Top Secret in Texas

Thanks to Rodeo Queen Cecilia Scott, we had the good fortune to meet and host photographer Lara Blair as our special guest back at the Spring Show in Ira. We are thrilled to welcome Lara back to Texas for an incredible Photography Retreat, entitled "Top Secret in Texas!" It's coming up January 26-28 2012 at the Windmill Ranch Preserve in Snyder, Texas. We invite you to check out Lara's blog for all the details! http://modernprairiegirl.com/?p=11145

Thank you all!

Well..we survived and had an incredible show! We have been bad bloggers though...lol. Stay tuned for more updates and photos!

Counting the Days!

It's kind of like Santa's workshop at the Mitchell County Fairbarns this week. Everyone has her work space and now the decorating begins. All of the Rodeo Queens and vendors will be bringing in every kind of pretty with sparkly, glittery, vintage-y, retro-y, antique-y, cowgirly, scenty, fashion-y, holiday goodness. We hope you walk out with a full tummy and loaded down with all the treasures you've been looking for. This is a great time to think ahead to Halloween and Christmas. Don't forget your boots or most comfortable pair of shoes. Fill the car with your friends and loved ones. Make your list, check it twice and come to Petticoats on the Prairie.

Friday October 21, 2011 12:00 pm till 5:00 pm
Saturday October 22, 2011 9:00 am till 5:00 pm
Mitchell County Fairbarns in Colorado City, TX
Admission is $5.00 at the gate/good for both days
Children 12 and under are free

Checklist for October

"October is the fallen leaf, but it is also a wider horizon more clearly seen. It is the distant hills once more in sight, and the endearing constellations above them."....Hal Borland

October 1st has turned out to be a beautiful day. Not too hot, a little chilly this morning and the promise of cooler days to come. So, what do you plan for this month? Here are some suggestions:

1.) Grab a friend and go junkin'. I grabbed Lucy; we made 4 thrift shop stops and 2 Sonic stops.

2.) Look up. The Monarch butterflies are gracing us with their lovely presence. How they migrate to Mexico is such a "God" thing. I know it's all about inborn instincts. But you know what? God had a hand in that.

3.) Shop for pumpkins. Notice that I said PUMPKINS - plural - more than one. One can never have too many pumpkins, especially in a nice range of colors and sizes. I love the white, green and pale orange ones. They have fancy names, but I can't remember them.

4.) Wear a homecoming mum. Actually the last one I wore covered my entire chest and was made of REAL mums.

5.) Watch college football and the baseball play-offs. At my house, we say "GO Rangers", "Wreck 'em Tech", and "Gig 'em Aggies." And don't forget pro football on Sunday afternoons.

6.) Look for the leaves to change. Unfortunately, we don't see a big change in colors in West Texas. However, 2 weeks ago in northern New Mexico, the Aspens were just beginning to turn. Quaking Aspens definitely cause me to shiver in delight.

7.) Look up again. This time go outside on a cloudless night. Orion in all his glory has been in the night sky for a while. He's followed by his faithful dog star Sirius. He points the way to Aldebaran and the Seven Sisters of Pleiades. Castor and Pollux, the Gemini Twins are looking over his shoulder.

8.) Shop for Halloween candy. I know it may be early and if you're like me, you'll probably eat it before Halloween. But there's something fun about M & M's in fall colors or those little pumpkins that taste like candy corn.

9.) Hug your kids or your dog or your husband or you mother or your father or someone special everyday. I forgot the cat. Hug your cat, too.

10.) Make plans to attend the fall show for Petticoats on the Prairie. It will be here before you know it! Bigger, better, easier to get to, protected from the elements. Grab your friends, put on your favorite pair of cowboy boots, stop at Sonic in Colorado City and head out to the Mitchell County Fair grounds on Oct. 21 and 22. We will be waiting for you!!

The Rusty Rose....

