Saturday Spotlight: Life Behind the Blogger

Milena from Path to Junkin Treasure 

 Saturday Spotlight: Life Behind the Blogger is a feature done each Saturday that introduces you to a blogger you may already know or a new blogger for you to get to know. This feature gives you a peak into the personal life of the blogger.  Getting to know the special person behind the beautiful blog.

There is so much talent and inspiration in blogland so enjoy getting to know these talented bloggers each Saturday.

This Saturday it gives me great pleasure to introduce you to a blogger I met in person and did not know she was a fellow blogger or follower of my blog.  

Terry and I were out one day junkin and we came across this cute antique place.   Carriage House Antiques in Crystal Lake Illinois.   I walked in the door and there was Milena behind the counter and right away she recognized me from my blog.  We struck up a conversation and when I got home I found her blog and knew she would be a wonderful blogger to get to know here on Spotlight. 

 How great is this to meet up with a fellow blogger before we knew we were fellow bloggers lol!  Love it!

Enjoy getting to know Milena and then hop over to her great blog and say Hi.

Thank you Kris for including me in the Saturday Spotlight.  I am touched and extremely excited to be a part of this.  When you and Terry walked through the door of The Carriage House Antiques the day I was there, I never imagined how wonderful being a part of a blog could be.

Hi, my name is Milena and I am fairly new to writing a blog.  I am still figuring it all out.  My blog, pathtojunkentreasure.blogspot.com started out as a way to let everyone know how much fun and inexpensive it could be to buy treasures (as I call them) at garage sales, rummage sales, thrift stores, flea markets and even salvaging someone else's throw outs.  I am out almost daily looking for those finds.  I like to list how much I paid for an item and when the sales are happening.  I also like to blog about stores that I have found on my travels.  It is my path to junk and treasure.  Hence, the name for my blog.

I am sitting in "my room" where I spend a lot of time creating.

                                                     

And so my story begins.....I was born in New Jersey and moved to Illinois around 22 years ago when my husband went to work in the family business.  (August marks our 20^th wedding anniversary)   I am still a Jersey girl at heart and get homesick at times, especially in the summer.  I spent so much time at the Jersey shore that I miss the ocean when things heat up.  I make sure to get back there every summer so my sons know the joy that I experienced while growing up.  Speaking of sons, I have 2 wonderful teenage boys that I drag around on my treasure hunts. 

Atlantic City New Jersey                                                                        

Before my sons were born, I worked in haircare/skincare sales in the salon industry and traveled the East Coast and then in the Midwest when I moved to Illinois.  I traveled a lot and really enjoyed it, but when the boys came along, I decided to spend my time with them.  I substituted at different school districts for the past 13 years so that I could be around when they were out of school.  Eight years ago, I became a McHenry County Master Gardener through the University of Illinois Extension.  I love it and enjoy teaching others about gardening.  It has been very rewarding and fulfilling. 

Here we are in New Glarus Wisconsin.

                                                                     

Almost 1 year ago, this September, I began selling my treasures at The Carriage House Antiques and Good Stuff shop in Crystal Lake Illinois.  Karen and Di have been in business for over 10 years now and I shopped there often.  I am so glad that they asked me to be a part of their business.  I am loving every minute of it!  I can now shop for others instead of only for myself. 

My whole family loves antiques.  It must be in our genes.  My grandfather had worked in the coal mines in Pennsylvania and loved to "shop" at the local dump for bottles.  He had a large collection.  In the summer when we would visit, he would always show us his collection in the shed.  It was huge to my little eyes.    He gave me an Indian syrup bottle at one time and I treasured it.  My mom would let us bring home treasures that we would find on throw out days in town.  She repurposed items before it was the thing to do.  My brothers were also bitten by the antique bug and most recently my father has become addicted to treasure hunting. 

There are a few collections that I am obsessed about.  My mother gave me a hammered aluminum piece years ago that her father had given to her.  That was all it took for me to want to know everything about hammered aluminum.   At one time, I had over 300 pieces.  I have since reduced the size, but still get excited about a new piece.  I also love milk glass, vintage jewelry, vintage Christmas and vintage linens.  Especially vintage tablecloths and hand embroidered pieces.  My guest room closet is full!  In my spare time, I like to knit and sew, especially pillows.  I enjoy quilting where I can use my vast collection of fabric, another obsession of mine. 

Thank you so much for opening up your home to me.  I have enjoyed sharing my life with all of you and hope you will visit my blog to see where my next pathtojunkentreasure will lead.

Hope you enjoyed getting to know Milena today.  Milena is a sweet and down to earth as her story shows today.  Please take some time and visit her great blog.

Have a great Saturday.

Kris

:)