I like the look of things that have signs of being worn. It means that it was used regularly and served a purpose. The word appreciated comes to mind. I have to take a moment to mention a book I am reading entitled The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, by Marie Kondo. In her book, she reveals the rituals she goes through in the evenings when she comes home from work. One of the things that she does when she hangs up her clothes or folds them away in a drawer is thank them. You read correctly. She literally strokes the clothes and thanks them for a job well done. I find that so fascinating. She believes that her positive energy flows through the clothes and energizes them. I’ve got nothing to lose so I’ve started thanking my clothes too. I’m not sure what will happen, but I’m hoping that one day I will open my closet and it will have spawned a pair of Christian Louboutin’s.

Now back to our regularly scheduled post. I love going to tag sales and my husband absolutely dreads Saturday morning drives, especially in the spring. Tag sales pop up over night and I have him slowing down and turning into any driveway that looks promising. There was a time when people wouldn’t dream of buying second-hand or didn’t want to put the effort into restoring a piece of furniture. But then Shabby Chic became so popular it evolved into its own decorating category and people began to beat their furniture with metal chains to get that distressed look. Even today, retailers like RH (Restoration Hardware) have made a killing on making new things look old. But it’s not the same as an antique. These are pieces that have been cared for by someone for years, and there’s something really nostalgic about those items. They hold a certain sense of richness and sophistication from an era gone by. Just the fact that they haven’t been broken or thrown away and survived for so many years makes them special.

My friend Cara and I went to the Stratford Antique Center in Stratford, Connecticut to do some treasure hunting. It is a cleverly designed business model, whereby merchants can rent a 10’x10′ space (something like that) and sell their collectables. Most of the dealers are not even “manning” their booths, everything is labeled and you just need to bring your treasure to the cash register. They operate in a 16,500 square-foot facility and house over 200 dealers. Located right off I-95, it’s well worth the visit. They sell everything you can possibly imagine and even if you are not in the market for anything in particular, it is so much fun to poke around. I took photos of some items that I thought were exceptional and wanted to share them with you. Enjoy!

China: I love mismatched pieces, and especially ones that are rimmed in gold.

This is a celery tray with individual salts. Gorgeous!

How awesome is this buffet.

The glow from the milk glass lampshade and highly polished silver base, made me swoon over this lamp. Check out the silver rimmed drinking glasses to the right of the lamp, so deco!

Old wooden letters.

One of the most chic booths at the Stratford Antique Center.

High five.

Cast Iron Horse Head.

I’m not sure what this is, maybe a door stop?

Pretty silver trays and serving pieces.

These gold nesting tables are so beautiful. A timeless set.

I love how this artist frames her newly painted artwork in old frames. It ages them so nicely and is appropriate for her style.

I had to have this adorable pink and cream plaid baby blanket with the fringe, I’d never seen that color combo before and I fell in love with it. There were other reasons that sold me on it. First, it was made in England which is where my Mom was born and secondly, it was made for Bloomingale’s which is a store that my Mom shopped at when we were living in Manhattan. Although it was spotless and seemed very clean, I washed in a gentle cycle with Woolite and it came out beautifully.