Ok, first things first...all of the Swap emails have been sent out. Everyone is paired up. So, if you have not yet been paired up then that means something went wrong and we have to fix it. If you have yet to receive a partner...contact me right away and we'll resolve it. In addition, you may have been partnered up and you have not heard anything from your partner even though you've tried to contact them numerous times etc... In this case, well, we have to fix this as well. It means that you either have a drop-out partner or your partner is incommunicado. Both of these are bad things that we must resolve ...just shoot me an email...and I'll make sure you get a real partner.
I've been hearing that lots of people have been having a blast crafting for their partners...shopping...trading tons of emails. I even heard that two gals from totally different regions discovered that they'll be vacationing in the same spot at the same time...and now they're gonna meet up! How awesome is that?!
As I've said many times...down here at the Jersey Shore, all the sights, sounds, and scents of Vacation are impossible to ignore. If we take a short drive to get something to eat we'll pass about a hundred people on beach cruiser bikes, party tents, barbecues...and flying above the ocean...those little airplanes that pull advertisement banners behind them, beach umbrellas, ice cream parlors with lines snaking around the building...all sorts of great stuff that makes you stop and remember to slow down a little...because this isn't a dress rehearsal...this is your one and only life. We so often forget to live it. And it'll just pass by...a day turns into a week and then a month and then a year...and then you realize that you can't even remember the last time that you had fun, or saw your friends, or whatever. It's really so easy to forget to actually live your life and not just try to survive the day. I'm speaking from experience here...trust me. Stop, slow down, take a breath, look around, and do something for you.
The Vintage Vacation Swap is the perfect opportunity to do just that! And you get to box up some magic and share it with someone far away! So lets raise the spirit of vacations gone past...pack it up...and ship it out at the end of the month!
Last weekend was the super huge, super awesome Ocean Grove Flea Market. They do it a couple of times a year...summer & fall...and we try to go whenever we can. This year was a must because next month we'll be back in Red Bank with an antique booth! We had to hit the Big Flea to see if we could score some great stuff for our new booth. It was me, Aaron, my sister Missy, and Walt. Walt will be our partner in the antique booth. He got totally addicted to the tv show American Pickers and he's been dying to find some treasures that he can turn into profits. That kid is a natural born wheeler dealer. He seems to be constantly in the state of buying and selling! The photo above is of Missy, Walt & Aaron taking a little break from the Flea Market Frenzy...Walt is probably on the phone making some kind of trade...Jeep tires for a turtle tank or something! And oh yeah...check out those houses...all the way down the end, where the houses stop...that's the ocean!
When I go to a flea market I'm there for the vintage stuff. I always speed past the vendors selling NEW stuff. There are some people who love to check out the new stuff...the t-shirts with witty slogans, knock-off handbags, Chanel sunglasses that somehow cost 4 dollars!, novelty shot glasses, remote control flyswatterbeveragecozybackscratchers. Bless you America! I'm there for the OLD stuff! The JUNK. The Castoffs. The tired, the poor, the huddled masses of vintage treasures longing to be free.
But this time one vendor selling NEW stuff just stopped me dead in my tracks. This looked like some of the most delicious stuff ever!...and it was for pups! It was just impossible for me not to get a bag of stuff for Carlos! Just look at them pizzas! Those little cheeseburgers!! Can you even handle this stuff?! And they were a great deal!!
Of course, of course, of course...we run into miss popularity herself...madame mayor...Marlene! I told Aaron the night before that we were going to definitely run into our friends Mary and Marlene at some point during our Flea Market trip. Even though the place is huge and so so packed...we sure did. Above is Marlene and Missy. To thwart sunburn Missy purchased that hat at the flea market...on the other hand, Marlene probably own about 17 of 'em, in addition to her vintage swimming caps! You see that cup of iced tea? Well they were bucket sized...and you still wanted to go back for more...it was so so fantastic...infused with fruit...ice cold! Everybody there had one. It was a scorcher by the way...and I'm not good with heat...nearly passed out...but I think I always nearly pass out. Anyway, Marlene is a hoot! So good to see her and Mary too. Marlene will be neighbors with us in Monmouth Antiques...we open our booth in a couple of weeks and I think Marlene is already open. It will be a blast!
Ocean Grove is home to the largest assemblage of authentic Victorian architecture in the nation.
...And tons of fantastic shops...and ice cream parlors, like Nagle's!!
These are the Ocean Grove tent houses. Every summer these get propped up and they are decorated amazingly...inside and out! There are blocks of these! You really have to see them in person to fully appreciate them!
I love this summer collection from Chanel! Especially Le Vernis. Reminds me of sea glass...or the absolute perfect chippy painted cupboard that I wish I found at OG flea market!
And finally for dessert we have Easy Lime Pie! This recipe sounds great...I really love Key Lime Pie so so much. It is a summer must! O posted it a few days ago on facebook..and within an hour a few gals were off to pick up the ingredients for that night! I found it here.
Alright, I hope I inspired some vacation & summer feelings in all of you. I'll be back soon...with lots more. Thanks again for stopping...wishing you guys all the best!
xoxo, Jenny
