Look What We Found

My latest find for The Palm Beach Post
is quite a doll. Click here to read more.

Look What We Found

Here is my latest "Look What We Found" column
from The Palm Beach Post:
To read it, click HERE.

Sometimes, a rug isn't just a rug

The workers at Azar's in Naples re-serge
our family's 25-foot-long Sarouk carpet.

Sometimes, a rug isn't just a rug

Grandma's oriental rug always was one of the wonders of family lore.

It's beautiful. The carpet is huge. Most houses are not.

And my mother is making sacrifices so she can keep it.

But this floor covering is not just any carpet.

My great-grandmother, Martha Bolender, bought the 25-foot Sarouk around 1930 for the living room she added onto her family home in Connersville, Ind.

Martha's home (at left) was a beautiful space, a Queen Anne Victorian manse that remained magical in the collective memories of our family.

Sadly, Martha died young — she was only 58. And this woman, who my grandmother, Kathryn, idolized, is a mere flicker in the memories of her grandchildren.

In 1951, two years after Martha died, my great-grandfather, Joel, sold the house, which was converted into a nursing home. He couldn't get the price he wanted for the rug, so it went into storage.

Then, seven years later, my grandparents decided to move to Florida. They chose a floor plan and showed it to my great-grandfather, and he smiled.

"Your living room would hold Mother's rug."

Grandma said she'd use it until she got something else. Years later, she told me she couldn't believe she had been so flip about something so gorgeous.

Four generations of children have played on it now. My grandfather's young cousins would have trotted their toys out on it in the 1930s. You can see a shadowy outline of its design in the 1940s home movies we have of those cousins' children and my mother and aunt playing on it. I remember following the border of the carpet like a train track. My own little nieces and nephew have grown up with it, too.

My grandfather died 10 years ago, and Grandma has been gone nearly three years now.
But we didn't know what to do with the house — the neighborhood has deteriorated.

But my mother knew she didn't want to lose the rug and its memories.

So it's only logical that my mother is renovating my grandparents' home to make it her own, and to spend a few more years with the carpet and the memories. The rug is being lovingly restored and will be returned to the living room of the home it has had for more than 50 years.

Our family has had the rug for 80 years now. I'll lobby for 80 more.

Resale therapy: Being thrifty helps others

I love shopping thrift stores. Department stores are nice, but they're predictable.

You never know what you'll find when shopping the vintage boutiques. Over the years, I have bought everything from Baccarat candleholders ($15 for the pair) to gold tole wrought iron tables ($7 apiece).

Many of my favorite wardrobe pieces hail from thrift stores, too, from Ted Baker, Robert Graham and Jhane Barnes shirts to a pair or two of never worn Bruno Magli shoes.

I have my favorite stores, too. Here are a few friendly South and Central Palm Beach County places I have patronized over the years:

Delray Beach:

The Bethesda Bargain Box, 12 N.E. Fifth Ave. (southbound Federal Highway), Delray Beach;
(561) 278-2401

The Bethesda Bargain Box has been in its current location since 1962, and it has no plans to move.

The shop, which recently renovated the main portion of its store, is busy converting its furniture “barn” to the rear into an honest-to-goodness barn, complete with red walls and white trim that would make Old MacDonald jealous.

“It’s more of a boutique shopping experience with thrift store prices,” says manager Michelle Esposito of the renovated space, which is a major fund-raiser for Bethesda Memorial Hospital’s auxiliary.

It’s light, bright and clean. Tiles in Bethesda’s trademark blue cover the floors. The front of the store is now filled with clothing from such companies as Lilly Pulitzer and St. John, whose knit suits are priced at $39-$49 (those suits go fast, Esposito says). Buy a wedding gown for $49-$59 — the store even had a maternity gown during one recent visit.

The shop has expanded to add baby and children’s clothing, and the barn is home to furniture, antiques and accessories.

Nothing goes to waste, either.

“What we can’t sell is given to a mission church,” Esposito says.

Frugal Fashionista Resale Boutique, 825 N. Federal Highway (just north of George Bush Boulevard), Delray Beach; (561) 865-7857

Ladies, you have it made. This recent addition to the resale scene is a treat.

Owner Amber Ortoll has an eagle eye for quality women’s clothing, priced right.

Most items in her bright, immaculate shop are priced at $20 and less.

Frugal Fashionista carries such mainstream brands as J. Crew, Banana Republic and Chico’s, as well as that South Florida favorite, Lilly Pulitzer. You can buy $800 Chloé shoes for $50 at Ortoll’s shop, and the shoes look barely worn. She also has a great selection of purses, and fun vintage accessories.

Ortoll adjusted a navy blue straw hat with matching bag.

“Did you see the recent Vogue?” Ortoll asked. “The models were wearing these hats.”

Swank, vintage and fun. Dressing up doesn’t get any better than this.

Goodwill, 1640 N. Federal Highway, Delray Beach; (561) 278-3205

This Goodwill has a vintage shop to the rear with a plenty of potential treasures, as well as a small selection of vintage clothing, but I’ve made some of my best finds in the main part of the store.

I've found Fiestaware, Fostoria crystal and Italian tole chandeliers.

And the place doesn't skimp on clothing, either. A recent visit netted me a cool Tommy Hilfiger shirt for less than $4. Also on the rack: a funky pair of orange Escada slacks for less than $5.

