It’s time for some good old-fashioned blogging, folks! Jess and I went to our first flea market in over a year on Sunday and I’m still riding the dopamine high. We were about 10 steps into the Rose Bowl before I was like, “Hey, can I turn this into a blog post?” and HERE WE ARE – I want to show you our hits, misses, and maybe even sprinkle some pro tips in there in case you’re a little rusty at in-person negotiation (I was).
The day was an absolute WINNER for me (less so for Jess, who shall hereby be known as “the girl with expensive taste” – everything she asked about had a huge price tag!) so let’s get to cooking, yeah? I’m going to start out with some quick refreshers on what to wear to the flea market, what to bring, etc. but if you’re a total pro, please just jump down so you can see what caught our eye! LET’S GO 🙂
What to Wear
Ah, yes, my most frequently asked question. The Rose Bowl is WILD because there’s a huge fashion area and it’s very easy to differentiate the folks who are there for clothing (they’re clean, fully styled, and they all look ready for a Sartorialist street style photoshoot) and the folks there for furniture and home goods (comfort is king). Here’s my go-to dressing checklist…
- A Baseball Hat: The sun WILL be in your eyes. Always. I don’t care what time you go. (PS. If you’re like “hey, hats don’t look good on me” – first of all, you’re wrong and being too critical because I’m sure you look amazing, but second of all, try a middle part *just* when you’re wearing hats. Total game changer.)
- A Windbreaker or Button Up with Multiple Pockets: If it doesn’t have 2 outside and 2 inside pockets, I don’t want it. I stash different monetary amounts in each pocket (e.g. $20 in one, $200 in another, $60 in a third, $40 in the fourth) so I don’t look like an asshole when I’m bartering. Do not end up being the person who negotiates for a lower price before whipping out a huge wad of cash!!! Plus, layers are important because they’re like, warm and lightweight and stuff…but mainly, the money thing.
- A Top You Don’t Mind Getting Dirty: OH MY, I WISH I HAD A PIC OF JESS AND I – we were DISGUSTING after hauling 4 rusty chairs back to her car at the end of the day. White tops are great because they keep you cool but MY GOSH AT WHAT COST???
- Leggings or Shorts: I mean, this is just my preference, but I’m way more comfortable walking around, bending down, and hauling things around when I’m appropriately dressed (because let’s be clear: this IS a workout). I also swear by Thigh Rescue when I’m wearing shorts (we walked ~8 miles over the day and it kept me SO COMFY).
- Actual Sneakers: We’re talking athletic sneakers, guys. Jess wore more traditional ~stylish~ tennis shoes (you know, the super flat and cute kind) and halfway through our first hauling trip to the car, she was like “ahhh, my dogs are BARKING.” That’s a direct quote and we had to do THREE MORE TRIPS back and forth, in and out of the flea, to get everything loaded up. Treat yourself to feet that don’t ache by the end of the day!
What to Bring
I mean, like, OTHER than cash (and the exact change for your entry ticket).
- A Tote or Ikea Bag: I know that most women have a supernatural ability to carry a million things in their hands, but don’t do that to yourself. Bring something to put your spoils in.
- A Cart: I am wildly loyal to this one from Food52 (it does triple duty as my laundry bag/grocery cart/recycling can and the special wheels mean I can bring it up the stairs easily!) but most folks just go with wire-framed ones that you can grab for $20-$40, like this. Wagons are also a good call if you’re getting bigger pieces.
- Measuring Tape: You know, to measure. Jess loves this one because the fractions are printed on it!!
- Water: You’re gonna need it.
- (Optional) A Dolly: If your car has room to store a dolly, BRING IT. Vendors will often let you borrow their carts (shoutout to Cynthia from Old Green Garage for letting me use hers to get my purchase back to Jess’ car!) but it’s nice to just have one in your car.
