Thrill of the Hunt: Vol 8 - Tally Ho, England!
A week spent in England antiquing with my sister - all the details included!
Hello, friends and Happy July! Somehow, we’re over halfway through the year.
Last week, I returned home from a week-long antiquing trip with my sister in England. Save for the record-breaking heat, it was about as magical as it sounds. I shared some of our trip on Instagram and have gotten a lot of questions about it - let’s dive in!
WHAT WE DID
My sister and I hopped across the pond (ATL - LHR) on the red eye for a week of antiquing in England.
After arriving in London, we traveled to the beautiful Sussex. This was my first time outside of the city, and it was everything my Jane Austen-loving heart could’ve dreamed of: thatched roofs, rolling hills, and a field that looked an awful lot like the one where Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett declare their love for each other.
I DIGRESS.
We spent a few lovely days in the area, attending antique fairs, visiting local shops, and meeting antique dealers (and purchasing from their stashes!) and generally having a fabulous time.
From there, we drove into London, where we spent the remainder of our trip. After a day of playing tourists, we were down to business - local shops and bazaars, and an hour-long train ride to a fair just outside of the city. It was magical!
But…why?
Besides this being a buying trip for my sister, who owns an antiques and interiors store in Atlanta, it was also a bit of a “research and development” trip for an idea we’ve been mulling over for a while now: hosted antiquing trips to the UK.
My sister sources her antiques from England regularly, and you know how much I love the thrill of the hunt. Though I’m often asked to take people along with me on my thrifting adventures, the reality is that I live in a small town and this would be logistically difficult.
In England, however…
So, we spent this time working out those logistical details: where to stay, which shows to attend, how to get from A to B, etc. - creating an itinerary that provides as much great shopping as possible, without *too* much travel or downtime.
Though we still have some logistics to work out (namely, 2026 fair dates) we feel excited about offering a trip in 2026!
How did you get things home?
Great question. Per my sister’s suggestion, I packed all of my things into a large bag, and placed that inside an XL checked bag. I used the empty XL bag to send back almost all of my items, save for the two Staffordshire cows that I carried onto the plane.
For larger items, my sister uses a trusted shipper in England who can send it to the US via land or sea. Time frames for arrival vary, as does pricing (cough cough, tariffs) but it’s the only option for large pieces.
What did you get?
Primarily, art, with a few odds and ends. With the exception of an amazing metamorphic chair, which I shipped, I brought it all home with me in bags. More on that below!
WHAT I PACKED
First things first, I made a bit of an error as far as luggage went. I (very appreciatively) borrowed some standard XL suitcases. In hindsight, I should have used the hard shell suitcases. Luckily, everything ended up safe and sound (for the most part!) but hard-top luggage would have added a second later of protection.
Here were the real MVPs of the trip:
The night before my trip, I scurried to Target to find some kind of a carry on, as I’d realized the one I’ve used for years had a broken strap. I remembered travel guru Mary Helen Law raving about a particular bag, and texted her in a panic. With her counsel, I walked out of there with the best carry on bag I’ve ever had. It’s lightweight, has a laptop sleeve, looks nice, can attach to a roller bag, or can be carried comfortably. It has plenty of interior pockets and I’m a fan for life.
This was a gift from the brand that I received right before my trip, so I was excited to try them. They’re little compartments of different sizes with magnetic closures. To be honest, I wasn’t really sure of their intended use, but I ended up scrapping my usual toiletry bags (where everything gets lost in an abyss) and using these instead. I kept a small one in my purse, another in my carry on, and then used the medium and large ones for the rest: makeup, skincare, and all of my hair-related things (curling iron, brushes, dry shampoo, etc.) in the larger one.
I loved it for a few reasons: 1, they’re sturdy but also relatively flat. I didn’t have to struggle with fitting my giant toiletries bag in my suitcase and begging it to close. I could kind of tuck these in the “nooks and crannies” and on top without any struggle. 2, I could see everything. No digging around for floss or eye cream. They’re clear! 3, the top is magnetic. I can’t tell you how many zippers I’ve accidentally ripped off of an old toiletries bag (whoops) so I don’t have to worry about that here.
Use code ELIZA15 for 15% off!
3.) Packing Cubes
Never underestimate the power of a packing cube. You can get these anywhere, but I like a set with multiple sizes. I roll my clothes and put each “type” of item in the same cube. You get the idea, but seriously - I don’t know how I ever lived without these. When we travel with kids, each child has their own color.
4.) Comfortable Dresses
Layering is key. Though I had a cute sweater to wear with most of these, it was unfortunately 1 billion degrees for the first few days of our trip.
Even still - I packed a few lightweight, comfortable dresses with me - and I’m so glad I did! Some of the dresses I packed are no longer available, but I’ve linked the ones that are.
First | Second | Third | Fourth
5.) Hydrinity Spray
Claire O’Bryan has been spraying this stuff on her face for ages, and I’m finally in on the hype. It’s essentially a hand sanitizer for your face. If you’re prone to breakouts, or just need a little “spritz” after a day on the plane (or digging through other people’s stuff) - 10/10, recommend. Use code ELIZA10 for anything from the Skin Clique (side note: I wear this SPF every day.)
6.) EBY Bras
This is a new-to-me brand that, frankly, came just in time. I am notorious for grabbing a random bra at Target or TJ Maxx and assuming that it will work out for me. It wasn’t until recently that I even considered the fact that I should, maybe, make sure that I was actually wearing the right size and, perhaps, not all bras have to be uncomfortable.
Enter EBY. They sent me their Relief Bra (an “everyday” bra with no underwire) and their Bralette (more like a sports bra, but I sized up and wore this under tighter t-shirts) and guys… I love them. They are comfortable, don’t dig, don’t show seams - I could go on. Bras aren’t usually my typical schtick, but these really are great. Looks like everything is on sale right now, too.
WHAT I BOUGHT
Shocker - mostly art!
1.) I love each of these pieces so much. The first thing I bought was the sardine and garlic painting. I just love the colors and frame. Though there were a lot of expensive pieces along our journey, each of these was priced very reasonably (the far right was just 2 pounds!)
2.) I’m a sucker for green plates. These were very well priced and luckily made it home unscathed.
3.) This little silver turtle has a broken hinge, but for 7 pounds, I don’t mind at all!
4.) I bought a bunch of these silver rose baskets for myself and friends.
5.) The gasp I GUSP when I saw the price on these guys. Their little horns are broken (the reason they were so well priced) but I figured no one would notice once they were displayed. I was right!
Not pictured: a gold bangle for myself, a gold heart locket for my daughter, a silver “gin” decanter tag, and mother of pearl pocket knives for my boys.
WHAT I LEFT BEHIND
A lot, y’all. But you knew that. Here are a few things I just loved - but had to leave behind - whether for size or price. I’m still thinking about them, though!
1.) A pair of stunning demilune tables
2.) This silver golf decanter was the perfect gift for Mike, until I saw the price tag. 475 pounds - sorry, Mike!
3.) I didn’t taxidermy these, so don’t yell at me. These were so entertaining. Sadly, you can’t bring “once living” items back to the US. Bummer!
4.) So. Much. Art.
5.) The butts! Why didn’t I bring home a butt!?
6.) These brass lanterns would have been fabulous on my front porch - but the cost to ship them home was far greater than the price to purchase. Still, though, I was tempted!
All in all, we had a phenomenal time and can’t wait to host trips in 2026.
Want to come with us on our first trip? Reply to this email (or comment below) and let me know!