Top 5 Places to Antique / Flea Market in Louisiana...

So, I have been thinking about this post for quite a while now... working on it....and never finding the time to finally complete it...but here it is....finally!

I have been wanting to share with you all some great place to antique / flea market in Louisiana...you know places that are well worth the trip...that will cause your wallet to be a little lighter and your truck packed down!! 

(this picture was taken a few weeks back...when I took some friends to Denham Springs...and they said they were not going to be buying anything...really? )

So grab a cup of coffee (or your drink of choice)...and start planning your little road trip...Make sure to click on all the little links...for even more information!

So here are my picks....

1. Denham Springs, LA - Hands down this is the best place to shop in Louisiana....great prices, great selection, tons of stores all located on the same strip, everything from 1800 - 1900 antiques to classic vintage goodies! You can't go wrong by taking a day trip here! Most stores open around 10:00 am and are open Tuesday - Sunday...get your calendar out and plan a weekend! If you need a friend to go with you (I want to come!!!!) Click Here to read for more information on Denham Springs Antique Village! P.S. My favorite stores...that I visit as often as I can are...Rusty Rooster, Serendipity in the Village, & Korner Shoppe.

Here is a picture of the Korner Shoppe in Denham Springs...be prepared to be here for hours if you want to see everything in this place!!

2. Breaux Bridge, LA - To be honest I really can't choose between Denham Springs & Breaux Bridge...because I love them both so much, but what I especially love about Breaux Bridge is not the just the antiques (that is just the added bonus!)...it is the entire city! Breaux Bridge is a Louisiana city at it's finest...it defines what southern life is all about! Breaux Bridge is the kind of town...where you can travel back in time...when life was just simpler! I love it...and as often as I can I make visits! My mother in law was born and raised in Breaux Bridge, so when we go to visit family I am usually able to squeeze some shopping in! Breaux Bridge always has something going on...coming up...April 21st, 2012 is Blooming on the Bayou, May 4,5,6th is Breaux Bridge's Crawfish Festival, and the first weekend of October is the City Wide Garage Sale! While you are out shopping you need to stop by the famous Cafe de Amis...which is an internationally recognized zydeco restaurant and coffee shop. Every Saturday morning  they have live Zydeco music starting at 7am with breakfast and dancing!

Here is a picture of Cafe De Amis

Here is a picture of the City Wide Garage Sale that they have once a year...first weekend of October!

3. Ponchatoula, LA - Where the city slogan is "America's Antique City"

I have taken many trips to Ponchatoula and it is well worth the drive! I love this quaint town and I just feel like I am stepping back into a simpler time every time I visit there! A few times...I have left early in the morning from Thibodaux and headed to Ponchatoula and then drove to Denham Springs...that is a great day trip...if you have the time!!

My favorite place in Ponchatoula is CJ's Antiques - I have found some great pieces of furniture in this place...take note...you need lots of time in this place!! It is open 7 days a week...and if you get the chance you will probably meet Mr. CJ himself...it is a treat!

(Both of the buildings in this pictures are filled to the top...literally with antiques!!)

There are alot of other stores in downtown Ponchatoula...which are all in walking distant from CJ's antiques.

Ponchatoula always has events going on...check out there chamber of commerce website for more details on up coming events. Just to name a few events coming up...this weekend they are having a city wide inventory clearance at all antique stores on Saturday, Jan 28th, on March 2-4 they are having the Ponchatoula Antique Trade Days, in April they always have the Strawberry Festival, and in June they have a Citywide Yard Sale. Click on the links for more information!

4. Patterson, LA - Ok this place is a little secret...and if you haven't been...get in your car and take a ride because it is worth it!!

Bayou Chic Antiques

612 Hwy 90 West

Patterson, LA

open Tues - Sat

11:00 am - 5:00 pm

vintage plates I found the other day

Vintage stamps...that I found the other day too!

They have lots of furniture...along with great prices!!

5. St. Francisville, LA - This place is not only known for it's antiques but for the beautiful plantation homes. So, why not...do both...little shopping and touring while your at it! Right?

For more info on this quaint little town click here...

St. Francisville has the original Grandmother's Buttons store. If you haven't heard about Grandmother's buttons make sure to click on the link for more details...but basically it is hand made jewelry made from vintage and antique buttons. In 1985 the owner of the company got her start from rummaging through her grandmother's buttons...she thought the buttons would make beautiful earrings...and from there the company was born...and now they sell jewelry in boutiques around the world! The store in St. Francisville is really something to see...especially the Button Museum.

Hope this post helps to guide and inspire you as you plan your next antique / flea market trip in Louisiana!

Hope you find some goodies...

If any of my followers / readers have any other great places that they know of in Louisiana please, please share!!

Happy Antiquing!

Vera

Frame it...or not!

Hello bloggers!

Just a quick post to hopefully inspire you a little! So one of my latest obsessions (oh I have way too many) is framing....love, love, love vintage frames, old broken frames, really any frame....because with a few distressing techniques or spray paint...you have something completely new and something uniquely yours!

Here are a few things I have been doing around my home...

Here are three open distressed frames...I have hanging in my children's bathroom. I stapled twine to the back of the frame, so I could hang pictures and mini scrap pages of Juliette and Jacques. I used various vintage items for the scrapping, along with some Glitz Design and Melissa Frances products.

