A winner thrice over!

You know when you enter a contest and just feel you won't win?  Well, I didn't but I did!   My name wasn't picked in the drawing for the 5000 ticket giveaway for Antique Roadshow in Little Rock but I had the opportunity to go  yesterday thanks to Jane Hartz. She had plans with family so decided to give them to me! Win #1!

So who do I choose to go with me because the winner of tickets just doesn't get 1, they get 2!  It wasn't hard for me to choose who would go on this adventure with me mother and I immediately asked my mom!  We gathered our goods and loaded up "buttercup" (that's my moms cute yellow car)and off we went to see if our prized possessions were of any value in appraisers opinion.  And what we found out were three things and I quote my mom: 1) People LOVE their stuff 2) You can't put a price on the things you love  3) a whole day with your mom- Priceless!!! Win #2 the BEST WIN!!  Of course when she wrote that on Facebook "daughter" took the place of mom and the feeling was and is mutual...  Anyway we had a great afternoon of fun and laughs. 

People watching is a wonderful thing!!  We chatted, listened to stories of treasures loved,  laughed at how crazy it all was, got the giggles, saw great art, saw some not so great art, peeked in many boxes of treasures and didn't mind standing in line for about 3 hours!  We went from a large cattle herding event (lol, yes, we were the cattle) to a smaller cattle herding line where it took us to triage.  I guess many people at this point are exhausted and need refreshments or  smelling salts!!!  LOL  Then, all of a sudden we were asked to go to the table where a person would assess what we had and when I opened the cute borrowed train case of my mothers the lady sat back and said "WOW" and of course drew closer for a better look asking "what are they?"!  I replied, "they are sterling ring boxes".  She didn't know at first where to put me.  Jewelry or Silver? She consulted with her boss and presented us with 2 tickets which took us to another line where I waited for what seemed an eternity and then it was time to go to the center of attention!  The great place where they not only film but where the appraisers surrounded the filming area. "Don't step on the blue carpet" I was told several times.  That's where they film.   I was under the category "silver" which meant I was right in the eye of the camera!  I waited and took it all in and made a mental note of everything.  It takes a huge amount of people to put this show on.  Volunteers were everywhere and I have to say, they were so very nice and helpful. 

So up to the table I gently step with my train case of goodies and appraiser Sara Wishart looks at me and says "hello" and of course I say "hi".  We seems excited to know what's in the  train case and as I open it her eyes get big and she looks at me like "WOW" and says "what do we have here?".  I replied, "they are sterling ring boxes".  She looks at me again with the most curious smile and I knew she'd never seen one.  It was kinda funny.  She asked if she could touch them and took a few out and looked at their insides and ooooo'd and ahhhhh'd.  It was so funny to see the look of amazement on her face.  I think she was quite taken with them.  She then asked me how this all got started and of course I told her "The Story" which you can read  on my website.  Word after word she listened intensely and gazed at all 39 of them.  I believe she didn't know what to think.  She claimed she had never seen them before and I'm not surprised.  We chatted for a few minutes more and she gave me a bit of appraisal information but all in all she LOVED them!  She told me to keep doing what I've been doing and if she ever ran across one in the future she would definitely think of me,  She thanked me for sharing my collection and told me it was one of her most favorites of the day and a very romantic collection.  Win #3

If you get to go to Antique Roadshow, you should go.  I guarantee your experience with the person you go with will be the biggest win!  It was great fun and something I"ll never forget!

For the love of the hunt,

Courtney

Don't be haunted!

I have to say that nothing is more interesting to me as a beautiful monogram, especially if it's on silver.   It's such a meaningful gesture to have something monogrammed.  It also means they are going to have a hard time ridding of it if they don't like it, unless I come along because I don't care what the monogram is on the silver, I just care if it's beautiful and interesting.  I mean, I LOVE it when I find a piece of sterling bearing my initial(s) or monogram!  I once read that a monogram should be intriguing, peak interest and not be easy to figure out.  You have to look really hard and figure the puzzle out. 

I love to buy silverware with initials or names.  They don't have to be mine because when you use them and if your guests notice, it makes for great conversation at the table..  I always pay close attention to the table settings and try to set an interesting table if for nothing more than my own enjoyment but I also want my guests to be interested in what is placed before them.  I find there is always a time to learn and I love sharing my knowledge about sterling silver. 

So if you're trying to decide on whether to buy that vintage piece because the monogram doesn't pertain to you but it's awfully stunning, I say buy it because nothing haunts us like the vintage we didn't buy!

Thankful!

My list of thankfulness...

family, passion, quotes, music, handwritten letters, postage stamps, long phone calls with friends, time spent with those I love, my posse, dachshunds, truck rides on dirt roads with my husband while our favorite songs are blaring, southern traditions, all the things I've learned from my mother, grandmother and daughter, creativity, stunning sterling, ring boxes galore, collectors, secret keepers, my daughter's love for all people,  my son's love of music, down time, comfortable fabrics, quilts, cold weather, homes that smell like memories, hiddyholes, journals, sunshine on a cold day, hymns, books, downton abbey, PBS, vintage wares, bicycles, kids wooden toys and puzzles...just to name a few. :)

Southern Weddings Magazine, November issue!

It's always exciting to get an email or phone call from someone who has been combing over your collection and decides they deem it worthy enough to want to use it in a photo shoot with gorgeous engagement rings!  Well, thanks to Sarah and Caroline, a few of my beauties will be inside the pages of Southern Weddings Magazine!  The ring boxes traveled to Boca Grande for a few days of sun and beach time and hung out with some great diamond engagement rings, or that's how I am imaging it! lol  Be on the hunt for the November issue! Thanks, Sarah and Caroline!  You made my year!

Hunt and you shall find...all your heart desires.

There truly isn't anything like being on the hunt for an addition to a collection and being oh so surprised by what you run across in the most unlikely of places.  I love it when that happens.  This week I added 2 new little pretties to the collection.  One Canadian and one American.  As I clicked through searches after searches and pages after pages, I finally happened upon them.  Online hunting is great but I'd much rather being doing the walking hunt.  In the near future, I plan to visit Memphis Flea Market and hopefully take a much needed trip to Canton, TX for First Monday!!  Have you been to either of these places?  Let me know your favorite hunting ground whether it's in the states or across the pond!!

The search continues...

As I search and search for these little beauties, I'm finding it harder and harder to run across them.  While the online sources have a few available, I'm just not seeing what I use to!  If you have sterling ring boxes you'd like to share a pic of, please send to my email listed.  I would love to see what you've acquired!  If you'd like to interact on this blog, please feel free to!  I love to hear your stories of great "finds" and the ones you are seeking.  I will say that my source for new ring boxes is still dry.  They are working on it but it may still be a bit before any are ready.  Hope to hear from you and keep chasing "the hunt"!