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I am not immune to the pleasure of treasure hunting, even though my husband is the king. But after
However there is one store that will get me out of the Aveo even on the hottest of days (like Sunday/Father's Day this week) for a dose of inspiration. In our little resort town of Saugatuck (two hours away), gorgeously seated on the Kalamazoo River close to Lake Michigan - resembling Hyannis or Yarmouth on Cape Cod - is Amsterdam Antiques & Oddities on an acre of land that erupts with beauteous artifacts both new and old.
Modes of display inspire with surprise and simplicity - like these new cups nestled in a wire basket at least 50 years old. Many displays are outdoors under a porch roof.
New items are extremely inexpensive - like teacups and saucers imported from England that run $8 for service for 12 - while vintage ones are pricey, but probably still well below market value. (I didn't find a price on the cups above, or these sweet pitchers overflowing from drawers in what looks like might be an old post office or general store cabinet. I'm guessing a mere $3.)
I have found innovative serving platters for less than $10 in the past, like this one for serving pesto.
Inside one of two Amsterdam buildings (the other has mostly new goods), there are more antiques and novelties. I never had pompons on my ice skates like these, but I thought they looked fetching on my sister's twirling skates. You have to skate well to wear pompons, or you look ridiculous. (Loring, did you iceskate downtown G.L. on the ice-covered baseball diamond under the bridge by the river, at night under lights to Petula Clark singing "Downtown" over loudspeakers? If you did, I'm guessing you didn't wear pompons either, and in fact maybe you were with the boys behind the rope playing that dreaded hockey? Somehow I don't picture that, though. And did we circle each other, not having met? Or was that you who pulled off my 5-foot-long trailing stocking cap??)
Oh! Look who I found entering stage right out of the theater pillars, Hamlet's ghost! Oh, no it's Don. Phew. We managed to leave without purchasing this set (didn't see the price, but I'm guessing around $1500), or anything else, but we both left with fresh inspiration for designing the farm wedding.
I leave you with sexy Petula Clark singing "Downtown" in 1964. From this awesome video I'm pretty sure of two things: 1) The male dancers are wearing pompons on their shoes; and 2) Mike Myers studied this video for his Austin Powers choreography. If you miss the first couple of seconds, please rewind and start it again. But there will be more to come in the short two minutes.
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