"Bluebird Market"--A Cause For Kids

Imagine having an idea of asking people to donate what they don't want to you, organizing them, pricing them, setting up displays like you may see in a magazine, selling it all, and then...donating every penny of the money you've made to a wonderful cause:  a community preschool for children with developmental delays to help them stay open....can you imagine it??

Libby Suttles could....and DID!!  There she is on the right greeting customers in her newest brainchild store called "The Bluebird Market" in our little Danville, Kentucky.  Libby previously worked for United Way so she's always been in the "What-Can-I-do-for-YOU?" mentality rather than the "What-Can-YOU-do-for-ME?" frame of mind.

Did I also mention that Libby and her business partner Jody Arnold also have a booth called "Iron Angel Baby" in our town's antique mall??  That gives you an idea of why she is the go-to girl for creative displays...like the one here that she saw on Pinterest!

Fun vintage hangers from an old department store here in town hang on the walls creating an "Oh-I-gotta-do-that!!" feeling!

Oooohhhhh....I wanted this!!  BUT, it wasn't for sale!!

Neat fan cover for displaying pictures and the like

A burst of color....paper pom poms and a pallet bed made me want to curl up with a book and take a short nap!

Because everything is donated, you never KNOW what you may find there!! I should have bought this for the hubby, who adores The Music Man!!

Another one of Libby's signature displays...I love the bottle label!!

My hanger addiction was fed today...for $1 a piece, who could resist??!!

Found these vintage card decks in a box for a cool quarter....

Book with a fun title for my journals!!  So....if you find your way to our little town, be sure to find the Bluebird market and spend to your heart's content...knowing that your money is going to a great cause--for the kids!!

Back to St. Louis: "Cherokee Street"

So here I am on my third installment of my trip back to St. Louis...and this is one of my favorite destinations: Cherokee Street!  The old buildings turned shops and restaurants are continual favorites, though many seemed to have closed over the years.  I'm featuring two stores that seem to never lose their appeal, even though the economy has taken a hit.  I believe it's because they are just SO MUCH FUN!!!!

This store has more cool stuff than you can shake a stick at!  I didn't take pictures of the inside (a bit dim) and even though there is a plethora of stuff in there, the REALLY cool stuff is out back in what I lovingly refer to as "The Magic Garden".  This is just an incredible space FILLED with fun stuff.  The problem is...NONE of it is for sale!! 

I mean, LOOK at this!! I could stand out here all day long and never see enough.  You aren't allowed to go beyond a certain point, so I've never been up close to any of it....good thing the camera could be!

I've admired this Siesta Motel sign for years....at least 20 or so....but all I can do is look.  I'm not sure why the owner doesn't consider selling it because he'd have a whole line of folks ready with their wallets open!!!   He's actually a man of few words.... I've never quite been able to engage him in much conversation, but still lots to look at!!

More fun signs...ready for the picking!

Down the street is "Panorama"....a true visual treat of folk art and antiques!  Isn't the sign enough to draw you in??!!

Love the outdoor chalkboard....a hint of what is inside

My eyes danced around the room and landed squarely on this table full of folk art creatures called "The Misunderstoods".  These are all handmade by one of the owners, Mitch.  I love the colors and expressions on their faces.  I got so excited over everything in the store and talking to Mitch that I left without buying the orange cat in the back.  I may need to call to have him shipped!!

I loved them all....hard to choose!!

In the glass case were "The Mizfitz" and I was just enchanted by them!

LOVE her clothes made with old trading stamps and that little plastic appetizer fork...she's on a mission!!!

These wall hangings just made me smile with their hair and mouths full of pearly teeth

Mitch happened to be working on a skeleton that day and was doing some meticulous stitching

I almost forgot Bentley!  He is the shop's vicious sweet dog who greets everyone at the door...he was good enough to pose for me, too!!

If you find your way to St. Louis, you gotta make the journey down to Cherokee Street to check out The Purple Cow and the enchanting world of Panorama....give Bentley an extra hug for me!!

Back to St. Louis--"Red Lead"

I visited so many cool places on my recent trip back to my hometown of St. Louis that I have to do separate posts!!  My new friend, Ann, introduced me to the most enchanting store I've ever been in: "Red Lead" in Webster Groves, Missouri.  Over lunch she casually said, "Have you ever been to Red Lead?  It's a fun store for anything mixed media."  I couldn't make it to the door quick enough!!!

They had ME at this green dresser just inside the door!!

How cute is SHE??!!  I am huge lover of dress forms and this one with her lights....ah...I could have fainted!!

Pops of color on the wall with those pretty washed red frames and darling tags/cards

COOL idea for jazzing up your tent at shows: take an old lampshade (sans the fabric) and hang your goodies from it and attach to the top of your tent!  I make jewelry, but I may need to figure out a way to do this!  I LOVE the pop of the black and white ribbon....my eye went right to it!

Love the teacup!!

It was this space that made me want to fall over dead....a super cool workroom down the stairs near the back of the store!  This is where the magic happens at Red Lead....classes, workshops, late night creating or anything else they choose to do with the awesome space!  I could have moved a mattress down there, gone without food and water for DAYS just looking at all of the neat stuff!!

And speaking of mattress....cute crib springs loaded with tons of tags!

This was such a cute idea, I thought:  the owners obviously had collected lots of mismatched bowls, compotes, cups, etc...and filled them with any and everything you could imagine to use in art projects.  The eclectic-ity of it was so charming!

WORK IT, GIRLS!!!

Couldn't you just EAT all of this glitter??!!  My good friend, Sue, would go NUTS in this place!

I love the way the frames were turned into shelves....and the detail on the old frames...so pretty!!

Cute journals hanging from drawer pulls...precious!!

Nests, anyone?  Proof that they have just about anything you may want in there!!

Buttons, ribbons, grab bags....I could have bought them all!!

Get the picture??  If you are a mixed media artist or just want a HUGE dose of eye candy, pay a visit to Red Lead!  They do have a website, too!!!

Back To St. Louis--"Roots"

A store that cannot even be explained....it must be experienced!!!

Before moving to the huge metropolis of Danville, Kentucky I lived in the wonderful city of St. Louis...and in St. Louis is my ultimate favorite eclectic store called Roots.  This store is TO DIE FOR because it has the best salvage goodies in it....I never want to leave once I get in there!!!

One thing that makes this store cool is the actual lay-out of the space...so homey, wonderful lighting and the gals who own it treat you like family!

I knew that triangular ceiling tin would haunt me...and I was RIGHT!!!  I should have bought it because it won't be there next WEEK, much less next summer!! :(

Cool back room....You just KNOW you will find something you can't live without in a room like this, huh??!!

Roots has the coolest selection of little word cards...found anywhere and everywhere.  The day I was there I sifted through hundreds of them to search for words related to my art.  With the help of one of the owners who relentlessly helped me, we were able to find some good ones!!!

Man, what I could do with this COOL industrial piece in my studio...I mean, the one I WILL have someday!!  This looks like something that may have been used long ago in some type of restaurant to haul dishes back and forth??  Only the gals at Roots could tell you!!

Fun collection of letters and numbers from all kinds of signage...

They can't keep rakes in the store when they get them in....um, wonder why??  They always have cool displays like this for their customers to get inspiration from!!  I never wanted a rake so bad in my LIFE after seeing this idea!!!!

FUN....number plates from vintage metal locker baskets

YES, PLEASE!!!

Follow 'em...you'll be hooked!