When he retired from the U.S. Air Force, Chet Lindstrom knew it was time for something new … so he turned to things that were old.

Having served in the military for three decades, Chet now faced navigating the transition from military to civilian life. When his wife Katrina suggested he find something that sparked his passion and gave him a renewed sense of purpose, it didn’t take Chet very long to find that passion in the world of antiques.

Now, the Lindstroms want to share that love of gently used items from yesteryear in the newly opened Andrew County Antique Mall, 1102 S. U.S. Highway 71 in Savannah, MO.

The journey that weaved its way to the Lindstroms’ new storefront began with Chet’s own discovery of the joys of antique collecting – and all of the people who would help him nurture that joy.

“He found himself utterly enchanted by the sheer depth of history each piece represented – the silent whispers of bygone eras, the intricate craftsmanship of forgotten artisans, and the compelling stories interwoven into their very fabric,” Katrina says of Chet. “Beyond the thrill of the hunt and the acquisition of unique items, Chet discovered immense satisfaction in the camaraderie shared with fellow enthusiasts and the vibrant community that embraced this passion. What began as a mere hobby swiftly blossomed into a profound, all-consuming passion, compelling him to meticulously curate an extensive and truly remarkable personal collection.”

But more important than that collection he amassed were the friendships he forged. Eventually, according to Katrina, Chet faced a question – could he transition from collecting to building a place where others could find and pursue that same passion?

“As his inventory grew, a pivotal moment arrived. Chet faced a choice: continue as a successful independent dealer, or embrace a larger vision,” Katrina says. “We realized that his greatest joy stemmed not just from finding and selling, but from forging meaningful connections – connecting people with tangible pieces of history and fostering a genuine sense of community among those who shared his appreciation for the past.”

It didn’t take the Lindstroms long to find the perfect venue for their vision. The building that houses the new antique mall is known as a local landmark, and Katrina says it even holds a bit of family history.

“The selection of our building carries its own special resonance. It boasts a venerable history within the community, having served as a local landmark for generations,” Katrina says. “What made it feel truly destined, however, was the serendipitous discovery that my own grandmother had worked within its walls decades ago. This deeply personal connection, intertwining our family history with the building's rich legacy, cemented our belief that this was the perfect, indeed the only, home for our new venture.”

When I was in middle school, one of my hobbies was creating murals. I’d get some poster board and spend hours combing through old magazines, looking for people, places, and things that caught my eye. Wielding a pair of scissors that glided through each magazine’s glossy pages, I’d glue the images to the poster board, creating a colorful mishmash of my interests. I’ve never been an artistic person like my father, but those murals were a fun form of self-expression.

Now, in adulthood, I know that junk journals fill that same need, but also a greater need of preserving glimpses of the past in the forms of ephemera (printed materials meant to eventually be thrown away) such as those same magazines, photographs, brochures, notes, sheet music, movie or concert ticket stubs, train or airplane ticket stubs, and more.

If you’re unfamiliar with them, a junk journal is a notebook made with recycled materials that include the above-mentioned materials, as well as small items such as buttons, dried flower petals, and scraps of fabric. Like regular scrapbooks, you can embellish the pages of your journal with packets of stickers, ribbons, stamps, and other items usually sold on scrapbooking websites.

Blogger Wendy Sy writes that the appeal of a junk journal can lie in making it a space where you envision your goals – sort of like a vision board – or it can be a place where you preserve the past. Your junk journal doesn’t even have to be tailored to you, either – maybe it chronicles a relationship with a longtime friend or romantic partner.

“I like to think of a junk journal as a mini time machine,” Sy writes on stylemeetsstory.com. “Once you create one, you can flip through the pages and be transported back to the emotions you felt on your first date, or various mementos of that unforgettable trip you took to Paris.”

And, much like a traditional journal, your homemade keepsake can contain your thoughts, emotions, and even inspirational quotes. Still, Sy recommends that the visual elements should take center stage.

“Whether or not to write in your junk journal pages is completely up to your preference. The beauty of this project is that there’s no right way to do it,” she says. “Lots of people add their own words or favorite quotes on the pages to add a more personal feel, capturing memories and feelings. But you can also focus solely on the photos and decor since junk journals are visual books.”

It’s always a delight to read about the first baby of the new year born in your city, state or region – a practice that has been tradition with local news sources until recent years. A symbol of a new year – and with it, hope, health, and prosperity – you might see babies clad in a diaper, top hat, and sash representing a new year in media or antique collectibles, usually accompanied by an old man known as Father Time, who symbolizes the end of the previous year with the passage of time.

Depictions of Baby New Year and Father Time have existed since long before the antique collectibles on which they appear. Like many of our modern-day traditions, they began in the ancient world; back then, however, they weren’t yet linked to the beginning of a new year but to the changing of the seasons instead. In ancient Greece, the baby symbolized the end of winter, the start of the springtime harvest season, and the resurrection of Dionysus, Greek god of wine, vegetation, and fertility, according to a 2024 article by Elizabeth Yuko on readersdigest.com.

