A couple of weeks ago, I gave in to the itch to get out of the house strictly for fun and, while the floors were being refinished, I went to a few antique stores with my friend, Cheri.  We drove separate cars, wore masks, and doused ourselves in hand sanitizer, and took every precaution we could short of staying home.  I didn’t find any of the larger items on my list for all of the room projects that are in the works, but I did end up with a pretty nice antique haul.

I bought the glass jelly jars for $12.  They are so sweet and the perfect size for a little fruit salad or for whisking up a single egg.

I found a roll of heavy cotton twine that I thought would be fun to crochet with.  It’s a good weight for dishcloths…

This is such a fun find…

It’s an antique window-washing brush!  You clean with the brush on one side and use the squeegee on the other side to dry.  It was $6 and I just couldn’t pass up such a fun find although it’s not particularly practical any longer.

I also bought an antique horsehair brush with a pretty turned wooden handle…

I found this antique leather (alligator?) purse in a pile of unpriced purses on the floor of one booth.  I thought it had the sweetest shape and clasp, so I asked about the price.  It was $20, so I added it to my pile of things to purchase.

It is in great condition, yet it still has that warmth and softness that comes with being well used.

The interior has pockets and pouches and even a little vintage mirror…

The mirror itself was so sweet!  It’s a little smokey and has perfectly smooth and rounded edges.

And, I think my favorite find of the entire antique haul was this laundry line basket…

I saw it right when we walked in the store, but it was priced at $75.  I felt the pull, but it seemed like a lot for a little basket.  I passed it on by.  When we were checking out, Cheri pointed it out to me and we both sighed about the price.  I then decided it was worth asking if they could do any better on the price.  The gentleman lowered it to $60.  It was still a splurge, but my gut told me this was a special piece and I bought it.

I promised Cheri that she has first dibs if I ever part with it.

The metal handle is made to hook over a clothesline to hold clothespins!  Isn’t that so cool?  And this one is in great condition…

And, lastly, I picked up a few books to use around the house.  I particularly like buying books I might read or reference, like poetry books, classic literature, etc.  These are from a set of the Works of Charles Dickens.

They just add a little height and variation to arrangements.  I like to move them around to change things up.  All of the books I bought were between $2-5/each.

I bought this pair of binoculars, too.  I originally picked them up because of the pretty leather case and the low price ($12)…

…but the binoculars work great, too!  They remind me of my Opa, who always took binoculars on trips to the beach and when we traveled.  We’d take turns looking at pelicans flying low over the surf or a pod of dolphins breaking the water’s surface.

It is so nice to have an antique haul to share with you again!  I really miss antiquing in the east, but there are some good places around my new home as well.  There just isn’t the abundance of ironstone I became accustomed to!  Although, I did find a couple of ironstone platters and a pitcher for a good price on this trip as well.

While my parents are here, my mom and I are planning to venture out to hit an antique mall or two that I’ve never been to in the hopes of finding a couple of key pieces I’ve been looking for.  Until then, we are plowing through my project list!  Have you been out antiquing lately?  Any good finds?