I'm a Midwest girl... born and raised in Illinois and always a wanderer to the neighboring states of Indiana, Michigan, Iowa, and Wisconsin. Its so wonderful to have so many amazing states available for an enchanting day trip.
It was a GLORIOUS weekend here in the middle part of the country and we were headed on the annual pilgrimage to South Bend, Indiana for the University of Notre Dame Annual Blue Gold Spring Football game! In the past, it has snowed, sleeted, rained, etc and we have sat in Notre Dame Stadium watching this glorified scrimmage. However, on this Saturday in 2016, it was 75 degrees and glorious sunshine! We could not ask for a better day!
Due to construction on the toll road from Chicago to Indiana, we took the back roads and ended up on Route 20 East, right past one of my favorite stores in the world, The Village Shoppes in the quaint Midwestern town of New Carlisle, Indiana. Check out their website here. If you are a reader of my blog, you know my penchant for this store as I have posted about their insanely amazing holiday open houses which is a Christmas tradition in my world. You can see those posts here, here, and here,
As we drove into the town via the detour, he says, "Are we stopping?" I knew he was eager to get to South Bend which is just up the road but I find it nearly impossible to pass by and wave. So yes, we took some time out of our day to browse the beautiful Spring decor and all things rabbits and birds!
This cake plate is SO adorable and to add the tiny bird statues to make it look like a bird bath made me want to buy the entire vignette. But I resisted! Even though it was totes adorable!
A big clock and shiplap! It totally looks like an HGTV inspired Fixer Upper space for sure!
Such a beautifully styles buffet and that metal flower on the wall .... SWOON! ;-)
I love the iron accents adding a touch of glamour to this grouping. Love the green!
They also have assorted women's clothing, accessories and sandals. I absolutely fell in love with this lace tank topper you can wear over any plain tank in your closet. It is by Noelle and I swear I could have purchased one of these in every color!
Something completely enchanting about this small platter enhanced by this watchful little birdie!
These wall mount branches are always to intriguing to me. In their Christmas displays, they have snowflakes and ornaments hanging down and now here they have small Spring flower pots hanging down. Every time I am in the store, my mind spins of all the ways I could use one of these!
A birdcage turned into a lantern light - pretty ingenious!
I took two pictures of these lamps because they are SO gorgeous! I have never seen a lamp close to these and again I am sure I could use one or both in a variety of places in my home.
Probably my most gasp inducing item of the day. I am totally on a huge grey high right now and I don't see it ending anytime soon. I have been looking for an inspiration for my buffet in my foyer and BAM - this is it. If I could use this piece somewhere in my house, I would have snatched it up in a moment. I love this piece so much - soft and glamourous and casual yet refined. I LOVE IT!
This vintage door had a very cute folksy bird piece where the glass used to be. Cute.
Is there such a thing as a "door-aholic"? If there is, sign me up for the support group STAT! These decorative doors can be used as a screen, wall hanging, etc. SO pretty.
I fell in love with this piece - weathered wood frame and yet there are tri-prints inside. So cute!
I love this shabby chic table and is a total inspiration for all those tables with broken glass, a marred top, etc. Why not just weather some wood and make a table top! Very, very cute!
Birds and owls! I think one can never have enough of these creatures in one's home decor.
Daisy arrangement! I swear I cannot look at daisies without thinking of Kathleen Kelly and Joe Fox from You've Got Mail! You know the scene when Tom Hanks brings a bouquet of daisies to Meg Ryan who is how sick and tragically unemployed. I love that scene. I LOVE that MOVIE!
I love how they took a lantern and stuck a bird in it and made magic! HOW CUTE IS THIS?
This, too, was brilliant. So we all have that magnolia wreath for Autumn or Christmas inspired by New England holiday decor. They added Spring flowers and ribbons to it and it was GORGEOUS!
These rabbits are completely enchanting. If I would have bought on thing on this day, it would have been this totally adorable "rabbit on a stick". It was very, very hard to resist!
GREIGE done right! I like this dresser.
And last but not least, a bar cart! My latest obsession! I actually scored one off of Craigslist Chicago last week and I am in the process of making it over. I cannot wait to share it so it was nice to see this enchanting little beauty all decked out for the Spring season. Cannot wait to decorate mine!
This particular day, The Village Shoppes was hosting a New Carlisle Treasure Hunt. You had to pick up your "treasure map" and have it stamped by other local stores in the neighborhood. I must say that this was completely enchanting. I have been coming to this little town since the 1990s and for the first time, I walked up and down the main street running through the town and really paid attention to the other merchants. I discovered more enchanting stores run by some pretty amazing and downright friendly people. The treasures aren't always in the items on the shelves but in the owners.
The Bread Crucible! Even the name is pretty fantastic!
We walked into this amazing pottery store called BlackTree Studio Pottery and met Steven Skinner, the potter himself. Check out his website here. His pieces were simply gorgeous. He told us how he adds pieces of porcelain to add interest and texture to his pieces. He even had these gorgeous little bowls which have now become vessels in which to bake homemade BREAD! Like Oprah says, "I LOVE BREAD"! We were so intrigued by his story and the possibility of homemade bread, we ended up purchasing two of these little beauties and cannot wait to try them out! Mr. Skinner also told us that his son says they are the perfect size for a hot fudge sundae! SOLD!
This bowl is SO beautiful with the porcelain inlays and that amazing shade of blue!
So we did eventually make it to South Bend for the weekend and had an amazing time. But sometimes it definitely the little "forks in the road" that leads to the best stories and memories.
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