The Questing Beast

I am sure that I am not the only one among us who often embarks on adventures, hoping to happen upon that elusive find. It has been a while since I had a satisfying Quest, but this last weekend my mom and I set forth and traveled afar in pursuit of bounty. We were well prepared for our mission, laden with picnical nourishment. It was a wonderful day for a picnic, and a picnical day for a lark. As you can see above, I was quite successful in the hunt.

We headed out early, driving south on Route 29 towards Ruckersville, Virginia, which is just south of Charlottesville. (Charlottesville is home to a particular Virginia University, and though my loyalties lie elsewhere in the state, I can admit that their institution is not without worth.) Our destination was the intersection of routes 29 and 33. Our first stop was the Greene House Shops Antique Mall (14843 Spotswood Trail, Ruckersville, VA 22968. 434-985-2438). I can give the establishment two thumbs up for variety, prices and ease of navigation. I found a ton of items, and nearly left with an antique ironing board. Our next stop was across the intersection, to a row of shops. We started at the far end, with a shop called Backwoods Antiques (14936 Spotswood Trail, Ruckersville, VA 22968. 434 990-4232‎). It held some potential for some diamonds in the rough, if you didn't mind searching amongst some fewments... I didn't find anything that called to me, but my mom bought a little something. When she asked for a bag, she was reluctantly given a bag from a trash can, complete with bloody tissues and other unmentionables, which we discovered when we returned home. (I pondered whether I should include that bit, but I figure if you're going to pull that kind of stunt in this day and age, you'd better be ready for it to hit the interwebs.)

The next stop was the shop nextdoor, Rambling Rose Antiques. (14926 Spotswood Trail, Ruckersville, VA 22968-3033. 434 985-2932‎) I had better success here, most notably several wood and metal pulleys with great charm. The photo above is taken from the intersection towards this row of shops. The nearest shop was our next stop, and as you walk down the sidewalk you approach Rambling Rose and Backwoods.

I found armloads of goods at the Country Store Antique Mall (14918 Spotswood Trail, Ruckersville, VA 22968. 434 985-3649‎). This was where I fulfilled my obligation of finding the heaviest, most awkward to carry items. The store is pretty big, and very full with a pretty good selection, but we happened to be there at the same time as every other shopper in the Greater Ruckersville Area, so navigating through some narrow spots and between oblivious customers was frustrating at times. But I wouldn't hold that against the establishment. A note to anyone considering a visit, they only take cash or check.

Our next stop was the Antiquers Mall (8287 Seminole TrailRuckersville, Virginia 22968. 434 985-1977) It's a bit down the road from the intersection we had been prowling, and you'll know it when you see the giant statues and yard art out front. (Hence the bull above.) This shop had the widest aisles, making navigation easier, which was especially useful because I picked up a long wooden yoke pretty early on. The range of items catered a little higher class than I typically shop - I like to find the junk and clean it up myself, and nicer antiques are not likely to withstand the daily stampedes at my house. But I found plenty of pieces nonetheless. Our last stop was Cattail Creek Antique and Garden, which was on our way home, just north of the intersection. (9157 Seminole Trail, Ruckersville, VA 22968-3320. 434 990-0090‎) It's a nursery and an antique/gift shop. I was hoping they would have a fiddle leaf fig tree, but alas they were sold out. Next time... The plants looked fabulous, the setting is amazing, and the shop is charming. I would call it less of an antique shop than a gift shop, but it is very well curated and pairs very nicely with the garden theme.

But you want to see more of the bounty, right? I will relent and show you some closer shots of my spoils (or tower of junk, as my husband called it).

Having been to the antiques cluster of Ruckersville, Virginia, I can say that I will not have been there just Once, but will Quest there again in the Future.

But I may allow myself some time to rest, because Questing is a tiring business.

Stool Followup

If my post yesterday whetted your appetite for your own unique wooden piece to stage your photography, I've culled some options for you. Above, an accent stand from natureinspiredcrafts. Below, a primitive bench from treasureagain. MonkeysOnTheRoof has mushroom stools.

This wooden folding stool is from lacklusterco.

JoyandJoshua have this primitive stool with iron legs.

I found this cherry and walnut footstool at inthewood.

Fabulous eco tables from ecotables.

AusableRiverTrader has this vintage child's folding chair.

This vintage handmade driftwood end table is in assemblage333's shop.

