curbside shopping.

one of the things i love most about vermont is the way people have impromptu yard sales. aka - they leave things they no longer have a use for in their driveway or just on their front porch, often with a handwritten cardboard sign, and welcome folks to just take what they please and leave a few dollars if they can. it's genius, really. and if you are up for a nice little saturday drive along some back roads, you are certain to find some little treasures along the way.

we also have some fabulous markets and stores all across the state - including anjou & the little pear, antiques at camelot village the flynn avenue sunday markets, architectural salvage warehouse, and so many more! and, thanks to the lovely kate over at the goodie life, i just came across this amazing home decorated in all things from garage sales, craigslist, curbs and flea markets (with a little ikea thrown in) and it has made me want to get after it this weekend and go on a hunt for some hidden surprises. see for yourself...

{headboard made from old moldings and leftover wallpaper...genius}

{teak chairs from craigslist $50 each plus reupholstering; sofa $25 and lamp $3, both from a garage sale.}

{wooden table top $10; industrial base $150; ikea parsons chair $50 - from 'as is' section}

can you say wow!? are you as inspired as i am? care to go curb shopping with me this weekend? or if you are already onto this trend - want to share your brilliance with us - any curbsides or flea markets or antique stores you frequent that we should no about!? c'mon...it's not fair to keep all the good stuff a secret.

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the 251 club.

• random fact #1: there are two hundred and fifty one towns in vermont.
• random fact #2: the town of lewis, in the northeast kingdom, is the hardest town to find as it has no highways, definitive markers, or people. the town is home to moose, bear, fisher cats, and other wildlife.
• random fact #3: there is a club is dedicated to exploring each and everyone of these communities, aptly named the 251 club. it costs $7 to join and operates on the honor system.
• random fact #4: i will be joining immediately. this might be the greatest, most aspirational to do list of all time. and you know i love a to do list.

in case you were wonderfing the 251 to do list towns are:

addison, albany, alburgh, andover, arlington, athens, averill, bakersfield, baltimore, barnard, barnet, barre city, barre town, barton, belvidere, bennington, benson, berkshire, berlin, bethel, bloomfield, bolton, bradford, braintree, brandon, brattleboro, bridgewater, bridport, brighton, bristol, brookfield, brookline, brownington, brunswick, burke, burlington, cabot, calais, cambridge, canaan, castleton, cavendish, charleston, charlotte, chelsea, chester, chittenden, clarendon, colchester, concord, corinth, cornwall, coventry, craftsbury, danby, danville, derby, dorset, dover, dummerston, duxbury, east haven, east montpelier, eden, elmore, enosburg, essex, fair haven, fairfax, fairfield, fairlee, fayston, ferdinand, ferrisburg, fletcher, franklin, georgia, glastenbury, glover, goshen, grafton, granby, grand isle, granville, greensboro, groton, guildhall, guilford, halifax, hancock, hardwick, hartford, hartland, highgate, hinesburg, holland, hubbardton, huntington, hyde park, ira, irasburg, isle, la motte, jamaica, jay, jericho, johnson, killington, kirby, landgrove, leicester, lemington, lewis, lincoln, londonderry, lowell, ludlow, lunenburg, lyndon, maidstone, manchester, marlboro, marshfield, mendon, middlebury, middlesex, middletown springs, milton, monkton, montgomery, montpelier, moretown, morgan, morristown, mount holly, mount tabor, new haven, newark, newbury, newfane, newport city, newport town, north hero, northfield, norton, norwich, orange, orwell, panton, pawlet, peacham, peru, pittsfield, pittsford, plainfield, plymouth, pomfret, poultney, pownal, proctor, putney, randolph, reading, readsboro, richford, richmond, ripton, rochester, rockingham, roxbury, royalton, rupert, rutland city, rutland town, ryegate, saint albans, city, saint albans town, saint george, saint johnsbury, salisbury, sandgate, searsburg, shaftsbury, sharon, sheffield, shelburne, sheldon, shoreham, shrewsbury, somerset, south burlington, south hero, springfield, stamford, stannard, starksboro, stockbridge, stowe, strafford, stratton, sudbury, sunderland, sutton, swanton, thetford, tinmouth, topsham, townshend, troy, tunbridge, underhill, vergennes, vernon, vershire, victory, waitsfield, walden wallingford, waltham, wardsboro, warren, washington, waterbury, waterford, waterville, weathersfield, wells, west fairlee, west haven, west rutland, west windsor, westfield, westford, westminster, westmore, weston, weybridge, wheelock, whiting, whitingham, williamstown, williston, wilmington, windham, windsor, winhall, winooski, wolcott, woodbury, woodford, woodstock and worcester.

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