This post has taken me more than a month to write. It almost seems silly to me how emotional and personal this visit to an antique store was to me. An antique store! Really? I am in and out of antique stores several times a week, they are not new to me and never make me weepy. But this was different. This was Lucketts.
In April, I was blessed to be able to spend the weekend with my two best girlfriends celebrating my friend Alicia's birthday. I have never laughed harder than I did that weekend. After more than 20 years of friendship, the laughing material runs deep and wide. We had spiral perms and bangs that defied gravity together in the 80's. These are my girls. We have history. And now I need to break up with them, they hate antique shops. Luckily, I have another sister-in-law, a good sister-in law and she was happy to come along. Thanks Lila!
I flew in and out of DC. When I discovered I was only 30 minutes from The Old Lucketts Store, I knew I had to go. I needed to be there. It's a fantastic store, full of beautiful antiques, but it was so much more than that to me. Miss Mustard Seed sells her treasures at Lucketts.
It seems ridiculous to me really. I have never been a fan or a groupie. I was never the girl with posters of movie stars or bands taped to my walls. I was in the marching band. I was involved in musical theater. I played sports. I wore sensible shoes. I went to church.
I found Miss Mustard Seed's blog during a dark time in my life. My husband was sick and the doctors could not find what was wrong. They threw around big, scary words like cancer as if they were talking about breakfast cereal. They must have done a million tests and he was certainly well medicated, so much that he was not able to function well or think clearly. They suggested the Mayo Clinic. I would dress carefully when we went to Dr's appointments, I would think about what I wanted to be wearing when the Doctor told me that my husband had cancer. These were terrible days. We have four very active boys. We have a restaurant. I was terrified. The thought of all of that on my own was overwhelming and I couldn't breathe.
I wasn't able to sleep well and was waking up early, like 3am early. I started reading blogs and found all kinds of great ideas and things to do. I have always loved "projects", the before and after has always been thrilling to me. My favorite blog was Miss Mustard Seed, here it is just in case... The things she transformed were amazing and inspiring, and quiet. I could paint furniture at three in the morning when I couldn't sleep and not wake my family. I could be creative. I could breathe.
So my visit to Lucketts and Miss Mustard Seed's space there was more than a trip to an ordinary antique shop to me. It was, in a way, a visit to the generous lady who has freely offered so much to so many. From Marian's booth, my sister-in-law bought me an old, wooden shoe form made into a card holder with a twisty fork as a memento of my visit. I love it.
The entire shop is packed full of beautiful things. It was all a little much to take in, so much inspiration in one building. It is a good thing that I only brought a carry on bag on my trip, I could have easily filled a truck with the treasures I found there. It was room after room of amazing, I was thankful for my camera. Here are just a few of the beautiful spaces...
And these were from Miss Mustard Seed's space.
It was an amazing day for sure. Thanks for sharing it with me.
PS...After nearly two years, my husband is recovering from his mystery illness, and I have discovered a love for painting furniture. All is well.
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Welcome to The Shabbiest Chick! My name is Chrystal and I am the happily married wife of one, and mother of four ~ all boys! I live in The House of Testosterone. I am passionate about my family, my home and coffee. I love to restore and recreate, taking the old and giving it a new life as a future heirloom. Come along with me, but grab a paint brush, we've got work to do!
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