Some new shopping buddies!

Most of the time if I write about any weekend tea finds, you'll hear me mention that Aunt Jane is my regular shopping buddy. Once in a while, my youngest niece, Amelia, joins us. This weekend, however, it was my middle niece, Cari, and my sister's youngest child, nephew Matthew, who joined Aunt Jane and me. We had a great time together, and all of us came home with some fun new finds, including the tea and chintzware carafe here.

First we went to the mall in Douglasville, where the good news is that the Hallmark shop's tea I'd had my eye on was 75 percent off. Made for Hallmark Gold Crown, the Crafters & Co. tea was the organic Black Cinnamon flavor, and I believe it's the first tea I've seen with a pull-top can.

The bad news is that the tea wasn't very good. It tasted weak and not very appetizing, but perhaps it was simply old. That's not good, but the really bad news is that the Hallmark shop itself is going out of business! The one in my town closed a few years ago, and now one at a mall can't survive? I'm a little nervous about where I'll get my Hallmark Christmas ornaments for all the children in our family this year, but I guess there's always Hallmark.com. (Right?) I'm curious how many of you have a Hallmark store near you. Very many of you?


After we ate lunch at Chick-fil-A and finished up at the mall, Cari asked if I would *mind* going to a new antique mall nearby so she could look for vintage clothes. (Are you finished laughing yet?) Of course, good aunt that I am, I obliged. And to my surprise, I came upon something I'd been looking for but didn't expect to find anytime soon, a new carafe. I'd been looking for a simple water carafe for my bedside table, but the only ones I found online didn't appeal to me at all. This one, chintz and just $11.50, will do quite nicely!


Cari, by the way, bought a lovely pink vintage gown. She explained to me that she just loves all things vintage, and I was surprised (but delighted) to learn that my niece shares my love for old stuff, including this carriage at the entrance to Ben's Antiques.

And just in case I need to taunt him with it at his rehearsal dinner one day, here's a picture of me and Matthew. What a fun Saturday!