Adventures in Vintage Hunting

A New Year, A NEW BLOG!!!!

2011-01-01T16:30:00.000-08:00

Hello dearest friends and sweet readers!!

I've been going through some exciting personal changes, and I felt it was right to move to a more appropriate blog for channelling all things glorious and beautiful!!

Please visit me now at: peckofgold.blogspot.com

Thank you so much for your continued support!!

oh, and HAPPY NEW YEARRRR!!!!!!

FLEA MARKET TIME !!!

2010-05-22T14:11:00.003-07:00

I'll be selling lots of my vintage treasures at Melrose Trading Post flea market tomorrow!

If you're in Los Angeles, please come visit and say hello!!

What. Was that.

2010-05-17T12:47:00.007-07:00

This was just a moment in the woods...
Our moment.
Shimmering and lovely and sad.
Leave the moment, just be glad
For the moment that we had.
Every moment is of moment
When you're in the woods...

Oh. if life were made of moments,
Even now and then a bad one-!
But if life were only moments,
Then you'd never know you had one.

Best to take a moment present
As a present, for the moment.

Any moment, big or small
Is a moment after all.
Seize the moment; skies may fall
Any moment.

Let the moment go...
Don't forget it for a moment, though.

Just remembering you've had an "and",
When you're back to "or",
Makes the "or" mean more
Than it did before.
Now I understand-

And it's time to leave the woods.
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~all of these stunning images courtesy of the gorgeous little photo blog How to Make a Baby Elephant Float
~brilliant song lyrics from my all-time favorite musical Into The Woods by Stephen Sondheim

Wheeee!!!

2010-05-12T14:35:00.020-07:00

"The Grand essentials of happiness are:
something to do, something to love, and something to hope for."
-Allan K. Chalmers

So lately it feels like I've been on a roller coaster with this silly "LOVE" business.

...speaking of which, can I please find this on my next antiquing outing? Want!

Super rad printed tin roller coaster wind up toy, made in the 1950's by manufacturer J.Chein.

I've always been a fan of kids "toys" from the 50's in particular. There's just something about the seriousness of the detail in them- like they were created by a meticulous set designer for some fantastical Terry Gilliam movie...

**BTW, do you all know about his mind blowing new-ish film The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus? Dessert for the eyeballs, I tell ya....**

I have my own gorgeous folded tin beauty to introduce to you all:

I got this simply marvelous dollhouse at a tiny antiques store while road tripping/thrifting in Maine in spring 2008.

I finally put it together for the 1st time just a few months ago!
(I sometimes live in there inside my head.)

Love Hurts. Real Bad.

2010-04-27T15:43:00.008-07:00

Well. This was inevitable, wasn't it?
I thought it would be my heart, but the universe was aiming a bit lower.

After one too many drinks at the bar last night, I proceeded to run and leap down the sidewalk like a freaking gazelle- until my ankle twisted underneath me, and I came crashing down. Hard.

The pain was blinding.

Actually, it looked something like this:

*also, watch the trippy video version--->>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyU9kzczrd4

The combination of alcohol and endorphins was pretty incredible, actually.
And so is this great Lichtenstein-inspired illustration.

this may or may not be the same artist... Jason Smith

And now for your viewing pleasure... a photo of my poor damaged (k)ankle.

**warning! graphic (and pretty gross) image below!!**
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ewwwww!!
Sorry guys, I couldn't resist :)

Hearts a Fire, part 2

2010-04-25T23:30:00.012-07:00

An experiment.

(Blame Cupid, Cupid)

(Down the Rabbit Hole)
via http://somefield.com/alice/alice.html

<--- (found this today)

(which looks an awful lot like this)----->>

I'm not sure, but it feels like butterflies are eating my insides.
In a more romantic way.

Artist for Hire

2010-04-20T00:17:00.003-07:00

Jim Reed. A rad dude- and a friend of a friend- check out this awwwwsome vid.

Happy Tuesday!!!!
;)

Hearts a Fire

2010-04-08T20:57:00.006-07:00

Maybe it's spring fever, but I swear the air in LA smells like Love.

Here's some heavenly vintage eye candy to soothe my (and your?) wandering heart:

photos from the charming NerdBoyfriend.com

And here's a cute Australian girl who blogs about love and other lovely things:

http://loveonce-loveagain.blogspot.com/

And now for another sneak peek into my apartment- one might say into a little corner of my heart- where i keep all the little trinkets from my life's adventures....

<3 <3 <3

Beautiful Dreamer... Video of the Day

2010-04-05T20:35:00.004-07:00

This might be the most amazing stop motion animation video I've ever seen...

So magical, so sweet, so perfect!

And that redhead- GORGEOUS!!

Decorating Detail #1: Tropical Walls

2010-03-11T10:05:00.014-08:00

Heeeere it is, folks- a sneak peek of my sweet little apt in Hollywood, a decorating dream come true...

