It's been eons!

Cheers!

Hello all!

It has been a very long time since I last posted. I log in from time to time to see if there is still any interest; and to my humbled surprise, I still see many, many readers coming in to read my posts. I do thank you very, very much for your visits. Below is a quick rundown on the past 18 months.

So what has been happening? A lot! I've left my Academic Director position for a much lower paying teaching position across the bay in Berkeley. And I couldn't be happier. While I've gained a lot of knowledge as a director, it just wasn't worth the stress working for a tyrannical boss; and a tyrant she was. I'll just leave it at that.

I'm also embarking on a career change. I have returned to university to earn a graduate certificate in paralegal studies. That's right. I'm leaving education for law. It's quite a leap. I've already been hired as a part-time paralegal, I must say I really enjoy the sleuthing. Several lawyers whom I've networked with have told me that I have the skills to be a great lawyer and that I should pursue law school. I definitely have an interest, but I don't think I want the stress (and additional student loans).

HOUSE UPDATE

My house! My lovely vintage house! I have made quite a few upgrades to the home. The painting project is finally completed! Before, it was a drab white house with gray trim. I've since painted it red.









I've worked most in my backyard. After the hardscaping and new fencing, I began designing and building my vegetable and fruit garden boxes. I also have a very nice butterfly and hummingbird garden. Of course, being a gardener means having a potting bench. My parents came up during their Christmas vacation and, together, we built this amazing (and amazingly huge) potting bench for all my gardening needs.






ANTIQUE PURCHASES

Of course I made quite a few antique purchases in 2017-18. I had been looking for an antique patio set and finally found one at Alameda Pointe Antique Fair. It's from the 1950s and it just made the perfect addition to my patio. Next on my antique shopping list is antique patio dishes/plates. I've seen them out there at various antique flea markets. I'm also looking to get a small tiki bar.



I purchased a few items for my kitchen. A glass set and toaster from the 1950s. I got these at an estate sale in Berkeley for a grand total of $8. I love finding antiques on the cheap.

Now here is my most prized acquisition from 2017. It is an antique Moroccan chandelier. It matches the chandelier and sconce in my bedroom, only this one has three dragons. It is absolutely beautiful and I love the way it lights up my living room.

File this one under "odds and ends". I wanted to dress up my coffee table, so I bought this magazine featuring Rita Hayworth; one of my favorite actresses who is the inspiration for my having red hair. I'm also looking for two more LIFE covers of Lauren Bacall and Alfred Hitchcock.









TATTOOS

I actually had to ponder for awhile. My last tattoo post showcased my affinity for Alfred Hitchcock. I kept thinking, "did I have any tattoos between Hitchcock and my latest tattoo?" I had to look at old pictures in between to see if I had any additional work. I couldn't believe that there was a two and a half year gap between tattoos. My latest tattoo is a traditional sugar skull in memoriam of the late, great Prince. I've always loved his music since I was a wee lass of 6 years. I still continue to enjoy his music to this very day. I wanted to keep it subtle. My cousin, who is a die-hard Michael Jackson fan, has two MJ portrait tattoos. I didn't really want a portrait so much as I wanted more of a tribute. So I asked my artist to include his famous symbol and a reference to Purple Rain. Everything else I'd leave to his discretion as far as design and color. I'm happy with the result.  This one sits just below my left elbow.


So that is all for now. Yes, I've had my ups and downs the past 18 months, but as always, I remain resilient. No need to reflect on the difficulties because I've had so many more positives to be proud of. Until next time...I'll try to keep updating. Perhaps a new post on my upcoming weekender to Los Angeles. Ciao for now.

2016 Vintage Purchases

Since buying my house this past summer, I have completely neglected my blog. I've also neglected other activities such as swing dancing, the Noir City Christmas and Silent Winter film festivals. What I HAVE done is antique hunting for my house; however, the antique posts have been nil. So here is a complete run down of my 2016 antique purchases since my last purchase post.

The house counts, right? It was built in 1916; it's 100 years old. So it counts.

I bought this 1890s parlor set in Sacramento. I thought it went quite nicely until my dad visited. As I saw him struggle to lie down, I decided perhaps another sofa is due. The next day I said,  "I'm thinking about buying another antique sofa." My dad replies, "One that I can lie on?" "Yes, daddy. One that you can lie on."

