Ok...Ok...I'll join in! Day 1 of the 30 Day Blogging Challenge

I've seen this all over the blogosphere and I've never really been tempted. Most of all because I always think my clever ideas are better than other clever ideas. I'm sure you agree, but here I am trying to get into better blogging habits rather than being STRUCK by brilliance and then emoting all over the darned page. So here I find myself with a challenge to blog every day for 30 days. Can I really follow directions? Conform to the masses? Find something quippy to say every single solitary day? Access both my keyboard and my brain every day for 30 days (successively)? Well here goes nothing!

Day One: Your Blog's Name

This one should be easy. I've always been about a bargain. I've always seen beauty in the "broken, battered, or bruised" pieces of life. About 5 years ago I started to develop a love...no...an obsession with vintage and vintage-inspired decorating. I loved the recycle-renew-reuse concept and felt the pull towards the past. Living in Arizona as a transplanted San Diegan I truly missed the value of the historical. San Diego as a city is not as old and historic as places back east and down south and I really felt drawn towards them. Almost overnight I developed wanderlust.

Unfortunately I did it alone. Not with my husband and partner. Coming from Philadelphia, he has a much more dismissive approach to anything old. In fact, to him, new is much more desirable and is inspirational. So I found myself at odds with this and struggled to include him in my journey.

So Junkyard was a natural for me....I love everything rusty and dusty, metal and wood. Shabby to industrial and everything in between.

Jezebel to me represented everything forbidden, secretive, and felt...well...a little bit wicked! I wanted to be the "bad-girl" of junking...so what better name?

It was then that Junkyard Jezebel was born!

Stay tuned...tomorrow will be 20 Facts About Me

Junk In The Trunk Vintage Market May 2016 (aka: I'm exhausted and need a nap....and a massage)

I made it! I survived!! I feel like I should have a t-shirt....It was too much work and too much fun and just the right amount of being surrounded by people that I love and that "get" what speaks to me. In other words it was a blast and I am now getting geared up and excited for the July Market in lovely San Diego, CA. As you can imagine I don't need my arm twisted to go to the beach in July! But here is the debrief of this fun market. First we started by lining up the trucks. Did I mention that I drove a U-haul all on my own? And there were no casualties (that I know of)

Then while we waited in the line of trucks to be guided into our spot, the interns provided entertainment.

Here are way, way, way too many photos of my first vintage market booth...but here goes it in all it's evolutions.....the constant changing was sure fun!!

I showed just a bit of DIY Paint to let people know that Laura and I were dealers and painters. It was a bit too hot in Scottsdale to do too much paint outside!

 A little bit of something for everyone. Those breadboards were sold out in a flash! Now to get more!!

My beautiful daughter Ricky's jewelry. She's so talented!!

Love these mini baking tins! They would look so cute in a glass apothecary!

Breadboards and Dough Bowls and Spools oh my!!

Stack em high!!

My fave piece is the sweet curio cabinet! The hit of my booth for sure!

Junk In The Trunk is such a busy market!

My darling daughter Ricky and I celebrating Mothers Day at the market!

"Speak Softly and Carry A Big Stick"! These ladies have it goin on!!

Thanks for visiting my market photos!! My next market is coming up in San Diego at Liberty Station July 16th-17th. More details to come!!

Party Like A Junker

I've been a madwoman! Not to minimize my normal, everyday, garden variety madness...but this is to a whole 'nother level! This is crazy spinning in circle chasing my tail until I fall over madness. The good news is there are very few humans here to witness it. Only The Puppers.. and he just looks down his nose at me and shakes his head. He better stay out of my way because if he doesn't he may get painted because I'm in full #partylikeajunker mode!! What is that you ask?

Junk in the Trunk is a Scottsdale phenomenon that you have to experience to understand. Check out the video! It's unbelievable!


September 2015 - Junk in the Trunk Vintage Market from Junk in the Trunk Vintage Market on Vimeo.

And I have a booth!! So I'm getting ready and painting and tagging and hauling and loading to bring you the bestest of the best junk!

Here are some photos just to tease a bit:

I will be outside in space 146 so come and visit me!!

SATURDAY MARKET GENERAL ADMISSIONMAY 7 @ 9 AM – 4 PM

Join us for a full day of shopping on Saturday, May 7th from 9 AM – 4 PM.

TICKETS AT-THE-GATE: $8

* Please note that the city of Scottsdale (Westworld) charges $5 per car for parking.

SUNDAY MARKET GENERAL ADMISSIONMAY 8 @ 9 AM – 4 PM

Join us for a full day of shopping on Sunday, May 8th from 9 AM – 4 PM.

TICKETS AT-THE-GATE: $8

* Please note that the city of Scottsdale (Westworld) charges $5 per car for parking.

Whole New World

It began about 4 years ago. Sort of like a hum.....which graduated into a buzz...which based on my actions turned into a full fledged roar. It was a desire to change my life. Not entirely...because I still like the basic creature comforts like a home, an automobile, food to eat and a Puppers to cuddle with at night. In truth though, I became discontented with my life. Call it a mid-life crisis, call it a gratitude deficiency...whatever it was although painful did start the ball rolling that would allow me to make some changes in my life.

I don't want to get too much into the whys and what fors but I have always been a workhorse. I might be considered a work-aholic. I might just have been dropped on my head as a child but I've always loved work and defined myself by my work successes and failures. I've also been very fortunate to love what I do. This life upheaval however prompted me to want to go in a new direction and forge a new path.

Is it scary? Yes. Is it gut-wrenching to leave my cohort and fellow trouble-maker and pot-stirrer? Absolutely! Did I spend the last two plus years trying to prepare for this moment? You bet your @%$!!!

So here goes it as I take a deep breath and leave my comfort zone and branch off to do my own thing!

Since I refuse to say/admit that I'm leaving (I'll still be hanging around but in a new capacity) and I can't believe my good luck at finding a top-notch "new me", the gang threw me a little "rite of passage" from my old life into my new!

Geez!! Do they think I'm going to the moon? Each handpicked goody came with a story and a lot of laughs. 

1) Crossword puzzles-For standing in those long estate sale lines

2) Bandaids (no tetanus shot included)-For those unfortunate rusty nail incidents

3) Sales Book-Assuming I ever sell anything!

4) Ropes and tie-downs and Bungee Cords-For strapping the junk to the roof!!

5) Glitter Notebook and Glitter-Because you can never have enough sparkle!

6) Sunscreen-For long days out in the sun at the Vintage Markets

7) A whole pile full of glamorous goodies like Foot Spray, Aspercreme and rubber gloves

8) Love......a whole mess of hugs and well wishes and warm fuzzies to carry into the impending days of the unknown.....

Look out world.....here I come!!