When I walk out the door, chances are something I'm wearing is vintage. Whether it's a silk scarf I picked up in a vintage shop in Paris or a thrift store in San Antonio, a pair of 1960's earrings from an estate sale or even one of the vintage designer pieces I scored on eBay or Etsy, my fashion finds are always with me.

The other day I glanced down at the dish on my dresser that holds jewelry and other odds and ends. Looking at the contents, I realized I could draw a map around town connecting the dots from one favorite shop to another.

That's how it is with Treasure Hunters. We see it, we love it, we buy it and we celebrate it.

I wrote about this very thing in the March/April issue of Spokane Cd'A Woman magazine. You can read that column here. And you can always read more about my travels (and my treasure hunting) on my CAMera: Travel and Photo blog.

Cheryl-Anne Millsap is a freelance writer based in Spokane, Washington. In addition to her Spokesman-Review Home Planet and Treasure Hunting columns and blogs and her CAMera: Travel and Photo blog, her essays can be heard on Spokane Public Radio and on public radio stations across the country. She is the author of “Home Planet: A Life in Four Seasons” and can be reached at catmillsap@gmail.com

(Image courtesy of Two Women Art & Antiques)

I can't imagine a better weekend to make the short trip to Spangle (just 9 miles from I-90) to the spring Two Women Art & Antiques Barn Bazaar.

In addition to a beautiful drive through the Palouse, you'll get antiques, vintage finds, arts and crafts, homemade goodies and live music all for the $1 admission (Admission proceeds will go to the Moran Prairie Grange resoration project.)

Hours are:

Saturday: 10 am - 6 pm

Sunday: 10 am - 4 pm

Click here for directions and contact information. See you there!

(Photo by Cheryl-Anne Millsap)

   When it is time to dress the table for dinner I open the old oak armoire that serves as my linen and china closet and take out the one of the bundles of napkins, table runners and tablecloths I've collected from all over the world.

   Folded and tied with ribbon and stacked in the armoire, the old textiles are more than just pieces of cloth to cover the table or place under the centerpiece. The natural textures and hues, from snowy whilte to soft vanilla to almost burlap-brown, are pleasing to the eye and to the touch. A few pieces are monogrammed, stitched with the initials of the woman who owned them first. Some are sewn with fine stitches and edged in delicate lace. Others are more crudely made, finished with heavy crochet. Some are not decorated at all, simply hemmed lengths of fabric.

   Before I select a piece I run my fingers over the folds and, in my mind, draw a map of the world, connecting one place to another with a trail of purchases. The short piece of very old linen I found in a bin in a Paris shop. The table runner picked up for a song in Biloxi, Mississippi. The woven second-hand souvenirs of trips to Belgium and Germany. The linen tea towel from a thift store in San Antonio. The Irish linen napkins purchased from an antiques shop in Birmingham, Alabama

   These fabrics bring out the hausfrau in me. If the tulips dust them with pollen, or the wine spills or coffee cups leave rings, I shrug. These small sins almost always disappear in the wash. And on the first hot day of summer I soak them in hot water and hang them out to dry and bleach in the sun before bundling them again, tying each stack with a length of white ribbon.

   I am not naturally tidy. I have to work at it. When I open the cabinet I almost always find a jumble of china and crystal and odds and ends that weren't put away properly. Perhaps it is an indication of how much I love these old, worn fabrics, but I take the time and enjoy the ritual of folding and stacking them for the next use. It gives me the opportunity to admire the handiwork of another woman, the beauty of natural things. And each piece reminds me of the place it was discovered and tucked into my suitcase before coming home with me.

Cheryl-Anne Millsap is a freelance journalist based in Spokane, Washington. In addition to her Home Planet , Treasure Hunting and CAMera: Travel and Photo blogs, her essays can be heard on Spokane Public Radio and on public radio stations across the country.

