Missoula's Antique Market

 This weekend I went to the Prairie Sister's antique market, which took place saturday morning at the Missoula Fair Grounds. This was their second market ever, the first was in october, and it's more than doubled in size this time. Antique collectors come and set up their merchandise in different booths throughout the barn, this time on both stories. When I arrived at 11 AM, they were 

completely parked up, and it was a mad house inside. It was packed with people ooh-ing and ahh-ing, and standing protectively over their claimed purchases, shooting daggers at anyone eyeing the same vintage lamp or rug or bed frame. This event is (as one vendor described) "not for the faint hearted". Few were prepared for the masses when the doors opened at 10, but all went home happy and lighter than when they arrived.

 Below is the one and only thing I purchased; a precious sequined coin purse from the 30s. This market isn't exactly where you score the best deals, but you do often find very rare or unique things like this. Luckily, I fell in love with something I could afford.

 This 1940's coat has a great story. I was walking by a booth at the market where two ladies where hunched over it, talking intently and holding it up to themselves. They saw me and asked me to try it on. One of them has a daughter slightly bigger than me whom she was thinking of buying it for, and wanted me to try it on for size. I put it on and humored them. They were just enamored with the fact it fit someone so tiny, and they must have liked me or something because the next thing I know this woman is BUYING it for me. I tried to pay for at least half but she refused to let me. This random stranger wanted to pay for me to have this coat. THAT was a first. So I guess I'll have to pay it forward!

It is pretty neat, I must admit.

The rest of the day I was set up in Mccormick Park, spinning wool for the  Festival of Cycles. The purpose of me being there was to show what you can do with pedal power. I don't always feel comfortable feeling like I'm putting on a show, but it was rewarding to hear the ideas it sparked and the motivation it inspired. People were pretty impressed, AND I managed to spin enough wool to make two spools of yarn, which I've been knitting into a scarf! 

painting

due to an unexpected trip to helena this weekend, I had no internet for the past two days. So I'm a day late with this, but bear with me

I had a hard time figuring out what to post this week, but i can at least show you what I'm working on.

I started using bike brake noodles in my necklaces;

and i've been working on this painting on and off for a while

It's been difficult because I decided to leave the canvas raw(whyyyy do I do this to myself?). But it's been therapeutic to paint again! I have been taking photos every time I work on it to document the progress. I feel like I'm about half way finished at this point.

also this tumblr is super funny: whatshouldFITcallme

book comas and recent vintage

I have been in a book coma for the last....three days? I think? gosh how many days have actually passed? I started reading the Hunger Games trilogy this friday, and am half way into the second, and finally forcing myself to step away from the pages but not without difficulty. I actually can't tell whether I'm addicted because I like them or because they're merely a never ending story, never giving the satisfaction of conclusion. Also, it's been pointed out to me that there is literally no good place to stop reading, making it harder to put down. 

Anyways, this post was never intended to be a book review so I'll move on. Recently I traveled to Portland, OR which was not only incredibly fun but generated many goods for my Etsy shop via the bounty of second hand stores not only in portland but on the road there as well.

Here's just a few thing's I've had time to take photos of;

 I had so much fun staging these photos above and below. Up top is an old shabby pitcher, and below are some nice leather brazilian made boots. Both were found in Post Falls

This double breasted blazer I found in "The bins". The bins are a huge warehouse where overstock goodwill donations, as well as damaged donations get sent and loaded into long plastic bin tables. You pay a dollar/lb for most everything you find in there. I had to push through many hard core bargain hunters to be a part of the first group to get their hands on this particular fresh bin, and voila, I found this ralph lauren jacket, with a matching larger one, a perfect condition cashmere sweater, and a vintage hand knit wool one, along with a few other nicknacks.

Above is an indian blouse found in Buffalo Exchange, and to the right is a vintage wool camisole I can't help but keep for myself

Below is an adorable little girls dress from the 50s

I also bought lederhosen suspenders which I plan to get lots of practical use from, three beautiful blouses from the 1930's, and a hand beaded head band from the 40s

lots of fun

Sheep Shearing

I got to go sheep shearing a few weeks ago, which was quite epic

Not to mention it took place at a little farm in one of the most beautiful areas of montana, with a panoramic view of the Mission Mountains

beautiful huh?

Anyways, Will the shearer does this once a year, and it becomes a big event. He invites all his friends, and anyone willing to make the drive and get their hands dirty (or oily from the lanolin). It takes him all day to shear the 90 sheep waiting patiently in the barn, all huddled close.

groups of ten sheep are wrestled away into a separate pen, where they're then wrangled one at a time. Wrangling involves separating one Ewe from the rest, and pinning her close to the gate so Will can grab her, flip her over, and shear as quick and swift as possible.

When he finishes each Ewe, someone will grab the wool, in one big heap, and fling it onto a table for the "wool pickers" to remove any vegetable matter.

From there it's brought over to a big wooden box with a sack inside. Another happy helper will then stomp on all the fleeces in the sack, to condense them and fit in as much as possible.

Last thing to do before we can call it a day is feed all the newly bald sheep. (we throw pieces of hay off the truck as we drive through the field which is why they're all following us) 

Some interesting things I learned:

even though the wool is local, it has to be shipped to china to be processed in a wool mill. Apparently there are very few wool mills still operating in the States (I think Pendleton is one of the few so props to them) and most that are still operating here are too costly and lack up to date machinery. The cheapest mills are where there's cheap labor, and that's china as well as other countries with no child labor laws and terrible wages.

sheep are really interesting creatures. They hate being separated from the herd, wranglers have to be pretty strong. Although sheep don't really bite or kick or run, they are serious deadweight and when they don't want to budge, it takes a lot of effort to move them. However, despite their initial resistant, most didn't even put up a fight once Will had a hold of them. Despite all being pregnant, hardly any made a peep, and only a scarce few kicked.

sheep are an incredibly sustainable farm animal, just think of all they give you; wool, lanolin, milk, lambs

pretty sweet deal if you ask me

and lastly, here's some shearing humor;

Shrek, New Zealand's most famous sheep who was renowned for avoiding being shorn for years. Shrek evaded the annual shearing roundups seven years by hiding in caves on his farm on the South Island. When finally found in 2004, he was clad in an astonishing 60 pounds (27 kilograms) of wool. That's about five times a typically annual shearing from Shrek's breed, the Merino sheep prized for some of the softest wool.

NEW POSTS every Sunday!..... I mean we'll see...;)