Born Brilliant

Some people are just born with the knack. They can look at a trash heap and instantly discover a treasure. Trenna Lange is one of those people. Once the owner of Sycamore Moon—a shop I loved, loved, loved that was shuttered a couple of years ago and now the mastermind behind sycamoremoondesign.com, she lives in Kirkwood with her adorable children, Hadley and Henry. AT HOME shot her house (look for it in the March/April, 2009 issue) and while we were there, the photographer (Alise O'Brien), the art director (Lindsay Timme) and I all ooohed and aaaahed over her things and her great style and taste. So, we set a date to go estate sale shopping with her. Above are Lindsay (front), Alise (second) and me (bringing up the rear).

It was a blast. Just about Trenna would pick up—and then put down, I bought. She found an alabaster lamp for $20. (It's now mine. Not to say that I have anyplace to put it, but it is now in my possession.) First we started at an estate sale in Glendale and then we ended up at Treasure Isle. While both Lindsay and Alise went home empty handed, Trenna and I plunked down a few dollars for some (kinda, sorta) antiquities—like the 60's purse Trenna nabbed, as well as the chunk of coral, blue vase, bamboo easel and shell soap dish while I am now the proud owner of the aforementioned lamp and wire file holder. 

Of course, a girls' day out would not have been complete without lunch—which we happily had at Robust. (Trenna is the lovely one without the sunglasses.) As the temperatures start to dive, the garage and estate sales will peter out for a while. But, we've already got a date set for the Gypsy Caravan in May. Maybe by then, hopefully I will have found a happy home for the alabaster lamp—in my house or someone else's.