Antiquing in South Bruce

 Strike one off the bucket list! Okay, I didn't exactly spend the day with my girlfriends, rather than my bf and a couple friends who were as enthusiastic about finding deals on great junk as I was, but who's counting anyway?!

We decided to explore South Bruce County on this treasure hunt, after determining the area perhaps had the most antique shops and flea markets of the area. Unfortunately, the listings weren't entirely accurate and we found some of the stores didn't even exist, or we couldn't find them. Nevertheless, we had a great day meandering the streets of Kincardine, Tiverton and Paisley. There were certainly some highlights:

    Photo: TheSaltboxShoppe.com

• The Plant Place and Salt Box Shoppe, Kincardine - We weren't even going to stop here originally, but this was my favourite of the day. The eclectic collection of rustic, handmade birdhouses and outdoor decor mixed with iron figurines and welded garden stakes was beyond charming. One of these bird houses is on my wish-list for next time!
• Olde English, Tiverton - A random collection of antiques and collectibles, we had a good chuckle at the variety of salt and pepper shakers, and I thought the prices to be quite reasonable.
• The Rare Bird, Elmwood - I have to admit, we didn't get to this gem on our day trip. Bf and I stopped the next day on our way back to the city. We were there an hour! It is jam-packed with collectibles including milk bottles, china, old toys, records, trading cards and vintage Coca-Cola items. I picked up 2 milk bottles and 2 cobalt blue china plates.

The owner explained to me why milk bottles are so rare - recycling companies would only take the bottles, when the industry went to bagged milk, if the glass was broken. Many dairies smashed all their bottles, so the few that are left will sometimes sell for over $1000 at auctions! My plates are circa 1850 and were only $5 each! They will never sell for more as they're quite chipped and cracked, but they will still make a lovely addition to my 'blue collection'.

If anything, this trip has piqued my curiosity and interest in antiquing even more! I've started a list of shoppes that I plan to visit before the summer is over, so you can expect more 'antique road shows' in the coming months!

The Weekend Away

It's often said that the best part of living in the city is escaping. That is exactly what I did this weekend! I took off Friday morning and headed north for a weekend of relaxing and snowmobiling at my parent's farm.

Despite some very warm weather on Saturday, we still managed to hit the trails all day Friday, and again for a couple of hours on Sunday.

Snowmobiling has been a favourite winter past time for family for at least ten years now. While it's certainly not cheap, nor a fit for everyone, we have always enjoyed being able

to take off for the day, travel through the

neighbouring countryside and stop for the odd hot chocolate or cold drink at one of the local clubhouses or along the side of the trail.

For me, I've always found snowmobiling to be a great way to unwind. With nothing to concentrate on but the trail ahead, it's easy to let my mind go blank and just enjoy the scenery.

Ahhh... now if escaping is the best part, what does that make coming home on Sunday evening? Oh well, T minus 6 sleeps until next weekend!