CAM is the author of “Home Planet: A Life in Four Seasons” and can be reached at catmillsap@gmail.com

When you walk into Roost, the new vintage emporium on Main Avenue and Division, the first thing you'll see is a trunk filled with letters and papers. But what makes the papers so interesting is that they are a lifetime of correspondence, keepsakes and photographs of a woman who moved from France to Spokane after World War II.

Never have I wished I could speak, and especially read, French as when I was pulling out yellowed pieces of onionskin paper and AirMail envelopes covered with small, neat, lines of handwriting.

Owner, Dena Kieffer, told me the contents of the trunk were all from one estate and I spent at least half an hour rummaging through the ephemera.

Finally, when I'd run out of time, I committed to a folded sheet of stationary ($2) and a souvenir postcard book of photographs of the S.S. Normandie. ($12)

I chose the letter because it is the perfect size to scan and save. I'm going to use it for several decorating projects I have in mind.  The postcard book is a miniature history lesson. The elegant French ocean liner was built in 1935 and made 139 crossings to the Untied States before she was seized by the U.S.in 1942 and put into service as the USS Lafayette only to burn and sink in 1942.

The Normandie was one of the last of an era, and as a frequent traveler I love anything to do with the elegant age of transportation.

I brought home my French souvenirs and spent a happy hour or so examining them. The last time I was in Roost, the big box of French memorabelia was still there. I'm tempted to go back and lose myself again in the photos and bits of paper history.

Parlez-vous Junque?

Cheryl-Anne Millsap is a freelance writer based in Spokane, Washington. In addition to her Home Planet , Treasure Hunting and  CAMera: Travel and Photo blogs, her essays can be heard on Spokane Public Radio and on public radio stations across the country. She is the author of “Home Planet: A Life in Four Seasons” and can be reached at catmillsap@gmail.com
  

(Photo by Cheryl-Anne Millsap)

If you were anywhere near the Fox Theater in downtown Spokane Saturday night, you might have noticed men and women in evening wear, wearing elaborate masks as they hurried into the beautiful Art Deco building. It was the Spokane Symphony's first Masquerade Ball and I was there with the rest of the partygoers. It was fun to see the men and women in costume and it was amazing the difference the masks made. Even old friends didn't immediately recognize one another.

Like everyone else I had wanted my mask to stand out, to say something about its wearer. So, after thinking about it for a few days, I went to an unexpect source.

Becky Ellis and Holly Baublitz, of Spokane's All That Glitter, are now located in Pink, the vintage and salvage mecca located just a few blocks from the Fox Theater. Becky's elaborate creations—crowns, wreaths and other exquisite displays crafted of ephemera and found objects—are beautiful one-of-a-kind collages. I've long admired her work and it occurred to me she was the perfect person to make a custom, vintage inspired, mask for the ball.

I stopped into Pink one afternoon and talked to Holly. She asked a few questions about whether I wanted a mask to wear all night or one on a stick that could be worn or carried. I chose the former. I reminded her that I'm not a particularly “blingy” woman, prefering my pearls to over-the-top sparkles. After that, I left everything else to Becky and just waited for the call.

When Holly opened the pink (naturally) box and showed me the mask, I was thrilled. The sepia tones of old Spokesman-Review newspaper pages, clipped and decopaged onto the mask form, accented by ostrich feathers and vintage faux pearls and rhinestones, glowed. A dusting of German glass glitter finished the effect. Just enough sparkle for a ball, but not too much. Rather than an elastic band, Becky had crafted a clever headband to hold it on comfortably.

It was perfect.

On Saturday night I slipped on the mask and joined the party. After the ball, it became a unique piece of handmade art for my home office. Now, every time it catches my eye I smile, celebrating the creative talent of a local artist. And I remember a wonderful night spent benefitting a great cause.

