I’ve been so industrious lately, serving as general dogsbody and chronicler for  the Pergola Project that I’m going to interrupt that lengthy story to tell about some good, hot,  dirty fun I had and how I can’t wait to have it again.

Before you become convinced that  you have  somehow  mistakenly found your way to a tacky cougar blog, I’ll tell you that the fun was connected to shopping. No debauchery here.

When we were still in the planning stages of our pergola, the designer ( who happens to be our son ) prepared several drawings for us so that we could compare and contrast the various design elements. The poor guy had to come up with ideas that would please me, who never wants to have what anyone else has, and his Dad, who wanted something he would be capable of building. We eventually settled on  a simple but elegant  ( I think ) design which could be embellished by adding architectural elements, if I could find something suitable, in a suitable amount of time. IF I could find something suitable???  To paraphrase Sojourner Truth, “Ain’t I a magpie?”

So the hunt was on, and the clock was ticking, Where could I go to do some thinking out of the box and have a reasonable chance of finding something that would work for me? I knew just the place: South Front Antiques. This jewel of an establishment contains three full floors of antiques  and salvaged materials arranged in a delightful hodgepodge. I’d been wanting to go anyway ever since the talented Amy Dale took our daughter’s engagement photos there last year. It was just another of things I’d never gotten around to, but now I had my chance. I took my first opportunity to pay the store a visit. Don’t even think the following pictures do justice to the place.

Feeling just like someone on a TV home decorating show, but without the decorator to make salient points, I wandered around  the store  in a  dopamine daze for a few minutes, unable to remember the purpose of my visit. Oh yes, items of architectural interest for my pergola to prevent the dreaded occurrence of having to settle for  a less original structure than I had desired.

Loved the chandelier, but it was  too ornate for my project.

You probably don’t see too many wagon wheels on a pergola roof, but they were  too country for me. And those wrought iron things behind there? Were  they too heavy? Too short? Too few?

I couldn’t help but get a little distracted.

Or even a lot distracted.

I was only able to ignore the books by promising myself I will come back just to browse. And I will. I mean it.

After touring the basement which was full of doors and all the tin ceiling squares a person could want, and making a an initial round of the first floor it was time to go upstairs.

The fact that the upstairs was not air conditioned on this 100 degree day truly helped me stay focused. I resolved to become inspired quickly while still capable of respiration. 

So how about lovely old weathered shutters? Some quick figuring and and a few interrogatory photo texts later, the idea was proposed, discussed, and accepted by all parties!  I couldn’t get them today, because I didn’t have a way to transport them, but my design plan was set. Yippee!

With that burning issue settled, I gave myself license to browse around just a wee minute more, downstairs where we had more chances of survival, what with the air conditioning and all.

There must be some place I could use this, I mused.

And I was going to pass up these cuties? Really? Yes. I had to stay on task.

A moose in a china shop? 

Aaah, a place to sit down! But it was time for lunch, so I had to  leave with the surface of the store barely scratched. I hadn’t been able to look at the maps, or the stamps, or the toys or the books or the boxes of crystal doorknobs this time.  But  right now I needed to get myself someplace where I  could wash my hands and face and drink some ice cold water. I’d had some good fun alright, but not without getting  plenty hot and dirty.