January 2014 Trip to Atlanta....Better Late than Never

Well, as usual this post is long over due.  I have had a jam packed schedule this year and am behind in all things, once again!  The last I blabbed/you read  I was headed to Atlanta for the Gift Show.  The Robin's Nest was in search of hand-crafted products to add to the shop. Another goal of heading down to "Market", as it's known in the biz is see what's trending in the decor world.  I think myself a trend spotter, you see. (hehehehe) Seriously though, even though I focus on vintage in my shop, I want to make sure that my displays and products align with current trends. (Bustin' out some of my marketing garble for you!) So I'll share some of what I saw down in Atlanta.
P.S. Gotta give a shout out to one of my besties, Kelly, from Madison & Mabel. Drop by her site and take a look at her custom furniture...amazing!

Color is still king.....

Lots of color to be seen all throughout the showrooms in Atlanta.  The bold hues that we saw last year are still going strong.  Of course, I am drawn to the aqua and robin's egg blues that I saw.  uh duh!

Taxidermy lives on........

One of my favorite trends!  Let's just say.....if it has a head it was mounted on a wall.  Whimsical, realistic, colorful everywhere I looked in Atlanta I saw a mounted head.  Long gown are the days of just deer and moose.  Hedgehogs, rams, raccoons, gerbils......check in the box.

Unconventional Materials and Style.....

Creative use of materials and style continues to dominate the market.  Either a "knock-off" found in a department store or the real vintage "deal" out of the box design is strong.  Since this arena is my first love, it was a lot of fun seeing what small companies were showing.  I'm not a huge fan of the knock-offs.

Ethnic Style and Texture....

Again....loving this trend.  Although you might not want to build a room around this trend. It's fun to pick a few elements to add to your existing style.  I believe style is simply surrounding yourself with things that make you happy.  Don't be afraid to color outside the lines.

A few pics that made me smile.....

I hope you enjoyed this little snippet from my time in Atlanta, GA during the Jan. 2014 Home and Gift Show.  Make sure to keep your eyes peeled this year as you shop to see if you spot the trends that I found.

Have a good one,

Robin

VRS Calendar Winner and a crazy trip to Atlanta!

Woot Woot!!!!  Congratulations to Michele from Sew Sweet Vintage!!!  She won the amazing wall calendar from Vintage Rescue Squad and my good friend Sue.  When you are cruising through etsy, be sure and check out her shop.  The pictures are just ahhhh-mazing!

Packing up today and heading down to Atlanta for the annual Gift & Home shop.  Although I try to solely stock my shops with vintage items, it's nice to have a few items that are "shop ready".  No tromping through muddy fields at dawn, schlepping, cleaning, painting, waxing, pricing....yada yada yada.  I make sure I have no more than 20% new items vs. 80% vintage.  Making sure to look for items that inspire me and really have a "vintage" feel.

 

Really......not user friendly or "vintage-y"!!  I go for 2 days and hit the ground running.  Three building with about 23 floors each.  Each manufacturer has a showroom that displays the year's products.

 

 



This is more like it!!!  It's great to be able to see, touch and examine the items that I am interested it.  I always want to make sure that quality doesn't suffer if it's a new item.  Also, I buy made in USA whenever possible! Even if it's a little more $$$ it's so important to me to support artists at home.

Well.....that suitcase won't pack itself, so gotta go.  Look for pics. of my crazy wild trip to Atlanta, GA.

Have a good one,
Robin