Brimfiled Antiques Show Pilgrimage

For years now I have been lucky enough to attend the Brimfield Antiques Show in Brimfield, Massachusetts. Usually I go with my husband and once we became parents, we even took out 6 month old daughter. But this isn't really a trip for a toddler, not for us and not for them! This is the mother ship of flea markets in my corner of the world. This year I went for 2 (10 hour days!!) days and a night. For those of you who know-it is like Disney World for grown ups. Like a Himalayan excursion, like climbing to Machu Picchu, like Heaven on Earth.

This year my friend and fellow wedding professional, Judy Bourgeois of Flora Fauna Weddings and Events came for her maiden voyage to the show. We left Maine at 5 am on Friday and didn't return until 10:30 Saturday night, a whirlwind!

There are treasures and trinkets aplenty, gadgets and widgets galore, ahh....Vintage french linen...

Judy was a seasoned pro, keeping up the pace, stocking our backpacks with snacks and water, scouting out the good items and filling her arms and our scavenged rolling cart with treasures for our homes, our clients, our businesses and our children. What a weekend! Oh how I needed a ladies only trip away!

Judy almost perished of fits in some of the vintage trim and ribbon booths, she uses these hard to find and gorgeous trims on bouquets and boutonnieres for weddings-I have to admit, my heart rate was elevated too!

(The pretty pictures in this post were taken by Judy, the others were taken by me on my iPhone)

I was tempted by all of the milk glass, chenille vintage bedspreads and jewelry...I was on a mission though, I had a list. I went in search of tea cups for one of my clients' weddings and several interesting and unexpected containers for another client's wedding raw bar display.

Having my list kept me focused and left some of the cash in my pocket...cash is king at the show, and bring lots of small bills, most booths have negotiable prices. I am always shy about asking for a dealer's "best price" but Judy showed me that it works-she haggled for $75 off the antique Swedish/Hungarian (I can't recall the origin, I was in a panic to load it in the cart!!) baby bathtub with metal stand for one of our clients-we just had to have it!

Oh and the cart!! Not only is this little baby so cute and vintage, but it was only $10 and it essentially made the Suburban full of purchases possible this past weekend. Many a trip to the car with that full cart to unload were made-thank goodness for running sneakers. This show is no place for pretty shoes.

Yes, that is a human skeleton in the background!

Oddities are all part of the experience...this place is not for the faint of heart.

The show is miles long and fields deep on each side of the road, a gypsy like encampment of tents, makeshift booths and shelters, filled to the brim with every imaginable item in the world. What fun, what treasures, what laughing and sweating and many hand wipes used to wash hands...Next show is in September!