Sale this week with extended shopping Thursday evening!

Earth Angels

Briefly(!) on Sunday at the CL Fair I was able to quickly breeze around (pun intended) and pit stop at a handful of tents. I knew ahead of time I wanted to see the Earth Angels store. I have been a subscriber to their emails for over a year now and truly some of today's best folk art is coming from these artists. When I stopped in their tent I was immediately drawn to the creations of Cheryl Kuhn. Being a lover of anything using old photos I knew I wanted to see her one-of-a-kind mixed media collages in person. Her pieces are snapshots of a short story. She uses found objects and bits of prose to capture your imagination in a 3-D masterpiece. I think her pieces remind me of the diorama's I loved making in elementary school. Of course I don't remember the subject/topic, the focus of the project, but I remember making the sky, the cotton ball clouds hanging from fishing line to be invisible, breaking and gluing twigs on the back of the box to look like split rail fence, carving faces into peeled apples and then drying them (do this with your kids...hang them and let them dry, the apple contorts and wrinkles as it dries out, makes a great witch head). Cheryl's "grown-up" dioramas cause you to stop and let your mind wander into the lilliputian story. Below are shots of the piece I fell in love with and brought home...and Cheryl was there to sign and wrap it for me, what a treat. Thank you Cheryl for sharing your talent!

Country Living exhibitor

During a rare opportunity to wander off from the booth I stumbled on this tent. The visual when I rounded the corner lassoed me and pulled me in so fast! I just wanted to sit down in the middle of it and stay all weekend. Such a quiet and calming spot with all my favorites! Ironstone, baskets, burlap & linen, natural woods, old photos, rusty fences, mirrors, big, glorious glass bottles, tarnished silver, dried twigs and lush green plants. Oh my...everything here was perfect for me! The exhibitor's name is also Lisa and she has a shop called Trendhouse in Barrington, Illinois (she is open on Fridays and Saturdays (thank you Kasey for the memory jog, the winds of Ike took my notes!!) Lisa also mentioned she is looking for a new space so it will be exciting to see what direction this creative soul takes, it's bound to be gorgeous and I do hope to she starts blogging so we can drool from afar. Lucky Kasey is just a short 40 minutes from Barrington. So, if you get to Barrington make sure you head Kasey's way...to Lola B's Boutique in St. Charles, Il. lots of goodies to be found in her boutique too!

We were blown away...literally

Hurricane Ike decided to blow into Ohio with a strength no one expected and caught everyone off guard. Knocking out power to almost 2 million homes and businesses in Ohio alone, Ike was not a welcome fair goer. Our hearts and prayers go out to those in Texas who felt the full force of this storm and are still reeling from the havoc. More to come later...there always is... a check in tent
group tent, some were twisted by the wind and collapsed
as we packed we dodged falling limbs, Janet's husband took one to his shoulder and face, my dad just barely deflected one although it tore his glasses off, with some help from several passersby they were quickly located
our spot after we fought the winds and packed it (threw it) in to the trailer (unpacking all this week and finding debris in EVERYTHING!!)

Crew Stadium flags
back roads home, trees down everywhere


seeking sanctuary at the Bexley Methodist church (hopefully they let me stay...went to preschool here, I think they still have a file on me)

All was calm, we thought

Some random photos from Sunday before Ike arrived...



Couldn't have done it without the "A" Team!! Thanks Mom & Dad!

The Country Living Fair 2008

Too tired to write much, but I know there are a few who couldn't make it and are chomping at the bit for some photos...don't want to keep you waiting! Tomorrow I will shoot some photos of spaces I adore and just want to move into and stay, so many talented and creative minds out there. So grateful they share their gifts with us! I promise to share them with you all ASAP.

Prior to leaving for Columbus a semi-truck hit the driver's side mirror of my truck (and didn't stop!!). The CL Fair is waiting! No time for the body shop! When the going get's tough, the tough rethink, repurpose and reuse!!
the trailer partially loaded
the tent up, merchandise on deck (see that gorgeous southern style walnut farm table?, see it in person Sunday and take it home with you, she's a beauty!)
Aunt Maggie welcomed all to our booth
(not all welcomed her, she could be quite dreadful!)




Uncle Bernie minded his manners for the most part...
occasionally his temper flared when it started raining!