Behind The Counter- January 2025

Welcome to Behind the Counter. Take a glimpse behind the scenes at Thistle & Bess to connect with people who inspire, hear the thoughtful stories behind the goods that I love and find out what is currently sparking joy in my life. 

I recently spent some time getting back to my business roots by traveling to the Original Miami Beach Antique Show, which I had never attended before. Many of you know that T&B started as an Etsy shop selling reworked vintage and antique jewelry (see some of my earliest pieces below). I adore antique jewelry, specifically Georgian and Victorian Era pieces. They are truly tiny wearable pieces of history, each one with their own story. The fact that these miniature things have survived hundreds of years and can still be worn and enjoyed blows my mind. 

After opening my storefront in Ann Arbor in 2015, I slowly started getting away from selling antiques. From a business perspective, it was difficult to plan and grow my business while searching for and selling pieces that were one of a kind and varied so much in their cost. Eventually our T&B fine jewelry line was born from this original love of antiques. I started making our own versions of my favorite antique jewelry, but in a way that I could control production, costs and supply. While our T&B jewelry line has been successful, I still miss the hunt for antiques, which is why I am hoping to get back to selling more of these special pieces in the shop this year. 

I had a very successful trip to Miami, picking up some truly special jewelry. I was delighted to find one of my favorite UK dealers at the show, which was so lovely to reconnect and get inspired. I brought back an exciting selection of book lockets, a charming enamel Fede Ring and a stunning Essex Crystal Greyhound pendant (which is my favorite piece of the bunch) to name a few. 

I hope that you stop in to see these pieces in person and hear the stories behind them. They are also listed online. Hopefully you enjoy them as much as I do. I am looking forward to taking another antique buying trip to England in the spring. 

We are in the depths of winter in Michigan. Freezing temperatures, snow and days upon days without sunshine really take their toll on me. I recently picked up a bunch of  bulbs at Trader Joe's and made a little "Spring Shrine" of sorts on my mantel at home. I can't tell you how much joy these living, growing flowers have given me. It may be snowing outside, but the flowers are reminding me that there are warmer days ahead. The bulbs came in the glass vessels already, they were super affordable and you can plant them outside in the spring! I might even go pick up some more. Trader Joe's flowers for the win!