When sisters, entrepreneurs and fans of all things vintage, Dixie DeRocher and Linda Albers, open the doors of their Funky Junk Sisters Flea Market in Puyallup, Washington May 14 and 15, they’ve got a little something extra to share.

“Oh, you are just going to love the news we have for you!!!” they teased from the Funky Junk Sisters Facebook page.

The big secret is that DeRocher and Albers have invited Sue Whitney, of JUNKMARKET Style fame, to join them.

Whitney, who is well-known to viewers of HGTV’s Country Style, got her start in 2000 when she opened a workshop in Minnesota. There she created one-of-a-kind objects using vintage odds and ends she salvaged and brought home from flea markets and barn sales. In 2003 Whitney became editor-at-large of Country Home Magazine. Now, the author of four books has launched a magazine and makes frequent television appearances including the Today Show.

When Whitney joins the Funky Junk Sisters in Puyallup in May, she’ll be available to shoppers who’ve purchased special tickets. On Friday, for $75, fans will get a one-hour seminar by Whitney, as well as a chance to spend another hour doing some shopping with her and have her sign books.

On Saturday, a $30 ticket buys admission to a special one-hour seminar by Whitney and a book-signing.

Details are still being ironed out but DeRocher told me in an email that they think Spokane “junk” fans will be thrilled.

“This is going to be the best show to date!” De Rocher said.

More information about the Funky Junk Sisters Flea Market.

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I found this Country Living slide show featuring creative ways to update and re-use vintage finds and thought I would share.

I like the way most of the projects have a clean, upscale look. Sometimes, it's better to have a little more and a little less shabby…

I snapped a few photos of happy people taking home treasures from the Funky Junk Antique Sale in Chattaroy this weekend. Enjoy!

Ashley Hanson found a pretty ring.

Chris Fehr snagged a new Canary print to add to her collection.

Skye Grow likes pop!

Mary Joe couldn't resist a barn-shaped holder for her photographs.

Jenna M. scored a bulletin board for her room.

To see all photos click below…

The Funky Junk Antique Show took place over the weekend at the Irish Dance Hall Grange on Big Meadows Road  and I looked forward to dropping by. I'm not a first-at-the-door-and-wait-in-line treasure hunter. I prefer to take my chances and shop after the crowd thins. True, I may miss a bargain, but I have more fun that way. Years ago when I had my own shop, I did my time. I pulled up with newpaper classifieds and coffee in hand and chatted while we all waited in line. But, not being in the business (I'm only in the businness of writing about the business, now) I prefer to  take my time and not get jostled.

Anyway, Jenna and I drove out to farm country and reminisced along the way. Our family used to live in the area and I've driven the roads around the Grange many times. We still have friends who live nearby.

When we arrived I was given a free T-shirt for being a Facebook Friend and we paid our admission. (Right away, I ran into my friend, Linda Hagen Miller.)  While I stopped to talk to friends and readers, Jenna did her own shopping. We had a great time.

To see photos of some of the vendors at this weekend's show, click below…

I can't resist a love letter. Who can?

I got this in last week's mail from a long-time Treasure Hunting reader and thought I would share.

Dear Cheryl-Anne, I just found your Treasure Hunting blog at the Spokesman-Review again. I'm so glad to see you back writing about antiques. I followed your stories in the paper and in the Home section from the first one and I have missed reading about your finds. I went to the Antiques Roadshow and saw you there. I loved the magazine but I am glad the paper got you back again. Keep up the good work and maybe I'll see you at a sale some time. Sincerely, Amy E.

Thanks for the note, Amy. I'm thrilled to have the antiques and collectibles beat again. It's nice to be back in familiar territory. See you around.

CAM

With a few minutes to spare, I stopped by an estate sale on my way to pick up my daughter from school. The bungalow, located on a street that links the regal Rockwood neighborhood and the up-and-coming Perry District, was full of people and not a lot else. I could tell most of the finds had already been found. And, that's ok with me. I'm not a get-there-an-hour-early-and-stand-in-line kind of treasure hunter. I hate the pushing and shoving when the door opens and, besides, I'm not afraid of leaving empty-handed. If something there is meant to go home with me, it will wait for me to find it.

After walking through the house, I went around to the basement. There were the usual things - garden tools, Christmas decorations and clay flower pots - but a chair caught my eye. It was a 1960s office chair. I loved the clean lines of the piece; the mid-century modern look to the slim strips of finished wood for arm rests, green nubby upholstery fabric and a wide roller base. I asked for the price of the unmarked chair. The man in charge of the basement sales asked me what I would pay. I asked what he had in mind. Neither of us said anything else for a minute.

Finally, the man said he would like to get $15 for it. I sat in the chair and liked the way it fit me. There was a good feel to the structure. It rolled easily and tipped back just enough to keep one from feeling like they were sitting in an upright kitchen chair. The fabric seat and naugahyde back were in excellent condition.

A woman walked into the basement and noticed the chair, and my attention to it. “I'll give you $5 for that chair,” she said. I glanced up at her and then at the man as he refused. She walked on.

I didn't really need a new chair, but I haven't been happy with the chair in my office. I thought I might have found a better option. I offered the man $10 and he accepted cheerfully.

When I got it home and turned it over to do wipe away the basement dust, I noticed the United Chair Company tag on the bottom of the chair and smiled. I have a friend who spent many years as an administrator  at United Chair in Leeds, Alabama before she left to go to work at the new Nissan factory.

So, my 1946 Spokane Cape Cod got a $10 dose of Southern-made, comfortable, mid-century modern style with a dash of nostalgia. Not bad for a 10-minute stop at an estate sale.

