Wolf Creek Trading Co.

And then I got Bronchitis. :( I finally went to the doctor yesterday and started antibiotics, so hopefully I'm on the mend.  My fever the past few days insured my accomplishment of pretty much nothing, so without further ado: the second Ohio post I promised!

After settling in at the B+B, my Mom and I decided to explore the area a bit-- one of the things I love about my Mother, she tends to always be up for adventure. :)  After driving for no more than a couple minutes, we spotted this place:

And what vintage lover could resist that, right? None.  So we tentatively pulled into the gravel lot and got out to investigate.  The proprietor was on sight and welcomed us to take a look in both the barn full of vintage furniture and housewears, and in another building full of local art and handmade items.  We had arrived at Wolf Creek Trading Co. and began to look around.

As you probably know if you've been reading my blog, neither I or my family of origin are strangers to history and old things-- it's kind of in our blood.  As mine is clothing, one of my Mom's specialties is home furnishings, so we both spent a good amount of time in here. We, unlike many vintage enthusiasts, are actually good at not over buying though, and each walked away with only one small thing-- a stack of small bowls for my Mom and a hat for me!  My favorite feature of this barn (besides everything) is the beautiful stained glass that was put in the front windows.

I didn't take many pictures in the handmade building because it felt rude to photograph people's artwork-- I know, I'm weird and over-think everything.  Everything was beautiful, jewelry, candles and soaps, textiles and fine art were all present.  I did take this one picture because I was so taken with her work and wanted to remember her name (Lisa Merrick)!  Her pressed botanicals and butterflies remind me of a childhood favorite book of mine, A Girl of The Limberlost by Gene Stratton Porter.

All-in-all, such a surprising and wonderful weekend!  Boy am I glad I didn't come down with bronchitis until afterwards! :)  If you are ever in the Akron, OH area, Canton is such a sweet spot to check out.

The Whimsical Pig

This past weekend, I went on a family jaunt to a little town outside of Akron, Ohio to visit my sister-in-law's family-- this is the first of two posts I'll do on the subject.  Little did I know when we left Saturday morning, what natural beauty and unique charm the weekend would hold.  I got my first hint a few minutes from the B+B we would be staying at, when we drove through this.

I'm such a sucker for tree-lined roads, but especially ones like this that feel like tree tunnels.  Just around the corner, we arrived at our home-base for the weekend: The Whimsical Pig Bed and Breakfast, aka the sweetest, most awesome lodging ever.  At least for yours truly, that is.

I wish I'd taken better pictures of the full exterior of this restored vintage farmhouse.  The gardens were so beautiful, complete with lounge chairs next to a rocky stream and koi pond.  Three sweet farm cats lazily strolled the paths and prowled through the flowers. My favorite of them was a big tom cat named Thunder who is what I like to call, a John Wayne style cat-- stoic but a sweetheart at the core.

Inside the house were even more surprises, beautifully restored with glistening wood floors and full of vintage details and decor.  I'm pretty sure I did a double take, and definitely wondered what the odds were of finding such a place in the area we were visiting-- not to mention later finding out that this had been a last minute selection on the part of my SIL's family, who had no concept of the affinity for history that my family and I have!  It felt like such a wink from God, and indeed it was.  I was so busy taking everything in that I didn't take pictures of everything that I wish I had, but here are some glimpses. Not to mention, the spectacular breakfasts: the oatmeal cremebrule and baked honey grapefruit were my favorites!

One thing I so wish I'd gotten a picture of more than anything else is the awesome couple who own The Whimsical Pig! Sue and Ron were the most welcoming and genuine hosts who not only made our stay wonderful with their attention to detail, but were such a blessing to talk with and get to know.

I may be back at the Whimsical Pig before too long. :)