The City Farmhouse Pop-up Fair is almost here and we can't wait to introduce y'all to our friend Cari Cucksey, host of HGTV's Cash and Cari! When it comes to repurposing this chick has a knack for reinventing, so we caught up with her to help y'all get to know her a little better before the weekend...

1. How would you describe your personal design aesthetic?

Very eclectic but tasteful (of course). I love a variety of periods -- my own home is a mix from the 1700s all the way to the 1950s! Obviously it doesn’t look like some crazy flea market but it’s all about melding together color and texture.

2. Where does your love of antiques & vintage stem from?

Well, I grew up in a 1908 Sears Roebuck and was surrounded by both sides of the family. My mother was a teacher and had a huge love for antiques, so when she was off in the summers she’d drag me around to go shopping with her, always wanting to teach me everything she knew about antiques. On the other side of the family was my grandfather -- the first American picker (way before Mike and Frank!). He taught me all about repurposing… after going through The Great Depression, he had so much gratitude and was just astonished at what people were willing to throw away. He would go shopping every day alongside the road and pick up what other people considered trash, then turn those items into things that were useful and beautiful. He really instilled in me a love for repurposing.

3. How do you know when you've found the perfect piece to refurbish?

I guess it’s just a gut feeling… sometimes I find pieces and I have no idea what I’m going to do with them. It’s all about your gut in this business though, and taking a chance and being willing to put in the sweat and equity to make something come to life!

4. What's the coolest piece you've reinvented?

It’s so hard to pick just one since I’ve repurposed so many fun things out there… I guess my favorite project though was for our wedding. We created 20 vintage vignettes and one of them was a cast iron tub that I cut the front off of and turned into a little vintage couch!

5. If you could only choose three tools to use for the rest of your life, what would they be?

A paint brush, my staple gun and mascara -- definitely can’t live without that one!

6. What's your favorite part about what you do?

I absolutely love the fact that I’m able to inspire people across the globe. Cash and Cari on HGTV airs in 40 countries and it’s so neat to me that so many different people are looking at objects in a different light. We’re bringing back the stories of these pieces and their owners -- if we don’t keep telling that history and educating people about what those items were and can be recreated into, they’ll get lost.

Catch Cari at the demonstration tent this weekend where she'll be teaching fair-goers the art of repurposing with Matthew Mead and Wagner spray tools! For more on Cari and show details, go here.

Aaaaaand, he's back! One of our favorite celebrity stylists is returning to the October 2015 City Farmhouse Pop-up Fair, and this time -- he's bring his secret weapon. We caught up with Matthew so y'all could get a peek into his creative genius and what to expect from him at next week's show!

1. How did you earn the nickname the "Lifestyle Guru?"
I've been doing this for like 20 years now, and I think it's the fact that I have so many different ideas -- I can dream up just about anything.

2. You've been a guest at the CFH pop-up fair twice now -- what are you most looking forward to about the October 2015 show?
I love to see all the great vintage items the dealers have with them, plus I've made lots of great friends at the show over the past couple of years. The vendors are all so talented and stylish, and they ALWAYS bring something new and unexpected to the table. So much inspiration.

3. Will you be looking for any pieces in particular at the Fair this year?
Well, I'm coming with a paint sprayer from Wagner so I'm looking for thing I can upcycle. Things like furniture and small pieces that are stylish but that I can also personalize with my own color palette.

4. What three tips would you give people who want to get into upcycling, but don't know where to start?
Upcycling can start at home, so look around your own house and find things that you already have that can be made better with a coat of paint. Also, don't be afraid to experiment with color -- think about the colors you like to wear or the paint on your walls. They're great for furniture too! Finally, consider the fact that upcycling isn't just limited to indoors... it's perfect for pieces outside too, like a park bench or patio table. You can even paint a doormat, a rug, or a lamp base. It's totally unlimited what you can do!


5. What can fair-goers expect to learn from you at the show demonstrations?
I want to get everyone really excited about being creative and the discovery of this incredible tool that can help them with such a variety of things that will just make their lives more beautiful.

6. Why do you prefer Wagner tools over others?
This one is special, no only because it is studio sized but because it also sits on a countertop and is very transformational. Plus, it doesn't leave any brush marks allowing it to turn something from really blah to beautiful in just minutes.

7. What do you like about City Farmhouse style?
I think it's just so engaging -- it's a real lifestyle that has that casual, comfortable, put-your-feet-up look but is super stylish at the same time.

