antiques – Page 4

Old, New, Borrowed & Blue

So as they say…good things come in threes. I don’t know that I have ever experienced this phenomenon in the past, but I can definitely speak for it now.

I managed to make it through every day of last week with a smile on my face (which is a huge accomplishment), received countless encouragements from my co-workers, and on Friday evening I received a wedding proposal that was out of this world amazing (more to come later.)

It may be hard to believe, but these aren’t even the three good things I intended to share with you.

On the night of my engagement I also received three antiques. They are three that I will forever associate with the happiest time in my life to date.

1. A “nautical” antique lantern: given as a third of five clues leading me to Ryan on the beach and the aforementioned wedding proposal!

pondering the initial use of a lantern like this one…

2. An antique I have been searching for everywhere since I first started piddlin’ with gusto: a fabulously old painter’s ladder with hardware to boot! Given as a gift from the one and only “sister Sara,” who is the sister of our dear neighbor Jessie Buck. (who we also call “the pig”- and that is a whole post for another day)

um…how piggin’ perfect is this ladder !?!?!

3. And finally, the most perfect ring I have ever seen and more than I ever dreamt it could be ….mine?! Yes. This is the third antique I was given after a beach dinner picnic and the 5 clues (baseballs with messages) leading up to it. I am not completely convinced that I deserve something of such stunning beauty, but I am forever thankful and quickly humbled by such a gift. I mean, just look at it: Found in Ryan’s very own Elizabeth City, North Carolina…a city just as beautiful as this ring and now, forever a part of our life together!

thering — The most unique 1910-1920s Art Deco Estate Gold Filigree & Platinum Engagement Ring anyone has ever seen!

SLF_1169 — after a trip to the jeweler…its back on my finger clean sparkling and fitting like a glove!

It has been a long week, but every time I look down at that ring on my left hand, I am reminded about how much I am loved…and not just by the giver of such a beautiful gift, but also I am reminded of the love of his parents and mine who have spent and sacrificed so much of their time to bring us to this point. We are all truly looking forward to planning and celebrating such a happy occasion.

Finally, I must add that tomorrow is THE TRIP of a LIFETIME…

Okay. well. maybe not a LIFEtime, but it is certainly a big trip for any piddler, because since I knew it existed I have always wanted to take a trip down south to Atlanta, Georgia’s very own Scott’s Antique Show. I have only ever heard stories but tomorrow and subsequently after work, travel and sleep time, (Saturday) I will finally lay eyes on the closest antique Mecca South of the Mason Dixon and East of the Mighty Mississippi….SCOTTS! FINALLY!

_________________

WHOOHOO!!! We’re finally getting married!!!! I am the happiest and luckiest girl in the world!!!!

I leave you with one of my favorite lines by Emily Bronte, taken from Wuthering Heights:

“Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.”

Stay tuned because there are sure to be all sorts of fun finds on the blog next week!

happy piddlin!

mcwd-charcoal-marycatherine-script

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’ !

Summer Piddlin’

So it’s been awhile since the last post, & we have some catchin up to do! -check out the fun piddles i’ve come across over the last three months:

…these fabulous finds have been rustled up and found a new purpose from all over including Mount Pleasant, Inman, Hendersonville & Asheville, NC, the most recent piddlin trips to the last three spots were part of the surprise trip that my beau took me on in early celebration of my 24th birthday.

We spent a nice relaxing LONG weekend in Asheville, exploring each block sidewalk by sidewalk, store window by store window, corner by corner. It was quiet & peaceful and so nice to have a little live folksy local music when least expected.

The trip included a full tour of The Biltmore Estate, gardens, grounds, and winery. SO BEAUTIFUL!!! It was everything I imagined it would be and so much more!

Asheville2010 - 485 — sweet potato pancake topped with whipped peach butter and lightly fried pecans & powdered sugar! ooh & how could I forget the creamy grits with pimento cheese(me) & cheddar(ryan)?

Highlight of the trip, hands down, breakfast @ Tupelo Honey, downtown Asheville. I can honestly say, nothing will compete with this breakfast for some time: feast your eyes y’all!!

Pickin’ + Piddlin’

american-pickers

“We’ve all heard of antique dealers, but most of us know next to nothing about antique pickers. And yet these specialists are a crucial link on the chain that drags valuable relics out of obscurity and into our stores, museums and living rooms. In fact, if it weren’t for expert pickers like Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz, many antique stores would go out of business. Some historical artifacts would never have made their way into display cases. And an entire fleet of classic cars would still be up on blocks.

These self-described “modern archaeologists” are a far cry from dumpster divers. Ask any American picker, and you’ll probably learn there’s a science to their scrounging, a method to their memorabilia-seeking mission. Antique pickers like Mike and Frank travel the country, meeting collectors, hoarders, amateur historians and other individuals who all have unique stories to tell. Each and every treasure they uncover is a new history lesson, providing a glimpse at American life in the recent and distant past.

And then, of course, there’s the thrill of the hunt. Sometimes, it’s a race against time, with various pickers traveling from far and wide to check out–and compete for–a hot lead. Working for clients such as set designers, photographers, decorators and dealers, pickers go on wild goose chases for anything from motorcycles to military regalia to Ferris wheels.

