Inside the Treasure Box!

Time to reveal the contents of the "Treasure Box"!  Sorry it took so long for this post but I needed a few days of rest after our long journey before I started taking pictures - and I had lots of pictures to take!

Just a reminder of what the box looked like inside before the trip.


We managed to fill it up just fine!  The contents were a bit jumbled when I opened the door but I only had a few minor breakages!!

 This vintage brass tea cart caught me eye while I was at Mimi's in Laramie, Wyoming.  Mid Century furniture is making a comeback and I just moved this into my space for display!

Also at Mimi's I couldn't resist these dishes!  These Royal Worcester Plates were made in England and they are back stamped "The Cowell & Hubbards - Cleveland"

As you all know, I am a dish-o-holic, tiffany blue or turquoise blue is one of my favorites and with the pink flowers - these were just to die for so I purchase the set of 9 plates - one of them has a hairline crack from the edge to the inside of the rim - but it will still be nice to have an extra just in case!  They will look great when I mix and match them with some of my other dishes!

Also from Mimi's  - this simple white birdcage - our customers love these - one of the most creative uses is at weddings - guests insert their cards for the couple right through the sides of the cage!

Mike actually found this gate leg table!  We are going to use it as a sofa table behind the couch in our 'lodge room' to to hold our Dragonfly lamp.  I am giving our old sofa table to our niece - but not until I un-countrify it!  Look for the post "Country-fied to City-fied!"

It will serve double duty when we have Thanksgiving or other large family gatherings since it opens up to seat 6!

These 3 inch wooden spools for 50 cents a piece were just laying in a bowl waiting for me to discover them!  I think I will wind some vintage burgundy and green velvet ribbons around them to sell at Christmas time.

To actually find a Catalina Potteries Vase was like hitting the jackpot for me!  My whole family loves hunting for Catalina as well as Malibu pieces and I had never found any on all my hunts!  And this one was a combination of my favorite shabby colors!

A customer had written "Vintage Medicine Cabinet with glass shelves" in our wish book so when I saw this one at a Goodwill Store in Nebraska I had to get it!  The Victorian frame fits the shabby chic style perfectly -

And the manager had wrapped all the glass shelves and hardware nicely for traveling
had them and stored inside!

Another client is collecting vintage oars for her sister's cabin in Oregon so I call her whenever I find some unusual ones.  I found these two oars in Amarillo, Texas at Whispering Pines Antiques store  - I can't wait to call my client and let her know they will be in the store for her to check out!  I may just decide to keep one or both if she decides she doesn't want them - they would look great in our lodge room!

I also picked this up at Whispering Pines Antiques store.  Pottery Barn markets these 'found' bottles and sells these large 24" tall bottles for $125 in their catalog!  I picked mine up for about a quarter of that price!

I saw a display in a store done with vintage player piano rolls that was striking so when I came across these for a few dollars each, I gathered up a pile!

Small glass bottles are really hard to find - I know a few people who make jewelry out of them so when I find some that look old or are unique, I buy them for them.

Vintage vanity trays sell well at Melange and I found lots but only but only purchased two!  The first was this classic gold filigree one - these are pretty easy to find but in California they are sometimes pricey!  This soft-edged rectangular one was only $6 and it was a large size one so I had to get it!  The turquoise grape motif candy jar and the light green pitcher with roses on it were finds in a 'sale' section at an antique store.  I just had to get the Avon Collectible Scarlett O'Hara figurine - a memory of the South!

Here is the second tray I bought. It has Lucite handles and the mirror silvering is all crinkled and shows lots of aging on the bottom, which only added to its appeal!  It was priced at only $8 because it was 'worn out'! On this mirror some smaller treasures: a vintage cut crystal honey jar and a french compote are joined by the little Japanese ladle - The compote and ladle would be lovely to use for bath salts in lavish boudoir!!

Anything with roses says shabby chic!  This 'dummy board' was used to hide the fireplace during summer months in a Victorian home somewhere!  The hand painted floral motif will sell this piece in no time! 

Hats and more hats!  I found six different pill box style and other hats.  Our customers love vintage hats and with Mad Men on TV these days, the themed parties have customers requesting these pill box style hats frequently!