Cheryl-Anne Millsap is a freelance writer based in Spokane, Washington. In addition to her Home Planet , Treasure Hunting and  CAMera: Travel and Photo blogs, her essays can be heard on Spokane Public Radio and on public radio stations across the country. She is the author of “Home Planet: A Life in Four Seasons” and can be reached at catmillsap@gmail.com

Once a month I spend a half an hour or so at Spokane Public Radio recording several Home Planet columns for my weekly Sunday Morning Essay program. ( Listen to the Podcast here.)

I always try to make sure I have enough time to record three or four essays and then prowl around the The Vintage Rabbit Antique Mall on the street level of the building, before I have to make the after-school pickup. This was my week to record, and as it happened, it was also my week to discover a great find.

For years I've been picking up old wicker-covered bottles. Long before Pottery Barn decided it was the perfect accessory, I was adding to my collection one old bottle at a time. Today, thanks to a dealer at The Vintage Rabbit, I brought home one more.

It's in great shape, showing the expected wear and age but the wicker is still intact and the exposed lip of the bottle isn't chipped or broken. And the bonus? I paid only $5.50.

Friday is usually a good day. But a sunny Friday with all deadlines met, a great find and a fun weekend ahead is a very good day.

Cheryl-Anne Millsap is the author of Home Planet: A Life in Four Seasons.  She also blogs at Home Planet and CAMera: A Photo Blog of People and Places. CAM can be reached at catmillsap@gmail.com

(Photo by Cheryl-Anne Millsap)  

   I’m in good company, I know, but I have this tendency to put my head on my pillow, completely exhausted by the events of the day, and then find myself wide awake, unable to sleep. The words I couldn’t come up with earlier suddenly pop into my head without warning, or one of my children crosses my mind or I am so excited about a trip or a project my brain is buzzing with ideas. I’ve learned over the years to not fight it. Instead I get up, make a cup of Chamomile tea and sit down in the dark living room, relishing the quiet.

   More often than not, if I am wandering through dark rooms when I should be in bed, I am guided by a small lighted globe that sits on my desk. A thrift store find, it is used as a night light as much as a travel reference.  

   Tonight, as I walked by, I looked down at the globe and noticed the story that could be told with the other items around it.

   The globe is surrounded by a souvenir model of the Eiffel Tower  I brought home from Paris, a clay dish made by one of my children which holds a handful of Euro coins, and a purse-sized pocket atlas, a gift from my daughter last Christmas.

   When I look at the globe at night, shining in a dark corner of the room, I remember the maps and globes of my geography class when I was a girl, the way they intrigued me and opened a world  of possibility, inviting me to explore and dream and go.

   Sleepy at last, the tea finished and the cup rinsed, I headed back to bed. On an impulse, I grabbed the camera that is always sitting on the desk and took a photo. I think I'll put it on my computer to light my hotel room when I travel.

   It’s funny. I’ve brought home so many things over the years. But this little globe means the world to me.



Cheryl-Anne Millsap is a freelance writer based in Spokane, Washington. In addition to her Home Planet , Treasure Hunting and  CAMera: Travel and Photo blogs, her essays can be heard on Spokane Public Radio and on public radio stations across the country. She is the author of “Home Planet: A Life in Four Seasons” and can be reached at catmillsap@gmail.com
  

Last week while out making my weekly treasure hunting rounds, I stopped by the Antiquarian, on Division between First and Pacific Avenues.

The antique mall has been a Spokane staple for a number of years and is a place I always recommend when asked where to shop for fine antiques, especially larger pieces of furniture. (I was there because I'm always searching for a set of oak barrister cases to match the ones I have, knowing it's a long shot.)

Before I left I caught sight of a big bowl filled with small crystal and china salt dishes. While a few were priced a bit higher, most were only $6 each.

I snapped a picture and all the way home I thought about the tiny crystal bowls, imagining ways they could be put to use. I remembered seeing an idea on Pinterest for using small berry bowl-sized dishes arranged in a drawer as storage for little odds and ends. What if you were to adapt that idea to a smaller scale?

