2014 Vintage Puchase #10: Chenille Bedding

August has been a slow month for new posts. I've spent the last few weeks packing, moving and settling into my new place. Unfortunately, the way the housing market is along the peninsula, I did not buy a house. Instead, I settled on a nice big apartment in a very serene part of San Mateo County. (The house will have to wait.) So of course that means decorating with vintage decor.

I already have quite a bit of vintage furniture; coffee table, side tables, settee, vanity, figurines, etc. I've now ventured into the realm of vintage linens. I have small ones such as handkerchiefs, but I'm now looking for larger pieces like drapery, table linens and bed spreads. I recently purchased a queen-size bed and decided on chenille bedding. My late grandmother had these types of spreads. Immediately after her passing, the family rummaged through and staked claim on her belongings before I got any chance of selecting a few of her belongings. I only have three small items; a quilt, her bottle of holy water,  and a night gown. I really wish I could've had some of her linen. All of her bedspreads were of some type of chenille, and I decided to find this type of linen.

What is Chenille?

Chenille comes from the French word meaning caterpillar. This fuzzy worm provided the name for a type of pattern where the yarn is thick, softy and fuzzy. Its popularity was widespread during the 1930s with its use in bedding, pillows, floor mats/carpeting, etc.

The patterning varies. The most popular is flowers, but geometric shapes are also common. As per the colors, pastels were favored.

I recently purchased a vintage chenille bedspread and immediately dressed my bed. It's fairly simple; not as elaborate as others I've seen. I'm planning to purchase more so that I can change them periodically.

My chenille bedspread with my vintage vanity and settee in the background.

I would place the date of this particular bedspread in the 1930s. It's plain cotton sheet with limited chenille stitching perhaps due to the Great Depression when most anything was simple. I stood admiring my "new" acquisition and immediately thought of my grandma's house and all the time spent sleeping in her linens. Happy memories.

The Last Dance: Fair Weather Friends

This month's discussion topic for The Last Dance is Fair Weather Friends. Dizzy decided on the topic though I'd never heard that term before. She explained that it was "friends" who come around only when they need something. Or they don't stick around when you're in need. I then replied, "OH MY GOSH! I TOTALLY HAVE ONE!"

And once you speak of the devil, the devil ALWAYS appears. Within minutes I received a text from Mari informing me of her new number before asking me to keep my "ears open for any rooms for rent." No "hello, how are you." Dizzy noticed my reaction; I was laughing and shaking my head. I told her, "it's the fair-weather friend." And yes, she asked for another favor which turned into another disaster. After assessing the entire situation I've come to realize that I don't need this person in my life. I will probably never hear from her again, and I am perfectly content with that.

I'm sure we've all encountered these types of "friends" and perhaps even have a one or two in your current circle of friends. I wonder, though, do fair weather friends have fair weather friends?

Below is a snippet of our discussion.

For Mobile Users: Fair Weather Friends

My setlist for this month included the following songs:

• Why Don't You Do Right by Benny Goodman and Peggy Lee (on the accompanying video)
• Your Socks Don't Match by Bing Crosby and Louis Jordan
• Everybody Step by Chick Webb and Ella Fitzgerald

Last month's song arrangement fit the theme of unrequited love. This month's song arrangement was less to do with thematic content and more about friendly collaboration.

If this wasn't a jazz station, I would've chosen these songs to best fit the theme:

• Why Can't We Be Friends by War
• Friends by Whodini 
• Just a Friend by Biz Markie

All kidding aside...as always you can listen to The Last Dance on Radio Sausalito. The show will air this Sunday, August 24 at 10am and 6pm. Be sure to tune by clicking the link below.

http://listen.radionomy.com/radiosausalito.m3u

RIP Lauren Bacall

One of the leading ladies in the golden age of cinema has passed away. I am huge fan of her Bogie/Bacall films. Rest in Peace Ms. Bacall. You are now in heaven with your beloved Humphrey Bogart. 

A New Direction for one topic

I started this blog as tool for healing; I have suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder for the past seven years that stemmed from a sexual assault on June 29, 2007. I was not only raped by an individual, but I was also raped by the Orange County legal system. I had to carry that burden with me the past four years when I relocated back to San Francisco. It has been a series of ups and downs, but ultimately, I am prevailing.

This past Thursday (August 7), I returned to the San Francisco Hall of Justice to complete the final step of a very long legal battle. It is now on record that I was truly the victim of a sexual assault. That past has now been dismissed and erased completely, and for the first time in four years, I can truly live a completely free life without any consequence. It hadn't hit me until this evening when I finally broke down and cried. I had a mix of so many emotions at once; anger, happiness, relief, hope. In my head, I imagined myself shouting:

• A big F--- YOU to that psychopathic rapist. His day will come. I will never be around to witness, but I am a true believer in Karma. Ultimately, he will get his due.
• Another F--- YOU to my cousin who claims to be this psychic. She stated, "oh your case will never go away. It'll stay with you forever." She has no idea how that utterance was a blade that twisted into my very soul. It had that much of an effect on me. 
• And last and definitely least was one final F--- YOU to the county of Orange. 
• Gadzooks how could I forget? A big F--- YOU to Gianelli Guzman for being a psychotic, stalking cunt.

And then I took a deep breath. It was that cathartic. I continue to see my therapist and she has stated that what I am now experiencing is Post Traumatic Growth or PTG; it is not about returning to the same life as before the period of traumatic suffering; rather it's about undergoing significant life-changing shifts in thinking and understanding the world and my place in it.

I thought about how I wanted to continue this blog as it has shifted away from feelings of despair to feelings of hope and happiness. Do I want to continue including PTSD related posts? The answer is yes. I've decided to create a new blog specifically for posts about PTSD and PTG. In fact, I will expand on the events that contributed to my PTSD diagnosis. It is a type of blog that will have some pretty intense content. I have transferred most of my PTSD related posts from this blog to the new one. I also think it is most beneficial for those who really want to heal and move past PTSD to PTG.

2014 Vintage Purchase #9: Ceramics

It has been awhile since my last venture at Alameda Antique Flea Market. I think the last time I went was in May. I held off going in June because of the Vintage Fashion Faire, and in July, I was in Los Angeles.

On my "to buy" list was a dining table and mini-bathtub basin to use as a planter for my herb garden. I found neither. At least none that was suitable to my taste or wallet. My friend Burnie and I started in the back of the market and weaved our toward the front. There was some great furniture, but it's quite apparent that most sellers are interested in making a profit more than just trying to get rid of stuff. So as we continued browsing, we decided to stop only at things that looked interesting.

One thing that looked interesting was a $20 bill floating across the concrete without its owner. Heck yeah I picked it up!

A little later, I saw this ceramic that I've actually been looking for for quite some time. I've wanted a specific color (red hair), but considering that it was only $10 and I had an extra $20 in my pocket, I bought it.

It could use a little touching up, but other than that, she joins my other two pieces: the famous [Pulp Fiction] kangaroo and the old football player.

Burnie walked a way with a very interesting piece. He found this bust reminiscent of the 1920s.

It would've been so much cooler if it read "Sutro Baths" but you get what you get. Still, it's definitely a conversation piece. He's thinking of using it as a decorative prop for future dance revues.

With the way sellers are overpricing their goods, it looks like I'll have to go about the estate sale circuit for an antique dining table.