Learn more about Matthew Mead and the demonstrations he'll be doing at the pop-up fair here.

What's a event without a red carpet soirée? My favorite part of the City Farmhouse Pop-up Fair, is meeting new people from around the country + talkin' "antiques with new friends. That's precisely why we're rollin' out a burlap carpet (yep, burlap) on Friday morning for our early buyers. You can think of it like a red carpet pre-show event--you'll get the latest news about the Fair, hot shopping tips, predictions, PLUS we'll be serving complimentary mimosas from 8-10 a.m.

Early shoppers will have the chance to take a picture in front of our "wall of fame" and "walk the burlap carpet!" And you better start getting those voices warmed up, ya'll! We are hosting a friendly competition where one lucky shopper will win the chance to participate in early buying, meaning they'll get to skip the line and enter the show 15 minutes before anyone else--this fortunate individual will have access to the most sought after items, minus the crowd!

How do you enter? You must sing Tennessee's favorite tune "Rocky Top" as loud as you can in front of the entire audience. The participant with the most enthusiasm and gumption will win this coveted pass.

There's nothing we love more than a fearless personality who's willing to lay it all on the line and embarrass themselves for the sake of priority pickin'! Am I right?

For those over achievers, we've posted the lyrics to Rocky Top below so you can start brushing up. We'll also have copies of the lyrics at the show, for those that need it.

Rocky Top
Wish that I was on ole rocky top,
Down in the Tennessee hills.
Ain't no smoggy smoke on rocky top,
Ain't no telephone bills.

Once there was a girl on rocky top,
Half bear the other half cat.
Wild as a mink, sweet as soda pop,
I still dream about that.

Rocky top, you'll always be
Home sweet home to me.
Good ole rocky top,
Rocky top Tennessee, rocky top Tennessee.

Once two strangers climbed on rocky top,
Lookin' for a moonshine still.
Strangers ain't come back from rocky top,
Guess they never will.

Corn won't grow at all on rocky top,
Dirt's too rocky by far.
That's why all the folks on rocky top
Get their corn from a jar.

Rocky top, you'll always be
Home sweet home to me.
Good ole rocky top,
Rocky top Tennessee, rocky top Tennessee.

Now I've had years of cramped up city life,
Trapped like a duck in a pen.
Now all I know is it's a pity life
Can't be simple again.

Rocky top, you'll always be
Home sweet home to me.
Good ole rocky top,
Rocky top Tennessee, rocky top Tennessee.

Rocky top Tennessee, rocky top Tennessee.
Yeah rocky top Tennessee eee eee eee.

Today, we're featuring guest bloggers Joni and Casey McCarty, local farmers who will also be hosting a demonstration at the Modern Gardener exhibit for the June 2015 City Farmhouse Pop-up Fair! 

The couple act as the agricultural curators for Homestead Manor, a new hospitality concept in Thompson's Station, TN, that will include an event barn and a Tuscany-style restaurant supplied by an on-site farm, opening later this month. They manage the farm and organically grow the vegetables and fruits for anyone dining on the property! 

Below, they offer a super-easy gardening tip that I'm bookmarking--and had me wondering.... why didn't I think of that?!?

Joni and Casey McCarty

WINDOW SILLS AND SPRING PLANTING: A MINI GREENHOUSE

By Joni McCarty, Homestead Manor Agricultural Curator

A couple of years ago, I noticed that our local garden store were selling these neat little greenhouses to help start seeds. Basically, it was just a plastic container with preformed cups of soil covered with clear plastic. You could then start a dozen seeds on a sunny window sill and be ready for spring planting for when the warmer weather hit.

My first thought was, "Someone is a genius for thinking to market something so simple." My next thought was for those poor unsuspecting souls that will pay for something they could easily do at home with materials on hand.

Here's how you can create your own little greenhouse that is best for spring planting prep but can be used all year 'round:

1. First, we begin saving all of our lettuce containers -- the ones with just the clear plastic boxes, and a lid.

2. Then, we organize the seeds and decide which seed will go in which container, and we label the containers accordingly.

3. Next we poke holes in the bottom of the containers, and set them on "drip trays" to catch any moisture. This also helps to more easily water, later on: we fill the drip trays with water and let the soil pull the moisture to the seed.

4. We then put the planted seedlings in our garage against a sunny window--but any place with lots of sunlight will do. Because we have tons of seeds and need the advantage of the full sun, we also hung a grow light above the seedlings near the back. When it's too cool (you won't have that problem in June!) we also put a heater set on low under the tables since our garage is unheated.

