Treasure Hunting

Antiquing in Small Towns

To kick off the Christmas shopping season

here in America, Saturday was called Small

Business Saturday.  People were encouraged

to get out of the shopping malls and support

the local merchants.  I decided to make it

Small Business Weekend.

I love driving through the countryside,

looking for interesting things.  I may be

a city girl but this country life I now live

has captured me!

Wherever I am in the world, I love to

visit small towns and villages.  Sadly,

in America, we are losing many of our

small, downtown, Main Street shopping

districts to the mega malls.  So, when I

find a thriving downtown, I feel it is my

civic duty to support them.

And I head to the local antique stores.

I'm not talking about the fancy places,

with everything washed up and put in

glass cases, that bores me.  I want an

old junk shop where I can rummage

around and poke through old bins to find

something that will be a treasure to me.

Her's a look at what I found this weekend:

A few old wooden spools, now relics

from a time when there were mills

all over this country.  My other

obsession after all is fabric, so I guess

that's why they appeal to me.

A beautiful old piece of English

ironstone, no lid ~ no worries, I

still love it and for 50 cents, who

could complain?

Another piece to add to the

blue & white collection.

A beautiful set of candlesticks marked

Handmade - Shirley Pewter.  I visit their

shop whenever I'm in Williamsburg, VA.

A sweet little silhouette.

Buttons ~ I can't resist them, I have

tons but always need more...

And what may be my new collection.

Amethyst Glass Bottles.

They turn this color by exposure to

sunlight, I thought it was because they

were buried in soil, but my bottle guy

set me straight on that.  I know they

aren't that old and I know they may be

 faked to look old but I do love the color...

Get out there and explore the

small towns near you.