With the purchase of the parlor set, the antique shop owner thew in this Victorian screen door for free. My dad restored it and installed it on my front door. It adds even more character to my house.

And on that same trip to Sacramento, I bought this lipstick holder, which added a nice touch to my antique vanity. Looks great with my Bésame lipsticks.

I picked up this Art Deco armoire in Upper Lake, CA; about 115 miles away. It was worth the trip, though. The scenic drive was so beautiful and serene.


Now about that sofa. When I drove to Los Angeles to visit my family for Christmas, we decided to stop by Whittier's King Richards Antiques. It is a HUGE antique shop about a city block in length. It's also four stories. You can spend hours in there if you really wanted to look at every individual item. But only one caught my eye; a 1920s sofa with a down cushion. And yes, it is very comfortable to lie on.

Back home in the Bay Area, I made these last two purchases of the year. A few months ago, I was eyeing this 1920s coffee table at a local antique shop. I figured that if it was still there on New Year's Eve, I'd buy it. Well, it was there, and the price was significantly reduced. It's mine.

The other item is a hope chest. Since my house does not have a linen closet, I decided a chest would work well. It was a matter of finding the right one. The same proprietor who sold me the coffee table showed me two different chests. One was an 1880s chest and the other was 1940s.  I chose the 19th century hope chest.

I love the dovetailing that was so prolific in the 19th century. But the real beauty is the interior. This must have been an heirloom passed on from generation to generation before it became painted and gifted to a couple. The painting suggested a newlywed couple commemorating their wedding date. I thought it very charming.

And that is all for 2016. Here's to many more purchases for 2017!

Weekend Warriors

Weekend Warrior. I've known the term, but I never lived it until now. My parents came up to visit during the Thanksgiving holiday, and my dad, being the DIY carpenter that he is, decided that I needed a patio for my backyard deck. This is how it originally looked:

Excuse the curve that a panorama shot creates

There was definitely a lot of sun exposure. When I sat for breakfast, the sun was just blinding. My parents and I would (playfully) fight for the seat facing away from the sun; though that meant no view of the backyard landscape. Did it matter? We were to blinded by the light to even appreciate it. So it was decided. Spend the weekend putting up a patio. It took 2 full days from sun up to beyond sun down. 

My mom was the brains behind the design. She did all the measurements and calculations. My dad and I did the grunt work. Well, my dad did most of the grunt work. I did some drilling and hammering here and there. In the end, we came out with a beautiful covering.

There's still some work left to be done. I'm planning to paint the patio an off-white or ivory color. I'll need to run an electrical line so that I can put up a ceiling fan in the center; it does get super hot in the summer. I'm currently researching some DIY pallet bars. I really want a tiki style bar. In fact, that will be my theme for this setting. Tiki. After all, that's what patios, decks, and summer are for. An island type getaway for some grilling (vegan meat and vegetables) and having cocktails with friends. Ultimately, I'll buy a screen and projector and have classic movie nights on the deck. 

Summer can't come soon enough.

Cosmetic Touches

My house is an ivory color with grey trim. Grey. Not a fan. Not only that, two houses across the street have the exact same color scheme. Did the previous owner have no originality?

Everyone knows my color is red, so it should come as no surprise that I came out with a paint brush and some brick red paint. For an amateur, I think I did pretty well. All the window trimming are complete as is my porch. The last part is the roof trimming, which I'll put off until after the rainy season.

Great view of the hills.

Another new addition is the screen door. When I purchased my 1890s parlor set, the proprietress gave as an old screen door for free. It's a definitely a charmer, but it was not in the greatest condition. My dad took a look at it and said, "I can fix it." And indeed he did.

As an added touch, my dad put the old spring on it so that door closes shut. It actually slams shut. It actually brings back old memories of my grandma's house. My cousin and I would go running out of the house, we'd push the door open and it was slam against the house. My grandma would get so mad at us. I can't help but smile and laugh. I miss my grandma and my summers spent at her house.

But I fondly digress. Here is the screen door on my home.

Hardscaping

As nice as the house is on the inside, the surrounding area was pretty craptacular. It was all gravel in the driveway. The fence was dilapidated. The outside space itself seemed wasted. What I also disliked was that my basement door was easily accessible to passers-by. And why would I want people to see my trash bins?

