Bein' Neighborborly: Treasure Huntin' and Makin' Friends Down Round Top Way

Gretchen Buckley and I followed Kelley Copeland of the Hidden List and Dana Pugh of Tattered Style like shadows all over the Round Top Antique Fair.  Seeing all that "junk" through their eyes makes it come alive~ they look beyond the dust and dirt and see the inner beauty of it all!


A sea of tents and temporary shops, trailers and funnel cake vendors dotted the landscape for miles.  The fields were green, and the cows were happy in the country.  {Kelley Battaglia of the Happy Healthy Eater would have been thrilled to see all those happy, grass fed cows!}


At every stop we were greeted with southern hospitality and wonderful stories~ Oh,  how I love a good story!  I wanted to introduce you to a few of the friends we met, because that truly is where the REAL treasure lies; in the people.  If you happen to make it down Round Top way... look 'em up~ they'll invite you to stay awhile!


Mornings began with a hug and a smile from Carol at the Brenham Olde Towne Bakery where we fueled up on rich coffee, yeast rolls stuffed with bacon, eggs and cheese and a home made ding dong for the road~ {Yes, it put the childhood Hostess-made version to shame!}

We met the Kettler's at their shop in Brehnam (on Alamo Street; they do things the old fashioned way~ no websites here!  Simply a hand shake and a "Ya'll come back now, hear?").  Married nearly 60 years~ Mr. Kettler flashed his toothless grin and told us about the dog that bit him while he was mowing the yard a few years ago; he almost lost his leg due to infection~ but seemed to be gettin' along fine now.  They also care for their 96 year old aunt who lives with them.  These are some real fine folks!  

These lovely ladies encourage each other in their jewelry design businesses.  Deborah Vaughn (on the right),  crafts beautiful silver and pearl pieces.  We sipped wine and snacked on hors d'oeuvres as we ogled over their creations and became friends.

And then there were the JUNK LOVERS!  Here is Kelley with Amy, one of the owners of the Junk Gypsies.  

She is featured in the video below.  

Finally, Meet Sam and Paulette Barr.  Sam suffered a very scary heart attack a few years ago~ at which point he "saw God."  This event was the start of something remarkable~ Sam began to craft beautiful crosses out of "lost and discarded" items. Sam's artwork is made completely out of salvaged wood, discarded tin, vintage treasures and LOVE~ the perfect reflection of the love of our Savior.  

The One who takes our broken pieces and makes us new!

You can contact him at spbarr@windstream.net for information on his art.

 

No, doubt, you find some fine folks down in Texas where the long horns roam free and the bluebonnets bloom big.  Tomorrow, I'll share our experience at Royer's Cafe... 

in a word~ PIE!