My son, Sam, is stationed in Oahu and works at Tripler Medical Center - he is in the Army Nursing Corp so when I saw this vintage "American Red Cross Home Nursing" book I thought of him!  The vintage creamers with the Army medical corp logo on them will make a nice addition to this gift for him to add to his collection!

Another customer collects vintage glass egg dishes - this one was just gorgeous - the light green glass still was crystal clear and not a chip on it!

These vintage 'Shiny Brite" Christmas Ornaments were the ones I found in that barn in Tucumcari, New Mexico when we stopped after seeing the 'Trade Days' sign!  The whole box set me back $9!

And who would have thought that in that old barn, along with the ornaments, I would find this 7 inch ceramic shoe - my color!  The lady explained that her husband's great aunt had made it years ago when she was in high school - the hand formed flowers and the gilting around the edges were just too special to pass up for $5.
I'm a sucker for things with great stories behind them!

Mike was able to sift through a whole box of hardware and decided on these pieces - he is working on building his own bar and thought he would add these for character!  My oldest, Max, does a lot of training at the American Airlines facility in Dallas, Texas, and when Mike went back to visit, they frequented the World's largest Honky Tonk - Billy Bob's - I think the cowboy boot hooks will add a bit of Billy Bob's to his bar!

And of course, as posted already, we got this mirror/shelf combo made personally by Shirley Evans - she told me that Buck 'had nothing to do with it" when I took the picture of both of them!!


And because we were one of their best customers all day - they threw in this piece of raw turquoise they had found in   Arizona!  

And now for some of my best buys!

I told you about the gorgeous dress I found for my friend's daughter for $19!  I went straight down to her house to have her try it on and as you can see it fit beautifully!

I can just see Rebecca going to her sorority 'cotillion' with this dress on!

This Victorian Birdcage and stand was one of my best buys of the whole trip!  Sets like these retail at antique fairs for about $125.00

The original stand had all the original hooks and the original birdcage as well!  Rarely do you find a complete set - and I got it for a steal - only $13.50!

The biggest purchase of all on our trip was made by Mike!  He tells everyone he built the "Treasure Box" for all of my shabby stuff, but he was able to take advantage of having it when he found this unusual wine cabinet!  He had been looking for something to store his wine in and when he saw this in an antique shop in Missouri.  He counted 36 cubbies to store 36 bottles and it was just about the right height at 4 feet to put underneath our hexagonal window in our lodge room! The other side has three shelves - perfect for storing other wine bar accessories!

And we can't wait to fix this find up!  This was one of our favorite 'finds' at $22.00! This vintage double laundry tub will look beautiful once restored! We are planning on taking it to an automotive painter who can dip the legs in a de-rusting medium and then professionally paint it!  We just need to agree on a color!  Hosting our first party with this being the "Beverage Tub" will certainly spark conversations!

Last, but not least - a few souvenirs!

In addition to our 'finds' I did purchase a few souvenirs on the road.  My niece Amanda was right in style at the Taylor Swift concert this past weekend wearing the pink cowboy hat I got at The Big Texan restaurant.


Also from The Big Texan Restaurant - I can't wait to give my 21 year old son, Alex, 'the boot' in about 5 days when he returns to Cal Poly for fall quarter! No doubt this will hold a brew or two in the coming year!

I found this tee shirt at Bella in Lake Havasu City - it will be perfect for my early morning hunts!  And it pretty much sums up my addiction!  So you can see our trip was very rewarding!   Thanks for reading along as we journeyed across our great country - Mike and I both agreed we love road trips - but next time - we won't be hauling 8 tons on a 28 foot trailer - we'll leave that at home!

Road Trip: It's Bigger in Texas!

When we woke up this morning, the hotel decor reminded us we were in the southwest.  We changed it up a bit last night and stayed at La Quinta Inn in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  Mike rated the coffee here B+ whereas the coffee at Holiday Inn Express was a C!  He is in search of the A coffee!!  We haven't seen a Starbucks for about 600 miles!! The fireplace in the hotel lobby was like you'd find in a pueblo somewhere.  My mother-in-law is building a house and wants a fireplace similar to this so I had to take a picture.  

 Back in the room, the vanity lights had cut-outs of kokopelli, coyotes, lizards and other Native American icons.  

 We started loading the car back up and once outside noticed the landscaping had definitely changed!  Cacti, joshua trees and lots of huge red rocks were the landscape designers tools of the trade here!

