The French Flea

Rustic French and LOVE

2012-02-06T23:46:00.000-06:00

The French Flea is beautiful !! I feel so lucky to work with such a talented bunch ! The theme this month is "Rustic French" and WOW did we all deliver !!!

So without making you wait any longer, here is a taste of what you will find this Thursday through Sunday....at The French Flea of Anoka ....

the premier occasional sale of the north side !

Now how could you even think of missing this months sale ?!?!?!

It promises to be fantastic !!

We will see you on the French countryside this Thursday through Sunday, February 9-12

Comments welcome !

Also visit us on Facebook !

Cheers ! See you at the Flea !!

Just Teasin !

2012-01-31T15:24:00.000-06:00

I can hardly stand it, had to post some "teaser" pics from the store! It looks amazing in there, and we haven't even put our "magical touches" on it yet....

take a look ................

sale starts February 9 and runs through the 12 ! You do not want to miss !!

Inspiration !

2012-01-25T17:02:00.000-06:00

Hello everyone ! February's theme at the Flea is French Rustica....when I hear these two words together I can picture a French countryside, with soft rich colors, and chateau's with beautiful landscapes, dining rooms decorated with substantial furnishings, and a sort of casual elegance all mixed together ............here are some scenes I found to inspire you in a "rustic" sort of way.....

Beautiful, elegent, with rustic tones

I want this to be my next home :)

Pretty dining area !!

rustic cuisine !!

What inspires you ?

New Beginnings!

2012-01-09T23:30:00.001-06:00

Can you believe it's 2012 already !!! Some say the turning of the New Year is a time to renew and refresh......out with the old and in with the new ! At the Flea we have been working hard to bring you a huge selection of fresh furnishings and beautifully unique wares !

Beautiful creams, white, in chippy goodness !

A fantastic selection of dining sets!

Everyone needs a ruffly slipper chair !

Gorgeous buffets, hutches, and upholstered seating !

Rustic Crown accessories ! Now that's fantastic !!!

So please join us to ring in the New Year in style ! The Flea is the place to be for all your home furnishings and gifts !

See you at the Flea !

Begins on Thursday and runs through Sunday ! Cheers !

January Pictures coming tonight !

2012-01-09T18:59:00.002-06:00

Celebrate The Season!

2011-12-06T20:41:00.000-06:00

Celebrate the Season! The Holidays have much to do with getting together with friends and loved ones, let us at the French Flea show you how to celebrate in style!

See you all 10:00am Thursday morning!!!

A White Natural Christmas

2011-11-08T13:15:00.000-06:00

Can't believe the holidays are already inching upon us! But the Fleabags, being as fabulous as they are, have been preparing 'A White Natural Christmas!' Come check it out Thursday at 10:00am!

Joyeux Noel,

La Belle Provence

2011-10-10T23:29:00.000-05:00

Fall is Here, and the French Flea is ready for it! Check out what we have this month!

The French Flea is having a Christmas home tour this year...ask for information, it will be December 4th and a lot of fun!

See you all 10:00am Thursday morning!

Exotic Pumpkin Patch

2011-09-15T17:28:00.008-05:00

As some of you had seen in the French Flea during our September sale, we had some pretty awesome pumpkins scattered throughout the store. We had many compliments and inquiries as to where we got them. Now it's time to share this information with all of you! John Druley of Andover, MN has been growing pumpkins since 1984 and started up a yearly local pumpkin patch called 'Exotic Pumpkins.' John was kind enough to open his pumpkin patch to the French Flea, to find pumpkins and gourds to decorate the store with. We had a wonderful time taking in the beautiful sites and perusing the patch that John has growing right on the land in his very own backyard. Exotic Pumpkins is a family run business, as is noticed by the etched pumpkins that John and his daughter etch every summer as the pumpkins are growing. Be sure to go check out the many different varieties of pumpkins and gourds that Exotic Pumpkins has to offer, and be sure to bring your family for a fun day finding pumpkins for decorating and for carving!

Owner John Druley in his pumpkin patch

Tell John that the French Flea sent you!!! Exotic Pumpkins opens for business on Sunday, September 18th at 11:00 am and runs through October 31st. Hours: 12pm - 6:30pm Weekdays, 11am - 6:30pm Weekends. Map it! 2632 176th Ave NW Andover, MN 55304 (763) 753-3120

Exotic.Pumpkins@Yahoo.com

Rustic Autumn in Paris

2011-09-05T22:46:00.007-05:00

Happy Fall Y'all! With the recent change in weather and Labor Day just escaping us, the Flea is getting ready for fall and has some fun things in store during our Rustic Autumn in Paris sale! And check out all of the neat pumpkins! Local Exotic Pumpkins' owner John Druley let us in for a sneak peek and walk around the pumpkin patch to choose a variety to show you before he opens up for business...more to follow!

This sign says it all! See you all on Thursday at 10:00 am!!!

Paris: Fleabag Style

2011-08-08T18:04:00.005-05:00

Hello Everyone! Are you ready for Paris: Fleabag Style? It's going to be a fun one, we have tons of fun things in store for you! Can't wait to see you all 10:00 this Thursday morning!

Historical Home Tour

2011-07-31T00:55:00.005-05:00

Well, better late than never...here are the pictures from a home that we at the French Flea had our hand in on decorating a bit for the Anoka County Historical Home Tour. We had a great time participating in the Home Tour as we do every year, three years and counting! It's always fun to give old homes and spaces a touch of the Flea!

Celebrate Summertime

2011-07-12T09:31:00.007-05:00

HELLO! We at the French Flea are hoping you all are having a wonderful summer, but can someone tell it to slow down please? Enjoy the pictures we have in store for you for our Celebrate Summertime sale, and be sure to check back as we will be posting pictures from the house we participated in decorating for the Anoka County Historical Home Tour!

See you all 10:00am Thursday morning! :)

Garden Party: Red, Wine and Bleu

2011-06-07T09:17:00.010-05:00

The French Flea is PACKED!!! Inside and Out we have created a space to inspire all of you! Our theme of a 'Garden Party: Red, Wine and Bleu,' really stands up to it's name with all of the fun things the Fleabags have found. Come check it out, you won't want to miss this one! As always, here are a bunch of fun pictures to give you a sneak peek of what we have in store!