Tiny crystal salt dishes on a silver tray on a dressing table or in a dresser drawer would make a pretty way to separate and store earrings, necklaces, rings and other pieces of jewelry. On a desk they could be used to hold stamps and paper clips, or to sort coins for parking meter change. If you already have a collection of crystal salts, you could do what the Antiquarian did and fill a big bowl with them. It would make an interesting centerpiece.

Of course, if you're the practical sort, I suppose you could always just fill them with salt and set the table.

Cheryl-Anne Millsap is a freelance writer based in Spokane, Washington. In addition to her Home Planet , Treasure Hunting and  CAMera: Travel and Photo blogs, her essays can be heard on Spokane Public Radio and on public radio stations across the country. She is the author of “Home Planet: A Life in Four Seasons” and can be reached at catmillsap@gmail.com

(Photo by Cheryl-Anne Millsap)

I usually spend Friday afternoons out and about exploring local antiques shops. My weekly deadlines have been met and it’s a treat to have the quiet time to myself.

I’ve done this since I moved to Spokane and it’s a ritual I look forward to each week. Frequently the owners are in their shops, prepping for weekend traffic, sometimes already putting out items picked up at the morning’s estate sales, and I can stop and chat. Or, when it suits me, just quietly browse. Even when I travel, I try to find a few minutes on my own, searching for a vintage souvenir.

Last week I made my rounds and stopped by Tossed and Found on north Monroe. I’d been looking at vintage Valentines all morning, thinking I would build a February 14th column around some sweet paper find. But, as it always is with treasure hunting, my Valentine arrived in an unexpected way when I spotted a small heart-shaped lock on a table and picked it up. The black paint on the body of the lock showed its age, faded and chipped in a few places. The hasp had that true rusty patina that comes with time and exposure to the elements. Stamped on the front was the patent date of Feb. 25, 1896.

I stopped looking at postcards and paper. I’d found my Valentine.

Since I brought it home I’ve carried the lock around the house like a child with a favorite toy. For a few days it rested in the dish where I drop my earrings and watch each evening. Then it spent a day on my desk as a paperweight. After I photographed it, the lock lay on the table next to the chaise lounge where I like to sit and have my coffee each morning. From time to time I pick it up and run my fingers over the surface as my mind plays over words and sentences, searching for the perfect line for whatever I am writing. I feel the weight of it and imagine the places it might have been. The little lock is a perfect example of the Victorian philosophy that even the most mundane objects should possess beauty by design.

I considered looping a ribbon over the hasp and wearing it as a pendant. It’s the perfect weight and shape for a keyring. Of course, if I can find a key, I can use it as it was intended, to secure something I want kept private and safe.

So, some may get cards and flowers. Others will celebrate with jewelry and wine. But I’m happy with my discovery.

 I like to think I have a lock on Valentine’s Day.

Cheryl-Anne Millsap is a freelance writer based in Spokane, Washington. In addition to her Home Planet , Treasure Hunting and  CAMera: Travel and Photo blogs, her essays can be heard on Spokane Public Radio and on public radio stations across the country. She is the author of “Home Planet: A Life in Four Seasons” and can be reached at catmillsap@gmail.com

A week or so ago, on my Friday Treasure Hunting rounds, I stopped by Orphaned Decor in the Gonzaga district. I made a quick swing through the shop and was on my way to the car when I stopped for one more look in the front window.

The heart of the display was a large metal crown-shaped centerpiece. Since exploring the American Southwest and the beautiful old cathedrals in Europe, I've had a thing for the ornamental crowns one might find on the figures of saints. The antiques, many centruries old, are expensive and rare, but there are plenty of reproductions and adaptations around. I'm often tempted but, as I always say when writing about my finds, whatever follows me home must have some practical use. I just don't have the room for (or any love of) clutter.

The thing that appealed to me about the crown-like object in the window was its size. The piece was big enough to make a nice display feature without getting lost on a tabletop. And, because it was essentially a round tray with an ornamental canopy, it could be used in any number of ways. So I put it right to work.

