Touring the Countryside for Antiques

One of my sisters recently had some holiday time she needed to use up, so we agreed to plan a day trip to visit as many antique malls as we could. This was quite an undertaking as they are all quite far from each other, making for a very long day of driving. However, the thought of scouring through rows and rows of collectibles and rooms and rooms of treasures was simply too alluring for us.

I'm happy to share that after five hours of driving, and a few turnarounds, the day was a success!

I came home with a few bags of carefully wrapped findings.

What was even more successful, was that we managed to do the entire trip with both boys! And can I just say that they were unbelievably good sports. Though I did put some effort into making the day more exciting for them. I created a scavenger hunt for Willen to do in the antique store which kept him happily occupied - the prize was $10 to spend at a surprise destination later in the day (a Lego store complete with a build-your-own-care racetrack, and life-size Lego creations). We also made stops at a farm and at a park, ate lunch at a chip truck that was an old fishing boat, and ended the trip with a giant ice cream cone. They also napped in the car, which helped.

On one of the back roads, we came across this field and a small herd of Jersey cows. It was such a pretty pastoral scene, I couldn't resist pulling over and taking a few photos.

As for what came home, here are two gorgeous ironstone pieces I found. 

The pitcher was $19, "as-is" (which means nothing to me as it usually just means it has even more character and charm, and will simply be displayed on my shelf) and the sugar pot was $35. What's even better is that I actually had this exact one, and sold it a while ago. I regretted it, which rarely happens to me, so it made the find even more sweet.

I've come to love the detailed pieces - the pots with ornamental handles, and pitchers with pretty patterns.

I also picked up this small frame for $19 and this charming little gold alarm clock, that works perfectly, for $11. I think the clock was a steal!

Also, my roses started blooming for the second time this year! They were the only bit of my garden I could move with me, as they were in pots, and for a long while I wasn't sure if they would survive. But after a lot of watering and care, they've recovered and a full of buds. I just hope most of them either open, or stay tight before we leave for the cottage!

The old basket to the left wasn't a find on this trip, but I did recently find it at an antique shop in town. It was $20 and it holds things we use each day at the table - my bible and notebooks along with Willen's activity books and homework supplies.

I also found this ladder back chair, with it's perfectly simple design, for $18. I plan on recovering the seat with a piece of antique linen. I can just see it in the boys room, with a lovely old quilt folded on top of it, or in the front entrance with a basket of mittens and scarves set on the seat.

I also found a few other things which I will show later.

Coming up in September, I have two more large antique shows that I'm looking forward to - the Fall Christie's Antique Show on Saturday, September 12th, and the Annual Aberfoyle Fall Outdoor Antique Show the following Saturday, September 19th.

For now, I was happy to cross a few items off my list.

Lilacs in Bloom and A Pair of Antique Frames

I've found that recently, when I'm not able to get out antiquing, eBay can be a great resource for locating pieces I'm looking for.

I have the benefit of being less than half an hour from the border, so shipping costs are much more reasonable than always having to pay for international shipping. And really, you can find just about everything!

This little ironstone pitcher was a recent purchase. With shipping, it was comparable to what I would have paid at a shop here. I liked the square shape and delicate handle.

I filled it with some of my first Lilac cuttings from a new bush planted last year. My other Lilacs are purple, and aren't quite ready. The fragrance of these is slightly less floral than the others. These still have a sweet scent, but it's not quite the well-known Lilac scent.

I also recently purchased this pair of small antique frames, which measure 9 x 8. It was $30 for the pair. I'm always looking for small frames. They're great for by night tables, and near cabinets in the kitchen, or in other small spaces about the house. The paintings they came with were quite dated, but I thought they would look beautiful with some small prints, or sketches, or even a pair of small paintings.

This small painting was a recent steal as well. It was a field sketch from an artist, and with shipping it came to less than $5! It's a very simple landscape, but it's bright, and it was more than worth it.

It brings new life to the frame.

Recent Finds - A Salvaged Ceiling Tile

My parent's recently picked up this old ceiling tile from a salvage shop across the river. They actually have been quite lucky lately in finding old ceiling tiles.

I took two home before they could put them in the shop. They would have made one large tile, but were cut into two pieces. My original plan was to display both, side by side, above my couch in the living room. However, they would be within reach of little fingers and even if I sealed them, I still didn't want them that low. So I decided to put one on it's side, up on top of my dining room cabinet.

