Vintage Finds! Labor Day Weekend 2013

I went back to the Southland for Labor Day weekend. It was a full schedule of 2 weekend festivals. Art Deco Festival in Long Beach by day and Camp Hollywood Swing Dance Festival in Los Angeles by night.

The Art Deco festival had a vintage bizarre where overpriced Blue Moon Vintage dominated the Queen Mary deck. Seriously?A cotton 50s daydress for $175? And it has stains? That seller is nuts. I refuse to buy from them no matter how nice their inventory is. There were several smaller businesses with decent prices but very few dresses caught my eye. I happened upon a 1930s cotton day dress for $80 and in great condition; no stains, no tears, no missing buttons. I snagged it.

Unfortunately, I found nothing at Camp Hollywood. Most of the stock was reproduction clothing made from cheap material (yet sold at a high price). No thanks. The only reproduction I will buy is shoes and it must come from reputable sellers. The best ones are American Duchess and Remix Shoes; both specialize in designs specifically for period re-enactments and film productions. Remix had a booth at Camp Hollywood with a nice display of 1930s reproduction shoes. I bought two pair.

It was definitely a nice shopping spree in an otherwise lackluster vintage market. I'm looking forward to the Vintage Expo in a few weeks.

New ink

It's been a while since my last tattoo session (about 6 months). I had several ideas in mind, but there was a point when I thought, "you know, I just want to walk into a shop and say, 'that one.'" One of my heavily tattooed friends said that there is something quite empowering about picking a random image especially when all the other work is more thought out.

So that's what I did. I called up my best friend, Wendy, and told her, "I'll be in town; lets call up Bud and get inked together." It was sort of a bonding moment since we've never hung out at a tattoo shop. We're usually just relaxing at her house and shooting the breeze.

When we met up she commented on how nervous she gets before getting inked. I'm pretty heavily tattooed but she has far more than me, and I was surprised by her admission. I told her not to worry about it. The guys at the shop provide loads of quality entertainment and it'll take our minds off the pain.

I was right; the topics these guys come up with in conversation: Boardwalk Empire, male cosmetic surgery such as botox for the balls, tattoos from hell stories (some of their clients are pretty sick), vasectomies, practical jokes, pet peeves with tattoo reality shows, etc. It is never a dull moment which most definitely takes your mind of the pain.

I have a pretty high tolerance of pain so having my inner arm tattooed was a breeze; though I hear for others, it's pretty painful. Yes, there is some amount of pain but nothing that I couldn't handle. There were moments when I nearly dozed off only to have Wendy crack jokes and making me laugh.

Me and Tattoo Boppin' Bud

Wendy's turn

American Vintage Tattoo

 

My finished product

Vintage Jewelry

I'm not one to wear jewelry, but occasionally I'll wear a necklace/pendant or earrings. When I do my vintage shopping, I'm usually focused on dresses, shoes and handbags; I rarely look at adornments. But the moment I set eyes on a pair of these vintage beauties, I had to buy them.

Judging from the screw closure, these earrings can date as far back as 1909. However, the design and detail suggests 1930s. You just can't find anything as detailed and elegantly made today.

Annual Antique Fairs

In addition to the monthly fairs around the bay area, some communities will hold one large annual antique fair. So far this year, I've been to three: Petaluma, Pleasanton and Niles (Fremont).  What I like about these communities is the old town charms each city maintains and the friendly neighborhood atmosphere that is severely lacking in San Francisco (with the exception of West Portal; my favorite SF neighborhood). I try to make the most of my short trek to these communities. I'll wake at dawn, ready myself in comfortable vintage attire, and take in the sites as I make the hour drive to my destination.

These local affairs are always put together by local business owners, police and firefighters, cafes and various other associations. A pancake breakfast is guaranteed at these functions, and for being an assembly lined preparation, the food is quite good. The best part is chumming it up with person randomly seated at your table. I always enjoy sitting with seniors. They always "remember when this place used to be..." A living, breathing history book.

Petaluma and Pleasanton have some very good sellers. Many antique housewares, vintage clothing, furniture and old time entertainment are prevalent throughout the fair. Niles, on the other hand, for being such a historic district with pride in its silent cinema routes, there were hardly any vintage or antique items. Most of it was modern goods that were cheaply made sold at a high price. Oh well, strike Niles off my "revisit" list; at least not for the antique fairs. It's definitely a place I'll return to for their silent film museum.