Here are some close ups of each frame....

That is Miss Juliette Marie...and the black and white picture is her Papa (side note...my children..call their father..."Papa"...we don't have a "Daddy" in the house...we have the best "Papa" in the house!) he is holding her for the first time! It is moments like that...that cause me to scrapbook!!

Mr. Jacques Paul...my handsome 4 1/2 year old...that makes my heart skip a beat!!

The last frame...is of me and seth...that first picture is of me and seth celebrating our first christmas together (the year it actually snowed in Louisiana for Christmas!)

I love black and white and sepia photos...I also like a combination of open frames without glass or the traditional way...with pictures in them....but this picture is framed in me and Seth entrance to our bedroom...it was one of my engagement pics (which feels like many moons ago!). The decor around it is some sprayed painted planks of wood and a silver vase with sprays to add a little more height!

This frame I purchased in Breaux Bridge during the city wide garage sale...for $20 bucks and it is well over 100 years old! It is one of my best purchases thus far! The frame had no glass when I bought it and I knew I wanted to keep it that way! At first I thought I was going to make it a mirror, but after some thought I scratched that idea and strung twine and clipped photos of me and Seth along with vintage keys and gold leaves (and for Christmas...a little ornament!).

 Open frames are just as nice sometimes....no need for the glass...right?

Take the glass out...save it and use it for another project....like this one....

I like to mix open frames with regular framed pictures...

Then there is always a college wall...

If you have lots of frames..but none of them match....remember there is always spray paint...it comes in every color possible!!

An open 16x20 frame on my night stand...I plan on doing something else with it...put for now it will do!

Here is another open frame that I have in my living room...I put it on a plate stand and hung some ornaments from it during the holidays!

This was another open frame that I had bought in...guess??? (ummm, yes Breaux Bridge!!) I put cork board behind the open frame and then scrapped a little layout of Juliette on an old vintage record...and used tacs to hold the layout up!

For the holidays I was inspired to decorate an old vintage ladder...I rapped it with lights, fresh garland, and burlap...then hung a few frames on it! The frames on the ladder are from Habait for Humanity ReStore...I got lots for all less than a dollar! Remember who cares if they appear ugly...there is always spray paint...right?

Then there are vintage windows...oh my the possibilities are unlimited with these!! If you are looking for a large selection of them for a great price...take a ride to denham springs, la...and visit the Rusty Rooster

 So Valentine's Day is right around the corner...which is over rated, but it gives me an excuse to make cute things and decorate!!

I decided to decorate my table and used a 4x6 frame as part of the centerpiece!

I have two shelves in my dining room...that I use as my inspiration wall...I change it around all the time and with each holiday or event...I do something different! For Valentine's I wrote "Love" on a little chalkboard...and then put it next to some open frames!

Here is the fireplace in my sun room...I decorated the mantle using planks of wood, old screens (or large frames would do), and then strung lights! It was so simple and I like the way it came out!

Here are some great framing ideas that I got from pinterest....if you don't have a pinterest account...do yourself a favor and get one....leave me a comment and I can send you a friend request if you haven't gotten an invite yet!

For the how to do...click here

Like this...check her blog out...

If you don't want to do the frames yourself...you can buy them from etsy!

Find more great ideas...at this blog...

Like what you see in this photo...click here for more

Hope you are little more inspired in the frame department!!

Now...go create!!

My favorite room...

I wanted to share with you all my favorite room of my house...mostly because Miss Juliette Marie....makes it truly hers...but second the lighting, color, and great vintage finds really make it home!

First...in regards to paint colors for children's rooms....check out pottery barns kids colors made by Benjamin Moore. They are all beautiful colors and you can purchase them at any Benjamin Moore paint store. I used the color fairest pink in Juliette's room and it was just the right color pink. Nothing to over the top...you know nothing that would give you a  "pink overload"!! I am in love with natural light...so the entire wall of windows in her room sold me at first site! I mixed various shades of white distressed pieces of furniture in her room....little decorating tip...everything doesn't have to match exactly...actually it is much nicer on the eye when everything blends rather than matches exactly!

Juliette's antique amoire was purchased in Breaux Bridge, LA.

I like to use a lot of white, cream, ivory colors when decorating....it keeps everything simple, but yet tastefully and doesn't compete with the other decor.

Vintage distressed frame I purchased in Breaux Bridge, LA during there annual city wide garage sale!

A wall collage with an old distressed frame, window, and framed screen....which was also all purchased in Breaux Bridge, LA.

Juliette's Vintage inspired Christmas tree...around the tree I hung mason jars from the ceiling and put tea lights in the jars.

Here is an old frame that I painted, distressed, and then did a few scrapbook techniques on.

The quote is: "A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer it sings because it has a song in it's heart."

The birds are chipboard and I covered it with old dictionary paper then added some luminere paint around the edges.

A little wreath I made using a circle whole punch and various pieces of scrapbook paper.

Handmade ornaments....with clear glass balls the possibilities are unlimited!

Felt flowers...I have a tutorial posted about how to make them....so just scroll down to the previous post and you should see it.

Hope you enjoyed...