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Saturday, February 18, 2012

We're Open



We're open again tomorrow
at Chartreuse and Co.,
in Buckeystown, Maryland
and my shop,
The Kramer Angle
lives up to it's name -
it's loaded with really cool,
unique, vintage finds!











Stop by Sunday from
noon - four
to check it out!

Chartreuse and Co.
4007A Buckeystown Pike
(Md. Rt. 85)
Buckeystown, MD 

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Tuesday, February 14, 2012

With Love

Happy Valentine's Day, 
sweet friends!

Treat yourself (or a friend)
this weekend - and pick
up one a handmade soldered
glass pendants!

Available in my shop,
The Kramer Angle,
at Chartreuse and Co.'s monthly 
barn show!



Spread the love!
 

(photo found here)

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Sweet Joy!


Have I ever told you
my personal mantra?

Above All, Know Joy!

For me, JOY, is that feeling
you have at any given moment
when something feels
completely wonderful
and you savor it 
because you know
it's special!  


I felt that way yesterday
when I drove up to 
Walkersville, Maryland
to help celebrate the launch
of my friend Cassie's
new venture, Persephone
 at
Wild Rose and Co. Marketplace.


Cassie and her friend,
Sarah, The Thriftress
have joined creative
forces to sell
their unique style of 
home decor and
it was an absolute joy
for me to be there
to share the moment, and
wish them well!



Sarah, Lynette of Wild Rose, and Cassie


Visit Cassie's website
Primitive and Proper
and Sarah's,
The Thriftress,
to wish them luck on their venture,
(and make plans to visit Wild Rose soon)!


Wild Rose and Co. Marketplace
21 Pennsylvania Avenue
Walkersville, Maryland


Open Wednesday - Saturday
10 a.m. - 5 p.m


Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Got Style?


If you know me, you've seen
how I dress and know
my style definitely
isn't runway.

In fact, to say 
I even have a style 
is sorta funny
because I don't.

Not unless you call
my usual "uniform" of
jeans, boots, a down vest
and comfy sweater
"a look".

Trust me when I tell
you my "look" screams
"mid-west/mother/suburban housewife"!

I need a style makeover
in the worst way,
but until Rachel Zoe knocks 
on my door to help me out,
 I peruse
one of my favorite
websites,
for daily photos of the
fashionable people of the world!

Chances are,
my "look" won't
be featured anytime soon!


(Image found on the Satorialist website, here)

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Hmm....

I've been thinking about opening my own shop, so I've been exploring available spaces. 

I like this one, on Main Street
in downtown, Annapolis.

I think I could do something
with this:
 
 
What do you think?
 

Thursday, January 19, 2012

It's Sale Time!


Once a year we mark
things down at 
Chartreuse and Co.,
so if you have plans
this weekend you need to 
cancel them and head
to Buckeystown for our annual
sale and awesome deals 
on vintage goods!

Take a peek (here) of just a
small sampling of what's in
the barn this weekend!

Friday, January 20th - 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Saturday, January 21st - 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Sunday, January 22nd - noon - 4 p.m.

I'll see you there!


 Chartreuse and Co.
4007A Buckeystown Pike (Md Rt 85)
Buckeystown, Maryland
 (next door to the Buckeystown Post Office 
and St. Thomas More Academy)

 

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Off Track

I know, I was supposed to post pics
of what's in my shop at Chartreuse and Co.
for our January show, but I got distracted and
didn't drive up on Friday like I thought
I would.

I went out hunting instead and even though
I didn't find a ton of stuff,
I did meet a famous blogger by chance
at one of my stops!

When she told me her first name
and mentioned she blogs,
I immediately knew it was
Meg of Pigtown Designs

She was absolutely lovely and
I'm hoping we meet again because
she seems like my kind of girl!
(Interesting, fun, and a junker!)

So, to keep my promise though
I do have a few pics of what's in
the shop this month.

I'm taking up a truckload and a cargo
van full tomorrow and will
definitely take some much
better pics of everything!

Until then, take a peek:

I picked up this old cubby
at the auction a few weeks ago,
and it would be perfect to
house a rather large wine collection
in style:
Who doesn't love Tolix chairs?
Pick a pair or take all four!

I picked up these vintage
olive baskets last spring
in Brimfield and promptly
sold out of them.

Fortunately my source had more,
so I picked up a bunch when I was
home for the holidays
and even had some
made into lighting fixtures.

Two words:
Very. Cool.

I loved this birdcage as soon as I spotted it, and not because I want to house some
love birds in it! 
I'm going to take it apart and copy Restoration Hardware's birdcage chandelier and repurpose the bottom stand into a bar.

What do you think?
You know I only buy things
I absolutely love, right?

Well, when I spotted this
mirror made from a door
salvaged from a New York City
building, it had my name written
all over it.

yea, yea, I know I'm supposed
to sell my finds, but this
one will be tough to give up -
it's fabulous!

Several months ago I found
four church pew ends laying in the field
at the auction and I immediately
thought they'd be awesome
repurposed as the bases
for kitchen islands.


I designed one and had my
friend Drew build it for me and
it sold the first day it was
on the floor.

So, we built another one
with the remaining two pew ends.

Totally unique, only two in the world
and where else are you going to
find another one?

You won't because it's a
Kramer Angle exclusive!

