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Monday, March 28, 2011

Gruene, Texas

(pronounced 'green'), 
est. 1845 by German immigrants
and known for its cotton production,



mercantile

remains a small Texas town boasting the sameTexas flavor
that's portrayed in history books. 


dance hall and saloon


As winter loosened it's grip,
we took a road trip
to this little, antiquated town,
to wander the monthly Gruene Market Days,
and enjoy the warm sunshine.

 I found myself attracted to vendors who offered items
constructed from upcycled materials. 







horseshoes, anyone? Can you make out the dragonfly?


Birdhouses crafted from recycled toilet tank floats.









And made one new friend.


Because I was so disappointed that I had just missed
Willie Nelson's performance
at the Gruene Hall,
he said he might be able to wrangle me
an introduction to Jimmy Buffet.


27 comments:

TexWisGirl said...

ha ha! I LOVE all that metalcrafting! Those toilet float birdhouses were brilliant!

Lois Evensen said...

What a very cool place! Just love all the nifty things for sale, but have no clue where I would use any of them. :)

john bord said...

The little town festivals have a flavor that the big cities try to imitate. Nice trip, enjoyed.

Dina said...

Love the metal animals. Some people are so creative.

Abby and Stephanie said...

Giggle. Hope you get to meet Jimmy. Love the fun yard art.

Bob Bushell said...

You made me laugh, the Texas way!

Linda Reeder said...

I love all that funky yard art!

Just Ramblin' said...

Never cease to be amazed at people's ingenuity. Nola

Sondra said...

Gotta love small towns--thats where real life is! Very Cool stuff!

Carrie P. said...

what fun! those bird houses crack me up.

FAB said...

I love the rustic art, especially the Dragonflies. Could definitely find space in the garden.

Audrey said...

LOVE the metal art!! That is so cool!
They must take quite a while to make. Would love a few for around my deck :)

DeniseinVA said...

What a fun place to visit, loved all the metal art too. I hope I get to explore Texas some day.

Kathie Brown said...

LOL! This was fun! Love the creativity!

John said...

Love the crafts made from "upcycled" items. You ave to appreciate the creativity we have in this country!

Anonymous said...

What fun - we could definitely go shopping together!

Glad you explained how to pronounce "Gruene" I never would have guessed!

Michelle May-The Raspberry Rabbits said...

I loooooooove all those metal critters! How fun are they! That giant dragonfly is my favorite!
xx, shell

EG CameraGirl said...

I LOVE all these items made from recycled materials. The owl would look super in my garden. :)

walk2write said...

Seems as if "green" is a settled way of life for folks in that Texas town. I love the recycled yard art, especially the birdhouses. Who knew that junkyards and landfills could yield such inspiration?

Crafty Green Poet said...

what a wonderful selection of upcycled crafts, wow!

Barb said...

I'll be you had lots of fun sorting through pictures trying to decide which to post! My favourite is the 2 owls, I think:)

Rambling Woods said...

Oh wow..I love that stuff..something would have come home with me..or maybe a bunch..LOL....Michelle

Simone de Klerk said...

Thank you for sharing your world on this Tuesday! How sweet those birdhouses are (o:

Marvin said...

Love the word "upcycled". I've seen a lot of the work, but never heard that term applied. BTW: Ya can't always trust a parrot promises.

Anonymous said...

Hello KaHolly, enjoyed reading your post...and seeing the pics of Gruene....thank you ...Warm Regards, Lyn

MyMaracas said...

Those birdhouses are such fun - so whimsical. Thanks for sharing!

bbba said...

I love all the yard art. The toilet float birdhouses are so fun.