The rest of the trip

After Renninger's I headed to Sarasota for a quick visit with my Mom and family (sometimes I even surprise myself at how much I can fit into one weekend). I needed to get on some backroads after driving I-75 all the way down, so I took a state road through Lakeland and Arcadia.

Since I go right by Myakka State Park, I HAVE to cruise through and see the beautiful vistas and, of course, the alligators this park is known for. (I wish I had the time to kayak or bike this trip!!)

It looked like this huge gator (about 8') was just waiting for these kayakers, but he never budged when they cruised by just a few feet from his open jaws!

(When I was at FSU, I dated a guy who managed a large game ranch in central Florida, and when we would go fishing back in the swamps, he would put me in the front of a little john boat and delight in running the boat up on a bank full of gators to scare the wits out of me--I could have reached out and touched the darn things--not funny at the time----great fishing though!)

I was glad to see most of the stores in Arcadia were still open, especially my favorite shop "The Vintage Garden"......with it's cottage/French/shabby offerings.



The water in Sarasota was just a bit too cold for swimming, darn it!
The sun was nice and warm, though, and the water was so calm.....the seagulls were having a convention......

.....and there were the best tide pools that day.
(When I was little, I thought a tide pool was just about the coolest place in the world to play!)


On the return trip I did a quick run through Webster, and saw lots of the Renninger dealers set up there. I did find some good stuff, but was disappointed that there was almost no architectural, and not much furniture (and I was there EARLY), although the prices were better than I remember.

I like to stop in Lake City and go downtown to a great place to eat lunch, but it's now closed, along with some of the other shops. Actually, there were lots of places all along the way up and down that are now closed.

I never noticed this cute house before on a side street near downtown Lake City.

Thankfully, THE BRAGGIN BULL antique shop is still open at GA exit 109 near Vienna. In fact, they have expanded and now have some of my favorite dealers (that were in a nearby antique mall that closed) I was glad to discover.

They have great architectural stuff, and I want everything in this shop, especially the cool stuff in these booths!

I forgot to take this birdcage up to the desk while I was taking pics! I really wanted it for a project, and didn't think about it 'til I downloaded the pics!

The cotton in these fields hasn't been picked yet, like up our way.

I'm so grateful I got to see my family, even if it wasn't for Thanksgiving.....and glad the weather was so incredible! (although I've come to the conclusion that I really am going to have to travel NORTH to get the type of stuff I'm looking for.....but not until Winter is long gone, of course)

Renninger's in Mt. Dora, FL

What a TOTALLY gorgeous weekend it was to be in FL for the extravaganza! The weather was perfect, and I had a blast hanging out with my friend Sharon, who had a booth there.

This show has it all--from large architectural pieces (wish I'd bought that cool door I passed up) to tiny vintage watch faces (shoulda bought more of those) this show has whatever you're looking for, and there's even lots of stuff at affordable prices--now THAT'S refreshing!


There's some shabby, but not too much.

At this show the dealers spread out over vast acreage, so you have to do LOTS of walking!!

There's a huge regular farmer/flea market up on the hill every weekend, and in front of the show grounds is a building full of inside dealers, and dealers who have these cute little shops built in a village.......

....which is where I met my new friends Ryan and Nicole Kramer of PRISM. They have a wonderful mix of vintage furniture and treasures in their two shops, and they will also do custom work if you don't see what you are looking for.

Aren't they cute? Be sure to stop in and say "HI" (prism.antiques@gmail.com).

**This part of Renninger's is open EVERY weekend, along with the farmer/flea market, but the ANTIQUE SHOW is on the THIRD weekend of the month, and the EXTRAVO'S are only in Nov, Jan, and Feb.....it's very hard to do the show, etc in one day, if you really want to see it all.

I thought these corbels were priced pretty fair (considering that corbels are apparently worth more than gold now), but I forgot to go back and get them!.....sometimes it can be tough to blog and shop at the same time.

How funny is this dealer's sign?!

And his unique way to keep his rings from disappearing!

Now here's an idea......have a shirt made up advertising what you collect!! I doubt I could describe what I look for on the back of a t-shirt!

Cool iron griffins!

I really wanted this cute little cupboard, but it was a bit pricey.

These dealers were set up at the Country Living Fair last month.

Love this cool old door!


Sharon brought some of her awesome creations....like these beeswax/cinnamon apples and pears....


....and these thin black soaps in cool wrappings....and this neat vintage light fixture cloche (it later blew over in the wind and broke----what a shame--outside shows can be frustrating)


These pocket watch casings were 15.00 each, but I found a few for 5.00-- and there were little vintage watch faces that were 1.00 each!


I'm DEFINITELY going to try some of these lamp shades with vines woven in.....but wouldn't the leaves burn?

I loved the green floats......and all the vintage hardware--which is where I always get into trouble---you can never have enough hardware, and it isn't exactly cheap!


The next Renninger's EXTRAVO'S are in Jan. and Feb., and they say there are a lot more dealers than in Nov! The pickin' was pretty good, so I plan to get back down there at least one of those months! (It's a little tricky finding a nice hotel, and they raise the prices for the show weekend)

Backroads wandering.....Lexington and Washington

The backroads were calling again on this beautiful, sunny Saturday, and I couldn't fight the urge! So after running by some estate sales and a barn sale on the way (I found some good stuff at these), I headed out to the historic town of Washington, which has lots of gorgeous old homes, as well as the old Fitzpatrick Hotel on the square (which used to be open for visiting and a wonderful meal, but has now closed--although I believe you still can stay on the weekends with advanced reservations). Sadly, there is only one shop left to pick from in town, and it mainly has garage sale stuff.


BUT-- and this is what I love about the thrill of the hunt--you never know what you will find, in even the least likely places!

This early "American Company" composition doll was sitting there among the yard sale stuff in the above shop, just waiting for me to discover her and take her home with me!! I really love the dirty little face, and wood shavings stuffed body and legs. Her head is in good condition for the age, and the arms and legs are intact as originally made, although I doubt the dress is original.

Isn't she sweet? (She should clean up nicely)


Worth the drive is the fun of seeing more wonderful old historic homes--so many of which had realtor signs in the front. Being pressed for time, I didn't get a chance to do a proper tour.
The above home, at the end of a pretty lane, is called "The Cedars" and is for sale. The economy has hit pretty hard out here, and I must remember to check out the prices--there might be a real bargain among them!

This house on the main street is also for sale!

There is so much history here, and I will definitely have to get back when I have more time!

On the way back I came through Lexington, which has an amazingly rich educational and political history....more fabulous old homes, and there is also a handful of antique shops and a nice little bakery cafe.

Lexington was once an important trade center, and was noted for the education, culture and refinement of it's citizens. It was home to Georgia's first private academy for boys, and later for girls, and was also home to some of the most notable lawyers and politicians in the state in the early 1800's.


This shop has a pecan shelling business in the back of the antique section, which is probably how they managed to stay open in this economy!

The first Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Georgia was established here, and below are the Presbyterian Manse built in 1817 (check out the boy peeking around the corner while I was shooting this pic) and the church built in 1893.


There are about 40 homes and buildings on the Lexington historic district walking tour and it's only a short drive East of Athens on 78. One of the shop owners said she is closing soon, because, as in Washington, it is just too hard for the antique shops to stay open in these out-of-the-way locations, in this economy.

A couple hundred years ago these once-vibrant towns were getting started, and I can't help but wonder what they will be like a few hundred years from now?