THREE WEEKS AND COUNTING
till Round Top Antique Week…

Last week we talked about Marburger Farm being one of the top venues to check out when you are visiting Round Top Antique Week… Today we’re going to get insight from TWO of our favorite vendors at Marburger.  First up, Queenie Tin & Mirror Company.

I met Lisa McQueen {aka ‘Queenie’} on my first trip to Round Top and she is one of those gals who lights up a room… or a tent in the middle of a cow field. Her big smile and vivacious personality personifies her products and the hard work she puts into every single piece that she offers at Marburger!!

Cactus: When was the first time you attended Round Top Antique Week as a shopper and/or as a dealer??

Queenie: I’m going into my 11th year as a Marburger vendor. Holy cow!! Where did the time go??

Cactus: How do you prepare for Round Top??

Queenie: I have been gathering one of a kind mirrors and furniture pieces for the past 6 months.  I started right after the Spring show.  This year I am bringing some choice pieces of upholstered furniture done in yummy linens. I can’t get my car in my garage for all the room these little gems are taking up!!

Cactus: What is your advice to shoppers??

Queenie: Prepare for you trip to Texas 6 months in advance. Get online at the Round Top website to secure a fab, groovy place to stay. That’s a big part of the experience. Staying in a guest house with beautiful cattle lowing outside of your window while you sip a yummy evening beverage or coffee in the morning. Bring comfy shoes (boots of course!) and hot weather clothing. It’s usually HOT!! Last but certainly not least, bring LOTS of money for those one of a kind treasures you will be SURE to find!  {bring a coat, too ’cause you just never know!!}

Cactus: What is the one thing first timers should NOT miss at Round Top Antique Week??

Queenie: That goes without saying…….PROM NIGHT!!  You can try to describe it to someone but the first hand experience is one that will be MOST memorable.  The second must to thing is a dinner at Royers… make your reservations as soon as you arrive in Round Top as seating is limited and you won’t get in without one. Be sure to leave room for Bud’s pie.  YUM!!

Stay tuned to meet Jan Orr-Harter, owner of Hot Tamale Antiques, this afternoon.  She is another wildly creative vendor from Marburger Farm that will make you so, so anxious to get to Round Top!!

** Click HERE for **
more about QUEENIE

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to Read our Round Top Antique Week GUIDE

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FOUR WEEKS AND COUNTING
till Round Top Antique Week…

Round Top Antique Week is more than just one antique show… it’s hundreds.  And one of the premiere shows during Antique Week is at Marburger Farm.  For many Marburger is the only place to stop while in Round Top and for good reason.  Their collection of over 400 dealers ranges in every style and taste imaginable… from high end French Antiques to vintage carnival games to Wild West lamps & shades.  There are artists, jewelers, and furniture craftsmen… modern, traditional, rustic and vintage.  You’ll see it all at Marburger!!

So, here’s the scoop… Marburger opens with a preview on Tuesday, September 29th, 2009 at 10am.  The preview price is $25 per person.  Now I’m tellin’ y’all that if you want the best of the best then this is the time to be at Marburger.  I have seen women running from tent to tent, through the mud in high heels just to get the “good stuff”.  If nothing else it’s worth the $25 just to be a part of the mayhem!! 

Come 2pm on that same Tuesday the price drops to $10 per person.  That charge will get you into Marburger Farm every day that they are open and includes free parking.  This show is only on for five days, the dealers will start shutting it down on Saturday, October 3rd, 2009 at 4pm.  DO NOT MISS THIS SHOW!!  It’s one of a kind.

Special Events this Fall 2009 Marburger Farm Antique Show will include…

1. We welcome special guests Kerry Rupp and Gretchen Moran and their photo crew as they visit Marburger Farm in preparation for the Parisian Cowboy’s Guide to the Round Top Experience. The Marburger Farm Antique Show will be a special feature in the book.

2. Visit from Reyne Haines, a media personality and local Houstonian who will be visiting Marburger Farm. Reyne’s new show, Art of Collecting, can be seen weekly starting in September on Houston’s NBC affiliate KPRC. She will be roaming the field looking for ideas for her show.

3. Live Plant Sale—Visit Wilde Weedz in Tent W, next to the General Store, for seasonal plants to fill those antique garden urns that you’ll find at Marburger Farm. Owner Agnes Strauss will offer blooming plants, bittersweet, garlands and wreathes in fall colors, plus garden antiques.

