How Do You Choose Those Beloved Items?

Those of you who have followed me for a while know that I have 

two 

little antique shops here in

 Denver Colorado

which

I manage to do because I have a partner at

 PATINA ANTIQUES & HOME

Deb Platt

and

two partners at

Dwell Antiques & Home

Melanie Everhart and Kellie Sloan Brown.

Not to mention several excellent friends who manage to keep me rolling in a million ways!

(You know who you are)

We partners have individual styles and preferences and life experiences and dreams and goals

but

all in all we have a common desire to enjoy retailing our favorite things in the two shops.

I believe the visitors to our two shops are able to discover a variety of treasures,

old and new

that spark their interest

and get them 

excited

We love to share with you when it comes to the

 stories and provenance

 we've learned about an object.

We are forthright in revealing the age of a treasure

the general location where it was found

whether it was 

handcrafted 

or 

mass produced

and

all that we can surmise about the object

from our years of life experience and study.

As shoppers, most of us purchase items based on a quick emotional tug.

We see something that appeals to some inner desire or memory.

"I want to be an organized person and this will help me."

"Oh ... my granny had one of those and it reminds me of those sweet times at her house!"

"That color makes me feel happy - and I want that 'pick me up'."

The items I personally buy for resale in my shops are 

often chosen

because of my own reflex emotional response to them.

There are those that tug at my heart and make me want to know their story,

there are those whose patina cries out to be touched, like a mellow old wooden bowl.

There are those whose color is particularly enchanting, with layers of age-old paint colors revealed.

There are those that someone has listed on our "wish lists".

Once in a while I'm the only one who sees beauty in a find.

That sweet little treasure might sit there for way too long, 

and I find myself doubting my ability.

Then, along comes the soulmate who reaches out and strokes that lil treasure

 and sighs

 and knows exactly what I saw in it.

Yes!

When you stop in, whether it's in our brick and mortar shops or our Etsy shop,

we hope you'll connect with us.

That's what makes it all worthwhile!

www.dwellantiques.com

www.antiquesbyjoy.blogspot.com

The Search

Once again, I'm on the road,

 searching for one of a kind and hard to find

 items for the shops.

I'll be pulling out 

VERY

early in the a.m.

It's one of my favorite challenges in the business :

putting on my favorite old jeans and hat, work gloves in my back pocket,

comfortable boots

coffee in the cupholder

music playing

On the road again

zigging and zagging cross country

to visit my favorite haunts

and some good ol' boy pickers.

The anticipation is amazing

envisioning the possibilities!

I love scouring through loads of tantalizing old treasures,

and sometimes some pretty strange salvage

(aka worthless junk)

hoping to find those special pieces

  

that 

delight will my senses!

I

am

 always

 expecting the mother lode

that sweet spot where I'll walk into a barn full of breathtaking antiquities

 to sort through

......

each piece more fascinating than the last

......

untouched for generations

each one in pristine condition when I blow off the dust

......

Undisturbed history

just waiting patiently for 

ME

with all the stories buried along with the treasure

......

Ah 

Excuse me,

 I was caught up in the dream again  

OK

I'm back in reality

and I know it's tedious

dirty

heavy hauling

driving for hours and hours

day after day

......

and there are spiders and snakes and rusty nails and 

lions and tigers and bears

OH MY!

(It's just that I don't want you to envy me too much!)

I love to set off on a road trip

with miles before me

good music playing

and

the

dream

 alive in my heart

Wish me luck!

Antiques By Joy
selling at
 Dwell Antiques & Home
Greenwood Village, Colorado
303-795-3454
dwellantiques.com
facebook.com/dwellantiques

Dwell on the possibilities

I've been

looking back over the last year 

and

 my journey, thoughts and struggles

 on

 expanding my antiques business.

A lot of prayer and calculation and heart searching went into the process.

Dreaming, sketching

more praying.

Dwell Antiques & Home 

opened in September of 2012

just south of Denver proper, 

at

5912 South University Boulevard

 Greenwood Village, Colorado

Three capable, determined women

each with a strong skill set 

decided to come together to create the dream.

DWELL
 is not a typical antiques shop
and 

 there are no hard and fast rules about what we collect and present.

We bring an ever changing collection of found objects from our forays  . . . 

items that have a mellow patina
memories
connections
 some special essence,

hoping that our clients will find DWELL an interesting and enchanting place to visit.

The ambiance we strive to create is one where you'd like to spend time perusing,

even when you're not looking for anything in particular.

We love it when you identify with an object and delight in it.

We'd like to invite you to visit,

to relax and stroll through the shop,

to

enjoy the music

 and the fragrance 

and the hand picked items that speak to our hearts.

Grab a coffee just 5 doors down

and

if you have time,

pull up a vintage stool or chair

and

chat with us awhile.

We're happy to give advice on styling your home 

in a way that reflects
what you're all about.

We'll make notes in the

 Wish Book 

about the things you're looking for,

and hunt for them on our journeys across the country.

We'll help you think outside the box when it comes to

"what do I do with the huge 16' expanse of wall"

or

"I want a headboard with charm"

or

"I need to work around the 9000" TV my hubby just brought home."

We love a challenge!

So

Come see us at Dwell Antiques & Home

Monday - Saturday

10am-5pm

http://www.dwellantiques.com

303-795-3454 Dwell Antiques
303-795-0816 Patina Antiques
www.facebook.com/DwellAntiques
https://pinterest.com/dwellantiques

Baby it's Cold Outside

Baby

it's

COLD

outside

In the negative digits here in Colorado, and the windows are icing up

inside as well as outside!

This is a day for doing 

just what you feel like doing

and keeping warm and cozy in every possible way.

I'm taking to time to count my blessings.

It's the day for building a fire if you have a fireplace

 or cranking up the thermostat

just

a

little

and brewing a pot of

 Swiss almond coffee

 and baking brownies or homemade bread.

My vegetable soup is simmering

I've lit my delightful

 Votivo 

candle

and chosen a nice thick to novel to transport me.

My music is playing in the background

I have on an extra thick pair of ski socks

and

I'm enjoying the big leather chair and the mohair throw.

I'm feeling blessed

and

warm and cozy!

Hope you get to take advantage of the day

 and do

 whatever you wish.

"Contentment", Said Grandmother

Contented New Year!

Yes

I wish you contentment!

My grandmother used to say that it was all in how you looked at life.

There is something to be said for that state where you look around you and smile

and know that 

no matter 

what's still on your

 bucket list

or

how many home improvements need to be accomplished

you are indeed

 blessed and content 

to be living at a level

 high above most of the world

in a country where we can 

 worship

vote

purchase property

buy groceries

attend public school

express our opinions over the internet

cuddle our children 

choose a radio station

use the library

and 

have our mail delivered

I am happy to be loved and to have friends.

I'm happy 

 to have 

hot running water and indoor plumbing and electricity

to be warm and protected from the elements

to be able to cozy up with a book and my tea and cookies

to have a phone and a computer and a car and work I love.

I'm delighted

to get to buy a new coat and mittens,

and

to give  Christmas presents to those whom I love.

I am blessed to be able to support those causes I believe in.

I'm at a peaceful place of recognizing that I have

 little to

 complain about

 or 

long for

SO,

while

I pray that you enjoy 

that rollicking

 feel good

 laughing till you can't breathe

stitch in the side

gasping

giggling

euphoria

that

comes along once in awhile

What I think is even more significant

and 

essential to our long term

 peace of mind

is

that 

deep, cognizant sense of 

being content 

with all that we have

Thanks Grandma!