- (Optional) A Generous Friend With a Big Car: I won the lotto on this one 🙂 Jess’ car had room for everything we bought AND she drove me back to Koreatown after the flea in Pasadena…even though she LIVES IN PASADENA. Can you even believe?!?!
When to Get There
FREAKING EARLY. Anyone who arrives to a flea market at like, 9 or 10 AM deserves to win a medal cause y’all are WILD. I normally go at doors (~5-6 AM), while vendors are still driving in and unpacking because I’m an indoor cat who cannot be outside in the heat for extended periods of time. It’s nice to feel like you’re done for the day and that you’ve seen everything before the masses show up and before the blacktop turns you into a melted pile of goo (I’m usually done by 9/9:30).
Folks tell you to get that the best deals are at the end of the day, but TBH standing in a hot parking lot at 4 PM sounds like my nightmare so I can neither confirm nor deny this. Chime in if you’re an EOD loyalist!!!
Three Final Tips
- Do at least two full passes and change the direction you’re walking on each pass. I like to do a quick run at the beginning to grab any “can’t live without” pieces (WAIT TIL YOU SEE WHAT WE SCORED!) and then when I get to the other end of the flea, I walk back through and do a closer inspection. Oftentimes folks will have art or decor leaning against a side of a car or hidden behind a table, so making sure that you walk through each aisle from both directions will ensure that you’re seeing EVERYTHING.
- If anyone says that a piece is “25” or “45” or “65” bucks, you can almost always just grab it for 20/30/40. I usually just say “I only have 20/40/60, is that okay?” and it’s never failed me. QUICK PRO TIPS, GUYS.
- If you’re going with a friend, make your brunch plan ahead of time. The last thing you wanna do is try to find somewhere to eat when you both have heat exhaustion and can’t even think of what you’re hungry for. Take it from experience 🙂
What We Saw
Without further ado…LET’S GET TO THE GOOD STUFF.
We both fell in love with those special plywood chairs. I sat in one and was pleasantly surprised by how comfortable it was…and then I learned that the pair was $1900 bucks and I was OUTTA THERE.
Next up: THE SCORE OF THE DAY. Jess spotted these saddle leather and iron chairs really early in our trek (for those familiar with the Rose Bowl, we started closest to the road and made our way to the stadium; these chairs were in section V) and we both started hyperventilating as they’re the perfect fit for both of our homes. Rog, the vendor at V05 (she is the best AND she’s there every month, go visit in August!!) quoted us $350 for all four and WE BOUGHT THEM SO FAST – Jess took two and I took two. They’re are in the style of Ilana Goor and if you’d like to match us, this similar vintage set is $880 for two (all-in, we paid $175/each). WHAT A DEAL, RIGHT? (PS. Wildly, this is the SECOND TIME THIS MONTH that we have split a set of 4 chairs. Who needs a friendship bracelet when you can have friendship furniture?)
And lastly, I’m just so partial to iron campaign-style furniture. We saw a few of these chairs scattered around and I always think they’re so beautiful.
These brass giraffes were a steal (usually they’re on Chairish for $3-5k, these were $400 for the small and $600 for the large) but alas, I could not justify spending $600 on a brass giraffe. C’EST LA VIE.
But these mirrors – I did end up bringing these home. I loved the scale (they’re huge – another pic at the end of the post), the mixed materials, and the horses. Originally I was like “oh, yeah, I’ll see if they’re available when I come back” but once Cynthia, the vendor in N09 (just dropping all my favorite spots here, NBD) was like “you can just venmo me,” I was sold. They make me SO HAPPY and I can’t wait to get them shot in my MOTO (Makeover Takeover)!
This turtle lamp was the first thing I saw – his expression was so sweet and the wicker lampshade is awesome. It was $25 bucks and I said that I’d consider it…and then it was still there on my second trip around, so I grabbed him for $20. He’s very cute 🙂
I loved the twisted base of this vintage lamp in the middle – the construction was STUNNING. I’m trying not to get too ~grandmillennial~ in my home so it was a pass, but BOY, it was pretty.