** Click HERE **
for the REST OF THE STORY…

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** Click HERE for **
the Rest of the Round Top Countdown

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** Click HERE to **
Read our Round Top Antique Week GUIDE

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(more…)

FIVE WEEKS AND COUNTING
till Round Top Antique Week…

Meet Debbie from Talking Trash… last Spring Junk Gypsy Jolie introduced us and I’ve been a HUGE fan of Debbie’s ever since. She is a God fearing, Martini loving, Hoot and a half. In addition to peddling her fabulous collection of antiques around Texas she is also the author of Talking Trash, a blog that makes me laugh and cry every day.

So scroll down and see what Debbie has to say about getting ready for Round Top in our Round Top Countdown… Don’t miss a word, y’all… you’re going to LOVE Debbie as much as I do.

Cactus: When was the first time you attended Round Top Antique Week as a shopper and/or as a dealer??

Debbie: The very first show we went as lookers and I do mean lookers. I was afraid to blink. I didn’t want to miss a thing. Primitives were still the antiques du jour and I have never seen so many fine Texas primitives in my entire life…still haven’t seen anything to compare it to!

The second time we went as dealers and set up in the Blue Bonnet field (Bar W nowadays). We had no idea what to take or what to expect, but we learned quickly. To do well at this show, you gotta take the best that you can find and afford to buy…the buyers expect nothing less. We’re still learning and I hope we never stop.

Cactus: How do you prepare for Round Top??

Debbie: I’m always in a state of panic. I worry that our merchandise won’t “measure up” or that we won’t have enough. My dream is to be sitting at the end of the show…just me and Cat Daddy…in an empty tent…in two lawn chairs…with an ice chest between us! Girl, when that happens, I’ll know we have finally made it and are a success. Until that day, I’ll just keep dragging things out to the trailer and watching Cat Daddy try and stuff one more thing into those trailers. Speaking of trailers, that is the one prep job we do the same every show. We always take the big trailer down the weekend before the show starts and leave it, then bring the other when we come to stay. It takes a lot of stuff to do this show and we wouldn’t want to get caught with our britches down…never know what might sell!

Cactus: What is your advice to shoppers??

Debbie: My advice is to pack for anything…rain, sleet, snow…be like the mailman and come prepared to face any and everything Mother Nature decides to throw at you. This is Texas, you know!
If you’re looking for design ideas, come early around Monday before all the displays get destroyed. If you’re wanting the first pick of the merchandise, come Friday and Saturday to shop the fields and Zapp Hall. Now if a good time is what you’re in the mood for…just pick a day and the good time will be waiting on you!

Cactus: What is the one thing first timers should NOT miss at Round Top Antique Week??

Debbie: Of course no one should miss the opportunity to see my world famous Cat Daddy, but if an older man isn’t your style, keep in mind that a lot of movies are made in Austin and the surrounding area. In fact, the movie “Machete” is being filmed there right now. You gotta keep your eyes peeled or you just might miss seeing a celebrity out shopping.

One other thing you wouldn’t want to miss is the chance to have fun! You’re sure to make new friends hanging out at the Bubble Lounge at Zapp Hall or dining at Royer’s. You’ll never meet a stranger at Zapp. I like to say “Come for the fun…stay for the party!” and I mean it. Come by and see me…I’ll leave the light on for you!

See you at Zapp, Debbie!!  Love to all of y’all… Fancy

** Click HERE for more about Debbie and Talking Trash **

** Click HERE for the Rest of the Round Top Countdown **

** Click HERE to Read our **
Round Top Antique Week GUIDE

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SIX WEEKS AND COUNTING…

Can you hear the BUZZ????  It’s all I’ve done this morning… chat about Round Top antique week, discussed hotel arrangements, planned dinners out, and even looked at some wicked ideas for Junk Gypsy Prom attire.  So what’s all the fuss about??  Well, if you are unfamiliar with Round Top Antique Week here’s the deal…

Round Top is a small Texas town, population 77+, located in Fayette County. ONE hour East of Austin, an ONE 1/2 hours West of Houston, and FOUR hours south of Dallas. The Round Top Antique Week, as it is often called, began over thirty years ago in the Round Top Rifle Association Hall, when Miss Emma Lee Turney and her company, Antiques Productions, were asked to do an Antique Show. Round Top is no longer ONE SHOW. Over the years it has become a 10 day event featuring 1000s of merchants spread out over four small towns: Round Top, Warrenton, Carmine and Shelby. The Round Top Register guesses that there are now about 35 separate shows with at least 2,500 dealers. Not to mention the surrounding fields, warehouses, and tents covering cow pastures and black tops… Round Top Antique Week takes place every Fall and Spring with the next show beginning WEDNESDAY, September 23rd, 2009 and running till October 4th, 2009!!