Here is the before:

Note that the house next door is completely exposed. That window is the main resident's bedroom, so he can hear the gravel's crunching when I pull up in my truck. So the first major expenditure is in the hardscaping and fencing.

I felt so bad for my neighbors. The cement truck came in at 5:30 on a Saturday morning and they began mixing at 6am. It was super loud. Thankfully, they understood. They know I'm new to the neighborhood, and when there's a new owner, there will be some work to be done.

The cement now brings a new driveway that extends all the way to just before the deck. The area feels so much cleaner, and my backyard feels far more expansive.

The fence has been brought up to the front just before the porch with an added step towards the house.

The best part, my nosy next-door neighbor (and he is a busybody) is fenced off.

All Moved In and Ready to Design and Decorate

Since receiving the key, I've spent all of September making improvements to my house; both inside and outside.

The Backyard

The backyard was a huge task pulling out all the old trees and plants and putting in new ones. It took an entire weekend and a trip to the dump, but it got done. I've planted the following trees in addition to the peach tree that was already there: plum, cherry, pomegranate, and avocado.  It's still a work in progress as I've yet to begin my victory garden. I also have plans to build a chicken coop. That's right, my backyard will be my own private farm.

As you can see from the panorama above, I have a deck. Eventually I will build a patio (with the help of my weekend warrior parents, of course). Other small projects I'd like to have completed/included by next summer: a tiki bar, a bbq grill, torch lighting and a pull down screen. I think it would be nice to project old films; have friends over for a cocktail and classic films.

It's like living in the woods.

The Living Room

What little furniture I have is of course antique. I brought my 1912 victrola, a gutted 1920s victrola that serves as a cabinet, a lamp table, a side table that belonged to my grandparents, end tables and my upright bass. So where to sit? My parents and I went up to Sacramento's antique row to look for some seating. We came out with a lot of goods. We bought a 3-piece parlor set that dates back to the 1890s. 

The curtains, though modern, added a nice vintage appeal. I also included art work by Tamara De Lempicka. What I need now is a rug and perhaps a coffee table. We'll see.

Bedroom #1

I finally got to use my 1930s beaded chandelier. It lights up my room quite beautifully. The closets are quite small, so I drove up to Upper Lake to purchase an Art Deco armoire that matched perfectly with my highboy dresser. 

Bedroom #2

The guest room is not yet complete. Right now it's just a bed and setee. I need to find a dresser and perhaps a blanket chest for my extra linens. Still, as it is, it's a comfortable place to sleep. My parents certainly love it.

Dining Area

It's an eat in kitchen. I found a vintage table mantel which I topped with a plastic cover (it's the Latin in me) and some flowers. The art work is Edward Hopper's Nighthawks.

Bathroom

I have to say that I HATE the bathroom. It is tiny. But, no place is perfect. There are far more positives in this house. The bathroom just happens to be the negative. All I can do is make it as comfortable as possible. I took some crates, stained them, and made them my towel storage. My dad put up a shelf over the window to keep other bathroom items.

At Treasure Island, I purchased this DIY type of hook. Different, but I liked the look of it. I screwed it in and now have a convenient place for a hand towel.

That's all for now. Eventually I'll add more posts to show other improvements and additions. Stay tuned...

Key in Hand

As of August 24, 2016, it is now officially on record that I am a homeowner. Yaaaaay!!! And it was on that day that I received my keys. 

On Friday night, I took a few things over to my house to get started on the move. I spent the night there. All I heard were the sounds of crickets, the trees as the breeze blew through the branches and leaves, and the windchimes playing light tunes. It was incredibly peaceful. I kept thinking to myself, there's no one above me, no one below me and no one on either side. I hear no one. And no one hears me. That's the difference between life in a house and life in an apartment. No shared space.

I decided to place one picture on the wall to make it less empty. As I pounded the nail, I smiled realizing that I'm not disturbing anyone. It's also MY wall. I don't need permission to make changes. Here's the result:

I know it's a slow start, but it's a start. I can't wait until I have all my antique furnishings moved in. Stay tuned...

Half way there...

I'm now half way through the escrow period! 

I thought the search for a house was a stress, but it doesn't compare to the process of a home purchase.

