Piddlin’ Posts

Summer Celebrations

First of all! Happy Independence Day Weekend! Look at what I found to help celebrate!…

of course, a good find must always have a story so here’s how we found it!

…But first, I must add that Chipper was very helpful in taking this picture! He too was very excited about the patriotic star, and asked to be included in this post!

A dear neighbor of Ryan’s is every bit of southern belle, and what southern belle does not LOVE her antiques!? Erin, who is getting married in another 2 months time asked if we could make a sunday stop by my favorite piddlin’ haunts: Antiques Market! Luckily, they are open on Sundays (one of the many reasons why I LOVE the place).

I don’t have to be asked twice to go seekin’ a good antique find, so you know I was ready with bells on when it finally came time to go! And we had SUCH luck, which made the trip even more enjoyable. I found this lovely antique-blue tin star and with Erin’s help, I realized, I could NOT live without it! It was just the right price at $24- so it obviously came home with me!

Erin also had great luck and a GREAT eye for fabulous little sursies left and right. The first pick was a set of beautifully hemstitched linen handkerchiefs with gorgeous detail. She has her eye on them as a gift to her dear father for her wedding day! So thoughtful and beautifully southern-indeed! It will be an heirloom for years to come!

While wandering the aisles of the closest thing to antique-Mecca this side of The Cooper, there were many things to ooh and ahh at! I warned her when we walked in the door that it was very possible for me to spend the better part of the afternoon wandering, so it was a quick trip…which really is sometimes best! Because you only go for the things that really snag your eye, and make an impression on you. Some of my best finds have been on the road in an allotted time set per store! (see the post from last August!)

Also found today:  2 potential chairs for Erin’s living room—well, she is waiting in hopes they will break up the pair one day so she can go back for it…if anyone is looking for a chair like this one please contact me so y’all can go half-sies! Total price is listed as $550 for the pair, so…$275 per chair? Remember email me if interested! pigginpiddler@gmail :

Precious Erin also had a keen eye to find this sign on the floor of one of the booths with some local, Lowcountry flair:

and of course! What’s a perfect “pick” without an after shot! This sign just puts a finishing touch on Erin’s nautical red bathroom wall! I just LOVE it.

Last but not least: another finishing touch in the final countdown run to the BIG DAY! A basket for her flower girl, little princess Izzy! Erin literally said, “please help me find a basket for my flower girl to carry!” I walked around the corner and voila! the basket had been there for months, and I just happened to find it once more to give it THE perfect home. It’s quite beautiful, don’t you think?

This treasure really resembles a traditional Shaker basket, with the over-under style weave and the top border twisted ’round and ’round. What do you think? I know the basket I bought for my bicycle is similar and it wasn’t found at as good of a price as this one!  See here for more details on the different types of woven baskets found around the country.

I love the sandollars! Erin and Erik are getting married next to the water in September so what a pretty touch to place sandollars inside the basket until the wedding! Ryan and I wish them all the happiness in the world! I personally cannot WAIT to see pictures from the special day!

Finally, if you haven’t had enough red + white + blue yet, then here is just a little more to help with the festivities!

AND! How ’bout those GAMECOCKS?! It’s a good (TWO years) to be a Gamecock Alumni!

Happy Fourth of July and Happy Birthday to America!!

Here’s to fireworks, suntans, watermelon and another 235 years as a beautiful, strong, independent country!

Vintage Virginia

ROANOKE & BLACKSBURG,VA–Virginia is a long way away from the tidal coastlands that we call home…and I will admit, I am bit of an antsy pants. (i.e. can’t sit still for more than 2.5 hours at a time). Regardless of the seemingly endless drive, there are perks: absolutely beautiful scenery worth photographing the whole way up and down and through the mountains; the fresh, thin, mountain air that infiltrates your lungs and fills your soul, and (my favorite) LOTS of antique stops!

I could go on and on for days and days about our most recent trip to The Old Dominion State, but for the sake of time I will sum it up the best way I know how, with pictures, ENJOY!

one of MANY beautiful views, looking straight up, while hiking on Dragon’s Tooth Trail in Salem, VA


From the lookout on top of the mountain crest! We made it the whole way up (4,000 ft above sea level, if I am remembering correctly)

Ryan’s second home is this campus, this beautiful beautiful place in Blacksburg, VA. We got to see the whole place covered in a morning fog and it was simply magical!

our favorite! HOMEMADE framed chicken wire…if you haven’t seen these yet….pick up the latest issue of Country Living! I already have one hanging in my office! LOVE THESE.

