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.
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’!
‘pressed to the sound of Van Morrison’s latest album, Three Chords + The Truth while the girls play + sing Frozen for the umpteenth time since we saw Frozen 2. “No, I’m Elsa + you can be Anna…”
Some of the best finds are the ones that come from an impromptu pick…you know, the really surprisingly delightful finds that pick you.
It was that way for this table.
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I. [backstory] When we were first married, Ryan + I used a new table that his parents had bought for him. It was rectangle in shape with a dark stain, had chairs, a bench + space for guests. It was nice to look at, but that’s about all we really did with the table, look at it + pile things on it. We made some changes to open up the galley kitchen since we always seemed to be talking through the wall when between rooms. We took out the top portion of the wall to create a more open feel with the adjacent breakfast nook. Throughout the process of making edits (before, during + after) we talked about the table + how we thought the eating space should function. It was more in-play now because where there had once been just a doorway connecting dining area to kitchen, there would soon be a ledge for us to visit while cooking + the long rectangular table was taking up too much of the available space. It would be hard to make the new open space flow without editing the size of the table.
II. [booth, please] My dream then + for the forseeable future was + is to have a breakfast banquette. It’s a cozy notion, don’t you think?
When given the option, I am always a bench-seat-prefered kind of restaurant patron, so it’s a no-brainer to bring this cozy seating option to my favorite place to eat! I credit this, in part, to a time when I babysat for a sweet family with three boys + their home had a breakfast nook, tucked between two walls, not so different from this one:
The booth seating was very non-traditional, + limited, but ever so inviting. I’d always be more likely to be found cozied up in the banquette instead of in front of the TV when Caroline + Dean would come home + to me, that was the most comfortable spot in the house—which, was architecturally gorgeous by design. We had a few life talks at that table + as fate had it, they later introduced me to my husband. I can also remember another sweet family from early in my babysitting career, who had a larger built in bench below a grouping of kitchen windows for their frequent, impromptu little family gatherings. I still remember watching that young mom + dad feed their little ones Mama Brown’s barbecue until their tummies were stuffed full of pork, green beans + mashed potatoes. The bench was loved + pretty beat up, but it boasted extra storage + functioned to perfection for their convivial family time around the table. I remember thinking how fun it made meal time at their house.
III. [table lineup] Until we have a banquette of our own, we have been relying on a lineup of antique tables to make family meal memories that count. What a blessing it’s been, to have tables with such character gracing our home.
First, there was the craigslist table. You’re probably thinking, “what? you never really know who or what you’re dealing with on craigslist”; I tell you, it was simply meant to be! The listing led us to my uncle’s neighborhood–okay, so we were safe at least. Then to a gentleman who was parting with not just any old table, but one full of memories from years spent eating, doing homework + living life at this beautiful oak table which originally belonged to his grandmother from High Point, NC. It was scuffed + loved + after we measured, we knew it would fit perfectly in our nook.
The table with four leaves + oozing with charm, had picked us to be it’s new keepers.
We brought it to our townhome + began making so many memories, mostly after we had our first child. It provided a close spot for us to huddle together over amateur, home cooked meals + provided a nice flow as the go between from the renovated kitchen to the living room. We realized a few months after our baby girl was born, we needed to start making family meals a “thing” just as we did with our parents. Even though she ate her evening meal much earlier than we did, we began the tradition we continue today of sitting together + sharing time + family fellowship around a table. A couple months after that tradition began to stick, I began baking cutout sugar cookies for friends, families + lots of new customers. That table was crucial to getting my orders completed, from rolling copious amounts of dough to cutting, cooling + decorating. That noble table once held 13 dozen Clemson Tiger Paw cookies (wedding favors). If you know me, you know it was practically a crime to have one, let alone 156 of these abominable symbols painting our table with their audacious orange. What self-respecting baker turns down a wedding order? It was an honor, regardless of team loyalties + it was a big moment for me, for the table, for us. I often wonder if the table could have held up to the growing output from our little-kitchen-that-could. It will forever be a special chapter in our family’s story.