See you all at 10:00am Thursday morning!

May the Spring Sun Shine

2011-05-09T19:35:00.009-05:00

First of all...we are happy to announce a fun new sale that is happening May 19-21...It's Bev's Vintage Garden and Home Accessories sale...check out the details in the postcard picture below. Sounds FUN!

Bev is also the woman teaching our Moss Basket class this Saturday at the Flea at 11:00. We still have space available, so if you are interested come early on Saturday the 14th and sign up for $5.00...your name will also go in a drawing to win the basket Bev demonstrates!

NOW....Here are the additional pictures for our 'May the Spring Sun Shine' sale at the French Flea! Can you believe that this May the Flea will have been open two years already? Time flies! Especially when you are having fun...like we always do at the Flea!

See you 10:00 am Thursday Morning!!! :)

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T12:35:00.003-05:00

The French Flea would love to wish a

Happy Mother's Day

to all the wonderful mothers out there! We hope you enjoy your day and that you are treated like the 'Queen' you are!

Looking for new vendor

2011-05-05T12:01:00.000-05:00

Hello,

One of our furniture Fleabags from St. Paul is going back to her "real" job as a teacher and will no longer be able to produce her wonderful furniture for us at the French Flea. We will miss her greatly, not only her furniture, but she is a wonderful person with many talents. She is also a wonderful mom to two very cute kids, so we understand her decision.
This leaves an opportunity for us to put out a call for a "new" furniture vendor. We are looking for someone with experience and who wants to have fun and enjoys this sort of business. If you have an interest, please send an e-mail to coffee.queen@hotmail.com (Re: Furniture Vendor)
Thank you,
Teri

Diva Days Sale/Moss Baskets

2011-04-26T14:04:00.006-05:00

Two things!!! 1: The French Flea will be open this Thurs-Sat from 10-5 for Anoka's Diva Days and Millie P's Shop Hop (As will most of the shops around town)! 2: If you've ever wondered how to make a beautiful hanging moss basket, now is your chance to learn from a pro! Come see Bev from B.R.Designs on Saturday May 14th at 11:00 work her magic and teach you the moss basket ins and outs! Class size is limited, but we still have room, so sign up during the sale. The fee is $5.00 and you will be entered into a drawing to win the basket that she demonstrates. Come check it out, everyone wants Spring to be here, and this is a great opportunity if you have never made one before. Now...on to the pictures! See you 10:00 am Thursday morning!!!

Springtime in Paris

2011-04-11T22:46:00.007-05:00

Alright, here is what us Fleabags came up with after deciding winter was truly over, and our inspiring trip to the Idea House! OH...I almost forgot to mention...Don't forget to sign up during our April sale to listen to our guest speaker Bev Resinger of B R Designs, and learn how to plant sun or shade moss baskets. This class will take place on May 14 in our back garden area. Bev is known for transforming yards into beautiful outdoor havens with flower containers! She will also be showing examples of planting in unusual containers. Such a great way to liven up any outdoor area. We have limited space for this event and have to keep it to approximately 30 guests. The cost for this event will be $5.00, and there will be a drawing for one of the baskets. Be sure to attend! NOW WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR.... pictures!

There's Maizy, the Fleabag Dog, posing for a picture on a perfect white wicker loveseat!

The garden patio...HOPEFULLY it can be open this sale...all depending on the weather!

Don't you just love the trees? Bare no more...spring has sprung at the Flea!

Such a lovely new upholstered chair by Vicki Douglas! (She works wonders on ugly tattered pieces of furniture!)

See you 10:00 am Thursday morning!

Fleabag Field Trip to the Idea House!

2011-04-10T18:37:00.015-05:00

After a looong winter, the Fleabags decided enough was enough and headed out for a day of inspiration and take a little group field trip to Bachman's Idea House in Minneapolis. We had a BLAST and came out with a whole-lotta ideas to make our own and transform the flea! Take a look at what we saw...

Look at the fabric tied to the bare tree branches...it looks like leaves! The Flea has bare tree branches... hmm!

An old ceiling light turned planter...repurposing at its prime!

Everyone has old luggage hanging around-make it into a charming end table if you have nothing else to do with it!

I LOVE this wallpaper! I never thought I would say that about wallpaper, but it's so springy and fresh looking in this porch, I think it's making a comeback! (like it or not!!)

Check out the valance...it is wrapped in burlap for a whole new look!

Maizy-the flea dog- would have loved to have called this repurposed end table her new bed!

A collection of pretty plates makes a great wall collage!

A sink turned planter...why not?!

Have a collection of old floor grates? Why not put mirrors or pictures in them in a collage, like the Idea House did their collection on the stairway wall!

Old shutters with corkboard in the panels make a great memo board.

Decorative ribbon belts are put on the wall with hooks and clothespins for an instant idea center!

What little girl wouldn't love this ballerina inspired pink room? I have to say, I was slightly obsessed with it and I'm 25!

Simple. An old metal stool painted pink with a circular glass top. Instant bedside table.

LOVE. Tutu valances...made from strips of several different shades of interface paper.

An instant headboard/conversation wall...ribbon and mirrors!

Two fleabags, Teri and Anne, in the Master Bedroom getting some ideas.

An iron gate makes for a perfect resting place for all those fashionable scarves every woman has.

This is the ultimate little boy's room!

An old piece of barnboard and rope to spell the boys name, a perfect headboard.

The ceiling rope walk is a great idea in theory, but what little boy isn't going to try and climb their ceiling the minute they have some spare time? Boys will be boys!

The suitcases show up again, this time as a bedside table!

Instead of the usual table legs, two chairs took their place for a fun twist.

I want to know any man or woman who keeps their kitchen organized enough to have everything on display! Looks great though.

This layering of paint and distressing is a sneak peek at the techniques some of the fleabags are working on.

After our minds were full of goodies we had to fill our stomachs with something just as wonderful! Bachman's has a cute little French Bistro in their greenhouse, which makes you feel on vacation, if for only an hour!

;lsjdf;lk

Grand Wedding Winners!!!

