Brimfield, as promised

I believe I promised a post and some photos re: Brimfield, so rather than disappoint my legions of fans, here I am. The day was rather successful. Doug indeed found a new dresser, and we both really like it. We didn't find a whole lot of options, but there are so many fields of antiques and wares that it is impossible to comb the whole place in only a few hours. Doug also found a new gnome to add to the growing collection, and we picked up something for our favorite friends in Maine that we'll bring to them next time we see them as a housewarming gift. This is the 3rd month they've been in their house, so I think it's about time we presented them something by way of congratulations.

Brimfield was hot, very hot. The fields are just wide open fields where antique dealers set up tables and tents to display their goods. At Brimfield you can expect to find: little shade, few bathrooms, bad food, lots of traffic, people who look like they've never seen the light of day. And then, of course, there are all of the antiques. My mother was commenting that there was much glassware this time, and it was true - every tent had some kind of glassware. Pink glassware, green glassware, clear glassware, blue glassware, those free glasses you used to get at McDonald's and Burger King back in the '80s... I guess people are big into glassware. I was hoping to find a complete set of butterprint Pyrex to go along with the bowl I already have, but in the end I just couldn't spend $90 for a set of bowls that I don't really need and will probably break at some point. My heart's still holding out for a set of vintage Pyrex bowls, though, but the bowls are on hold because there are just too many other things for which my wallet has to open at this point. Doug had a harder time saying no to a decoy, but he did in the end. There were so many of them - cheap ones, expensive ones ($1100 for a wooden duck?) - but none that came home with us. We've come to the conclusion that if we are going to be serious about collecting something, be it Pyrex, gnomes, or decoys, we should probably have some kind of knowledge of what's a good one and what's not a good one so that when we go to bargain with the dealer we'll know what a good price is for the item at hand. Doug, therefore, is going to read up on wooden ducks.

So, on to the photos. Here we have a photo of my mother and me eating at Molly's Catering. I don't know where Molly is from, but she can keep her catering business there. The food I think tried hard to be something good but fell quite short, as you'll see from Doug's pureed cole slaw below.



You can find some interesting stuff at Brimfield, like this ventriloquist's dummy. "Hello, take me home to entertain people at parties!", this dapper fellow is saying. My mother is tempted, but ultimately declines.

I do believe our home would have been complete with a painting of Scarlett O'Hara, but frankly my dear, we decided to leave her for a true fan.

We managed to get our newest gnome home safely and soundly (we ran over another nail, apparently somewhere on our way home from Brimfield, and had to have roadside assistance come out to the house to help us with the tire late last night. Again.), and we call this one Sleeping Gnome. We're a clever bunch here in Dedham!

And, finally, the true reason for heading out to Brimfield... Doug's new dresser. No more IKEA for him! He's moved up. This is an oak dresser, apparently from the 1880s. Because the two ladies who brought the dresser to Brimfield didn't want to have to take it home again, we were able to get a good price for it. The stuff on top of it is supposed to be inside the dresser, but inside, outside - what does it matter as long as Doug's clothes now have an attractive, functional home?