyer, but I’ll jump at a piece when it speaks to me.  I hope to be an old lady with walls full of interesting art, shelves full of books, and a few cats.  I’ll be a nightmare for Marshall and Calvin.

Since I have managed to keep my myrtle topiaries alive since the spring market, I’m going to get a couple more topiaries for the dining room from Hip & Humble Interiors.

A few pieces of furniture I’ve been passively looking for are – A cabinet that is wide enough to fit a 48″ wide flat screen TV so we can close the doors when it’s not in use.  Jeff is not as crazy about this idea as I am, so it has to be just the right piece that he’ll love, too, and not mind opening and closing the doors.  (As a side note, all of the men in my life, my dad, the boys, and Jeff, all like to have functional things out and in the open.  I realize it’s faster to grab things off the counter than from a cabinet, but I prefer to have everyday practical items and electronics/appliances behind closed doors unless they enhance the visual aesthetic.)

I’ve needed a side table, small dresser, or desk for the guest room for a while but haven’t found the right piece.  Right now, I have a couple of baskets stacked to act as a side table, but a real piece of furniture that adds some functionality and storage would be nice.  It needs to be high enough to be a side table for the bed, low enough to not obscure the window, and it has to be on legs so it doesn’t block the baseboard vent.

I’m also keeping an eye out for furniture pieces for the basement.  Once the floors are done (when I’m that old, gray lady with lots of art, books, and cats), I’d like to set up a table down there for puzzles and games and have a wardrobe/armoire for storage.  I also would like a couple of comfy reading chairs for the library nook.  The basement is still a disaster, though, and what needs to happen more than bringing in more things is cleaning stuff out and getting organized.  But, if you see the perfect piece, you need to jump on it!  (Something like that pine cabinet above would be great for the basement.)

Other than those furniture pieces, I’m going to go with an open mind and see what speaks to me.  I’ll be looking for things that would be fun to draw or paint, to set up in a still life, to use somewhere in the house or garden, or something I just can’t resist and will find a spot for.  I did have a desk magnifying glass on my Lucketts shopping list, but I found one earlier this week.  I’m not saying I wouldn’t get something similar, though!

My mom and I will be heading out bright and early on Friday morning and I’m already feeling the giddy anticipation…