Petaluma

Pleasanton

Niles

Decisions, decisions

The director at my school planted a little seed in my brain. When I informed him about my future academic goals he stated "why that major? why not go into administration?" Hmm.

It has always been my goal to earn a Phd. I just wasn't sure which program to study. Should I go into Administration of Higher Education? Perhaps International and Multilingual Education? Or maybe Organization and Leadership? Then I realized just how tired I am of studying education theories, pedagogy, strategies that I've been focusing on the past 3 years. I love literature. I enjoy studying literature as much as teaching it. My area of expertise is Early to Mid 20th century American Literature. So I began researching doctoral programs specific to literature. I'm disappointed that my alma mater (Univ. of San Francisco) does not have advanced degrees in literature. UC Berkeley has a program as does Stanford University. Financially, Stanford would be the best option since they have a wealth of grants, fellowships and scholarships. 

I spent the last two days studying the requirements for each program; not just in the program itself but just to apply! I need to have proficiency in two foreign languages; not just in speaking but in reading, writing and literature. Spanish? Check. Italian? I only have a speaking knowledge. I also need to apply with an idea for a dissertation. I don't have anything definitive but metaphors and symbolism is definitely one of the main topics. I learned a very good lesson here. You must work really hard during the application process. I need to brush up on my Italian and take courses in Italian literature. I need to read and re-read several novels and make preliminary research notes.

I'm in my final semester at SF State and earning my MA degree this December. This degree was more practical so that I could get a teaching position at the college level. Well, I've accomplished that goal. The Phd is to expand my knowledge with the goal of teaching university level courses. At this point, though, I'm not ready to immediately pursue a doctoral program. I have to work towards the application process.

I was a bit indecisive earlier today. Should I jump into an Italian program and possibly seek a 2nd BA degree? I seriously would need to do another academic program before applying for the doctorate. Instead of stressing over it, I went to my monthly hair appointment in Oakland to have my roots retouched. As I was driving across the Bay Bridge on my way home, I looked to my left and saw a large Italian flag waving from one of the piers. (America's Cup?) I guess that answers my question.

I'm giving myself 2 years to do some reading as well as enroll in an Italian degree program. It looks like I'll be remaining at SF State for another 2 years (but at least I'll have earned my MA degree). I contacted the department and inquired about seeking a 2nd BA in Italian. I informed the coordinator of my current situation as well as my future academic plans. Barely 10 minutes ago (as I was writing this post), I received an email from the Italian department coordinator and she advised that I seek a second MA degree in Italian! I hadn't considered that. I thought I would need to have a BA in Italian before pursuing graduate work in it. Apparently not. So it looks like I will be pursuing a second graduate degree before moving on to the Phd.

Allora per necessitá a migliolare il mio italiano. Non ho paura. Va bene solo un po'. Ciao!

Vintage Finds! Weekend of August 9

No flea markets this past weekend, but there were several estate sales around the city. Unfortunately, it was tough getting around Golden Gate Park because of the Outside Lands concert. Of course, to make things even more difficult, the estate sale closest to me was on Cabrillo; just one street up from the venue. I ended up not only parking in front of a hydrant, but also blocked another vehicle in. I ran through that estate sale in less than 5 minutes. What did I find? Absolutely nothing. So as I drove back home, I spotted another estate sale in the very quiet St Francis Wood; plenty of parking there. Much of it had already been picked through since it was its second day of the sale. I ended up purchasing a small coffee table from the 1950s. Note the boomerang legs. It's not really my favorite era, but it cost me a mere $7. It'll due for now.

A hunting I will go....

House hunting, that is! By this time next year (or sooner), I should be a homeowner. You know what that means...finding a house with vintage appeal to accommodate my vintage appliances. Stay tuned for updates on this subject.

Update #1

I've had my heart set on Half Moon Bay, but it is way out of my price range. I'll settle in another city for a few years, sell that house and ultimately by my HMB house of my dreams.

I DON'T want to live in San Francisco where, surprisingly, houses can be affordable. I know the Bayview is slowly getting gentrified, but it isn't fast enough. Besides, I'd prefer a house along the peninsula. So my focus area is San Mateo County; preferably north of San Mateo. I'm super excited. It's definitely an awesome, life-changing experience. The best part will be decorating a house in vintage fashion. 

