When I was taking care of my dad, one thing I missed was the freedom to go on a leisurely shopping trip. I always felt as if I had to hurry up and get back home. Of course, taking care of daddy was much more important to me – but sometimes I did long to have an entire afternoon – or even a day – to shop, especially at Christmas time.

A few weeks ago, I did just that and I want to share my adventure with you. You may not be able to take off for an entire day just now – because a higher duty calls – but join me as I spend several delightful hours at Granddaddy’s Antiques.

This year, I am trying to simplify Christmas giving, which isn’t easy when you have 4 children, 4 children-in-law and 25 grandchildren (and a brand new grandson-in-law) for whom to buy gifts. But I must admit, I am pleased with my success thus far, although I cannot tell you all the details. It’s a secret! 

In fact, this outing really wasn’t about buying gifts from my list. I was seeking ornament size items: a horse-drawn sleigh (including a bundled up couple in the seat), a snow-covered cedar tree and a replica of a small country church, complete with steeple. Simple, right? Truth to tell, I had found a suitable horse and sleigh ornament online – but I just could not resist the urge to go on a treasure hunt and try to discover these prized items, hidden among precious items from bygone eras. Knowing I had on-line back-up relieved the pressure and made looking more enjoyable.

Let me tell you why I needed (okay, desired) these items. One of my favorite decorating projects is making a painting “come alive” by placing look-a-likes of the figures in the painting on a shelf near it. I have done this with a couple of treasured paintings. The first is a watercolor of a blue glass vase containing three long-stemmed scarlet flowers. My mother painted this simple still life before she was married, which makes it about eighty years old. One of the artistically inclined grandchildren pointed out to me one day that I had a vase very similar to the one in the painting. Hmm…I said to myself and immediately envisioned the painting and the vase with three scarlet flowers sitting side by side on a shelf above the sofa in our family room. I searched the local Hobby Lobby for three long stemmed flowers that were an adequate replica of the ones mother had painted. (These tableaus are not meant to be exact replicas – just similar enough to elicit a recognition of connection from the viewer).

The framed watercolor and the vase now stand side by side on the walnut shelf – not just any shelf, mind you, but one of two shelves that hung above my mom’s kitchen sink in our old farmhouse. I added framed photos of Mom and Daddy that were taken just before they were married. The result is lovely and has elicited many compliments from family and friends.

This summer I replaced a small mirror and shelf combination that had been hanging in our front entry for years with a large mirror. The small one spent a few weeks in the attic while I decided where it should be placed. My sister Rodema who passed away in 2012, was, like my mother, a gifted artist. She often used her talent as a means of thanking someone for a gift. One summer, I planted zinnias in our garden and on her birthday, I picked the most colorful ones and filled a lovely vase with the fresh-cut flowers. To thank me, she reproduced the vase and flowers in an oil painting. That picture had been hanging in our back entryway, and as I considered where I should put the shelved mirror, I saw the vision in my mind’s eye: I would place it on the wall at a right angle to the picture, so the painted flowers would be reflected in the mirror. The piece de le resistance would be an actual vase filled with flowers to mimic the one in the painting. I went to at least four stores to find a vase that would be a reasonable facsimile, but to no avail. Then as I was driving by a local Goodwill store, I slammed on the brakes (as no one was behind me). Eureka! The perfect size and shape and only fifty cents! The only problem was this vase was white ceramic with pink flowers – and the one in the painting was sky blue. NO problem. That is what spray paint is for. When I completed this project, visitors who came in the back door (and most do) immediately commented on the lovely presentation! Even my eight-year-old grandson, Ezra, noted it and told me how much he liked it.

