Fun in Williamston and Grand Ledge...

Today was the eagerly anticipated Williamston Antiques Open House! I went with Chicken's Auntie and another friend, Pam. We all enjoyed the yummy appetizers they provided as well as the 15% discount and booths loaded with great things to look at and buy!

We enjoy visiting when they have their open houses, but one thing that is kind of frustrating for us shoppers is that they have most of the dealers in the store on open house days. While that can be a good thing-if you want to try for a better price, or learn more about an item...it can also be a bad thing when you have so many dealers all standing around and visiting with each other, that you can't even get in to their booths to shop! I had to say excuse me so many times today just to get in to a booth to look around that it was getting old fast, and a couple of them I just skipped right by.  I'm sure they don't even realize that they are making it difficult to shop, they are just there enjoying the day/event and being able to see other sellers that they don't get to see very often.

One fun highlight of the open house was to meet Mitzi from Mitzi's Collectibles! Hers was the first blog I read from someone I didn't know. She made these really cute pink and green clothespins with her blog address on them, and I had picked one up about a year ago from her booth. I love her booths and her blog! I asked her permission to take some pictures of her booth to update my blog and she was very agreeable. While I was in one of her booths, someone picked up a quilt and was asking everyone who's booth it was, and since I had just met her, I told the lady to look for Mitzi at the front entrance. I hope they connected and she bought the quilt!

This picture is of her second booth.

After we left there, we headed to Lamb's Gate and Salvage Yard (in Grand Ledge). The further west we went, the worse the weather got! We left gray skies and a windy 34 degrees and ended up in a snowy, blowing mess! It was good to head home and out of the messy snow.

We all made purchases at Lamb's Gate too! That is such a neat store! It is so worth the trip! We ate lunch at Sweet Linda's Cafe (just a couple of doors down). Chicken's Auntie and I got the Tuscan Chicken Panini and Pam got the daily special of quiche and salad. It was all very yummy and really great prices.

 It had roasted red peppers and a pesto mayo-yum!

We saw a store when we came in to town that was actually in the opposite direction of Lamb's Gate that had ANTIQUES in big letters on it. After lunch we walked through all the blowing, wet, yucky snow only to find that it was a candle/craft store with a few pieces of glassware. It didn't really live up to the sign. That was the one "frog" of the day.

See the snow on the roof-ugh! So much for the first day of spring!

Other than that one "frog" shop, everything else was a "prince"! Here is what I got today...

 A cute little gingham skirt with hand embroidery, that I am hoping to talk either Pam or Chicken's Auntie in to making it into an apron.

A cute little spring tablecloth (it was only 2 feet inside the door!).

I just love the little flowers on this one!

A pretty little pastel tablecloth.

Where and when is our next adventure??? I'm thinking it will be soon, because Chicken's Auntie recently sent me an email that Knightsbridge Antique Mall in Northville is having a sale through the end of the month 15%-50% off storewide! If the weather stays crummy tomorrow...

Trip to Grand Ledge and Lansing area...

Two days into the new year, my work buddy and antiquing buddy Anne and I mapped out a route and headed off to Grand Ledge. We started at Lamb's Gate Antiques, and it was definitely a "keeper" on our list of favorite antique shops! They had a great variety of items, nice staff and great prices! Can't wait to take some of my other antiquing friends there!

Still regretting not getting that retro chartreuse couch from Lamb's Gate!

This place was more like a kids resale shop, with tons of toys and kids stuff, and very few antique items -that were priced pretty high.

Believe it or not, this is where we both got some good finds! I got some of my much loved chartreuse Fiesta, and Anne got a couple of older Little Golden Books.

I've been to Mega Mall a few times now, and I enjoy being able to visit so many booths in one location. Even though I didn't find any treasures this time, I will definitely come back once or twice a year.

This is one of my favorites! They have great customer appreciation days in the summer and at Christmas time. My younger son loves the Christmas spread (tons of appetizers, punch and a chocolate fountain! Plus goodies at almost every booth). They have a lot of booths, with great variety, good prices, and it is all very well organized and comfortable. The summer open house is a fun time with dealers setting up outside under a tent and free hot dogs and popcorn.

It was a fun trip! We got to see lots of interesting things. We each bought a few things. We had lunch out, and we both got to talk, listen and encourage each other in our various life issues.

The next trip is on the 30th and we are heading to the Bay City/Saginaw area. The route is already mapped out...anyone wanna join us??? There is room for 2 more!! :)

Treasures Antiques in Owosso...

I live in a really great area! There are lots of antique stores and malls, all within a short drive. There are so many, I wonder if I'll be able to visit them all! I sure hope to give it a good try!

Some of my favorite places to wander through are: Livingston Antiques in Howell, Williamston Antiques in (you guessed it!) Williamston, Knightsbridge Antiques in Northville, and a new favorite...Lamb's Gate Antiques in Grand Ledge. All of these places have a great variety of items, nice displays and their prices are very reasonable.

My favorite booth at Williamston

Another shot of the same booth, who's owner has
a very informative, and fun blog Mitzi's Collectibles

Williamston Antiques

I fell in love with a couch that was at Lamb's Gate, that I am regretting not getting! It was chartreuse green and kinda nubby, 50's or 60's style, in great shape-no rips, tears or stains and it was only $60!! It would have been fun in our basement family room-and who could beat that price!!

My photography skills could use some work!
This is a new "Keeper" Lamb's Gate

My youngest son likes to tag along to Williamston when they have their open houses-because they have great food-and lots of it!

Over Christmas break, suffering from cabin fever, I went on line, searched out a bunch of antique shops, planned the route with Mapquest, and took off for a fun adventure! The first trip was with my husband to the Owosso/Flint/Fenton area.

Our first stop was Treasures in Downtown Owosso. I had read about it on a blog and thought I'd like to check it out. It is part restaurant and part antiques store. You enter the same door for both. In fact, you walk past people at their tables while they are eating (kind of off to the left side) while you are browsing the antiques! I'll have to go and check it out again sometime-the prices seemed pretty reasonable, but I just didn't find anything I couldn't live without. I did pay a visit to the ladies room, and it was an eye-popping hot pink-which I thought was really fun!

This will wake you up in a hurry!

This is just a funny shot to show how close this person parked! Of all the open spots, they had to park so closely that I had to really squeeze to get back into my car!


Neat clock in downtown Owosso.

Interesting historic building-it's twin (the Woodward Furniture Company) was right next door, but it was too hard to get a shot of it because there was a lot of workers doing remodeling work.

I was hoping to see the famous Curwood Castle in Owosso, but didn't find it (didn't really look very hard either though)...that will have to be for another trip...maybe this summer! :)