Field Trip~Leesburg, VA

Each year, my aunt stops at our house for a visit on her drive down from Vermont to Virginia to see family.  This year, I decided to leave the kids with my husband for a few days and hitch a ride with her.  How could I resist the chance to spend a day antiquing in Leesburg, Virginia?  I had a list of shops I was dying to check out thanks to some of the inspiring blogs I follow.  My friend,  Mary Alice of the beautiful blog Chateau Chic also gave me a list of shops to visit in her hometown. 

photo credit: Such Pretty Things

My first stop was The Old Lucketts Store.  Just inside the front door, I was treated to a real life encounter with the dealer space I admire each day on the inspiring blog Miss Mustard Seed.  Marian is one of the many dealers at Lucketts and I was thrilled to see her finds (and Milk Paint) in person.  It was surreal to be in the space that I look at online each day as I drink my morning coffee.  I love Marian's can do attitude and her eye for decorating.  If she was a rock star, I would have to admit to being one of her groupie's.  If I had run into her, I'm sure I would have acted like a silly star-struck kid! 

I checked out all the vendors in the building and couldn't resist this bowl and linen runner.  The bowl is very weathered, but the blue goes perfectly in my living room

 and is a tricky color to find.

photo credit: On A Whim

Next I headed to On A Whim right down the road.  Hard to miss.  The shop looks just like photos I have seen posted by blogger friends.  Such fun finds in this shop.  All so well displayed and reasonably priced.  I found a few things...

My house has a large entryway with a brick fireplace and I am always on the hunt for black accessories for the mantel.  These black onyx candle holders are perfect.

And this guy was begging me to take him home.  Not an old find, but fit right in with the vintage vibe of the shop.  A perfect birthday gift for my friend who is an Anthropologie fan.  The rest of my day was spent in downtown Leesburg touring a handful of antique shops and grabbing a yummy lunch.  Definitely worth the trip and, thanks to blogland,

 I didn't miss a thing.

Marketplace Monday at Common Ground

I wanted to share a site that I found a few weeks ago.  It is a great place to promote your etsy shop or online boutique.  Debra at Common Ground hosts a link party every Monday where you can showcase  any 3 of your items.  All she asks is that you become a follower of her blog and display the pretty Monday Marketplace button somewhere on your blog.

I have already sold 2 of my etsy items that I listed over the past few weeks.

This week I'm going to link up something old and something new. 

My Kiddie Quilt block pillows.

And my newest vintage inspired child's apron.

Shopportunity~Ballard Designs Coupon Code

I was looking through my February issue of Country Living magazine and saw a large ad for Ballard Designs with a coupon code, so I thought I would share.  Use coupon code CL2FEB15 when you place your order for %15 off through February 29th.  I love looking through the Ballard Designs catalog when it comes.  They do a nice job of "replicating" some of the vintage looks I see in the pages of magazines and on some of my favorite design blogs.

It's a quick fix for a vintage look when you don't have the time (or money) to track down the real deal.  I am particularly drawn to their organizational accessories at the start of the New Year when sorting out and organizing are back at the top of my "to do" list.

Shopportunity~50% off Claire Murray

I have collected Claire Murray rugs for as long as I can remember.  We have always gravitated towards apartments and homes with wood floors and are hesitant to cover too much of the wood with a rug.  Area rugs provide just enough coverage and, since I grow attached to my rugs, we can take them with us when we move.  Since my 20's I have splurged on small (3x5) Claire Murray rugs for the kitchen, bathrooms and bedrooms.  Fast forward 20 years, and many little rugs later, even my husband noticed that our floors were looking a little like a crazy quilt.  I was always hesitant to spend the money for a 5x7 or larger.  But then I discovered a few years ago that Claire Murray runs an annual 50% off sale.  Problem solved.  Each year I buy one 5x7 (or larger-eek!).  It's been a great way to keep my rug collection growing without breaking the budget.  The sale is going on now at Claire Murray.  Use coupon code Web50 to get 50% off one rug.  Enjoy!