5. We keep the soil moist and the lids on the containers until we see the seedlings peek their heads up from the soil.

6. We planted these seeds in March (when it was still cool), and took a photo 5 days days later.... by then, we were already seeing good progress on their growth!

7. A few weeks laters, we prepared the garden to receive those seedlings (and more). We had a head start on our work too.

If you want to learn more about growing your own garden, be sure to come see us at the City Farmhouse Pop-up Fair, happening June 19-20. Our exhibit, "Creating & Growing Vegetables in a Raised Bed Garden," is on Saturday, June 20th at 10 a.m. We look forward to meeting you!

More About the McCartys 
For the past decade, Joni and Casey McCarty and their children have been traveling the country and “living on the land".... which means they are the perfect family to teach our City Farmhouse Pop-up Fair guests how to create a raised bed right in their own yards. This farmin' experts will offer easy tips on what seeds to choose, and how to care for your homegrown crops. Don't miss them on June 20th!

We're Doubling the Fun this Summer and Fall ...

Because y'all love our City Farmhouse Pop-up Shows so much ..... we decided to double the fun this year!!! Can you believe it!? We're crazy excited!!! 

Mark your calendars for the weekends of June 19-20 AND October 16-17. We're heading back out to the beautiful Buddy Killen Estate in the charming Leiper's Fork area of Franklin, Tennessee. We're working on some really cool events, great music, and of course a fabulous line-up of the best vendors in the business. LEARN MORE HERE.

And, speaking of vendors, if you're interested in obtaining a booth space, jump on it--we are more than halfway sold-out of vendor spaces for both shows! For those of you who haven't yet requested your contract - please click on this link for info on what you need to do here.

Special Events ... We asked some of our devoted shoppers what they loved most about the Pop-up Shows. Over and over again we heard how much they enjoyed the amazing vendors and all the unique things that they brought to the shows. So this year, we thought it would be fun to create an event that will focus on design and how to use the unique pieces that you see at the show in your own home. I'm  thinking a large tent filled with loads of design inspiration, along with guest speakers who would share their ideas with you. What do y'all think about that? Or, if you have any ideas that you would like to see at the show, please let us know. We'll post all the details on the website very soon.

To make sure you don't miss out on a single thing, sign up for our newsletter by clicking the newsletter link at the top of the blog.

As always, thanks for dropping by and being a part of our crazy, fun life!

Oooooeeee! Words cannot express how much fun we had at this year's City Farmhouse Pop-up Show. A big ole' round of applause and lots and lots of pats on the back to everyone that helped make it possible—it really does take a village, y'all! I am continually blown away by the amount of creativity and talent that exists in our little antique community. So, thank you for continuing to inspire me.

Most of the weekend is a blur of excitement, but I made a list of some of my favorite memories and highlights from the show. Comment on the post below and let me know your thoughts. What did you love the most? Did you find some gems that you're excited to decorate with? I know I sure did. Now I'm getting distracted, so back to my list...

• The Burlap Carpet Event—Ted Clayton wooed the early guests with his witty comments. 
• Rocky Top Singing Contest—several ladies were granted early-access passes to the show if they endured a little embarrassment. 
• We had more than 150 vendors at the show—their booths were incredible. 
• Folk & Folly exhibit—Buddy Killen's dilapidated mansion was transformed into a Southern gothic wonderland. 
• Meet-and-greet with Country Living editor—what a treat!
• Live entertainment—some of our favorite musicians serenaded the shopping crowd throughout the weekend. 
• Food trucks—they were there for us when we needed a pick-me-up (a.k.a. ice cream and espresso, duh.)
• Creative Stone transformed the gardens behind the house into a secret garden and built a firepit, and Franklin Stone donated the rock for the driveway—seriously dreamy additions. 
• Luncheon—a special thanks to Nina Hartmann and Matthew Mead for joining us. 

My VERY favorite part of the show was seeing people get excited about a certain antique piece they found at our show. We can't wait for next year, friends! And look on for some amazing pictures from the show (many taken by some of my favorite bloggers!)...

Welcome to the Pop-up Show! Time to Facebook and Instagram in front of the Wall of Fame...

Mimosas to kick off the Burlap Carpet Event, from Discovering Franklin

Our Rocky Top Singing Contest winners!