The past couple of shows we have done a Round Top Countdown asking some of our favorite vendors {and shoppers}what they love about Round Top so we here we go again with this year’s Round Top Antique Week Count Down, starting with one of our favorite bloggers, Theresa from Garden Antqs Vintage.

Cactus: When was the first time you attended Round Top Antique Week as a shopper and/or as a dealer??

Theresa: “Oh this is a fun question because I remember it so vividly. It was a very cold and rainy Spring show. We went totally unprepared not realizing not only how many vendors were there but how cold it could turn so quickly. So, we went totally unprepared for the rain or cold. I wish you could have seen us, my husband had to loan me his top shirt just so that I could stay warm and all he had on was a long sleeved shirt. We just about froze but we kept shopping.”

Cactus: How do you prepare for Round Top??

Theresa: “I guess I prepare all year from one show to another. I’m constantly buying and I am a last minute packer, so I’m usually burning the midnight oil to get it all packed and ready. I’ve also started making lists of what to bring and I’m trying to be more organized as well as posting helpful tips on my blog for those first timers.”

Cactus: What is your advice to shoppers??

Theresa: “There is no way to explain the magnitude of just how big this show is. I’ve posted show maps in the past because you can walk for miles and shop and yet you can drive for miles and shop from one town to another. Come prepared for the Texas weather, it’ll be hot one day and cold the next and dress in layers. Bring comfortable shoes, now is not the time to break in your new high healed shoes. You may even consider rain boots, it can get very muddy here. Bring snacks, water and a shopping cart that’s hopefully lined so your things don’t fall out and bring smaller bags to pack things in.”

Cactus: What is the one thing first timers should NOT miss at Round Top Antique Week??

Theresa: “My blog party at Zapp Hall (which this year it will be in the evening at 6pm on Sunday, Sept. 27)!! It will give you the chance to meet other bloggers and network and make new friends. But, if you can’t come out to it, there are so many other great parties to attend. The Clutter Opening Day party starts at 4pm, Sept. 25, on Sat. Sept 26 The Leftover’s Antique Shop usually hosts a party and of course the Junk Gypsy Prom on Oct. 1st is a must attend event if you’ve never been.”

Thanks, Theresa!! Sooo going to try to make to Texas in time for your Blog Party… till then, BIG Junk Love!! xo,fancy

** Click HERE for our Cactus Creek Round Top GUIDE **

** Click HERE for more from Round Top Antique Week **

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It’s finally here… we leave for Round Top in four days!!
For many the show starts this Wednesday, 3.25.  Today our Countdown QUESTIONS are with Debbie from Talking Trash, you can find her in Zapp Hall, on the other side of the beer garden.  You’ll know it when you see it!! 

Debbie is also known from her popular blog, Talking White Trash {the name alone gives me a big ol’ Texas smile!!}.  I knew that Debby and I would get along the first time she emailed and told me to stop by her space for a martini when we’re in Round Top.
I can hardly wait, Debbie!!!  xo, Fancy

Who are your favorite vendors {besides you, of course}??
Cat Daddy {Debbie’s hubby} and I don’t do a lot of buying once we get there. We are pretty much shopped out and broke, but I really love shopping with the dealers at Zapp. They are such a fun bunch and part of our extended family. I also try and get to the La Bahia show to see Melanie and Brian of Seedbox Antiques. They always bring the greatest things and are easy to work with. They usually sell out pretty quickly so it’s best to get there early.

What is the best kept secret about Round Top??
You know it’s almost impossible to keep anything secret at an Antique Fair! So be fair warned about cameras and possible blackmail photos! I really don’t know if it’s a secret or not, but there is usually a party every night at Zapp. Just look for a tent still lit up and I guarantee somebody is having a good time!

What treasure are you shopping for this spring in Round Top??
I’ll be on the lookout for anything lucite! Love it! I’ll also be getting my pie and pimento cheese fix while I’m there. And I just can’t come home without my official Warrenton souvenir of a pair of yellow boxes. A girl can never have too many shoes!

** Click HERE for the Complete Round Top COUNTDOWN **

** Click HERE to Read our **
Round Top Antique Week GUIDE

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FIRST THING FIRST… Royer’s will start taking dinner reservations
for Antique Week TODAY {3.19.9} at 2pm central.

Call 979.249.3611 to make reservations!!