Guests were coming that evening so I pulled a pillar candle out of the closet and then poured the rest of the nuts from the holidays (my kids always like to have them around) around the candle and put it on the coffee table. The golden hues of the almonds and other nuts echo the neutral colors and textures I like so much, and they keep the candle from sliding as I move the container. A few days later I moved it to the dining table to replace the orchid that was no longer blooming. Right now it's on a ceramic Chinese garden stool in the master bathroom.

I can see the container filled with excelsior and my hens' brown eggs for easter. Or overflowing with the hundreds of agates I've brought home from the Oregon coast over the years.

So often, when chasing the next great find, we rush in the front door and forget to take a closer look at the window display. I guess the lesson is that everything is worth a second look. Sometimes that's how you bring home the crown.

Cheryl-Anne Millsap is a freelance writer based in Spokane, Washington. In addition to her Home Planet , Treasure Hunting and  CAMera: Travel and Photo blogs, her essays can be heard on Spokane Public Radio and on public radio stations across the country. She is the author of “Home Planet: A Life in Four Seasons” and can be reached at catmillsap@gmail.com

The best finds are not only bargains that catch the eye and stimulate the imagination. The real treasures are objects that are useful.

Years ago I spotted this wooden box in a Spokane thrift store. It is basic and beautiful, solidly constructed out of tongue-in-groove pine with traces of white paint. At some point someone attached modern casters to the bottom so it rolls smoothly.

Over the years the box has served many purposes in my home. I've filled it with magazines, used it to hold firewood and even stacked wrapped gifts in it under the Christmas tree. These days it holds three Pottery Barn Kilim floor pillows that are used as extra seating when the house is full of company, as it was last weekend, or to stack by the fireplace for a warm and cozy place to sit by the fire and read.

Now, with the birth of my first grandchild, I can see a new life for the old box. Soon it will be used to hold toys and books for a little girl I am hoping will spend many happy hours with me.

Cheryl-Anne Millsap is a freelance writer based in Spokane, Washington. In addition to her Home Planet , Treasure Hunting and  CAMera: Travel and Photo blogs, her essays can be heard on Spokane Public Radio and on public radio stations across the country. She is the author of “Home Planet: A Life in Four Seasons” and can be reached at catmillsap@gmail.com

(Photo by Cheryl-Anne Millsap)   

    The little book, dated 1894, caught my eye. With its rich turquoise, red, and gold filigree cover and the title “About Women: What Men Have Said” it was impossible to resist.

    I couldn’t help but wonder who had purchased it first. Was it some heartsick young man, seeking to find in the words of the poets what he couldn’t find a way to express on his own? Or, perhaps, a long-married man in search of a romantic token for an anniversary. It might have been a mother, hoping to curb the rebellious tendencies of a wayward daughter by reminding her of the virtues most desired at the time by the opposite sex. There was no inscription or message on the flyleaf so I’ll never know the book’s journey before it arrived at Anita Trinkle’s new shop “Eye Candy,” but it doesn’t matter. The book, wrapped in tissue and with a scrap of lace as a bookmark, came home with me.

    Even in an age of constant wireless communication, there is something about a beautiful book that is hard to resist. And the little volume filled with verse and scraps of poetry singing the praises of the “fairer sex” is a peek into an age when women were valued for their purity, demure manner and motherliness above everything else.
.
    Organized by months of the year, each day of the month features a few flowery lines from poets and authors like Shakespeare, Ruskin, Thackeray and Byron.  Flipping through the pages, I stopped, for no particular reason, on August 18. The passage for the day was from Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables.

    “The glance of a woman resembles certain wheels which are apparently gentle but are formidable…You come, you go, you dream, you speak, you laugh, and all in a minute you feel yourself caught, and it is all over with you.
The wheel holds you, and the glance has caught you.”

    Ah. Obviously, as the book makes clear page after page, there forces that never change. And, as was the case with the book in my hands now, love at first glance is nothing new under the sun.


