Where feminists go to cringe...

Love it!

Also...

Congrats on your first ever hat purchase, Liz! Hope you'll have fun wearing them!

All Washed Up

Thanks to all those who braved the weather at yesterday's Vintage Bazaar! It was an adventure, for sure, but I'm thankful that everyone remained in good spirits. Stay tuned for the next OFV appearance...

Loot!

So my folks are in the auction business, and I've inherited a certain collector's mentality (well, my boyfriend would call it a compulsive hoarding habit, but that's beside the point). My folks are also moving, which means the keep giving me all of their stuff. Which is kind of awesome. But with each Honda Fit-load of treasures (EVERYTHING fits in that car), I see the doubt in the eyes of my boyfriend. "Where are we going to put all this stuff?" "You mean this awesome collection of vintage valuables that I'm sentimentally attached to?" "You know what, I trust you, you always make it work..." So the last two days have been all about making it work, finding a home for my fun new things. I decorated a window with interesting smalls... my mom's old pie birds and some funky carved bottle stoppers. I hung some pots! And some vegetable crate labels! You, too can find a home for new treasures, so get collecting. And see you Sunday at The Vintage Bazaar!

An Americana Moment

This is the Miner-Dunn located in the Hammond, Indiana area. It's for real the cutest little vintagey diner without being all chrome seats and tacky uniforms. I think part of what I love about vintage is the authenticity and sincerity that surrounds it. This place isn't trying to be clever or kitschy, it's just sort of stuck with what works... for the last seventy five years. Love it.

Whoa Mama!

So I went to visit my parents last week, and they did that thing where they try to send you off with everything from your high school yearbook to leftovers to that extra set of dishes. My parents being auctioneers and collectors, I usually don't mind. While sorting through some boxes in the barn, I found this beauty! It was my great aunt's hamper, apparently... Now I remember my Aunt Margaret's religious art and baby blue toilet seat covers, so it was fun to picture this eye-popping enamel in the mix. I just love the idea of something so utilitarian; a hamper or a garbage can, getting such fun design details.

Back in Action.

So it appears that it's June. And June is almost over. How did that happen?! It's been a busy month-ish here at OFV. I've been bringing the theatre season to a close, finishing up freelancing gigs and the like. My summer projects have been a little too farmer's market-oriented (have you made garlic scape pesto yet?) and less flea market-oriented.

But now, a story...

There is this filing cabinet. This beautiful, dark green 1960s(?) filing cabinet in perfect condition. It lives in the basement of a theatre. Sometimes I visit it, put things in it, make extended plans about smuggling it up the stairs, across the stage, through the loading dock and into my car without anyone noticing. Sigh.

But wait! Driving down Western one sticky June day, I spotted my filing cabinet (well, just like it) sitting on the sidewalk in front of the quirky, surprising Stop Look. I did a U-turn on Western (did you catch that? a U-turn. On Western.) to snatch it up. A baffled boyfriend, stubbed toe, minor car upholstery damage and a deep clean later, my studio is a paradise of vintage organization.

More stories of the perils of vintage shopping to come.