We are very proud to have The Rusty Rose coming back to the Fall Show! The Rusty Rose is ready to help you accessorize your life! Owner and designer Andrea Glenn began making her own jewelry several years ago because of a passion and interest in the latest trends. Several unique pieces and compliments later led to much attention from friends who wanted to purchase her creations, and the rest is history. Andrea grew up showing livestock and horses and was always on the hunt to find unique outfits that were different and helped her stand out from the pack in the show ring. That outlook has carried over into adulthood, and she always wants to find an outfit or accessory that makes heads turn. Andrea can be spotted wearing things a little different to make people take notice and look twice! Aside from running The Rusty Rose, Andrea is employed as a sales rep for Plainview Farm Chemical where she sells seed, chemical, and fertilizer. Making jewelry and selling clothes allows her to still be girly when she isn’t busy out in the fields with her full time job. Andrea graduated from Texas Tech University in 2007 with a degree in ag communications. Specializing in one of a kind jewelry, clothes, purses, belts and other great items and constantly on the hunt for new and different items to provide for our customers!!

Be sure you check out their beautiful website and also become a fan on their Facebook page!

It's crunch time ladies!

Um...where did all of the time go? Just one month till the Holiday edition of Petticoats on the Prairie! And you know what that means...it's "get busy" time for all of us ladies!! But it's also a very fun time, because we get to start sharing our vendors with the rest of the world! We would not have a show without our incredible vendors, and we are constantly trying to figure out ways to make them feel welcome and appreciated. Mary has already got the vendor gifts all wrapped up and waiting to go for the Fall Show! We will be sharing vendors here on our blog and also on our Facebook page. First, we want to thank Fancy T. Smith, owner of Cactus Creek Daily, for sending this first vendor, Redhouse Ranch, our way! Cecilia was lucky enough to meet Fancy at her store on a recent trip to Missouri.

Rodeo Queen Cecilia Scott visits with Fancy T. Smith at her Cactus Creek store in Weston, MO. Not long after that, we got an email from Mary Jo Vick, saying that Fancy had told her about our show and she wanted to be a part of it!! So we are very excited to welcome RedHouse Ranch Jewelry to the party in October!

Mary Jo Hand carves each piece in wax, then it is cast in pewter! Her designs are incredible and we are thrilled to have her at our show!

Head on over to her website...http://www.redhouseranch.com and also check her out over on Facebook. And of course, we hope you will come visit her booth at Petticoats on the Prairie, October 21st and 22nd!

Six Degrees of Separation OR It's a Small Junkin' World After All

This is a very comprehensive blog. Read carefully, because I'm not repeating myself. Be prepared for a pop quiz at the end.

1.) In February 2011, 4 Rodeo Queens and 1 Rodeo Princess flew to Portland, Oregon to visit The Funky Junk Sisters' Junk Salvation show. We met Dixie DeRocher and Linda Albers. We also met Isabel Lang, Lara Blair, Diane Kaser, and Lisa Love Harris of The Garden Cat- all great Northwest bloggers and antique lovers.

Rodeo Queen Leeann is visiting with Isabel Lang of Maison Douce.

Lara Blair is The Modern Prairie Girl.

This is Diane Kaser of Molly Mo's.

2.)Round Top Spring 2011. Janie's Prairie Picnic at her sister Linda's Six Acres. Lisa Love Harris gets us to go to the Bloggers' Party at Theresa Cano's booth in Warrenton. We meet Theresa, Malisa Hargrove of Pent-Up Photos, Tracy Smith and Suzanne Sexton of the Girls of Rusted Gingham. Kristi Knox Day was there but we didn't meet her at the time. These ladies all love antiques.

Here are Lisa Harris, her daughter Emy, Janie and Suzanne.

This is Lisa, Emy, Suzanne and Tracy.

Here is Malisa Hargrove of Pent-Up Photos.

3.) Petticoats on the Prairie in April at Black Locust Farm. We get to meet Kristi Knox Day. Her blog is called Junkology 101. Through Kristi, we meet photographer Amy Boland on Facebook.

Malisa and Larry Hargrove of Pent-Up Photos were vendors at POTP. Here's Malisa with Rodeo Queen Cecilia.

Lara Blair - The Modern Prairie Girl, on the far right, was our special guest at the spring show.