2011-03-15T15:02:00.003-05:00

A big thank you goes out to all of you who voted for the $75,000 dream wedding for the flea's own son and brother! THEY WON and will be getting married in just 11 short days! Andria and Jamie, dating 7 years, and high school sweethearts deserve nothing but a lifetime of love and happiness. Congratulations to both of you!

Springtime in Paris Progressive Tea!!!

2011-03-09T21:15:00.003-06:00

We are very excited to announce that during our April sale, the French Flea will be pairing up with Anoka's own "Mad Hatter Tea Room" for a Springtime in Paris progressive Tea. Three courses will be served at the Mad Hatter, and the final course, dessert, will be served at the Flea. Three tea seatings will be available: Friday, April 15th at 1:30, Saturday, April 16th at 11:00 or 1:30. This progressive tea is $30.00 per person (including tax and gratuity), and will be open to a maximum of 30 guests per seating. You can make your reservations by calling the Mad Hatter Tea Room at 763-422-4160.

A Send Off to Winter...Let's Get Springy!

2011-03-08T09:54:00.046-06:00

We are all starting to get a little stir crazy and sick of the cold and snow hanging around...But the Fleabags have decided to do something about it! Come on in to the French Flea on Thursday morning at 10:00 am for your dose of spring! Check out the newest trends to transform your home from the drab of winter to the chic whites, greys, greens and floral! Take a look at all of the fun things we have in store for you!

Vote to make a Wedding dream come true!

2011-02-22T17:57:00.004-06:00

A once in a lifetime opportunity is presented to the kin of two of our very own fleabags! Cheri's son and Christy's brother, Jamie, has recently become engaged to his High School Sweetheart Andria. They were entered into a drawing put on by local radio station 104.7 KCLD and became FINALISTS to win a dream grand wedding of $75,000!!! This very deserving couple has been together for 7 years and has a chance to start their lives together with a wedding every couple can only dream of! In order to make this wedding dream come true...we need everyone's help! To vote for them you must have a 'facebook' page, then become a 'fan' of 104.7 KCLD. Then you are able to follow the link to the voting page! You can view a video made by the couple and get all other details there! Voting goes from Monday February 21st until Monday March 14th 7:45am when the winner will be announced live on the air! You are able to vote once a day until the time is up! Spread the word to others and let's help make this couple's dream come true! Thank you so much in advance!

A French Country Love Affair

2011-02-08T15:28:00.000-06:00

Happy Valentines Day! (Almost!) The French Flea is ready for our February sale, 'A French Country Love Affair,' and if I do say so myself, it looks FABULOUS! Instead of trying to describe what it looks like, I am going to post pictures...and lots of them! After all, pictures are worth a thousand words! (And I would rather post a picture than type out a thousand words any day of the week!)

We have three newly upholstered chairs for sale, two of which are matching!

See you 10:00 am Thursday morning!

Refresh Your Nest

2011-01-10T22:45:00.001-06:00

Happy New Year! It's time to Refresh Your Nest and start 2011 off on a fresh note! Take a peek at some of the funky new things we have in store for you. We will be having some red-lined clearance items throughout the store, so keep your eyes peeled! (We are still looking for paper bags to re-use for our shopping bags, so if you have some to spare...please bring them in!)

Here she is again! Our little helper Maizy... Or just 'Z' for short!

This is an awesome architectural tin piece made into a shelf!

This Mural was painted by local artist Patty Flowers. She can do this and much more in your home! For contact information come into the Flea or check the information on the right of the page! She does murals, decorative painting, traditional wall painting and so much more!

Check out the DARLING French mirrors circa early 20th century!

See you 10:00 am Thursday morning! (We are open January 13-16)

Bags for the Fleabags!

2011-01-03T14:56:00.000-06:00

Hello Customers! We at the French Flea hope you had a wonderful Christmas and New Years! We are gearing up for our next sale 'Refresh Your Nest...and Clear-Ants Sale' (The Fleas are taking a break)! We are so excited to start the new year off with a great sale and to see you all again! As you all who shop the Flea know, we re-use old grocery and shopping bags to cut down on costs to keep our prices the lowest we can for you...and with more and more customers shopping the Flea we are finding ourselves running out of bags come the end of the sale! This is where all of our fabulous customers come in to play. We would greatly appreciate donations of grocery and shopping bags in all sizes, shapes and material to re-use! If you have bags to spare, just bring them in the next time you shop the flea! Until January 13th, au revoir!

Last Sale of the Year!

2010-12-16T18:58:00.000-06:00

Hey everyone! This Friday and Saturday is your last chance to shop the Flea before 2011! We have plenty of one of a kind items for everyone on your list! ...Or there's always a gift certificate! Hope to see you there at 10:00!

Customer Appreciation and 2nd Supplemental Sale

2010-11-30T23:38:00.000-06:00

Our 2nd supplemental Holiday sale is here Friday and Saturday (Dec. 3&4)! We have plenty of one of a kind items perfect for anyone on your list (and gift certificates for those who think they have everything)! Join us as we have some fun things planned for our Flea customers on Friday Dec. 3rd for our Customer Appreciation night from 6-8pm! Come shop the night away, enjoy some appetizers and goodies, and mingle with the Fleabags who make every sale fabulous. There will be several drawings consisting of door prizes and gift certificates for Flea merchandise! Also clothing will be 25% off (excluding any type of furs or accessories), and Kimmy will be there to help you style the perfect outfit! The Flea will again be welcoming chocolatier Judy from 'Judy's Chocolates,' who will be selling and demonstrating her wonderful sweets! YUM! See you at 10:00 am Friday morning! :)

Black Friday and Saturday!

2010-11-23T21:59:00.000-06:00

The Flea will be open THIS Black Friday and Saturday...and Every Friday and Saturday until Christmas! Ready to get your shop on? It's the countdown to Christmas and we have plenty of festive items, and one of a kind gifts for everyone on your list...and if they are hard to please, get them a French Flea gift certificate! We will be welcoming a special guest this Saturday, 'Judy's Chocolates,' who will be with us at all of our sales from now until Christmas! She will be selling her goodies as well as handing out delicious samples! YUM! Check out what we have in store for you! Come check us out at 10:00 am on Friday morning! (No crazy 3:00 am stuff for us!!) haha!

Accessory Addiction!