If you go:
Eye Candy Antiques
3017 N. Monroe Street, Spokane, WA 99205
509-434-8146
Mon. - Sat:10:00 am-5:00 pm

Cheryl-Anne Millsap is a freelance writer based in Spokane, Washington. In addition to her Home Planet and  CAMera: Travel and Photo blogs, her essays can be heard on Spokane Public Radio and on public radio stations across the country. She is the author of “Home Planet: A Life in Four Seasons” and can be reached at catmillsap@gmail.com
  

Every job requires certain basic tools. A cook needs pots, pans and good sharp knives. A woodworker needs a saw, a hammer and a reliable tape measure.

As a writer, I have my own tool kit. My notebook computer, a phone that is a computer in itself and a good camera help me get my work done.  Most of these essentials are high-tech and expensive. But my other favorite writing instrument isn’t modern or complicated at all: the pencil.

When I was a girl I kept a handful of pencils in my desk at school, bound by a thick rubber band. The pencils were all different sizes. Some were only a few inches tall. They were all characters in an elaborate game of pencil dolls I played silently at my desk. Whenever I had a few minutes, or thought I could get away with it, I pulled out the roll of pencils, slipped a few out from under the rubber band, and set my imagination free.

I no longer make dolls out of my pencils, but I still like a few on my desk. A pencil is good for first thoughts. It feels right in the hand, balances on the end of a finger. A pencil forgives, erasing what you want to change. My favorite, the quintessential Dixon Ticonderoga #2, cost pennies, never runs out of ink and, in a pinch, can be used to twist my hair into a bun and keep it out of my eyes.

A pencil, like a string of pearls or a black umbrella, is a classic. It never goes out of style. Of course, the must-have for anyone who has a fondness for pencils is the right pencil holder.

Recently, I had a few minutes between downtown appointments so I stopped at Roost, the new shop in the Main Avenue and Division Street location that formerly housed Main Street Antiques. Filled by some of my favorite local dealers, Roost is perfect for a leisurely browse or, when your schedule is tight, a quick stop.

Tucked on a shelf in a small room in the corner, I spotted a little metal pencil case. Made in England, the metal cylinder was painted to resemble a red pencil. The pointed top comes off and inside is room enough for a hand full of pencils. It called out to the schoolgirl in me.

In under ten minutes, for less than $10, I came away with something useful and beautiful; the perfect accessory for a well-dressed desk.


Cheryl-Anne Millsap is a freelance writer based in Spokane, Washington. Her essays can be heard on Spokane Public Radio and on public radio stations across the country. She is the author of “Home Planet: A Life in Four Seasons” and you can read more of her work at her Home Planet and CAMera blogs. She can be reached at catmillsap@gmail.com
  

(Photo by Cheryl-Anne Millsap)

Caught up in the New Year ritual of house cleaning, I swept through the house dusting, rearranging and organizing.

As I moved from room to room I let my mind wander as my hands worked. I began to notice that with every item I touched, there was an association. A memory. A link to a day recalled or an event to remember.

In the living room, on the table behind the sofa, I keep a large antique wood dough bowl my grandparents purchased decades ago. It is filled with agates I have picked up over the years on family trips - or the occasional solo escape - to the Oregon coast.  Antlers my son found on our property and brought home to me rest on top of the stones, surrounding a single candle.

There is nothing rare or precious about the objects. But to me the arrangement is a shrine of sorts. Sometimes at the end of the day, as I move through the house turning off lights and locking doors, I stop to scoop up a handful of agates, letting them fall back into the bowl as I recall days spent in a little town on the coast, my daughters beside me as we walked along the shore taking the polished stones washed up by the tide. I run my fingers along the smooth surface of the antlers, remembering the boy who ran to me with the treasures he’d found, smiling as he presented his gifts.

I lit the candle and left it burning as I went about my chores, celebrating the comfort and satisfaction of keeping house; recognizing the blessing of shelter and a life filled with priceless and simple things.


