Brocante Bugs, Boogers and other Germs of the Trade

Fabric-covered-candy-box

Photos and text by Corey Amaro

Putting up little-worn bits of brocante on my site today.

Went around the house gathering things to sell, and at the same time added things in the empty spots that I want to keep.

It is a never-ending battle of longing for simplicity.

It is a lost cause of keeping it simple around the house.

My passion is the hunt (not so much the gatherer) the chase, the discovery of new (err old) finds…thank goodness for kindred spirits who gather on my online shop. They feed my drug for brocanting. They are brocante angels sent down from heaven, easing my heavy load.

Oh, the stirrings of a romantic brocanteur. Pitiful passion to hunt for brocante, with a confusing desire for simplicity around the house.

God has a wicked sense of humor giving me a split personality. Oh no… actually the heavens have sent me you. 

 

 

 

French bowls 

 

 

During the last year, French Husband has been going around the brocante with me. At first, he went because I was falling asleep at the wheel. He couldn't stand the idea of me driving, and sleeping at the same time. So much so he put his dislike for brocanting aside. He has been driving me ever since.

At first, I wondered what I would have to do for such an act of love. Funny thing is he has never mentioned it… okay that is not true. He throws a fit every other month. In which case I remind him that I am the mother of his children and I cannot help it if God made me this way. I tell him to blame God.

He tells me that is crazy and I for one should know it.

I pretend I am not listening. Then I say, "You don't need to drive me, I have been falling asleep at the wheel for years, and nothing bad has happened yet."

He shakes his head, giving me that dang-whatever-smile.

He allows me to think I have the upper hand and his silence is a good teacher for my faults.

 

 

  Hardware-fragments


But here is where it gets tricky. After hanging out with me for a year he has symptoms of catching the brocante bug. Poor soul. I noticed him looking at things, then bending down to touch the stuff, and lately, he has been asking my opinion, "What do you think of this?" and "Do you like that?" and worse, "Should 'we' buy it?"

Oh God, you have a wicked sense of humor giving French Husband the brocante bug.

 

 

Roll of lace 

Oh well if he starts to buy lace underpinnings I might start to worry. But until then I'll count my blessings.

 

 



Comments

16 responses to “Brocante Bugs, Boogers and other Germs of the Trade”

  1. It only took Top about six months before he started buying and now he is worse than me so watch out!!!!

  2. My husband and I both have the antique bug. So it is challenging. He loves anything big and heavy and I keep telling him “small, cute, dainty” sells better. The other problem is that if he does not sell his big, heavy piece of furniture, he wants to put it in the house. Sigh.

  3. A generous husband, indeed. No need for competing or ‘told you so’s’ in this world…just quiet help and genuine curiosity. Nice man.

  4. *giggles*
    What challenges ahead! :-)))

  5. It is therapeutic to hear you tell this tale of woe. I have a constant inner conflict of longing to hunt for beautiful, old things vs. desiring a home where things don’t tip over when I walk through a room due to overcrowding. As a matter of fact I have a “purge” scheduled for this weekend. The advantage of beatiful antique and vintage things is that it is relatively easy to acquire them, admire them for as long as we’d like, then offer them up to the next admirer, and everybody’s happy.

  6. I too have the split personality of simplify vs collector. I haven’t found the happy solution other than to “clean house” and go to the flea market with my treasures every so often. Strange thing is no matter how much I sell, I usually come home with something new. As for The Man…well he has his own set of issues with antique tools and fishing paraphernalia so… God smiled when he put us together! And he has been known to call me to ask “I found x, y or z for this much, that’s a good price right? Do you want it?” God love the men who love us!

  7. Guilty of the split personality, love to hunt, hate clutter. I got rid of almost everything a few years ago. A woman came up to me at my yard sale and said “this is like a great flea market” and I thought I would regret letting everything go but I’m holding steady. I think FH is hooked. Took my husband a while but he’s always game for a market now.

  8. So very true, God’s sense of humor. We love the hunt and gathering, but on the same level want to simplify. I need to go simplify, then I can go hunt again.

  9. I love it! So great when after years and years, hubbies take interest in the things that interest their wives. After years of me listening to and loving Crowded House/Neil Finn music, and my hubby rolling his eyes at me, he finally started listening, too. On his own!
    And….I think you guys are really in trouble now with two brocanters in the house!

  10. My father used to hang out while my mother looked for fabrics (she used to quilt) and then as she asked his opinion more and more, he got to where he quite enjoyed being on the hunt for just what she wanted. I think it’s wonderful that you and FH can share this together.
    I never realized that you had a bent to simplicity (as do I). I would love to go poking around but rarely indulge because I have not the budget to back purchases. Better to enjoy seeing your purchases here.

  11. I am so lucky. I moved 4 weeks ago to a new [old] house and am renovating.. and now, i have lost that gathering bug and my home is taking on a different feel to my old one.. a simpler one.. with just bits that I absolutely love. and I like it 🙂

  12. Very, very cool about FH’s interest in the brocante! Now you’ll have another set of peepers to spy out all the really good stuff. As to simplicity…well, the soul is willing, but the flesh is very, very weak.

  13. Corey,
    It’s nice that FH is taking an interest in your addiction, especially now that both kids are gone. You might feel the need to spend more time together.
    I love going to the thrift store so much that I would be willing to be a personal thrift store shopper for free. The thrill of the hunt is so addicting.
    By the way, how are the kids doing?
    ~elaine~

  14. Marie-Noëlle

    Corey, tell Sacha I’ve got an issue for him :
    http://www.villiard.com/images/velo/velo-camouflage.jpg
    more natural and very baggy !

  15. Julie Ann Evins

    Brilliant work Corey, most women would kill for a husband that enjoyed any sort of shopping ! Well done, J x

  16. Lucky you is he does buy lacey underthings for you, Corey! ;p I laughed when I read “I have been falling asleep at the wheel for years…”. Hah!

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