two peas in a pod

Do you have a friend who you feel really gets you?  Who has the same likes and interests and passions?  Who you feel is your twin, even though you were born a country and years apart?

That is my dear friend Joanne.  We met in our son's classroom in fourth grade, and have been fast friends ever since.  She and her husband own their own business too, so we also have that in common!  Learn more, here:  https://sites.google.com/site/royalgroundscoffee/

We both love thrift shops, and yard sales, and finding things along the side of the road and turning them in to treasure.  We both make jewelry, and love to garden.  When we get together we have so much to share that there is never enough time.

Yesterday we had the chance to spend a whole day together, and I thought my brain would explode from creativity and my heart from love.

I introduced Joanne to my favorite little outing, Buffalo.  Yesterday was the start of their once a month opening of several occasional shops in town, and we hit them all.  And found two that I didn't know existed!

I have shared Buffalo with my sister and another very dear friend, Tracy (several times!  so fun!), but had not yet been able to experience it with Joanne, as she is always working in her coffee shop on the weekends.  We had been planning this day for ages, and I had done my regular job so that I could take a day off during the week.

First stop, Patina General!

Lora and Cheryl have created such an amazing little spot, and Joanne and I want to BE them some day.  We are going to have our occasional shop in a big old barn, where we also have our studios, and classrooms.  And we will hold annual dinners with live music and good food in our barn twinkling with lights.  We have big dreams.

We picked up an old silverware chest that I am going to turn into a display for jewelry for my shows, and some fabulous vintage Pyrex, old bed springs just waiting for some creativity, and adorable jelly jars with metal lids.  And fresh green ivy plants!

Off to The Porch and Atelier, where I found my favorite find of the day, an old oak shoe salesmen fitting stool!  I had never seen one anywhere, it is already in my living room just waiting for someone to put their feet up.  Joanne found lots of treasures there, and I also picked up several fresh green baby tears plants.  Now it feels like spring!

Then next door to Behind the Picket Fence, a thrift shop where we scored some great vintage books, for a song.

Next?  Yesterday's Charm, where I found the little sister to a vintage suitcase I have and use to tote things to my shows.  It is nearly new and was a bargain!

But by then our stomach's were growling, and I have found the best way to find a good lunch spot is to ask the store keepers.  We were sent down the sidewalk to Loaf and Ladle, where we ate homemade soup and sandwiches crafted from homemade bread.  Oh my, they roast their own turkey and beef, and even make their own mayo and mustard.  I love when a small cafe pays such great attention to detail.

Off to some new places I had read about in Flea Market magazine-my Google directions sent me in the back way, but we eventually found it.  Secondhand Rose.

Joanne bought a vintage iron paper holder (we imagined it in a dry goods store, with brown paper that the storekeeper would use to tie up our purchases with twine....).  I can't wait to see what she does with it, as she is crazy creative!  Planter?  Bagel holder in her shop?  So many options!  I found an old wooden dye cabinet display, that still has the color names on each little spot.  I am going to fill small jars with buttons that go with the colors on the cubbies-so cool!

We stood and drooled over a metal printers cabinet, with tons of wonderful drawers.  Oh, we wanted it.  If only we had our barn to put it in....

Our last stop in Buffalo was This and That, right next to Secondhand Rose, where I found an honest to god old notions room, full of buttons, rick rack, patterns and such.  Died and gone to heaven.

If our day had ended here we would have been thrilled, but we had one more stop to make!

Junkmarket Under Glass is held every spring at Otten Bros. in Long Lake.  It's a junk/antique show held in their greenhouses before planting season begins.  And how lucky were we that it was the exact time we were out there????



Oh, we had fun.  We didn't buy anything here, but this is where we found inspiration to last us for months!  More info on the Junkmarket, in case you want to check it out this weekend:  http://www.aajms.com/p/junkmarket-under-glass-march-madness.html

Today, I am ready to turn all of those positive, creative feelings into something wonderful.  Even if it's just dinner...Thanks Joanne, for such a wonderful day!  I am so lucky to have a twin.