This is a dangerous profession.  Well, not dangerous like Alaskan crab fishing or building skyscrapers, but dangerous for someone who loves antiques and is surrounded by beautiful ones regularly.  I do sell most of the things I buy, but there are some pieces I have to keep.  I have rules for myself, though.  I have to have a perfect place for it and I have to sell other things in order to keep something.  That way, I’m always making money (or breaking even) and I have the chance to “trade up.”  (And I don’t have storage units full of French chairs that are discovered when I shuffle off.)

Anyway, I’ve been having a hard time finding the perfect display piece for my space.  I’ve been borrowing one from Suzanne for a few weeks, but I really needed to find something permanent.  My neighbor vendor brought in this piece on Thursday and it immediately caught my eye.  It was just assembled and I snapped a picture of it, so I could look back on it and kick myself for not buying it.  I thought it was too deep for my space and not tall enough.

I was fluffing my space Saturday morning and mentioned it to the dealer.  She said, “Oh no, it’s only 22″ deep.”  Wow, really?!  It looks a lot deeper because of the mirror.  Well, it was no time before I had a tape measure and my mind was spinning with possibility.  I suddenly became paranoid that someone else would buy it, so I decided to buy it.  The dealer said, “Take the tag and think about it.”  I thought about it and I showed it to my husband and I bought it that afternoon.

It’s exactly my style, the mirror will brighten the space and it’s perfect for displaying my paint, products, t-shirts and books.  To make it even better, it’s painted in my Shutter Gray milk paint.  I can’t wait to get it in my space and continue to make that little corner totally “me.”

I also kept these recent finds for myself…

…a set of mini grain sack stockings by Sutton Place…

…this trophy from an antique mall…

…and some ticking, feather stuffed pillows (the striped one and another one that’s in my family room.)

While getting ready for Lucketts, I also stopped in at Barnes & Noble in Frederick, MD to see if my book was there.  I found it in the home resource section.  (It may also be under the Christian Living section, since it’s sort of a hybrid decorating/encouragement book.)  I said I would dork out when I first saw my book in a book store.  I wasn’t sure what that would look like, but it turns out that dorking out means taking pictures of your book with your iPhone and posting it on Facebook, then your blog.  I wanted to buy it, but since there was only one, I left it there.  It was neat to see my book just a few inches down the shelf from the Young House Love book.  Great how that alphabetical thing works.

I was tempted to rearrange the shelves and put my book where The Home Book was, but I resisted.  Maybe that would’ve been full-out going dork.

I flipped through John and Sherry’s book and immediately saw two familiar faces…

Yes.  The Palmers.  Awww.  I didn’t spend a lot of time looking through the book, but what I did see looks fun, informative and packed with good ideas.

It is so awesome to see how all of these amazing and talented people are getting crazy-awesome opportunities through this blog world.  I’m constantly amazed.