Cheryl-Anne Millsap is a freelance writer based in Spokane, Washington. Her essays can be heard on Spokane Public Radio and on public radio stations across the country. She is the author of “Home Planet: A Life in Four Seasons” and can be reached at catmillsap@gmail.com

(Photo by Cheryl-Anne Millsap)

We all have our own way of traveling. Some want to hop on a bus and then hop off at the next big attraction. Others like to explore on their own. Some prefer to watch the world at every new place from the comfort of a sidewalk cafe, cappuccino on the table in front of them.

I go for all of the above. But one way I visit any new place is to try to keep one eye open for a secondhand store. A place the locals go for odds and ends. And it always surprises me how often those quirky little places are right in the middle of things.

I was just in Belgium, spending a few days in Brussels, and one afternoon as I was making my way back to the hotel after having walked through the Gallery and across the Grand-Place, I noticed a little shop at the end of one of the narrow streets. It was full of students and young adults.

I walked in and discovered it was a vintage clothing store. There were the usual racks of 70s sweaters and glittery evening gowns but I spotted several wool jackets hanging near the front door. They were vintage military jackets made of heavy wool and they were beautifully tailored, nipped in at the waist and subtly ornamented with red-trimmed epaulets, looking more like a designer piece than surplus. I tried one on and it fit as though it had been made for me. Sold.

 At the back of the store there was a big pile of luggage, duffles and carry-on bags. Just what a student would need to get home after a long semester. Most were vinyl or fabric, but tucked under a big plaid bag I could see the edge of what turned out to be a buttery leather satchel. I pulled it out and took a closer look. It had obviously been used but it was in good condition. There were a few marks but no scratches or tears. There was a luggage tag and in it was the name and address of the physician who’d carried it. Sold again.

Treasure hunters know that there is a vibe that goes out when you find something really good. Suddenly, people were coming over to look over my shoulder, admiring the bag. A few followed me, waiting to see if I would put it down, ready to grab it if I did.

My last find was a beautiful silk scarf, my favorite travel souvenir. I have dozens of them and wear one every day.

I paid for my finds, 60 euros for a vintage wool jacket, gorgeous leather satchel and beautiful silk scarf, and walked back to the hotel.

I filled the satchel with all the Belgian chocolate I was bringing home to my family and carried it aboard each plane. It was heavier and not as easy to maneuver as my usual Swiss Gear rolling bag, but it had a certain style. And every time I look at it I’ll be reminded of one happy hour in a funky little shop in a grand old European city.
  

Cheryl-Anne Millsap writes for The Spokesman-Review and is a contributing editor at Spokane Metro Magazine. Her essays can be heard on Spokane Public Radio and on public radio stations across the country. She is the author of “Home Planet: A Life in Four Seasons” and can be reached at catmillsap@gmail.com

If you need an infusion of shabby, chipped, re-purposed and recycled creativity in your home, today's Junk Salvation Show and vintage market may be just the ticket.

Vendors will be selling vintage furniture, textiles, home-goods and other funky finds and, as always, there will be plenty of fun for everyone.

Where: Kootenai County Fairgrounds, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

When: Today, 8 a.m.- 4 p.m.

You can stop driving by or walking up to press your nose against the glass. Pink, Spokane's newest and most unique shop will have a soft opening tonight in conjunction with First Friday activities and will open officially Saturday morning at 10 a.m.

The business is owned by partners Celeste Shaw (of the popular Chaps restuarant), Lana Neumann, Erica Parish and Chris Lynch. The women have been working in the former Luminaria space since March to create a unique and stylish place for local treasure hunters. As you might expect, Pink is filled with one-of-a-kind vintage and shabby finds as well as handmade and reclaimed objects. No space is left untouched. Even the massive vault will shine as a gallery for Lynch's paintings.