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before

and AFTER

HALLWAY!

**wallpaper by Anthropologie (I worked as a prop assistant on a photoshoot for their spring 2010 catalog- and got to take home this uhmazing leftover wallpaper!) ...i used a staple gun along the edges, much easier
**mirror was made by a friend of my grandmother's- i just love that shape
**border is painted bamboo rods, which I bought at my new fav shopping destination, Cost Plus World Market... they were so light, I used hot glue to stick them directly to the wall!

...oh, and HAPPY SPRING!!

(above photo courtesy of Holly Dyment, a brilliant interior designer from Toronto- my new full color hero!)

Salvaged Love in the Desert

2010-02-24T19:24:00.025-08:00

+ = HAPPINESS

This past week, I road tripped to Tucson, Arizona to visit some friends and family...
and ended up falling in love with this charming, bohemian desert wonderland!

This was my first opportunity to spend time in the southwest, and I was completely blown away by everything- the weird cacti, the calming sunsets, and SO MUCH perfectly weathered metal salvage stuff!

Here are some of my favorite places:

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Tucson Herb Store, an inspiring and sweet smelling little shop (cool idea --> framed fabric swatches!)

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Totally amazing home/workshop/backyard of Tim Hagyard, Salvage & Vintage Decorating Genius

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My musician friend Ryen's apartment

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San Xavier Mission , a crazy colorful & offbeat 18th century Spanish Catholic church

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Grill, an awesome diner with serious style (love those deco murals!)

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Of course my trip wouldn't be complete without some SERIOUS thrifting- I stopped in a bunch of cool towns during the trip, and raided their thrift stores- but those finds shall remain a secret, until my apt decor is unveiled... very soon!!

Stay tuned, fellow vintage lovers...

Progress & Projects

2010-02-06T01:08:00.015-08:00

After 3+ years of traveling, subletting, constantly packing, and moving-

I'm finally home.

The new apt looks amazing, but I'm not ready to do the big reveal quite yet. Since I'm decorating the place from scratch, I'm taking my time gathering the perfect vintage furniture. This decorating job will be my pièce de ré·sis·tance.

I've been hitting plenty of massive estate/yard sales, too- there's nothing like going through the contents of someone's entire house- I find it fascinating to see just how much glorious junk people can accumulate in a lifetime.

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For now, I will share with you two small home improvement projects. More to follow!

PROJECT #1
Ugly ass hot pink/teal and chrome pole lamp --> Sexy, industrial antique gold pole lamp

Bought:

Once-cool 70s lamp (painted hot pink, by me- 5 years ago) = $5 @ yard sale

Really interesting gold/black textured spray paint from Home Depot = $4-ish

Time: about 20 min!

PROJECT #2
Stupid ugly white fridge --> Easy & cute faux-wood paneled fridge

Bought:

Magic Cover - vinyl, removable wallpaper type roll - $1.99 at Goodwill
Vintage Wallcovering application tool - $1 at a flea market
Heavy duty electical tape - $3-ish

Time: about 35 min - the black tape border was a bit tricky

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Thanks for reading! Please leave a comment on what you might like to see next from this "little engine that could" blog-- you are my encouragement, dear readers...

Welcome Back, me!

2010-01-21T21:38:00.019-08:00

First of all... happy 2010, friends!

**Woohoo!!**
A landmark year, and one that holds so much potential! Perhaps it was that intense yoga class I just took, but I feel like the planets are aligning. Or sumthin like that.

NEWS:

---> Finally moving into a new apt-- a super cute, "old Hollywood" retro style 2BR, with this awwwesome blogger gal (who I met via the magic of the Craigslist housing wanted ads.)

-----> I am now launching into serious vintage decorating mode! The next 2 weeks will be an intense vintage hunting extravaganza. And I will chronicle it all here, because you are my biggest fans. Well you, and my mom. Hi mom!

INSPIRATION OF THE DAY:

I'm still throwing around color schemes & themes for the main living/dining/entertaining room. In my daily obsessive scouring of the interwebs, I stumble upon all kinds of sweet imagery, which gets thrown in the ol' brain cauldron for later use.
Here's a heaping helping of visual inspiration!

#1: Cleopatra

l: http://jurgenfauth.com/2007/05/16/cleopatra-2/ r: http://goble.artpassions.net/

#2: Modern Vargas Pin Up Girl

http://www.daynadelux.com/

#3: Dustjackets, 1920s-1940s

http://site.xavier.edu/polt/keeler/jackets/wardlock.html

#4: Anime meets Victorian Boudoir

http://maggi.new21.net/
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Off in Lalaland

2009-10-03T20:26:00.010-07:00

It's been 2 weeks since I arrived in LA, and I certainly used that time wisely, to sit in the sun, decompress and catch up with old friends. What an amazing city this is when you have a fresh opportunity to relax and enjoy all of it. But I will wax on about my love for LA in an article that I'll be submitting to LA Weekly (accompanied by this vintage magazine collage I made, above.)

