Meandering in Monore

It was a gorgeous weekend, perfect for a day of meandering in Monroe, Ga.  Wanted to stop by at a few of my favorite shops and see what kind of treasure I could find.  

First stop was Hodge Podge Art, Antiques and Interiors located in a gorgeous old cotton mill.  Lots of dealers with diverse merchandise and friendly staff make this a must stopover.

Fall decorative elements are everywhere and make the spaces festive.

Gorgeous Egyptian carved frame.   This almost came home with me.

Clever way to display your favorite Life magazines.  Frame them.

If I had a boat load of fun money to spend, this bad boy would come home with me.  Can't you just hear the sloshing of the suds and water and clothes?  I'm head over teakettle with this copper washing machine and would use it.

This business can often see a turnover of dealers and I was disappointed to learn that one of my favorite dealers, who always offered delightful seasonal items, was no longer there.  I purposely come to purchase her items and it was a bit of a letdown to not walk out with bags of her Halloween goodness.  No worries, on to the next shop.

Right next store to Hodge Podge is their sister shop, Market Place Antiques and Gallery.  Gorgeous gallery displays in large spaces, it is like walking into private rooms.  Large pieces and full rooms of furniture and decor can be found here.  Prices are geared to the design crowd, but there are some amazing offerings.

Laughed out loud when I saw this wild boar rug.  Loved the apple in the mouth...nice touch.

SOOOOOOO, love this. 

This is a lovely shop to visit and to see how decorators put a room together.  Didn't purchase anything as most items were out of my budge range, but there was lots of treasure to select from. 

Now off to my favorite shop in Monroe, Davis Street Antiques.  Davis Street was recently selected as one of the top 10 antique shops in the nation.  Couldn't agree more as Davis Street offers many "true" antiques within.  In addition, owner, Jimmy, is such a sweet soul and so fun to talk with that you feel like you are hanging out with family.

 Jimmy always has something interesting displayed at the entrance.  Today it was farm equipment.

Davis Street Antiques truly is a place to stop and linger.

Where to begin, so much to want.

Pretty purple antique bottles.

Jimmy knows how much I adore vintage/antique cut crystal so he showed me these two pieces a dealer had.  The price was a steal...a steal, I tell ya and I had to have both of them.

Lovely zipper cut crystal with starburst vase.  This came home with me too.

Pretty pair of French grammar books for children.  Early 20th century, both have delightful illustrations.

Finally, I find a Halloween piece and this up-dressed hat is too Halloween cha cha for words.  I carried everything up to the counter and as I checked out, Jimmy and I chatted about the biz and the upcoming holidays.

What I like about Jimmy is he shares my same philosophy that other shops are not competition -- but family.  He knows that people who live and love antiques and unique decorative elements may not buy something this time around, but they will be back in the future.  We both enjoy hearing about the "good" sales that dealers may have and we understand that it's about traffic.  Buyers may not have come specifically for anything or  "your" booth, but active traffic means you have an opportunity to sell from your space.  As I was telling him that I miss my seasonal decor dealer from Hodge Podge, Jimmy shared that she may have moved over to Ian Henderson's Antique Mall.  What?  Another place to seek treasure.  This is what I mean, he is not afraid of sending folks to other antique shops/malls in the area if he did not have it at Davis Street Antiques.    So, with my purchases in hand, I am off to Ian Henderson's Antique Mall.

Ian Henderon's Antique Mall is housed in a gorgeous antique mill on beautiful grounds and Ian, himself, was outside greeting customers, new and old.  

 Huge, Huge, HUGE!  Rows and rows of large spaces and two floors. Be still my heart.  This mall offers carts to make your selections easy to carry and I loved the sounds of the carts rolling on the old wood floors.

The spaces here are filled with antiques, collectibles and mid century pieces of every kind and priced for every budget.

Really liked the architectural salvage that was available in the spinning room.

On to the second floor, it was hot out so I grabbed a courtesy fan to use as I strolled.

 Sweet little antique crib is a delightful decorative element. 

Lots of large pieces like this delightful mercantile carriage.  I could so see me traveling in this in another life.

Several sleighs can be found at the mall as well.

WoW, guess who is at Ian Henderson's antique mall?  Yup, my favorite seasonal dealer.

She always has the most delightful displays and her prices are fantastic.

 Picked up this pair of halloween cat pin cushions...

this adorable needlework picture and a few window pieces that I forgot to photograph. LOL - yes, I am a natural blonde.

A gorgeous find, nice Brush McCoy art pottery in mottled cobalt blue.

Mid-century cookie tin of George Washington.  These were purposely made with a handle to be later used as a sewing or button box.  This is a keeper for me.

Marvelous Goofus glass bowl with original paint.  Ian Henderson's Antique Mall is now on my list of places to visit while in Monroe. Can't wait to see what they do for the holidays and a big "THANK YOU" to Jimmy from Davis Street Antiques for turning me on to Ian Henderson's Antique Mall.

As always, my Sunday afternoon was spent fluffing up my two spaces in the Buford Queen of Hearts.   Brought in lots of Halloween items as well as well as some of the treasure found in Monroe.

 

Witch's hat and framed needlework piece look great on this antique, bentwood and caned chair.

The black cat pin cushions look right at home with the primitive kitty all nested in a vintage, wooden bowl.

 

This happy guy can sit anywhere and truly is an ambassador for the month of October.

Witch figurine just belongs next to a working hourglass.

Sold a few of these last Halloween and these are the only two I have let.  Giant metal spider are the coolest decorative element.  Wish I had more as these tend to go fast.

Victorian pieces lend themselves so well to Halloween decor. 

Victorian high top boots, bowls full of china doll arms and legs, antique bottles and drippy candlesticks are all made for Halloween.

I know this post was a big photo heavy but I had so much to share from my buying trip in Monroe that I just couldn't make this post a short one.  Wishing everyone a terrific week and blessings to you and those you love.  Sea Witch