Galena: Shopping!!!

Anyone who loves to shop, would be in their own personal heaven when visiting Galena! There are shops for ANY taste! My tastes are different and I enjoy things most people would not. My mother and I have similar tastes in some things, but very different in others. The leather shops were a big draw for her while I enjoyed this quaint little shop. The smells of the different shops were as different as their specialties. This shop smelled of teas, herbs, and rose hips, among other dried flowers. I could have stayed in here the entire time. My purchases here were not much, but I could have spent more. (The prices in Galena were very fair.) Here is what I left the shop with...a tea bag holder, a sweet spoon for my tea (there is a tiny tea pot on the end of the spoon), and a bag of rose hips (my favorite). I did venture into a leather shop with my mom and bought Sweetheart a beautiful leather wallet.

Of course there was a fabric shop...not what I expected, as it was very modern and did not fit the town at all, though there were some shops that were more "today". The fabric shop even had a very "today" name....Phat 1/4's I did purchase some, not so modern looking 1/2 yard cuts that were wonderful. All Moda fabrics, but from 2 different lines. Mom was in a purse store somewhere, and I finished fabric shopping and book store browsing before she finished her favorite shops. I found an all time favorite while I waited.... Kaladis 925 Coffee Bar. The BEST coffee EVER!!! The coffee bar guy knew me well by the end of our 2 days. My mom has a love of shoes. She also collects them. I need to wear crocs now and let me tell you, they are not easy to find unless I shop online. While watching my mom feed her shoe monster, I found some shoes that felt good. My mom bought them for me....thanks mom. (I will say the shoe store was NOT in the fair price category) All those smells in the different stores were wonderful. There was a store called The Blueberry Cottage that I loved. Beautiful things and a wide variety. There were ceramics, linens, candles, dishes, lamps and unique shades. A very nice shop, with a shop owner that LOVED to visit. He was an older man and had such stories to tell....his great-aunt Edna was a proper woman...a spinster, you know...who was raised and educated right there in the Galena area. She moved to the Libertyville area and do you know she knew the Glidden girls??? Yes, she did. And though she came from the other side of the river, as the Glidden girls were heiresses to the Glidden fortune, she out right let them know they were not proper ladies! Oh the stories went on and on. My mother rolled her eyes so much I thought she would pass out, but I quite enjoyed it all. I also found some wonderful smelling items (candles, melts, homemade soaps and sachets) to bring home, along with these towels that I love to hang in my kitchen...I was down to one and have no idea how to make them. You all know how much I like things that talk! My rocks speak, and I also love pictures and plaques that have something to say. For some reason I feel we have something in common....hmmmm. Well I found a couple of plaques along the way. Antiques....I love them. They can be very expensive or you can find a great deal and end up with a treasure. I got a few treasures. A chicken on her nest is serving as a butter dish now. Some old Golden Books and a Donna Parker chapter book from 1957. Charlotte is already reading it!
An old needlework guest towel (all the stains came out), 3 antique bobbins (2 red and one natural) to decorate a sewing area, and see the two little rose patterned trays?When my Grandmother died years ago, I got her dining room table and hutch (she had always said it was to go to me, her oldest Grandchild and I treasure it). They are both in my sewing room now, but along with it, I received some of the things she kept in it. One of those things were a cigarette "dish" (they put out cigarettes for guests back then) and matching individual ash trays. There were only 3 ash trays and I think there were suppose to be 4 or 6. Anyway, I FOUND 2 more in an antique shop! What are the chances??? The owner did not even know what they were. She thought they were little candy dishes. Another bonus.....they were $3 for BOTH of them!!!They are now in my hutch with the others.

I got pressies for the kids also. Zach, Charlotte and TJ all got harmonicas, flutes, and a little woodpecker toy. Grandma got all the kids a kaleidoscope. I also found little key ring straps with Charlotte and Zachary's names on them (Charlotte's favorite thing). Rachel got 2 pair of earrings, Bud got a leather keychain, and Kyle got a DVD. I know...I had to make a trip to Walmart for him! Thank you for sharing my Galena shopping trip with me. Later next week I will share a couple of tours we took. GREAT fun!

On another note, we did have an earthquake here, but are all ok. It was not earth shattering (no pun intended), though for us in the midwest, it is so out of the ordinary that it has some people a bit shaken (ok, pun intended).

Blessings, Bren