So where do pickers track down their wares? Often, it’s way off the beaten path, in rural towns across the country, or right on the side of the road, especially on garbage pickup days. Sometimes they literally end up going from door to door, hoping to explore an abandoned barn or a basement packed to the gills with junk and gems.

Like antique dealers, pickers need a fabulous eye, especially when evaluating potential purchases that are covered in mildew, buried under dust or broken into fragments. It’s a risky business, too: after all, one person’s trash doesn’t always translate into another’s treasure. Or, as Mike and Frank put it, ‘You’re only as good as the last deal you made.’ ”

Source: http://www.history.com/shows/american-pickers/articles/what-is-picking :

pickin’ or piddlin’- call it what you will- these guys have definitely got the right idea!!! http://www.history.com/shows/american-pickers

Check out the American Pickers every Monday @ 9pm on The History Chan! *update: now catch them on Wednesdays at 9pm.

Between Piddlin’ Trips

iron "doorstop" — a little piece of history for my architect beau; seen here as a front door stop

My mom has updated her booth recently! Sterling Silver Tradition has traded two dusty cases for a beautifully aged wood + glass case…swoonworthy.

Also, be sure to stop by throughout the week to see SST’s latest purchases fresh from Atlanta to you (via Scott’s Antique Market)

What did she bring home for me, you ask? Well…two very fabulous finds, if you don’t mind my braggin’.

first doughbowl!

…the first being my very own dough bowl!!! at long last, I have one to call mine! Can’t wait to serve up some steamin’ lowcountry boil…I can already smell the ole’ bay! MmMmMm! …can’t go wrong with a receipe like this! (via Garden & Gun Magazine)

The second surcie is equally as fun as it is functional, a pretty antique-French-blue fleur-de-lis which looks great on a bookshelf or even as a doorstop!

fleur de lis

Now- I must add, just a few other finds I’ve been lucky enough to stumble over in the past month:

: This chippy little wooden bucket with rusted bands is perfect for holding my current reading materials + later, just about anything else! (via Northbridge Antiques)

The best part about this desk is how we found its matching counterpart while in Walterboro: a sweet little matching blue school desk chair which will one day make quite the study table.

Cannot seem to collect enough of these antique washboards; they will be so pretty in my laundry closet!

until next time- keep piddlin’!!

| mcwd-charcoal-marycatherine-script

LADY’S ISLAND | WALTERBORO | RAVENEL

when i received a text from mom on friday: ” road trip tomorrow?” i knew this past weekend was guaranteed to be good. we both had long been discussin’ a trip to savannah, ga for many reasons. however, when our dear friend & neighbor, Jessie, suggested we could snag some fab finds a little closer to home, we ran with the idea.

we set out-dunkin donuts’ coffees in hand- around 8am. by 8:30 we were headin down highway 17 s to some of the smaller towns of the south carolina lowcountry.

lady’s island was our first stop. it was our favorite kind of antique store: mini-mall. this is where many different dealers have “booths” under one roof. so it amounts to one-stop shopping for all kinds of odds & ends. it makes for a great day of antiquing, because you never know what you’ll find.

we found these cute little hand stitched pillows for $3 to be used on the two blue chairs in my new townhouse:
handmade pillows

also, a new unusual mason jar for my collection @ $8

mom snagged a handful of $2 vintage green-glass coke bottles for her backporch milk carrier. all the bottles were from near-by bottling plants including: beaufort,sc; augusta,ga; & savannah, ga. too cool.

we jumped back into the car and headed to walterboro, where there are 12 advertised antique shops, so you can imagine, some were quite the tourist traps! all that we saw was so great, each store in their own way. the mini-mall style is always the best, however. we pulled up to the main strip in historic, downtown walterboro and our first stop was a quaint little coffee house where we grabbed a couple bagels and vanilla lattes. {delish!} that gave us an opportunity to get excited about the first store across the street that had at least 4 display windows and a sidewalk, full of wonderful finds:

Ultimately, we just brought home a few surcees, but the find of the day was this old school desk that has a light wood veneer atop a pale, antique-y blue legs! $15!!!!!

We were bummed we didn’t have more time to spend there. We spent too much time in the last store on the street; we really wanted to check out this great little roadside stop in ravenel, en route back to mount pleasant speedin' past Farmhouse Antiques …but of course, we ran out of time. Overall, it was a such a great trip, and a much needed break from reality. mom’s are great like that.

| piddles!

PIDDLIN’

pidd-lin’: v. [slang for piddling] to lollygag around town in search of one man’s trash, your treasure; to dilly-dally enjoyably

| ex. the way it feels to wake up early on a saturday + rolling out of bed, throw on the most comfy clothes, flop on your best worn-in ‘ball cap + snag a piping hot cup-a-joe how you like it to-go, just in time to arrive at the morning’s estate sale + auction. As late mornin’ rolls around, you head on up the road to the local antique market just to see what treasures may have been lying in wait to be discovered by its next interested owner.

…that’s piddlin’ at its finest + I could do it everyday.

| keep piddlin!