Lucketts Spring Market Weekend

This was the entrance to the Lucketts Spring Market as it looked late on Sunday afternoon. Believe me, it was a totally different scene on Saturday morning. Even though Karla and I arrived more than 30 minutes before the 10am opening, there was already a very long line. You could just feel the excitement in the air!

So much to see and so much to do, and I knew exactly where my first stop would be - straight to Cassie's booth! Cassie had told me the night before where she and Emily had set up shop and I just couldn't wait to give this girl a great big hug!



Now I have met Cassie before, but this time was different. I started writing this little blog just after last year's Lucketts Spring Market. And over the course of past year, Cassie has been my biggest cheerleader, source of inspiration and expertise and best of all, my very dear friend! And Cassie is just as she comes across on her blog, sweet and genuine! I had such fun hanging out here!



And let me just tell you that Cassie and Emily had the cutest booth at the whole market. The furniture was gorgeous of course and it just felt so bright and happy. Nicely done ladies! Cassie has pictures posted over at Primitve & Proper. And be sure to visit Emily at Misadventures of a Furniture Fairy. She doesn't post too often, but maybe we change that!



The Lucketts property consists of The Old Lucketts Store, The Design House, The Beekeepers Cottage, outdoor pavillions and beautiful grounds. Add over 150 vendors, food and music to that and I could have spend the whole weekend taking pictures! I waited until the crowds thinned out on Sunday and took a few shots to give you just a brief glimpse of all the inspiration!

All the different vendor areas had cute little names like Strawberry Fields!

This truck bed wasn't just for pretty, it had a sold tag on it!

Before heading inside to check out the three floors of treasures in The Old Lucketts Store, you always have to check out the wrap-around porch!

The Beekeeper's Cottage is all out girly with jewelry and soaps and the most fabulous bed linens!

On Sunday, Renae and I had such fun checking out all the bling!

Sometimes girls just wanna have fun!

The Design House a decorator's showcase and just gorgeous inside and out! It was the perfect spot to stay dry during a brief rain shower on Sunday.

Cassie, I can't believe we haven't tried something like this! Yes it was furry. I hope it was fake!

And a trip to Lucketts would not be complete without stopping by to say hello to Marian, more affectionately known as Miss Mustard Seed. I gave her a quick hug on Saturday, but as you can imagine, she was quite busy. Things calmed down on Sunday and we had a nice long chat. It has been quite an exciting year for her!

Last year I met Marian's sweet dad and this year I got to meet lovely mom. They are so supportive and obviously very proud of her! And you probably saw the before and after photos of her booth on her blog. She was not kidding. There was nothing left!

And in the end, she was tired, but still smiling!

So there you have it, another amazing Spring Market weekend at Lucketts! I had such fun! And I know that quite a few of my blog friends were there shopping too. I hope you had a great time and went home with a load of goodies! I propose that next year we designate a time and place to meet up and say hello!

Coming Full Circle at Lucketts

I am so looking forward to this weekend! I'll be hanging out at the Lucketts Spring Market. It's one of my favorite weekends of the year. The Spring Market is the biggest event of the year at The Old Lucketts Store. I discovered Lucketts a few years ago, purely by accident. The Old Lucketts Store sits at the corner of what I think is probably the one and only red light in Lucketts, VA. It is a teeny-tiny town. If you blink, you'll miss it. But Lucketts just happens to be on the route between our house and The University of Virginia, where my daughter Megan went to grad school. I can't tell you how many times I sat at that red light without ever realizing what was waiting on the other side of that building. Finally one day we stopped to investigate. Oh my goodness! Needless to say, I've been going back regularly ever since!




I've found some wonderful treasures at Lucketts, I've been inspired and I've met some amazing people. Last year at this time, we girls at Elizabeth & Co. were just in the planning stages of putting together a vintage tag sale of our own. We didn't even have a name and I had no idea I was about to start writing this little blog. But a series of events that weekend sparked something that made me believe it really was possible. I had conversations with three lovely ladies, Cassie of Primitive & Proper, Molly Susan Strong from Chartreuse & Co., and Marian Parsons, more affectionately known as Miss Mustard Seed. Sometimes simple moments can be life changing!