You don’t want to miss out on this awesome dining experience, for more information visit Royer’s website HERE!!
{I’ll send out a Twitter reminder @ 2pm. If you tweet, follow me HERE}

No discussion about Round Top Antique Week would be complete without mentioning Royer’s Round Top Cafe.  Not only is this one~of~kind CAFE a Round Top legend, it is quickly becoming a Texas legend.  {Now that they are selling pies online ~ and did I mention their shout out on the Food channel?? ~ their fame is going nationwide and you are going to LOVE it!!}

{Connie & I with Bud last Fall}

Bud and Karen Royer became the owners of the Round Top Cafe in 1987.  It was an enormous adjustment from their life in Houston, and when working from sunup to sundown still didn’t pay the bills, the Royers had to think OUTSIDE OF THE BOX.  According to the Royer’s website they “revamped the menu to get rid of traditional country fare and added pastas, fish and steak.” The goal was to get the “city folk” to come to tiny Round Top for dinner.

With Houston and Austin just 1.5 hours away, and San Antonio just another 30 minutes, it was an idea that WORKED.  In fact driving to Royer’s Round Top Cafe for dinner is a perfectly fabulous night out…  As their website says, it’s “just a good conversation away from anywhere”.

 So this place has good food??? 
Um, yeah.  It freekin’ rocks your taste buds!!
Below is a peek at the MENU ~ CLICK HERE to see the entire line up.

These days the Cafe is owned by Bud & Karen’s daughter, Tara
{who is expecting her first baby any day!!}. 

They are typically open Thursday ~ Sunday, HOURS ARE HERE.

Royers is now catering, too ~ Info is HERE. 
{Geez, how I wished I lived back in Texas,
they would cater every event I put together!!}

If you’re not headed to Round Top then you can still give your taste buds a joy ride!!  Click HERE to order pie and have it delivered on your very own front porch.  YUMMY!!

One more thing, when you dine at Royer’s Round Top Cafe keep an eye out for celebrities!! 
EVERYONE loves Bud, even some famous folk {wink, wink}.

 
Mary Emmerling{country decor icon}, Bud Royer, Emma Lee Turney {founder of Round Top Antique Week}

Nancy Soriano {former editor at Country Living} signing the WALL

Bud Royer, Robin Brown {founder of Magnolia Pearl}, John Gray

The Rupperts {Vintage Sculpture} and family

Sponge Bob and Bud Royer {Bud is on the right.}

** Click HERE for the Complete Round Top COUNTDOWN **

** Click HERE to Read our **
Round Top Antique Week GUIDE

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THREE WEEKS till we’re kicking our heels
and scouting for treasures
during Round Top Antique Week!!

If you are headed to Round Top, Texas for Antique Week be sure to stop in and see these cute cowgirls!!

Two fabulous vendors, Ivy’s Boot Purses, and Celia Bedelia are located in Warrenton, in Granny McCormck’s Yard across from the Diamond Shamrock. Pintable Map Right HERE.  Besides their cowgirl~glam looks and sassy personalitites, Ivy and Celia also have fabulous treasures including Ivy’s quirky boot purses and Celia’s glass pendants.  You won’t want to miss visiting with these two!!  Ivy sent a note with answers to our COUNTDOWN QUESTIONS right here…

Who are your Favorite Vendors {besides you of course}?
My pardner: Celia Bedelia’s Custom Solered Pendents, Winnie Mauch in the back of the Campbell Building…she always has some really neat treasures and her daughter’s have a awesome salad bar, checking out the Junk Gypsies new stuff, Laci’s Bling Things, Southwest Rustic… gotta love Larry, Brad at the Coffee Bug.  Royer’s Cafe at Zapp Hall… Always a Fun time to be had!!  I especially look forward to meeting the interesting people at each show and treasure the new friendships made!!

What treasure are you shopping for this spring in Round Top?
I’m always on the lookout for neat, old western items, funky jewelry…LOVE turquoise, and Fabulous Junk!!

Stop by and see us!!   Can’t wait…
                                                                                             Thanks, Ivy!!
 

** Click HERE to READ MORE about Ivy & Celia **

** Click HERE for the Complete Round Top COUNTDOWN **

** Click HERE to Read our **
Round Top Antique Week GUIDE

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FOUR WEEKS till Round Top Spring 09!!

I can hardly believe that time is flying so fast and we’ll be in Round Top in just a few short weeks.  The vendors are getting all of their wonderful treasures ready for you to devour, here at Cactus Creek we have something BIG planned for your spring trip to Round Top… watch for an announcement in the next day or so!!

This week our COUNTDOWN QUESTIONS are directed to Richard Schmidt, a phenomenal jewelry designer in La Grange, Texas, and his gorgeous wife, Janet.  {They headlined our Jewelry GUIDE yesterday, see it HERE.}  Be sure to stop and visit them right on the Round Top Square when you head to Antique Week this spring… their jewelry is hand made and very special.  They also have a store in La Grange {just 20 minutes SW of Round Top} that should not be missed!!  Printable Map is HERE!!

