We are back from what turned out to be an exciting, exhausting, and hectic trip to the Midwest! We painted, cleaned, restored, designed, tagged, sorted, and planned our way through the weeks at
5th Street Vintage and spent the weekends making awesome memories with our families. However, the most important thing (after family, of course) was the antiquing! We went all over southeastern Nebraska, Omaha, Lincoln, Iowa, and Sioux Falls in search for our newest treasures and we found some amazing things! Here is our trip in snapshots:
We worked so hard getting 5th Street Vintage ready to open! There is still a lot of work left to do and it was so hard to leave knowing my mom was stuck to finish up. I have to say, besides finishing my dissertation, I left Nebraska feeling so proud of this little shop. I cannot wait for the grand opening!
To know
The Vintage Chanteuse is to know that I am a coffee snob. I found this little coffee coffee/antique store/wine bar/live music venue in Fairbury, NE! What?! This is my dream business! If you ever find yourself in Southeastern Nebraska, get yourself to
The Stagecoach Antique Mall. Whatever you do, order yourself a double espresso and the freshly made pastry of the morning, then sit and listen to music in their cafe or peruse the antique mall. There is no better way to spend a morning off.
There is a very special place in my heart for
Fistful of Daisies in downtown Beatrice. I have found some of my most treasured vintage pieces there. The owners, Kathy and Kerry, are quite simply the nicest people around! Kathy is so charming and she has an amazing eye for vintage decor from mid-century modern furniture to rustic shabby chic pieces and everything in between! I never miss a Thursday at Fistful of Daisies!
Most important to us is family. Having a nephew has changed the way I look at life (crazy, I know!) Being around him as he discovers the world with naïvety is breathtaking. This little man has my heart!
Now, it wouldn't be a
vacation without some libations! We had amazing cocktails in Sioux Falls, SD at
Crawford's. It's an old men's clothing store that has been restored to look like a 1920's speakeasy...so awesome! Our own version of these cocktails will be on the blog soon!
We did wine tasting at
Strawbale Winery in Renner, SD. This is the most charming winery! The property is nestled in the South Dakota countryside next to a hundred year old barn with colorful Adirondack chairs scattered about the acreage. There are beautiful roosters waiting to be fed and sweet little kittens roaming the grounds! During the Summer months, the winery holds live open air concerts and serves wine and picnic-style food. It is a must if you find yourself in the Sioux Falls area!
I never thought I would ever say this...but I fell in love with Sioux Falls, SD! What a great city! So many antiques stores, great restaurants, breweries, wineries, and an amazing historic downtown district. If you are looking for a getaway that is within driving distance of Nebraska, Sioux Falls is a great choice!
Of course, it wouldn't feel like home if there wasn't a thunderstorm at least 3 times a week. I love Nebraska weather!
By the end of the three weeks, we had spent 50+ hours in the car and it was exhausting but totally worth it. We saw a ton of corn, barns, and a lot of traffic along our route. We made it home with our car full of treasures and was greeted by lots of exciting news regarding my singing career! But, as always when I leave home, it was accompanied by a little homesickness.
Until next time, Midwest!
Salut!
The Vintage Chanteuse
