This little light of mine

I have a new addiction....not what you think!  My dear friend K. and I have gone to many an Antique Fair where we walk for hours searching for what snatches our interest (or heart!).  She being way more experienced than I,  is quite the haggler...which I do enjoy overhearing from time to time.  Your secret is kept K. on your special technique!  K. has found some incredible deals of silver, tarnished where I thought it was okay but thinking could it ever polish up all pretty...only to have her shine it up and Voila! it becomes a unique and beautiful find.  And then I remember the steal of a price she paid for it... smart woman that K.

"I don't need anymore silver...." I say this often as she does find some dandy items.  I do have an ongoing search for silver baby cups.  But it does have to be a special one.  With engraving, or it must be simple adorable that my heart sighs when I see it.  I have a dear friend who found one at a antique shop in her home town that had "Beloved" engraved on it.  What a find...I too would like to find one like that.  I mean really...what a dear family or friend to have put "Beloved" on a baby cup.  Of course that wee baby was going to be beloved!   Still, how did it wind up in an antique shop?  Why would anyone give up a cup with that one sweet and loving word?  Yes, I do have that search on but I haven't found one baby cup to date that cries out for me.  K. keeps helping me though.

I also have the search on for Blue Willow dishes.  Once again I am looking for special pieces.  I don't want anymore teacups.  I look for bowls or serving pieces.  Dinner dishes too but I haven't found any great deals on those.  K. discovered a lovely vegetable dish with a lid that I was so happy to buy.  I have found some deals from time to time and bring them home as though I have been on a treasure hunt.

My new search is an odd one....I don't know what made me decide to search these out but now I think I am a bit over the moon for oil lamps.  Yes, oil lamps.   I hadn't thought about these until I noticed how cute some of them were.   So now K. is helping me find these and of course it has to be a deal and it has to call my name.  It has to be pretty and unusual.  I think this could be dangerous as all this oil in my house in these cute little lamps is flammable!   Still I am very careful and they are only on my hutch to be used inside or outside over dinner.  

   
So this is what I have now.  The ceramic one is a lamp we bought 14 years ago while on a trip to Drakesbad.   Every night when we ate dinner they had these little oil lamps on the table.  There was minimal electricity at this Guest Ranch and the glow from this lamp with my family all around brings many happy memories of that family vacation.  The three glass ones are my finds from the past three Antique Fair trips.

  

This is the largest one I have.  It has a lovely glow that spreads more light than the others.  I love the beading work around the base and it has some raised designs above the beading as well.  Plus it came with the wick which was nice.  It was going for $19 and I got it for $16. 

  This little cutie K. spotted for me.  The design it has is called a Thumbprint design because of the little dimples it has all around it.  Plus it is blue and blue is my favorite color!







The little frosted chimney I thought
was real pretty too.  This one I paid $14 for.  It 
might be small but it is quite unique.   

 My last one is real tiny.  It has been through a life of being knocked around as it isn't in the best of shape.

   The detail on the base is full of design work and it has an itty bitty handle that only little hands could hold.  I small chip on it but thankfully not broken. It's base design reminds me of a zipper look.   It's chimney has a fluted rim that goes well with the base.  I do need to replace the brass neck area as the turn knob for the wick doesn't go up or down as it should.  Bit of a problem for when you need to raise the wick.  This small size of neck and the wicks it uses are called "pixie" size.  I can find wicks but the neck I will have to look for at another Antique Fair or on ebay.  Oh well....it was just begging to have me bring it home.  I think I paid $12 for this one.







I can't wait to see what treasures K. and I find on our next antique hunting trip....and I can work on my haggling too.