A day in the country...........just my sis and me:D

We started out just looking for some antique/junk/thrift type shops in the country. We drove out 44 to Union, Mo. where we found some great barns along the way. The country side was beautiful although the leaves didn't have much color due to the lack of rain the past several weeks. It is so much fun having nowhere to go in particular, just taking this road and that! The weather was perfect as it has been the last few days and the country air was refreshing. Sandy made us a little bag lunch that we ate on the parking lot of the "Tin Rabbit" in Labadie, Mo. The shop was full of gorgeous primitive style furniture and accessories. Beautiful shop if you are even in the area (right off highway 50).

Great antique shop I had been to once before with Rog years ago! Joyce, the owner is full of life and energy. The place was huge including three buildings. We spent as much time as we could there, but plan to be back another day:D "Willow Creek Antiques" is the name and it is located on highway 47 between Washington, Mo. and Union, Mo.

Countryside in the area...............stunning!

Some Morning Glories located behind the antique shop called "The Old Post Office" in Union, Mo. They were closed due to some family business....but we will be back!

The Tin Rabbit in Labadie, Mo. is located in a beautifully refurbished 'turn of the century' home
and the women that work there are knowledgeable and very friendly! The furniture in the shop is way out of my budget....but fabulous for someone with some dollars to spend. All reproductions made of the best woods and hardware. Lovely Tiger Eye Maple caught my eye!

This is the shop.....off to the left in the photo is the Coffee House they recently opened. The shop and Cafe are new to the area (I believe they have been there about one year now). They are located right behind the Hawthorne Restaurant off Highway T (I believe).

This is there welcoming little patio outside their Cafe. We would have stopped to enjoy a Latte but we had more places to go and see:D Next time we will plan a coffee into the schedule.

A pretty barn along the way!

We drove through the 'Maple Hills Farms Area' where Rog and I had been interested in a home about 12 years ago. Sandy wanted a couple of pics of the horses and became the Horse Whisperer as I watched her call those horses over to the fence.

Here is the home we put a bid on before we actually started building our present home here in Eureka. What we loved the most was all the beautiful antique additions that had been made by the owners father, a carpenter. Every door in the home was antique and brought in from as far away as Europe. There was a beautiful area for my art studio on the lower level with a waterfall right outside the huge windows. The father had also put in the most beautiful hardwood floors bordered with various woods that made a pattern around several of the rooms. Oh....and the cabinetry must have been his specialty...because the upstairs rooms had all the dressers and vanities built into the walls. Actually the only furniture necessary would have been the bed and a lamp table. We decided against the home after talking about taking care of the 5 acre lot. Rog didn't want to spend every week-end mowing and taking care of that much land. I agreed and we passed on their offer!

I am quite happy where I am, but seeing this home brought about thoughts of what could have been. Total privacy.

What a pleasant day....hope we do it again real soon:D