And then we saw not one but TWO popsicle lamps! I took pics of them for Em, since she’s the proud owner of a popsicle lamp of her own. These have such a cool texture and I’d love to see one bringing some soul to a super-modern space.
I’ve been on the hunt for some vintage wall-mounted candleholders (or sconces that I can turn IN to candle holders) and these were so beautiful. I forget how much they were – maybe $40? – and now I kind of regret not bringing them home.
Also loved the shape and color of this vessel. Classic EHD, right? It would work in so many styling scenarios.
This is when I kind of started going off the grandmillenial rails (again, an aesthetic I’m trying to nod towards, vs. an aesthetic that I’m trying to cover my whole home in) and I had to reign myself back in. I’ll always be a sucker, though, for a crystal vessel/dish/bowl/plate – I still have some from my grandma and they’re my favorite.
I also loved the construction of this little container (it was beautiful in person!!!) and it was on a table filled with similarly gorgeous objects, so I’m hoping they’ll be back next month.
And I *WISH* I had a space for this tiny malachite ball lamp. She was SHORT and the proportions were so sweet – if I was a stylist and had infinite hoarding space, this 100% would have come home with me for future bookshelf-decorating purposes.
How cool were these candelabras? Such fun construction, right? The lamp was so playful, too – it kind of reminded me of the Pixar lamp 🙂 I love when pieces have some humor and personality and this one DEFINITELY did. Again, another piece I wish I could have hoarded if given infinite resources.
Jess was eyeing this black table for her balcony MOTO (we’re both still trucking ahead, although at this point, it seems that neither of us will win the race by 7/20, ha) and the price was so good – about $30 – but she decided against it because we thought the scrollwork may clash with the chairs she’s planning to use out there.
And this little table was SO GOOD – I wish you could see more detail on the top, because the veining on the stone (or resin maybe?) was really, really, beautiful. It was such a nice mix of high-end materials and a sweet, modern shape. Jess was noodling on it but ultimately decided to skip because she “didn’t have a place for it yet” and “wasn’t sure where it would go” TBH I think we should all bully her for leaving such a cute piece behind.
These were the two art pieces that stuck out to me – a huge print featuring a reclining women (DM me for photography inquiries, I know that I’m a professional) and this truly WEIRD illustration of a fish writing Moby Dick. At the time I was like “LOL that’s so weird” and now I’m SO SAD I DIDN’T BUY IT. Have thought about it every day since Sunday. Let this be a lesson to buy things that literally spark joy even if they’re a little (or a lot) out there.
Jess’ art taste was a little more refined. We both fell in love with the piece on the left, but the price tag was a little high (I think it was $350). The colors were so lovely and the design was so great, though. I’m blanking on the dealer’s name/spot (he’s in the same place every month and I’ve purchased work from him before) but his curation is SO GREAT. Will update y’all next time 🙂 Jess inquired about that light switch art, too, but ended up deciding against it because it was also $350. The lines were awesome and the framing was in great condition, but it just wasn’t meant to be on this trip. Maybe next time?
What We Got
I had THE BEST DAY, guys. You can see how big those mirrors are in the back – they’re almost 3′ wide by 4′ high – and I also have my two chairs from Jess and I’s split and the turtle lamp from earlier!