Before we knew it, our second child was on the way + we were uprooting our little family of four + moving to Atlanta.
The table made the trip + was a very important piece of “home” that helped us establish our family’s new normal in Georgia. Different state, same table, same family.
The summer before the round table made the permanent move to Atlanta, we still needed a place to have a meal together while we rented. We looked + looked but weren’t able to find much of what we envisioned for our family ritual. We made-do by gathering around the house’s kitchen island until finally, in the last month of that summer, we took a chance + introduced our first daughter to Scott’s. As fate would have it, we found our second antique table, outside in what my mother always refers to as “the dregs” + what I refer to as chippy good stuff. After admiring the table on the first walkabout, we circled back after walking around inside + bargained a deal for this beautifully aged, green farmtable. We just barely fit it inside my Volkswagen + around one carseat. Upon unloading it back at home, we realized it needed a little love, but with time running short before our second babe’s debut, it got put on the back burner.
Once we moved permanently, it sat in our shed for months + months until we realized it’s full potential as a backporch summer supper table. It has become a functional piece in our lineup now for six plus months of family meals, happy hour charcuterie feasts, birthday cake toasts, puzzle working + even a backyard party or two. It is easily one of my favorite pieces ever, simply because of it’s soothing green patina + classic structure.
Back inside, the round, brown table was front + center in the new kitchen + it was really showing signs of wear + tear. It was nice to sit + recall how at the same round table, we fed both of our baby girls their first rice cereal + solid foods, welcomed a second high chair + continued the intentional family meal tradition we started years ago. The stain was long past time for a brush up, so we got crazy, bought a sander, took it back to its original wood + then—we painted it!! I got the idea after seeing a high-gloss end table painted an enchanting color of blue/green in an Architectural Digest magazine. I had a few moments of doubt during the process, but generally loved watching the beautiful blue-green glistening paint go on coat after coat. The scalloped underside of the table + turned leg details were highlighted beautifully with the color + I couldn’t wait to get it back in rotation for meal time!
That was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made; it was a bold move + everytime I look at it, it gives me such a feeling of confidence in a style that is all my own.
We’ve made it work in a space that isn’t quite the right size for the beloved round table for almost three years, here. So the time finally came in the week after New Year’s Day, when we found ourselves scouring the internet for the next table for our stone farmhouse. Our home was built in the mid-late 70s, so many of the rooms have a certain quirk to them; some of the floorboards creak, occasionally there are doors that curiously cross paths + none of the rooms measure like most houses built these days. Having said that, we wouldn’t have it any other way.
Quirk brings charm in our book, + charm begets a cozy value to a home if it is simply embraced.
So the ideal table for our oddly sized kitchen space would have to be a long, narrow farm table. When the sizes we kept finding weren’t falling into our ideal price range, we loaded the girls up in the pickup + went piddlin’!
We perused together, up + down aisles + saw some pretty fun picks. When we came across this table, I quickly we had that feeling; I found I couldn’t move from the spot. I hovered as I was trying to take in the table, it’s beautifully turned legs, its chippy layer of aged, white paint, it’s phenomenal pine wood versatile top:
I was entranced, just taking in all of the details. I didn’t want anyone to notice the treasure I was ogling, so I quickly found myself checking out the other items in the same booth that was chock-full of that vintage Americana style I always hope to see while piddlin’. When I come across a booth with such soul, I positively cherish it; it’s like meeting a new friend. We walked away to mill on the find, as one does + all routes led us back to see the table. It felt so right, so it was time to ask for a deal. Sure enough, it was on sale for 20% off. . . SOLD!
We got it moved inside + so began a piddlin’ inspired furniture chess game. Blue table to the dining room, those chairs here, china cabinet over there, it was all a bit mind boggling. Now that the dust has settled, I most love the way this new addition feels in the former breakfast table’s spot. Part table, part kitchen island, it is everything this room needed + opens the whole space up just like our first antique table did all those years ago in our townhome. It’s already become a favorite space for creative thinking, writing + soaking up the afternoon sun from our southwest facing windows!
