I have been thrifting since birth! I am always shocked when people say they have never been inside a Thrift Store! So this pandemic has really cramped my style y’all! When we got back to shopping last weekend it had been 10 weeks since I had stepped inside a thrift store and dug through an estate sale! I was going through withdrawals! So now that things are reopening and our area has ‘flattened the curve’ I am slowly starting to hit the shops again so I thought I would share my years of thrifting experience and germiphobic natures and give you my tips for antiquing … pandemic style!

• If you don’t feel well, STAY HOME! Even if you think it’s just allergies or ‘something you ate’ … don’t risk it! If you or someone in your house is high-risk, STAY HOME! If you think you have been in contact with someone who had a fever, was coughing, or showing any signs that they weren’t 100%, STAY HOME! The antiques will wait! Seriously … don’t be a that person!

• Do some pre-planning! Your normal favorite shops most likely have shortened hours & personalized requirements! Our local Catholic Thrift store is open normal hours but every guest is required to wear a mask. My favorite antique mall is not requiring masks but has shorted hours and are closed some days. Another antique/junk store has shortened hours, requires masks & temp checks & only allows TEN shoppers in at a time! Know whats going on before you get there so there are no surprises and plan accordingly. Plan to shop stores with limited shopper limits during hours that wont be as busy and crowded. Don’t get kicked out because you left your mask at home.

• Pack light & right! Make sure you have a mask in hand and pack hand sanitizer, & disinfectant wipes in the trunk! I don’t go into any store with anything more than my car keys & cellphone in one pocket (but try not to touch it) and a debit card in the other. You read that right … I leave everything else in the car!

• Get in a routine that prioritizes cleanliness! Here is my routine:
  • I go into the store with only my cellphone & keys in one pocket and my debit card (or cash) in the other. Do your best not to touch your cellphone while your in the store – it’s just there for emergencies!
  • Don’t touch your face! Don’t pick your nose, rub your eyes, stick your finger in your ear … you are not a child! Keep your hands off your face. If you have to cough … use your elbo……. just kidding – GO HOME!
  • When you are done shopping and ready to leave (this is the really important part): put your purchased goods in the trunk or back of your car. Keep hand sanitizer & disinfectant wipes in your trunk so you can immediately sanitize your hands, keys, debit card & cellphone before even getting in the car.

• Shop slow & don’t be afraid to dig a little! Most of these stores are overcrowded with merchandise because they have been closed and have light traffic. The good stuff may be buried down deep. Take your time and leave no area un-turned or un-shopped! I used to skip by the towel/sheet section because … who wants used sheets? but I have found some awesome vintage fabric, table linens, doilies & more and linens are easy to disinfect & clean!

• Clean & disinfect when you get home, before you take it inside. As it comes out of my trunk, it gets doused in lysol, wiped down with clorox or thrown straight into a trash bag for me to transfer to the wash! Take no chances y’all!

• Shop local and support the little guys! Goodwill is great & I shop there every chance I get … but remember the little guys too! A lot of the fancy antique malls have vendors marking their booths down 50% off to try and amp up sales to cover for lost time and sales. The little podunk thrift store is struggling to fund their causes and they need our dollars more now than ever!

Stay safe, shop smart & support the little guys! Share your favorite antique shops & thrift stores in the comments below & be sure to tag us in your awesome finds on Instagram @TheFUnFilledFamily. Happy Antiquing y’all!

XOXO, Laura

When I was little, our family would travel and go on day trips and my dad would always yell out “Fun Filled Family Activity Number 4,675”. The number was always different and never in any order. It always made me think there was some magical list of family activities we were slowly completing! These are some of my favorite memories. From camping trips, fishing adventures, family vacations and everything in between … there was always an activity that needed to be numbered! I have always dreamed of the days when I could take my family on the same types of adventures … when we would have our own Fun Filled Family Activities. Those days have finally come!

We have been sharing our family adventures on social media for some time now. Our life is an open book and we love to bring our followers along on our shenanigans! Our adventures are never fool-proof. We live a true example of Murphy’s law, whatever can go wrong, will go wrong, but we take it all in stride and love to document along the way!

Another think we love to document is work life, which is also a family affair! As antique dealers we travel with kids in tow to estate sales, thrift stores, shows all throughout the Southeast and even our local spot in our favorite Antique Mall! They love to help us! When we closed our brick & mortar store in 2019 our goal was to stay family focused and our life in antiques has allowed us to purse a passion, put food on the table & keep that focus in tack.

