A day late but better late than never, right? Right. With the house move and the holidays, I didn’t tackle a DIY over the weekend. Instead, the hubs and I woke at dawn (okay, more like eight o’clock) and headed off into the freezing, gray drizzle to check out the Alameda Point Antiques Faire and to find my next DIY candidate.

Call me partial (due to hometown pride), but I prefer the Rose Bowl Flea Market to this NorCal equivalent. The Rose Bowl’s market simply has more stuff (and perhaps considerably more junk — depending on one’s point of view). But there is less competition up here and although we had a late start (in flea market terms), there was plenty to ogle by late morning. (Not to say that I didn’t mourn the chance of snagging a few items I saw leaving through the exit gate as we entered.)

A vintage bread cart caught my eye by the 2nd row. But ever the pragmatist, the hubs urged me to take a spin around the rest of the market before blowing my budget on the first item I saw (and wanted). As anyone who frequents flea/antiques markets will know, we didn’t get that cart. It was sold by the time we made our way back. But I did bring home this quirky piece to work some magic on and bring back to life:

It’s a key hook from an old Post Office. Always a sucker for history, I fell for the stories that are woven into its past. The real brass detailing under the peeling paint show promise for a second life as my necklace display. Although I’m off to Paris this weekend (without a chance to work on this), I’ll be sure to show the final product in a few weeks.

The morning at the Antiques Faire ended with a treat for my photographer/driver/husband with a meatball sandwich from Le Truc. It was the converted school bus that caught our eye (with clever indoor seating) and the menu that sealed the deal. xx

The Alameda Point Antiques Faire happens the first Sunday of every month (with rollover on truly rainy days). Parking is free, admission varies based on the time that you enter. Food trucks line the perimeter, offering sustenance for all the hard work that goes into shopping an antiques market.