Old Porch Spindle

I found this old front porch spindle at The Depot in Concord. When I got it, I wasn't sure where I planned to put it....I just knew it had to be mine.

And I found the perfect spot!

I put it on my bedroom dresser. Like the other items, it's white, but the chipping paint adds so much texture.

I'm loving the contrast of the old spindle next to the sleek vase. It makes it so much more interesting!

I bet this was two seconds away from being thrown out before someone saw the beauty in it. Just goes to show you...one man's trash really is another's treasure!

Under the Ferns

The second it starts to get warm....I retreat to my favorite place: our front porch. I sit in my rocking chair and say hello to all of my neighbors who have also come outside to enjoy the perfect Carolina weather. Nice as it is, it just isn't summer until I get my hanging ferns.

I get them EVERY spring from Old Store Produce in Huntersville, NC, and I enjoy them all summer long. I only get them from Old Store -they have the largest ferns I have seen.

Last year, I asked one of the store's owners, Madeline Phillips, how she got the ferns to grow so beautifully. She told me her secrets, and I have used them successfully. By September, they look like Weeping Willows.

Madeline's Tips:

Water the ferns every night, and only at night-they respond better.

Once a week, add one tsp of Epsom salt and a capful of clear ammonia to a gallon of water. (I myself was too afraid I bought the wrong ammonia last year, and only did the Epsom salt. This year, I'm determined to try the ammonia as well!)

Old Store Produce

While I enjoy my little "escape" onto our front porch, I am even happier to go back inside to the little face peering through the window at me.

I hope you all are having a very beautiful summer.

The Depot

I am in LOVE. Knowing that I adore antiquing, my good friend Jenny took me to a place I had never gone to before-The Depot at Gibson Mill in Concord, NC. The place is HUGE. I do a lot of traveling for work, and visit many shops along the way, but never have I seen such an impressive selection. For those local to NC-The Depot is very similar to The Sleepy Poet in Charlotte, but the price point is a lot lower and seems to have many more vendors.

One of my favorite finds is this old bookshelf:

For two years I have been hunting for the perfect piece to serve as both display and storage. It had to be a certain width and have a lot of character. Toward the end of our shopping trip (which was a 3 hour ordeal....with both our babies in tow) I spotted the bookshelf, and it was love at first sight. After a little negotiating with the vendor, it was mine. I found the distressed Fleur de Lis that is on top of the shelf at The Depot as well. There were so many exciting things to choose from that it was almost overwhelming.

Now begins the excitement of getting everything onto the shelves!!!

The Depot at Gibson Mill

325 McGill Ave Suite 250

Concord, NC