Update #2

So it may be up to two years before I find the right house for me. One thing I've learned thus far is that rooms look a lot bigger in pictures; then you walk into the property and wonder, is this the same house? The rooms are much smaller, the floor plans don't make sense (who puts a restroom within the perimeter of the living room?), and the yards are too small or overwrought with weeds. I have to consider a yard for my dog (as well as meeting my needs for a vegetable/fruit/spice garden). Then you wonder about the previous occupants. Have they no pride in their homes? So the hunt goes on.

Vintage Finds! Weekend of August 2

This weekend I went to an estate sale a few blocks from my house. There were tons of glass, crystal and other housewares. There were racks of fur coats; none of which this vegan gal is interested in. There was a box filled with hats and handbags. I thought I'd hit the jackpot but most of the goods were from the 1960s. Only one vintage handbag caught my eye; a vintage needlepoint handbag.

And since this is the first weekend of August, that meant another trip to Alameda island for their monthly antique flea market. My usual seller has been m.i.a. for the past few months, so I haven't purchased any dresses for quite some time. So I weaved through the entire market and stopping at whatever caught my eye. I found one rayon dress from the mid 1940s. It was a major bargain, but it needs a little bit of TLC. It was just too beautiful to pass up, so I purchased it. 

I found a 1920s, fringe beaded flapper cap. Just for the fun of it, I tried it on and I was pleasantly surprised that it looked really nice. I thought about purchasing it but I decided to pass on it for now. If it's meant to be, it'll be available next month. Stay tuned...

Silence is Golden

This past weekend was San Francisco's annual Silent Film Festival at Castro Theatre. I had already seen most of the films showcased (thank you streaming!), so I chose to watch the films I hadn't yet seen. The most anticipated film was The Last Edition. It was considered a low-budget, aka B-movie during its original release in 1925. You wouldn't know it judging by the packed house. There were no seats left. The appeal? It was set and filmed on location in San Francisco. Most of the setting is in The Chronicle Building were you see the the working printing press. There were quite a few street shots with the more prominent locations featured: City Hall, Ferry Building, Market Street, the ever present trollies, etc. It was quite fascinating seeing what San Francisco looked like 88 years ago.

As the movie was getting more interesting, the reel guy messed up the production. It featured the film backwards before shutting off to correct his error. When it came back on screen, it wasn't where we left off. We probably missed a few seconds that were pertinent to the film. I'm left wondering what happened, but I'll never know unless the film is showcased again.

And yes, of course, I dressed in all my vintage glory. I wore a 1930s pink taffeta dress and a hat. I met my friend there who was also dressed. People kept asking to take our pictures (both in the theatre and out on the street), and we happily obliged.

My buddy, Burnie

Pendletons

Vintage Pendletons are a hard find. When you come across them, they're always men's. Some of my friends buy them anyway knowing that the fit isn't made for the female form. It does get a bit cumbersome when you have to use your right hand to button (all women's buttons are left handed), the length doesn't sit well on a lady's hips, and the cut is not flattering on the female form. And since Pendletons are still in production today, you have to do your research to make sure you really are getting a vintage piece. The giveaway is the tag. The design changes over time, so this is the first place you have to look so that you don't get cheated out of the price.

Today, I embarked on another estate sale. It was a crazy madhouse, which is to be expected on the first day. I usually visit each sale twice; once on the first day and then within the final hour of the second day. The first day is grabbing something you know will be bought quickly, and the second day is rummaging the leftovers for 75% off the original price (or if you're lucky, get it for free). I wasn't looking for anything in particular when I spied what looked like a Pendleton amid other vintage coats and sweaters. Upon inspection, I was pleasantly surprised to score a true vintage women's Pendleton in excellent condition. I couldn't find any tears or stains. The original owner (God bless her recently departed soul) took great care of her clothes (but what I want to know is, where were all the dresses? The only clothing available were coats and sweaters).

There was no price listed, so I took my chances. I thought perhaps $15 maybe $20. Well I thought wrong. SOLD for $4! Four dollars! Yay me! I just love estate sales; almost as good as antique/vintage fairs and expos.

The women's 49er Pendleton

Tag indicates that this piece can be as early as 1949 but no later than the mid 50s.