Here are Rodeo Queens Cecilia and Dana with Ann-Denise Anderson of Whim and Fancy Designs. Ann-Denise does wonderfully whimsical things with paper. Did I mention that all of these women love antiques?

4.) Paper Cowgirls. The Rodeo Queens connect with Cindy Mayfield and her incredible workshops. Ann-Denise is a presentor and Kristi is a happy participant. There is talk of a spring show in Waxahachie with Cindy and the Rodeo Queens. Cindy's blog is called Yapping Cat Studio. Can you spell a-n-t-i-q-u-e lovers?

5.) Summer of 2011. Lisa Love Harris spends the summer in Texas! She packs her trailer with so many antiques that daughter Emy and family dog were pretty squishy in the back seat. In San Antonio, she meets up with Suzanne Sexton of The Rusted Gingham Girls, Kristi Knox Day, and Amy Boland. BTW, Amy's blog is amybolandphotoblog.

On her way back to Seattle, Lisa stopped to see Rodeo Queen Janie in Big Spring.

6.) In November, Rodeo Queens Leeann and Janie will be vendors at The Rusted Gingham Girls' show in Gonzales, TX. Guess who we will see there? Kristi Knox Day, Suzanne and Tracy and hopefully Amy and Malisa. And maybe some other great bloggers and ANTIQUE lovers.

OKAY, here is the POP QUIZ...what do all of these antique lovers and bloggers have in common with Kevin Bacon?

Just wanted to see if you were paying attention!





Answer to the pop quiz: Kevin Bacon loves Antiques Roadshow and all the little old ladies who love their tchotchkes.

Don't forget to come to Petticoats on the Prairie on Oct. 21 and 22. You will find more than tchotchkes. And some of the Rodeo Queens' husbands definitely look JUST like Kevin Bacon.

Bragging Rights

What's not to love about a 9 year old boy named Will? 4th grade is a new adventure; Girls are still yucky. And when you ask him if he wants to buy a homecoming mum for a girl, he says, "Why would I want to do that?"

What's not to admire about a LSU graduate named Wendy in her first teaching job? Beautiful and full of excitement and energy. Ready to make an impact on young students and making her parents proud. Mom Dana said she got a raise when Wendy got her first paycheck!

How can a mom and dad not be proud of a young man named Will who just got a job as an assistant golf professional in Richmond, Texas? This guy was swinging a golf club by the time he was three years old. Moral to the story - do what you love.

Who wouldn't be the proud parent of a creative and talented display designer named Andrea? Andrea designs for Macy's Department Stores and her young and hip display was recently selected to appear in all Macy's stores. When Andrea comes to town to help her mama stage windows and set up at Petticoats, it is nothing less than awesome.

Rodeo Queen Leeann came up with the idea of creating a Petticoats on the Prairie cookbook. In the process of finding recipes, it was discovered that the Rodeo Queens descend from a rich heritage of pioneer prairie women. The cookbook was a work of sheer dedication and determination. It will premier at the show in October.

The cookbooks graphics are incredibly beautiful, and that is all a result of the unique talents of Rodeo Queen Cat. It is sincerely believed that the book will be a stellar cookbook with gorgeous graphics. Cat was definitely sleep-deprived, but the deadline was met!

Rodeo Queen Cherry's Colorado City store The Dragonfly was recently named a finalist in the Texas Downtown Association's Best Downtown Business Award. The winner will be announced in Nacogdoches in November. The Dragonfly is certainly deserving of this honor and we wish Cherry the very best.

Rodeo Queen Mary was affectionately known as Nurse Mary to hundreds of schoolchildren in Colorado City for 30 years. Now that she is retired, she is spending more time minding her shop "What's in Store" in downtown Colorado City. Mary is known for her quirky and unique store window displays.

Rodeo Queen Janie completed 33 days of radiation therapy this summer for Ductal Carcinoma In Situ. Rodeo Queen Dana (the one in red) was one of her radiation buddies for the trip to Midland everyday. Dana very obligingly took Janie to estate sales nearly every Thursday for a month. Junkin' queens don't get the blues.