This little barn wood stool is from ArtDivaCompany.

The [Anything but] Ugly Step from ADrauglis.

Vivaterra has a ton of options right now, so I wanted to pass them along as eye candy if nothing else. Their wood cube is below.

Root of the earth stool.

Twisty stool.

Mushroom stool.

Salvaged wood nesting tables.

Window stool.

Mango wood round stool.

Timber block stool.

Do you have a favorite spot to photograph things? Some of my favorite shops have great backgrounds for their shots, and it really unifies the shops. lilfishstudios, scabbyrobot, Trampoline, moxieandoliver, highstreetmarket, khphillips, and lilarubyking are great examples. Are there shops you admire for their aesthetic? Help me add to the list!

Cutting Edge: Vintage Style

I've been in the market for a paper cutter for a while now. I was willing to buy a new one, though obviously I preferred to find a vintage version with some character. I couldn't find any new ones in stores that seemed big enough or sturdy enough to last. Maybe I was swayed by being enamored with this paper cutter table I found in January (along with several other beautiful specimens). A few weekends ago at the Big Flea, I saw a lovely paper cutter. It had a wooden model head with darts sticking out of its skull, but once I moved that out of the way, I was all aflutter. I asked the lady in the booth if it still cut paper. She said she didn't know, but brought a scrap of paper over to try it out. She sliced through it, and it cut through the paper beautifully. I was thrilled, but not totally convinced that the entire blade would be that sharp. As she went to help another customer, I sliced the scrap many times, using the entire length of the blade. Perfection. The truth be told, I might have bought it even if it didn't cut well. But now I had to - I had wanted one for my studio, this one was more functional than one I would ever find at a store, it was sturdy, and it had that vintage character I love. I just love when things work out.

So I browsed for you, in case you are as inspired by my paper cutter as I am. The lovely paper cutter below is from sadieolive.

I love the scratches and varied finish on this paper cutter from staircasetotheattic.

The homemade paper cutter below from plundered is fantastic, no? Primitive and functional.

Despite its larger than life presence and style, the paper cutter below is only 6 inches. Perfect for those cardmaking projects, right? Find it at MostlyMadelines.

LindaVista offers us this irresistable simple paper cutter. I love the arced mark on the surface, as though once upon a time someone left a large mug on it for too long.

If one paper cutter just won't do all the trimming you have to do, you are in luck. AntiNu has this set of two paper cutters with lovely green platforms.

Let's go forth and cut some paper!

More "New" Vintage

I am long overdue to share some of my favorite Etsy finds with you. Today I'm featuring three Etsy shops with new vintage items to tickle your fancy. ThreeOldKeys is a fairly new shop, though they already have a number of sales under their belt. The shop owners are near and dear to me, and their inventory is wonderful. I can't get enough of the copper flour shaker above. I never knew that these existed, but now that I know I need one. A Macon Detector. But what do they detect? Ah - watermarks. Of course!

The calorie counting pillbox is another item I didn't know about. Such technology! One of the best things about ThreeOldKeys is the witty descriptions of the items.

ThreeOldKeys also offers up this vintage wooden tray. As you know, I do so love things to put things in.

You may recall a recent post of mine about having sold some vintage jars to a well known blogger. I was pleased as punch to see the Audubon card I sent included in her Flickr stream and on her blog. Imagine how surprised I was to see it again with a vintage letterbox in her new shop! lepetiteflea is the new vintage destash shop of Victoria Smith. Check out this sweet diner mug from the lepetiteflea pantry.

And a little demitasse cup and saucer, poised and ready for tea.

I can't get enough of the turquoise in this vintage creamer, and the lepetiteflea succulent serving suggestion is just perfect.

The last (but not least!) shop I want to share today is enhabiten. She has been selling handmade on Etsy for some time, but just started selling vintage items today. She blogged about starting to sell vintage, and I started the countdown. I checked in a few times over the day to see what lovelies she had listed. These small glass jars were simply poetic.

I think the use of light in her pictures is extraordinary, as in this listing for a vintage colander.

She is also listing pillows made from vintage quilts.

I love old, anonymous paintings. There's something about wondering who the artist was, what they were like, and what inspired them. This watercolor painting is an excellent example of that intrigue. I hope you will visit ThreeOldKeys, lepetiteflea, and enhabiten, and see if there is anything that will help make your house a home.