we don’t go piddlin’ much these days for one reason or many, but on a recent trip to birmingham, alabama for work, i was happily surprised to have bright yellow letters over a roll down door at stash grab my eye. even though it’s been a little while now since we’ve taken a dedicated piddlin’ trip, there are certain features that alert me to a potential stop. this time, it was the vintage furniture sitting in the open door that invited us right in- to say nothing of those beautiful original warehouse windows. you just never know what you might find while out of town for the day!
my youngest piddlin’ pal mosied inside with me in the last moments before they closed for the day. i found it so sweet that she had any interest at all, just to hear she had her eye on a few finds of her own!
what we saw |
see a couple glimpses of what we saw below, then see even more on instagram @stash_bham i hope i’ll get to go back next time for a little bit longer!
okay, be honest…have you ever seen this much blue + white china?
+ what we found |
a dinner plate to be added to the walla mug to elevate our morning ritual
there are so many different looks of blue willow + i don’t believe any of our pieces match. just like methodical coffee in greenville, they are all welcome additions into the collection + bring a special touch to any purpose they find, each a beautiful piece of art on it’s own.
as much as i would have liked to scoop up every last piece on that shelf in birmingham, i chose to keep it simple + soaked in the genuine joy found in the browsing of such a collection alongside my daughter as i settled for one mug + one dish per trip. it keeps things in moderation without loosing the sentimental touch. just like mom used to tell us at the beach–you can take one or two shells but don’t take them all, so you can leave some for someone else!
are you a blue willow enthusiast?! i’d love to hear from you! it’s such fun learning what we all have in common. always so glad you stopped by to see what we brought home– happy piddlin’ to ya!
The first time I saw HGTV’s “Fixer Upper” was the Friday we found out we were moving to Atlanta. I had always heard people talk about the show or the couple in passing and usually with great admiration, but it wasn’t until a college friend commented on an Instagram post of mine last Christmas that my interest was peaked. I took it as a compliment and moved on- if my house reminded anyone of anything they had seen on HGTV, it had to be a good thing…right? Still, it was another 5-6 months before Ryan + I finally got around to finding an episode (or three) to watch. The instant gratification of a before + after show is highly addicting! I can say, as the wife of an architect, it never happens that fast in real life; the rule is you can have your project done 1. fast / 2. cheap / or 3. well; you can have it two of the three ways, but rarely, if ever can you have all three.
When I walked into Ryan’s bachelor pad in winter of 2009, the home that later became our nest for our first four years together as a family, it was the moment I knew he was the one. As a young professional architect at a local firm, he had taken a chance on a quaint townhome in a prime location of Mt. Pleasant after relocating there post college. The horror stories he still tells of the layers upon layers of wallpaper, peptobismol-pink rooms and painted closet doors to match were just the beginning of his first “fixer-upper” story. I realize now, my fateful steps over his threshold to meet his loyal companion (Chipper), also matched me with this life of fixing up an old house. I have not chased a dream so passionately before or since. Obviously, in a booming area like Charleston, SC, many have jumped on the renovation bandwagon, but few do it well + far too many have gutted the unique older homes that existed across the lowcountry for the sake of making good on their investment in the property.
We have together, always dreamed of what our next home would look like and what kind of “fixing” it would need. Friends + family have occasionally said to me “since you’re married to an architect, y’all must have your perfect house planned!”…the answer is not really. We have always tossed around snippets of ideas as they come to us and as contradictory as it may sound, we both know the look + feel we seek in a quintessential fixer-upper. We constantly joke, that Ryan will probably become the architect turned contractor hybrid while I will be able to keep stock piling the antiques I love for good reason! ______
2024 update:
it’s so neat to look back + see how far we’ve come, but also how close we’ve always been to this authentic life we seem to have been destined to live. while i genuinely aim to stay focused on the blessings of each present day, we have + continue to dream of what “fixer-uppers” may be in our future. in the meantime, i hope to encourage more of our pencil + ink clients to incorporate the use of old things in each of the spaces of their lives, because of the charm they bring, the depth + meaning they add, even if just one small thing per room. we simply cannot always push forward into the future without taking a small part of our past with us. often, we are told these mementos are merely clutter, but when they are integrated with thought + intention they can bring something that cannot be bought + remind us of how far we have traveled as well as how far we have yet to go.
