Year-end analysis

While it is true that I've only been in my shop since September, I decided to do an analysis last night to see how my sales break down. Thanks to having everything on a spreadsheet already, it didn't take but a few minutes.

I divided my sales into smalls, furniture, and my vintage-inspired art. Smalls, which by far is the easiest to deal with in the booth only accounted for 15% of my total sales. I like smalls because they really do not entail much work out of me. Buy it, price it, place it.

Next in line is the furniture. This includes the furniture that I was fortunate enough to be able to purchase and place as well as those pieces that I have cleaned up, painted, and put my touch to. The furniture, which you would think would be my bread and butter, only accounted for 20% of total sales.

The largest catagory is my vintage-inspired art which is a whopping 65% of my sales. As an artist, this really charges the ego. Good for the ego, but it DOES keep me busy!

In the pink

This is one of the items that Joy gave me back in October. I decided that this step stool was just begging to be painted pink. The color is called Fifties Pink and it is actually a mistint that I bought at half price. I don't know if it's anything like it was suppose to be, but it is a beautiful pink. It's so pink that it is almost flourescent!
Joy will be surprised to see how much it has changed! I'm going to take it to my shop in Corpus later this week. Just in time for Valentine's day.

Open House at Third Coast

Third Coast Antiques is having a Holiday Open House and you are invited! It will be an all-day party that starts at 10:30 in the morning and goes until 8:30 in the evening. Everything in the store is at least 10% off. Stop in for cool vintage gifts, food, spirits, music, and fun. I certainly plan to be there! Did you say wine?

It pays the rent

I am fortunate to be able to also offer up my art pieces in my antique shop booth as well as furniture and smalls. In fact, my art is what is paying the bills. Literally. A couple of weeks ago, the owner called me and said that there was a lady in the shop who wanted to know if I could make 25 of these. SURE! They would pay for 4 months of my rent. After I hung up, I danced a little jig. Don't get excited. I'm sure that I looked like Elaine from that Seinfeld episode.

Felt like a Hobo

I had errands and doctors appointments today so I had to drive in to Corpus Christi which is about 45 miles from my home. At my first stop, I slipped on the wet tiles and broke my shoe! Flip flops to be precise. I don't care how graceful you are, you just can not walk in broken flip flops. No way, no how. To top it off, the side of town I was on didn't have any known shoe stores. I had to walk around Corpus Christi barefooted until I bought more shoes. Made me feel like some kind of hobo.
Since I was already on the side of town that Third Coast was on, I had to rework my booth barefooted. Yuck, yuck, yuck. I can't stand dusty feet.
I'm glad that because I'm a junker, I carry a big container of Lysol wipes with me at all times. Ahhh, relief!

Ready for Round Top

We bought this wonderful trailer this morning on our way to Round Top. If I fill it up, I should have PLENTY of cool stuff to put in my booth at Third Coast Antiques, won't I?

My brother-in-law talked us into going to the lake today instead of hitting Round Top this afternoon. He is probably right. I wouldn't have much shopping time today. Besides, he promised to throw something tasty on the grill for us. Who could pass that up?

I need a bath!

I feel so dusty and dirty after this morning's treasure hunt, but BOY did I find some goodies!!! I wasn't even sure I was going to bother this morning. It had been raining most of the week and there were very few sales to choose from. In fact, I wasn't even going to go to the one that I found all of the goodies but a friend of mine said, "Let's go", so I did.

The cedar jewelry box is from Dallas. The front of it is stamped - Texas Centennial 1836 - 1936. It's a neat little box. I didn't get everything photographed, but this gives you a pretty good idea of today's score.
Fortunately, the guy I bought all this from also delivered it. After he told me he would deliver it, he asked me where I lived. I joked with him and told him that I lived about 25 miles south of town. I couldn't resist.

Old window chalkboard

My husband's friend has spent the last year helping his parents re-do a dilapidated old house. My DH has talked about how I can take something destined for the trash pile and turn it into something cool so he gave us a big stack of old windows that had come out of the house.


I had my DH pressure wash all the windows then I gave them a good sanding after I removed the glass. Instead of spraypainting the glass with chalkboard paint, I spraypainted some brown hardboard. It takes a couple of coats to get a nice finish, but I really like the results.

We grew

Today, we went and doubled the size of our shop.


We are going to have some serious fun!

We are in!

Our move in day finally arrived! Everyone was shaking their heads when they saw just how much stuff we were planning to stuff into our booth. I had it all in my garage for over a month, so I can tell you how much space I was going to need.


Each one of us has our own area of talent and between us all, we got everything arranged in a pleasing way. I am so thankful for my DH who helped us. He loaded it all in his great big Ford truck, helped lug it all in to the shop, and put our displays together.


Joan has done visual merchandising professionally. Need I say more? She has a real eye for placement. Joan was solely responsible for all the display in the consignment shop that I used to belong to. My hat is off to her.


Betty shows a fine attention to detail. She is a master with her paintbrush. Her painted pieces are stunning. She also has a couple of online shops where she markets her pieces. She is beginning to receive special orders from local ladies who have seen her work. They want her to work her magic on furniture they have in their home. I can tell you - this girl is going places!



I just know we will be happy in our new "home".