We found this AWESOME white barrel in Christiansburg, VA – just $35-!! I have put it to use as additional “counterspace” in my quaint kitchen!

Been looking for this EVERYWHERE….now if only I can snag a South Carolina, the abbreviated collection will be complete! Piddler’s be on the look out for me!!!

The finishing piece of the trip! The highly sought after trunk which is now by new COFFEE TABLE! yesssssss. This was a great find, in great condition, complete with wheels on bottom. Although, the side (leather) handles were long gone, the brackets that once held the old straps  are GORGEOUS with stars shining brightly. This is definitely one of my TOP 10 finds. I knew it was meant to be, when the tag read: ” old trunk, would make great coffee table” SOLD. What an adventure that was!

There are so many pictures from this trip, it would almost be impossible to share them all, although I would really like to! I will try to post more on facebook in the near future!

thats all for now, | keep piddlin’ !

Tobacco Road Trip


You’ll never guess where WE went piddlin’ last weekend….well let me back up. The reason for the road trip was graduation! My beau’s brother received his degree from Elon University this weekend and their ceremony was absolutely beautiful…”Under The Oaks!”

I took a million pictures for the happy grad to have as a keepsake reminder of his day…it was the first graduation I have really attended other than my own, so it really had a great deal of meaning to me.

So Elon…you’re thinking…where does that put us on the map? Well if the title didn’t give it away, then my tweets this weekend would have! We were smack dab in the middle of North Carolina- Tobacco Road refers to the stretch of schools along an area that at one time produced the most tobacco in the country.

Here’s what we found! Piddlin goodies below…

Riding through Duke Forest…
Dentist sign for DeeDee’s office!
“friendship” pyrex bowl for my friend & may birthday girl ~ jessie
perfect for stashing receipts or just knocking out all those short orders!
love love LOVE milkglass- almost as much as I love these gardenias!
                                            windows for memo boards (more to come on that)
will you just look at that patina!

Now- What would a “Tobacco Road Trip” be without some pictures of the infamous schools found in its path?

Cameron : Home of The Duke Blue Devils
The Old Well at Chapel Hill

…look for more pictures from the trek on facebook! And, stay TUNED! More piddlin’ adventures to come…until then, au revoir!

Miss Southern Priss: The story of Jocelynn

SO- I owe you an explanation on what I’ve been up to. First, may I just shamelessly say how lucky I am to have such a wonderful, caring, kind-hearted and selfless beau! (the rest of this sentence should read: ….that will drive me down to BRUNSWICK, GA even though when I fell in love with this revamped piece of furniture I thought we’d be retrieving it on our way home from North Carolin’) …YEA.

so long story short. sorority sister (the wonderfully amazing, bkick) introduced me to Southern Priss, prepare to be wowed by her page on facebook; then I get stuck in some traffic one random day after work, am browsing the latest and greatest on Southern Priss’ facebook page; before you know it, I’ve become the first one to comment “SOLD” and the piece is mine…just in time to find out that my lovely and also kind sorority sister had *just* commented her absolute love for “jocelynn” as she was so named; well after the back and forth vigorus texting with britt, we decide that I could have it, ’cause anyone could have bought it in the time that she had to wait on her hubby to give the go ahead and well- HERE she is in her new home/my new fabulously comfy living room. (she is the answer to my prayers!) the living room was more like a storage space before her and jocelynn added this pop of color and bam: instant living room….well I guess the few antique finds do help out a bit…;) tell me what you think!! Britt- I OWE YOU ONE!!!

Love at first sight!

| keep piddlin’

mcwd-charcoal-marycatherine-script

Florentine Finds!

FLORENCE, Italy…ha! –I wish.