My other finds: this AWESOME $20 lampshade – I actually grabbed it while the vendor was still unloading (the perks of being early!) and it technically had a lamp-mate, but they were more than happy to separate them for me. I also grabbed this $40 brass bin (down from $50!) which I’m currently using to corral my mail recycling at the front door, but I could see it working high-end garbage can, shoe bin, etc. I really, really love it. And last but not least: those weird little stone eggs with stands! I spotted the blue one from like 100 feet away – truly, it was like a bird of prey honing in on a meal – and then ended up falling in love with its mate, the brown one with the gorgeous base. All I know is that they’re from Germany and they’re making my bookshelf SO PRETTY now 🙂
Onwards to Jess’ purchases, yeah? First off – I may or may not have coerced her to buy this vintage OG bullet planter. The fiberglass has seen better days but the lines are SO GREAT – especially with Jess’ style – and it was about 1/10th the price it should have been, so it was an awesome score at only $26. The painting was an early find, too, and the composition/texture/framing/color/EVERYTHING is so, so, so great. Jess is such a master of mixing vintage pieces like this alongside work with super modern, graphic lines and I can’t wait to see where this ends up!
After our first trip back to the car to drop off our early spoils (and to pull down the seats so we could load in the mirrors and chairs), we re-entered the flea and walked STRAIGHT into these – they’re super oversized wall-mounted hooks and they’re GREAT. They were on the ground and I didn’t even see them, but Jess spotted them right away. And, I mean, y’all have seen her last place – could there have been a more perfect find? They were affordable at $30 for the pair and the possibilities are endless – gonna be SO GREAT once they’re up on a wall.
Last but not least, this was my absolute favorite purchase of the weekend (and I think it may end up being yours, too). Jess spotted this and was like “what is this” and I said “candleholder” because I saw the hole in the middle, but then the vendor was like “hey give me $20 and you can have the candle holder AND a set of candles.” Jess ended up heading through his set-up and back to his van (truly, fleas are the only place where I’m like “YES GIRL, go crawl around in a stranger’s vehicle!”) and she emerged with THESE TINY CANDLES. Have you ever seen anything like this?! I haven’t. Like, WHAT A FREAKING SCORE. Let this be a lesson to really peek at the smalls (because I’m tellin ya, you KNOW this would have sold for WAY MORE had it been styled like this).
To close it out with some bonus friend content: after the flea, Jess and I drove to brunch at Millie’s in Pasadena where we consumed SO MUCH water/juice/coffee/iced tea/diet coke (yes, ALL of those) before we headed back to her place so I could help bring her chairs up. I ended up doing my back stretches and laying on her floor for a while (because #friendship) and then Jess got back in her car, left her house, drove me back to MY house, and helped me carry all those things upstairs. Before I worked here, I remember reading the blog and being like “there’s no way all these people can be coworkers and still be this close” but ALAS, IT’S TRUE. Can’t believe I have a job where I (a.) landed a really great friend and (b.) am now allowed to write 12 double-spaced pages about my trip to the flea market. Feeling lucky to be able to go outside, lucky for work, lucky for pals, and lucky that you’re here, too 🙂 HAPPY FRIDAY, FRIENDS.
loved reading this <3
:’) thank you!!
You came home with some fabulous finds.
thank you laura!! it was SUCH a good trip after a year and a half away – i can’t believe how lucky i got! just one of those magical days where the inventory and my tastes and my budget are totally aligned, ha.
12 double-spaced pages 😂 I love your storytelling Caitlin.
ahh thank you karen!! :))
So fun!!!
it really, really was 🙂 i’m glad i got to share with ya!!
Those candles are (frequently) called Tiny Tapers and that candle holder MAY be Dansk.
adding “tiny tapers” to the new list of things i’m obsessed with. but THANK YOU for this lead on the maker – just found a set of 2 for $60 on chairish in case anyone wants to match jess!! (maybe i should buy it so we can have friendship candles, too?)
I just bought the pair off of Chairish! Thank you for the link! Love them. They come with white candles. Wonder if you can dye candles??
I second the Dansk thought
It is Dansk!
