Treasures from Southport

One of my favorite things to do when we go to the coast is to shop in the town of Southport.  We've traveled there almost every year for the past 26 years.  When I see that in writing, I can hardly believe it.  The time feels like it has passed as quickly as those gulls skimming over the water.

When we were younger, Mr. Forest Manor had no interest in checking out the shops in Southport.  I can hardly blame him as he was working full-time and going to graduate school at night and just starting out in his career.  I also think most men really like a good bargain, and when I discovered thrifting, he became more interested in poking through the shops with me.  Southport has some wonderful antique shops, but we've noticed the prices keep going up as more and more people move to that area.  One of the shops in particular has two full floors of goods, and you never know what treasures you might come across there.  It's also amazingly well organized and tidy for an antique/consignment shop.

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I came home with a nice variety of goodies this trip, and I wanted to share on the blog.

 As you can see, I found two James Herriot books in hardback -- something I've been wanting for a little while.  I have the four-volume set of this series, in paperback, and they are well-loved and well-read.  These came from the local hospital thrift shop, and they were a dollar apiece.  The one on the left has some damage to the dust-jacket, but I'll just take those off anyway.  The one on the right is almost like new.  I checked for these online a few years ago, and the prices were more than I wanted to pay, but a dollar each works for me.  :)

I love, love this flour sack towel.  I found it at a shop (below) selling bird-feeding supplies and things for the garden.

It came in a two-pack so was a little more than I wanted to spend, but the colors are perfect for my kitchen.  I love the bluebird and the little French-style bee.  I also got one of these with red geraniums for Linda, our pet-sitter; she always takes such good care of Duncan.

This galvanized tray came from the Wal-Mart in Southport, and was less than $10.00.  We had stopped there to look for something else entirely, and these were displayed on an end cap.  I had actually seen and admired one of these on Anita's blog, Far Above Rubies, before we left town, so into the cart it went.  It just says summertime to me.  ;)

My special find from the favorite antique store is this -- a set of two vintage pillowcases decorated with cutwork,

and this beautiful lace trim.  At first I thought it was crochet, but after looking closer, I've decided it's tatting.  I was so excited to find these, and I have plans for them in the guest bedroom.

Last of all, I found this garden mushroom at one of the many whimsical gift shops there in Southport.  For those of you who haven't seen these, the mushroom "stem" is actually a painted wooden stake with a point on the end, so you can stick it down into the ground or into a planter.  I have tissue paper around the bottom because it had dirt on it, and I didn't want to get that on the bedspread.  They had these in a variety of pretty colors, but the red ones remind me of the toadstools we used to see in children's fairytale books.

Also, it was made in the USA.  Not many things are these days, I'm sorry to say.  Well that's it for my fun finds this trip; I hope I didn't bore you to tears.  My sister would be yawning right about now; my mom and I love to hunt for and find things like this, but it holds no appeal for my Baby Sis.  ;)  Sharon, who blogs at My French Country Home, frequently shops for brocante in her surrounding French countryside of Normandy.  She comes home with amazing finds.  She usually shares those treasures on her blog and refers to those blog posts as "Loot Shoots."  :-D  What a clever idea.  Sharon has a lovely blog, if you care to check it out.

Thank you for stopping by today; I always appreciate your valuable time spent reading my little stories.  Enjoy the rest of the week my friends!!

Denise