As I started thinking about preparing our home for Christmas (I do everything in my head before I start pulling the boxes out of the closet) I just knew I was going to have to change the summer diorama to a Christmas one. Many years ago Rodema had painted a beautiful winter scene of a couple riding away from a snow-covered church in a horse-drawn sleigh – I always supposed it represented going home after a Christmas Eve service. She used multiple shades of blues, including my favorite cobalt – which happens to be my go-to Christmas color. After Rodema died, her family had reproduced some of her paintings as greeting cards. I purchased multiple copies of this particular scene to send to friends, keeping one for myself. When I saw a glittery cobalt blue frame on sale for half price, I knew it was the perfect mounting. For the past few years I have been displaying it among my Christmas decorations. It would be the perfect wintertime replacement for the summer zinnias. 

Now, all I had to do was find the miniature church, cedar tree and horse-drawn sleigh (with two people) to jump out of the painting onto the shelf. That is what I was seeking when I walked through the doors of Granddaddy’s Antiques – a former K-Mart transformed into an antique mall where multiple collectors display their assorted treasures. 

The first two booths had numerous Christmas decorations and I sifted through the baskets and boxes determined to only purchase what I came for…unless I found something irresistible. 

Some of the items were priced just right; others were exorbitant. I suppose each vendor sets his own prices, and from the amounts written on many of the tags, the owner did not really want to let go. I wandered slowly down each aisle, pausing when I saw Christmas ornaments or craft supplies.

I was amazed at how many items were on display that had been in our home during my childhood. Maybe we should have held on to some of those things. It became evident that many of the stalls held the results of years of avid collecting.

Teacups…teapots…salt and pepper shakers…cats (figurines of course, thank goodness)…dogs (ditto)…gloves (elegant kidskin, crochet, satin – opera length and short)…ladies embroidered hankies…bottle caps…dolls…jeweled brooches…45 RPM records…saws…baseball bats…green dishes…blue dishes…red dishes…cookie cutters…thimbles…

You get the idea. It was fun exploring and imagining the previous owners of this varied paraphernalia. I was excited when I came across a baggie filled with three miniature wicker sleighs. It was just a few dollars so I put in in my cart. I was surprised to find multiple trees that were the right size and shape but wrong price. The owners must have considered them antiques because they were listed for $7 and up – for a four inch tree. 

After two and a half hours, I decided to take my mission elsewhere, and ended up at Hobby Lobby where all of their Christmas decorations were already on sale at half-price. I went straight to the ornament aisles. There were thousands – literally. Everything from dill pickles to ice cream cones to ballet dancers to nativities to churches…CHURCHES! Here was the perfect miniature, glittery snow-covered church with a steeple. I grabbed it! Then I saw brown horses, galloping just like the one in the painting. But alas, each one I picked up was missing one or more legs…I assumed some horse-loving kid had been playing with the delicate creatures. I mentioned the missing legs to the lady stocking the shelves and decided to look for horses in the toy section.  They just didn’t seem right…and I could not find anything suitable for the couple in the sleigh. However, I was directed by a nice young man to a display of artificial snow and chose a bag that looked like the real stuff (and promised not to be dangerous or damaging). As I stood in line to purchase the church and snow, I realized the church had a switch on the bottom and a light inside. More than perfect!

When I returned home, I went online and ordered the horse and sleigh (with couple) I had viewed previously. The horse was white – but that’s what craft paint is for. I will probably use the wicker sleighs I bought at Granddaddy’s to trim gifts.

Well, the project has come together well. Just when I decided the tree wasn’t necessary, I walked past a display of assorted Christmas decorations at Target – and on top of the jumbled items was a six-inch blue tree (just like the antique ones) selling for one dollar. Yes, I grabbed it. Yes, I cut off two inches. That is what wire cutters are for. 

The grandchildren all love it – from young to young adult. The snow is very appealing. Looking at it makes me very happy. Of course, I think about my dear sister Rodema whenever I go past it – which is often since it is just outside the laundry room. 

I hope you have enjoyed accompanying me on my successful mission. If your caregiving duties are preventing you from leisurely shopping trips at this time, do not despair. Online and catalogue shopping are good alternatives. Remember that your time at home providing loving care to your loved is time well-spent and your reward will be great.