Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Vintage Feature – How Did I Do with Last Week’s Goals?

Last week’s post was about setting goals for the week at Southern Vintage Table. This practice had the desired effect – it kept me focused, busy and feeling very accomplished as I checked things off. But I didn’t get to everything and, having been a teacher, I can’t help it – I have to give myself a grade.  Here’s my personal evaluation of the week, starting with the trips.

Trip 1 – Nursery.   Monday was a beautiful day for a country drive to the nursery with Carrie of Fernrock Farm!  I bought 5 varieties of sedums, including my favorite – hens and chicks. Later in the week I drilled holes in 16 teacups/gravy boats/bowls that had small and even not-so-small imperfections, like cracks or chips. Now they have become sweet little sedum gardens.  Imagine seeing one at your place setting with your name on it – wouldn’t you love it?

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC
Sedum gardens in vintage china teacups!

Trip 2 – State Fair.  Carrie, Trudy and I went to the state fair Tuesday and had a marvelous time.  We checked the outdoor garden area for ideas and then went through the Cut Flower competition  Carrie entered her dahlias, a speciality of Fernrock Farm, into the fair competition for the first time and won 6 blue and 2 red ribbons.  She’s now officially an award winning flower farmer!  I, on the other hand, didn’t get to enter the Fine Dining competition because of the lottery, and when we found the display, we quickly realized why.  There were only 7 tables in the competition.  The tables were lovely and some were quite glamorous, but if I get to be in it next year, I do believe I’ll be adding “award winning table setter” to my resume!

Seven tables in the Fine Dining Competition
Seven tables in the Fine Dining competition
Bue ribbon for New Year's Eve
Bue ribbon winner for New Year’s Eve category
blueribbontable
Blue ribbon winner for the Wedding Reception category

Trip 3 – Mom and the thrift store. Mom, as usual, was delightful and loved the treat I brought her.  I found two unusual things at the thrift store stop – a set of Tiara Glass Ponderosa footed tumblers and a stein ice bucket.  Aren’t they great additions to our Vintage Bar collection?

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC
Love the foot on these pine cone glasses and the stein is actually an ice bucket!

Trip 4 – Merry Hill Farm.  Three goals were related to Merry Hill Farm – the book, the special pricing and the vignette.  Got all done!  Thanks to feedback from Carrie, Trudy and Randy, I finalized the special offers to couples who book with Southern Vintage Table, Fernrock Farm and Merry Hill.  The beautiful trio of venue, flowers and vintage china is the perfect package for a special event!  Our book for Merry HIll arrived Friday – perfect timing for Saturday’s couples coming to Merry Hill.  And, here’s the vignette I delivered and set up.

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental
A sample collection of vintage wares available at Southern Vintage Table

Other goals.  I cleaned 6 pieces of silver – got a full basket still left to do.  I started measuring and taking photos of the lace toppers.  As I put them on the clothes line, I noticed that I have some repair work to do on several.  Sigh… but not a surprise with vintage linens  I didn’t iron one napkin, didn’t take inventory of the new china additions nor did I paint and distress this week.  I did put up a chalk board for blog ideas but need to add more.

With the beautiful weather ahead, I look forward to my work week at Southern Vintage Table and checking off my old/new list.  As far as my grade, I’m giving myself an extension but so far, it’s looking pretty darn good!

PS – Here are Carrie and Trudy looking at the Decorated Cake competition at the fair.  Yes, they were beautiful!  Inspired us to go to our next stop – fried elephant ears.  Can’t go to the fair and not get something fried, right?  And, you have to see the giant pumpkins, too!

carrietrudy

elephantears
It was hot and delicious!
Award winning pumpkins!
Award winning pumpkins!

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Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

 

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

A Vintage Adventure – Oops, I Did It Again… At My Second Auction

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC
My favorite unexpected find at the auction – recycled into a vintage bar!

Recently I went on a working day trip to a local auction house to check out a few items I wanted for our vintage decor collection at Southern Vintage Table.  My list included a butter churn, blue mason jars, a washboard and a suitcase.

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC
Here’s one idea for a vintage washboard – display birthday greetings at your next birthday party!

I drive into the parking lot and quickly notice there aren’t many cars.  I start thinking, this is a good omen – not too much competition for the items I have come to bid on.  Hah – little did I know that those items are on other folks’ lists as well as mine.  Phooey…

I sign in, get my number and mosey around the place for the next 10 minutes before the auction begins. So many interesting old things – jewelry, signs, musical instruments, furniture, doo-dads, glassware, wooden boxes, magazines, books and much, much more.  Some in pristine condition and others dusty, musty and soiled but definitely vintage.

I sit close to the front and, after settling in my seat, I check out the other folks nearby.  A lady down the aisle starts pulling things out of her bag and I notice she’s got snacks, a drink, a book.  The guy in front of me has his computer in his lap.  Wow, I’m thinking, what a fun way to spend a Monday!  I get my pencil and paper ready. This was lesson 1 from my first auction experience – always write down what you buy and how much you spend.

One of the early categories was cowboy stuff – nothing I was interested in so I felt pretty safe to listen and figure out the pace of the bidding. Quickly I realize that folks were holding tight to their money and starting bids were dropping low – some all the way down to $1!  Somewhere in there I win a cowboy dinner bell that I didn’t know I had bid on and a signed Gene Autry photograph.  After bidding $2 on Gene Autry, the auctioneer says to me, “Ma’am, we are sure glad you came today.”  You can translate that anyway you want…

The blue mason jars come up and I sit up straight, thinking and hoping that folks were going to let these go low – well, no such luck.  The bid gets high really fast and I have to back out.  A bit later the butter churn comes up. Unfortunately, others also want it but I stay in this one and get the highest bid.  Ditto with the vintage suitcase – win that, too.

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC
Here are two of the vintage decor items I won at the auction – aren’t they terrific?

The featured items come up soon after – an array of vintage musical instruments from guitars to trombones.  They are lined up down the center aisle for everyone to inspect before they came up for auction.  Again, starting bids are low and I just can’t resist bidding $5 for a trumpet … or two … or three…and a guitar or two…and a saxophone…and two empty banjo cases…and…

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC
Love these two vintage banjo cases!

Somewhere in there, I forget to write down my items and my card is full anyway so I start getting a bit nervous about my total bill. I’m thinking that I should pay up at this point, which may be one of the best decisions I make that day. Lo and behold, it is well over my spending budget!

After loading up my loot, I decide that I better not go back in even through there were three hours left.  Heading home I recount the adventure in my head and ponder what lessons I learned this time.

First, remember Lesson 1 – write down everything you win and how much you spend.  Lesson 2 – bid on the items you come for and maybe pay more than you think you want to.  Lesson 3 – only bid on other items if they are truly exceptional and suit your purpose, not because they are a good deal.

Now I wish I had saved some money for the blue jars and not bought those trumpets but I’m working on a vision for those, too!  But, I am glad about getting the banjo cases and the vintage radio – they are perfect additions!

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC
This purchase was one of those exceptional buys!

So, oops, I did it again by winning something I didn’t know I was bidding on, but I’m with the auctioneer, I am glad I went that day.  Not only did I learn more auction lessons, but I ended up with some wonderful vintage items. These and other cool vintage decor are available at Southern Vintage Table!

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Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC