Carroll Creek Primitives

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We are a brick & mortar store, open year-round with an ever-changing variety of what I like to call "all good things".

Now for a bit of history about us...

I often get asked how I got started in my business. It all stems from a love of antiques and old things that I've always had since a little girl. My parents have pictures of me around age 3, standing in front of 1800's homes.. just staring at them. My dad used to carry his camera everywhere, and they told me that I used to make them pull over and take photos of old abondoned homesteads on our travels. I still have every one of those pictures, too.

When I was 16, I started to collect antiques. It all started with a box of about 400 c1800's photographs I bought in Union, IL, at their annual Historical Society sale. It was $10 for the box, and I was hooked. I also purchased my first pieces of vintage clothing there, two c1880's ladies bustle dresses. I started out liking the Victorian era or 1880-1890's, but as time went on, I kept getting into earlier periods. My favorite now is 1840's - 1860's / Civil War Era. I also have a fondness for Colonial times and homes from the 1700's.

I love to collect antique images of ladies wearing flowered bonnets from that time period, early chairs esp. ladder back chairs, early quilts in reds, greens, black, indigo blue & cheddar, engraved CDV albums, ladies & girls vintage clothing from those time periods, along with accessories such as purses, shoes & stockings... old pictures with wavy glass frames, old children's toys, rocking horses, milk glass, primitive cupboards & other furniture pieces with worn paint... the list could go on! It is hard to have the store sometimes because I want to keep a lot of my finds for myself!

Growing up in Illinois, we always went to the neat old downtown shopping districts and wonderful craft shows... a lot of the towns there have their shows in historic homes and you would go from house to house seeing them all decorated.. it inspired me and I always thought it would be fun to do something like that myself. My mom and grandmother always crafted, and would do shows of their own.

When I moved to MN 5 years ago, I decided I wanted to do some shows, but also wanted to give others an outlet to sell their goods. It was all an experiment that went right :) Everyone would ask me if I had a store though. In 2006, we took a leap and decided to give a retail store a try. It has been wonderful to meet so many people who share our love of all *old*... If I could, I would have a few stores, it's truly my passion. Maybe one day that will happen! I do like Lindstrom and think it can be revitalized, and we'd love to be a part of that.

We have an old farmhouse in Center City that consists of an original c1852 log cabin and the latter part constructed in 1870. Todd saved it from being burned to the ground, and it has been in renovation since 2000. We are hoping to get far enough along to have our first annual "Christmas at Carroll Creek" this year.. if not, all will have to wait until next. We will have a craft show, give house tours and provide baked goods and refreshments made by us.

kitty