Grayslake Antique & Flea Market 8-13-11

Hey yall!!! Yet another awesome day at the flea market! This week I went to Lake County Fair Grounds and really enjoyed this project. I talked to more people than I normally would have & instead of being on a mission to find some crazy stuff, I was out to find some unique people & hear some great stories.


I began by talking to Saundra Kelly.

Saundra Kelly: Bangor, MI

To break the ice with most vendors, I'd ask them "If the market set fire right now what would you grab?"
Most would answer "My wife/husband" and wink at me. But Saundra was very proud of her furniture she posed with. She told me how she had recently seen the exact same piece she is photographed with in some "country design" magazine. She couldn't wait to tell me she had the same advertised $1,900 multi-drawed pieced for only $800. Saundra is a retired government employee and enjoys selling at flea markets. Her grandson, Leo, also happens to be one of the cutest 8 year olds I've met in a while. He was helping her. She is a beautiful woman we can all agree. She has this exotic look about her doesn't she?!

I didn't find much else I wanted to see outside, so I head into the main building of the fair grounds and came across two people having a conversation.

Nancy Brown: Zion, IL & Clem Wirfs: Johnsburg, IL

I had to stop and talk to these two. I appologized for inturupting their conversation & asked them if they wouldn't mind being photographed for the blog. They had no idea what I saw in them just standing there, but there is so much to be told from this simple photograph.

Clem was such a sweet man. He told me that Nancy & him had been friends for over 30 years. I only had a moment to photograph them together because he was about to leave but I think im OBSESSED with this shot.

Nancy is a 10 year Cancer survivor. Her stage 4 Uterine, turned Cervical Cancer has been beat & now she stands proudly, smoking her cigarillo. She can do what she wants... I like her.

Inside, I saw a ton of famillar faces from Kane County (last week).

 

Allan Smessart: Kankakee, IL

Huge Sollo: Kankakee, IL

Allan & Huge sell the most amazing, brilliant plants ever. I cannot even begin to discribe how insane these beautiful plants are, and how full of knowledge these two are full of. Huge was really against getting his picture taken, but gave in after talking with me for a while about my project. Seems like people are really liking this idea?  To check out their plants, and information about Acorn Markets (their booth) click HERE!!


Joe was one of the best people I met all day. I introduced myself, and said that I went to SCAD, the Savann- COULDN'T EVEN FINISH SAYING SAVANNAH & HE WAS CALLING TO HIS BUSINESS PARTNER SANDY,  "WE GOT A SCADDIE!!!!!!!" 

Joe Kenz: Culver, IN

I love connecting with people who know the arts as well as Joe did. If you know about Savannah, you know about the paper mill... yet ANOTHING thing Joe & I connected on. Growing up in Kalamazoo, he knows that glorious stink. Joe is a very creative man. Sandy & him have a business called Rhubarb Reign Inc. Antiques & Design where they not only find their products themselves, but if it's not the way they want it to look, they redesign it to be that way. If you click here, you can see their blog & here for their facebook site. I could have spent hours talking to Joe. He was a cool dude. (Sandy was busy helping customers!)

Joe also sold me these portraits:

Velvet framed portraits $8 each

I paid only $12... they were pretty...


I first connected with Heather by talking about her granddaughters who both are very artistic.

Heather Steger: Forest Park, IL

 Again, I asked her what would she grab if the market set on fire. She showed me her quilts. She really just lit up when she posed with theses. I loved her story about how her first bedroom set cost her $30. She was so scared her husband was going to kill her because she wasn't used to having money... Needless to say, he was thrilled!

Oh man! ROBIN....So I had to shoot Robin. He reminded me so much of Savannah Dan.

Robin McDaniel: Lake Zurich, IL

Savannah Dan (I do NOT own this photo, I found it online!)

 For those of you who dont know who Savannah Dan is, he gives walking tours of Savannah all dressed up like a true southern gentleman.

Much like Savannah Dan, Robin is full of so much knowledge. He invented some kind of nuclear  reactor, and is a scientist of some sorts. Yall should know, I'm not that smart to keep up with that kind of science conversation, so I politely nodded yes, opened my eyes real big and said UGHHUUUH!! He said his favorite thing from his collection, is books! My mom & I have to look out for him at the Ela Library real soon!

Cute feller who sold my my Brownie Jr. $9

 I'm sad I didn't catch this mans name. He was sweet, but didn't seem interested in talking to me much, so I got my camera & a photo & went on my way.

"Mom": Illinois

"Mom"'s daughter was not interested in me talking to her mother, but was willing to let me take a picture or two. Mom was a sweet lady I just had to shoot!


Now yall havent seen Patty before, but you've seen her products before on Kendal's blog from last week. Patty sells BEAUTIFUL prints! I had to talk to her for a second!

Patty Suttle: Aurora, IL

Patty sold me some great prints.

Map of Georgia $1

Anatomy drawings $1 each

Scientific Beetle drawing $1