But tomorrow I embark on a new chapter: sorting, photographing and selling all of my traveling treasures both online at my etsy store, and at the coolest and most accessible flea market in Los Angeles: The Melrose Trading Post in West Hollywood. On Sunday Oct. 4th, I will be selling some of my wares - mostly the heavy items that are difficult to ship - and shoes! People love shoes.

If you're in the area and want to stop by, please come visit!
Email me --> hollywoodrachel[at]gmail.com for an exact location :)

But here's the best part and perhaps something that you have been wondering about: where is this girl storing all of that awesome junk? It's all piled in my housemate's 1986 Champion TransVan Motorhome, parked near our apt (more photos to follow!) They are very graciously allowing me to use this family heirloom as my walk-in mobile vintage cache. Maybe I'll even take this baby on the road...

I'll be updating more regularly, now that I've fully recovered from my thrifting expedition, so check back soon!

Day 9....................Northern California -> Southern California

2009-09-18T02:58:00.029-07:00

Eek!
Sorry for the delayed posting on my last day of the trip. I usually post the next morning, after my full day of adventures, but the exhaustion from this massive solo journey all hit me last night. I got into Hollywood around 11pm, and unpacked my car, and then I slept for about 14-16 hours. Thanks for sticking around! Here goes...9-17-09
Day 9 of 9
Thrift Store # 13
R.A.D. Thrift Store in Bakersfield, CA

I walked into this store with less than 3 mintues to shop before they closed. I immediately got a cart and went to the shoe section, frantically grabbed about 8 pairs of totally amazing boots and shoes, then some purses...and then they turned the lights out on me, and I was forced to check out. Sad! But honestly, at this point I was so close to my final destination that (for once) I wasn't too bummed about it. Well that, and my car was so full of stuff it was bordering on dangerous.

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Etsy Vintage Seller Interview #8
Violet from violet64
Sacramento, CA
---> Everthing in Violet's house is vintage. Seriously everything! It was like traveling back in a time machine, with plenty of warped, sweet 50s - 60s decor. Her collections are drool-worthy and awesomely odd: mannequin heads (and hands!), very old little stuffed animals, perfect vintage box suitcases, huge sign letters and other oddities.

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Etsy Vintage Seller Interview #9
Karli from KarliHearron
Bakersfield, CA
--->This creative girl has talent, drive, and a knack for refurbishing old wood furniture, and turning it into funky, pretty pieces which would look gorgeous in anyone's space!

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And now... what do I do with myself?!

* I'm finally home again in LA, taking a breather.
*This trip was everything I wanted it to be, and more--
I'm so glad you guys are following me!
Seeing how many people viewed this every day made me want to say 'to hell with you, ADD!' and keep blogging.
*Please check back often, as I sort through my bounty and take photos of my traveling treasures.
*I'll also be putting together an article about the vintage collectors whom I interviewed along the way. I have lots of great material! Who knows where it will end up, but I hope to get it published this fall/winter.
*I love your comments, so please let me know if you enjoyed this blog so far, and any suggestions you have for what I should do next!

“I long, as does every human being, to be at home wherever I find myself.”
Maya Angelou

Day 8......................NEVADA -> NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

2009-09-17T08:48:00.031-07:00

9-16-09
Day 8 of 9
Thrift Store #10
St. Vincent's in Reno, Nevada

Thrifty Goodness Rating: 10/10
I'm not sure if thrift stores get any better than this. Even though I went with my interviewee, Heather (below,) I walked out of there with no less than about 30 things (mostly very small)... but so did she! It was like no vintage shopper had ever set foot in this massive thirft warehouse! Yet she insists it's always that good!

The place was overflowing with amazing stuff: 50's fabric samples, very old board games, totally weird crafting paraphernalia, etc. All of which I bought, along with so much more. In fact, I was so overwhelmed that I forgot to take photos, so what you see below is just a teeny tiny smattering of my goodies. More photos to come in the next few weeks (as I shop through my own car.)

I bought a bowling ball, people.

A BOWLING BALL.

In that gorgeous, mint condition purple case (above,) with adorable matching suede bowling shoes IN MY SIZE. I go bowling maybe once a year, but this was a must have at $2. TWO DOLLARS! Worth every penny, even if I never bowl again and it just sits on my shelf and looks pretty.

Really loved these flower needlepoints, but they were huge!

Oh lover, thank you for giving me this sterile fake rose in glass jar as a valentine. Ah, nothing like the 80's.

Dish perfection. I bought a set of 2 large and small plates, and two huge mug cup/bowls.

A little piece of me died when I realized I couldn't fit this $10 beautiful piano bench in my car. I sat on it for a while and cried inside.