Rodeo Queen Cecilia is excited about the house hunting she and her husband have been doing in Eastland which will take them closer to that special grandson. She's hoping to find a house large enough to accommodate all of her Rodeo Queen artifacts.

Rodeo Queen Marsha is keeping herself busy with mums and flowers at her floral business, Colorado Floral and Gifts. She's one of the creative minds behind the decor at Petticoats on the Prairie!

Please make plans to attend Petticoats on the Prairie Oct. 21 and 22. We are thrilled about our new location in Colorado City at the Mitchell County Fair Barns. See you there!

Time is sure flying by!

Can you believe it's already September?? Time has flown and it's getting closer and closer to our Fall Show. We have moved locations, and it was a tough decision to leave Black Locust Farm in Ira. BUT....the good news is that the new barn in Colorado City really allows us to have all of our vendors inside and gives us some much needed growing room! That being said...we do have some spots that need filling up!! We are looking for unique and handmade items specifically. We need more funky junk..more vintage, recycled, upcycled, eclectic and fab goodies! If you know of any vendors that fit that bill...send them our way!

The Endless Summer with Thoughts of Fall

I overheard one of the Rodeo Queens say the other day that she is ready for school to start because her son is bored. When I was teaching, I began to dread July because I knew that school would start "next month." Now that I'm going through radiation for breast cancer, the six weeks of therapy seem like they will never end. Whatever your thoughts of summer are, the Rodeo Queens have already begun to work on the preparations for the October Petticoats on the Prairie show, and we are thrilled that the applications are quickly coming in.

So amidst the preparations and the countdown, we still plan to enjoy the rest of the summer. One of us has skipped across the United States to NYC, LA, and Louisville, KY for work-related trips. One has journeyed to Oregon and cruised Alaska. Others have kept busy minding the stores and the kids and grandkids. Summer has been a time to celebrate families, reunions, birthdays, 4th of July parades and air-conditioning!

And before we know it, Petticoats on the Prairie will be here. We know that our new location at the Mitchell County Fair barns will enable us to bring you a bigger and better show. So while you're eating watermelon or dipping your toes in the pool, think cool thoughts of crisp autumn mornings, pumpkins and all the great treasures that you will find at Petticoats on the Prairie. AND don't forget to pray for rain in our corner of West Texas!!

Bet ya think we forgot about the blog.......

We have been busy! Plans are underway for our Fall Show..so much to decide on and get organized! We really hated to leave Black Locus Farms and that was a tough decision..but we wanted to be able to provide more room for our vendors. Now we have a huge barn and that is already starting to fill up!! We have a fun photo shoot planned for next week out at Mulberry Hill...can't wait to share it with yall!

Scenes from our Spring Show!

We're on the Move!!

Did ya hear the news? POTP is moving! We will be having our Fall Show at the Mitchell County Fairgrounds in Colorado City!! We sure hated to leave the farm, but the truth of the matter is we just outgrew the venue! So the Fall show will take place in and around the Show Barn and that means so much more room for our vendors! The show is set for Friday, October 21st and Saturday, October 22nd and all vendor spaces will be inside the barn, shielded from any inclement weather! More details to come..plus pictures from the Spring show will be coming soon!!

Two Days Till Petticoats on Prairie and Picnic on the Prairie

This Rodeo Queen, when she's not dreaming of finding treasures and precious junk, will usually have her nose in a book. I came across this wonderful line in Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese - "Wasn't that the definition of home? Not where you are from, but where you are wanted?" It is an honor and a true privilege to be friends with a group of women who make one feel wanted. And not only that, we really WANT you to come see us at Petticoats on the Prairie. We hope it will feel a little bit like home to you. Plus, you might find a treasure just like your grandma used to have! Or if your grandma was into bling, you'll probably find that, too!

We love Junk Mafia!!!

Big thanks to everyone over at Junk Mafia for inviting us to be on your radio show and for featuring us on your blog too! Ya'll need to make plans to come to our Fall Show-we would love to have you!