Vintage Shopping in Riverside

For a few hours on Saturday we enjoyed the Open Houses at some of our favorite shops.

Old Glory
General Store
4344 Market Street
Riverside, Ca 92504

This is the shop where Joe and I would rejuvenate in between visits at the hospital with VoVo.  It is still one of my favorites.  In some ways it seems so long ago yet the feeling is always the same.  In entering I always sigh and prepare for the visual stimulus. To creative people it is like quiet time.  My mind is not racing but unwinding.

Mrs. Darlings'
6500 Magnolia Avenue
Riverside, Ca 92506

Where Holly and Jacob are known by name.    There's Jacob with Mrs. Darling. 
This is one of the warmest shops and there is this amazing cabinet.

Holly feeling at home and munching on Open House goodies. 

Vintage Flair
3778 Elizabeth Street
Riverside,. CA 92501

New to us:

Patina Decor
6510 Magnolia Avenue
Riverside, CA 92506 (next door to Mrs. Darling's)

 Looking forward to some much needed quiet time in October. 

Eat, Pray and Love

Two or three hankies.  Lesson one:  Forgive yourself.  Okay, I can't get past the forgive yourself.


My first boys......
                                        Mark

 Nicholas n Mark

 Mark

Both grown men now.

The Farm Chicks Christmas

I loved the Farm Chicks first book so I am betting this one is great, too.

Outon Outon Outon is Coming

Doesn't that sound wonderful.. Autumn is just the beginning to my favorite half of the year.
Quick trip to the gourd farm.


Gourd fields.

Rivers of gourds. We only picked the tiny jewelry size.

A morsel at the Julian Cafe.

Pumpkin and apple pie.  Oh my.

Ode to Junk

 I do have a genuine and almost miserly interest in worthless objects. 
                                                                                             -John Steinbeck, Travels with Charley




My love affair with vintage cars started here.  With this Ford 500 Galaxy. Reverend Horton Heat.

First Entrapruerial Endeavor

These beauties were discovered at the Huntington Library they remind me of a huge clump of flowers that self sowed in the garden at the old house (casa velha).  Joe and I used to collect the seeds and sell them door to door to our neighbors.  I don't recall if we were very successful but we had great fun.  

Heirloom seeds may be located here.  My seeds are on their way.... 

No time to Despair

The title of this post started out as "Time to Celebrate" but that doesn't really describe how I am feeling.   It is sad to admit but since my mother passed away, I have been lingering.  Simply vacillating between my life before and my life now.  My mother was my rock and the keeper of my deepest darkest secrets.  Whenever I feel like just dropping off into the deep sadness within me I remind myself of the dialogue between Anne Shirley and Marilla Cuthbert in Anne of Green Gables:

Anne Shirley: Can't you even IMAGINE you're in the depths of despair?
Marilla Cuthbert: No I cannot. To despair is to turn your back on God.

It is hard not to despair but I believe what Marilla says is true.  For years my mother would visit Southern California for long stretches of time.  We would always visit nurseries, work on the garden, and bake or sew a little something.  We even made dolls two years in a row.  We'd watch Sabado Gigante on Saturdays and Anne of Green Gables and we never tired of it. We also like to watch Primer Impacto for Walter Mercado's horoscope.  Walter is super fancy and his Spanish is beautiful sometimes my mother would have to clarify what I didn't understand.

Yesterday, I finally registered to resume my graduate studies and today I ordered the book.  Defining Moments,  isn't that the truth. Now I know God speaks to us...sometimes He shouts at me because I am slow to listen. It's not that I don't get it.  It is that I resist but less and less as I get older.  I am convinced that this class will reignite my love of learning.

 Here is to counting my blessings.


HAPPY BIRTHDAY, YOLANDA  You make the world a better place by justing being in it.  Amiga, you have been a true and courageous friend to my dearest Joe and for that I am eternity thankful.  May you be blessed with many more birthdays full of joy and health in the company of all who cherish you.

Joe corrected me, it isn't Yolanda's birthday after all but the sentiments stand even though the message is couple of months late.  I am blushing. 

Here's Joe, mother and me at Chrisy's condo years ago.  Chrisy has moved twice since this photo.  We were so lucky to spend so much time together.











The holidays are coming:  Alicia Paulson has posted the 2010 Edition of her ornament kits.  I ordered my kit what are you waiting for?  You owe to yourself to go check it out.  My mother always had a little work on her lap. It's a sweet tradition that I would love to have my children remember about me.

