About a year & a half ago I called about an ad on Craigslist. A question that could have been answered in 3 minutes turned into a 2 hour conversation & a friendship was born.
Ruth has spent her life collecting & selling all things old.
She doesn't own a store, but she sells on craigslist & eBay. She owns a humongous warehouse that houses a lifetime of love,.
She is quite a character, with a heart of gold.
Although clothing was the mainstay of her business, the building is filled with a little lot of everything. From the 40,s, to mid-century modern.
Going there is always an adventure.
About every other month I get an email saying that she has a box ready for me.
The entire perimeter of the building is lined with shelves piled high with old suitcases. Most of them matching sets!
Everything is organized by color, or type. The back rack is men's smoking jackets & bathrobes, many from the 40s & 50s.
Ruth was collecting & selling old cowboy boots 20 years ago, long before were 'hot'. She could find them for practically nothing back then, can you imagine?
Excuse this blurry picture, I was probably shaking after uncovering a box of forgotten lace!
Room after room of crazy cool stuff.
Ruth loves mid-century modern. It's not my thing, but I have to say some of it is truly amazing!
I found a few goodies for Paper Cowgirls.
Remeber, this is NOT a store. Just storage, all 10,000+ square feet of it!
Need chairs?
So after 2 hours of digging, I came home a sweaty mess, & a few dollars lighter.
Highlights from my nights haul include,
some creamy whites.
Kevin just shrugged when I brought this wedding dress into the house.
Nothing surprises him anymore.
The lace on the veil is just yummy!
This little top is thread bare, just worn to bits.
I only buy clothes that are damaged, that way I can alter them without guilt.
I love these little satin tap pants, & the old eyelet petticoat.
Well, someday I'll share my Laura Ingalls obsession with you!
I can never pass up old ribbon, the little gnawed up heart pin cushion belonged to Ruth's Mother.
If you live around Fort Worth & are looking for cool stuff, email me & I'll give you her information. There is plenty to share!
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48 comments:
Hey Lisa,
I'm glad that you walked out of that huge building with some good stuff. Love the wedding dress and the vintage lace pieces.
Do you think this woman has some serious hoarding instincts! LOL!
I've never seen so much stuff.
Good to have a junker, hoarder friend like her though.
You are so right about husbands. Sometimes I bring in things and mine just rolls his eyes or doesn't even notice!
hugs my sweet, lovely friend.
Sissie
I "need" that white vintage suitcase on the top shelf! :) Wow what a place to get lost in. I would be there for HOURS!
Oh Lisa, that wedding dress is to die for!!!!! I am soooooo jealous, you getting to look at all those treasures all by yourself. Can't even imagine what that was like. Maybe a tiny slice of heaven!!!!!
Love ya,
Pat
Wow Lisa,
What a fun place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there. I would never get anything done because I would be too busy looking at all my stuff.
Debbie
I am totally in awe of such cool stuff that looks pretty even when its just in storage.
Of course I LOVE the clothes you got- just dreamy and the red heart pincushion made my heart go pitter patter.
And I guess I shouldn't even be surprised about your Laura Ingalls Wilder obsession- I love those books, reread one or two every year. (either before or after VOTD)
What a haul. I would get lost enjoying everything I'd see, especially the suit cases. What great lace items you found. Enjoy for me.
She is so organized! I love it! What a wonderful collection of cool stuff! How lucky you are to have her as a friend! Love the dreamy whites you brought home...
Have a great week!
:)
Lisa ~
Oh my gosh I want to go so bad !! I am in Miami until the end of the week but when I get home I am calling you !!
xoxo
Lori
All I can say is Amazing Place! It looks very organized to me and most 'hoarders' aren't like that...she is more a collector gone wild!! Loved the items you found and that wedding dress!!
She does sell things right??
Don't worry Lisa...eventually I will get over the heart palpitations from seeing all that great stuff! I so want some suitcases...I could have a ball there! Thanks for the window shopping - I think!
How fun Lisa! I can't imagine looking at all that stuff, let alone...owning it! Amazing...
I'm sure there will be wonderful creations from your haul.
Have a great week.
Susie
Oh my goodness girl, I'm am DROOLING over those creamy white clothes..and that wedding dress...just tell Kevin "we SO get it!!!" even if he doesn't ~ man, I could do some serious digging in that warehouse Lisa ~ I'm so glad you found some stash you love!!! hope you have a great week sweet friend, hugs and love, Dawn
Wow...I could just LIVE in that building!! I want those suitcases. Do you happen to have her eBay seller ID?
Thanks for sharing your great treasures! Lucky you!
Roselle
Lisa, dear...I'm so jealous that I live so far away! I'd love to go exploring through your friends warehouse. sigh
Have a great week, my friend. xoxo Donna
Wow! She has tons of stuff and it's all so organized... neat and clean. Really cool!
Karen
Ladybug Creek
Wow~ that place looks like a lot of fun to explore! Great stuff, too! You found some nice goodies!
You have me quivering with delight!! What a store!!!!
Lisa, yes.. the shoes come in white. These shoes were originally for nurses and doctors. They were clogs. Nurses and doctors loved them but were required to have shoes with a back on them. Dansko added the back... just for looks. Just Google Dansko shoes.
They can be found at better shoes stores, but the rest of the them I found at Dillard's! They just started carrying them this past year.