it’s been a minute, piddlin’ fans– i haven’t had as much to share here in the last few years. truthfully, we’ve had quite the change of perspective on collecting things + have been attempting to collect more memories as our girls are getting older. we all need the reminders to loosen the grip on life. that said, i will always value those few simple antique touches that elevate our everyday life + daily routines + i do sometimes miss the treasure hunts from time to time.
piddlin’ is one thing ryan + i have enjoyed together from the very beginning. even when we were still dating, he mapped out piddlin’ road trips through the carolinas from the coast to the mountains + whenever i explained i didn’t have room for the neat things we would see, he told me i could furnish his townhome with the vintage items we’d find. so, when i mentioned i might like to do a little piddlin’ ahead of my birthday last week, it was an easy yes!
we weren’t looking for anything in particular + more wanting to stroll quite literally down memory lane, when this sweet mug was scooped up for just $5.00. walking into an antique store + finding an item you hoped to see for that little amount is a feat + almost unheard of these days!
i’ve especially admired this pattern after having the serendipitous surprise of being served a cappuccino in a blue willow mug + saucer some years ago while meeting up with some college friends at methodical coffee in greenville, sc. i have happily returned since to that charming downtown space a time or two with my family + they have opened additional locations as well.
a quick snap i took to capture the ambiance of my first visit to methodical; as featured on ig @porchesandpillowfights
whether i sit there for an hour or a quick 10-15 minutes, it is always a treat to enjoy the coffee at the source. seeing everyone in the cafe imbibing with the iconic blue + white patterned china coffee mugs or tea cups + saucers in hand does something for my old-soul, to say nothing of what their exceptional coffee brings to the table.
it was extra special to find this a few days before my birthday + i love that it will carry that sentimentality with it for years to come!
perhaps in my absence here, you may have discovered a few posts in the piddlin’ archive. i’ve been revisiting some of these posts lately myself + so enjoy the time capsule it has become!
The best gifts in life are those that we don’t expect at all, aren’t they? I was given one such package this Christmas that didn’t come wrapped, but rather in a plain brown box with my name written on it. I could hardly wait to get the chance to open it up + see the heirlooms that lay wrapped inside.
I uncrumpled each piece of newspaper to find these sparkling cut glass champagne/sherbert glasses emerge a week before the new year! What a delightful surprise! I immediately rinsed them off + placed them on our silver tray, adding a few small silver + gold ornaments in some + a couple tea lights in the others to throw together an easy vintage NYE table centerpiece.
For those who may be curious, the glasses are Wexford by Anchor Hocking, made from 1962-1998. I feel fortunate having been given this surcie because it’s always a nice treat to know the story about a vintage object + to have that bit of history to pass on to later generations of family.
I recalled first admiring these as I tried to think back to the last time we had visited at her house, pre 2020. I felt closer to Ryan’s Granny in spirit as I envisioned how many times these glasses may have been used on joyful occasions at her home. I just spoke to her yesterday + she has always been one of the most gentle people I know. Thank you to our sweet Granny Shirley!
I’m already imagining an ice cream party for one of the girls, her friends + their dolls, or maybe we’ll use these for an after school scoop of ice cream, or a cup of sherbet following a Sunday supper. Maybe one day we’ll pour punch for friends + family at a shower, or use them to toast the New Year with friends! No matter what we use them for, I’m excited to think about making new memories while imaging all the past occasions.
What do you think? Do you have any glasses like these that have a special purpose? I’d love to see them sometime!
historically, january has been a successful month for piddlin’ fun.
in january 2019 we found a couple of very unique, vintage garage doors, one of which we now use in our bedroom. looking back we probably should have bought the pair, because look at the authentic, chippy charm this piece can bring to any room.
the following year, we found a beautifully chippy old kitchen table, which felt like such a moment for ryan + i who had been looking for this exact table just before moving in 2016. in reality, no one admires the table more for the memories we made that day with our two littles. they hold naming rights to what we all now fondly call, “mom’s piddlin’ table”.
this year it’s been more of a slow start for many obvious reasons, but don’t mistake slow for lackluster! wednesday, i took the solo trip before the month got away, for a few moments of browsing “among the goodness” as a favorite dealer of mine likes to say. I was on the hunt for gathering baskets for the garden. having something special to look for, in this case for a friend, elevates the piddlin’ game.
have a look at this trip’s piddlin’ finds:
I have long admired blue willow china from afar + find even the smallest pieces bring an effortless dash of style to any space. I am loving it currently as a key dish in the pencil + ink studio.