See that look on my mother's face that is pride and joy.  It's the look of contentment.  The look mothers have when their children are behaving well.  Those are my craft bags in between.

Dulce and Mother Summer 2005

Saying for the Day

Jacob says, "Work does not have recess."  

Calendar Recommendations for No place like home

Please check out Jennifer Perkins home featured on Etsy.  Lee and I agree... There is never enough when you have the creative gene.  It is over the top kitschy and we love it. Collectors untie...unite.

Dragging into Fall

It was the "casa velha" (old house) that started it all.  This blog, the love of vintage, retro, pink, wavy glass, claw foot tubs, gardens, rich dark dirt...all the things I still love can be traced back to that really old two-story house at 424 Purisima.  I am convinced that it is in the seeking of feelings of comfort and the freedom that only childhood holds that we spend most of our weekends trolling items that flood the memory banks with sweet memories.

Trader Joe's had lovely black figs and sugar plums this weekend...those flavors with sourdough french bread take me right back to childhood.  I will be looking for chestnuts soon to remind me of times in the pink kitchen on Purisima or of times at the 1970s dinette table with the matching moss green flowery vinyl chairs on Mill Street.  All our celebrations happened in that tiny eat in kitchen.

Recently Lee has been messing with hair accessories.  Holly likes the glitter.


Time spent in the gardens at County Roads   Jacob takes his sketchbook everywhere.

Notice the truck in the background.  Picking out plants just like my mother taught me.

Not only are there beautiful plants, but the garden behind Country Roads is just a wonder place with nooks and crannies to explore-for well behaved children and adults.  Holly loved that cement snail.

We reluctantly ventured inside for the amazing holiday displays.
Our family is BIG on Halloween.

The pumpkin head holding the kitty head should have come home with us.

And yesterday we stopped by Mrs. Darling.  The little green chairs Holly is sitting on had to make their way home with us.  Do you remember those little chairs in kindergarten?   Not only do they hold positive memories the color is perfect, too. Holly just makes herself at home.

Labor Day Weekend Revamped

She still requires her hat but goodness she is gorgeous. 

Favorite Things

If you have being reading along for a while, you already know of my love of dirt, wire and glitter but did you know I love lamps and chandeliers.  Nothing fancy mind you, just grandma's cottage kind of lighting.  Still this is not just any ordinary lighting.  Most were picked up in thrift stores for less than $5 and  the chandeliers for under $65.  It is a team affair,  Lee is the rewiring wizard and I clean, sand, and paint the new lighting.

While we were on vacation we completed this beauty:

Originally from Spain she started out  a dingy gold color.

This little charmer came from Utah.  She was perfect just a bath and a rewiring job.
She is installed above my side of the bed for reading.

This weekend's victim:

 

Milk glass holds a special place in my heart.
It is old fashioned and classic all at the same time.
We considered painting the wood silver, black or white.
This time, we are going traditional cottage and the wood will
be white and the lamp shade is going.  It's just too over powering
and drab.  This one came from the Goodwill in Gilroy for $15.
Even though it was in good working order,
 all our lamps are rewired.  Safety first.

Anniversary Gift

One of my extra special gifts.  Lee actually ran around to three stores to find it on the day of release.  If you pre-order your books from Amazon they are delivered on the day of release....just saying.

This is what I will be reading this weekend.


My little gift for Lee came from monkeysalwayslook.  Wonderful experience can't wait to get shop again.

Happy Anniversary

We just recently discovered that Julia and Paul Child share our wedding date of September 1.  My parents were married in March of 1946 the same year Julia and Paul were married.  Both couples had  long and devoted marriages and we feel blessed to celebrate a shared anniversary.

What I especially hold dear about our wedding ceremony is the walk back down the aisle.  We both held our emotions together until then....my mother almost ran down the aisle behind us to grab us first and give us our first kiss. A practical woman she had not supported my desire to remarry.  But what she said, as the three of us stood there at the end of the aisle, was that she had become overwhelmed with joy as we exchanged our vows and she had to hug and kiss us. She wished us the greatest joy and good health.

We all knew that Lee was an exceptional man but in the last nine years he has exhibited strength in adversity, boundless love for all four children, tenderness in the care of and loss of our beloved.  In all things we give thanks. Happy Anniversary sweetness.