How exciting is this? The Fancy Flea has made it into Flea Market Style as one of the top small flea markets in the country according to it's readers. This magazine is absolutely gorgeous and is FULL of beautiful images of flea market finds. Make sure you pick one up soon!
When it comes to baby stuff...we are suckers for anything in pink or blue. The soft colors and fabrics have us at "hello." Take a look at these super cute Baby Bath Cloth Lollipops created by Friend of Fancy Flea Girl (FOFFG) Mary Beth!
These super cute gifts were created from two expertly rolled cloths and a plastic baby spoon "stick." The whole package is wrapped in cellophane and tied with colorful ribbon. A practical and pretty gift for any expectant mother. Mary Beth is on a roll with great gifts and dishes!
The lollipop colors have us cooing and ooing! Rumor has it Mary Beth is also working on a "diaper" wreath she is taking to a shower this weekend! She is planning to use these lollies as decoration on the cake. We can't wait to see the finished product. We are trying to talk Mary Beth into joining us at The Fancy Flea on May 1st with her lollipops and specialty baby gifts. Help us talk her into it by leaving a comment. Aren't these lollipops the bee's knees?
Come on Mary Beth...join us as a vendor at The Fancy Flea on May 1st!
Sometimes in life things don't always go as planned. Boy, is that an understatement in the Fancy Flea world!
Friends of the Fancy Flea Girls (FOFFG for short) had planned an awesome breakfast surprise party for another member of the FOFFG -- Elizabeth! Today is Elizabeth's 27th birthday and in her true bohemian fashion she changed her plans at the last minute causing the FOFFG to postpone her morning surprise party. Well...unfortunately the message did not get to an important member of the FOFFG (Mary Beth) and she prepared THE MOST INCREDIBLE breakfast casserole in the word. So, in honor of Mary Beth's hard work and her incredible culinary talent...we are sharing Elizabeth's Breakfast Birthday Casserole with you!
Umm...if heaven has a casserole corner...this dish has the number one spot. This casserole is so yummy with tons of flaky, buttery biscuit layers, fresh eggs, bacon and green onions. This is breakfast nirvana.
Mary Beth is simply the best cook ever! Her flavors are always "spot on" and every dish is delicious! As a mommy of two beautiful little girls, Mary Beth is always turning out wholesome comfort food -- in fact, she should really go into business making simple wholesome dishes for busy families. Everything she makes is simple, honest and OH SO GOOD!
Oh well, Elizabeth will have to celebrate her birthday with the FOFFG next week. She missed out on a great morning treat.
In case your mouth is still watering...here is a pic of the cookies Mary Beth made to accompany her casserole. So cute!
Have a terrific Thursday and Happy Birthday to Elizabeth!
These cookies are the perfect inspiration for this summer's hottest color trends.
The Fancy Flea is just a few weeks away and we are working around the clock to get our treasures to market! In fact, Lori has a piece of furniture painted in this exact shade of turquoise. Are you ready?
When it comes to backyard projects, The Fancy Flea Girls are never done. Erica's poor husband has been working on his oasis vision for more than 11 years! Her backyard has undergone so many transformations over the years...a lush fishpond lagoon, a hot tub hot spot, a patio installation, a built-from-scratch pergola, the petite patio and so much more. You would think she might give her husband a little rest...
This is the pergola Keith built from scratch (pic is from last summer)! It is super sturdy and especially lovely now that the swing has been painted fire engine red! The pergola has completely different set of furnishings now -- so guess where you can pick up some of the items in the picture...you guessed it...The Fancy Flea on May 1st.
This is a quick "before" pic of the northern corner of the backyard. This little forgotten corner of the yard has become the compost heap and dumping ground (and official rest area for the wheelbarrow).
It was ready for a major makeover! Keith and Erica have been dreaming of an "Azalea Hill" for years and finally all of the pieces have come together. Keith worked tirelessly this weekend (in the very hot sun) -- he is simply the bees knees when it comes to husbands. Notice the little black cast iron chairs by the lemon tree...they will be available for purchase at The Fancy Flea on May 1st!