what else; let’s see…
at christmas time I remember envisioning a pretty vintage red transferware dish to leave our cookies on for the big guy, because I’m a believer in utilizing the tiniest touches where possible in any + every moment.
while the kids may not immediately remember every particular from their childhood memories the same way I will, there are those moments in adulthood when glimmers of some of those details will most certainly begin to return to their minds, “remember how we always had that dish for santa…?”. speaking from experience, it’s at those times, when you realize just how much all the little thoughtful specifics can make the difference in a life well spent. they aren’t everything, but they do leave a kind of blueprint of how we cared for one another, even long after we’re gone.
we’ll likely need a larger dish for the christmas cookies, but this one will be just the thing for those small treats around christmas + valentine’s day. i’ll be using this next month for a chocolate brownie that i’ll share with my little one after her morning at preschool, or perhaps an after-supper sweet shared one sunday with my hubby.
this pink willow dish is almost a twin to the other in size + pattern + again so perfect for that little rosy touch for any spot at this time of year. take a moment to try placing one or two cookies on a special dish -in a color or pattern that appeals to you + your tastes- then, notice how it transforms the whole experience of enjoying even the smallest of sweets. it can be a few pink + red m+ms or a handful of mixed nuts on the bar for snacking before dinner; the contents don’t matter, it’s the intentional gesture that counts.
the more time we spend outside in the garden, the more flowers we have started to grow in our yard. the girls are always observing + admiring the pretties with me + asking if they might clip a few + take them inside. in this season of raising girls, these little glass jars are my weakness because I know how much they will love a teeny place to prop up the smallest little flowers, clovers + such that they will be enjoying again in a few short months.
who can remember finding beauty in the little flowers of the weeds among the grassy fields of our youth? only in these earliest of years can we fully imagine the magical world of fairies in our own yards + neighborhood forests. our girls love it deeply + I am here to encourage that behavior as long as life will allow.
this split oak market basket was the second one I laid eyes on + despite it’s obvious flaws, it’s going to make a great addition in our potting shed; particularly for those impromptu summer night strolls at dusk around + through the garden blooms + among the bumble bees wrapping up their long day’s work. also hoping to have a few more varieties of flowers growing around the garden this year that will allow a few more opportunities for making foraged arrangements that I so enjoyed last summer.
it was a surprise to see how many baskets were on display on my outing, but this little gem came into view as I was making my way down the last aisle + the moment i saw it, i knew it was just the thing i came for. surely one of my readers here knows more about this little beauty than i, but from my quick research, it looks like this is an amish wicker melon or egg basket. i love the handmade attention to detail + the overall look + feel of this charming little basket- what a find! I can just imagine my friend + her daughter carrying this outside to their vegetable garden to collect the day’s harvest- what simple joy I pray that task will bring to their day-to-day lives.
all these little treasures of course are just things, but used with a pinch of intention, they can often help lift our minds to a place of gratitude + beyond!
Take a peek at our piddlin’ finds from August’s return to treasure hunting! Lots of fun stuff here.
We are back on the piddlin’ trail today, so please, always let us know what you are hunting for- we can keep an eye out for you! We’d love to help look–
the best thing about finding a truly great antique, is how they will always have a special ability to evolve right along with you! Take this trunk for example. For years, it was the perfect end table in a warm + sunny coffee spot, then it was a moving aide, great for packing things into while between houses. Years later, it served as a dollhouse stand + the year after that an actual dress-up trunk. That’s exactly the journey this one has been on + who knows where it will land next! The adventure doesn’t end when you bring the treasures home; that’s sometimes when the magic is just beginning!
What old things are you repurposing at your home? Maybe you don’t even notice, they’ve been there for so long. Perhaps you just bought something “new to you” but with all the old-time charm or maybe you have a piece that you are making into a good antique with each passing year. Won’t you please share your favorites with us below!?
If you have recently bought something but don’t know where to put it, or maybe that unique thing caught your eye but you hesitated to bring it home– please get in touch + I can help you find a place for it in your space! Read more about my design business, pencil + ink creative, here.
so often, when the piddlin’ pals head out on a fresh adventure, we find things that speak to us + that is what we bring home. I’m sure you’re thinking, what kind of mumbo-jumbo is that? well… it’s not impulse buying + it’s not buying something to collect, it’s trading money for a good, because you are drawn to it.
early in our relationship, Ryan + I used to always say to each other while reflecting over our recent trips or finds “the best antiques choose you”. This is so true. Just look at this powder room from our tiny townhome from our early days in Charleston. My handy architect had already laid the tile, replaced the sink/cabinet + had even installed beadboard, the only thing amiss to me was the wall color. Funny as it may sound, every time I went into that water closet, I was thinking about paint colors! Finally I brought home a few samples, + made a move. We painted on Urbane Bronze + loved every second of what followed- why hadn’t we done this sooner?!
