Happy #1: The Thrill of the Hunt

I LOVE me some thrifting. And I LOVE me some antique fairs. I am not kidding. You’d think rummaging through someone’s previously owned clothes, some dusty household goods, and some lackluster books would make this little OCD girl more than a little crazy—but it has exactly the opposite effect on me. I find it fun, relaxing, and peaceful. I love hunting through the racks, searching for gems—diamonds in the rough, so to speak. I love decorating my house with unexpected finds. I take my time and have a good eye for oddities.  

But one of the biggest pulls for me to thrifting and antiquing was the connection it created between me and my mom. My mom was one of the only people who understood my love for thrifting and antiquing. My sisters (when I was in high school) did not thrift or go antiquing. We visited Waynesville, Ohio, many times when I was younger and the small, antique shops there. My sisters hated every minute of it. I, on the other hand, loved every second. 

In those stores my mom always had the patience to browse the aisles, not necessarily to buy anything, but just to find treasures. Treasures that would remind us of great memories in our lives. My mom would see things that would remind her of memories, and she would share stories with me. We’d see a mixing bowl that made her think of her Grandma Burns back in Missouri, my great grandma, and she’d retell the story about how my Grandpa found her “missing” Band-Aid in his slice of meatloaf at the dinner table when she was younger. She’d see something that reminded her of her Grandma Emily, who I never had the privilege of meeting, and tell me a story that allowed me to get a peek into her life and how important she was to my mom. Spending that time with my mom made me happy.

Since my dad passed away, thrifting and antiquing with my mom has been something that fell by the wayside. It’s funny too because I, on my own, hadn't really gone thrifting in a long time. Even though it was something fun and enjoyable, I just stopped.

Thanks to a good friend, who probably doesn't realize how much she helped me, I recently refound the fun in antiquing. One weekend a little over a year ago, I found myself sitting home alone on my couch with no plans but schoolwork. My friend called and asked me to go to an Antique Fair in Burlington, Kentucky, at their fairgrounds. On a whim, I said “yes.” I usually did not do things like this on the weekends—some irrational explanation from my OCD mind would always tell me I couldn't do something like this out of nowhere, especially on a Sunday—but, I felt like having fun, so I went.

It was SO MUCH fun! It reminded me of all the fun times I had with my mom and how much I enjoyed this hobby of mine. We spent the day walking around, enjoying the weather, finding treasures, did a little bartering, and came home with a few treasures.

This past weekend, my mom, my sister, Rachael, and I planned a trip to Burlington, Kentucky to go to their Antique Fair together. My mom and I went together this past May and had a blast! This time, my sister, who hates antiquing, decided to come along, and we all had so much fun!

       

Sissy--not too thrilled about getting up early!

Me and Mom excited about getting up early!

I picked up a few cute things: a painting for my living room, a Ben Franklin bust, and some buttons. My sister thinks my painting is creepy, but I love it! The bust of Ben Franklin was a super exciting find. My dad LOVED history, especially Presidents and important figures in American history. I've been collecting busts of Presidents to decorate my bookshelves at home through antiquing, and now I can add Ben Franklin alongside the Abe Lincoln and JFK that I already have. I’m sure my dad is so proud of my little collection. He probably loves that I threw Ben Franklin in the mix of the presidents.

My new painting! It's was painted by a Mennonite woman in 1979.

Ben has met Abe and JFK. He's excited to be moved to my bookshelf soon.

I found some awesome, assorted buttons for crafting projects!

My sissy even ended up buying a few vintage pin-up paintings and calendar pages framed and realized that antiquing (and bartering) are super fun!

Sunday was a fabulous day!! I got to spend some great quality time with my mom and my sister. My sis and I shared fabulous memories about my dad and his crazy memory of president facts and his love of history. And in that moment for those few hours on Sunday, I found my happy. 

Love and happiness <3 Holly