But what about a butter dish? For example, where does someone go to get a
new butter dish, a local one that is? Ours broke (again) and I was left wondering?.....So,
I went to a couple of local antique stores and low and behold, I found one, a silver
one to be exact with a sweet blossom on top. It even had a glass liner inside to
put the butter on top of! I mean, it’s a
little funky, a little out of the ordinary, maybe sort of like my grandma’s,
but beautiful and functional.
The past few holidays I’ve tried to buy as many gifts
locally as I could and this past year I went antiquing to find a little whimsy
for everyone. I hadn’t really been to an
antique store in a while and I was kind of amazed at how many beautiful and
functional things they had. The prices
were pretty reasonable too, considering that most often what you see there is
better made, from better quality materials and is designed beautifully
too.
Seriously though, there is something for everyone with an
array of styles from deco to boho and everything in between. It’s a visual feast steeped in history and
narratives from the past that fuels the imagination. People were certainly clever back in the
day. Things were made and meant to last,
designed not just for function, but visually too.
So next time you have to replace a mug or a dish or need
some holiday decorations or a table cloth think about your local antique
store. Often times we can find new uses
for items. For example, little plates
that are missing their tea cup could be turned into soap dishes or beautiful
dessert plates. Old handkerchiefs can be
turned into cloth napkins. Old linens
can be turned into a zillion things like embellishments for clothes and purses
or even turned into a stuffed animal or a pillow. Let your imagination take over….let the
possibilities unleash…..take the leap
and follow your heart.
beautiful china plates missing their cups (soap dishes), funny
salt and pepper shakers, linens, old hankies, records (remember those?),
jewelry, pottery, kitchen ware, ( manual egg beaters, cookie cutters, crockery,
silver, forks, knives, orange/ lemon juice juicers… ) furniture, books (classics,
poetry, all kinds)wooden bowls, pocket watches, beaded purses, pipes, military
memorabilia, hat pins, book ends, tea pots, egg cups, book cases, end tables,
lamps, chandeliers, etc, etc,.....
Here are a couple of my favorite antique stores in the north
of Pittsburgh:
Amazing Grace’s
Antiques & Vintage Chic Boutique: These ladies have an
eye for beauty and design. On one visit
there someone commented to me “if it’s beautiful it’s here!.” 5363 William Flynn Hwy (Rt. 8), Gibsonia, PA 15044 (412) 719 –7654
Alison’s Alley
Antiques: Specializing in the unique, unusual and useful. A wonderful eclectic mix of items. 123/
125 Main Street ( Rt. 8), Butler, PA . Across from Rite Aid in the alley(724) 712 – 1285
Wexford General Store: Two floors of treasures!….including a library and a boutique. 150 Church Road, Wexford, PA 15090, http://www.wexfordgeneralstore.com/Welcome.html (724) 935-9959