You can spin the slot machine for a chance to win a discount on your next purchase! Only in
Reno...
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Thrift Store # 11
Thrift Depot in Reno, Nevada

Thrifty Goodness Rating: 10/10
I was running out of time and really needed to hit the road, but I was told this place was so dingy and gross that of course I had to check it out. Indeed, I felt dirty just standing in there, and as I walked under the unnaturally low, drooping ceilings, I felt like the floor might give out from under me. I loved every second of it!

In all, Reno had THE BEST, THE CHEAPEST, and THE MOST thrift stores of anywhere I've ever been to in this country (or the world, for that matter.) It's only 8 hours from LA, and you better believe I'll be going back really soon--with a Uhaul.

This photo is a little blurry, because I think I was shaking with excitement.

Awesome. Bought it.
More really large fantastic things. That lamp! That 50's wood dancing girl! Damn it, car!

I love maps and globes (and traveling, can you tell?)
This says: "Cool Your Hot Butt In My Old Tub." Wow.

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Thrift Store #12
Goodwill (sorry!) in Roseville, CA

Thrifty Goodness Rating: 8.5/10
This was the most packed thrift shops I've come across on this trip. All the breakables were piled on top of each other on the shelves, so that you have to move ten things out of the way just to get to something in the back of the shelf. The hilarious 80's music was punctuated by sounds of things breaking left and right, as people shuffled around and dropped the merchandise.
Old Poloroid cameras just look so much cooler than our current smaller-is-better digitals.

Chotchke heaven.

This is most of the stuff I got... didn't have time to take too many pics, so I piled it all up in the dressing room and took this before checking out!
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Etsy Vintage Seller #7
Heather from RushofWings
Reno, Nevada
---> I think I'll be seeing more of this lovely (and very pregnant!) gal and her adorable home, since Reno is my new favorite thirfting destination in the country. She gravitates toward colorful 70s pieces, and hand makes kids clothing out of vintage fabrics and pillow cases, as modeled by her adorable and slightly rambunctious 3 year old daughter.

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And now.... driving south through California to my new (actually old) home, Hollywood!

DAY 7.....................UTAH -> NEVADA

2009-09-16T08:21:00.022-07:00

9-15-09
Day 7 of 9
Thrift Store #9
Desert Industries in Salt Lake City, Utah

Thrifty Goodness Rating: 7/10
When I walk into any thrift store, I immediately scan it for other young, hip, experienced shoppers that might have already picked through everything and left nothing cool for poor little me. This store was in a cool part of town, so it was crawling with cute young people. But I decided to stick it out, and I'm so glad I did, because there were some really great finds here! Sadly, I spent too much time in there and only had time for this one store today. But look for 3 tomorrow to make up for it!

Still a little irked at myself for not buying these odd little fellas. But they were deceptively big and heavy, and the novelty of them would probably wear off in about 3 days.

I got the white one. Very 60s flight attendant.

SLC reeeally loves their prints!

Is it fair to be jealous of a little girl who snagged this great vintage baby doll stroller? Well I was.

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Etsy Vintage Seller #6
Rebecca from Max&JaxVintage
Denver, Colorado
---> Her house was more like a museum! This gal has antiques and vintage in her blood--she was brought up going to antique auctions and still seeks out highly collectible, incredibly beautiful antique pieces. Love all her horse-related collections!

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And now........ off to CALIFORNIA (not LA yet, but Sacramento and San Francisco. Having a little trip-almost-over withdrawl, but so excited to make it to the other coast!!)

DAY 6..................COLORADO -> WYOMING -> UTAH

2009-09-15T10:31:00.034-07:00

9-14-09
Day 6 of 9
Thrift Store # 7
ARC Thirft Store in Denver, Colorado

Thrifty Goodness Rating: 10/10
Remember yesterday when I said I hit the motherload at that auction in Nebraska? I spoke too soon. Today was one of the best thrifting days I've ever had! (And this, coming from someone who has been thrift store shopping every week for the past 12 years, is saying something...)

It all started at this unassuming store in the outskirts of Denver. I've tried to stay away from going to chain stores in large cities, because I prefer the kind of quiet, dirt cheap little shops that no one knows about. But this exception was worth it! I bought so much here (see shopping cart above) I had to re-pack the roof rack on my car.

As I was checking out, I had my very first panic attack when I realized I left my purse somewhere in the store. I was so distracted that I put it down while trying on leather jackets in front of the dressing room mirror. I breathed a ginormous sigh of relief when I found it pushed under a nearby shoe rack, with nothing missing.

Then I had my 2nd panic attack when I saw the bill: $110.91
How does this stuff add up so fast?
If I bought all the cool mugs that I saw in all stores I've been to on this trip, I would have enough to outfit every coffee shop in America. But I couldn't resist this one, because it had rainbow lorikeets on it (again with the Aussie animals!)

Um, I need that sign.

