McKinney Shopping

I live in Allen, which is right next to McKinney and when my friend was coming to visit with her 3-yr-old, I started looking for fun things to do with kids. I found this store through my internet research and was so glad I did!!

This store has a full range of candies and interesting and kinda old-fashioned gift items, but their specialty is the wide variety of specialty flavored popcorn. There are 16 different savory flavors (plus they are trying out new ones all the time), 14 sweet flavors, and some other sweet flavors that have extra stuff like cashews or marshmallow.

OH! And they also had the original Dublin Dr. Pepper for sale (in a glass bottle and made with Imperial Pure Cane Sugar). My husband was very excited about that. :)

What to buy: My husband loves the 'hot cheese' flavor, which is spicy. My favorite is white cheddar and we both like the salt & vinegar and several others. While you are there, they will give you a sample of any flavor you would like to try!

My dad really likes the caramel with pecans! And for Christmas, I gave my cousins a snack bag of cornfetti, which is a mix of all the sweet flavors. They all loved it!

You can get your favorite flavor of popcorn in a couple of different tins with your favorite sports team on it.

What to pay: The smallest snack bag of original is $1.25 and the other savory flavors are $1.65. The sweet flavors are $2.25 and then the additional sizes are small, meduim, large and extra large. The snack size is a nice size and more than I could eat for one snack.

On a recent visit to McKinney, much to our surprise we saw that Clyde's was gone, replaced by UPTOWN, a home decor store. See new tip on this....

Clyde's seemed to have a nice mixture of antiques and collectibles. The store stretched on and on as we looked for favorite items on two levels. Although we didn't buy anything at Clyde's it seems it would be a great place to add to one's vintage collection of kitchen items.

If you aren't interested in antiques, stop by anyway, because at the rear of the store is a display of antique and vintage hand cranked ice cream machines. This is part of a large collection noted in the Guiness Book of Records and once owned by a Dr. Wilson who donated it to the owner of this store.

Clyde told us that this was how the idea originated to hold a homemade ice cream contest each August. He encouraged us to return for this event, saying it was alot of fun and tasty besides!

Store hours are Mn.-Sat. 10am-5pm; Sun. 1pm-5pm

We were taken completely by surprise to see colorful Chihuly-type glass creations at this shop. We had admired these large, fluted glass pieces at the *Chihuly Glass and Garden show at Pittsburgh's Phipps Conservatory. After glimpsing those prices, we never expected to see anything affordable.

The store connected with artists who created similar glass art and are marketing their pieces. My husband is drawn to these beautiful glass creations, so I'm sure we'll be traveling back to McKinney to check on the inventory. They aren't authentic Chihulys, but "in the style" of...

Other glass/ceramic art that is displayed throughout the store has been obtained at artisan shows or brought in by the artists themselves.

FYI: * Dale Chihuly is an artist who has expanded glass art beyond what was once the norm, creating huge sculptures and unique pieces that are museum quality environmental art.

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If you are attracted to unique decor for your home, stop by Alternate Furnishings. We discovered beautifully carved doors and shutters from India crafted during the Colonial Period, as well as, small wood cabinets with glass doors and other architectural trim.

Objects such as columns, windows, mantels, balconies, light fixtures and oil paintings are found and brought back from Mexico, Guatemala, Morocco, Europe and Asia. There's a great mix of things here!

It was fascinating peeking into all the corners of this shop! Some of the pieces were huge and would require delivery, but others would fit nicely into a roomy car trunk. We found an interesting cabinet that rode home with me in the passenger seat because our trunk already had something in it.

This shop will take layaways, like most antique shops. Hour are Mon.-Sat. 10am-5:00 pm or 5:30 pm, Sundays sometimes.

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This charming curved window caught our attention as we entered Homepieces. We also found lovely silvered pieces, vintage items for the vanity, delicate glassware, white painted furniture, gracefully aged mirrors and crystal, plus architectural pieces from historic buildings.

A number of interesting items caught my eye--the tarnished silver handmirror, perfume bottles rimmed in silver, old wavy glass pieces (picture 2). They were arranged so beautifully atop a lacy crocheted table topper or in pleasing vignettes throughout the small store. It was surprising how many items filled this modest space.

We'll definitely have to visit this shop again in the near future.

The first detail one notices when entering Chase Hall antiques, is the aged advertisement painted on what was once the outside wall of the building next door. A nice homey touch to this attractive antique shop!

Since I love country antiques, this old cupboard (in Hoosier style) called me over for a look see. However, we weren't in the purchasing mood for something this large, so we continued to browse.

You'll find painted furniture in warm, faded hues, vintage portraits, old signs, clothing, crystal chandeliers and European and American country pieces. There is quite a bit to peruse, so be sure not to hurry out the door because owners, Terry and Lissa Rogers do a nice job of collecting.

MorningStar Treasures seemed to ramble on forever, offering all sorts of enticing items. I especially found the architecture appealing--from the second floor you can really scout out that particular find!

Vintage kitchenware, delicate linens, old glassware and China, countrystyle furniture, mirrors, clothing, electrified oil lamps, pottery and many other things for your home. I am always looking for vintage juice glasses and kitchen utensils, old dish towels and assorted Fiesta ware pieces, so a shop with such an extensive inventory always grabs my attention!

If you are traveling to McKinney be sure to visit Debbie and Gerry Wright's MorningStar Treasures. Hours are daily from 10am-5pm; Sun. 11am-5pm.

Fabulous Finds lives up to its name--just look at this beautiful hand painted screen. This antique shop offers handpainted furniture, vintage and antique pieces, crystal embellished accent lamps, oil paintings, as well as, home decor items. It's obvious the items within these walls are chosen carefully.

Surrounding McKinney's Town Square is a wonderful collection of shops and restaurants. An entire afternoon can be spent dashing in and out of these treasure troves! Fabulous Finds sits on a street that radiates out from this prime location, so is easy to find. I love its name--it describes it perfectly!

Donna Carpenter and her husband, Jeff, are the proprietors of this shop. Stop by during these hours: Mon.-Sat. 10:30am-5:00pm; Sun. 12:30pm-5:00 pm.

What to buy: antiques, home decor items