Just received my candle holders. Even better in person! Cannot wait to get home and get decorating! They are even better in person! Thanks again!
ahhh this made my whole weekend!! thanks for reporting back :’)
ah sh*t that was so cute and what wholesome fun to read! thanks for taking us along Caitlin (always love your writing voice!) and of course Jess!!! Thanks for sharing the fun of your adventures – I would absolutely read more of these (design-er-y) roadrips (even sans the design bits!) although that candle holder is INSANELY good and the turtle lamp is absolutely adorbs!! 😀
:’) my turtle lamp and i thank you!! would LOVE to share more flea market trips with y’all (hopefully we’ll have a full team excursion this year, too!!)
I’m excited about more flea market trips and that’s always my answer when y’all do a survey on what readers want to see. It’s how I found Emily many many years ago – I’d done a search on Rose Bowl blog posts prior to my first trip to it. Yay! I’m excited about the possibility!
I would also love to see more flea market posts! Please, please do more… You both found such great stuff – thanks for letting us shop vicariously with you!
Caitlin we are eager for a house-hunting update 🙂 !
the market in LA is SO TOUGH right now – can’t even find anything in my price range to look at!! have my fingers crossed that ajai’s journey will tide ya over til things cool down a bit and homes come back on in the 550 range, ha
Caitlin, this is corny but I’m really proud of you for just making your situation work and investing in your current happiness!!! I was eagerly following along on your house hunting—those were the posts that I first read on EH and now I’m a devoted daily reader. 🙂 I think it’s cool and inspirational (and so relatable) how you are getting back into making your space work for you rather than just longing for another situation. I would lOvE to see a post about your apartment and loving it now, while still wanting a house!
It is crazy. My friend just sold her house in Encino, to move back home. After a bidding war, it sold for almost a million dollars. She was hoping to get $750,000. Listed it for $800,000. Dang!!
Those “oversized hooks” look like curtain tiebacks.
oh my. JESS THEY’RE CURTAIN TIEBACKS!!! hahah
O that makes so much sense!
Bahahaha😅🤣😂
At least I know what to search for now! I am looking for some interesting wood hooks for my bathroom and these are amazing!
This post was so fun and it made me long for flea markets and brocantes…sigh! Those mirrors are giving me serious pegasus/trojan horse vibes and I’m deadly excited to see them in their full glory. They’re not even my style but boy do they have style! C’mon the MOTO!
You just made my morning! Please keep writing and treasure diving with your friends.
What a lovely post! This was a lot of fun to read, thank you.
Love the flea market posts. Keep ’em coming!
I love this post so much! Vintage plus friendship is the ultimate win win! I think we need more Jess and Caitlin friendship posts, like on regular rotation! Did you eat any food at brunch?
Thank you!! O and for food I had a breakfast burrito and Caitlin had a chicken artichoke pesto sandwich:) Both VERY delicious.
Yummy! My journey with you to the Rose Bowl is now complete ha ha!!
Felt like I was there with you two! Thanks that was a fun read and I’ve always wanted to go to that flea market!
An absolute delight to read this! Thank you for brightening my day!
gah! i love these kinds of posts! that lampshade! wooooweeeee! also, the collection of wood pieces above “when to get there” – i hope someone wonderful got those. i love them! so many good things. i would love to flea there!
Hi Caitlin! I am experiencing a ‘contact dopamine high’ just from reading along (as well as a twinge of regret over the Fish Writing Moby Dick piece being left behind : ). Thank you for sharing the journey -and finds!- with us. It was indeed a good old-fashioned blog post and I am enjoying the burst of ‘The Brass Petal ‘flea market finds’ ‘ nostalgia with my coffee. And, I am Most Definitely visiting my favorite neighborhood flea market shop today (and will for sure buy any quirky, original art that catches my eye ; ). Also, as time is an illusion, I am VERY much looking forward to the ‘on-the-horizon but not quite sure how far off..?’ MakeOverTakeOvers!
Oh yes! That fish somehow reminded me of Emily’s blimp!
Exactly what I said to myself!
So fun! I’m living vicariously through you. My favorite local flea market is still closed. I can drive an hour away to a couple good ones, and have, but I do prefer the one nearby, not only because of the drive, but also the deals. I hope you do more flea market posts. I love seeing other people’s finds.