         After sitting on the market for more than a year, the little vintage 1937 Cape Cod at the edge of the park didn’t suffer from a lack of attention.

     A lot of people looked at it. They noticed the prime location across the street from the upper end of Manito Park. They took note of the neighborhood of well-kept homes. They looked at the pre-war charm and loads of potential.

     What they couldn’t see was the best way to open up tiny, cramped rooms. Or to bring light to a dark interior. Or to best utilize the basement for an expansion.

      Enter Josh Hissong. After a quick tour of the little house, Hissong was hooked.

     “I wasn’t sure how I would do it, exactly,” Hissong says. “But I knew the house had a lot of potential.”

     After the seller accepted his offer - he closed on the property on Halloween - he sent an email to HGTV, the home and garden television network.

     “I went online and contacted producers,” he says. “I told them I was about to do a remodel and sent them some information asking if they were interested.”
The answer was an immediate yes. Hissong was asked to send photos.
    Producers of HGTV’s sister network, DIY, called and said they would be taping Hissong’s project.

     “I thought, ‘OK, well, now you’ve got to do it,’” he says.

      While Hissong plowed into the renovation, the first time he’s done such an in-depth project, a crew from DIY Renovation Realities flew to Spokane and followed his progress.

    “It was an adventure,” Hissong says. “My friend and I did the entire first-floor demo by hand. No power tools.” When he brought out the power saw, the first thing he did was cut through a live power line.

     “The producer said, ‘Maybe you should go back to using a hammer,’” Hisson says with a laugh.

     There were a few other mishaps and learning opportunities. At one point in the renovation the power was out and they needed to light a fire in the fireplace. 
                                                       

     “We used the only drawings I had made,” Hissong says. “From then on it was out of my head.”

     The result is stunning. The former dated, dingy and dark interior is now sleek and looks more like a downtown loft than a cottage. Hissong opened up the entire first floor, adding a powder room and frosted glass door to the garage. The kitchen, now a contemporary and user-friendly room, features stainless steel appliances, stone-tile accent walls and custom cabinetry. French doors lead to the new deck and landscaped back yard. Modern light fixtures both illuminate and decorate the main floor.

     “I found them on Eurway.com for $108.00 per fixture with free shipping,” he says, estimating he saved hundreds on each fixture by ordering online.

     Upstairs, the two bedrooms and small bonus room were updated and new carpet installed. The bathroom, once a simple washroom tucked under the eaves is now a glossy stone-tiled space. In the basement, Hissong installed another large bathroom and two more bedrooms. The original  1,800 square foot interior is now almost 2,700 feet of elegant, urban living space

     “I have replaced pretty much every finish in the entire home,” Hissong says. “I spent every lunch break and free moment I could, researching pricing on finishes.”

     The renovation and restoration work paid off. Dark wood, modern tile and smooth stone update the rooms. Neutral walls lend a serene atmosphere.

     After all was said and done, Hissong managed to finish the project on time and within the budget. No small feat. He credits good help from friends like Brian Brumfield, and and his background as the area’s leading restaurant designer.

     “A good contractor helps,” Hissong says.  “But hiring a real designer that has money saving ideas and can control your labor, help with the design and finish choices will go further than anything else.”

      “The long and short of it is I learned, again, that you have to take control of a remodel,” he says. “Or it will take control of you and your pocket book.”  

       Hissong has put the finished home up for sale, but admits it will be hard to let go of all his hard work.

     When Hissong gathers with friends on Saturday night to watch the first airing of his project on DIY Television’s Renovation Realities, he’s looking forward to celebrating a job well done and lessons learned.

    “What drew me to the house was the fact that it sat so long and that there were over 120 realtor cards in one of the drawers in the kitchen,” he says.“People loved the location and the style of the home, they just did not have the vision to transform it.”

     Hissong had the vision. And, now, so do television viewers across the country.

(Click Continue Reading to see more photos of Josh Hissong’s renovation)

Since I was driving this week’s test car down Highway 2, I pulled into GardenStone Creations in Airway Heights.

Ignoring the cruel Easter weekend sleet and hail outdoors, I spent a few minutes looking around the shop waiting on something to call my name. I didn’t have to wait long. The first thing I found was a bottle of yummy Garden Gate Farms lavender bath gel. I keep this around as not only a bath additive, but a way to condition dry winter air in my house. I fill the tub with hot, hot, hot water and add a squeeze or two of the gel. While it cools enough to be deliciously hot but not boil me like a lobster, the lavender scented steam drifts around the bedroom and bathroom. When I’m done I leave the water in the tub and let the magic continue. It’s a surefire way to a soft landing after a long hard day.

Then, I found a vintage treasure. One I can mark off the list of things I’m always searching for.

I was thrilled to spot a small, vintage paper cutter right up on the front counter. Such things aren’t easy to find.

The heavy wood block, scored to help measure straight lines, has a very sharp and very heavy duty blade perfect for trimming photos and card stock. No flimsy parts or pieces. I can’t wait to get it on my workbench in the basement and put it to work. Best $20 prize this month.

Running errands this morning, I passed a sign pointing to a Garage/Estate sale. I made a quick detour and drove by. You never know what you’ll find, right?

What a sight.

I’ve been going to sales most of my life. I lived in a family of collectors and dealers. I had my own business for years. I’m not put off by much, but when I saw this, I shook my head.

For the record, this is how you DON’T want to do a sale.  I walked around people-watching for a few minutes and saw a few pieces of vintage clothing but I wasn’t inclined to dig around. And I didn’t see anyone coming away with much. Who knows what ws buried in the boxes and piles?

Treasure hunting is fun. But it shouldn’t be hazardous.