Now-a-days, all eating takes place at the breakfast table in the dining room + we have had so many fresh ideas hatching since! As a creative mind, I so love a good shake up, it really gets my wheels turning. This is a good sign that our recent finds are truly meant to be. I once had a co-worker + friend from Buffalo, NY describe to me a kind of wives tale that all vintage/antique items carry a little of their past “lives” with them + some items have a kind of positive or negative energy about them. This idea sounds similiar to a feng shui concept, or as Ryan calls it, feng-fooey! Take it all with a grain of salt, y’all— for now, I’m loving the vibes of this new-to-us table. If only she could tell us where she’s been all this time! Imagine what stories each of these tables might tell.
What are your thoughts? I hope to have a few more updates to follow + I always feel we have a lot of catching up to do, so thanks for stopping by today.
What have you been up to so far in this new year?! What’s on tap for you in 2020?
Decorating for Christmas is always fun, but it’s even sweeter with a few antiques in the mix!
I saw this precious idea in a couple of magazines and with a little convincing Ryan was able to figure out how to pull off placing our tree in this galvanized tub! We have loved it this year and probably will keep it as one of our newly established family traditions for years to come! *Bonus* It’s so easy to clean up those pesky pine needles from around the tub too without having the worry of accidentally catching the tree skirt in the vacuum! {I speak from experience}
This little guy stands a brilliant 2.5″ tall and came to us at Christmas last year as a gift from my mom, Dina. It is part antique-find, part inside-joke which makes it all the more special. While our dog Chipper has needed some time to get used to him {and this has resulted in quite a few life-threatening tail wags for dear “glowing-Santa”} he has been a wonderfully cheery and bright greeter throughout the holiday season to everyone as they enter the front door of our home!
This is one of my favorite views of our home- the sled we decided would be so pretty perched just next to our tree and was gifted to Ryan from dear Aunt Frankie. The sled was hers as a girl and Ryan even got some use out of it while spending winters at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg,VA!! I wish I knew what it was like to ride a sled through snow and having this one in our home makes me smile thinking of all the snow it’s seen and all the snow I can only hope to see in my lifetime! It certainly makes it easier to dream about a white Christmas with it in our home! {and its always on hand in case we ever get a chance to use it again!}
Although the lanterns you see here on our table are not true antiques they are two of our favorite wedding gifts; beautiful wooden lanterns with perfectly aged metal accents and glass windows; they make a really great centerpiece and can be used year round!
Now- these next lights are truly something special- they were some granny Mabel’s favorite Christmas lights that used to hang in her oak tree next to the driveway. I still remember going to Granny’s house with my dad, mom and brothers to help her decorate her house in early December once I got home from college for break. It’s easy to see why she loved them- they are just the right size to add a little something to any size yard and they twinkle brightly in the crisp, cold nights of December. I miss her so much and Christmas this year was so different without her this year, but it’s the smallest things like these snowflakes that warm my soul and remind me she’s watching over me and will always be with me! I can’t help but laugh when I think about her- she still seems so alive to me-almost 4 months after her passing. Merry Christmas, Granny!!
Here are two shots of some of Mom’s antiques used for Christmas decor! First, some FABULOUS vintage paper cutters {used to create “Santas workshop” and also used as fully functional wrapping paper cutters!} Too cute!!! I love these- they are so sturdy and equally as decorative as they are useful! Piddlin’ perfection right there!
Lastly, this pretty little vintage bar cloth looked so pretty outside on mom’s outdoor bar! I love the little touches she uses to make the smallest spaces festive! I must get that from her!
Below, check out the ‘tiques Santa brought us (piddlin’ surcies), the piddlin’ finds we gave to others and our “brown paper packages” for a little extra vintage throwback! Glad you stopped by, hope to see you again soon…
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!
piddlin' 