2010-11-23T21:42:00.000-06:00

Who doesn't love accessories...purses, rings, necklaces, scarves, bracelets...etc...I wanted to share with you about an awesome shop in Blaine called 'Accessory Addiction!' One of our loyal Flea customers recently opened up a retail accessory shop...check it out! Also, check out their website for a glimpse!

Accessory Addiction:

EXTENDED BUSINESS HOURS: (Nov. 26 - Dec. 24 only) Mon-Thurs 10am-7pm | Fri & Sat 10am-4pm

Regular Business Hours: Wed & Thurs 10am-7pm | Fri & Sat 10am-4pm

Record November Sale!

2010-11-14T17:51:00.000-06:00

Wow, what a great sale! Thursday morning was kicked off with 42 eager customers waiting to get in the door! Our sale was even better than last years...even though we had a mushy snowstorm smack dab in the middle of it! Thank you to all of our wonderful customers who continue to support us and love to shop the Flea!

A Natural White Christmas

2010-11-08T21:32:00.000-06:00

Get ready for an abundance of pictures for this months sale! We Fleabags have had SO MUCH FUN searching for perfect items to go with our 'Natural White Christmas' theme, and ultimately set up some awesome vignettes that just screamed to have their pictures taken to share with our Flea and blogging friends!

Beautifully decorated table in the Flea's front window!

Check out this Christmas tree with all the old brass instruments... it just sings REJOYCE!

Often times between sales, Maizy the Mini Yorkie likes to come hang out with her mom and the rest of the Fleabags as they are busy at work...perching on benches and wherever else she can stay out of the way!

As always, check out our awesome selection of designer/name brand clothing and handbags, we have a great selection to wear to Holiday parties!

Chaise lounge, fainting couch...whatever you wish to call it, it is a gorgeous piece that won't be in the sale very long!

Silver/Funky Christmas

There's plenty more where all of this came from!!! Our sale starts at 10:00 am Thursday morning...can't wait to see you all there!

Calling all furniture enthusiasts!

2010-10-19T10:48:00.000-05:00

Hi All, This is Teri at the French Flea! We have been having some fabulous sales and we have been unable to keep the shop stocked like we want. This is a good thing and a bad thing...good for our vendors for selling all their items, but bad for the customers because it looks so bare by Sunday! So, we are looking to add 2-3 new vendors, who are experienced and specialize in furniture. We are looking for enthusiastic, talented, fun-loving people, who can jump right in and get going with the rest of our great vendors! Email me for an interview if you are interested, and have pictures and samples of your work.

Thanks,

Teri

thefrenchfleaofanoka@gmail.com

A Hunting We Will Go...And A Gathering Too!

2010-10-12T13:52:00.000-05:00

Are you ready for fall? The weather can't quite make up it's mind, but The French Flea did! We, at the flea, have really outdone ourselves this time with some cozy and fabulous finds for a lodge-y rustic fall!

Check out the amber-colored mug and plate set...wouldn't that look great as a setting on your autumn themed table?

Hanging baskets catch the eye and make a great conversation piece!

Check out this fabulous marble topped French table!

This white wardrobe won't be here long, it's great for a guestroom or extra closet in your bedroom or entry way!

We open at 10:00 am Thursday morning, and would love to see you there!

Exotic Pumpkins!!!

2010-09-22T12:52:00.000-05:00

Be sure to visit the 'Exotic Pumpkins' patch in Andover! John, the owner of the pumpkin patch was kind enough to open his patch early and harvest a few pumpkins for the French Flea! Be sure to check this place out, its AWESOME and worth the trip! It's a fun family time! The pumpkins many of you saw and wanted to purchase during our harvest sale were from there. He sells red, white and blue, cinderella, french, minis, and those fabulous pumpkins with fall sayins on them, along with squash and gourds. Here's a taste of what you can find! (The patch is now open for business this year!)

Owner John loading up his wheelbarrow with pumpkins for the French Flea!

Pumpkins!!!

He has a range of these very cool etched pumpkins!

I wonder who gets to carve that monster!

All the wonderful fall colors!

Be sure to check it out!

More to See for September!!!

2010-09-07T19:49:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone! As promised, I have taken some more pictures of what we have in store for you at the French Flea to whet your appetite!

Quaint little French style table with four chairs, super cute! Lots of silver and crystal pieces Beautiful set of Johnson Bros. Ironstone dishes, goes great with our Rustic Farmhouse theme Check out this beautiful white chest, it even has a shelf inside! Armoire enhanced by local artist Patty Flowers Check out this HUGE lamp!!! It's awesome, and would be the perfect conversation piece for any room! Close-up of the table and chairs for 5!

Thursday morning is almost upon us...Can't wait to see you there!

Rustic Autumn in Paris

2010-09-06T22:18:00.000-05:00

Fall weather is in the air and we at the French Flea have been preparing a Rustic Autumn in Paris retreat! Check out some of the things we have been preparing for you...but be sure to check back tomorrow for more pictures as the Fleabags are still busy adding to the store!

A funky outfit intertwined with a fall flair!

We've got the best selection of Jean Jackets at the best prices in town!

Paris on the Orient Express - August Photos

2010-08-03T18:12:00.000-05:00

The French Flea gang is busily working and preparing the shop for you our customer with the "Going to Paris on the Orient Express" theme for this months four day event. You won't want to miss it, and more photos will follow next week, once all of the furniture is in place and the smalls are brought in and merchandised, so stop by again early next week for more detailed photos. Here are just a few photos to wet your appetite.

Again we will have our unique, one-of-a-kind finds available for purchase.

This great statue was brought in by one of our vendors.

There is a gorgeous Queen size black distressed 4 poster bed available, as well as this wonderful swan style chaise.

A nice white table with two upholstered chairs, as well as a vast selection of wall mirrors.

Red is this months accent/theme color, so with that in mind and Fall on its way, Lori has found some fabulous finds for her clothing/accessory area. Be sure to check it out as there are wonderful finds and buys in her area.

This necklace and its Art Deco style focal, designed by Gretchen of Mimi-Toria's Designs is a one-of-a-kind design made with vintage treasures and an array of fun elements. Check out her fun jewelry that is available at the French Flea. Each is a unique and different.