So after much thought, we decided it was time for our Facebook & Instagram accounts to match all that our life entails! It’s not just a name change for us … it’s a shift in our brand! We are still Plum Fancy … but now we are Plum Fancy Family! So join us in celebrating our new title, The Fun Filled Family … still a little bit fancy & a whole lot of fun but now focused on our family taking on the world one adventure at a time!

Naming this post was harder than actually creating this house plant box thingy! I am a sucker for everything at the dollar tree so fully expect this to be the first Dollar Tree DIY of many! I mean… everything’s only a buck, so naturally I buy it all! But when I bought these little houses I honestly had no idea what I was going to do with them I just knew that I couldn’t build something that cute for a dollar.

I found these in the frame section of the local dollar tree hidden on the very bottom shelf so you may have to do some digging to find them but really any wooden box would work!

Step #1. Recover that flashy backdrop. I used vintage ticking fabric but you could use scrapbook paper, book pages, newspaper … get creative y’all! Just cut to size and attach to the wooden box. I used rubber cement but a simple glue stick would have worked too!

Step #2. Add a piece of wood to the front to keep your moss and flowers tucked inside. I used a paint stick that I cut down but you could also use popsicle sticks! Attaching this with wood glue is probably best and I prefer to paint this piece so it looks a little fancier.

Step #3. Add your filler. I used a mixture of Spanish Moss & Green moss. Roll it up and (this is the technical term here) shove it down in your newly made box thingy.

Step #4. Add flowers. You can get stems at the dollar tree too! These are just some leftovers I had laying around the workshop. I cut them down, dip the end of the stem in glue and push them down into the moss.

It. Is. Finished!! Wasn’t that easy?! Be sure to post it on Instagram and show all of your friends how talented you are! Don’t forget to tag me cause I wanna see too!!!

xoxo, Laura

Hi, I’m Laura. And I’m addicted to trash furniture. I’m the girl who embarrasses her whole family by picking furniture up off the side of the road. Give me all of the trash furniture please. Taking an old, worn out wooden chair and making it beautiful and functional again is therapeutic for me. It’s my drug!!

Why?!? Because it’s my little reminder of Gods promise that nothing is ever too far gone to be used for his kingdom. So I take each piece of broken down furniture and I do my darndest to make it something that will be a blessing to someone new.

Let me give you a taste of my Upcycle Drug.

Meet my new bench. It’s got character y’all … but if also has a weird smell, a gangly base and a broken down finish. It was going to be thrown out and someone tossed it in an auction lot and I snatched it up for $4. And now it’s my duty to restore it to some sort of glory so it can grace a family with its presence. Can’t you see it just inside the door … the perfect place for small kids to drop their bags or sit and put on their shoes! It’s a great size to sit in front of a baby grand piano if your fancy like that. The possibilities are endless … but not right now. Right now it’s sad. And I feel it deep … because sometimes I’m sad too.

I love the wood finish and it would break my heart to cover it up so I’m trying something new. I’m using a paint wash! It’s basically just watered down chalk paint but you can also use a premixed wash to make it easier. I didn’t sand or prep at all. The more uneven and distressed the better for this look! The process is simple, paint it on & wipe it off. The longer you leave it the more paint dries to the finish.

Next we just recover the cushion, sure up the legs & bask in its glory.

Just a few hours and a little elbow grease and this sweet little bench is made new. Wouldn’t it be nice if all of our problems were this easy to fix! NOW do you see why I love refurbishing forgotten pieces?

I’ll link my supplies below just in case! Happy refurbishing!!

XOXO, Laura

Supplies:

– DecoArt Vintage Effect Wash 8oz, Beige

–US Art Supply Variety Pack Foam Sponge Wood Handle Paint Brush Set (Value Pack of 20 Brushes) – Lightweight, durable and great for Acrylics, Stains, Varnishes, Crafts, Art

–James Thompson 9.3 oz. Canvas Duck White

On the 99th day is school, I settled in after a long day of work and keeping children happy to finally put my feet up and relax. It was 9:42pm when Henry woke from his slumber to remind me that TOMORROW is his 100th day is school and he needed a T-shirt to celebrate. He is 6 years old and already far more responsible than I am.