WOO HOO! New azalea bushes, a new fence and a new cast iron set! This lonely little corner is looking up! All that is missing is a paver "apron" for the garden bed, mulch and some sod! Erica and Keith are this much closer to finishing "Azalea Hill"of their dreams. The new cast iron set was found in Sun City Center and has a great history! (Now, you see why the little black chairs need a new home and will be available at The Fancy Flea on May 1st.)
Huge "props" to Keith for another great backyard transformation
We are linking up to Metamorphis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch. Take a look at what kept Susan busy over the weekend!
What were you up to this weekend?
Every morning should start with a cupcake!
The world would be a much happier place if employers would adopt a 15 minute cupcake consumption rule at 9am! Our friend Lindsay made these darling rainbow cupcakes for her son's birthday celebration! What an awesome Mommy!
Using food coloring and her favorite cake batter, she painstaking layered each yummy cupcake with the colors of the rainbow. Topped with a fluffy cloud of butter cream and a sprinkling of colorful candy dots, Lindsay's cupcakes are simply fun in a wrapper!
How can you resist these super scrumptious cupcake goodies?
Best part of all...Lindsay will be at The Fancy Flea on May 1st with her incredible "mommy made" pepper jellies. Her hand made pepper jelly is a must for any gourmet pantry and is simply "the bees knees." Spread her incredible jelly over crackers or include in your favorite recipes and your next "get together "will have the perfect spicy kick! We like to think Lindsay is one hot momma!
As for resisting a morning cupcake...it is impossible!
Good morning Cupcake! Is your mouth watering yet for the Fancy Flea on May 1st?
We are linking up to Susan's Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday!
The Fancy Flea girls are blessed to have the most awesome husbands in the world! We are constantly adding items to their "to do list" and they never complain! The heavy lifting alone would be reason for most husbands to go running into the night but for some reason they stick around and are quick to jump in when we need a hand.
Case in point...Erica's most recent kitchen makeover experiment which was accomplished by her darling husband (yes, he is pretty dreamy).
This is the "pantry" she created from a tiny kitchen closet. She transformed this forgotten space into a cute little pantry that added tons of storage to the "best" room in the house. Please ignore the total disorganization in the pantry - pantry clean-up is a project for another weekend.
She has been collecting vintage frames forever...and finally discovered the perfect home for three who are not going to the Fancy Flea on May 1st.
Four coats of chalkboard paint (expertly applied by her darling husband).
And an awesome kitchen makeover was born.
Now, all she needs are the cool chalk markers and a few more inspirational quotes.
Haley even gave her puppy seal of approval.
Hope to see everyone at the Fancy Flea on May 1st. We will have tons of great re-purposed chalkboards perfect for any kitchen!
Send us a comment and let us know what projects are keep you busy!
There once was this Fancy Flea Girl who had so many mirrors she didn't know what to do.
Erica's mirror obsession is reaching critical overload! It is a very good thing The Fancy Flea is only four weeks away. The stacks of mirrors are getting out of control! Take a sneak peek at the mirrors she has stashed away waiting for the chance to "repurpose."
These lovely beauties are waiting for fresh coats of fire-engine red, apple green, bubblegum pink and robin's egg blue paint. This weekend promises to be a great opportunity for painting! Mirrors are hidden everywhere...here are some more patiently waiting in the garage.
These stashed treasures are a surprise. Anyone want to ponder what these HUGE frames dream of becoming one day? She thinks they are screaming "Make me a CHALKBOARD!" (For some very strange reason, inanimate objects in Erica's house talk to her. She needs therapy but that is another blog post). A gigantic, huge, fantastic, glorious chalkboard with bright and funky colors like tangerine, coral and eggplant.
In fact, the mirror and frame crisis is getting so bad...Erica added three more to her growing collection this morning in a mad dash to her local thrift haunt. These cool frames may not make it to The Fancy Flea on May 1st as Erica is redoing her kitchen pantry door this weekend and these will be FABULOUS for the project she has in mind. Pics coming soon...soon as the project is completed. Keep your fingers crossed for her.
Decisions...decisions..decisions.
Until May 1st and the debut of these great mirrors and chalkboards, we leave you with this lovely inspiration pic. Happy Tuesday!
We are participating in Metamorphosis Monday hosted by the fabulous Susan at Between Naps on the Porch by sharing a transformation from ordinary home to an extraordinary 90th birthday celebration. We were so busy putting together the final touches we weren't able to snap "before" pics. Plese forgive us but throwing a party for 30 is very stressful!
