shop tour: The Rusty Bucket

Here at Lucille's we love junk.  Rusty, old, creaky, beaten up stuff is some of our favorite stuff in the world.  We love chairs with peeling, worn paint, skeleton keys covered in patina, and all sorts of odd little things that probably should have been thrown out years ago... like that box of dental molds we saw at a flea market once (true story. totally should have bought them).  But we also love fancy things, like old art, glassware, and things of that nature.  That's why we were so psyched to stumble upon The Rusty Bucket in Saco, Maine. 

The Rusty Bucket is housed in a little Victorian house just off Route 1 in Saco on Ross Road.  When you first pull into the parking lot, you're greeted with the lovely sight that you see in the photo above - JUNK!  Heaps of old shutters, wire baskets, buoys, and lots of things you didn't know you needed until the moment you saw them.  

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Just past the heaps of things, there's a small brightly painted shed that houses even more treasures.  It was in there that we found our favorite pieces of the day - an old weather vane and an antique time card holder.  We didn't last out there for very long because it was FREEZING that day! So we headed inside...

When you enter the shop you're greeted by warmth, which is most important on a cold day, the lovely smell of potpourri, and lots and lots of goodies to gaze at.  Most days, you'll also find Mike, one of the owners, behind the counter - he's excellent to chat with! 

We spent quite a bit of time wandering around looking at all the treasures in the shop...  I really loved some of the pieces on the wall above.

And don't forget to go downstairs! There are even more things tucked away down there! 

Like these salty old sailors.  And that beaaaautiful old scale! 

And I mean, have you EVER seen a pair of handles so beautiful in your life? When we saw these I actually said out loud "they just don't make 'em like they used to!", which sounds incredibly silly coming from a 26 year old, but still remains true.

We've gone to the Rusty Bucket twice within a span of a week or two, and it's totally worth the multiple trips.  We're actually super lucky to have found out about the place when we did.. because they're currently closed up for the winter and will re-open in the spring.  It seems almost unfair for us to blog about it... but.. we figure it'll just give you something to look forward to in the springtime!  In the meantime, Mike sells some things on eBay... and he updates his facebook regularly, so you should like him on there! 

Stay tuned for our next shop tour...

 and if you have anywhere you think we should feature, please let us know! We're always looking for an excuse for a roadtrip :)

-Jess & Caiti

shop tour: Little Ghost Vintage

On our last shop tour, we took a peek into Monarch Mercantile. Now, we get to check out a lovely shop called Little Ghost Vintage owned by a super awesome lady who has become a dear friend of ours.  I admit that I may have spent more time gossiping with Dawn, the shop's owner, than taking photos (seriously, ask my husband - we were probably there for WELL over an hour hahaha), so I probably could have been more thorough, but you'll just have to stop in and see it for yourself. My photos can't even properly capture how fun this place is anyways... it's worth taking a trip there to see it in person and dig around for treasures, trust me :)

Dawn had always wanted her own thrift store, and this past spring she made that dream a reality, opening up Little Ghost in the Time & Temp building in Portland. You can find entrances for the store on Preble Street, or through the Time & Temp Building's lobby via Congress Street, so it's super accessible and a great place to pop in if you're walking around downtown. 

(this is the only picture I even got with the shop's name in it... such a bad blogger. but a good gossiper!)

Little Ghost makes a point to have lots of fun items at reasonable prices.  It stands out from a lot of other shops in Portland because... well, you can actually leave here with your wallet intact.  There's a huge variety of clothing, both vintage and more modern secondhand, as well as lots of housewares, accessories, and fun knicknacks (and whozits and whatsits galore).

Dawn goes to auctions regularly (an addiction that I blame entirely on myself and Caiti), as well as having a team of pickers that buys for her... so there are always plenty of treasures to be found!

i loved this apron! if only my name was Addie...

that's a Lucille's nightgown right there to the right, in case you were wondering! ;)

I keep thinking about this piece - at first I thought it was a family photo, then Dawn pointed out to me that it's a collage of THE SAME WOMAN throughout her lifetime! I LOVE IT SO MUCH. i should probably just buy it. i love that she rocked the pigtails during two phases of life!

  

so, seriously, dudes. If you're in Portland, go check out Little Ghost. Even if you're not in Portland, you should drive there because it's totally worth it.  And... if you happen to be around for First Friday in August, she's throwing a little shindig! Like Little Ghost on Facebook for up to the minute updates (and because the cover photo is my new favorite thing ever). 

Keep an eye out for our next Shop Tour... and let us know if you have a shop you'd like to be featured, or if you know of somewhere that is blog worthy. We're always down for a road trip!

-Jess & Caiti