Guys I got the memo, I knew it was coming. But that was on the 95th day of school and I have slept a lot since then. So here I am at 10pm praying something in his shirt drawer magically has 100 light sabers attached. Spoiler alert … there was no such shirt.

So … here is my quick and easy tutorial on making a homemade Tee to celebrate 100 days of school!

Step 1. Find a shirt.

If your ordering a $32, deluxe cotton blend, sateen shade tee to compliment your 7yr olds complexion … your doing it wrong!! It’s one day guys, find an old T-shirt. If it fits and is blank, it works!! I found mine while sneaking into the boys room with a flashlight and a prayer. If I wake a kid up this process gets a lot harder.

Step 2. Find 100 of something.

This is so much easier said than done. So here are some ideas from things I find. Dry beans, cotton balls, Q tips, Cheerios, socks 😂🤦‍♀️, legos, pennies, buttons, straws, balloons, etc. If you don’t have 100 of something or if you, like me, can’t find the glue gun … there’s always paint and sharpies!!

Step 3. Grab some coffee and then be brilliant.

Come up with something cute and witty to write on the shirt. I went with painted bugs since the glue gun is MIA and the words “Bugging my teachers for 100 days!” You don’t have to be this clever (I stole it off Pinterest y’all) … just arranging Cheerios in the shape of a ONE & 2 ZEROS will suffice.

Step 4. Assemble.

I said that in my head like the Avengers. But really, put this crap together. Work that sharpie. Heat that Glue. I will warn you that around object number 79 you will question existence, your marriage (Anyone else hear snoring?), and life in general but keep pushing!! You got this!!

Step 5. Take pictures.

I don’t care if it looks like your child just stepped out of a homeless commune and stole that shirt off a hobo, if it has (approximately) 100 items on it your kid is gonna be SO. STINKIN. PROUD!! And you should be too!

You go Mama. You survived another ridiculous excuse to dress your kids up and force them to take pictures … also, YOU survived 100 days of school! PROUD OF YOU!!

XOXO,

Laura

Christmas has been a little off for me this year. Usually I’m creating Instagram worthy trees and displays, hosting pictures with Santa Claus & ladies night out, and helping customers shop, wrap & get ready for the holidays. But since closing the store last Spring … there is none of that.

I find myself green with envy as businesses post store displays and Instagram Influencers share home tours and show off their Christmas Trees. And I think … I can do all of that. But I won’t.

I see moms with Facebook worthy Elf on the Shelf escapades and posting Pinterest worthy Christmas crafts. And sure, I can do that. But I won’t.

I see Instagram stories highlighting go-to fancy gifts for every one and their mama. I watch as they wrap each gift with elaborate bows and decor, with hand-lettered labels, and trinkets attached to the outside. And I KNOW I can do that. But I won’t.

Christmas isn’t about how much we can show. It isn’t about the biggest lights display, the most presents under the tree, or even the cutest picture of your kids with Santa. Stop letting Satan fool you into thinking that you need to buy more, decorate more, DO MORE, & then tell EVERYONE. It will steal your joy this holiday season and take your focus off of what it’s all about.

It’s about Jesus.

So when you think you need to keep up with little miss 100k followers on Instagram … know that you are 100% capable of doing all of the things. But don’t.

Instead … teach your kids about a baby in a manger. Remind yourself that Mary was chosen by God and I highly doubt she was a “Pinterest Worthy Instagram Influencer”. Remember what it’s all about.

Go to church. Sing the Carols. Give to those less fortunate. Visit the shut ins. Serve at the food bank. Sponsor a family for Christmas. Spend time with your friends. Spread some joy. And then … DONT. TELL. ANYONE.

Sure. I can do all of the things and then I can share all day to everyone on the internet. But that’s not what Christmas is about. So I won’t.

XOXO, Laura

Crazy to me isn’t always a bad thing! People call me crazy all the time! It’s not because I’m clinically insane (that could be debated at times) or because I’m wild, it’s really due to the fact that my creative mind isn’t compatible with social norms.

Six months ago Josh & I were at our wits end. The brick and mortar store we had poured our lives into wasn’t sustaining an income that warranted a full time staff. People weren’t spending and patronizing at a level that allowed me to hire help. I had to lay people off. Family. Friends. And then I had to work all of the hours, sometimes 50-60 hours a week. I missed time with my 3 boys, my house was never clean, I had no time to enjoy the life going on around me. But this store… It was my dream… and it was crumbling around me. So I did something ‘crazy’!