The Fancy Flea girls are always working on new projects and new purposes for the wonderful vintage platters and bowls collected on their treasure hunts. One of the best ways to enjoy a beautiful vintage piece is to USE it and not let your collectible glass collect dust on the shelf. Don't let limit yourself to holidays and special occasions -- use your special pieces and share their wonderful stories.
Erica had the wonderful opportunity to help throw a Patriotic 90th Birthday party for a special friend. She was busy all weekend preparing a wonderful feast for the birthday boy and 25 of his closest friends.
Vintage milk bottles were used as vases and displayed fun pinwheels and flags. Tiny metal buckets were filled with crinkled paper and red, white and blue candies.
Erica prepared the entire buffet and used her special collection of vintage glass and crystal bowls thrifted locally. The large market basket was perfect for displaying fresh rolls and honey ham. One of Erica's favorite collections is Fenton's Silver Crest with it's beautiful crystal and white ruffles. Cocktail sauce has never looked prettier than in a small Silver Crest serving bowl. Many different types of serving bowls and platters will be available at The Fancy Flea in May!
Vintage milk glass vases made excellent centerpieces! Too bad one was broken on the way home. Erica is now on the lookout for another vases for replacement. Word to wise...wrap your vases in vintage dish towels for transporting. Oh well, another treasure to add to the hunting list.
Dessert buffets are Erica's specialty and the birthday party was no exception! The American press glass plates held a towering display of rice krispy treats, brownies and lemon bars. Pecan pie and Blueberry Lemon Buttermilk pie were displayed on vintage French wire cake stands. Erica decorated more than 72 cupcakes for the party with a fresh French buttercream. Each guest was given a boxed cupcake to take home for late night snacking!
The party was a huge success and our birthday boy was very surprised! It took over two days to prepare the desserts and buffet! One day to create the decoration metamorphis and hours to clean up (a huge thank you to Keith and Lisa for helping with the dishes and clean-up!). It was a ton of work but worth every minute to see our birthday boy having a great time at his special party!
The Fancy Flea will be just as exciting and we will be celebrating by providing tons of vintage furniture, decorations, household items and antiques to make your next special occasion...more special. We hope to see you there!
We are joining the AMAZING Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for our very first Metamorphosis Monday project.
This is the tale of a very lonely lamp.
Are you feeling a little sideways, yet? It has been a long night so don't adjust your sitting position.
This is the tale of a very lonely lamp Erica rescued from a very dusty corner in Bradenton. This lamp had the ugliest black lace shade hiding the gorgeous Italian crystal base. The little lamp was perfect for Erica's office and would help keep her company during long writing sessions.
Ahh, that's better already. After a very expensive trip to the fancy lighting store (the shade was twice the cost of the lamp), the lonely lamp had a new, designer "hair do."
The Roman column looking candle holders were not vintage but picked up at Steinmart for 75% -- so they qualify as "thrifted" in our book. The green polka dot vase and green art glass vase were both thrifted from an antique shop in Mount Dora. The green polka dot pottery vase was made in the 1960s by TOYO Next and designed by Jill Rosenwald (please pretend you don't see the random box of CD's that are hiding behind the chair and need to be shoved behind the chair).
This little office nook was still missing something. Thank goodness someone has been donating TONS of incredible art books to the local Salvation Army. Erica's collection is growing out of control but she never says no to the Renaissance. Never, Ever.
Ahhhh. much, much better. Surrounding yourself with art books is sure way to impress your friends and add instant warmth to any room. Best part of all, you can pick up plenty of art books at the upcoming Fancy Flea on May 1st and you too can overcrowd your office with priceless works of art.
Someone please remind Erica to turn the stinking books on the small black table the right way before morning. Slight blonde moment, but you get the picture. For the record, these walls are not "pumpkin orange". We prefer to call them "spice." And, taking naps in this chair while procrastinating and not finishing your thesis is PRICELESS.
Happy Metamorphosis Monday to all! Be sure to visit Between Naps on the Porch for many other great transformations.
The Fancy Flea will have plenty of great vintage lamps, art books and so much more. Have you marked your calendars yet?