See that little marble cube with the holes in it? Why does it exist? This is the sort of thing that I absolutely love: strange, useless, and cute.

Warning: Don't pick up somthing in a thrift store that looks like a kaleidoscope (above) and put it up to your eye. It turned out to be a cap-less Avon collectible perfume bottle, which spilled all over my pants. People moved away from me in the store as I shopped. It was bad, and a little funny.

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Thrift Store # 8
Super Thrift in Cheyenne, Wyoming (which BTW is the cutest town I've been to thus far)
Thrifty Goodness Rating: 10/10
My luck continued at this fantastic hole-in-the-wall, where the people were as nice as the vintage finds! The clothing was so cheap and good, I think I cleaned out a few whole racks. I stocked up on great guys stuff in particular--those Wyoming cowboys sure love their 70s plaid western shirts and jackets. Can't wait to sell them at my favorite flea market in LA, where I'll hopefully have a booth in a few weeks.

Bought the lamp, not the chair

There is now no room in the passenger seat next to me, and Mr. PPP has been shoved into a very bad position amongst the suitcases in the back. Sorry little pal!

Obsessed with these colorful bug needlepoints!

I've always wanted a car bed! Wish I could drive it to LA.

Mmmmm.

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Etsy Vintage Seller #5
Diane from anteakbooteek
Denver, Colorado
---> So jealous. Words cannot express how amazingly decorated every room in her house is. She refers to it as "'camp kitsch,' otherwise known as my version of pee wees playhouse meets 50's funhouse!" and that's exactly what it was. Everything she had was fascinating: the largest donkey figurine collection ever, huge mirrored coffee table, 50s lamps, a clear locker for storage and a giant hot pink birdcage on the front porch! Wow.

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And now..... off to Reno, Nevada!
(Sadly, not one single vintage seller in the Salt Lake City area wanted to meet with me, but lookout for another amazing Denver lady in tomorrow's post!)

DAY 5.......................NEBRASKA -> COLORADO

2009-09-13T22:36:00.002-07:00

9-13-09
Day 5 of 9
AUCTION DAY in Seward, Nebraska

Thirfty Goodness Rating: 11/10!!!
THIS is the motherload, people. Of course I'd heard of these huge estate sale auctions before, but I don't think I've ever actually been to one before today! And what an experience. Tables piled high with the most beautiful, fun, interesting vintage stuff I've ever seen outside a flea market. Anything and everything you can think of was there, from antique handmade quilts to a gigantic teal blue 70s Buick. I did bid on two things, and won them for $1 each--but there was so much more I wanted (see the incredible carnival trunk, above.) The one very, very frustrating thing about this sort of experience is that you are not able to pick up an item and purchase it on the spot-- you are forced to wait for it to be chosen and up for bids. I was told this is an all day event, but I had less than an hour there, and so with a heavy heart, I left. But thank you Leah for opening my eyes to a new world of vintage buying!

The scene, inside a 4-H club warehouse on an old fairgrounds.

I'm a sucker for 40s-60s children's books.

Ah!!! I needed this map/puzzle, but I left before it was up for bids :(

One of my purchases, a 50s bathroom wall decor kit (with a baby mermaid riding a swan?!) along side my bidding number and a slice of homemade apple pie, for sale at the snack stand nearby.

This was the auctioneer lady (above). She was smart as a whip and spoke so fast, I was mesmerized.

DoIhearadollar,canIgetadollar,dollar,dollar,onedollar,dollaryes,
twodollars,doiheartwo,twodollars,onedollar,two?two?goingforone,onedollar,SOLD!

I think I need to explore this type of work, maybe I have some auctioneering school in my future...

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Etsy Vintage Seller Interview #4
Leah from moxiethrift
Seward, Nebraska
---> I owe it to this gal for showing me the ropes at the auction! She goes to them all the time, and almost everything she showed me in her fantastic house was aquired for $1 (!!) at these weekly events. She loves her mid-century modern (that fantastic boomerang coffee table was inherited from her family--lucky!), but there are quirky little gems of retro fabulousness everywhere.

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And now... off to Salt Lake City (via Colorado and Wyoming!)

Day 4....................WISCONSIN -> IOWA -> NEBRASKA

2009-09-12T23:21:00.021-07:00

9-12-09
Day 4 of 9
Thrift Store #6
Salvation Army in Cedar Rapids, IA

Thirfty Goodness Rating: 2/10
Despite trying to stay away from the "Big 2," Goodwill and Salvo, sometimes it's just the easiest option. This particular S.A. was the worst kind-- half the store was new and/or slightly damaged, old Target merchandise (the stuff that didn't sell.) Get your own store! Don't clutter my discarded vintage wonderland of used crap with your new crap! I still manged to find a GORGEOUS, mint condition Pyrex split casserole dish, tiny embroidered 70s butterfly wall hanging, and a few other goodies.

