Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Lulu & Lolie back at the Leslieville Flea November 17th



Lulu & Lolie are back at The Leslieville Flea November 17th and are bringing a wonderful selection of winter coats for men, women and children! Some great wool blankets, a ton of milk glass and kitchenwares as well as vintage luggage, purses, hats, and scarves! Oh and we always have a fantastic assortment of vintage fisher-price toys!

Come by and see Lucy and Nikki of Lulu & Lolie to browse our gorgeous racks of clothes or just to say hello! Visit us on facebook at www.facebook.com/LuluandLolie

Monday, October 28, 2013

The Leslieville Flea gets a website!

We are super happy to unveil our new website!
It's the new go to place for all things Leslieville Flea! 

We also remind you that
we will be moving indoors Sunday, November 17th and Sunday December 15th 
to the Jimmy Simpson Rec Center, 870 Queen street east

Hours will still be 10am-4pm

and now there will be FOOD AT THE FLEA!! 
So bring your appetite and sample some fantastic eats!

For a complete list of vendors and to stay up to date on all things Leslieville Flea

Saturday, October 26, 2013

Upcycle Saturday: Stylin' with The Leslieville Flea....Not just a One Night Stand!

This week on Upcycle Saturday we will give you a great idea for an old wooden dresser.  One of the best things about Flea Market furniture is it's age.  For much less than you would spend on a new piece, you can buy one that is made from solid materials with quality joints and workmanship.

This project involves converting an old wood dresser into a great looking bedside table with tons of storage.

Find a dresser whose lines and style you love....might we suggest a trip to one of the many vendors at The Leslieville Flea?

You may or may not have to cut the legs down to the right height for your bed.  It should be at least the same height of your mattress.... I prefer mine even a few inches higher than that.

Choose your paint colour...here we used Onyx by Benjamin Moore which I've found is the perfect soft black.

*DIY tip:  To paint over an existing finish try using Chalk Paint.  It adheres to practically any finish without any prep....yup that's right no prep!  You can buy some Chalk Paint but it is pretty expensive...here are some recipes that you can make at home for a fraction of the cost
http://howtodistressfurniture.net/definitive-guide-homemade-chalk-paint-recipes

Add some new hardware and you are done!  The best part of this piece is how much storage you will gain....this can hold all your jewellery, scarfs belts and other accessories and will still have room left over.

Hope to see you at the next Leslieville Flea November 17th at the Jimmy Simpson Recreation centre, 870 Queen street east from 10-4pm .

Thursday, October 24, 2013

More fabulous finds from the Leslieville Flea

Mirror mirror on the wall who is the loveliest of them all at the Leslieville Flea?

Join us at the next Leslieville Flea, Sunday November 17th at the Jimmy Simpson Recreation centre, 870 Queen street east from 10-4pm

Monday, October 21, 2013

Finds from yesterday's Leslieville Flea!!

A perfect fall day for shopping......
Daryl, bought chairs at Slim Pickins!
  Stephanie and Paul bought a fan from Rural Revival!
Kirsty bought this fab frame at Recourse and Funk Stuff!
Derek found these pennants at Fair Judy's!

Stay tuned for more great 'finds from the Leslieville Flea' and remember, the Leslieville Flea moves indoors to the Jimmy Simpson Recreation centre November 17th! See you there.
  
Photos taken by Alex, daughter of Eve Weinberg of www.hillcrestdesign.ca

Friday, October 18, 2013

Guest Blogger...It's all in the name.....Brad from Fair Judy's tells us how he came up with his!