A large selection of black furniture will be offered again this month. Our shop is known for the creative and wonderful patinas that our furniture vendors apply on the furniture pieces we have for sale. There are also a lot of small tables and pieces to choose from this month. Stop in often, as we do add things through out the four day sale.

You can be sure that you would be the sole owner of this fabulous one-of-a-kind bench.

There are two of these fun black with leopard print chairs available as well as this unique bar piece of furniture behind this chair.

Come early, and stay late.

The Fleabags

NEXT MONTH! DESTINATION:Paris on the Orient Express

2010-07-18T12:52:00.000-05:00

Bonjour!

Just a quick note to let you all know about our August theme in The French Flea. We will be "Going to Paris on the Orient Express", this is going to be a fun theme and our vendors are busily gathering for this eclectic theme! This is not an asian theme, as many of you might think, when you think of "The Orient Express". If you go to the website http://www.orient-express.com/ you will see what we will be trying to create in our wonderful French Flea. This is going to be quite an eclectic mix of things going on. We will create a sleeping berth, and a bar car, which was the heart of the train. This is getting our creative juices flowing, just wait and see... it is going to be fab! Au revoir..

"Riverfest - Summertime Fun and Blues!"

2010-07-05T23:47:00.000-05:00

HELLLLLLLLL0 SUMMER! Yes, we've finally got it! The heat, the humidity and the sun! What could be more wonderful! And to add to that, how about celebrating with The French Flea this coming week, Thursday thru Sunday, July 8-11. Here's the scoop... it's Riverfest in Anoka with lots of festivities, crafts and artwork on the streets this coming Saturday!

Thursday night is once again Ladies Night Out and we will be serving up orange floats for our customers that evening from 6-8. Then on Sunday, from 1-5, Anoka is having their annual historical tour and we are honored to have the opportunity to be able to re-do a boat house for this...check out our blog to see pictures already posted!

This is going to be a great sale with much fun and celebration in our quaint little town of Anoka. Please come and join us for this month's theme "Summertime Fun and Blues". Our back patio is filled with great finds and furniture! We are filled up, backed up, stacked up and once again, we can hardly move!!!!!

It's going to be an amazing sale, so we'd really love to have all our customers join us for it! Here's a sneak peak. Hope to see you there!

Historical Home Tour in Anoka...The French Flea does Re-Do Fabulous Boat House on MississippiI!!!

2010-07-02T00:15:00.000-05:00

It's maybe forth of July weekend, but we at the French Flea are still busy getting something special ready for you. On July 11th, from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm is the historical home tour in Anoka and we have been busy, busy, busy. We are pleased and honored to be asked to re-do a boat house on the Mississippi River that is included in the tour. Here is a sneek peak at what were are up to in this quaint boat house.. a.k.a. "woman's cave"!

We were so very honored to be able to stage this for the home tour and what fun we had doing it! It is such an awesome place, and so peaceful! It's definiately a place where you could go to get away, have a cup of coffee, listen to some music, read a book, or just watch the river flow by. Sit back and enjoy the pictures.

What a gorgeous view!

Looks like a good place to sit and read . . .

Or in the wintertime, you can start a fire!

But maybe right now, I'll just sit here and enjoy the sun and the view!

Check back too early next week as we will be posting pictures of the inside of the Flea. We have some great stuff for the "Riverfest Celebration" in Anoka. Come by and visit us at the shop and don't forget the home tour. You can get tickets by contacting the historical society in Anoka. But for now, au revoir!

SUMMERTIME FUN AT THE FRENCH FLEA

2010-06-17T08:39:00.000-05:00

Hell-o Summer!

We had a great sale this last week and we are so thankful for our customers here at The French Flea. We had one of our best sales this past week and all of us "fleabags" are excited. Next months theme is Summertime Fun and we will have some great stuff in store.. Riverfest will be going on in Anoka, so we are sure to have a good time and lots of visitors to Anoka, so many festivities to look forward to! We will be posting pictures soon so keep in touch with us! Until then, au revoir.

VINTAGE-WHITE GARDEN PARTY!

2010-06-07T23:40:00.000-05:00

Calling all customers to our VINTAGE-WHITE GARDEN PARTY!

The French Flea is open this week and ready for all our loyal customers! We appreciate all of you who come every month and we love seeing you! And by the way, we keep all of you in mind when we are shopping. We love collecting and gathering just the right "fabulous finds" for you!

This month, The French Flea is so full, it’s hard to even walk around! We have so many great furniture pieces and the garden art pieces are just fab! With fourteen of us gathering for our customers, it is so much fun to see what is brought in each month. And with the themes changing every month, the vendors love going out and finding just the right stuff!

Remember, we sell clothing now, so check out Valentina's Closet where you’ll find many great garden party dresses and trendy tops for those of you looking for inexpensive brand name clothing. Lori is busily searching for just the right look for "our" customer!

Join us Thursday evening, June 10th, from 4-8 for ladies night out, all stores in Anoka are open, we will have garden appetizers and lemonade ready for you!

Here is a sneak peak at all our amazing finds. Hope to see you there!

What's Black and White and in Full Bloom?!

2010-05-11T11:12:00.000-05:00

What's "Black and What and in Full Bloom"? The theme for this month's French Flea event! And we are so excited to have you come and see what we've done! We're all spruced up and ready for guests. And are you ready for some pictures? Without further ado, here ya go! But be sure to come and see them in person. Things look spectacular!

We have accessories!

And we have clothing! Thanks to Lori of Ladeeda Designs!

There's two of these chairs. They'd be awesome on a three season porch! Oh, la la!

Isn't she sweet!

Okay, so we have a little glare, but this picture (within the picture) is spectacular!

This mini chaise lounge is the perfect resting place for your vintage pins!

Hope you enjoyed the preview and hope to see you there!

Diva Days - More Photos

2010-04-29T22:26:00.000-05:00

A quickie blog post with some extra photos I took while at the shop on Wednesday late afternoon. Isn't this little poodle necklace such a fun choice for the "French Flea"...

"D" for Diva

Claudia, one of our new vendors takes the most gorgeous photos and has these cards available for purchase now at the Flea starting during the Diva Day event.

This is such a gorgeous grouping of items. From the luncheon set, to the tray and ending with the fabulous dresser in the background. I love it all.

The cutest bench made from two chairs.

