Adventures in Indiana

It’s been a busy few weeks. Not only have I been juggling two part time jobs and some volunteer work but our social calendar has been insanely full lately too. I think it’s the change in seasons that causes everyone to want to be out and about. We also just came back from a trip to good ol’ “Indian-er” as Deric calls it - (translation Indiana) where we celebrated a dear friend’s wedding, had a few too many beers (which may be a requirement for any trip to this state), visited with family and did some fishing! Of course, I had to do some shopping there as well. There is always something unique to be found at antique stores or garage sales in small towns and I must say Ferdinand did not disappoint.

While at lunch with some of the ladies from the Muller and Oser families, we heard about a local garage sale happening in a neighboring town, St. Meinrad, so we made our way over. Most of it was your usual garage sale fare – books, old t-shirts, shoes, VHS tapes, lawn chairs, etc. I was ready to give up when I spotted something very, very exciting….another vintage piece of luggage. It’s almost exactly the same as the Samsonite mustard yellow bag I’ve been apprehensive to give up but this one is blue and made by Sears. On the spot, I decided I’d keep the blue one for my own use and sell the yellow one. Problem solved! I also found a very cool brown leather vintage camera bag. My husband marveled at how I was able to spot these two things in all of the boxes and piles of stuff scattered around.

L: My new blue tote, R: Vintage camera case

My next shopping stop had been on my list of places to go. We’ve driven by the Antique Emporium many times but for some reason, I’ve never ventured inside until now.

I’m a little upset at myself for not going in sooner. This place was a 10,000 square foot vintage heaven. It just seemed to go on and on. If we lived closer, I would’ve had to take home more then just the few purses I settled on…..

L: Blue & white knit handbag, R: White wicker purse with mother of pearl accents

As fun as my shopping excursions were, I did learn a very important lesson on this trip… always check the inside of your purchases for leftover belongings from previous owners BEFORE you go through airport security. While getting my bags checked, I was singled out by a TSA agent. She requested to thoroughly check the blue bag. I thought it was odd until I figured out what prompted her to do so. The x-ray machine had shown what appeared to be a knife. After pulling every last item out of my bag, she revealed a rusty old steak knife hidden in a side pocket. Luckily, she was satisfied when I agreed to let her throw it away. Little did I know that my beloved blue Sears bag would cause such a nightmare. Lesson learned!

Keep your eyes out for my new finds (sans knives) on etsy!

Lots of New Developments!

Things have been quite busy over the last few weeks and I’m excited to share some news! As a young breast cancer survivor I can’t tell you how happy I am about the opportunities that have just been presented to me. I was just invited to be part of the volunteer planning staff for a breast cancer fundraiser called Beats for Boobs – a fun collaboration of art, music and fashion. I’ve been involved with this amazing organization for a few years as a model in their fashion show and have baked boobie cupcakes for the event. I am also lucky to be able to call many of the amazing ladies on the staff my friends.  I’ll be working as the Event Coordinator/right hand woman for their 3 events – in SF, LA and Seattle and I couldn’t be more honored to be a part of something so special!

Also, through my connections at Beats for Boobs, I was just hired at the Breast Cancer Emergency Fund which is a non-profit social service organization that provides emergency financial assistance to low-income women and men of San Francisco and San Mateo County who are in active treatment for breast cancer. After working for seven years at an art gallery, it is such a breath of fresh air to know that I will actually be helping people in need for a cause that is very dear to my heart.

I'll be dividing my time between Cowboy Jack Vintage, B4B, BCEF as well as the little part time job I decided to keep with the frameshop. WHOA! So I have a lot to do! :) I should get started.....

Have a good week everyone! 

Shopping with Grandma

I don’t get to spend too much time with my grandma but I was home for Easter this weekend so we had breakfast at her favorite restaurant, the Waffle House, and then did a little shopping at her favorite thrift store. My grandma can thrift with the best of them even at 84 years old. She has her own frequent buyer card and she even commented that spending $5 on a dress was a little excessive.  I think she wanted me to haggle with the pricing! To her anything more then $1 is just plain overpriced.

I wish I had captured some of our shopping moments from the day on film…my grandma carefully inspecting each shirt, my husband rolling his eyes as I tried to convince him just how awesome a John Wayne painting was, my eyes lighting up at the site of a vintage Samsonite carry on bag and at the end of the day, my husband resting on the thrift store couches.  

Here are a few of the items I found on our shopping excursion….

This is the amazing Samsonite bag that I found. The cashier said this bag was in their front window for months until I came along. I don't understand how anyone could've passed this up! I am definitely having some reservations about selling it though. I need to start lugging my laptop around and I think this would be perfect. Hmmmmm…decision, decisions.

And a few dresses…..

Most of these things will be up on etsy in the next few days. I'll keep you posted! Have a great week! 

Dresses, Dresses, Dresses!

I have a deep obsession with dresses right now. Of course I am partial to vintage dresses but it’s not always easy to find the size I need in a something that was made 40 years ago. So where do I turn? The internet of course! I regularly comb through fashion blogs to see what all the cool kids are wearing these days but it’s also a great way to find links to different online stores. These are just a few of the stores with some impressive dress collections that I have come across in my fashion blog travels.