Why is your business named Fair Judy’s? I get this question in some form or another all the time and I get it…I’m a young guy and it doesn’t make too much sense does it? Well like many things in life, there is always a reason.  So why Fair Judy’s? Well, here is the story:
Like many kids, my Mom would take me on day trips over the summer breaks from school. She would always ask me if I wanted to go to the waterpark, Canada’s Wonderland or some other typical fun kid thing. Being the history nerd I am I would opt for the Black Creek Pioneer Village, Saint Mary among the Hurons, or to see the tall ships and settlements in Penetanguishene.  When you embark on these road trips you usually find yourself passing through some small towns with great antique stores scattered throughout southern Ontario. My Mom, being a collector herself, would often like stopping at these stores to see if she could find some treasures to bring home and I would tag along of course.
Like many kids not all the trips were of my choosing and often I would be brought along to weekend antique markets and festivals to save my Mom a babysitter as my Dad did shift work. From all of these experiences I developed a passion for collecting and it’s been with me ever since. It started with Coke collectibles and comic books and now it has grown to movie posters, board games, sports equipment, anything baseball and trophies; not to mention some obscure pieces I just can’t bring myself to sell. 

While on trips where I was either adding to my collection or finding vintage furniture for my condo, I thought why don’t I buy a little more and try to sell it back in the city. After much success I decided to start my own antique and vintage business; now I just needed a name. I always wanted to offer antiques and vintage pieces at fair prices, but what name would encompass this and still pay homage to the person that nurtured my passion for collecting. It was actually my girlfriend who came up with the name Fair Judy’s. If you haven’t already guessed, my mother’s name was Judy.  Unfortunately my mother is no longer with us having lost a long battle with cancer 5 years ago. I wouldn’t be a collector if it wasn’t for her as she not only introduced me to antiques and collecting but she also put up with it. I remember her standing on our porch as her son would round the corner with a wagon full of our neighbours’ junk   during the spring garbage days and simply smile as I yelled to her “Hey Mom, Look what they were going to throw out!” 
The antique and vintage business is tough and spending Saturday night’s packing up a van only to then wake up early on Sunday to unpack and set up at the Flea isn’t easy, but all I have to do is look at the Fair Judy’s sign hanging in my booth and know that somewhere my Mom is looking down and smiling. That’s why my business is called Fair Judy’s. 

Hope you'll pop by to say hello this Sunday, October 20th at the Leslieville Flea located at Queen and Leslie

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Guest Blog- Douglas and Son; an Epic Restoration! Part 2

Part 2 of Douglas and Son's Epic Restoration focuses on the dining room, sleeping loft and bathroom.

DINING ROOM:

We paired this amazing table (from the now-defunct Canada Tavern) with a set of 8 rough school chairs salvaged from a church basement. The rolling shoe rack holds art, wine and some more sentimental heirloom antiques. We used basic clear tube light bulbs in the classic chandelier to give it some edge.

SLEEPING LOFT:

Walls and ceiling are rough pine planks that we white-washed with diluted white paint (this is a great DIY project for a single wall behind your bed). We made the bed out of some free skids. Bedside tables are old crates turned on their sides to hold books and reading lamps are vintage metal desk lamps.

BATHROOM:

We turned an old dresser into a vanity and added a modern-ish sink and faucet. Medicine cabinet is vintage and displays some apothecary items. Old Spanish street sign keeps things from looking too twee. Lighting is from Rona... we're waiting to find the perfect vintage sconces, but until then, these'll do!

If you like what you see then come check out the next Leslieville Flea on October 20th behind the Duke at Leslie and Queen street east! There's a ton of incredible vintage goods coming your way.

Douglas + Son Vintage Mercantile at 30 King Street East in Bobcaygeon.
TWITTER: @DouglasandSon
TUMBLR: http://douglasandson.tumblr.c

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Guest Blog- Douglas and Son and an Epic Restoration! Part 1

Many of our customers at the Leslieville Flea and at our shop, Douglas + Son, are in some stage of renovating their homes and are looking for for unique vintage details to finish their spaces. We just finished an epic restoration of our century-old farmhouse in Bobcaygeon, so we know how you feel! To keep our costs down, we mixed in a ton of DIY tricks along the way and styled the place with an eclectic mix of old and new. This process led us to opening our store this year (we found so much great vintage, we have to share it!) Here's how the house turned out. ( Part 1 of 2 to be continued on Thursday)

THE KITCHEN:


Hard to believe but his whole kitchen extension is brand new. Budget dictated that we keep our cabinetry simple, so we opted for Ikea cabinets and counters (we can upgrade someday, I keep telling myself). To personalize it, we built an island out of an old work table from the local garage, topped it with thick barn board and added vintage bar stools. We laid the floor ourselves, using basic pine planks.