My husband is an unintentionally genius haggling partner- he’s generally a little hesitant to pull the trigger on purchases (he has a hard time picturing things and doesn’t want to spend money on something we can’t return), so he’s a natural foil to my more decisive and super chatty self. It takes me 3-4 (or 5…or 6) times of circling back to convince him something is right for our space, and by that point I’m usually friends with the vendor. We scored a really great vintage 8×10 Persian wool rug at our last Rose Bowl trip, around 2pm. The guy was originally asking $1500, and in the end we got it for $550. I tell you, that rug is my PRIDE AND JOY.
My Persian half would like to applaud you. My grandfather always said that 10% of asking was a deal but 30% was acceptable, so nice work ;).
Caitlin, I love all your posts! You’re such an entertaining writer. 😀
And yes, that candleholder is friggin’ amazing. What a score! I got a dopamine hit just from reading about it. LOL
One of the best blog posts ever!
Happy Friday! And I can’t wait to see those lanai reveals from both of you!
I love the turtle lamp! My niece gave me a sea turtle door stop a few years ago from Bali – very similar turtle-dude character.
Hilarious tgat you thpught ghe curtain tie-backs were giant hooks! Bahahaha😅😂🤣😂
Our flea markets are called Swap Meets in Australia…I haven’t been in ages, years due to constrictions.
Now I’m free I’m looking forward to going again, with my bestie. So. Fun.🤗
It’s kinda great to see you two are so close! I’m actually surprised Jess didn’t grab herself a vessel or 3.
💥Can. Not. Wait. For. The. Balcony. Reveals!💥
Fun post to read! Making me miss Brimfield (currently back for the first time since the start of the pandemic), but living vicariously through this! And I liked all the friendship appreciation too. 🙂 Great finds!!!
We moved to LA a few years ago from Andersonville and I STILL miss Brimfield!!
Please find a way to turn this into a series! It’s so delightful!! Like “Jess and Caitlin’s Flea Market Adventures,” and you can go to more markets, include CL/FB Marketplace, etc. And MAYBE you could adventure out of state? Really, I think this could be a real thing.
Love this post! Really have missed going and I’m so glad I could live vicariously thru you!
OMG I’m having serious flea market shopping envy! LOVE the chairs, the tapers, the lampshade and the mirrors. Great finds! You are so lucky that you live near this flea market. One of these days, I’ll come down from the Bay Area and go. Probably would need a U-Haul to get it all home!!!
Mid Century Modern DANSK Iron Taper Candle Holder is also available on Etsy and Ebay for low-mid $20.
Caitlin, we’re lamp shade twins! I eventually want to use mine over a swagged pendant, it’s way too big for the lamp I stuck it on in the meantime.
Oh shoot, did not mean to put my email in the comment section…can someone delete that for me, please? I can’t figure out how to delete the comment…
This is s a fun feature… interesting to see what caught your eyes… I have that same lamp shade sitting on its original table lamp- brass, neo deco, stepped base , neck is 2.5 inches wide, 20 inches high… Its so 80’s and strangely proportioned that I really hesitated to buy it, but now its home I love it, it MAKES that area of the room. It’s so sculptural and the light is soft and lovely. Sometimes things look so bad in the cluttered retail environment and really shine when taken to a more visually calm setting. No offense but looking at what caught your eye reminded me of my 20’s, when I decorated with so much more kitsch ( and there was a TON of 1950’s kitsch around in the thrift shops) , now I’m older I don’t love too many jokey ideas in a space… EXCEPT yesterday I bought a signed 1966 8X24 oil portrait of a lugubrious fluffy orange cat…. I couldn’t resist..and it is beautiful in its own insane way.. OK and Ill admit a paint by number ocean scene for the guest room, which is decorated with slightly malevolent body of water paintings as its… Read more »
20X24″ not 8 X 24, the thing is huge and I love it!