Diva Days - April 30th and May 1st (10 - 5 pm both Friday and Saturday)

2010-04-25T20:02:00.000-05:00

Here are some photos of a few of the vignettes that were ready to photograph today, for our upcoming "Diva Days" event. The bones of the shop are getting set up and this upcoming week the details will fall into place, so be sure to join us for "Diva Days" as we celebrate our 1 year anniversary. The shop will be a "Spring Time in Paris" theme and will be brimming with fresh flowers, fabulous furniture, great clothing and accessories, wonderful accessories for your home, and one-of-a-kind vintage redesign jewelry pieces.

Saturday, May 1st there will be ongoing demonstrations, and many of our vendors will be on hand to greet you and assist you with your purchases. There will be a bench upholstering presentation, a tablescaping demo, clothing and accessories from Valentina's Closet, and vintage redesign jewelry how to's presented as well. You won't want to miss it. More photos and details to follow throughout the week.

We will have a huge selection of great ivory and black pieces of furniture available for this sale, so bring your measurements with you and be prepared to snap up that piece when you find the perfect find, as it won't be there when you come back for it. Get it while you can at "occasional sales", as its priced to sell, and is finished to perfection ready to showcase in your home.

Open for Diva Days in Anoka--April 30th and May 1st!

2010-04-20T21:46:00.000-05:00

Hi all,
We are in the flea and getting ready for our anniversary sale and Diva Days in Anoka! Yes... we have been open for a year already! Time sure flies when you're having fun! We have some great things in store for our customers on Saturday May 1st! We are having demonstrations all day.. we will also have a photographer ready to take pictures of "family and friends", whomever you may be with! She will be charging a minimal fee for these photos! More information coming on this. We are just trying this out, we thought it might be kind of fun for our customers, so we will see how this works!
We will have a upholstery demo, tablescaping demo and a short style show of vintage clothing and jewelry! All day long we will be celebrating our 1st year anniversary.. oh, and we will have door prizes! Stay tuned for pictures and info.! Until then..au revoir!

Hi-Lites from the April Sale Event

2010-04-13T16:33:00.000-05:00

Kimberly our model here (left), and Lori (right) showing how you can take a vintage maxi dress and update it with a few simple changes.

Thank you to all of our customers for once again for stopping in and shopping at our monthly occasional sale store here in Anoka. The French Flea appreciates each one of you, and it is you our customer that we work hard each month to collect, re purpose, restyle and find wonderful treasures, so that we can continue to provide you with an array of fabulous treasures to purchase for your own use.

In April, our vendor Lori, of Ladeda Designs organized and ran a vintage inspired fashion show, and showed our customers how to update their wardrobes with vintage and designer new apparel. We had the privilege of having four local ladies that so graciously modeled the clothes that Lori put together. The photos in this blog are representations of some of the kinds of clothing finds you may purchase at the French Flea. Each month Lori scours her resources for fabulous one-of-a-kind finds to stock her "Valentina's Closet" inside the French Flea. Shop often, as she continually retocks her closet.

A customer shopping a rack at Valentina's Closet inside the French Flea.

Kimberly, our model and Lori showing how to update a kimono into something stylish.

Loris' neice, Becca is modeling here. She has on a great jeans jacket ($12 always at the French Flea), vintage boots, a designer dress and a LaDeDa original messenger Flea Bag made exlusively for the French Flea.

LaDeDa Messenger Flea Bag designed by Lori

Don't you just love the fact that this adorable puppy was part of the show as well. This vintage gorgeous designer suit sold after the fashion show event to a lucky and happy customer. It fit Gail the model perfectly.

This young lady, Lydia, is one of Lori's most dedicated customers. She has bought many great finds at Valentina's Closet and modeled several of them for the fashion show. She wears vintage so well.

So fun to see this young girl attending the fashion show.

Kimberly in another great look. There was a good crowd of people enjoying the show during "Ladies Night Out" in Anoka from 5-8 p.m. on Thursday night.

I do believe the puppy was the hit of the show. She wore two different vintage hankies as well as a necktie belt during her debut, which coordinated with her Master, Gails' outfits.

Lydia looks like she just stepped off a Parisian sidewalk in this outift. She got the perfect look for this outfit.

We also strive to create a unique and one-of-a-kind shopping experience here at the French Flea, and one of these ways is by having a monthly theme for our shop. Stay tuned for Mays two events, which will be themed "Paris in the Springtime". We will kick off "Paris in the Springtime" on April 30th and May 1st for the annual City of Anoka's "Diva Days". We will be open from 10-5 p.m. on both of these days, which are a Friday and Saturday, so mark your calendars now. You won't want to miss out on the fun! We will be having many special events during these two days that we're open during "Diva Days", so ladies plan to shop until you drop and plan to have a girlfriend day in downtown Anoka.

Then our May monthly event will take place on May 13, 14, 15 and 16th, will regular business hours taking place. More to follow in a future blog post on both of these events.

Looking forward to seeing you again in May!

April at the French Flea - Hollywood Style

2010-04-05T22:03:00.000-05:00

"Old Hollywood Week" at the French Flea

Make your plans now to join us at the French Flea in Anoka, MN, this Thursday - Sunday, April 8th-11th for our four day fun filled occasional store event.

Thursdays are always a special day at the French Flea, with long hours from 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. We have a lot of great things in store for you our customer during this months sale dates, so don't miss out on all of the fun.

Thursdays during the 5-8 p.m. late sale hours always are part of the Anoka "Girls Night Out" events, and this month is no exception. We are featuring one of our very talented vendors, Lori Gravink, of Ladeeda Design.

Lori has become quite the talk of the French Flea these days, with bringing you our customers wonderful one-of-a-kind vintage clothing designs that she tastefully displays, as well as fabulous hand created and designed "Ladeeda" handbags, specifically created for the "French Flea" shop. See the examples below for some of her newest creations. Come in early for your favorite pick, as supplies are limited.

Lori is going to be presenting a fabulous vintage clothing style show from 6-8 p.m. during this months Thursday "Girls Night Out" at the French Flea. She will have several models modeling for her, and show us all how we can be wearing these great finds she brings into the French Flea to sell. Kimberly, our gorgeous vendor model will be modeling some of these fun vintage clothing items, as well as accesories that Lori has for sale in the shop. Check out Loris' Vendor Highlight information at the top of the blog to learn more about this creative designer and vendor. You won't want to miss this fun event! Treats and drinks will be served during this time too.