The Turnover Shop, 10 N.E. Fifth Ave (just south of the Bethesda Bargain Box), Delray Beach; (561) 276-2073

This sun-filled shop, run by St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, is marking its second decade of bargains in its downtown Delray Beach location.

The Turnover Shop, located in a vintage home, has been remodeled to reflect a “quality resale” approach, and it shows. You can shop for jewelry and accessories in the front room. A room to the side showcases clothing (lots of women’s wear, and a limited selection of men’s). And there always is an interesting mix of china, glassware and other home accessories.

Among my recent finds: A Staffordshire figurine of a child kneeling in prayer (at left).

"Hmmph!" the clerk said. "That ugly thing." I thought the figure was a reproduction because it looked so clean, but the weight of the piece and the delicacy of its painting suggest it may have been made more than 100 years ago, according to my friend Tom Moyle, an expert in all things English. Tom says it may be worth hundreds of dollars. I paid $6 as part of the store's half-price sale.

Money raised by The Turnover Shop goes toward community outreach and to support St. Paul’s mission and ministries. What the shop can’t use is donated to Caring Kitchen, according to the church’s Web site.

Lake Worth:

The Bees Knees, 704 Lake Ave., downtown Lake Worth; (561) 904-6725

The Bees Knees is the newest store to buzz into downtown Lake Worth.

The store features “new and pre-loved” furniture (there's a great round French table priced at $4,000) and art, and clothing ranging from adult to infant.

During a recent visit, the racks were full of tot-sized dresses and suits. The Bees Knees also carries women’s clothing and a small, but growing selection of men’s wear. A Tommy Bahama print shirt with tags still attached is priced at $20, much less than retail.

Store owner Emily Regan said she was expecting a shipment of new men’s clothing from Italy.

Regan said the store handles consignments, and offers a lay-away plan for furniture, because of the economy.

She said everyone who has visited the brightly lighted space has commented on how clean it is, adding, “I don’t carry junk.”

Lantana:

Silhouettes, 916 S. Dixie Highway, Ye Tower Plaza, Lantana; (561) 585-4343

“Our mission statement is ‘joy,’ ” says Silhouettes owner Sharon Kelly. “Our clothing is as close to new as you get.”

Silhouettes literally brims with high-end labels. You’ll find women’s wear by Lilly and Coco (as in Pulitzer and Chanel) here, as well as Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren and Chico’s. The store has an extensive selection of handbags and shoes, too.

Silhouettes, which is marking two decades in Lantana, is immaculate and well-organized, with clothing sorted by brand.

Need to make some green? It’s a consignment shop, so you possibly can sell a few things. And items that don’t sell are donated to charity.

Here are other resale shops worth visiting:

Boca Raton:
This little cluster of stores in Plum Park, near Florida Atlantic University, has some of the city’s oldest shops. You typically can find high-end fashion at low prices here, especially during the shops’ frequent half-price sales. Need furniture? Check these places out first:

Levis JCC Thrift Shop, 141 NW 20th St. No. C9, Boca Raton; (561) 368-3665
The shop supports activities of the Adolph and Rose Levis Jewish Community Center.

Florence Fuller Thrift Shop, 141 NW 20th St., No. C4, Boca Raton; (561) 391-9379
Benefits Florence Fuller Child Development Centers Inc., which offers affordable child care, preschool, enriched afterschool and summer camp for low-income families.

Hospice by the Sea Chest Thrift Shop, 141 NW 20th St., No. E2, Boca Raton; (561) 338-4030
Helps the local hospice provide services to terminally ill people and their families.

Center for Group Counseling Thrift Shop, 141 NW 20th St., No. E7, Boca Raton; (561) 392-6356
The group provides free and low-cost counseling programs.

Boynton Beach: Boynton Beach Congregational Church Thrift Shop, 115 N. Federal Highway, Boynton Beach; (561) 734-1699
Sweet shop, sweet staff. Proceeds benefit the church's ministries.

Delray Beach: The Haven Thrift Store and Charity Boutique, 955 S. Congress Ave., Suite 112, Delray Commerce Center, Delray Beach; 272-7636
Sales of second-hand and designer clothing and furnishings help support a shelter for boys ages 9-17.

I love collecting objects — and readers!

Antiquing is my passion.

I love looking at vintage objects and imagining the ways in which they were used. Each item has a story to tell in the patina that comes from decades of use and decay.

Or, as often as not, the objects may serve as a link to my own past. A piece of china in my great-grandmother's pattern. An antique woodworking tool that reminds me of my father. An elegant, delicate figurine that evokes fond memories of my grandmother. Or, the rare find that sends me scrambling to the phone or computer to share it with my dear mother.

For more than a decade, I have shared my finds with readers in my popular "Look What We Found" column in The Palm Beach Post. That's been a wonderful experience.

But as most collectors know, one column is not enough for all of our fabulous finds. So, recently I started a "Kitchen Kollectibles" column on the Website of my good friend Jan Norris, who shares her wit, culinary wisdom and love of Florida at www.JanNorris.com.

And I hope to continue on with other finds — from lamps and furniture to jewelry and accessories and everything in between on this site.

The one thing I've learned over the past decade is, the only thing better than finding wonderful objects is getting to know my wonderful readers.

Please share your finds with me at Scott@ScottSimmonsAntiques.com.