Rows and rows of vendors, from Sassytrash

There's nothing quite like the smell of lavender, from Savvy City Farmer

Bed of roses in Folk & Folly, from I Am Friday

The perfect fall-themed table centerpiece, from French Hen Farm

The entrance to the secret garden, from Sassytrash

Just look at that fire pit! Created by Creative Stone

What a beautiful day for a Pop-up Show!

xx,

The tents are going up, our cozy fire pit is finished and everything is really beginning to come together for the show! Catch a glimpse of what we're up to at the "lost in time" mansion this week + the process that goes into creating an AWESOME pop-up show in this video:

If you thought that was cool, wait 'til you see the finished product... in person. The anticipation is killing me. 

And as you can see, the transformation of the grounds doesn't just happen overnight. A big THANK YOU to Brian Costigan at Creative Stone Landscaping Design and Installation for his amazing work on the property. 

I'm completely captivated by this fire pit he built in front of the mansion for y'all to enjoy while taking a little break from shopping. In fact, I may need to get one of these in my own backyard (cough, cough) Brian. 

The overgrown gardens also got a face lift from Creative Stone Landscaping, so y'all can actually walk through and experience the beauty for yourselves. Brian and his helpers have been working so hard this week but I stopped them to take a quick photo and I'm SO glad I did... look at that light!

Learn more about Brian and Creative Stone here. Can you believe that next time we meet, it'll be showtime?! Until then...

xx,

I'm so excited to share with y'all a local group of extremely talented children who will be performing at the City Farmhouse Pop-up Show Saturday, Oct. 18, from 10-11 a.m.!!! They're called the Music City Strings, and I was blown away the first time I saw them perform. But don't take my word for it—check em' out in this video:

They've performed all over Middle Tennessee at festivals like the Williamson County Rodeo and the Heritage Foundation of Franklin & Williamson County's Dickens of a Christmas, and most notably, they've performed at the International Ensembles Concert at the Suzuki Association of the Americas Conference in Minnesota.

What's even more exciting is the group has been invited on a concert tour of Europe for the summer of 2015 under the leadership of the groundbreaking string ensemble Barrage! Music City Strings is only one of four youth string ensembles in the nation to be invited on this tour, which has been developed by the League of Astonishing Strings.

A fundraising campaign has been launched to help fund every member of Music City Strings to take part in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. In addition to enjoying their performance Saturday, you can also make a donation to their campaign.

But that's not all!! On Friday, Oct. 17, we'll have performances by Eric Heatherly, Jamie Higdon and Grammy nominee Amanda Williams.

Kirsten Agresta Copely will be performing the harp at the ticketed celebrity luncheon Saturday, Oct. 18, at noon. Copely has performed at the likes of Carnegie Hall, New York City's Roseland Ballroom and our nation's White House (alongside Beyonce!).

Also on the roster for Saturday are performances by Robert Thompson, Eric Heatherly and Grace Gordon.

There's going to be something for everyone this weekend, from antique shopping and demonstrations to live music and book signings! See y'all there!!

xx

Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint will be the center of attention Saturday, Oct. 18, during the City Farmhouse Pop-Up Show at the demonstration tent at 11:00 a.m. for a how-to on the different uses of milk paint and the ever-popular hemp oil. AND, during the demonstration, two lucky attendees will win $250 of Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint products!! How cool is that?! Simply hashtag the demonstration on Twitter and Instagram and you'll be entered to win. Hashtags will be posted at the demonstration, and attendees can also pick up information at The Ironstone Nest booth.

Two lucky shoppers will have the chance to win $250 of Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint products, including three quarts of milk paint, 16 oz bonding agent, 16 oz hemp oil, 7 oz furniture wax, 7 oz antiquing wax, 2 oz white wax, wax puck, handheld mixer, brush soap, look book one, color fan deck and an MMSMP apron!

Recently, we talked with Marian Parsons—the genius behind the line of all-natural paints, oils, waxes and more—about the company and why she's excited for the City Farmhouse Pop-Up Show Oct. 17 & 18!

What's the story behind Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint?
Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint was an unexpected surprise almost from the moment it was brought up as a remote possibility. I thought for a while that milk paint was an amazing product, but not many people knew about it. I kept saying, "Someone really should rebrand it, come out with new colors and a fresh face and introduce it to more people!" It finally occurred to me that someone should be me.

The hard part was the how. I knew nothing about launching a brand, manufacturing, distribution, label laws, etc. I would have to partner with someone who did.

