Antiquing Treasures

I recently went antique shopping in Hannibal, MO* during our weekend stay up at the ranch. Having been born and raised in a small town in Missouri, I can attest that small town shopping is usually good for a WalMart, gas station convenience stores and antique shops. Being in the mood to look for old world treasures, I am happy to report that Hannibal didn't let me down on the antique front**. The first rule of antique shopping, if there are any rules, is that antique shopping is not only locating a coveted item, but also getting a good deal on said item. As a novice, I am diligently honing my skills, but mistakes will be made and junk will be collected during this whole process. On this particular outing, I feel I demonstrated a decent amount of restraint so as to draw the line between myself and the individuals you see on Hoarders. I present my treasures:


[ 1 ] Pink glass sugar bowl
[ 2 ] Blue glass Ball jar 
[ 3 ] Yellow glass sugar bowl 
[ 4 ] Red glass sugar bowl 
[ 5 ] Metal shelf brackets. (I loved the color and patina on these.)



You might ask yourself, "Ummm...what is the deal with all the sugar bowls?" Well...my big plan is to use them as little vases. I am sure Martha or Pottery Barn probably beat me to the punch, but I don't recall and am quite pleased with my idea nevertheless. Below are some sugar bowls from a previous shopping trip filled with herbs from the backyard (oregano and flowering chives). I am hoping to amass a lot of little sugar bowls and cluster them with flowers/herbs/whatever I fancy for that "Aren't I clever whipping this together?" centerpieces just like you see in the magazines. Nevermind that no one would have 20 sugar bowls at the ready for anything other than just such an occassion.


As for the Ball jar, these little darlings are the pride of homemade mavens and DIY wedding centerpieces alike. Personally, I collect these to put my dry goods on display in the kitchen. Clearly I need a refill on some of my dry goods in this picture, but it does function quite nicely as storage and fills up an otherwise empty wall.


Until next time...happy hunting.

* MO is the state abbreviation for Missouri. People commonly mistake it for MI (Michigan called dibs on that one) or MS (Mississippi lays claim to that one).
**Hannibal also has a nice gallery/art scene as well.