whole lotta 80s sequins here

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Thrift Store #7
Salvation Army in Des Moines, Iowa

Thrifty Goodness Rating: 8/10
Two Sal's in one day! At least this one had really great stuff. And I love it when I'm the only person in the store--it's like my own private shopping experience! Real diamonds in the rough here, and so much PINK (I got the big soup mug below).
hard to believe this florescent orange/pink (color in photo is not even close) floral print couch was once very much in style... i kind of love it

Seriously the finds of the day (above)

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Etsy Vintage Seller Interview #3
Cara from MaryMarie
Des Moines, Iowa
----> This gal is one smart cookie, who effortlessly combines her love for handmade crafts (she also makes knits and makes candles in vintage cups/mugs!) with vintage pieces for a relaxed feel in her cozy home. Love the old milk crate as a magazine rack!

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And now... off to Denver (via aaaalll of Nebraska!)

(above: super cute vintage billboard/ad in Cedar Rapids, Iowa!)

DAY 3...................OH -> INDIANA -> ILLONOIS -> WISCONSIN

2009-09-11T23:11:00.012-07:00

9-11-09
Day 3 of 9
Thirft Store #4
Goodwill in South Bend, Indiana

Thrifty Goodness Rating: 4/10
Sadly below par. Crazy huge shoe selection, though (the rack above was one of 5!!) Did find a few things, and at the register on the way out, the lady ahead of me in line gave me a $5.00 off coupon for my purchase! Nothing like getting a pair of vintage boots, black members only jacket, a cool record (bought for the great illustration on the cover, below) and a few other knick knacks... for just $10.

I used to live in Australia and am totally obsessed with its animals. This koala creeped me out a little too much, though. I can't imagine him watching me while I sleep...

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Thirft Store #5
Community Thrift Store in Aurora, Illonois (home of Wayne's World! Yes way!)

Thrifty Goodness Rating: 8/10
Giant warehouse with really interesting stuff... but sadly, this place had a cold, unfriendly vibe. And the employees were rude, which kinda ruins the whole experience. And they wrote all over everything with their HUGE, fairly high prices in crayon (which annoys the crap out of me!) I did get a few great things here though, which I couldn't take pictures of since I dropped my digital camera on the concrete floor of this cursed store, and it broke :( But I found the nearest Target and returned it for a new one. Oh Target, I love you and your very lenient return policy.

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And now.... off to Nebraska (via Iowa!)

DAY 2..................PA --->OHIO

2009-09-10T19:53:00.002-07:00

9-10-09
Day 2 of 9
Thrift store #2
Hubbard Outreach Thrift Store in Hubbard, OH

Thrifty Goodness Rating: 6/10
An adorable little hole in the wall (when I asked the shop lady what the name of the store was, she had to think for a minute. She always thought it was just "the thrift store"...) with a great untapped clothing selection and some interesting little oddities.

White milk glass, so pretty!

!!!
Ahh! Large furniture item! Wish I had a caravan...

Yes, Jimmy Carter paperweight. I WILL buy you, thanks.

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Thrift Store #3
Annie Ann's in Akron, OH

Thirfty Goodness Rating: 8/10
Exactly the kind of place I've been hoping to find on this trip. The sort of place that's piled to the ceiling with junk, where you have to sort through piles of old toys and kitchen ware and roller skates. It was a tad expensive, but I bargained (nothing like these small town, privately owned shops...) I only bought 2 things: that great silver ferris wheel looking thingy (which I'm going to use as a necklace/jewelry display!) and an awesome early 60s Pana-vue travel slide projector (above.)

intense.
intensely scary.

****************************************************************
Etsy Vintage Seller Interview #2
Kitty and Gary (and baby Kohla!) from kittyBcreative
Akron, Ohio
---->These people are just plain AWESOME. Their mid-century modern meets kitchy 70's decor is seriously envy-inducing! Their home was so warm and welcoming, I had to drag myself out of there!

*********************************************************************
And now.... off to Wisconsin (via Indiana and Illonois! loooong day of driving ahead of me)

DAY 1..................PENNSYLVANIA

2009-09-10T06:24:00.023-07:00

9-9-09
Day 1 of 9
Thrift store #1
Impact Thirft in Montgomeryville, PA

Thirfty Goodness Rating: 5/10
Totally average thrift store. Although the store is MASSIVE, they were definitely lacking in the clothing department. There was an unfortunate amount of holiday decor and plenty of furniture, which I didn't even want to look at, since I don't have enough room in the car to buy anything larger than a bread box (unless of course it's the most amazing thing I've ever seen, in which case I will simply let Mr. PPP drive and I'll ride on the roof.)
I did buy this great bubblegum pink, 80's leather bag with attached makeup case, since it spoke to me and told me that I AM today's woman (see tag above.)

Cute skirt! I'll hem it and make it a saucy little mini!

Remote, anyone?

