Kimberly A. Cook

Military Romance Author

antiques

The Old Trunk Or Creative Jewel?

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Here is a fun spot in Hood River, Oregon. Make sure to take your camera to search for all kinds of treasures. Bring money for the ice cream!

by Kimberly A. Cook

Creativity is a muscle that needs to be exercised. One of my favorite ways to get the imagination train moving is shopping antique stores and flea marts. Not only is it a photographer’s paradise, it is so much fun finding treasures hiding in plain sight.

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The vinyl mother lode! Actually, I have a cabinet full of vinyl myself, so feels like home. Notice the vintage radios and album carrying cases on top. I have one of those too.

Last week on our road trip we stopped at The Old Trunk in Hood River. This killer combo of antiques and soda fountain, plus fruit later in the year is a fun jaunt. I’ll admit we were lured in by the promise of huckleberry ice cream on their website; I’d go just about anywhere for huckleberries. Ice cream too.

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These are cameras before the one in your phone.  Upper left? No batteries, ran on person power.  Viewfinder in the middle with the round disks? Video games for Boomers. Bottom left, Polaroid camera only known to the young people now due to Taylor Swift. Round canisters in the middle? Real film! No digits! Vintage rules.

With the trusty camera along, my creativity gets inspired and things jog my memory or I marvel at items combined in a different way. Of course, seeing all books a buck about sent me into a buying spree. I controlled myself; my bookshelves are overflowing.

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Soda fountain! That red contraption in the middle is the soft serve ice cream machine. They mix Tillamook vanilla ice cream with fresh huckleberries, or other berries, and heaven happens.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t buy ice cream! One of the owners described the crowds they are seeing now and how crazy it will get as the season gets warmer. We lucked in between the crowds late in the day at 4 p.m. for a high ice cream, instead of high tea.

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Soft serve huckleberry ice cream. Fabuwonderfulfantabulous! Trust me.

Simple pleasures, good friends, good weather and ice cream. Living the dream!

Whether you wander on purpose or journey to a destination, take your camera along and prepare to experience some whimsy.

Exercise your creativity muscles!

 

https://www.oldtrunkhr.com/

 

Ready For Romance?

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by Kimberly A. Cook                     (Twitter@  WarriorTales)

There are many types of romance, but digging out of a historic snowstorm and freezing rain/ice mess topped it for me last Thursday. Finally able to get out for a girl’s lunch at Monticello Antiques and Monti’s Café. Heaven!

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How is this for a fabulous display? I use red accents in my pink kitchen and it works great. White and red are such perfect colors together with a dash of pink.

 

When what to my wondering eyes appeared but red and white decorations telling me Valentine’s Day is near. The main reason I was so happy is because it means Spring is on its way. When even the Weather Channel says Portland is number one on the winter-fatigue scale, being able to shop is romantic.

Wanted to share some of the finds I found in my browsing. It was so fun to be out of the house, snow, ice, arctic cold temps without a snow shovel and my Danner Fort Lewis boots.

I discovered jewelry jars, but after a thorough scan of the contents I decided I didn’t need these; still have a bunch at home.

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Jewelry treasure jars!

 

Thought these buttons were so cute and festive, plus vintage. Can’t we just kick ourselves for all the stuff we got rid of which is vintage now?

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Vintage button bonanza!

 

Found another pink mini-teapot that I managed to not buy. It was a tough decision, but I am out of teapot display space. Completely.

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I’ve got at least three pink mini-teapots. Maybe it’s four. This one had to stay put until I can take inventory.

 

Then this fabulous find would have gone home with me if I had a bigger house. Who doesn’t need a pink couch? Really!

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Spec Ops Cat would love to curl up on this beauty.

 

There is more daylight now. It’s time to buy Valentine candy for all the folks we love, including ourselves. My motto is buy early because by the actual day all the good candy has been sold on clearance. Better put it on your shopping list for Super Bowl party goodies. Just to be safe.

Happy Almost Romantic February!

 

How About Taking A Shopping Vacation?

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by Kimberly A. Cook           (Twitter@   WarriorTales)

Spent time at my favorite antique store last Friday and found a treasure I can’t afford. Peeking out from under a lamp base and a radio was a fabulous wicker travel desk. This little piece of furniture immediately got me to thinking of the British Empire in India and Lawrence of Arabia all at the same time.

This is how I first caught sight of this beauty....
This is how I first caught sight of this beauty….

It’s an amazing desk with cubicles and drawers and hiding spots. Perfect for someone with a small space who could put their laptop right on top of the fold out table.

While I would have loved to snap it up, for the tune of $550 I didn’t. Taking a picture was close.

I require space to spread out on my desk, but oh the mind vacation and adventures I could dream of sitting at this little piece of history. That is one of the reasons I love looking at antique stores and perusing gadgets and gidgets of the past.

My imagination loves to take walks on the wild side when shopping. Plus I might find some treasures I can’t live without for the bead, book, shoe, and teapot collections.

The weekend before I made a slow mosey through our local Salvation Army Store. Scanned for a small drawer unit to up-cycle and make into a bathroom storage cabinet, but no luck on my quest.

I did find out where vases, punch bowls and extra plates wind up though.

I’ve had great luck treasure hunting at Goodwill Stores in the past, but that was my first foray into Salvation Army. Think I must be more of a Goodwill Girl. Still love my large ginger jar shaped yellow lamp base I got for $5 and my small facial tissue box cover for $1. The prices were right.

Look at the drawers and cubby holes!
Look at the drawers and cubby holes!

Thinking about the stories behind the items I take home makes me imagine what kind of lives they had and who bought them first.

I’d really like to know the story behind that antique travelling desk. Maybe the real Lawrence of Arabia used it after all?

Got any fun shopping finds?

P.S. Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Bet there is a Leprechaun in one of those wee drawers…..