I’m a huge fan of the magazine Country Living. For several years now, I’ve seen their ads for the Country Living Fair that takes place every fall in Ohio and promised myself that one day I would go. Several months ago they announced in the pages of the magazine they were expanding the fair to a second location. It was a dream come true—they were coming to Atlanta! I marked the date on my calendar and have been looking forward to it for months.

The fair was this past weekend and it did not disappoint. There were crafts, antiques, jewelry, clothing, retro collectibles, old stuff and new stuff and new items made from or inspired by vintage items. I had so much fun walking around looking, touching, and smelling. It was almost sensory overload.

Kudos to Country Living for such a well-planned and thoughtful experience. They had cooking, decorating and crafting demonstrations going on all weekend. One of my favorite tents was the live appraisals (think Antiques Roadshow). It was fascinating to listen to strangers tell stories about heirlooms passed down through generations, some with notes of cherished memories and others more burdened by grandma’s junk. The experts (I wish I could remember their names) were gentle but firm with their answers to “what’s it worth?” It seems grandma’s china isn’t worth much these day, except for maybe sentimental value. Their advice? Don’t keep it under lock and key never to be touched. Get it out and use it, enjoy it.

Their other bit of advice? If you’ve been passing some family heirloom down through the family that no one wants and has no value, stop the cycle. If you don’t want it, chances are your kids and their kids won’t either. Worried you’ll hurt grandma’s feelings? Don’t be. She’s dead! You could feel the collective sigh of relief under the appraisal tent.

I could have sat and listened all day, but there was too much waiting for me under the canopy of trees at Stone Mountain.