Neumann and Parish have filled one of the streetfront rooms with their unique handbuilt furnishings. Their use of vintage salvage including massive chopping blocks, industrial materials and soft-as-butter leather is attracting attention across the country. You can see more of their work at dejaneu.com

Holly Baublitz and Becky Ellis from All That Glitter will be involved and have already relocated that beautiful old greenhouse from their shop in Spokane Valley. Now it shines in a corner of the new store.

Stop by soon and check out the newest old things in town. I'm sure you be tickled, well, you know.

Details

Pink is located at 154 Madison, one block west of the Old Spaghetti Factory.

Hours are Wed - Sat 10am - 4 pm.

For more information call 509-838-2054.

I spent an hour or so yesterday talking to people at this year's Farm Chicks show.

If you have a hankering to walk around in petticoats and cowboy boots and like the idea of decorating with vintage junk- the shabbier the better - the annual sale continuing today at the Spokane Fair and Expo Center is the place to be.

The crowd is always big and the people-watching is fantastic. And, of course, there are bargains to be had. As I talked to people there were a few complaints: Topping the list was the option of paying a larger admission fee to get in before the throng but the sheer volume of shoppers was a grumbling point, as well. But, on the whole, everyone was glad to be there and having a great time.

Sunday is my favorite day. The aisles are not as congested and vendors do restock so there are still plenty of treasures to be found. The “Man Cave” will be open again today for husband-sitting.

For more photos from the 2011 Farm Chicks Show in Spokane click “Continue Reading.”

This weekend is your chance to find a treasure at the Third Annual  Spokane Symphony Associates “Upscale Sale.”

I’m a big fan of the sale and try to never miss it. (I wrote about last year’s favorite finds here.) 

This year’s sale is bigger and better than ever thanks to Carol Worthington-Borodin’s donation of more than 10,000 pieces of fine china and 1,000 pieces of fine crystal. Worthington, a noted appraiser and antiques dealer, donated pieces from her former pattern-matching business. If you've ever wanted to add to your china collection, or you're looking for pieces to complete a set, this is a perfect opportunity.

Other always-wonderful-to-find items include furs, silver, musical instruments, books, linens and holiday decorations.

The Upscale Sale has become the place for scoring great deals on antiques, designer clothing, brand-name furniture as well as vintage rugs, costume jewelry and household items. More than 150 individuals have contributed to the sale.

For a $5 admission, early Birds can take advantage of the 5:30 - 7pm Thursday evening preview sale and shop before the sale opens to the public Friday morning at 8am.

All proceeds benefit the Spokane Symphony.

See you there?

Spokane Symphony Associates “Upscale Sale.”
Where: 1027 W. 3rd Ave. (Between Monroe & Madison Streets.)
When: Early Bird sale Thursday, June 2, 5:30 - 7pm.
Regular Hours: Friday, June 3, 8am-5pm, and Saturday, June 4, 8am-3pm.

(photo by Cheryl-Anne Millsap) 

   This weekend, if you want to have it both ways, you’re in luck. For those of you who love to spend hours trolling for vintage bargains each spring at the Custer’s Antique and Collector’s Sale, but would really love to know just how much that family heirloom Great Aunt Sadie left you is worth, the Spokane Fair and Expo Center can provide one-stop entertainment.

   The 13th annual Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture's Antique Appraisal Days will be held at the Custer’s sale again this year.

   Experts and qualified appraisers will be available both days to consult. Items are limited to hand-carried items only and no firearms are musical instruments are permitted. The cost is only $5 per item (Limit 5 items per person) and all proceeds will go to the ongoing restoration and support of the historic Campbell House.

   I’ve been to a number of the MAC Appraisal Days and I always have a good time. It’s fun to see what people bring in and there are always surprises and unexpected discoveries. And, if you pick up a great treasure at the sale and would like to know more about what you’ve found, well, the experts will be just around the corner.

Details:
When: Saturday April 30: 10am-7pm and Sunday May 1: 11am-5pm
Where: Spokane Fair and Expo Center
Fees: Admission to Custer’s Antique and Collector’s Sale is $6.