Back on the road again, we planned our stopover points. We told ourselves no stopping until Amarillo but we took a detour to drive the old stretch of Route 66 through a small town named Tucumcari.  It was once a thriving pit stop on Route 66 and lots of old hotels dotted the sides of the road.  It was a little disheartening when we saw hotel after hotel look like the one in this picture. 

When the new highway 40 was built, these hotels slowly lost business and eventually fell into disrepair.  We started to wonder why we had chosen to veer off the main highway and just before the road hooked back up with Highway 40 we passed this building.

The sign on the building said "Trade Days". I told Mike - don't bother - let's just keep driving and he told me no - stopping to check out these little venues was why I wanted to come along.  We turned around and headed back to the barn.  A small group of people were inside with tables and tables of antiques, collectibles, and other items!  A nice surprise since the rest of Tucumcari looked like a ghost town!  

I bought this distressed wood shelf with a mirror - handmade by these wonderful people - Shirley and Buck Evans.  Shirley and Buck had run a grocery store for years in Southern California.  They bought a sheep ranch in Tucumcari for their retirement and they were the organizers of Tucumcari Trade Days - the sale we just happened upon!  They hold the sale the third weekend of every month and dealers can rent a space for $35.  I bought a boxful of aqua blue vintage glass ornaments in various sizes from a dealer.  I also bought several things from a third dealer:   a small cupboard that held plates, three canning jars of vintage buttons, some enamelware burner covers that I am going to convert into magnet message boards, a vintage set of four card games, and he threw in a piece of raw turquoise he had found in Kingman, Arizona for a bonus!  Mike even found some vintage hardware he plans on using when he builds his bar and a sand painting, a gift for his mother.  We said goodbye to our new friends, packed the 'treasure box' and hit the road again.

We quickly passed into Texas and talked about how that side trip turned out so well.  

The Texas landscapes was a bit greener than we had seen and we started looking for cattle. A short while later, we took another one of our side trips we planned and stopped on the side of the road.

We started walking out about 200 yards to the 'Cadillac Farm'.  I remember reading about the farm back at Cal Poly in my Contemporary Art class and had always wanted to see it in real life.

A Texas man who made millions when he discovered helium on his property, commissioned an artist to half bury the Cadillacs creating a striking repetitive sculpture on the Texas landscape in 1974.

The Cadillacs originally had all their hubcaps, fenders, and other loose parts welded to the frame to prevent looters from taking parts of them away. Some of these pieces remain but the Cadillacs have  sort of evolved into a form of interactive art. Spray paint cans lay beside the graveyard of cars and artists of all ages have left their mark on the vehicles.  Mike found a can with some white paint still in it and left this message.

A couple was there with us and they wrote 'Happy Anniversary' to themselves then handed us the can of bright pink paint. 

 'Cherish Art' is a message I want to spread - I think it is a crime that so many art programs are cut due to budgets deficits!  Art is our culture and without it, we would not know so much about previous cultures, societies and our own history!

As we turned to leave the kaleidoscope of cars, another young family approached.  I would have loved to seen the Cadillac Farm when first installed and all the cars were intact.  The cars got fixed up a few times when various rock bands used the Cadillac Farm as a back drop for their music videos but none recently.

Driving away from the farm, I wondered why the public can't pick up after themselves and also about how visitors had visited the site since it was installed.  There is no lock on the gate and visitors are allowed to go in day or night so you'd think they would respect the free exhibit and pick up their cans!  

Amarillo was not far way now, so I checked my Romantic Homes magazine to see if any Antique shops were listed for the town.  There was one: Whispering Pines Antiques.  I quickly put the address into our GPS to see how far off Highway 40 it may be - only a few blocks so I stopped in and met Angie Mitchell, the owner.  Her shop was gorgeous!  Two fully dressed Twin beds anchor the floor displays which reflect a vintage prairie theme.

Whispering Pines Antiques is located in a historic district on 6th street in Amarillo.  There are numerous antique shops and cafes so it is a great place for a day trip.  Angie was lots of help and suggested a few other places I may like to visit.  During our conversation, I learned that Angie was a blogger, too!  We exchanged cards and promised to keep it touch through blogging!  I will feature Angie and her shop on a future post but thought I'd tease you with a few pictures I took.  

