After a recent trip to Williamsburg, I took inspiration from the travels and treasures of my shopping adventures to create a little entertaining moment when I returned home. I thought it would be fun to take you along on my adventure, show you what I found, and share how I used my travels to ignite my creativity and enhance my at-home entertaining endeavors.
Antiquing with Charm:
Whether I'm home in Pennsylvania or traveling outside my city, one of my favorite hobbies is to hit up local antique and thrift stores. Having the opportunity to visit Williamsburg, Virginia, I made certain to schedule in some time to antique amongst my other list of activities in the area.
When I'm antiquing, I'm usually hunting for treasures to use in my home. (Decorating is another hobby of mine.) With the holiday season nipping at our heels, I decided to focus my efforts on amping up my entertaining arsenal. After visiting several antique stores in the Williamsburg area, my haul did not disappoint. Let me show you what I found, and then I'll share how the rest of my visit to the area inspired the use of my finds.
My Williamsburg Antique Haul:
Let me break it down for you...
1. Glassware - We stayed at the Williamsburg Lodge. On our first night there, we had the most delicious Cinnamon Pineapple Margarita in their lounge, Sweet Tea & Barley. I needed a set of these glasses to recreate this cocktail.
Found at: Williamsburg Antique Mall
2. Pie Plate - Pie is one of my favorite desserts to make while entertaining. This is a vintage pattern from Emily Henri.
Found at: Williamsburg Antique Mall
3. Napkins - I prefer to use cloth napkins when hosting guests. (It's also hard for me to resist a plaid napkin.) I thought this color combination was beautiful and matched my pie plate well.
Found at: Willow Grove Primitives
4. Pewter Plates - I saw a lot of pewter while visiting Williamsburg, so when I saw this set of small plates, I thought they would be the perfect reminder of my visit to the area. Their unique shape and style would make a memorable touch to any table.
Found at: Lightfoot Antique Mall
5. Ceramic Pitcher - I can't get enough of small pitchers. My favorite use for them is with little flower arrangements.
Found at: Lightfoot Antique Mall
6. Small Lantern - Lanterns are another thing I saw a lot of as I explored Williamsburg, so I wanted to bring one back with me. The flickering of a flame is a must for cozy entertaining. This lantern would make the perfect vessel.
Found at: Lightfoot Antique Mall
7. Mobjack Coffee - I think really flavorful coffee is a lovely way to end a meal. This coffee was fantastic, so I had to bring home a bag. I know my guests will enjoy it too.
Found at: Mobjack Bay Coffee Roasters
8. Salted Caramel - We got ice cream after dinner one evening. The caramel sauce they used was so yummy. I knew I could find a delicious use for this at home.
Found at: Kilwins Williamsburg
(The rest of this haul veers off of the entertaining scope as I just can't help myself when I'm antiquing. However, I thought you'd enjoy seeing my finds.)
9. Vintage Tins - I have a collection of vintage tins at home, so I'm always on the hunt for these.
Found at: Lightfoot Antique Mall
10. Artwork - Vintage artwork, especially when real and not a print, is a must for me. These will make lovely additions to my collection.
Found at: The Velvet Shoestring (barn painting) and Lightfoot Antique Mall (mini floral painting)
11. Small Christmas Plate - Christmas is my favorite holiday. I especially love decorating for it. This small Christmas plate was such a special find.
Found at: Lightfoot Antique Mall
As you can see, I did pretty well. Now, what to do with these treasures.
Finding Inspiration in Williamsburg:
I found inspiration from a few different places in and around Williamsburg.
To start, I visited the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown. This was a fabulous museum and something I highly recommend if you're visiting. My favorite area was the outdoor tour. We walked through the beautiful gardens and got a glimpse inside some of the homes. In one of the homes, the reenactors were making pie. With apples being in season (plus the addition of my new vintage pie plate), I thought an apple pie was in order!
Another day, after touring the iconic Colonial Williamsburg Historic Area, we stopped into Kilwins Williamsburg for ice cream after dinner. Their ice cream was served with the most delicious caramel sauce. As luck would have it, they sold the sauce in the store, so I picked up a jar. I'll make a caramel apple pie!
And finally, what goes perfectly with pie? Coffee! We had the pleasure of visiting Mobjack Bay Coffee Roasters before exploring the Riverwalk Landing in Yorktown. I had the most delicious latte and breakfast pastries. Bringing home some of their coffee beans was a must; I knew it would pair well with my pie.
Now, with all of my treasures in hand and inspiration in my brain, I got to work creating a little entertaining moment at home. Here's what I created!
Entertaining at Home:
The end result is this delicious Salted Caramel Honeycrisp Apple Pie. The Kilwins Salted Caramel was the perfect way to take a classic apple pie to the next level.
As you can see, I made the pie in my vintage pie plate and served it on my pewter plates. They were the perfect size for a slice of homemade pie. It looks and feels so cozy and homey...not to mention delicious!
My new plaid napkins, pottery vase (with cut flowers from my yard), and mini lanterns set the scene for a welcoming and tasty treat for a few close friends or an after-dinner dessert.
I don't know about you, but I'd say my mission to find some new antique treasures and turn them into an entertaining event at home was a big success.
If you're an antique lover like me, you'll know that it's always a fun hunt. You may visit your favorite antique store a few times until you find a treasure. I visited several lovely antique stores in the Williamsburg area. And while I didn't find something at every one of them, they were all worth the visit. Here are a few more you should check out:
More Williamsburg Antique Shops:
- Lucky Junque
- Charlie's Antiques
- The Lazy Daisy
- Goodman's Interiors & Antiques
And that's a wrap! I hope you enjoyed seeing and reading about my antiquing process from start to finish - from inspiration, to finding treasures, and putting it all together. It was such a joy to visit Williamsburg and the surrounding area. Not only did I get to do the things I love, but I was able to experience and learn many other new, exciting, and beautiful things. Be sure to hit up some of my favorite places on your next visit to the area. Happy travels!
Follow Michael via his website Inspired by Charm and on Instagram @inspiredbycharm