FLORENCE, SC– Dee and I met, grabbed a splash of gas, a drop of coffee, a quick breakfast sand’ and hit the road before dawn. We were like two mad women on a mission. Since I haven’t seen a good antique mall since say….August? I had been jonesin’ for a trip to seek and find at least one good piddlin’ spot. Here’s what we rummaged up…

some FAB shake/sundae glasses….for Ryan- who LOVE LOVE LOVEs my prized triple thick milkshakes! (be jealous)…

The Spinners Vintage Best Hits….OH YEAH! This is all Dad right here. I think he loved his sursie as well! I know I certainly was entertaining the ‘rents with some vintage dance moves. haha enough said–

argueably…my FAVORITE find of the trip! One for dee, one for me- Cross-stitched, Charleston “basket ladies.” Can I even begin to describe how GREAT these are? So Charleston, and just flat out awesome.

Sucker-Punch Sam – I had to name him, this is the first thing mom laid her hands on and she wanted to put it on the counter just 5 seconds after we had walked into Carolina Collectibles. He’s a heavy iron doorstop..a great conversation piece to add to her July decor!

…Check back later this weekend for THE FIND of the day! *You CANNOT miss this*

-the piggin’ piddler | mcw

Hello again!

So—left out a couple of pretty great finds. FIRST: I love Halloween and honestly will tell you it’s pretty much my favorite holiday and always has been…I could go on, but I’ll save it for October. ;) What I won’t save until then are these spooktacular holiday finds…is it bad that I’m already ready to decorate? WELL- since learning about Edgar Allen Poe on Sullivan’s Island as a little girl, to his macabre poems studied countless times since 7th grade Literature class, (and yes of course, adoring POES from the day it opened), I have a fond love of all things Poe so that explains these next finds:

…Annabelle Lee, herself!

also seen here, Edgar Allen Poe’s storied Raven…

Okay! At last…here’s the golden egg of the trip….

…after some humble researching this is what I have discovered. The above lovely piece of pine is called a “Hoosier” and named after the very popular Indiana company that made these kitchen cabinent solutions. At the time they were made, built in cabinets were rare as these served as a safe and rodent free way to store flour, sugar and the like in a “possum- belly” drawer that could not be chewed into. Check out some of the links (and pictures!) below…I can safely say, we got a serious steal on this piece! Wow- can’t wait to have my own house one day! …ENJOY!

Needless to say, I felt excited when we loaded this bad boy into mom’s car, but I feel like the luckiest piddlin’ girl in the world now that I own this unique piece of American Kitchen history…too cool. Can’t wait to find the perfect use for it! …thoughts of a permanent baking table are dancing through my mind right now. OOH joy- makes me want to get my mixer out right now and start baking for Easter!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoosier_cabinet

http://www.rubylane.com/item/496181-08-122/Possum-Belly-Kitchen-Cupboard

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0253314240?ie=UTF8&tag=lovetoknow-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0253314240

http://www.bonanza.com/booths/theoldgrainery/items/POSSUM_Belly_Hoosier_Sellers_Kitchen_Cupboard_Cabinet_

Now…for a little extra treat I have one more thing:

…for our dear “piggin'” friend, Jessie. These are for you!

Let there be no doubt about it – this is the piggin’ cutest pig that the pig herself has ever seen. Jessie – thanks for the voicemail…we laughed until we cried. SO SO Glad you LOVED the PIG SurPriSe!

Stay tuned for more piddlin’ trips…sure to come! | ❤the p.p.

Piddlin’ Treasures

“One man’s trash”, all found at the last Metrolina trip:

THE piddlin’ FIND of the day! My antique “work/drafting table”, with gorgeous wear…

…mom was thrilled to find this ole’ iron interlocking bed frame for $100 bucks even!

…a lovely and well worn pail with a punchy red stripe! LOVE.

…a handy muffin tray for organizing…

& the last find of the day and a gift from mama- a cameo with the three graces:

beauty, poise, and grace-

stay tuned. | keep piddlin’

…to METROLINA or bust!!

Hel-lo november! another season, another trip!
Tomorrow morning at 6am, we will be heading out on our semi annual antique road trip. If we are at all lucky at the fall “extravaganza” @ Metrolina we’ll come back looking something like this:

Metrolina, on a national level is not quite so noted, but it’s the bees knees for those of us stuck in one region of the country. Can’t wait to see what finds we will stir up. Pray for good weather! And let me know if you think of anything ya need!

xo,