Spotted Moth

L to R: Battenberg Lace Dress & McGillicuddy Dress 

ModCloth

L to R: Semaphore Front of Fashion Dress & Rosehill Lane Dress

Olive & Orange

From their 2011 Spring & Summer Collection

L to R: Domino Print Trapeze Dress, Chambray Frill Shirt Dress & Wallflower Spot Print Dress

Summer is right around the corner and I can't help but imagine myself in each of these dresses! Cheers to the coming warm weather!

Top Shops

I’ve had a few people ask me where I shop. If you’re ever in the city and want to go on a little shopping excursion here are my favorite go-to thrift and vintage stores, in no particular order.

1. Buffalo Exchange. There is a chain of these stores but my favorite by far is the one on Valencia Street. They always seem to have great everything – dresses, coats, shoes, etc. I’ve found that each store in this chain is sort of reflective of the neighborhood and most people our age in the Mission district have a unique, fun sense of style.

Buffalo Exchange at 1210 Valencia Street

This is also where my husband found the infamous cowboy boots that he gave to me for Christmas a few years ago. The same pair that I just wore under my wedding dress... 

Photo Courtesy of Kris Hosack (aka Reverend Ho)

2. Crossroads Trading Company. This is also a chain of stores, however, in my opinion, their inventory is a little less flashy then Buffalo. It’s a good go to place for standards – jeans and shirts. 

3. Wasteland. I used to spend a lot of time shopping in the Haight but as I’ve gotten older the crowds of tourists, teenagers and street kids have turned me off to the neighborhood but whenever I do make it to that part of town, I must stop here. They have some amazing vintage wears that aren’t overpriced.

Wasteland at 1660 Haight Street

4. Thrift Town. I actually went here for the first time a few weeks ago and it has the potential to be added to my rotation of stores. It’s one of those places that people of all ages go to….senior citizens looking for a bargain, moms looking for kids clothes, 20 and 30 somethings looking for that one hidden gem. It’s definitely one of those places where you can find some cool stuff BUT it takes forever to pick through everything. It’s 2 stories of clothing, shoes, kitchen ware and home décor.

Thrift Town at 2101 Mission Street

5. Held Over. You can find anything from a crazy Halloween costume to a really pretty vintage dress here. Definitely some unique stuff.

Held Over at 1543 Haight Street

6. Goodwill. There are a ton of these stores in the city alone but I think my favorite is the little one at 820 Clement Street. I always manage to find a few fun items here and I think that’s because it’s not in the most trendy of neighborhoods. It is mostly frequented by families whose taste in clothing and accessories are far different from mine.

7. Alameda Point Antiques Faire. If you are ever in the Bay Area on the first Sunday of the month, you must check this out. There are over 800 vendors here who sell anything from clothes to accessories to home furnishings. You need to give yourself at least a few hours to see most of it but if you’re ambitious like me I reserve the whole morning and afternoon to peruse all the booths. And just a word of advice – ladies, leave the men at home unless they are REALLY into antiquing. This is no place for the weary! My only complaint about this antiques fair is that because it has grown so popular over the years, I’ve noticed an overall increase in prices by most vendors. You can still find very reasonable stuff but you may also be quite surprised by some of the asking prices for things. For more info follow the link below.

Alameda Point Antiques Faire

 Hope everyone finds this list helpful! Happy shopping!

Exciting News!

While I was in Tahoe this weekend honing my skiing skills, I received a very exciting email from etsy. I sold my first item! Although it was just a wallet, it was a meaningful sale nonetheless. Thank you to Danielle in Washington DC! Now my husband can stop asking - When are you going to sell something? I think I’ll celebrate with a glass of wine (or two) with the girls tonight.

And to make the sale a little sweeter, I noticed when checking on my etsy account that some of my items and my store have been tagged as buyers favorites already! Guess I must be doing something right so far! 

Anyone Need a Wardrobe Refresher?

I’m not sure how common clothing swaps are elsewhere but in San Francisco, I seem to hear about them all the time. It’s the best way to get some new items in your closet without spending a dime. Just invite a bunch of friends to bring over those bags of unwanted clothes (shoes & accessories are welcome too!) that have been taking up space in the back of their closets, throw in some wine and appetizers and voila! - it’s a party with free clothes! My book club (nicknamed the “wine club” by my husband) has thrown a few clothing swaps and it’s always a fun time.  Everyone is designated a small space to display their goodies and when we’re all ready, we start swapping. You take what you want and give away what you can. There really are no rules except don’t try to pawn off your ripped and torn clothing on anyone else.

These are just a few of my recent clothing swap finds.

A fun little dress and a white winter coat courtesy of my friend Deena…

Some adorable cowboy rain boots, sandals and some mid-calf boots…

And what happens if no one takes my clothes, you ask? Don't worry they will still be put to good use and appreciated by someone...at the end of the night any undesirables are bagged and sent off to a charity like Goodwill.

Happy swapping!