Homestead House Paint Company had reached out to me a few months earlier, sending me some samples of their paint to try. Once I took the opportunity to try it, I knew this was the open door I had been hoping for. I called Jennylyn, the president of Homestead House and pitched the idea for a milk paint line under my brand. The original idea was that I would buy the raw materials from them, mix in custom colors that I designed and I would package them and sell them online and in my retail space. We agreed that was a good plan and the wheels started turning to launch Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint.

Your once-small business originally began as you making paint in your basement. Now you supply your products to more than 200 retailers around the world! How did it grow from an idea to a booming business so quickly?
I announced that partnership with Homestead House Paint Company on my blog, Miss Mustard Seed, a few days after it became official and I was immediately overwhelmed with retailers who wanted to carry the paint. After much discussion, a few anxiety-induced tears on my part and planning, we decided to let the brand grow beyond our original idea, beyond my basement and single retail space, and offer it wholesale to retailers around the world.

The paint is now carried in over 280 retail locations in the US, Canada, UK, Europe, Australia, Dubai and more recently Malaysia.

Why do you think more and more people are beginning to use milk paint?
There is an excitement bubbling about milk paint. The current trend toward all natural, farm fresh, organic, chemical-free and non-toxic that is happening in other industries is also happening in the paint world. This paint goes beyond no VOC since it is made with only five all-natural ingredients and has been around for hundreds of years. We didn't invent anything new, we're just showing people how one of the oldest forms of paint is still relevant and one of the best paints on the market today.

What are you looking forward to the most at the City Farmhouse Pop-Up Show?
We've relied on growing organically, through my blog and word of mouth, but we're so excited to take a step in marketing our brand through this sponsorship of the City Farmhouse Show. My love for milk paint started because of my love for antiques. It seems only natural for us to partner with a show that brings together other lovers of antiques and pretty things. There isn't a paint on the market that creates such an authentically old, beautiful finish as milk paint and we're excited to share that with all who attend the City Farmhouse Show!

Marian is such a warm and genuine person. We are so proud to have her as a sponsor. Looking forward to seeing you at the demonstration!

xx,

We’ve got a star-studded guest-list at this year’s City Farmhouse Pop-up Show, and we’re rollin’ out the burlap carpet (yep, burlap) on Friday morning for our early buyers!

Think of it as a red carpet pre-show event for the Oscars—you’ll get the latest news about the 2014 Pop-up Show, hot shopping tips, predictions, winners and of course burlap carpet fashion. And what’s an awards ceremony without champagne? We’ll be serving complimentary mimosas from 8-10 a.m.

Be sure to come early on Oct. 17 to have your picture taken in front of our “wall of fame.” AND there’s more! Early shoppers will have the chance to actually “walk the burlap carpet,” so make sure you wear your best blue jeans! Sophisticated Living Magazine Society Editor and celebrity emcee Ted Clayton will be there to host the pre-show event, as well as judge our Rocky Top singing contest.

What’s the Rocky Top contest? We’re so glad you asked. Hold on to your britches, because we love a little friendly competition around here! One lucky shopper will win the chance to participate in early buying, meaning they’ll get to skip the line and enter the show 15 minutes before anyone else—this fortunate individual will have access to the most sought after items, minus the crowd!

How do I enter? You must sing Tennessee’s favorite tune “Rocky Top” as loud as you can in front of the entire audience. The participant with the most enthusiasm and gumption will win this coveted pass.

Better start getting those voices warmed up, y’all. There’s nothing we love more than a fearless personality who’s willing to lay it all on the line and embarrass themselves for the sake of priority pickin’! Am I right?

For those over achievers, we’ve posted the lyrics to Rocky Top below so you can start brushing up. We’ll also have copies of the lyrics at the show, for those that need it.

Wish that I was on ole rocky top, Down in the tennessee hills. Ain't no smoggy smoke on rocky top, Ain't no telephone bills. Once there was a girl on rocky top, Half bear the other half cat. Wild as a mink, sweet as soda pop, I still dream about that. Rocky top, you'll always be Home sweet home to me. Good ole rocky top, Rocky top tennessee, rocky top tennessee. Once two strangers climbed on rocky top, Lookin' for a moonshine still. Strangers ain't come back from rocky top, Guess they never will. Corn won't grow at all on rocky top, Dirt's too rocky by far. That's why all the folks on rocky top Get their corn from a jar. Rocky top, you'll always be Home sweet home to me. Good ole rocky top, Rocky top tennessee, rocky top tennessee.