As fate would have it, we already had the antiques to polish off the new look as a result of all of our piddlin’ adventures together. After the paint went on, we threw together a basic layout for a gallery wall, using vintage, framed, group photos, mixed with a few new pieces, then added a preserved boxwood wreath to the towel ladder. I still love this room so much, years after moving that I’m thinking it’s time to recreate it in our home here in Georgia.
If you love this as much as us, let us know! I can find a way to add charm to any room/wall of your space too! Get in touch with me today + let’s make your spot feel more exciting, warm, friendly + fun. It would be my honor! Learn more about my design business pencil + ink creative here.
As I mentioned before, we really kicked off this new year with a few back-to-back piddlin’ weekends, all mostly around town. One particular weekend in January, we loaded up the crew in the piddlin’ pickup + headed north.
I had caught wind of a promising estate sale + the pictures were enticing. Despite the low draw it had on instagram it was also listed on an estate sale website, so the place was absolutely crawling with folks by the time we arrived (mid-morning). Items were all exactly my vintage style, but relatively overpriced in light of deep discount/liquidation sale prices advertised. It was a fun target + something that really slingshotted us away from the usual piddlin’ fare, which is so important to do from time to time. We got to enjoy the mountain views + pastoral scenes of the North Georgia Mountains, just by driving an hour away from home!
We were recently that way for a celebratory family field trip to go hiking + see a double waterfall this past summer. It brought a smile to each of us as we journeyed back to the area six months later in a different season. It’s nice to recall the warmth of summer memories in the midst of winter’s cold.
Even though we didn’t get to haul a bunch away from the main draw as anticipated, we found some items on this trip that we otherwise may have never come across. Simply leaving town makes a piddlin’ trip memorable. More often than not, the best treasures end up coming from the little side stops along the way + the journey is made all the more fun + spontaneous because of it.
Take a look at the great things we saw on our family pick:
duck, duck, GOOSE!!
This scale is absolutely gorgeous!
Always on the hunt for that special church pew we’ve wanted to add to our home for years!
Quilts have always been among my first antique loves!
Wooden organizers, crates + typewriters—oh my!! What’s not to love?
Here are the items we brought home!
[TOP] extra large, old glass window pane // lots of charm on this extra large, chippy white, antique-glass window; my architect says it was likely used in an old church or factory [BOTTOM L] “vintage” toy cars // The part I most loved about this trip is how the girls got to pick out something that excited them! We’ve started giving them a few dollars to spend, so they pay close attention to the “number tags”, which is becoming a bit of a game for them! [BOTTOM Center] 1940s royal companion portable typewriter // I’ve been writing on it since we got her tuned up + working again! [BOTTOM R] black + white enamelware tray // just like the butcher used in Mrs. Maisel!
The girls discover such wonderful treasures, oftentimes items which I may never notice, if not for them. This time, they unearthed these toy cars, a cute little Curious George lunchbox + a pink fishing pole. None of these things were terribly old, but the fact that they are learning to hunt alongside us, learning the meaning of seeing value in something no one else wants at a young age is pretty fun to see!
I’ve been doing this so long, I only recently realized it’s so green to collect old things + find different ways to reuse + repurpose them– so much better than buying those cars, or that typewriter or containers from a store. On top of that, these trips are great family quality time for all of us + we always ask them for input before setting any plans on Saturday morning as to what they want to do.
The real fun often, is just riding in the piddlin’ pickup together + even more now that they have been given their own pint-sized piddlin’ picnic basket-!! These are the days, + this is how we love spending them right now– out + about exploring this great big world, with our crew. The family that enjoys piddlin’ together, stays together!
May all your piddlin’ journeys be full of smiles + memories to last you a spell…
I miss those days of meandering amidst endless cardboard boxes falling apart at the seams with chipped china plates + scuffed up architectural pieces. You just haven’t been piddlin’ until you’ve seen a show like that!