Total items bought: 9 (strange how that number has become my numerical totem for this trip!)
--including that gold lion belt (above) and a vintage book about LA's very cool La Brea Tar Pits.

*****************************************************************************************

Etsy Vintage Seller Interview #1
Dana from VintageInteriors.etsy.com
Mechanicsville, PA
----> What a lovely, minimalist home she has--this is the kind of place that ends up in the best decorated list on design-sponge! Love the little details, like the 50s sunburst clock, giant key and great Audubon poster!

*I'll only be posting photos of my interviews here, but stay tuned to read the actual interviews sometime in the near future...

***************************************************************
Now...off to Ohio!

9 Day Road Trip Across America + Thrift Store Shopping Every Day = Heaven

2009-09-09T20:42:00.011-07:00

When I decided to make my big move back to Los Angeles from Philadelphia, I knew I wanted to make the trip special. As a pack-rat style collector of all things vintage and fun, I only had one option for the trip: to drive cross country with a car load full of my treasures.

And why stop there? How about making this trip about the one thing I love most in life--thrift store shopping. It makes me giddy just thinking about how many amazing second hand stores there are in this country, all waiting to be discovered and rummaged through! (I guess I heard my calling when I worked in a Salvation Army Thrift Store when I was 15...) I'll be taking you along for the ride via pictures and insights into these random shops, anywhere and everywhere I find them.

I also occasionally sell my vintage wares on Etsy.com, a fantastic artsy little website where many others like myself buy and sell great vintage clothing, housewares and anything else that's 25+ years old. About 3 weeks ago, I had an idea to contact a bunch of these sellers, who live all across the country, and ask them if they would meet with me as I passed through their fair cities. Amazingly, many of them said yes! Not only will I be detouring off the highway and shopping for myself, but I'll be interviewing and taking photos of cool collections from other treasure hunters, from Pennsylvania to California.

There were a few potential travel partners in this excursion, but nothing worked out. So I'm doing this trip solo! I'm pretty sure this is a blessing in disguise, since it would be tough to find someone with the kind of patience I have for the intense sport of junk hunting. I do have one companion, the very charming Mr. Pink Plastic Poodle (found in a NYC neighborhood flea market in 2007.) Don't worry, he's buckled in.

Obsession of the Week: Uh-MAZING Fashion Editorial

2009-04-30T12:43:00.010-07:00

The set styling! The clothing! The models!

You gotta go to the website and see the whole shoot. Every picture is unreal... (from Vogue-Spain, I think)
http://www.ericdoverstudio.com/editorial/image/voguenovias1/index.html
Art Director: Eric Dover
Photographer: Eugenio Recuenco

So inspiring!

Happy Etsy Day!

2009-04-24T08:39:00.005-07:00

Today is ETSY DAY (as declared by the fabulous Etsy.com, an online treasure trove of people selling cool stuff) and we should all celebrate by getting on there and buying some awesome handmade and/or vintage goodies!

<----- You can check out the items in my shop (*GOLDMINE* vintage) by clicking on the little picture boxes on the left column of this page.

Mother's and Father's Days are coming up, and Etsy is simply the BEST place to get creative, inexpensive gifts.

My favorite find of the week? gettingroovy's Drawer Pull Knob (find it here: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=23532475)

Oh Etsy, what would I do without you? Thanks for brightening up my life every day :)

TWO WORDS

2009-04-08T09:43:00.004-07:00

CANDY. SUSHI.
--------------------

Check out this great how-to guide, from a very cool mommy blog (normally, no, I do not read those...)
http://mommyknows.com/birthday-party-candy-sushi/

Illustration of the Day

2009-03-29T14:53:00.002-07:00

Absolutely STUNNING illustration by Swedish artist Linn Olofsdotter.
Here's her website http://www.olofsdotter.com/
Enjoy!

Notes on a Random, Productive, Rainy Day

2009-03-26T10:22:00.003-07:00

Hello friends.

Have you seen this movie trailer yet? I think I might have wet my pants, it looks so darn good...
http://www.apple.com/trailers/wb/wherethewildthingsare/

Also, look at these fantastic photographers:

CODY CLOUD (look at his Shanghai Zoo pics)
http://www.codycloud.com/

JULIA GALLO (her fashion portfolio is amazing)
http://www.juliagaldo.com/photography.html

Strangely enough, their work looks A LOT like a friend of mine JULIA (coincidence!) HOLTKOTTER http://julophotography.com/fashion (she lives in Germany and NYC.) I did some fashion styling for one of her shoots in Brooklyn ---> check out the photos of our shoot here.

Also, I've been working a lot on my collage art. My material comes from the vintage 1920's-70's magazines that I've been stockpiling for the past few years. Glad they're finally getting some attention! Better late than never :)

As soon as they are 100% finished, I'll be posting them here and in my Etsy store!

..........................................
Thanks for reading, friend!

