Last week I promised to share everything we browsed—and the few things we actually bought—during our week at the beach with family. We returned with two purchases: a wooden whale sign for Clara’s room (perfectly fitting the five-year anniversary material theme)…
…and a thrift-store basket that I’m planning to transform into a hanging pendant light somewhere in the house.
But there was plenty of other eye candy to enjoy, so here’s the rest of what we found. We stopped at the Ole Sale Barn in Maryland—the same place where we discovered the vintage L-turned-7 that lives in our office—and that’s where I picked up the basket that will become a light.
Inside it was a fun jumble of treasures—chaotic in the best way, full of things you want to dig through.
Outside, I spotted a large metal grate that would make an amazing tabletop. Imagine it glued to the rim of a big ceramic planter to form a sturdy, industrial-chic side table.
The sale barn is also home to Beyoncé the chicken and her brood—quirky touches like that make places like this so memorable.
We found some nostalgic items too—little figurines that reminded me of the dolls I used to line up on my windowsill as a kid.
There were also playful hardware pieces that would look great repurposed—for example, as towel bars in a bathroom, similar to something we did in our hall bath with a thrift-store horse.
Architectural finds were plentiful—ornate wood panels, carved screens and vintage window frames that would add instant character to any space.
I also loved a stack of small gold plates—about seven of them—that I pictured arranged on a wall in an asymmetrical cluster. They were inexpensive and charming, perfect for creating a textured gallery.
Next we visited Beach Plum Antiques in Bethany, a regular favorite. This trip my standout find was an $85 bench—super long and solid, the kind of piece that would look great painted a matte black on a porch. Sadly, it wouldn’t fit in our car, so I hope someone else gave it a good home.
I admired a chunky wood-based floor lamp with a stitched rectangular shade—very sculptural and magazine-worthy—even though it was already sold.
Suitcases and trunks caught my eye too; a reddish leather case stacked with a striped linen-style trunk felt so cinematic—like someone dressed in vintage suspenders.
There was even a large metal pig that begged to be turned into quirky art—perhaps painted bright yellow to cheer up an office or coated with chalkboard paint for grocery lists in a kitchen.
On a bike ride we passed a charming house with bright white trim and a navy door—it was worth a snapshot for curb appeal inspiration.
We also stopped at Mod Cottage in Rehoboth, where we picked up Clara’s wooden whale sign and where I tried (unsuccessfully) to convince John that our kitchen needed a line of colorful gurgle pots. He was not convinced, though we do own one small yellow pot already.
A large beach print caught my eye as well—budget didn’t allow it, but it sparked ideas for a DIY watercolor inspired by its colors and scale.
There were silly moments too, like John holding a pillow featuring a chihuahua—funny because we’d posed with the exact same pillow over two years earlier, a full-circle moment of chihuahua pillow blogging.
Woven plates hung in a group inspired me—imagine painting inexpensive woven platters matte white with a pop of color in the center for a modern, textured display.
Over at the register, playful pendant lights added quirky charm to the checkout area—small details that make shopping feel special.
We also stopped at Bella Luna in Rehoboth, where breezy scarves caught my eye—so versatile as table runners, pillow covers, or light café curtains.
Faux animal heads with lots of personality were on display too—hung together they read like a whimsical collection, and we voted the deer one as our favorite.
A beautiful mirror—priced around $300—was a standout. The shop’s ceiling, wide planks with chunky white beams, felt beachy yet refreshingly different from typical beadboard.
Delicate bird illustrations were on a wall nearby; we especially loved the green sandpiper-like bird and regretted leaving without him.
We snapped a photo of scrabble-letter mugs too—such an easy personalized gift idea if you fill one with a friend’s favorite treats or small pleasures.
On the drive home we pulled into a small, random thrift store off Rt 113. It was compact but held hidden gems: a chair-and-ottoman combo begging for new upholstery in charcoal or emerald, a pretty green glass jar perfect for kitchen storage, and a set of trays that would make a fantastic grouped wall display.
So that was our latest window-shopping and thrift-store spree. I’m a little sad we only brought home the wooden whale and the basket, but relieved too—leaving room for future finds. Do you hunt for shops on the way to and from vacation spots? Have you discovered anything cute lately while browsing? I’d love to hear about your favorite thrift or antique finds.