More Estate Sailing

Not a Saturday goes by without my checking out estatesales.net to see if there are any local estate sales in Elgin and the greater Fox Valley. I have been a garage sale and tag sale addict all my life and since moving to Elgin, have decided that the Fox Valley is THE BEST place for estate sales.

Today there was one at a home of someone who had obviously been a life long antique collector. Many nice things left by Saturday with anything under 20.00 going for 1/2 off. The nice weather brings people out and the promise of well kept antiques for a bargain price had this sale hopping. When I arrived it looked like a bunch of ants crawling over an anthill. I did find myself a $3.00 treasure, a old Noritake tea cup and saucer which I hope to make a tea garden bird feeder out of.

My money saving rule is that I go out with 5.00 and see what I can get. It satisfies my urge to shop and keeps my budget in check. When I do find that rare treasure on the cheap, I feel especially blessed.

When my daughter was little we bought something at a carnival called a "moo stick". It was a little plastic baton and when you tipped it to one side or another it produced a sound like a mooing cow.

At the other estate sale was one of those massage chairs. A man was trying it out and it was producing a sound like that moo stick. I looked at a lady next to me and said, "gee, that would drive me crazy."

She replied, "that's my husband in that chair and I'm hoping to God he doesn't want to buy it."

I laughed and told her that I no longer bring my husband to tag sales with me as the last time I did, we ended up with a cheap resin lamp of a naked lady holding up the moon.

Good Thing I Love Elgin

I moved here 4 1/2 years ago at the tail end of the housing boom, primarily and foremost because I loved Elgin. The well preserved charm of the city captured my heart and the city's revitalization as well as the swelling housing market had me convinced that I could have the best of both worlds....life in a charming place while making a financially sound investment.

I was convinced that once the good news about Elgin got out.....people would flock here, property values would rise to match the surrounding suburbs and my property value would swell with Elgin's good fortune.

The bubble burst and I had accepted that my property had most likely devalued somewhat but that would have happened anywhere and acceptance came easily.

Today I found out that due to sales of foreclosures in my area, my home has lost 1/3 of it's value. It has lost so much value that despite an excellent credit score and an ample income....I can't refinance.

I am in shock, but I need to console myself. I am happy here. I have never regretted moving here. I love my home, I love my neighbors, I love my community, I love the entire fox valley. I have never been happier in my life.

Perhaps instead of envying others who had made more financially sound investments, I can pity those who do not live here, and encourage any non-elginite reading this blog to come on out and see the world of opportunity Elgin now offers...not only in housing but in community spirit, heritage and history.

Estate Sailing

I love to do what I call Estate Sailing. The voyage begins every Saturday morning when I log into www.estatesales.net and look to see what is happening in the fox valley. I like estate sales in older neighborhoods in older homes as I like vintage things and my experience is that you find the best vintage stuff in a vintage home, or perhaps it just feels right. A bonus is that you get to go inside a vintage home and a love of vintage buildings are what I moved to Elgin for.

Today I went to one on Park St. over by Lords Park. It was a museum like offering of every thing a elderly couple collected all their lives. I scored with a nice dutch master print in a great frame and a cut glass bud vase....I got both for Five bucks. I went home with my shopping addiction quite satisfied.

Valentines Day Brunch

Today, Mike and I went for brunch at The Elgin Public House.

Now, I've been to many fancy brunch venues in my time but the food offerings at EPH put the fancy schmancy places to shame. For only 12.95 per person, we stuffed ourselves on some of the best breakfast food I've ever had. We didn't have enough room in our tummys to go on to the lunch offerings. Now Mike does not like scrambled eggs, but he's a good sport and he'll try anything once. He's had buffet style scrambled eggs before and has never liked them. He was pleasantly surprised to find the scrambled eggs at EPH, not only edible but fluffy and delicious.

They had Eggs Benedict, corned beef and sweet potato hash, a strata, a cheesy potato casserole, crunchy hash browns, french toast, Irish bangers, and more. Like I said, we never got to the lunch dishes but I did see that there was some kind of Tuscan chicken and Tilapia, mac and cheese and I think some kind of risotto.

There was also a salad bar and an excellent sweet table. For Valentines Day, they presented each lady guest with a sweet smelling rose.

The atmosphere was relaxed and fun and the owners and their staff make sure that everything is right and that you are having a great time.

I will never pay 20.00 for a mediocre brunch at a fancy restaurant again...not when there is Sunday brunch at Elgin Public House.

We Have It All Here In Elgin

One of the many things I LOVE about living in Elgin is that we have it all here. We have a taste of city, we have a taste of suburbia and for a short 5 minute drive, we have country.

We have alpacas and sheep. See what I found in my travels west

Icelandic sheep and a "watch Llama".

The McNeil Mansion Holiday Open House

Wow, it's been way too long since I have written here. I am one of the lucky "over-employed" and while I do consider myself lucky, it leaves little room for blogging as I am trying to squeeze every last drop out of what tolerable weather we have left. Weekdays are work work work leaving the weekends to a series of forays into our community and the Fox Valley, to enjoy as many of the wonderful things there are to do and see as possible.

What a beautiful November we are having too. I will have to do a retro article on our excellent Halloween here in my northeast side neighborhood, but before it get's too late I want to let you know that today's foray will be the annual McNeil Mansion Craft Show.

I posted about this show last year HERE!!! The price of admission is worth it just to see this stunning mansion alone...then there's the merchandise. Wonderful gifts for the loved ones on your list.

This year it will be held Friday, Saturday and Sunday the weekends of Nov 13-15 and Nov 20-22 from 10am to 5pm. There will be some of the same crafters that have been here in past years plus some new crafters.....I also thought I saw a sign out front that said "antiques"

Antiquing in Elgin and Kane County

One thing I have done plenty of this summer is take advantage of the best garage sales, antique shops and flea markets in the area.

Elgin is positively THE BEST place for garage and estate sales. With so many old houses, the chance for great antiques and vintage finds are many. Some homes contain items that are being liquidated after a resident who has been in the house for their whole life has passed on. Other old houses have owners who, like me, furnish their places with vintage elements, then after having collected way too much (like me) find it necessary to pass some of that on at their own garage sale.

I have frequented both the East Dundee Flea Market and the Kane County Flea Market (WHOA!!!!). The cost of 5.00 admission into Kane County is well worth the price. Yesterday I walked out of there with handmade pillows for my bed....the likes of which would have cost me 60.00 in a store. I purchased one handmade pillow for 6.00 and another antique, silky bolster pillow for 2.00. A pair of earrings for 2.00 and a couple cute little plants rounded out my deals.

I even had my own garage sale this year to purge treasures from days gone by to make room for the new ones I find.

The best thing about having a garage sale, or going to one of these events though is the people. I met so many nice Elgin residents this summer and it was a pleasure.

I also frequented Elgin's antique stores this year and made a purchase or two at each. Elgin Antiques and Uniques had a great sale event last Friday night. They've got some beautiful things in there.

The Elgin Windmill factory Antiques is one of of those wonderfully musty old antique shops with a treasure from the past tucked in every corner. The owner told me he was going out of business and he did have an auction last Saturday but I don't know if he shut his doors for good or not. I need to swing by there and check it out.

I also went to a great shop on Walnut Street. It to had a lot of great treasures tucked here and there and a nice owner who was a delight to talk to.

If you are an antique lover, please be sure to support our local antique dealers....antique shops are few and far between these days and Elgin is the perfect city for antiquing. The historic atmosphere here adds to the adventure. I would love to see it become a "destination" for shoppers from all over Chicagoland. It is up to us in Elgin to support our local businesses to make sure they survive. It benefits us all.