I'm a lazy #%*&

2009-03-20T17:24:00.003-07:00

Oh, man. So the plan was to blog EVERY DAY for an ENTIRE YEAR. Interesting concept, right? I got 4 days in, and then totally copped out.

I hate to admit this, but I think I thought that my life would be a little more exciting on a daily basis. But alas, these first 10 days of this 27th year of my life have not been quite as mind boggling as anticipated.

And so, dear readers, whoever and wherever you are, I will blog only when the blogging mood strikes :)

Thanks for hanging in there!

27 Years -- 4 Days

2009-03-13T20:27:00.002-07:00

Website of the Day: Find your new favorite artist at illustrationmundo.com

"Should've Seen It Coming" of the Day: Blogging every day is actually pretty tough! Not to mention that I'm not positive if anybody will actually be reading this on a daily basis. So I now proclaim, on this day forward, that I will post only once a week, on WEDNESDAYS.

Freaky Photo of the Day:

See ya next week!

27 Years -- 3 Days

2009-03-12T20:56:00.001-07:00

Necessary Evil of the Day: Spring Cleaning. They really should invent self-cleaning toilets one of these days.

Thought of the Day: Getting mail (as in the postal service delivered snail mail kind) is so fulfilling. It really makes your day, you know? If one of you readers sends me a piece of mail, I will then send you a piece of mail, and we will both be very happy. My address is: 415 Dickinson St. Philadelphia, PA 18901 USA

Random Fact of the Day: The Bible is both the world's best selling book, and the most shoplifted book.

answer to yesterday's photo quiz: VELCRO! (but I secretly like to pretend it's some kind of alien bug...)

à demain!

27 Years -- 2 Days

2009-03-11T20:15:00.004-07:00

Disappointment of the Day: Lost was canceled tonight. I want to start a support group for people who think about Lost every day.

Cool Photo of the Day: Guess the object!

(look for the answer tomorrow!)

Frustration of the Day: When you see a hot Republican.

¡hasta mañana!

A Year in the Life -- 27 years 1 day

2009-03-10T03:07:00.016-07:00

As you can see from my first and only blog post (below,) I am a very infrequent blogger. Yikes--it's been almost 2 years since I wrote that one.

I have thought many times about maintaining a daily blog, since, according to some very good friends, I lead an interesting and eccentric life that is worth writing about.

So I had this great idea that maybe I would blog every day of my 27th year of life, which incidentally starts TODAY. It will be composed of things that a slightly nomadic, Craigslist freelancer and aspiring creative type does in her day-to-day life. And let me just say that I haven't felt such an explosive outpouring of words and thoughts since I stayed up all night on Ritalin writing essays in college.

Every day, I will post new photos and links to some of my favorite things that I find during my daily scouring of the great vastness that is The Internet. On an average day, I probably spend 4-9 uninterrupted hours on this computer (no joke.) And you will not believe the cool, random, crazy freaking stuff I find...

Naked City Photographer > http://www.mirukim.com/nakedcityspleen/richmond.html

"Dove Evolution" Commercial > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYhCn0jf46U

Beautiful Libraries > http://curiousexpeditions.org/2007/09/a_librophiliacs_love_letter_1.html#more

In closing, I had a friend tell me once that this would be “my year.” I guess I really took that to heart. Maybe it’s superstition, maybe just blind faith. But lately, I've been feeling kinda like this:

According to OnlineConversion.com
27 years = 9861.5394 days
Geez, I hope I spent that .5394th of a day well.

See you tomorrow!

The Wallet Fairy

2007-06-21T23:15:00.000-07:00

☞ Have you ever found a wallet on the ground? Most people have at one time or another, I think. Well I found a pink one, about 4 weeks ago, on King Street in a trendy little Sydney suburb called Newtown. There was no owner in sight. The items inside were:
-a Sydney University student ID card belonging to a nice looking blond girl
-her birth certificate
-a pawn shop receipt for a blue electric guitar

☞ Very mysterious, right? There was no phone number anywhere, just the girl's address. I could've turned it in to the police. Or a nearby shop. But those options were no fun. No fun at all. Having nothing better to do, I walked the 20 minutes to her house. I decided that this would be my good deed for the day (week? year??) but I wanted to be an anonymous do-gooder. I wanted to be a wallet fairy. So I put said wallet in between the screen and front doors, knocked loudly and quickly walked away.

☞ Cut to: Two weeks later, a friend invited me to a small cocktail/house party being thrown by a random guy she met at a random bar a few nights previous. As we walked up to the house, everything seemed somehow very familiar. Yes, the party was at THE WALLET GIRL'S HOUSE! I know. I KNOW. But in a strange(r) twist of fate, the girl didn't live there anymore. Needless to say, the current residents were shocked that the wallet fairy was now in their house. "Stuff like this always happens to me," I told them. "Really? You should write it all down--in a blog or something," they said.

☞ And VOILA.