I remember the good old days when it was easy to find a nearby, quirky, fun store. Collectibles have become passe. People aren’t decorating their homes for holidays as they once did. All my eccentric little stores have fallen by the wayside. Even Barbara Cheatley’s went out of business last year. It seems antique stores are about the only place quirky resides.
After doing computer research, I carefully plotted out antique destinations in nearby Simi Valley so my friend Betty and I could set out on a shopping adventure.
Our first stop was an antique store by the name of Just Around the Corner and it really was—just around a corner.
An alleyway at the corner of an L-shaped strip mall led to this unconventional little store. Myriad glassware and estate sale finds covered every surface. I managed to add some silver teaspoons, a butter pat and personal creamer to my “hope chest” of tea accoutrements.
I’ll polish these up when I finally paint my mom’s teaspoon rack—it’s on the official chore list. I really like the dainty details on the handles of these spoons.
I’m up to four butter pats now.
I love the delicate flowers and gold trim. All items were reasonably priced.
We stopped at Quilty Pleasures (where I needed yardage to match a wall hanging) and Kingdom Sewing (where Betty needed a new sewing machine because it was red).
Here’s Big Red.
And here’s my finished wall hanging. That new piece of fabric was for the back and binding. The title of this pattern is Hearts and Kisses but I like Love and Kisses more. Next, we were on to the Aubergine Emporium.
This was a true find. Not only was there a vast array of Valentine’s décor, the vendors went out of their way to display festive pink and red wares. It was delightful just to stroll up and down the aisles.
I finally settled on two pink vases, the small one is vintage, the large one is Longaberger. They seemed the perfect additions to my Valentine display and were also reasonably priced. This store gets ten stars for friendly service.
My coffee table is lit up with decorations old and new. Besides adding the pink vases, I put tea lights in my spooners. They add a lot of sparkle.
I made that quilt last Valentine’s. They’re hand-sewn hexagons, a great project to tackle while watching TV.
Even the back is interesting:
Our last stop was just across the parking lot.
Yes, it’s the Shop Around the Corner, but in this case, there was no corner. This is yet another nice antique mall that carries a vast array of furniture. I managed to find a few treasures:
Antique Valentine postcards. This one says “To My Valentine” in the corner. I thought it was a real beauty.
I wasn’t as fond of this picture but I loved the poem:
Cupid the rogue with his terrible dart Has broken his way into my poor heart I saw not his coming 'twas quite a surprise I was dazed by your smile and the light of your eyes
It was a windy, chilly day, but we braved the weather to eat lunch outdoors at Green Acres where they make the best tri-tip sandwiches on earth!
Hope you find your own adventure soon! It’s great and healthy to get out in the world after being cooped up so much. Please share quirky store destinations in the comments, no matter their location. I’ll start a directory!
Happy Valentine’s Day!