Deer Vintage: June 2014

The Elkhorn Flea Market

As a writer, it should come as no surprise that I love objects that have a story. I have my fair share of Target and Ikea items in my home, but the majority of my decor can be attributed to flea markets, antique stores, garage sales, and thrift stores. I enjoy speculating about whom they belonged to, where they came from, and how old they are. And I happen to be a sucker for cast-off's, imperfections, and underdogs.

In fact, my very first published piece appeared in The Walworth County Week newspaper, and it was about the Elkhorn Flea Market, an event that I have been frequenting since I was 12. It covered my tips and tricks on flea market success, and boy, was I proud of it.

My piece in The Week. Yup, that's me circa 2004.

My trip to yesterday's flea market proved, as usual, to be a treasure trove of amazing oddities and collectibles. I have been to my fair share of flea markets...Cape Cod, Florida, even Paris...and I think this is one of the best ones I've ever been to. It's only five minutes from where I grew up.

I love how creative sellers get with their booth displays. This flea market is packed with Pinterest-worthy imagery.

This seller knows exactly how to announce the types of wares she purveys.

A Wes Anderson-worthy vignette

A very fancy pig

A plethora of vintage signs. How much do I want to hang up that bowl of ice cream in my kitchen?

Antique bottles in whites, creams, and lilacs

And as usual, I found vintage goodies to add to my collection. Many times, I turned to my mom and dad and said, "Why isn't my house bigger?" Usually I want to take home about 88% of the items at the flea market.

An embroidered bracelet from the '60s. I like to imagine that a hippie wore it.

A (non-working) men's watch that I plan to stack with sparkly bracelets

A kitschy tea towel that's totally apropos, seeing as how I am a vegetarian.

A mini Museum of Science and Industry pennant from the '50s

And I got a gorgeous vintage French science print that showcases various mushrooms, set in an old window. I'd show it here, but it needs some picture wire, so I'll be posting it when it's properly hung in my house.

I like to think of antiques as inanimate versions of rescue animals. They're just looking for a good home. And there are plenty of antiques in need to be found at the Elkhorn Flea Market.

Upcoming dates for the Elkhorn Flea Market: August 10 and September 28

No time to flea? Get the look with these Etsy finds.

Chippy Letters

Vintage First Aid Kit

Brass Pig

Soda Fountain Signs

Purple Glass Bottle

Embroidered Bracelet

Men's Watch

Veggie Tea Towel

Chicago Pennants

A Morning on the Farm

Many people believe me to be, how shall I put it in a totally cliche way, a "girly girl." And yes, they would be right. I have a Lisa Frank calendar hanging up in my office. I have closets and trunks and drawers overflowing with jewelry. And I nearly always wear pink when I go running, so much so that when I coach Girls on the Run, the girls refer to me as "Coach Pink."

Yup, it's no secret. I love me some jewelry.

But a lesser-known fact about me is that I don't mind dirt. I love any excuse to be outside, typically choosing muddy, rocky, hilly running trails over pavement if given the choice. Most of my childhood was spent chasing after bugs or digging for salamanders to keep as pets. And my fascination with animals big or small, creepy or crawly, fuzzy or slimy, hasn't changed.

Just put me outside, I'll be happy.

That's why when I got the opportunity to go to Heartland Farm Sanctuary for a story that I'm working on, I geeked out. A whole morning with adorable rescued farm animals? Um, yeah, OK!

Just because I'm getting dirty doesn't mean I can't wear cute boots, right?

Heartland Farm Sanctuary is an amazing place where unwanted and/or uncared-for farm animals are taken in and reside contentedly on several acres of land right outside of Verona. I'll be writing about them for a publication, and I can't wait to sing their praises.

My favorite animal on the farm is a pig named Winnie. Read her story. What a little fighter. Well, she's not so little anymore, as you can see from the picture below. She was a big fan of the apples I gave her. I learned today that if you give a pig an apple, you are her best friend for like a minute. Then she'll run away and hide with it like a dog.

Moments later, Winnie disappeared happily with her apple.