This post was so so fun! More like this, please! Loved seeing what caught your eyes, why, what you bought and why, thoughts about how to use things, all of it!
I love these posts so much. Not only are they a fun read, they are incredibly informative! I live 3 hours north of the Rose Bowl and usually make the trek once a year. Including prices (and noting if they are high or a deal) is SO helpful. I also love to see what you loved but ended up passing on but then kicking yourself you left behind 😀 Please make these a regular series!
Oh, what a refreshing post! This is the ABSOLUTE best of EHD! Vintage, affordable, quirky and so relatable. May your purchases bring you much joy!
MORE OF THIS PLEASE! This post was so great!! The balance you’ve struck on the blog is PERFECTION. It’s like, we get the more “established” version of EHD with all of Emily’s wonderful house updates, but also an echo of the younger version of EHD from back in the day with posts like this? It’s like seeing the design world with fresh eyes all over again!!! LOVE IT.
she was like “ahhh, my dogs are BARKING.”
LOL! This line made me laugh so hard. I first heard it watching an old Andy Hardy movie on TV when I was a kid (think Mickey Rooney).
these are 100% my favorite posts. I love shopping vicariously through others. Thanks for the great post!
Love this post. Caitlyn did you perhaps get those eggs because one came from a Blue Hen??
( For the rest of you that is a joke between Delaware girls)
But really those eggs are something I would have grabbed just because they would have looked good in my bookcase.
I thing you two should consider this a monthly adventure and it could even be a business venture on the side. People tell you what they are looking for and
you find it and text them and they Venmo you along with your finders fee and shipping costs. Of course,
you probably only want to deal with small objects.
No way would you want to be responsible for something
like those humongous horse mirrors you brought home.
Can’t wait to go on the next trip with you!
Those eggs are actually stone and depending on what type, they’re supposed to have healing properties…
Wooo woooo stuff, but ya never know, right?
The idea is to hold them in your hand/s and the stands are just their resting place for when you’re not holding them.
The reclining lady print is by the artist Pegge Hopper.
Thank you! I really love the classical pose paired with what appears to be a large drink with a straw. I’ll be looking her up!
Hell yeah! I love those mirrors and I probably should have done more hunting for lamps but it looks like you guys got the best! And those iron and leather chairs — not my style for my home, but those are pretty darn special.
Scored a ChromeCraft office chair with original mint condition purple/burgundy upholstery for $45 (usually sells around $300 or so online), the red portrait (attached) for $50, a fabulous VERY expensive berber rug but with very special and natural colors, a Hudson Bay blanket for $100, and a runner with little green, pink, yellow, blue, and red birdies. this last swap was awesome! I saw that painting on the floor and was tempted to buy it too but the price and the orientation steered me away. I have so many paintings in that scale, and I found my special red and blue guy for $50. Congrats! Maybe we’ll see each other next swap!! I’ll be the girl in the butt ugly sombrero, pink glasses, and leopard print tennis shoes saying “ooh” and “aah” everywhere before 10 am (and then I have to go home before I suffer heat exhaustion).
I had no idea this was what the Rose Bowl markets were like. It’s a tiny thing but kind of interesting (in a low grade way) but markets like these are always plural in Australia (only just noticed this) so I assumed this was a single shop somewhere. Is that an example of unconscious bias? Anyway, they look amazing and I love these types of markets. If travel ever opens again, I would make this a destination.
Love what you both got and REALLY looking forward to the MOTO.
Hi Caitlin: If you are still pining over the rope lamps you can find them online at Tj Maxx lamp section! Also the wooden piece that you thought was pretty and the Emily would have scooped up? There WAS, not sure still now, a very good knock off of it on the Walmart site! Sometimes those flea market finds are right under your nose at other places! Enjoyed your piece very much! I love flea markets…they are always fun.