In 2016, life as I knew it took a turn I was not expecting. I was living in the beautiful and exciting Sin City, Las Vegas, Nevada. I had been exposed to toxic black mold, unknowingly, and have been dealing with health issues ever since. I was diagnosed with POTS as a result of the toxicity and had found it very difficult to work. I had to leave my career in hospitality in 2018 as I struggled with day to day living. I had gone back to California for a while to be around family and it was then that my vintage soul collided with Chris’s vintage soul. Chris had just moved back to California himself after serving 4 years as a Medic in the 101st Airborne Division of the Army. We quickly fell in love, learning we had so much in common, and grand dreams of the future. In 2019, I sold my home in Las Vegas and moved back to California full time, knowing it would be a stepping stone to the next adventure, some where over the rainbow where blue birds fly. In August 2020, in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic we decided to pack what we could fit in two of our vehicles, leaving the rest in storage temporarily, and make a cross country move to the midwest to start our greatest adventure yet. We spent the first year living in our camper on the Mississippi River before we found our dream Victorian home in a quaint small town, on what locals have termed for decades “Silk Stocking Avenue.”

A big reason for moving to Minnesota was to give ourselves a better quality of life, focus on our health and happiness, slow down, have the ability to travel and explore more often, and truly enjoy what life has to offer. One of our favorite past times is traveling to other great small towns around us, and exploring antique and thrift stores, finding all sorts of oddities. There is so much beauty and history in this region and we have been lucky to find some very fun pieces. We try to keep an open mind and a good sharp eye when we go out ‘picking,’ saving unique bits of history from being discarded and wasted. Our home is filled with so many special pieces of the past that really help to tell the history of our home, our town, our personalities and our lives. We love being able to share that with others, to find items that speak to you that maybe you haven’t found before in your own journeys, sharing our joy for antiques, classic cars, and great vintage oddities. Another of Chris’s passions is restoring vintage tools, with an extra fond love for vintage made in USA Craftsman tools. We’ve been growing our Craftsman collection, slowly working on one project after another, rebuilding and restoring these tools for another 60+ years of service. The first items Chris tackled were a 1960s Standing Drill Press, a 1960s Bench Grinder, and a 1950s Vice. Those came out so great, he decided to restore a few others, now it is a part of our business as well - custom vintage tool restoration.

The start of 2023 came along and we decided it was finally time to officially launch our business, Silk Stocking Avenue Antiques & Oddities. So, Katie went to work building the website and getting inventory together, and Chris focused on restoring a few more vintage Craftsman tools. We have been lucky enough to start the business strong with a few clients, and blessed to be able to share all of the unique pieces and oddities that we have accumulated so far. Our inventory is always changing, but our love for these great items of yesteryear has not.