Trifecta of Treasures

I was at the Oregon coast over the weekend, Seaside the first night and then Astoria the second. My husband indulged my junking obsession by stopping whenever I pointed and yelled, "STOP! Right there!" Sometimes he joined me, sometimes he stayed in the car and read the news on his fancy phone. I picked up trinkets here and there, most for only a few dollars and under as I've been getting the urge to start making more of my Curious Elements. While on my travels, I discovered three new shops that are worthy of not only mention, but also photos. The first of the three was in Astoria.

PHOG BOUNDER'S ANTIQUE MALL
(And in particular the vendor AMBIANCE, located in the basement)

This antique mall had lots of vendors upstairs and down and offered a nice variety of antiques and collectibles. But when I walked downstairs, that's when my breathe was sucked right out of me! That's where a vendor with tags marked AMBIANCE was selling her goods (she used to have her own store in Astoria, but now just has several spaces in the mall). Here's a sampling of her beautiful wares:











REDEMPTION: Junk Salvation for the Vintage Soul

Here's the story behind this stop in Clatskanie. When we travel Highway 30 between Portland and Astoria, we usually make a stop in Clatskanie. There used to be a flea market/thrift shop on N.E. Conyers and we've stopped a couple of times, but it was mainly leftover garage sale stuff, so things were usually pretty picked over. My husband asked if I wanted to stop and I kind of wrinkled my nose. As he pulled up in front, I realized things looked different. Mighty different. There were a couple of new sheriff's in town!


The first shop we stepped into was Redemption. It was magical! Just the right amount of rusted metal and shiny, sparkly, white things. The owner, Kristi, was an excellent host. (Note the red bike in the following line-up of photos. It is now mine. I have been looking for just such a bike for about five years -- one to put in the yard or to hang outside of my studio. This one was perfect: it was red, had a bit of rust, flat tires, and the price was just right!)









Even outside was fun!



When Kristi learned that I was looking for old rusty bits to use in making my Curious Elements, she invited me into her back room, and then into her inner sanctum back room, a heart-stopping experience. I remembered to breathe as she allowed and helped me paw through buckets and bins. I came away with a reasonable little bin of treasures, but she now knows what I'm looking for, so I hope to get a call one of these days with the promise of more rusty pieces.






CRONIES: Old Things Between Old Friends

Cronies is a lovely vintage shop right next to Redemption (and has only been open for a week!). The owner, Kelley, calls herself the Queen Crow and shared a lovely story of how she came up with the name of her store, inspired by her recently deceased father. Lots of goodies to be found, all pretty reasonably priced.










POST SCRIPT

A few of my favorite finds from the weekend: Two well-loved dollies and a rusted old Pogo stick!