Great New Bags by Ladeeda Design.

Furniture at the French Flea

Lots more great black pieces are in the shop too.

Faux Painting

by Artisian/Vendor Patty Flowers

The patina on this table is gorgeous!!!

Detail of painting below.

Check out this fabulous faux painted piece... Love it!

Great Lighting

A number of great light fixtures are scattered throughout the shop.

Four solid brass electric sconces freshly rescued from a gulf/golf community custom designed home in Florida. Very heavy and well made.

More Furniture

Fun Vintage Redesign Jewelry

These are just a sampling of what we have in the shop this month for you our customers. I will be posting more photos on my blog as well, so if you'd like to see more details, check out my blog at Mimi-Torias' Designs.

We hope to see you this month at the Flea.

2010-03-28T22:25:00.000-05:00

Hi all,

We are in the flea and getting ready for our sale for the month of April. The next sale, Thursday-Sunday, April 8-11, will be a themed "old hollywood". We will also have alot of our frenchy themed items for sale, we just thought it would be fun to have a little different style and theme come in the flea this time!

We are having a vintage clothing style show on Thursday evening, from 6-8, with refreshments served! All of the stores in Anoka will be open that evening for "ladies night out".. so come and enjoy all! Lori has been out gathering clothing for this show and we will have some customers and some vendors modeling this clothing, we are looking forward to it! She has also completed our "fleabags", canvas bags made especially for the french flea! Can't wait to see them, us "fleabags" will be the first to buy for sure! This sale will be a very special treat for all and we are looking forward to some more warm weather, so we can open up our patio! We will have some patio furniture and finds, but our back patio will not be in "full bloom" until our Diva Day sale and do we have some special things in store for you, demos, door prizes and refreshments for our great customers! For the sale in April, be sure to click above under special presentations, to find more information about the style show on Thursday eve. April 8th and also click on Vendors for a profile on Lori our clothing expert! Until then au revior...

French Flea is Partying This Thursday - Sunday

2010-03-10T07:24:00.000-06:00

Won't you plan to join us this Thursday - Sunday, at the French Flea occasional store shop in Anoka. Yes, we are just open 4 days a month and during those 4 days we are offering fabulous one-of-a-kind finds for you our customers. Come on in for Girls Night Out for a wine tasting party, cheese and crackers. While your at it learn a little French from our guest for the evening, and try on some layers of jewels. You won't want to miss out on the fun.

Several gorgeous chippy white pieces of furniture with lovely layers of paint hidden beneath. oooh la la!

Incredible smalls at this sale that you won't want to miss out on. Great objects with fresh greens too.

Join us from 5-8 pm during "Girls Night Out" in Anoka, when Gretchen, our local jewelry designer will be on hand to show you how to layer your jewelry to update your look. Dozens of new jewelry designs will be showcased at this occasional sale event.

Great black and ivory furniture is in abundance for this sale. Shop early and often for great treasures.

Here are some examples of some awesome ivory/white furniture choices that are at the shop.

Wonderful ensemble set of jewelry recreated with vintage treasures.

French Flea March Sale - More Pictures!

2010-03-06T13:13:00.000-06:00

Things are really starting to come together at the French Flea this month. The Ole Market Place never looked better! Julie and Teri have been working like mad women to get this place in tip top shape and it shows. Along with the wonderful finds the vendors have gathered, we're going to have a ma-va-lous sale, darlin'! Enjoy the pictures!

March Sale Blog Post - Featuring Valentina's Closet

2010-03-02T21:42:00.000-06:00

Valentina's Closet

Winter sale

Jones of New York Sweater, Reglar price $18, Sale price $14

Vintage Fur Hat, Regular price $8, Sale price $6

New Faux Fur Bag, Regular price $18, Sale price $14

Vintage

Vintage Pink Wool and Leather Coat, circa 1960-70. $42.00

Reproduction Luis Vuitton Purse $79.00

New and nearly new

Emanuel Ungaro Blazer $17.00

Ladeeda Design Eiffle Tower Bag $27.00

Mimi-Toria's Designs Jewelry - Necklace $54.00

Ladeeda Design Eiffle Tower Bag $27.00

Mimi-Tori'as Designs Jewelry -

Vintage Redesign Necklace $54.00

Trendy

Steve Madden Black Pleather Cape $17

Christian Dior Bag $45.00

Spring

Banana Republic Microfiber Warm up Jacket $23

Mimi-Toria's Designs - New Design of Resin Eiffel Tower Necklaces $14.00

Mimi-Toria's Designs

New Design of Resin Eiffel Tower Necklaces $14.00

Winter Valentina's Closet sale:

Reduced prices on all sweaters, wool blazers, winter coats and fur coats and collars.

Lori Gravink will be on hand in the Valentina Closet area to assist you in your questions. She hand creates the Ladeeda Design Eiffle Tower Bags, fashion scarves, cool vintage re purposed tie style belts and many other cool and funky fashion forward redesigns.

Thank you Kimberly Correll for being our local French Flea model for this blog post.

A Few French Flea Photos for the Upcoming March Event

2010-02-25T11:19:00.000-06:00

Join us at the French Flea March 11-14 for our next monthly occasional sale event. March theme for the event will be a combination of "Old Marketplace" and "Wining About Winter". Thursday evening we are open until 8 p.m. and a wine tasting event will be put on by Pumpkin Liquors of Anoka. Hope to see you there!

Gretchen, our local jewelry designer of Mimi-Toria's Designs, has been busy creating a lot of fun vintage redesign pieces for you to purchase at our March sale. There will be everything from simple resin pendants with a French theme, to her signature piece pocket watch/bird style necklaces, to simple vintage skeleton key necklaces and than a nice array of detailed pieces. What is extra special is that each of her creations are all one-of-a-kind designs.

There will be some great black, white, ivory or grey furniture pieces ready to be purchased and placed directly in your home. We pride ourselves in selling furniture that is ready for that perfect spot in your home with no need to repaint, or refurbish it. The work is all done for you with our paint aritisans that specialize in creating wonderful one-of-a-kind painted furniture for you our customers.