I’ve been spending lots of time lately at the usual haunts around town. After meeting a new friend late last year + kicking off 2020 with a piddlin’ streak, you could say the antique bug has bit once again! There are SO many fun stops around Metro Atlanta; this helped make our decision to relocate here so easy. Pro Tip: the areas that surround Atlanta are full of piddlin’ potential for miles for those willing to put in the travel time.
Sometimes you just gotta leave town to get a fresh look!
This past Friday I traveled a couple hours away to do just that. I found a lot of fun, saw some wonderfully unique things + also brought a few home. It was sensory overload with all the pretty booths + vignettes throughout the vintage market, though I’m forever on the hunt for a classic antiques show like the ones I cut my teeth on.
So here’s a few glimpses from the “show” + a few items that spoke to me that came home!
Piddlin’ finds that came home with me!
Does anyone remember Metrolina?
This quick day trip was a great change of pace + I’m beyond lucky my family can provide the flexibility to be able to let me go. I love the pause I’m given to think + reflect. I also found myself smiling, reminiscing about the time I snagged my first deal at Metrolina in Charlotte. I circled a very primitive wood bench (probably quite obviously, looking back), 😂 until I finally worked up the courage to make an offer. To my surprise, the dealer + I bargained a bit until finally settling on the exact price I wanted to pay for it. I have been hooked on hunting for treasures since. I still have that bench + have always treasured it as a symbol of the self-confidence I gained that day as well as the love for piddlin’ it instilled in me.
I so wish we could find another place where we can take a walk through piles of chippy, patinated junk as previously seen at places like Metrolina + Scott’s. I miss those days of meandering amidst endless cardboard boxes falling apart at the seams with chipped china plates + scuffed up architectural pieces. You just haven’t been piddlin’ until you’ve seen a show like that!
Mom with the dough bowl she picked for me at Scott’s, circa 2008
I’m talkin’ piddlin’ finds worth the bargain made for them. Those awesome things that hadn’t yet been dusted off or brushed up; rusty, dusty, fabulously forgotten finds. There is a bit of authenticity given to the phrase “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” when you are actually digging through the tangle of tossed things found at a great antique show. Bonus points if the piles of stuff are found outside! There is simply something added to the whole experience when it’s out in the elements.
I also got to meet up with my mom!
This was an awesome time for the two of us to spend some rare one on one time + we both really enjoyed the spontaneity of the meeting in the middle for the day. One thing we are equally interested in is antiques-!
When I was in middle-school, mom’s mom + her aunt took my cousin + I to “The Flea Market” at the Gaillard in Charleston on many occasions. While we honestly didn’t love it at first, we grew familiar to the experience what, with all the visitin’ with my grandmother + great aunts friends, + we began to look forward to picking out the souvenir hankie we would take home. We ended up with quite a collection. Though we grew away from those trips, mom continued to go until the building was renovated. I can still remember the last time I went with her while it was being held at an adjacent building—that was where we found my beloved Bermuda bag! Such memories made at an event that I would have never asked to go to otherwise.
Mom has also taught me a few of the tricks of the trade over the years, like how to make a deal, how to stay nourished while piddlin’—always pack a piddlin’ basket for the “intermission” tailgate, + how to efficiently pack up the car for the ride home. When I go piddlin’ I always carry my cash in the sterling cigarette case she gave me. She has a lot of stories from all of her trips with friends + encourages me to make a few of my own with my girlfriends too!
Over the years our styles have evolved, but the silver lining is we can now appreciate each other’s eye + pick side by side, while helping each other a little along the way. Remember this tip: the best piddlin’ partner is one who is willing (eager) to go check out a few local spots before heading back home.
A friend of mine also made a girls’ weekend trip to some of her favorite spots + they snagged a church pew for $125 (steal) – at their FIRST stop!! Doesn’t get any more meant-to-be than that. They also ventured to an auction which is what drew them to the area + walked away with some lovely Americana pieces—a beautiful GE fan, a sturdy wooden pulley, some enamelware frigidair refrigerator drawers with beautiful art deco type, a wooden checkerboard with loads of charm, a ladder for almost nothing, some nice vintage metal bin labels with great type, vintage ice skates + roller skates!! It’s so fun to make a girls’ trip out of these journeys because even if you haven’t found what you came for, you walk away with such memories!!
Have you done any hunting lately? What’s your favorite thing to collect?
I’m already looking ahead to see where my next day trip might be + making a wish list for it. Until then…keep piddlin’!
