Just like we did over Memorial Day, we spent the long Labor Day weekend at my parents’ beach house near Bethany Beach, Delaware. The trip was full of family time, good food, and a few oddball discoveries. We also managed to cross off a couple of items we’ve been hunting for, which made the weekend feel especially productive.
Our little adventure technically began in Maryland, at a place we’ve driven past a hundred times but never stopped at: the Ole Sale Barn in Denton, MD. We finally had the right mix of weather, holiday timing, and a cooperative baby nap schedule to pull off a visit, and it was immediately entertaining. The lot is a wild collection of roadside curiosities, and our arrival felt like stepping into a thrift-store-themed amusement park.
One particularly memorable sight was a giant metal chicken and a field of lawn jockeys that seemed to captivate Clara more than anything else — maybe because she’s suddenly taller than most of them. Amid the quirky pieces there were some genuinely interesting finds: heavy metal grates or patio table tops that would make striking, industrial wall art, and a set of white-and-gold lighted sign letters that I absolutely loved. They were priced at $20 apiece and wired to light up. None of the letters quite spelled anything useful for us, or I would have bought one on the spot (I later realized an upside-down L could have passed for a 7, which would’ve been perfect). The seller joked that the letters were destined for a Dollar Tree but “never made it to their destination,” which was an amusing mystery best left unexplored.
Inside the barn it was even more chaotic—stacks of furniture, vintage carnival games, and surprisingly elegant pieces tucked into corners. A trio of overlapping mirrors caught our eye; in person they read as a modern, layered statement piece that I could picture painted a soft gray or charcoal. The photo I took doesn’t convey how much more composed it looked in real life, and the reflection even revealed a plastic mermaid bust that we hadn’t noticed until later. Maybe she’s a mer-ghost, but either way the mirrors had potential.
We left Denton with nothing but a mental checkmark for “stop at that fun barn place” and a small twinge of regret for not snagging a letter to turn into a lucky seven. Still, the detour set a fun tone for the rest of the weekend.
Back in Bethany, one of our favorite haunts is Beach Plum Antiques. Despite the name, it’s more of a treasure-packed thrift shop than a traditional antiques store, and it’s overflowing with beachy decor and unexpected pieces we’ve collected over the years. That day it offered everything from nautical glass buoys to a stunning but pricey ship’s throttle that stopped our daydreaming cold at $395. After poking around, we surprisingly left empty-handed, but inspiration was abundant.
On Sunday we took a detour to visit friends of my parents, Pam and Neil, who were finishing an above-garage addition that added two bedrooms, a bathroom, and a second story to their home. The new peak above the left side of the house with the double window is all recent, and the interior treatments were thoughtful and restrained. They chose custom stairs with an open, industrial feel that tuck visually out of the way so the hallway still draws your eye into the living room. The treads were lightly gray-washed so the wood grain showed through, giving a warm but airy appearance.
Because the entry needed a bit more depth to accommodate the new staircase, they bumped out the front door and created a small entry platform. They didn’t have enough matching floor tile to fill the new space, so they turned the shortage into a design moment by creating a mosaic inset from the extra tiles and using the larger remaining tiles as a border. The result looks intentional and charming rather than patched together. In the new upstairs bathroom, Pam solved a different tiling problem by having the builder cut the larger tiles into smaller squares for the shower floor. It took more work but guaranteed a perfect match and a cohesive, beach-house vibe throughout.
We did come home with a small score, thanks to a yard sale sign Sherry spotted on our way back from the playground one morning. We swung by and found two solid mid-century nightstands from the 1950s or 60s. They’re real wood, dovetailed, and exactly the kind of nightstand with drawers we’ve been searching for — a huge upgrade from the squat side tables we’d been using. The seller initially asked $30 for both, but we negotiated and got them for $22, which meant $11 each. Somehow we managed to fit one in the trunk and one in the back seat despite traveling with a baby seat, pack-and-play, and dog crate. A small miracle and an unbeatable price.
My sister, who happened to have a bigger car, rushed back to the sale after seeing our photos and bought a matching dresser for $30. It turned out we now each owned part of the same mid-century bedroom set, which felt delightfully fitting. She isn’t sure where she’ll put it yet, so I’m half-jokingly hoping it may eventually migrate to our house.
Of course, no beach weekend with Clara is complete without sand and surf. We squeezed in some beach time despite chilly water and a busier-than-usual shoreline after the storms. Clara and her cousins made the most of it — sand in diapers, seagull spotting, and plenty of shrieks of “birdieeee!” As always, a sunny day on the sand with my girls felt like the perfect end-of-summer memory, and those $11 nightstands were a sweet bonus.
What did you do or buy over the holiday weekend? We loved getting away from the half-finished projects at home — a short break felt like a reset. Between beach days, antique hunting, and clever renovation details from friends, we returned refreshed and ready to tackle a few DIY tasks with renewed enthusiasm. And yes, when family members casually mention that the holidays are only a few months away, it’s still mildly shocking — where did summer go?
Psst — we announced this week’s giveaway winners. Check your email to see if you’re one of them.