Out with the old, in with the new

Yuko writes that the elderly, white-bearded image of Father Time is most likely drawn from Chronos, the Greek god of time, or the Roman god Saturn. Like Father Time, each was often depicted carrying a scythe, like the Grim Reaper. But (Prof. Daniel Compora of the University of Toledo) says that Father Time may have also been inspired by the two-faced Roman God Janus, who represented beginnings and endings, as well as life and death.” In many renderings, Father Time wields a scythe, itself a symbol of “the endurance of time, which eventually will ‘cut down’ all living things. In some of these renderings, too, he hands over an hourglass (and thus, his duties and responsibilities) to Baby New Year.

The image of these two characters came to the U.S. during the Victorian Era by German immigrants. Innovations in printing during the Industrial Revolution allowed for those images to be spread quickly and to a much wider audience.

“The image and concept of Baby New Year became more widespread in both Europe and the United States during the Victorian era, thanks to the massive popularity of greeting cards and postcards,” Yuko writes. “Advancements in printing technology meant that colorful illustrations could be mass-produced. In addition to Christmas cards, people sent cards to wish others luck in the new year -- many of which were adorned with pictures of Baby New Year, sometimes alongside Father Time.”

When it comes to the magical combination of offering boutique and vintage items under one roof, you could call Casie Bateman the Queen Bee.

The Blue Springs, MO, store she co-owns with husband David, Queen Bee Boutiques and The Vintage Bee, boasts a staggering combined 34,000 feet of retail space.

“We’re one store, with two different retail places within the store – boutique and vintage,” Bateman explains. “We are really the only place that does that.”

On any given day, you’re likely to see Bateman working the floor, greeting customers and chatting with vendors while David works behind the scenes, balancing the books. Joining Bateman in what she calls her ‘hive’ are two managers among a little fewer than a dozen employees. Tasked with overseeing the store’s operations and social media and marketing, those trusted managers keep the store buzzing with activity.

David and Casie say they still get plenty of time with their daughters -- Maisy, 12; Story, 8; and twins Delilah and Haven, 3.

“The twins were actually the determining factor for me to start my career up,” Bateman recalls. “I was traveling, doing sales for software companies, and David is a real estate investor. We decided that we can make this amazing thing, and now we’re helping a lot of families by doing this because we have nearly 300 vendors in the store and we have a positive impact on the community.”

That impact is growing quickly. The Batemans just bought the store next door and want to open a bistro in that space within a year. The store has already experimented with offering food, with one of its vendors offering coffee and pre-made meals for purchase. Eventually, Bateman says she and David would like to add live music nights and board game nights to enhance customers’ shopping experience.

Bateman says her store’s impact also extends to helping others in Blue Springs learn new skills, as well as the ins and outs of entrepreneurship.

“We partner with Hillcrest Transitional Housing. We even give one of its residents a free space; she is housed in the The Vintage Bee, and she makes candles,” Bateman explains. “All of her sales go back into her own pocket.”

Later this year, too, Bateman says, the store will partner with a local high school to create a program similar to the TV show “Shark Tank.”

“The kids will make things and become entrepreneurs,” Bateman says of the upcoming Hive and Thrive Mentor-ship Program. “So we have been doing things with Hillcrest for months now, and the high school program will be this fall.”

Second Saturdays at The Bee is Kansas City’s newest must-visit shopping event, happening every month at Queen Bee Boutiques & The Vintage Bee in Blue Springs. Each Second Saturday transforms our 34,000 sq. ft. shopping destination into a vibrant, community-focused experience featuring live music, food trucks, and an ever-changing lineup of pop-up vendors. With over 250 local makers, boutiques, and vintage curators all under one roof, shoppers can browse everything from fashion and home décor to rare antiques and one-of-a-kind gifts.

Every month brings a fresh theme with special activities, photo-worthy moments, and surprises, plus a huge plant sale hosted by Pop-Up Plants KC. It is the perfect outing for families, friends, and anyone who loves to shop local.

Queen Bee Boutiques and The Vintage Bee are open seven days a week; for more information, call 816-988-8023 or visit www.facebook.com/queenbeeboutiqueskc.

New Orleans' Mardi Gras festival has been in full swing since Jan. 6 with revelers whooping it up ahead of the Lenten season, which is just weeks away.

The Louisiana city's final celebration takes place March 4 on Fat Tuesday. The day before the start of Lent is filled with parties and celebrations throughout the U.S., and even in many other cities around the world.

Mardi Gras is rooted in the traditions of various cultures before the solemn season of Lent.

Mardi Gras season began Jan. 6, the Epiphany, but its duration changes each year based on Easter. It always ends on Fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday, which marks the start of Lent.

Fat Tuesday this year falls on March 4. Mardi Gras is French for “Fat Tuesday,” according to Merriam-Webster.

Historically, on Mardi Gras, people were meant to use “all the fats in the home before Lent in preparation for fasting and abstinence,” Britannica reports. Christians would consume rich, fatty foods, such as meat, eggs and cheese, before the period of Lenten fasting, according to the History Channel.

The first Mardi Gras festival in what is now the U.S. may have taken place on March 3, 1699, where New Orleans was founded, Mardi Gras New Orleans says, but other think it began in 1703 in Mobile, AL.

Catholics also call Fat Tuesday Shrove Tuesday or Shrovetide, the conclusion to Ordinary Time.

Famously, Brazilians and Venetians celebrate the holiday with parades, masks and costumes. In both Italy and Brazil, the festival is known as “Carnival.”