Antiquing and a new addition to the family

We kicked off the summer vacation with a trip to an outdoor antique fair, where I feasted my eyes on vintage goodies and other treasures while my kids ate kettle corn and spent time talking with members of a train club. The once yearly event in our community is sponsored by the local heritage preservation society so it was a terrific opportunity for us to learn more about where we live.

Of course, I'd be lying if I said I went to the fair for educational purposes. As you probably know, I was scouting for things for my home, especially since prices seemed to be better than many antique shops. A few big pieces caught my eye, including the cheery white bistro set you see in the photo above. I could totally picture myself drinking tea while enjoying one of my beloved design magazines.

The mustard-yellow ottoman was another piece I was coveting for my home, either to be used as a coffee table or as a plush indulgence in my master closet.

My husband commented that many pieces seemed destined more for the junkyard than someone's home. I chuckled, thinking this might have been something I might have said years ago, before I obsessively began perusing design magazines and seeing the decorating possibilities in old utilitarian items.

My kids were happy to go to the antique fair with the promise that they could choose an inexpensive toy, so they spent much of their time sampling the wares at a big table full of Hot Wheels.

Surprisingly, I ended up leaving the fair empty-handed. I did like quite a few items at the antique fair, but found that nothing really met my new criteria for shopping. Even a few months ago, I would buy something simply because I liked it and could afford it, with only a vague idea of what I would do with it once I got home. The result has left me with a nice supply of things to sell on Ebay or Craigslist, which was never a goal of mine. Lesson learned. Now, I buy something only if I need it and have a specific place for it in my home. It's a seemingly simple philosophy but one that has taken me years to learn because I enjoy decorating and shopping so much.

On my way home, I decided to swing by a thrift store and was amply rewarded when I found a darling little wooden statue.

At 18-inches tall, he is nearly life-size and weighs almost as much as a real boy this size, reminding me of when my son was younger. The little wooden boy now proudly sits in our family room in a spot that has been sitting empty the past few weeks during my latest redecorating frenzy. He was an exceptional find for eight dollars, a bargain I scored thanks to a storewide 50 percent off sale.

Finding this little guy was a perfect way to end my day.