 There were so many things in her shop I wanted to buy, but decided to limit my purchases to a few gifts for friends.  I can't tell you what they are yet, since my friends read this blog!!

Two doors down from Whispering Pines was another antique store so Mike and I decided to go in and enjoy the air conditioning for a while longer!  This was a store with lots of vendors who had their own spaces so there was tons to look over.  Pink milk glass is hard to find in our area and there was lots of it here!  I almost bought a vase but then my sense came over me and I stuck to looking for things some of the customers, of the shop I am in, were looking for.  Meanwhile, Mike was looking around and spotted a cabinet filled with player piano rolls, but it really was a wine cabinet.  He had been looking for something to store his wine collection in and decided he had to have it.  I left with a frame of a vintage cabinet door, a small decorative frame and a turquoise blue candy dish, but he was the big spender!  We loaded the truck since we had spent too much time there and were on our way when I said, "I forgot to take pictures!!" - It was too hot and we were too hungry to unload!

Our stomachs were growling and we were really happy to learn "The Big Texan" was not far down the road!  At 'The Big Texan' restaurant, if you can eat a whole 72 ounce steak you get it for free - if you can't it costs you $55!!  Since we were in Texas, we felt we couldn't leave without a steak!

The outside of the restaurant has so much kitsch it attracts loads of travelers off the road. This huge bull advertises the 72 oz steak challenge!

We went in and expected a wait and were just about to sit down on this bench made from hide and horns, when the hostess said 'follow me'!

 The inside was full of trophy mounts and the tables were covered with oil cloth that looked like Holstein hides.  All the wait staff was dressed in jeans, belts and big buckles and cowboy hats.  The place was like a well oiled machine with lots of staff buzzing around filling orders, refilling drinks, busing tables, and there was even a strolling guitarist who came around to each table.

Mike decided on an 18 oz. prime rib and I ordered a 9 oz fillet.  Within seconds of our order, this basket of fresh baked soft rolls arrived at our table.  They were the perfect solution to our hunger pains - light enough not to fill us up!

Here is Mike's dinner!  Dinners came with your choice of two sides - he chose cole law and Texas home fries and I chose coleslaw and ranch beans.  There was also five things you could order as 'toppers' for your steaks so both Mike and I ordered our steaks accompanied by blue cheese crumbles.

My fillet was so delicious I ate the whole thing and only had a bite or two of my sides.  The coleslaw was ok and my ranch beans had a great flavor, but I decided to spend my calories on the juicy steak!Mike said his was wonderful, too!  I had a bite of his Texas home fries just to taste them and they had a nice spice coating and were cooked to perfection - but Mike couldn't eat them all!  The waiter, (who resembled Brad Paisley!) asked if we would like to order dessert - Was he kidding?!  They say things are bigger in Texas and this meal certainly supported that statement!

It was harder to climb up into the truck after that meal but we had to continue down the road.  The small town of Groom in East Texas has two claims to fame: the first, the world's largest barbed wire pile, and the world's largest cross.  They call the barbed wire the 'Devil's rope' and Mike said he has seen enough barbed wire in his life he didn't need to see any more - and it was a ways off the highway.  

The cross was so big we could see it miles away on the highway, and it was on my side of the road so we didn't have to stop to get these pictures!  In the picture above, you can get the scale of this cross!

 But I love this picture that I snapped from the passenger side with my iphone! The Texas clouds add an ethereal touch to the clouds!

Driving down the highway for another hour we enjoyed seeing the first tractors since we left home and they were working up some dust.  

 We left Texas, where everything is bigger, and entered Oklahoma, were the rolling hills were definitely greener!

 The sun was getting low and we entered another time zone, losing another hour, so we decided to stop in Weatherford, a small town just west of Oklahoma City.  My new blogging friend Angie, from Whispering Pines Antiques, recommended stopping here for lots of shopping opportunities! Our goal was to reach Oklahoma City by tonight, but neither of us wanted to face city traffic and we had to think about parking our 'rig' for the night so the suburb of Weatherford was a perfect choice for our stay overnight.  I am excited for tomorrow! We pass through Shawnee, Oklahoma - Brad Pitt's hometown and also Checotah, Oklahoma - Carrie Underwood's hometown, on the way to St. Louis, Missouri.