My CobwebPalace: Houston, We've Got a Problem

We are trying to get ourselves ready for a big event in our little town this weekend, the Cowboy Festival, and so have been sweeping away the winter dust and ahem....cobwebs. I took a few pictures of the insides of our shops and realized that we are so far beyond having the ability to do anything about our "condition" I got a horrendous case of hysterical giggles. My little retail space is the icehouse on the left, the big store is under the green overhang, we're right smack-dab in the center of town.

Though the big antique store is pretty much open year round, I pack up most of my textile inventory for the winter, because the town just isn't busy, and bring it back out about now. A little of it is on ArtFire and Etsy. I've been putting out my reproduction period costuming and accessories, as well as some authentic pieces. Nevadan's take dressing up pretty seriously for these kinds of events, and when the town is about to be overrun by Lacy J. Dalton, The Comstock Cowboys, and a full brigade of Western History buffs, re-enactors, and generally enthused folk, we must be prepared. It's what we do, mostly. Ummm...well maybe not the prepared part.

I was a little dismayed when I realized that dear husband has been buying furniture all winter and piling it into

the center of my store.

Okay, so those are a few pics of my little bit of insanity...but it gets even better, or worse depending on your perspective.

My dismay, and painful giggling increased when I saw that it was because the aisles in his store were near impassable. I remember the Tiffany Grandfather clock coming in awhile back, but really, "Honey, there's medication for this." He said he's happy and doesn't need meds. I know that to be true, and I know that he's a seasoned and knowledgeable dealer, collector and historian...and he thinks dust is historical in it's own way....

A little more tweaking in my shop this week and we'll be as ready as possible.

But this is my real problem. Okay so you know that I got new boots, and you should also know that I saw them on Deryn Mentocks blog, she got them first and gets total credit for exquisite taste, but I HAD to have them and it took me a nanosecond to track them down, on sale, in my size. But I couldn't stop. The smell of the leather, delicious colors, styles and designs, it gets as bad as buying beads. And so there was a brown truck in this one horse town today...

Yes, I was sooo excited I put stargazer lilies in my boots. See how versatile they are? Imagine how black and white ones would look with red tulips in them?!