Who are your Favorite Vendors {besides you of course}?
Some of our favorite vendors are Sundie and Brad Ruppert from Vintage Sculpture at Marburger, they have the most incredible and original pieces around. We also love Catherine Miles from Found Images and her unique take on the vintage western look. Rick and Denise Pratt have wonderful willow furniture that anyone would love, they are also at Marburger. I could go on and on, but these are the ones that come to mind first. {NOTE: all 3 of these creative enterprises are located in the Artisans Tent at Marburger}

What is the best kept secret about Round Top?
The best kept secret is only twenty minutes from Round Top. Bistro 108 in La Grange has fabulous food and great atmosphere. It’s definitely worth the drive. Yum! Yum! {Janet and Richard pointed us to this restaurant last Fall and it was indeed FABULOUS!!}

What treasure are you shopping for this spring in Round Top?
The treasures that we are looking for this time (as always) are retablos…retablos…and more retablos for Richard, he really doesn’t know when to stop :)  We will also be hunting for small tchotchkes to use for a new line of jewelry we hope to introduce soon.

I am so looking forward to seeing Richard’s new creations this Spring!!  Till then… thanks, Janet!!

** Click HERE to Read MORE **
 about Richard Schmidt Jewelry Designs

** Click HERE for the Complete Round Top COUNTDOWN **

** Click HERE to Read our **
Round Top Antique Week GUIDE

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FIVE WEEKS till Round Top Spring 09!!

Last week’s COUNTDOWN QUESTIONS were from the fabulous Junk Gypsies, this week it’s another entrepreneurial spit fire, Katherine from Corpirate.  Last Fall was her first trip to Round Top, and the inaugural event for her business, Corpirate.  This Spring ’09 she will be back to Round Top in a new location ~ they are still at Sommerfeld Place, but they’ve moved to a booth right next to the Zapp Field Tunnel.  Printable Map is HERE!!

I adore Corpirate’s state of mind: “We are gypsies at heart, searching for change and adventure; we are fighting a world that demands boundaries with a vision that is boundless.  In short we are a little less corporate, and a little more CORPIRATE.”

From Katherine, the heart & soul of Corpirate, here are her answers to our COUNTDOWN QUESTIONS…

Who are your Favorite Vendors {besides you of course}?
Pirates are naturally drawn to two things: treasure and fun women! So obviously we love the Treasure Hunters; Junk Gypsies; and Virgins, Saints & Sinners! When it comes to buying our favorite antiques for decorating, Charles is our man.

What is the best kept secret about Round Top?
Pirates don’t tell their secrets, we keep to the code. But we are willing to let it slip that Zapp Hall is our favorite place to be come closing time.

What treasure are you shopping for this spring in Round Top?
I always have my eye peeled for things that have an undiscovered use. My art thrives on making necessities out of the unnecessary. I would be thrilled if I could find a funky medium for a new collection!

Thank you Katherine!!  I can’t wait to see your whole line, and ESPECIALLY the Vintage Shirts!! 

 ** Click HERE to Read all about Corpirate **

** Click HERE for the Complete Round Top COUNTDOWN **

** Click HERE to Read all about Round Top Antique Week ** 

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SIX WEEKS and counting!! 
We can hardly wait to get to
Round Top, Texas for the famed
ANTIQUE WEEK.  
One of the great STARS of the big week is the Junk Gypsies. 
Two sisters and their momma, the Junk Gypsies are becoming a National phenomenon bringing out the “rebel rousing * road lovin’
* junk seekin’” in all of us. 

Gypsy sister, Jolie, was kind enough to contribute to this week’s
ROUND TOP COUNTDOWN
by answering the ‘Questions’…

Who are your favorite vendors
{besides you, of course}?
Some of our favorite vendors at warrenton… not only do they have great junk, but great stories and tidbits of wisdom as well! J Hector the collector. International man of mystery, joe pete. Debbie and danny of talking trash at zapp…just to name a few! Too many to name!

What is the best kept secret about Round Top?
The coffee bug of course!!!! It’s an experience you’ll never forget!
{a 1969 VW Beetle coffeewagon parked in Granny McCormick’s Yard
~ i’ll get some photos…}

What treasure are you shopping for
this spring in Round Top?
We never know what we’re looking for! Just whatever catches our eye!

THANK YOU JOLIE… you girls are tha’ BOMB!! Can’t wait to see what you bring to Warrenton, and of course Junk Gypsy Prom!! 

** Click HERE to Read all about the Junk Gypsies **

** Click HERE for the Complete Round Top COUNTDOWN **

** Click HERE to Read all about Round Top Antique Week **

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