Found Treasures!

Last weekend was a busy one in our historic neighborhood. Every year there is a home tour called Bungalow Fest and we had an open house. We invited friends over to help with traffic flow through our home and after the event was over, the husbands headed to the patio to watch football and my girlfriend and I headed out to shop a few nearby antique stores.

What treasures we found! I found these gorgeous antique French Limoges tea plates. The rose pattern is so feminine and I simply could not leave them behind.

And finding a set of 6 matching plates is pretty rare for me. I usually stumble across a single lonely plate. And with a price tag of just $4 each, it was not hard to resist these pretty plates!

Anything with a Cherub on it always catches my eye and when I saw this cute little dish, sitting on a half-price clearance table, this sweetie came home with me too.

On closer inspection I noticed that it was an old ashtray. The leaves on the side of the dish served as cigarette holders. But now, it will have a more fun job of holding vintage buttons or sparkling bits-and-bobs in my studio.

I have a vintage rhinestone chain that I think I will glue around the edges of the dish. I love the look of faded rhinestones against old brass or worn silver.

Another thing I am always on the lookout for are old creamers and sugar bowls. I use these items everyday and they are so pretty displayed near the coffee pot.

Not only are they great for their intended purpose, but I often use them as small flower vases, and the sugar bowls also make a great holder for silverware when entertaining.

All in all, my girlfriend and I had a fun day and our total purchases cost less than if we had gone out to lunch. And the cherry on top was that I discovered a new Shabby-Chic-European-Style store that just opened within a mile of our home. This is the shop where I purchased the beautiful French Limoges plates! The owner and I bonded like long lost friends and I’ll be visiting her this week to photograph her shop and share her wonderful treasures with you…right here on my blog! Until then…