For extra storage, we built a low open shelf plus added a cool old locker to fit in a narrow space. For lighting we mixed old and new... little mason jar-esque ceiling lights are from Rona ($10/each!) and the factory lights are one of our vintage finds (they used to be green but we painted these white with Trem-Clad paint).

THE DEN


We eschewed expensive built-ins for a DIY shelf unit built out of weathered wood that we found in the barn. The crates and baskets along the bottom shelf hold toys and the open shelving gives us space to curate an ever-changing display of our favourite old and new things. We uncovered this wacky wall during our renos and decided to go with it so gave it a few coats of verathane to seal it in. It's become a cool backdrop for a rotating display of old prints, antlers and more.

PARLOUR


We painted the walls crisp white to offset the original wainscotting and added a mix of new and old furniture. The Victorian-style couch and chair are (our only) investment pieces from Lee Industries paired with some mid-century furniture to mix it up. Seagrass rug and curtains are from Ikea. Art, oddities, crates, lighting, wool blankets are all from Douglas + Son. And a note on taxidermy... less is more... unless you're Norman Bates.Check back on Thursday when we will take you through part 2 of our epic restoration which will include the re-design of our dining room, bathroom and sleeping loft!  In the meantime, check us out at:

Douglas + Son Vintage Mercantile at 30 King Street East in Bobcaygeon.
TWITTER: @DouglasandSon
TUMBLR: http://douglasandson.tumblr.com

Sunday, October 13, 2013

Stylin' with The Leslieville Flea....Storage with Style!


This week we show you how to use Flea Market Finds in your home for super stylish and functional storage.

Popular items at The Lesliville Flea include wooden crates, trunks and vintage valises/suitcases.  There is so much history to these pieces.  The mystery of where they have traveled and what they've carried inside makes them special and each scratch and well-worn corner tells a story.


While these pieces are beautiful on their own, they can be transformed into fantastic storage pieces!

Here's just a few ideas of things to do with these Flea Market Finds:
photo courtesy hammersandhighheels.blogspot.com
 Group wooden crates together on a wall for an eye catching alternative to standard shelving, or add wheels for moveable storage!....
photo courtesy starsforstreetlights.com
photo courtesy designsponge.com



You can add legs to the bottom of a vintage suitcase...or stack a few together for a terrific side table!

Our vendors always have a terrific selection of trunks and crates to choose from so grab a few at the next Leslieville Flea....Sunday, October 20th from 10-4pm behind the Duke!




Thursday, October 10, 2013

Guest Blog: Kitten & the Bear!

The Leslieville Flea is thrilled to introduce Kitten and the Bear who bring their yummy scones, jams and buttermilk to the Leslieville Flea on October 20th. I plan to be first in line! Below is a personal introduction.....

All Kitten and the Bear jams, preserves and marmalades are made by hand, in small, limited batches at our shop at 1574 Queen Street West in Toronto, Canada.  We create 50-100 unique, seasonal flavours a year, using local, sustainably grown fruit whenever possible.  Made in the French confiture style, in traditional hand-hammered copper preserving pans, we never use any commercial pectin, citric acid, bottled lemon juice, or synthetic ingredients of any kind.

We also make fresh buttermilk and vanilla scones which we serve up as "scone and jam sandwiches" for a take-away/walk-around food option (fresh scone with butter and choice of jam).

Come see us  at the Leslieville Flea.... Sunday, October 20th....from 10am-4pm...Behind the Duke!!

