Our Home Is Not A Museum
But after visiting the North Carolina Museum of History gift shop in downtown Raleigh yesterday, I’ve determined that bringing a little bit of museum quality to casa de Whited could be a good thing. I was genuinely impressed with the variety of items in the shop, most of which are for the home – although they had great jewelry, food and toys as well.
The prices aren’t very competitive, but they aren’t horrible. Plus many of the items in the shop are made by local vendors from local North Carolina resources. I didn’t score anything for the casa on my first visit in, but seeing as the museum is within walking distance from my office I am certain there will be a purchase in my future.
Here are some fuzzy camera phone shots of all the shiny objects that caught my attention.
The imperfect look of this large pewter tray would look great hanging on the wall or even for everyday use. The branch candle holders were in the twenty dollar range but gave me a little inspiration for that branch we found that’s hanging out on our mantel for now.
The vintage feel of these frosted glasses and serving tray is a look that we’ve always loved. It’s also very similar to the vintage dish towel of the state of Texas that Grandma Whited sent us at Christmas. Maybe it’s time to start a collection?
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These shabby chic utensils are literally just glued to round magnets and would look really fun on your fridge or any other metallic surface in your kitchen or dining room. Definitely DIY-able.
This teal mercury glass, etched candle holder is on the short list for my return trip. If it wasn’t thirty bucks I would have scooped it up on the spot since it’s so much different than any mercury glass containers I’ve seen at Anthropologie and similar shops. I just want to make sure we have a great spot for it if I’m going to fork out so much change for a candle holder.
They don’t really match much in our casa, but these botanical print tea towels caught my eye. They’d make a great gift for a traditional friend and even look fancy in a frame.
Books are one of my favorite ways to show some local love when decorating. They are compact, versatile and great memories of where we’ve been. We like to keep them in guest bedrooms so that house guests can learn more about their temporary surroundings.
Right now we’ve got two about North Carolina, one about the mountains in the west and another about the outer banks. Both were wedding gifts (awesome idea by the way if you know your-soon-to-be-wed friends will also be relocating).
If you’re not in North Carolina we’d recommend checking out the museums in your area and state to see what goodies you can come up with. The items aren’t always the cheapest but you’re bound to find something unique. We’d love to hear some stories of what’s made in your home state!
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I have that NC tray, they have it at Southern Seasons. Love it!
Neat stuff! I found your blog on In the Hammock Vintage. Good luck on your new town and home!