A Fun Day in Carver, MN !

Today my friends, Carolyn, Lynette and I took a day trip to Carver, MN in the Southwest corner of the Twin Cities to attend the 3 day monthly sales in this quaint little town. This quaint small town plays host to three occasional sales, which are "Mustard Moon", "The Nature of It", and "Seasons", which are all connected to each other and is a huge plus when shopping in the Winter in Minnesota.

Gretchen in black on left owner of http://www.mimitoriasdesigns.blogspot.com

Lanette on right is owner of http://www.cottageelements.blogspot.com/

We are also co-contributors on Junk Market Styles site which you can find at http://www.junkmarketstyle.com

These shops are open three days a month which is always the third Thursday of each month through that Saturday. They open shop at 10:00-5 on Thursdays and Fridays and are open from 10-4 on Saturdays. We arrived at 9:50 and stood in a line. Now, what does that tell you? It tells you that this is the place to be. This shot was taken just before the doors opened, so there were about 25 women waiting outside in 10 degree temps. Note the boots and coats. Hardy Minnesota ladies rock!

Gretchen, Carolyn and Lani waiting in line to get into the shops.

Lani, our friend, Julie and our new friend we met on this day, Terri. Isn't Julie all cute with her red bag full of bed springs, her red plaid coat and hat? The five of us went for lunch after our morning of shopping and had a great time together.

Jane Hall of Mustard Moon in Carver, MN is an outstanding shop owner.

"Mustard Moon" - Carver, MN

This employee of Jane's is writing up a slip for Carolyn, and she had a personality that is awesome and makes shopping and check out at Jane's a joy. Ladies, if you're going to have a shop, you need to have happy people working it. This is what you find at both of these shops. Happy and helpful women running the show. Love it! It just makes you want to come back- Thanks ladies!

This cool white chippy painted cupboard was was sold in about 5 minutes. I walked into the shop, stopped and looked at an item near it, and the lady next to me spoke for it. At Jane's you see it, you buy it, or you will lose it! Great product, and awesome pricing.

Lots of Spring items were tempting us Minnesotans out of our long Winter slump and helping us to remember, that it won't be long and the sun will shine and we will have green grass again and if we're lucky flowers by May.

Lots of cool pieces for sale in this shop. Fun farm stuff and industrial type goods that you just wouldn't of thought to decorate with, but Jane will introduce you to a cool style of decor using these finds, and you'll be happy you made a visit to this great shop.

A few new items were interspersed among the vintage wares. Most of these new type of items look and have the vintage feel that we all love and are relative to the garden theme that we all are loving. Great taste of mixing a few fabulous new things with the old.

This display near the check out with the use of the fresh greens and the great vintage worn wood on this stair riser type of piece as well as the use of greens throughout the rest of the store were so fresh and perfect for this rather drab time of year. Just makes us happy to think of warmer days ahead.

Sorry for the blurry photo, but I wanted to share this cool display Jane had in her shop. This was unfortunately the only photo I took and thought the blurry vignette was better than not showing this fabulous window with the stained glass pieces. Very one of a kind!

Cool grey table with a funky vintage metal toy truck which was filled with paper products for altered art or scrap booking projects.

This table was sold in the first hour. It was a long harvest table, with a car dolly, with three rusty strainers tipped upside down with cute little juice glasses filled each with a mini plant and then had clothes over each of them. Lanette snagged the three strainers and cute little planters.

A very cool clock in the back room. Note the wall and texture as you look at these photos. Such a great place for Jane's look. This is a basement of a very old building and it is filled with character. This shop and shop owner are such a treasure! Thanks Jane for another wonderful shopping day in your little quaint town.

Gretchen Shaumann

"The Nature of It" - Carver, MN

Wow! Check out this very cool metal chair. I just love the curves of it! Such a neat find.

Lots of gardening inspiration in this shop too. Cindy Halvorson, the shop keeper is another gem of a gal, and has such an eye for merchandising her store. This is top notch people with great products changing on a monthly basis. This is another store that if you snooze, you lose, so if you love it when you see it, you had better grab it and have it stashed behind the desk while you continue shopping, because if you leave it and walk away to think about it, it pretty much won't be there.

A gorgeous vintage door trim was layered around this fabulous stain glass window which the sun was making look far more awesome than this photo captured. Very cool and unique pieces.

Vintage shaving mirrors, old black register grate and cool black filing piece on a white wicker table with the great white wood/glass folding screen made this an eye catching vignette.

These two wooden boxes were so beautiful, and I believe they were vintage flower seed storage boxes. Very lovely with the industrial wire object it was merchandised on top of.

Another cool area in Cindy's shop with her trademark mix of wire, white wood architectural pieces, and beautiful smalls.

A set of awesome vintage corbels. Cindy has lots of architectural pieces that rise above the typical that you may see elsewhere. A few photos down you will get what I am making reference to.

I would of loved to of taken home this gorgeous pale blue piece of architecture for my living room, but didn't. It was the coolest, most serene piece I've ever seen in my life. Just lovely Cindy.

This gorgeous piece has been featured in a book written by Sue Whitney and Ki our famous Junk Market girls from Minnesota. These girls really got us all fully introduced us to the value and use of junk in our homes. It was originally some kind of incubator, if my memory serves me right, but now has been turned into a bar server. This piece was purchased and will have a new home. Such a one of a kind unique piece.

Another piece that sold at the sale the morning we were shopping. This is a wonderful example of the kind of furniture finds you will see at Cindy's sales. They are usually white, and wonderfully patina ed. Such style this gal has. I've admired her from afar at shows for years, but haven't had the privilege to meet Cindy until in January when she opened up her new store in Carver. Cindy, I'm so glad you did!

More examples of fabulous architectural pieces from "The Nature of It".

Thank you Cindy and Jane for allowing me to photograph yours stores and feature you on my blogs. I hope to entice some Mid-Westerners that I've met in blogging land to pack up their vehicles, hitch up their trailers and make a road trip to Carver, MN. It's our own best kept secret soon to not be such a secret. Honestly ladies, it's my new favorite places to shop in Minnesota. When you have wonderful shop keepers like these two, wonderful and unique products, and then reasonable prices on top of it, these two ladies have a winning situation, as do we ladies that are able to frequent their shops.