I also got to spend time with a bevy of other characters, like Lucy, a spokes-pig for Heartland that can often be seen parading around town in a pink sparkly tu-tu. My kind of girl.


There's a little sunscreen on Lucy's ear. Did you know pigs need to wear sunscreen outside? I learned that today.

Then there's Baby the turkey. If you meet Baby, don't wear red. When I went on a public farm tour at Heartland back in February, I wore a giant red coat. Come to find out, turkeys do not care for the color red. At all. Today I wore green and Baby and I got along much better.

Heartland's official greeter

I also met Jake, an elderly goat who loves to be scratched under his chin. He was making little purring sounds just like a kitty. A really big kitty. With hooves.

Jake's a sweetheart.

Ellie and Lola peeked out to say hello. P.S. Did I name these animals?

Enjoying the summer sun

And I had a little visit with the sheep inside the barn. I think this is Amy and Blossom (otherwise known as the name of my future sheep).

They would have smiled for the camera, but they were feeling a little baaa-shful.

So, all in all, a pretty darn awesome way to spend a Thursday morning. Soon, I'll be sharing more details about the piece I'm writing. If you live in or around Madison, you need to go on a tour. You're sure to get the warm fuzzies. Or the warm pricklies, if you're snuggling up to a pig.

Eventually Winnie hung out with me even though I was apple-less.

Bullies

You know the scene. Gym class. Someone is picked last and is subsequently laughed at for the rest of the game. School picture day. A girl is teased mercilessly for her ensemble choice. Orchestra practice. The boys behind you kick your chair every time you squeak out a wrong note.

Childhood bullying is not a new topic. Thankfully, many enlightened schools are taking action against bullying and seeking out the kids who are the catalysts. What isn't discussed nearly enough is being bullied as an adult.

As a child, your foes are clear...kids in your school or neighborhood who have a goal to make your day a little worse. As an adult, bullies go from a black-and-white landscape to one that is murky and full of gray areas. Welcome to the world of passive aggression.

The one thing I'll give props to childhood bullies for: they are straightforward and honest. To a fault, yes, but there's no dancing around or thinly-veiled slights.

In fact, I'll venture to say that adult bullies are just childhood bullies who have upped their game. They've been around. Learned the ropes. Perfected their craft.

If Susie turned girls away from the "popular" lunch table, chances are she'll leave you out of a meeting.

If Tommy beat up kids who were weaker than him, you might find him in the weight room at the gym, snickering with his buddies and pointing at an overweight guy doing bicep curls.

Yes, bullies can gain strength as they advance in years. And that sucks. Many adult "bully victims" suffer silently. Maybe I'm just imagining things. I'm being too sensitive. I'll just stay quiet so I don't rock the boat.

So, I'm going to turn this around and point out something that's awesome. The bullies may be craftier, but you, my friend, have only gained strength and courage over the years. You can thank those bullies for giving you a tougher skin.

As someone who has survived her fair share of both childhood and adult bullying, I'm here to tell you that those experiences have forced me to climb the ladder of enlightenment, and it's a good place to be.

I've reached a point in my life in which I can say, "Let them be bullies. I'm going to keep on being awesome." Life is so much better when you're not constantly looking over your shoulder.

In closing, to all those adults out there who inwardly resemble an insecure, chubby, or "different" kid, do whatever makes you feel happy, bullies be damned. Let them belittle others to build up their own crumbling self-esteem. Let them be close-minded. You have shit to do. And it doesn't involve them.

Seven-year-old me

To feel even awesomer about yourself, visit my "for realsies" Pinterest board.

Step Inside My Office

Here is a behind-the-scenes peek at the Shelby Deering, LLC World Headquarters (also known as my home office). After looking at these pictures, I bet you'll want to work here, too. But you can't. Only those employed by Shelby Deering, LLC can work here. Which of course is just me. So there.

Tip: You remember that show from back in the day, "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous"? If you read the thought-bubble captions in Robin Leach's voice, they will be that much more enjoyable.