An amusing little story about our French Flea Market (which is tomorrow, by the way)

The other day my favorite French family was visiting the store (true, there may be only one French family in Bend, but still, they're my favorites). As I was wrapping their gift purchases, their little boy (who I first met when he was a baby in a stroller) was looking around and saw our sign for the upcoming French Flea Market {Saturday, August 6, from 10-4}. With a quizzical look on his face, he asked, "I don't get it: why would anyone want to buy French fleas?"

Good one! I'm still having fits of laughter over that. Why indeed?

Hopefully we won't be selling any fleas, French or otherwise. We just started calling our markets the French Flea because it is like a good French flea market: so many great finds and interesting objects and so much fun. Minus the Gitane smoke hanging over everything, minus the high prices (things at the Paris flea markets are so expensive these days!), minus the guys drinking Pastis in the corner and telling you everything they have is from the Napoleonic era.

Tomorrow we have a full load of vendors, coming from all over. There will be antiques and vintage, from old toys and glass to furniture, fashion, and objets d'art. We have three or four new vintage vendors signed up in addition to our perennial favorites – very exciting. Pam is coming with her gorgeous wreaths, hanging baskets and florals. We have a new garden art artist signed up, as well as some of our favorite jewelers and hip handcrafters (some of whom are coming over from the valley and beyond, just to do our show). Tess will be here again with her fab, funky furniture, and Michelle (of Michelle Loves Paris) has oodles (I mean oodles... under four tents) of fresh vintage and repurposed goodies. Tim will be back with his hand-crafted potting benches and garden pieces (I hope he brings more of those cool cedar folding screens for the garden).

Oh, and did I mention that our store is bursting at the seams with wonderful new arrivals, too?

And did I mention that the weather will be absolutely perfect tomorrow? You definitely want to get out and come do a little twirl-around. It all starts at 10, although you might want to show up a little early, if you wish (not too early or you'll be tripping over still-unopened boxes). The Flea goes until 4pm; shop is open until 5pm.

It's all at Pomegranate: 120 River Mall Avenue, between Shopko and Sun Mountain Fun Center (the kiddos can have tons of fun there while you shop the flea). See www.pomegranate-home.com for more info.