Creating a Home: Antique Markets

Hello, fellow bloggers!

How many times a day do you look at Pinterest and wish that your home could look like the pictures featured on the site? Well, it can with a little bit of bargaining and hunting.

This weekend is the best time to head to Dulles Expo Center's antique show that goes until the 5th of May. Of course, there is a small fee to get into the expo: $8.00.

What should you expect?

Zebra Skull from Africa!

• Great people
• Decent prices that are negotiable 
• Amazing finds
• The perfect pieces to fill the empty spaces in your home!

How to prepare:

• Grab a tote bag before you leave the house!
• Set up a budget! 
• My budget was $200 and I only spent $140.
• Have an idea of what you want.
• Eclectic pieces?
• Midcentury pieces?
• Girlie vases and dishes?
• Furniture
• Take a car that can hold furniture just incase you find that epic piece you can't leave without!

Great midcentury table!

What did I find?

B and I went today to search for great mid-century furniture and small, eclectic pieces for our home. I had a decent budget of $200 and left with extra money <-- so I did great, right?

The painting was sold already, but who says an artist like
myself can't paint something similar?!

I spent:

My finds :)

• $20 on a lion door knocker for my front door.
• $50 on a decent copy of Milton's Paradise Lost with illustrations by Gustave Dore.
• I can't believe I found a copy!
• $10 on Explorations and Adventures in the Wilds of Africa by Henry Stanley.
• Amazing illustrations!
• $24 on a Chrysanthemum stone
• $20 on a yellow finch figurine.
• $25 on a birdhouse for a Mother's Day gift <-- handmade!

*** All of the prices came down from the original.

What do I plan do do with them?

• The books will be used to decorate my travel bedroom for the lucky guests that stay the night with us.
• The door knocker is for our front door.
• The rock is a beautiful touch for the travel room.
• And the cute bird found a place on my plant shelf next to my orchid.

Perhaps one day I will show you the end result of my travel room!

Me exploring my new book!

Until then, enjoy hunting for treasures at antique markets!