 



Remember I mentioned
it was "island living" this
month in my shop?

Well, here's another island for you!
Custom made from salvaged butcher block and
the perfect size for a smaller space.

Just wait until you see it lit?
It's so cool!


I have tons more to show you,
but I don't have pics yet because
I ended up here today instead:

 

At an auction!

See, I told you, I'm easily distracted!
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Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Supportive Friends & Off to the Islands


 Thanks to everyone who 
sent me an e-mail, commented
on Facebook or texted me 
that I should definitely
open my own bricks & mortar shop!

I appreciate your encouragement, 
and who knows,
maybe this is the year I do!
(I have some ideas up my sleeve!)


In the meantime,we're open
next weekend at Chartreuse and Co.
so I need to get ready!
 
It's going to be 
"Island Living"
because I've been
obsessed with kitchen islands!
 (You thought we were going tropical,
didn't you?  I wish!)
 
I have a bunch of islands
made from salvaged industrial
bases, butcher block tops,
reclaimed church pews,
and even vintage filing 
cabinets!
 
Not to mention a whole new
stock of burlap table runners,
Scrabble pillows, custom made
lighting 
(like from vintage olive buckets)
and
tons and tons of just the
coolest stuff ever!

Intrigued?
 
Stop back tomorrow for some
sneak peeks!


Saturday, January 7, 2012

Bricks + Mortar = Dream

I'm really fortunate to have 
two great barn shows
to sell my take on
vintage/industrial/cool,
but sometimes 
(alot)
I think about opening my own
shop.

So instead of 
(or even, in addition to)
the monthly 
sale I have at
and my local event,
which is 3 - 4 times
a year, I'd have
my own little shop,
The Kramer Angle.

I love the version of
The Kramer Angle
I have now and it's
been very successful,
but I feel like it's time
to consider taking it to the
next level.
(read: dream)

So, I've been thinking about it.

(Did I mention alot?)

So, I ponder sites,
consider the possibilities,
design the window displays,
plan "my look" and imagine
the joy it would bring me.
(I'm an optimist!)

The question I'm noodling today,
is where?

My small town, Crofton,
is screaming
for an adorable shop,
Annapolis is 15 miles away,
D.C., only 20.

Hmm, where should 
my dream take me?


Annapolis contenders.....



See, my dream is not big,
it's perfectly sized!

What do you think?

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Photo of the Day


I spent the afternoon
with the rest of
The Barn Crew
and a photographer 
taking photos
for an upcoming magazine article!

I can't wait to see which shots 
the publisher uses,
but for now, this was one 
of my favorites!


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Sunday, January 1, 2012

Looking Ahead!


Hello 2012!

Please bring me exactly what 2011 did:
happy, healthy friends and family,
a growing business,
and lots of  
joy 
in every day living!

Happy New Year!

Photo found here

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Wanted: Holiday Spirit

I can't find mine - it's missing.
We hosted our annual holiday party for about 65 of our peeps on December 10th so I was crazy busy getting ready for that, and then, once it was over, I completely 
lost my holiday spirit.

It's gone and I need to find it.
Suggestions?

I'm about to write my Christmas cards though, so maybe that will help.

I ditched the idea of a staged holiday 
photo of my kids and 
decided to go with one of them from earlier 
in the year, more in their natural element - hiking in the woods. 

It's the winner:


(That said, I do think my oldest 
needs to expand his wardrobe a bit!)

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Round Two

My boys and I went into
D.C. yesterday to pick
up a piece from
(another story)
and stopped by to take a look
at the national tree and snap a few
pics for the holiday card
I'm still working
on.

Let's just say my boys
weren't that enthusiastic,
and this is the only one that
turned out half way decent.

A winner? 

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Friday, December 16, 2011

Boys!


My boys definitely didn't get
my "ham" gene - they absolutely hate
to have their picture taken, while
I've never shied away from a camera yet!

So every year it's a challenge to try
to come up with a decent photo of the two of them together
for the requisite holiday card.
(You know, the kind grandparents like to get!)

Part of the fun this year is that we just got
a fancy schamncy "real" camera and I'm
slowly learning how to use it, so naturally
I want to take a million shots,
inside, outside, change outfits,
lighting, etc.

The boys?

Not so much!

I bribed them with dinner at Chipotle to get this shot this afternoon. 

I like it, but I'm not sure
it's the winner.

Looks like I may need to offer
milkshakes for round two...



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Thursday, December 1, 2011

Two Shows, One Weekend!


Honestly, I don't know
how I managed to pull it off,
but I'm happy to report
both of my barn shows
are set for this weekend's
shows!

The Kramer Angle
is loaded with a mix of
cool industrial pieces
I picked up in Ohio
over Thanksgiving,
and great gift 
items for everyone
on your shopping list,
including candles, table runners,
and great smelling soaps!
 




 

And in Gambrills, Maryland
we're all set to 
present our holiday
collection, bright and 
early Friday morning!

I just loaded all the photos
from The Barn on our website,
so click over there 
to check out some of 
what you'll see if you 
stop by the show.

Truth be told, I'm getting
"barned out" and I'm ready
for a little break,
so the holidays are coming
at just the right time!

I hope to see you at one
of the shows!   I'll be in
Gambrills Friday and Saturday
and at Chartreuse on Sunday!