Elkhart Lake Wisconsin

We spent the weekend in Elkhart Lake Wisconsin at the Osthoff Resort and had a great time.  After we checked in, we decided to explore the downtown area and were pleasantly surprised to find that the Farmers Market was going on.  Not only were there vegetables and flowers, but, garage sale/antique items, handmade jewelry, knitted items, garden art and crafts.  My sons love Pokemon so they were excited to find handmade Pikachu door handle covers.  We had their names put on them.  I bought a nice pair of earrings from Agape Creations in Sheboygan Falls WI and a chunky bracelet from another dealer.  I thought that the prices were good.  

There are some really nice shops in the downtown area also.  We bought some items at Rhine St. General.  I can't tell you what because they are Christmas presents for my Mom.  It is a fun place that carries antiques, new items, jewelry and tablecloths/aprons/bags.  The prices here were excellent.  It is located in an old general store and contributes to the look and feel of the store.   This was definitely a great find.  Another nice store was located at the train depot.  They also carried antiques, new items and a variety of other items.  I bought a nice vintage pinecone pin there for $4.00. This store is seasonal and only stays open until about the middle of November.

This is definitely a must go to place.  We had a great time and look forward to going back there next year in the summer.

Knitting and felting

I went to the Knitting Expo today held by Stitches Magazine at the Schaumburg Convention Center with my friend Mary.  I consider myself a fairly new knitter and have fallen in love with knitting.  I knit and then felt (which is just washing the item in hot water to shrink) purses with 100% wool yarn.  I have started to mix in other texture yarns to give the bags a whole other look.  My signature look to the bags is with  a broach and purse handles from recycled purses.  I love the look it gives to the bags.  I got a few new ideas for my bags today, but, was disappointed that I didn't buy very much yarn.  I did find a nice forest green yarn for $2.00 a skein which is a good deal.  I sell my bags on:  pathtojunkentreasure.etsy.com.

I found this great table at a garage sale last year for $10.00 and use it to store yarn that I will be using in the near future.  I had to wait for someone else to put it back before I could snatch it.  I followed the person around the sale for a few minutes.  I love it!

Unusual display cases

I always buy wrought iron stands even if I don't have any ideas at the moment of how I will use them.  In the past, I have used them as shoe stands or some as plant stands.  Take a look at the picture of how I displayed my sons growing collection of nutcrackers.  It looks great and leaves room for him to add a lot more.

A few years ago, I bought a few large wooden (doll) houses.  I wasn't sure where I would store or display them, but, I loved how they looked.  I came across an article in an issue of Country Living Magazine of how a homeowner used a large doll house in her laundry room.  So, I borrowed that idea and hung up one of mine.  It now holds all kinds of items that I use regularly.

So, don't be afraid to buy something that you like just because you can't think of an immediate need for it.  You never know when inspiration will strike.   

I finally found the perfect dresser!

After having coffee with my friend Christine, we walked over to my favorite store, Interiors Anew.  It is located on the square in Woodstock, Illinois.  It sells old and new items and has great prices.  The items change daily and you need to go in more than once a week.  Items sell quickly.  So, when I spotted the perfect dresser (I had been looking for a tall slender one for a year now) I had to buy it.  I love it.  Christine and another friend Jill (who just happened to be shopping there also) helped load it into my car.  My son helped me carry it upstairs when I got it home.  It is perfect as it is, so I didn't have to do any work to it.

Welcome to my blog!

I have always loved to go junking.  When my brothers and I were little, we would go looking around town on junk day with our mom.  She showed us how much fun it was to find other people's "trash" and what we could make from it.  I still have the child size wooden rocking chair that we found on one of those excursions.

Ever since my kids were born (I had them garage saleing in a car seat from 3 days old), I have taken them on my excursions and instilled my love for finding "treasures."  They have now started on their own collections. 

I will take you on my trips to garage sales, estate sales, rummage sales, flea markets and anywhere else I go looking for treasures.  Please join me on this path.  You can view my sales on Ebay under milena2000 or on Etsy as pathtojunkentreasure.etsy.com for the knitted felted purses that I create. 

I will show you pictures of collections and items that I have and love.  I will even throw in gardening advice and tips along the way. 

Thanks for joining me on the pathtojunkentreasure!