Junk Bonanza 2012!

The Junk Bonanza is coming up fast, and I couldn't be more excited! I'm counting down the days until I leave for Minnesota, just a little over a week away! For the past two years, this has been one of my favorite trips and weekends out of the whole year, and I know that this year will be no different. Ki & her team work so hard to make this show a success and it is always amazing to see the happy shoppers, the beautifully full vendor booths, the incredible selection of merchandise, and all the little details that make the Junk Bonanza such a wonderful event. I can't wait to go again! 

The good news is that this year, I get to join the early-bird shoppers (thanks to these tickets)!

The bad news is that I'm flying in so I won't be able to bring anything big home with me. But that doesn't diminish the "thrill of the hunt!" I love this show--it is so well-run, and the curated collection of vendors has such a varied and wonderful selection of treasures and one-of-a kind pieces that I could shop for weeks and keep finding new things to buy!

With over 150 vendors, it's hard to remember everything I've seen over the past two years, but here are a few of my favorite finds & vendors. 

Beth from Blue Star Collections has a great assortment of carefully selected & repurposed items that I love. I bought two of these wonderful old factory carts last year...so beautiful and so heavy! Surprisingly, though, not the heaviest pieces I came home with!

Junk Refunkery, another great Midwest vendor, has wonderfully repurposed and recycled "junk," unique pieces and finds perfect for adding a touch of whimsy, of imagination, of distinctive beauty to any home (or store display!). This beautiful old cupboard wins the prize for being the heaviest piece in my load last year...but oh so worth it!

I met Cammie, from Daffadowndilly's, at the Junk Bonanza back in 2010 and we have become good friends! Cammie has a great talent for finding amazing amounts of "stuff" and I love it all!

Treasures and Trash is another great vendor from the Midwest, with beautiful barn wood furniture and other reclaimed pieces. I love this wonderful cart I bought last year.

Salvaged and Rescued Art, a local Minnesota vendor, always has such artistic and unique pieces, like this old bicycle-seat-turned-jewelry-display that came home with me last year.

Vintage Home Accents specializes in creating beautiful frames, letters, art pieces, and other home decor pieces from salvaged materials. I have bought Todd's products online for a several years...what a treat to see all of his merchandise "in person"! All of Todd's products and pieces have a distinctive beauty and whimsy that I just love!

(photo taken from Todd's Etsy shop)

Mimi-Toria's Designs specializes in creating beautiful and interesting jewelry, all one-of-a-kind and made from vintage finds. Gretchen combines history, beauty, whimsy, and her own love of all things vintage in her jewelry and each piece is a work of art. And jewelry is definitely something I can bring home with me on the plane.

(photo taken from Gretchen's website)

Last but not least, here is my very favorite find from Junk Bonanza last year and, of course, I cannot remember where I purchased this beautiful piece! I hope I can find them again this year so I can tell them how much I am enjoying the trophy.

Be sure to visit the Junk Bonanza blog to see more of the great vendor profiles that they have been posting over the past several months. It's just another element of this event that demonstrates all of the detailed and dedicated hard work that goes into planning such a big show! I am so excited to shop from all of these vendors and to hopefully meet some of them in person! The friendly, outgoing, and infinitely talented people I have met the past two years are some of the biggest reasons why I am so excited to go again this year! 

In just over a week, I'll be landing in Minnesota, ready to hit the ground running with my shopping shoes on and my checkbook in hand. I'm excited to meet new vendors and visit with old friends, get some inspiration and ideas to bring back to Old Glory, and most importantly, to shop!