Memorable Firsts

I'm here! I've finally arrived in Blog Land. This is my very fist blog! Blog number ONE! Since it's my first blog, I started thinking of "Firsts."  Firsts are so memorable.  Since I have three daughters and three grandchildren, with grandbaby number 4 on the way, I automatically think of baby's first tooth, first step, and the first day of kindergarten. And, then of course, there's the first date, first kiss, and first love. And what about my first job, first car, and first house ~ all so exciting! But, besides my family, you know what makes me the most excited and what I'm most passionate about?  You may have guessed it, since I own an antique store...yep, Antiques! I have been in the antique business for over 20 years now, but collected antiques since I was a child.  My fist antique was a bony looking syrocco wood horse statue that I found in an abadoned shed.  I thought I found gold! I still have him somewhere, but can't seem to find him at the moment. I often think that first rush at finding my emaciated horse is what spurred this lifelong compulsion to collect antiques. I remember buying my first antique piece of furniture when my husband, Don and I bought our first house in Orange ~ an Oak Drawleaf table with barley twist legs. Then a few years later, I went country, and my first country piece was an old barn louvre with peely white paint that I bought from Denise and Tom at Uncle Toms in Orange.  It still hangs in my hallway - that was the start of my love of American Country!  I was a stay at home mom and decided to make extra money by junking - the first thing I sold was a cottage style dresser. I've taken baby steps in the antique business, first I rented a space at a small antique store in Corona where we had moved, then back to Orange where I rented spaces at Orange Circle Mall and Someplace in Time. Later, I rented even more spaces at other malls in the Orange Circle.  Then we opened our first store in Yorba Linda, only 700 square feet as you can see below!

Down Home in Yorba Linda

Only 2 years later we opened our first antique mall in Orange - yep, Down Home Antiques! We've had a lot of firsts over the years, but we will celebrate 12 years in Orange at our Birthday Open House on June 25th, and that feels good!  I'm thankful for firsts!!!




Down Home in Old Towne Orange

xo ~ Peggy