It makes the ironstone pitchers stand out more obviously.

I loved the colours and the patina, and even the Fleur de Lis pattern of the tile itself. 

Recent Finds and New Items in the Shop

While out and about this weekend, I managed to pop into an antique store not too far from here. They are actually going out of business, and have been up for sale for a while, so I wasn't expecting to find much left. Still, it's been a while since I've spent any length of time looking for something old and full of character, so in I went.

I did manage to find a few little things, an antler, a tiny ironstone creamer, and a few pieces of mismatched silverware.

It wasn't much, but she gave me a good deal, so it felt like a success. 

I decided it was time to start listing some items in the shop again.

The serving fork and the gravy spoon are for myself. I love collecting pieces of antique silverware, and I use them quite often.

It's the tiniest little creamer.

These spoons are so versatile. They can be used as they were intended, or they can be tied with a package of loose tea or coffee, or in a jar of body scrub by the bath. 

This soap dish is a relatively recent find. It's up in the shop as well. I love how it fits one of those large, luxurious bars of soap.

I started listing some other ironstone that I've had collected for a while.

The boys were pretty excited about the antler.

For now it's on our shelf with other natural bits.

I had also planned to list these two julep cups, but decided not to. I really love them, so for now they will stay.

The weather has turned overnight, plummeting from an unseasonal 7 degrees (45) to -19 with the wind (-2). Hudson and I spent some time this afternoon snuggling in bed. I couldn't resist snapping a photo of him as he just looked so beautiful with his haircut and his thumb in his mouth. He's growing up much too quickly for my liking, so I was thankful for the quiet cuddling together.

A New Coffee Table

This year, with most of our Christmas gatherings being after Christmas, I haven't felt the need to pack up every single bit of Christmas on Boxing Day.

With that being said, our tree was beginning to look tired, as we had enjoyed it for over a month, and the fresh greens around the house were hardly fresh anymore. And after dinners and visits and brunches, the house was in need of a good clean.

Yesterday I spent the day in the living room. The tree was dismantled, decorations tucked carefully away for another year. Floors were vacuumed and furniture was moved back into place. Slipcovers were washed and replaced all fresh and bright. By the end of the day, the room had wonderfully settled back into place with only a few small hints that Christmas was here. 

For Christmas I had received some money, which I tucked away to save for a future antiquing trip. I wasn't planning on using it so soon, but while browsing kijiji, (a regular habit, along with MLS), I came across this beautiful old trunk. 

It was a great find for $35.

I've been looking for a new coffee table for quite some time, not really loving the feel of the Ikea one we had. It felt very new in a room full of old. But it was quite practical, with it's large surface.

Here you can see the old coffee table. I won't be getting rid of it, it will just be going down in our family room in the basement.

This old chest, which was likely used as a blanket box, or possibly a hope chest, has so much character to it. It's worn and used, and that makes it a lovely piece. The original dove tailing has been reinforced with screws, and it's been fitted with hinges so that the front now folds down. The previous owners were using it as a television stand. I love the simplicity of the feet, and the worn latch.

While it has half the surface size of the previous coffee table, there is still plenty of room for cups and saucers and things.

I think it adds nice warmth to the room. In the past couple of years, I've been drawn to more wood pieces, and while I have a few darker pieces in the room, I didn't have any light wood. It's a nice contrast.

Putting freshly laundered covers back on is always a wonderful feeling. I am constantly asked "How do you keep your white furniture white?" The answer is, I don't. No matter how hard I try, eventually they will need to be freshened up. I try to keep food out of the room, but occasionally we entertain. And every now and then, Oliver is let in with dirty paws. And of course, where else would he go first but my white chairs? They are lived in. But that's the beauty of slipcovers - they can be removed. And white? It can be bleached.

And completely unrelated, I wanted to share my favourite Christmas gift. Ever since I was pregnant with Hudson, I haven't been able to wear my wedding bands. At least not comfortably. Finally, after 3 years, they're back on my finger. Ryan surprised me with having them sized. He wrapped them in a sheet from an old dictionary, which was actually the laws for husbands and wives, and tied it with twine. He's creative like that. I also got one thin band for each of the boys for on my other hand. I've missed them so much.