Exploring For Treasures and Found Elvis

Earlier in the week, before the flood came to my ark, my sister and I spent a few hours at the Hillsboro Antique Mall.  She was looking for a chandy for her kitchen and I was looking for.....well, all the usual subjects...stained glass windows, a chippy barn wood bench for my master bathroom, primitive tools, vintage Florida collectibles and whatever grabs my attention. Oh! and I needed a crocheted or knitted runner for atop my Mother's Chest of Drawers, as well as, a basket of some sort to hold dried hydrangeas atop that said Chest of Drawers. 

Upon arrival, I was stunned at the lack of shoppers.  Look at this image above.  Terrible.   How are these vendors expected to make any money?  Very sparse were the shoppers, but that did not deter us from our quests.  I saw a few interesting things like this little table and chairs.

They are cute and little, but my kids are big teenagers now and I can't use the set.  There was a day not that long ago that I really would have been all over this.  (If you are reading this and still have tiny ones, give them a little person hug and enjoy every fleeting moment.)   I guess I could have bought it, set it up on the patio, made grilled cheese sandwiches and demanded that they sit at it, but, hey....it is what it is........

These malls are always such a menagerie of crazy surprises around every corner and I love strolling though them to see just about anything and everything you could ever imagine.  Some of the finest antiques and highly priced collectibles along side rusty farm equipment, collections of postcards, vintage clip on earrings and things like......well.....this......

What the heck?!  Now let me just say that if you like Elvis and you think this lamp is neat, I apologize for what I am about to say.  Who in the world wanted this, owned this at some point and still might want to pay money and live with this in their home?  It's just creepy.  Don't you agree??  In the same booth, just below the Elvis lamp on the ground sits this....

Look at that face!! I guess that I'd look like that too if I had to sit near the Elvis lamp!  Yikes!  What the heck is this thing??  Would you buy this...and what is that rock on the stand behind it?  The booth next to this was selling mahogany bedroom furniture and Tibetan rugs.  Do these relate?  So much fun and games under one roof, it is a miracle that anyone finds the treasure they seek. 

In the end, my sister didn't find the chandy and would later order one from someone on Ebay.  I did find several things, including the basket for the hydrangeas.  Here is a few of my more favorite finds.

Love, love love the vintage case with the stickers from Old Florida tourist attractions and the vintage Zombie Cookie Can.  They were a cookie made back in the 60's down in Miami.  A couple of huge finds for me! Yeah!  Makes me smile just showing you these things.  The handmade, aged runner was just $8. A nice find for a runner to go on my Mother's Chest of Drawers. 


The new containment room in the
studio. Notice the door to the left.
That is the one in my dining room
area.  Also, notice Sasha.  She is
not amused either.  My doggies are
very confused.

On an update regarding the water damage in my house...They re-inspected and found more water damage and had to cut open an entire wall in my studio and put in yet another containment room today.  Yep. More. (Insert frown) That makes three full walls gone, 11 dryer units going 24 hours at a time, tubes draining water into three different sinks, 3 confused doggies and another night out to dinner with the kitchen down.  Wings tonight....hubby's choice.

I have had several people ask me why I have remained so positive through all of this.  It has given me pause to think about that question.  Perhaps blogging about it has helped me sort through it all.  Perhaps, at the age of 47, I have learned not to ruin my days fretting over what I have no control over?  I have had much worse happen to me and those around me.  This too shall pass.  Thanks for the well wishes and support.  It has helped. 

-The End-