Coming soon: Capricorn Lane

It all started with a shopping trip.

A little more than a month ago, some of my blogging friends and I met up in the quaint North Carolina downtown of Mebane to go “junking.”

It’s often at these marathon shopping and lunching sessions that the greatest ideas are hatched.

Things like bloggers conference. Fun thrifting meetups. And joint ventures.

As we browsing at Melville Trading Company, this lady…

my friend, Shirley, of Housepitality Designs, mentioned that she was interested in opening a booth in the fabulous arts and antiques marketplace.

“Would you be interested in sharing a space?” she asked.

At first I was flattered because Shirley is such an amazing decorator and home stylist who creates the most beautiful vignettes.

And then I was scared. Could I manage another booth, plus my job, blogging, my etsy shop and my retail booth at Golden Antiques in Summerfield, N.C.?

Then I remembered when opportunity knocks, you better answer it.

So, of course I said yes.

How could I pass up such an amazing opportunity?

This is another step in my creative journey that began a year ago when I wrote my first blog post. And I know that it will be a blast working alongside someone as sweet, talented and supportive as Shirley.

And our husbands will surely be happy that when we get together we will be directing our efforts toward making money instead of spending it. (Well, most of the time. Sorry guys, we have to shop, too. That’s our business.)

I’m happy to announce that Shirley and I will be opening our joint retail venture at Melville Trading Company next week.

We’ll be stocking our booth on Monday (wanna help with the heavy lifting?), and we’ll be open for business the following day.

We’ll be in booth #24. We’re calling it Capricorn Lane — a nod to our shared January 4 birthdays! How cool is that?

If you prefer vintage, antique and eclectic to big-box brand new, then Capricorn Lane is the place for you. Our booth will be filled with pretties that grab hold of your heart and beg you to take them home. That’s how we came to own them in the first place.

Capricorn Lane is the kind of place where fine antiques consort with yard sale castoffs that have been lovingly painted and repurposed. It’s a place where burlap, toile and ikat prints complement but never clash. You’re sure to find hearty servings of milk glass and milk paint.

Step inside Capricorn Lane, and you’ll have the sensation of walking through time and across continents. Our style passport has lots of stamps on it: Early American. French. Belgian. With lots of Southern charm.

Over the past few weeks, Shirley and I both have been hoarding buying treasures, working like crazy on projects and raiding our own substantial decorating stashes to assemble inventory for Capricorn Lane. I am so excited to see what she has for sale and to share my goodies with her and our new customers at Melville Trading Company.

This is going to be quite the adventure.

You just never know what will happen when you get together with other bloggers.

And speaking of getting together with other bloggers, if you’re a blogger in North Carolina, circle Saturday, May 11, on your calendars.

I can’t reveal too much yet, but some fellow bloggers and I are planning an exciting one-day event here in Greensboro for N.C.-based bloggers. They’ll be shopping, mingling, food and Downton Abbey-inspired atmosphere. Be sure to check back next week for more details…