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Say hello to Bragg & Bee-Guest Bloggers at the Leslievlle Flea

Hi I’m Taylor, one half of the vintage team Bragg & Bee and vendors at the Leslieville Flea
People always ask how I got started with selling vintage items....Answer; I met a busy Bee who was as much a collector as I was. We designed our home with our vintage finds and it quickly became a rotating gallery of unique objects. Friends started to ask to buy from our collection, find them specific items, and even design their spaces. Eventually our collections turned into us buying and selling pieces to friends and family. 
 As avid thrifters, garage sale’ers and boon-town road trippers, we love the hunt, the search and the find. The pursuit for the perfect Dansk Kobenstyle paella pan or CN Rail Lantern has landed us in some strange situations. Shaking a no-handed man’s hand at an estate sale in Massachusetts while buying his perfect antique globe. Entering questionable dark basements of craigslist’ers in the Beaches to grab a retro electric fireplace for the next design project. Squaring off with a gypsy garagesaler to bundle a deal while his family gives us the stare down. We find it fun to spend hours on end in a hot and dusty barn full of scales, tools, and industrial storage.  
 When we heard that a new Flea was coming to our neighborhood, we were sold. Why not share our collection with fellow vintage lovers?  Our love for design and all things vintage, retro, industrial, dusty and historical is what drives us to bring exciting items to our booth at the Leslieville Flea every month. We always have new items for your living room, dining room, kitchen, backyard, front porch, and awkward hallway; and our prices make redesigning your space affordable and attainable. We want our customers to be as excited about their flea market find as we were when we first laid eyes on it!
What are you looking for? Let us know. Email us at Leslievilleflea@gmail.com. We may find that final piece to finish off your Pyrex collection in a New Brunswick tree house, or the perfect office storage unit in our mechanics aunt’s garage.

We look forward to meeting you in person at the next Leslieville Flea, October 20th behind the Duke tavern at Leslie and Queen. 
 Taylor and Lauren

Saturday, October 5, 2013

Upcycling Saturday: Stylin' with The Leslieville Flea....Vanity Fair!

If you are looking to update your bathroom the easiest way to freshen it up would be with a new vanity. Unfortunately many bought at Designer bath boutiques come with a hefty price tag.  And the ones you find in your home reno store are less than inspiring.

Solution?  Using Flea Market Finds for a custom made vanity at big box store prices.

This is a relatively easy project for most handy DIY'ers to accomplish.  Once you have found a piece you like you are ready to finish it and add some updated hardware.  We chose an old cupboard that had drawers and a door for more storage.

TIP:  Make sure you use a finish that is appropriate for high traffic areas and moisture resistant....most bathroom paints work well here.  Choose one with a high gloss finish for more durability and a luxe finish.

You will need to choose a sink that is suitable for top mounting....these are readily available from big box stores or bath boutiques.

You then have to measure where the plumbing is and cut out the back of the piece to allow room for the pipes.  The top drawer here was cut back to allow for the trap below....and then the face of the drawer fastened on as a faux drawer.

With just a little bit of work and ingenuity you will have a bathroom vanity that is unique and super functional with lots of storage....you could even make a double vanity if you come across a wide dresser or sideboard!

So keep your eyes peeled at the next Leslieville Flea October 20th  for pieces that you can transform and make your own!

Thursday, October 3, 2013

Lucky Patina Sheds Some Light at the Leslieville Flea

There is no hiding in the dark from Lucky Patina who bring with them a large selection of mid century, very cool lamps. These as well as their sophisticated jewellery, cuddly blankets and other mid century collectibles are waiting for you to admire and make yours at the next Leslieville Flea October 20th behind the Duke tavern

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Amanda Kemp prepares for a fashionable winter at the Leslieville Flea !!

Amanda Kemp is ready for winter in her never before used vintage sheepskin coat from Lulu and Lolie.

Lucy from Lulu and Lolie will continue to offer up a fantastic selection of winter coats at the next Leslieville Flea October 20th behind the Duke!