When Megan visited the following week, we sat down and she helped me figure out how to start a blog. May 30th is our first blog birthday! We decided on the name Elizabeth & Co. And we have since had two vintage tag sales. It's been quite a year, to say the least. So I feel like going back to Lucketts this weekend is a bit of a full circle moment for me. And you can be sure that I plan on visiting each of those sweet and talented ladies and giving them a great big hug!


And now for two of my very favorite Lucketts finds. Last year Karla and I spotted this beauty the minute we arrived - an absolutely gorgeous old hardware store counter. It was perfection, but seriously out of my price range at $450.





Luckily I returned the second day of the market (in the rain!) and found this desk hiding under a dripping wet tarp.

It was a steal at just $35.

And with a little engineering genius (yes, that would be my husband), a frame was built and the desk became the counter for our Elizabeth & Co. tag sales. Isn't it cool? You can check out the original post here.

But the best Lucketts find ever is a sentimental favorite. We met up with Megan at Lucketts two years ago hoping to find an arch for her wedding. She had the idea of finding a vintage arch for the ceremony, something that she could place in her backyard and keep as a sweet reminder of her special day. There were all kinds of choices.

Nothing seemed just right until Megan spotted this beauty in an out-of-the-way corner.

I moved two baskets of flowers to the front of the arch to help visualize how it might look for the wedding.

Getting it home was an adventure. But as you can see, it was the perfect choice and something very special that Megan & Liam will cherish forever! You can see more wedding photos here.

So, any chance you are heading to Lucketts this weekend? Can't wait to see what I find and who I meet. You just never really know what's waiting for you around the corner. Or how a series of events can totally change your perspective and your life!

Happy Weekend!

Sleek Retro Dresser

Ok, this is one really cool retro dresser! But believe me, it took some serious time and effort to look like this.



I picked this one up at a yard sale. Well, I couldn't really pick it up, as this is probably the heaviest dresser I've ever worked on. Whew, good thing I go to the gym!

It was a really weird dirty looking cream color and had a very rough finish. My husband said it looked like it had been painted with a whisk broom. And surprisingly, the gentleman who helped me get it in my car said he had just painted it. Really?

Well, I sanded till my shoulders hurt. I went through so much sand paper. It kept getting all gunky. I wasn't totally happy, but finally decided to move on. After two coats of primer and three coats of paint, I ended up right back here. Yup, I broke out the sander and started all over! I knew I just wasn't satisfied. My husband heard the sander and stopped what he was doing to come and investigate. He took one look at me and asked if I wanted some help. Yes please! Thank goodness for a husband who enjoys sanding!

And here is the final result. I'm thrilled! Thrilled to be finished and thrilled with the result!

Just look at those cool curvy drawers.

I kept the finish clean and modern, no glazing and no distressing. Nope, not even a little bit.

And the hardware reminds me of an adornment from a vintage car.

Yup, I really love the hardware and the sleek retro vibe. The color is one of my favorites, Sherwin Williams Network Gray. And lesson learned, do not move on to the next step until you are totally satisfied!

And check out this great sign! It arrived just in time to join the photo shoot.



It was custom made for me by Andrea of Signs by Andrea. Feel free to pay her a visit and say hello.

Andrea specializes in one-of-a-kind personalized signs on gorgeous weathered wood with a great vintage feel.

Andrea has generously offered to do a giveaway of one one of her signs right here at Elizabeth & Co. Watch for all the details coming up in June.

In the meantime, you have until May 28th to enter our Burlap and Ruffles table runner giveaway. And did you know our first blog birthday is coming up on May 30th? We should have a party!

As always, thanks so much for being here!

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