K & J's Excellent Adventure

First, it pays to have a talented decorator friend. I have one. You should too. I’d tell you more about Jaime but she’s already busy enough and frankly, you’d ALL want to be her friend, she wouldn’t have as much time to hang out with me, and I would be sad. That would not work for me so selfishly I AM KEEPING ALL THE JAIME FOR MYSELF!!! That is until she finally GETS A DA#$ BLOG like I have been nagging her for at least a year now. She is one of those people you can show like a rock and a piece of tinfoil and in 30 seconds or less she will immediately and seemingly effortlessly explain how that could be a valuable and beautiful addition to your home. It’s amazing. I look at, say, a bedspread and see “a covering for a bed. See also: blanket.) Jaime looks at a bedspread and immediately suggested an amazing wall hanging using only her sheer cunning and some recycled wood.

Anyway, all this should explain why when Jaime texted me last week and said “Antiquing today?” I was all in. Do not pass go. Leave the house with laundry in the washer, dishes in the sink, and probably the door hanging open behind me. THRIFTING with Jaime??? I am so in!

On my suggestion (thank you Internet) we went here:

Yes. Right? It’s kind of a lot to take in all at once. This is the Company Store in Negley, Ohio. I know! I had no idea that American Pickers prime picking spot was in Ohio either!
This was apparently the largest general store in Ohio from 1910-1915 (I know because I read this on the sign). It is now open seasonally (due, we are told, to the prohibitive cost of heating this enormous old building and boy, do I feel their pain).

From the outside it’s kind of tough to take it all in. We had to break it down in chunks of amazing antique eye candy (and plastic Santas!) This is just 1/3 of it and you really can’t get the depth from here. Suffice to say it goes deep. On this porch we found a neat wooden piece. The proprietor explained, casually, that it dated from the 1700’s – and was sitting on the PORCH.


Inside we found aisle after aisle of amazing glassware, small items, and just a general plethora of STUFF.

Just one of the many baskets of doorknob ends. Don’t let the size and scope of their choices fool you. The items are actually pretty well organized and arranged.

Yes that is an actual eagle stuffed and mounted in a huge box on the wall. No he did not startle me … much.

And then, on the porch, the sun shone down, a choir of Angels sang and I found THIS little beauty just sitting there, out in the open, for anyone to pick. I swear I pounced on it with both hands and strange little exclamations of love (because I am a shrewd bargainer like that). Sensing it was already sold the proprietor did what any savvy businessperson would do when the buyer is already invested in the piece and probably a sure thing: she said “$5 bucks.” ♥

I really think Frank and Mike would be proud. I also think Jaime and I should have our own show.
Then on the way back we stopped at a yard sale because only WE could sniff out a yard sale, in Ohio, in November.

Vintage tablecloth. Huge and in amazing colors. For $1. I’m just posting that here to torture Jaime because I love her but she makes me so envious sometimes and my $1 tablecloth has inspired her to new heights of imaging me having craftiness I do not actually possess (“Pillows! You could make pillows!”) As Journey says, don’t stop believing Jaime.