As far back as I can remember there were always two things that I held dear; nature and yard sales!! I caught the thrifting bug early and decorated my room with chipped and re-glued porcelain figurines and castoffs. My grandparents were well seasoned bargain hunters and always on the look out for treasures. I can remember riding in the back of their huge station wagon and hearing my grandmother, Betty, at the first sight of a yard sale, thrift store, or "curbside mall special" yell out "Miller!! Miller!! Stop the car!!" I don't know what I enjoyed more at the time, the excitement of shopping for old stuff or rolling around in the back of that old station wagon! Those were the days! My grandfather, Miller, was a nature buff. We'd take walks in Parvin State Park in Southern New Jersey where I grew up and he would point out all the local plants. He was an avid gardener and they grew a lot of what they ate. Betty was an excellent cook and made the most of it!! They were not only thrifty but resourceful and taught me that "waste not, want not" is an incredible model to live by. I owe my love (and dare I say hoarding tendencies) of all things antique, second-hand, upcycled, and recycled stuff to them and to my parents, who also instilled in me a desire to save all that is old and just darn-right cool.