The craft and market world isn’t new to me. I was selling hand painted frames at yard sales trying to make millions at 15, hosted my first pop up shop with hand painted ornaments at 18, and did my first craft show at 19. They all bombed. But in 2019, as my retail dreams were seeming forever failing, I stumbled upon a social media account for Vintage Market Days of Mobile, Alabama. I was IN LOVE! It was like an antique mall on steroids mixed in with a dash of hand crafters, foodies, candle makers, painters. It was the stuff dreams are made of!

Here. Comes. The Crazy. We closed the shop in the Spring of 2019 and I started hunting for vintage goodies, hand lettering every suitcase I could find, sewing pillows & running my hot glue gun ragged! We put our goodies in a 10×10 space in our first Vintage Market Days Event and y’all, we made money! Not a lot … after hotel, gas, booth space, etc. we profited about $200 but we also were able to see family and go on adventures with our boys! We were hooked.

Fast forward to now, we bought a camper. Crazy, right? We load it full of merch, drive it somewhere new & spend the weekends with kids in tow meeting new people, discovering new restaurants, doing all of the touristy things, and making all of the memories. It is crazy. Crazy fun! You put 2 adults, 3 kids & a dog in 19 feet of living space and try not to have a good time!

I don’t see this life as weird. I say … y’all are too normal. Be a little crazy. Go on a new adventure. Don’t get caught up in what people think & take a chance. Follow your dreams. Insert more cliche pep talk here.

As I lay here, in Jasper, Tennessee, parked next to a lake, listening to the rain hit the roof as the dog snores under my bed, I’m so grateful for a husband and family that supports my crazy. They embrace it. And I think we are all better for it! My house may still be messy sometimes but we are enjoying life and spending invaluable time with our boys and each other!

We are days away from what we hope will be two of our biggest shows of the year! Vintage Market Days of West Atlanta is happing in Hampton, Georgia November 8-10th and Vintage Market Days of Atlanta will be in Gwinnett, Ga November 15-17th! All of the show details and ticket presale info is linked on our Upcoming Events Page!

Seeing as we deal in mostly Upcycled, repurposed and always vintage items … show prep week is always CRAZY busy! Last minute shopping, frantic painting and refinishing, and crafting until the hot glue blisters cover every finger we have is the norm around here! We thought we would celebrate the upcoming events by posting our top 5 projects that will make their debut in November!

#1. Christmas Ornaments & Decor. Not your normal Christmas goodies y’all! We have fallen in love with the look of vintage book trees and hand lettered, custom treasures! We are especially excited for origami book ornaments made with vintage book pages, intricate origami folds done by hand and glitter accents to make them sparkle on our Teacher Inspired Garland!

#2. Vintage Plate Stacks. These isn’t the way your mama displays her china but we think she’d be a fan! We love the look of laying ornate, vintage plates and we have been collecting all the goods to help you create this look!

#3. The Pew. If we told you we found this hiding on someone’s front porch, in the rain, waiting on a ride to the DUMP would you believe me?!? We rescued this gorgeous pew from a doomed date in a landfill and restored it just enough to show its natural beauty but keeping the chippy goodness that tells its story! We have discovered that this pew was an original piece in the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Ga and dates back to 1906. She. Is. Amazing.

#4. Hand Lettered Gifts Galore! We have the BEST idea for all of those ‘hard to buy for’ people on your Christmas list! We are stocked up with Reproduction Sugar Molds, Cheese Molds, and Bread Boards valors that can be hand lettered on the spot! Mamas favorite bible verse? Newlyweds last name? Best Nana Ever!?! The ideas to how we can customize these beauts is endless and we have all of the fillers to make them the perfect gift!

#5. Henry’s Button Project. Henry is our 5 year old! He travels with us to most shows and sells buttons, button jewelry & more in hopes to raise enough money to sponsor 5 children for Christmas this year! His heart is just the sweetest and we are so proud of how hard he has worked on his button project! He will be selling buttons on Saturday & Sunday of our Georgia shows!

Which is your fave?!? We hope you’ll swing by and see us at one our our local shows coming up!

Xoxo, Laura