Lots of great smalls will always be offered at our monthly sales. Creamware pictures and other neutral pieces set off and fill this lovely primitive cabinet.

Gretchen even has a wonderful vintage pitcher that she's created into a one-of-a-kind wearable piece of art and has included other fun elements with it. You could say, we have pitchers in all sizes in our shop.

Stop and shop often, as we are always adding new items as things sell. All of our vendors are working hard to create and re purpose great treasures for you our loyal customers for this upcoming event. We work 27 days of the month, so that the 4 days of the sale can be filled with great finds available for purchase. Won't you plan to join us for our special wine tasting event? Hope to see you soon...

By the way, more photos will follow as the shop gets set up in its full splendor, so check back often on the blog as next week should provide more sneak previews.

The Pictures I Promised!

2010-02-10T22:58:00.000-06:00

As promised, more pictures! I have to actually thank Gretchen for the use of her camera, as I forgot mine at home. My bad! And after a little technical difficulty, I was able to post the pictures. Hope they were worth the wait! I think the shop is looking amazing. I love how it all came together. Enjoy!

Tea Tasting and Scone Sampling at the French Flea!

2010-02-09T08:59:00.000-06:00

This just in! We are thrilled to announce we've just added a special treat for you! This Thursday at 10:00 am, we will be having Linda and Andrea from The Mad Hatter Tea Room serving you up some of their delicious scones, along with their amazing tea. If you've had the privilege of dining in their tea room located in the old Anoka Post Office, you know this is a very special treat you'll want to plan on attending.

And we've been very busy bee's, putting all the finishing touches on the store. We think you'll be pleased at what you find. Remember, we restock daily so come early and often. See you at the Flea!

New Pictures for the Up and Coming Sale!

2010-02-07T15:06:00.000-06:00

Here are a few more pictures for the French Flea's up and coming sale. There we'll be more pictures in the next few days so stay tune! Looks like they'll be a lot of fun things!

A little peek at Valentina's Closet . . .

Sneak Peak Photos - French Farmhouse Event

2010-02-04T12:32:00.000-06:00

These items will be available for purchase at the next French Flea sale event. The location and dates are located on the right side bar for your convience.

A wonderful French Farmhouse cabinet.

Vintage spring nest

Great display piece or bookcase.

Wonderful farmhouse style cabinet.

This great black cubby cabinet. Fabulous for organizing the home or office.

Dressers

Awesome end tables.

Unique tables and baskets.

Bottles, jars, etc.

Wonderful heavy pieces of silver.

Pot Racks and Copper Galore

Valentino's Closet

This was one happy customer from last months sale. She found great fur coats at great prices. There will be more at this sale, as well as the entire Valentino's Closet area has been organized including an area for trying things on. You won't want to miss this great feature in the back of the shop. Check it out...

This is just a sneak pre-view photographed on Feb. 2, and many more items will be coming in between these photos and the actual final set up for this sale, so check back again for more photos of items that will be on this sale.

We hope to see you next week at the French Flea!

2010-02-02T08:43:00.000-06:00

Calling all customers to The French Flea this month! Our theme this month is "French Farmhouse". It is looking so cozy in the flea. Lots of furniture, and so many "cool" decor items for your homes! We are getting so tired of this weather and it is fun to have a place where we can visit and shop for those one of a kind things for our home. We have lots of copper, wire works, baskets, lanterns, silver, glassware, pillows, artwork, all those items that will "warm up" your home for this season! At The French Flea we pride ourselves on our speciality items and our furniture, it is all painted and redone for you, you don't have to do a thing! And, of course, the furniture has to be black, white, cream or gray, so you can bring it home and those colors go with anything!
Also we have added our "valentina's closet". It is a new spot we created for our vintage and slightly used designer clothing. We had so much fun with that in January, we had lots and lots go out the door, it was fun seeing the customers try on and love the things they bought, and of course our prices are so low, you will not believe it! We will still have our vintage fur coats for sale for a few more months, come and check those out! Stay tuned soon, this week, for a sneak preview "pictures of the french farmhouse in the flea".au revior

January 14-17th Sale Event - "The French Salon"

2010-01-12T08:22:00.000-06:00

Sneak Peak Photos of this weeks occasional sale event.

Please view hours below photos.

As you can see there are a lot of great items in store for you at this sale. These photos just show a sampling of what will be offered at this sale, with more items being added between now and the sale. Shop often for best selections.

Store Hours

January 14-17th, 2010

14 - Thursday 10-8 p.m.

(Girls Night Out in Anoka)

15 Friday 10-5 p.m.

16 Saturday 10-5 p.m.

17 Sunday 12-4 p.m.

Home Tour Through the French Flea - House 5

2009-12-29T19:57:00.000-06:00

Julie's home was the 5th and last home on the tour. She loves to use color and does an excellent job of bringing just the right amount to her Retro Modern Style. Enjoy the photos and take a special peak at the cool ceiling chandeleir style elements she has in her home.

That is the last of the Holiday Home Tour. We hope you enjoyed seeing a glimpse of each of these homes. Many unique items are for sale each month at the French Flea of Anoka's four day sales. Stop in and check us out. The next sale will be in January, starting the 14 - 17th. Thursday from 10-8 pm, Friday & Saturdays from 10-5 and Sundays from 12-4 pm.

Home Tour Through the French Flea - House 4

2009-12-28T19:28:00.000-06:00

Lani's house was the 4th home on the tour, and it has a lot of industrial flair in it. I will again let the photos do the talking for me, and let you enjoy the images.

Home Tour Through The French Flea - House 3

2009-12-27T19:11:00.000-06:00

Anne's home was 3rd on the tour and is located on a lake. She has quite a collection of antique furniture and you will see one such chair as well as a black and white postcard that is an heirloom piece passed down through her family for generations. Lots of interesting things were through out her home.

Home Tour Through the French Flea - Home 2

2009-12-26T18:45:00.000-06:00

House #2 was Robyns' home and she is a true gardener. You'll see lots of evidence through out the photos I took of her house. One of my favorite things is the arbor you walk through to get to her sidewalk. It was created with plumber copper pipe and was really cool. Can't wait to see this place in the summer when things are blooming in the gardens.