Antiquing in Anniston

Finally! After a couple of very "dry" months of antiquing and junking, I finally had a successful weekend! Here are the goodies this weekend yielded.

First, on the way to my parents' house I stopped in Carrollton since my mom had found a new store there she said I ought to visit. I can't remember the name (it was something long), but for locals who'd like to visit, I can tell you it is located in a corner of the shopping center behind the Sonic restaurant on Bankhead Highway. It's the kind of place where you have to carefully wedge in between the rows of incense and plastic rings to find the vintage books, old teapots, tole trays and more. My treasures included a brand spanking new copy of Martha Stewart's "Hors d'Oeuvres" ($2.88) and a teapot warmer ($3.88) which later cleaned up nicely. Those are two things I had wanted but was not willing to purchase at full price. Good things come to those who wait!

When I got to my mom's, she had found this large (11-1/2-inch) Depression glass platter with a tinted green rim. Loved it! Said it was $1 at a thrift store she visits, because they let *men* price the dishes there, and she's observed that no matter how nice the old dish, the men put $1 on it. She visits that aisle first thing when she visits that store!

So when we got to Anniston, she asked if I'd like to visit that thrift store. Sure! I found a Brown Bag cookie mold (these have become quite collectible) for just $2.


At one of the antique malls, the finds included an etched glass plate for $1, which I thought would come in handy for "styling" my Tea Sandwich Saturday posts.


I *thought* I had found a cup in the Coronation Depression glass pattern, but later learned that no, this one is Queen Mary. Live and learn. At least it was cheap!

And I guess I had royalty on the brain, because I also found a tea towel from the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana. That will come in handy when decorating for my Royal Wedding Tea.


Last but not least, I found a copy of "Tea Time Southern Style," a cookbook I'd wanted, for just $5. At this antique mall, I was joined by my five-year-old niece Amelia. Now, I would not take most five-year-olds I've known to an antique mall, but Amelia is a wonderful little shopper and is also currently on a "Little House on the Prairie" kick. She loves to look for things from "The 1800s," which she says with the same reverence most little kids say "Walt Disney World." (Example: "Angela, is that old hairbrush from The 1800s?") I had asked Amelia to help me look for pink and green glass, and she got very good at spotting it before I did. Sometimes, we were looking in tightly spaced little booths. Once I said "Goodness, we better be careful in here." Amelia: "I'm doing my best!" And you know, she was! The funniest thing was when I picked up a green Depression glass cup and saucer and Amelia asked how much it was. It was $45 and she exclaimed, "Holy cow! Put that down RIGHT now!" And I did! But the $5 cookbook got her OK, so I came home with it.

And here is a recent picture of Amelia, just to give you a visual image of my personal shopping assistant!

I'll end on a random note: We were at one antique store where my mother was inside paying for some inexpensive metal plates that Amelia thought looked like they came from -- say it with me now -- "The 1800s." I was outside on the porch and across the street was this house. Because of all the stuff outside on the porch and balcony I couldn't decide if the residents were moving in or moving out, but wow, isn't this house something! What a fun, and productive, Saturday!