Karen
Ladybug Creek
Wow, what great treasures, and it's all so organized, I wish my building that orderly!!! Blessings~~~Daphne
Wow, that is some storage facility! I have never seen anyhing like that in my life. Lucky you found it!Marie x
Lisa sweet, this is fantastic, looks like one could walk there for dayes ,finding fantastic things.
So love all the beautifull old dresses you found,and the wedding dress-gorgeus.
I read all the Laura Ingalls Wilder books, too, and reread them for my daughter,and now and then for old me,too-- I love them,and the wonderfull drawings inside.
You had a wonderfull bunch of goodies ,dear Lisa, uhhmmm.
Yours,happy to know you, friend-Dorthe-Hugs and xxx
What a fun place to visit and such great photos! Wow! I could rummage around in there for days! You are so lucky to have made this find! Thanks for sharing the pictures - way fun! My favorite pcture is of the chairs along the wall~~~
Vicki
I love our idea of a perfect day--other people would shun over this--but this to me is exactly what I would want to do when I have a free day. I would JUST LOVE to go through this place!!
Hi Lisa, oh my gosh I could spend days at your friends. Everything looks fab!!! I love the beauties you brought home, the lace is gorgeous.
Hugs,
Debby
My goodness aren't you lucky! I think my jaw would hurt from hanging to the ground in awe of the whole place! Thank you for bringing us along!!
Hi Lisa....I think that makes me want to take a road trip =) Those suitcases are making me drool....
More details please?
diane
xoxox
Oh my! What a wonderful place! Love what you brought home!
How I'd love to roam around in there and load up with treasures! Lucky that you found this wonderful keeper of the past!
Oh I would sooooooooooooo love her information!!! Please!!!! Can't wait to see you tomorrow. Charlene
Hi Lisa, I'll be heading that way in a few weeks and would love it if you would share her info. My email is garden_antqs@yahoo.com Thanks and you found some really great treasures, Theresa
Lisa,
You are one lucky lady to find a friend like this and thanks for sharing it with us. She is a bit of a hoarder but if she has it in order, it doesn't count. I love the things that you got...so lovely!
AMAZING! Love the filmy creamy dreamy garments. I can't even imagine getting to browse in her private stash, lucky you!
Such a cool looking place! I would love to browse there.
Blessings~
Gwen:)
What wonderful finds! You know I want to go out there. Send me the info, and also let me know the next time you go. We can double-team her :)
I hope she has shopping carts, Lisa!
Hugs!!! Diane
Oh, what is her Etsy shop called??
What an amazing collection of treasures!
Lisa, if i ever make my dream trip to texas...you are taking me there...yes, you are...LOL...what a wonderful place...i think she has just about everything you could ever dream of wanting...thanks for taking us on the virtual tour!!!
i read my little house books over and over when i was young...until they were falling apart from love...so, yes...i get that too...
Places like this make me go Squuuueeee!. What a great way to spend the afternoon.
Wow Lisa, what a great friend to make. Ruth sounds like a precious lady and a wonderful friend. Those vintage cream white pieces are just lovely and I cannot pass up any kind of lace or ribbon myself:) My husband is the same way as yours, although every once in awhile he will voice his "concern" ;)
Have a great week.
Oh! Oh. Oooooo! Be still my heart! How did you keep your choices narrowed like that? Wow. Just. Wow.
would love to have her info-i'm in the area too so might actually be able to check out her "storage" :)
You ARE gonna take me there, right? ;)
10,000 square feet of pure bliss...I don't know if my heart can take that. I will have to see my doctor first for any pre-existing conditions that may hinder my shopping experience there.
:)))
Love it all Lisa Marie...I can only imagine what you will do with all those beautiful goodies....besides make something MORE beautiful with them :))))
oH JEEZ! Looks like a grand collection!
Wow, what a place! Love the old lace and clothing you found. It would be so fun to have the run of that place. Glad you found some goodies!
xo,
Debra
What treasures to be found! I love how it is organized...that is what is *inspiring* to me!
Rene
What an amazing place, Lisa! I'm sure I could spend hours looking through everything and would leave with tons of things to play with. You found some beautiful creamy whites. Very yummy! I can understand that you buy only clothes that are damaged. It's just too hard to cut something up that's in perfect condition.
Hugs to you,
Julia
Looks like a wonderland of fun!!
blessings
barbara jean
Hi, lisa.
i just emailed you about the atc's for the retreat and thought i would check out your blog.
okay, spill.
lol
please give me the info' on this wonderful lady and her warehouse.
i can go through the ft. worth area on the way to the retreat on thursday - NOT a problem. i must get into that warehouse.
omg, the suitcases.
i want to go so badly that if i can't fit everything into my little car then i'll make another trip to ft. worth - it's not a problem. :)
can't wait to see your atc's and LOVE your baby shoes. i have a bunch of them, too, all from an estate sale - it was ridiculous.
and, in looking at all of your pictures of what you like, i think we may have been separated at birth. lol
ttfn, jan (polka)
Lisa! Lisa! Lisa! What a beautiful blog you have!! I drool over it every day!! I'm so glad to have met you @ PC!! I wish I had been able to take your class!! Let me know if you will be teaching any classes @ "Cottage Panache". Maybe, if I'm lucky, I can take your class @ "The Wicked Tea""!
Your children are adorable!! I love how you let them "create".
I also loved the picture from your friend's warehouse!! I have to get some suitcases!! My email is infomom26@verizon.net Let me know about future classes or workshops and when it's cooler I'd love to visit that warehouse one day!!
Thanks for letting me enjoy your blog and for providing new inspiration for me. Linda:)
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