I did the home inspection and was surprised to learn of the problems it has. It needs improvements in the following: plumbing, electrical, new waterheater, and a few other cosmetic issues. I thought, "this is a flipped house! How can it have these issues when the whole idea of a flipped house is to make upgrades and improvements to its infrastructure?" I was really bummed out about it.

That afternoon, I went to my friend's housewarming party and told her what happened. She, too, bought an old house and said that her home has the same issues. Then other guests chimed in saying that when you buy an old house, it's expected to come with electrical and plumbing issues; they also had the same experience. It made me feel a little better. They encouraged me, though, to negotiate with the seller and tell them to repair it. I made a list of requests, and to my surprise, the seller agreed to make all the repairs. One less stress. 

Meanwhile, I'm having very mixed emotions: excitement, nervousness, fear, etc. My parents have been my strongest supporters in my decision to buy a house. What I'm going through is absolutely normal, especially when it's your first home. "You're a homeowner!" That's what my mom cheerfully tells me. It's definitely a great accomplishment, especially to buy a house in the San Francisco Bay Area. It's a tough market.

Everything seems to be falling into place. Not only is my home loan approved, but due to my high credit score, the interest rate was reduced; the homeowners insurance quote was reduced because I have a Master's Degree. 

This American Dream is becoming reality. 

Stay tuned for the "before and after" shots.

The ULTIMATE Vintage Purchase

It has been quite awhile since I've posted any vintage purchases, but I've just been super busy with work. When I come home, I just want to sleep. Weekends are usually spent outdoors or playing my bass. The last thing I want to do is spend time in front of my laptop. The items I purchased were 1940s clothing and shoes. A dress, a pair of sandals, and some peep-toe slingbacks. And here are the photos...

But neither of these items come close as the ultimate vintage purchase. Oh no. I got something much better and much bigger. "What could it be", you ask?

IT'S A HOUSE!

I've been looking to buy a home for the past two years. I had made offers before, but I was always outbid. I swear, it was like an eBay auction. It was also extremely disheartening. I stopped looking for awhile before deciding to move down to Santa Cruz. Then I abandoned that idea when I got a new (higher paying) position in San Francisco. So I had only been casually looking. I found one that was absolutely beautiful, but again, as in times before, I was outbid. There was another house that was available in the same area. When I drove past, I was a bit iffy. Then my realtor took me along to view it. As soon as I stepped on the property, it just felt right. I had to have it. Again, I made an offer, and this time, it was accepted. Finally! I have a house to call my own.

And not just any house. I bought a 100-year-old bungalow. Hence, the ultimate vintage purchase. What I love most about it is the porch and the huge backyard. I know I'll be spending evenings sitting on the porch and playing my bass.

In my mind, I've already planned how to design and decorate my house. I can't wait to start shopping the antique shops, estate sales and the Alameda Antique Fair. That's where the fun will be.

Shedding Purple Tears

Prince Rogers Nelson
1958-2016

I was stunned when I learned of the passing of The Purple One. I have been a Prince fan since 1982. I was only 6 years old when I was sitting in front of my babysitter's TV when the 1999 video came out. I remember being intrigued by his performance.

When Purple Rain came out in 1984, I begged my mom to take me to see it, and she did. I had many of his albums from For You to Come. During my senior year of high school, I made a Prince collage and painted a portrait of his profile. I'm sure my dad has them stored somewhere. 

Prince was definitely a musical genius. He wrote and composed all his songs. He sang with his 8 octave voice range and played 27 instruments (self-taught). On many of his songs, he is playing all the instruments. Prince was a far superior musical artist than his contemporary Michael Jackson (though I will not deny that MJ is probably the best performer). He also wrote hits for others. The best ones: Manic Monday performed by the Bangles. A bit of trivia, Manic Monday has the same tune as 1999. Another favorite is Stand Back sung by Stevie Nicks and The Glamorous Life by Sheila E. If you listen closely, Prince is singing background.

I had a preference for his older music from the late 70s to the early 90s. I didn't really listen to his later music; but I always kept his older songs in my library and I'd occasionally play him on heavy rotation. Perhaps the last time was earlier this year when news came of his upcoming concert (which was way out of my price range).

Today, I've just been walking about my campus singing Prince tunes. Raspberry Beret was always a favorite to sing. I even played his music in the teachers' room. We were all saddened by this great loss.

Good night, sweet Prince.