Happy Hunting

If you smell smoke, that’s mycredit card sizzling! I was in full shopaholic mode this past weekend as one of55 Tastemakers chosen for the Randolph Street Market Festival’s fifth annual"Tastemaker’s Choice for Charity."

I spent Saturday morning exploringmore than 200 booths of vintage and antique furnishings, clothing, jewelry andmore, pinning ribbons on my favorite booth and my favorite items, all tobenefit charities chosen by each Tastemaker.

I went home with a lot of awesomestuff, but first - drum roll please - my blue ribbon for best booth went toLonghorn Inn - @LonghornInn - an Indiana shop that sells gorgeous, hand-pickedBrazilian cow hides and leather goods, hand bags and cow hide furniture. A percentageof the proceeds from their sales will go to the charity of my choice, LakeCounty Cares, and I did my best to help! I bought four fabulous hides in rare,light shades of gray and blonde that will be beautiful as rugs in our clients’homes.

Me and my favorite booth, Longhorn Inn, and its owners, Lori Ehler and Don Mackey.

For runner-up booth I chose TheGilded Room https://www.facebook.com/The-Gilded-Room-457744407593973/timeline/?ref=stream.Their space just drew me in because they created a vignette of an actual livingroom. I pinned a ribbon on their pair of stunning late 19th centurychairs with gold gilt and white linen upholstery.

These would be fabulous to mix with any other furnishings.

My other ribbon winners included analligator handbag with a Lucite handle from Cori Zuckerman/Style Concept and a1960s mink tail car coat from Carrie’s Fabulous to Funky https://www.facebook.com/Carries-Fabulous-to-Funky-272965539419096/timeline/.

The perfect size for the city, and a go-to for almost any outfit.

This is a win-win - luscious, two-tone fur and it creates a slimming silhouette.

I started to feel like I was on safari with all the animal-themed items!Funkiestitem I pinned – a galvanized bathtub from Daisy Road Restoration once owned bya cowboy in Idaho, and whose last owner was a woman who placed it on the porchof her ranch house so she could enjoy the scenery while she bathed. What agreat story! I’ve been imagining it as a whimsical planter for flowers insomeone’s backyard.

Love the rustic cowboy chic for a bathroom.

Last butnot least, I singled out a series of six, 1940’s pen-and-ink fashion drawingsfrom Paper Patty https://www.facebook.com/Paper-Patty-400220770087433/timeline/.

Timeless 1940s dressings.

Don’t worryif you didn’t make it to the market last weekend – this is a year-round,monthly event – it’s all indoors during colder months starting in October, andthe next one is October 24-25. The full schedule is here. http://www.randolphstreetmarket.com/schedule.php.

Holidayshopping, anyone?