A Rainy Day in Roundtop, Texas

I went to Roundtop  and Warrenton  on Saturday with my friend, Karen.  She had invited me to go with her a few weeks ago but I spent a lot of time on Friday evening assuming we would cancel because of the impending thunderstorms being forcasted for all day Saturday across most of Texas.  We texted back and forth and she said, "Let's go for it."  I imagined being struck by lightening...but for a good cause.

We went.  We shopped.  We ate.  And we barely even got sprinkled on.  And here is where I thank God for no lightening and for rain boots.  It's amazing how crazy comfortable rain boots are and how one can step in huge mud puddles and wet cow patties (the booths are set up in pastures) and not even give it a thought.  In fact, I stepped in a wet cow patty on purpose.  Bucket list.  jk 

Being the age I am, and not having grown up with cell phones, I forget there's a camera on that thing.  I remembered to take a few pictures about the time we were heading to our car to leave for the day.  As you can see in this photo, dark luminous clouds hung around all day but we never got a hard rain.  While we looked like wet rats from the drizzle and humidity, so did everyone else. 

In my dream backyard, I would have this black and ivory striped umbrella.

I bought the orange and ivory silk pillow case. The girl who sells them goes to Turkey each year to get her fabrics so it is probably too worldly for this house.  I paid way to much for it, but I loved the pop of color.  The last thing this house needs is another pillow but I haven't come to terms with that yet. 

Karen spotted this tray on a table full of junk and pointed it out to me.  She is always on the hunt for a Louisiana one.  Chuck is from Mississippi...Cleveland, in the upper left area near the corn husk...and I spent 3 1/2 years of my high school days in Bay St. Louis...near the M of Mississippi.  So it was a must have and a steal for $5.

The Junk Gypsy booth is a well known booth...they are a landmark in Warrenton.  The Junk Gypsy girls now have a show on HGTV.  I grabbed this photo off of the Internet but it was taken by Heather Bullard...one of the people I met at Silver Bella.  She has a beautiful blog.  By beautiful, I mean her photography is gorgeous...she is a production and photography stylist. 

We went through the booth and the first person I saw was Rachel Aswell!

 Rachel Aswell, of Shabby Chic fame, was talking to someone and I walked by and said HEY! And she looked at me and say hey.  And I kept walking.  But she did look at me!  And then I proceeded to pick up a cup on a shelf that was stacked on a lot of other cups.  And as I picked up the cup, the other 15 cups started falling.  Like dominoes.  One, then 3, then all of them came tumbling off the shelf.  A sweet girl behind me came to my rescue and started trying to grab them before they hit the ground.  It was comical...and all I could think of was my moment with Rachel Aswell and was she witnessing this.

Rachel (like we're on a first name basis) has a Bed and Breakfast (more like a compound of many lodges) in Roundtop called The Prairie.  I see from the calendars and events about Roundtop 2012 that she is doing a lot of book signings.  But that day she was just standing around looking like a wet rat, just like the rest of us. 

This antique festival is huge.  So huge that it would take weeks to see it all...there are hundreds and hundreds of booths in the fields and lots of buildings full as well.  The nice thing about going year after year is one gets to know the layout and the areas that you want to revisit.  So to run in to Rachel Aswell was so random.

And another random sighting?  I was waiting for my friend Karen as she went back to her car to get her umbrella.  I looked up and saw a woman who looked a lot like my friend Nancy from my first home in Pecan Grove.  I babysat Nancy's daughter Molly when Molly was 2.....22 years ago.  Nancy and I became friends and like most friends in the past, we lost touch and only kept up through the years with Christmas cards and now on fb.  I watched her for a minute and thought it wasn't her but stared anyway.  Then I walked up closer to her.  She didn't recognize me at all ...but I am a little older and fluffier and had on the hood of my windbreaker.  Then I spoke up and said, "Nancy?" and she said "JUJU?" with her cutest, prettiest smile.  She is a dental hygienist and don't they have the prettiest teeth?

It was good to see her after all these years in person and give her a hug.  And get in a quick 10 minute catch up on life visit....in a rain soaked cow pasture surrounded by antiques and junk.  Nancy was shabby chic, junk gypsy before it was even a term.  She had the knack of taking anything junk and turning it in to adorable.  One of the things I loved and adored about her.

When I think of all the miles of booths and shops and all of the thousands of people there...I know seeing Nancy was a gift from God.  And seeing Rachel Aswell and having her look me in the eye and say hey....that was also a little wink from Him. 

I may just go back this weekend.  It's a little addicting.