CHRYSANTHEMUM COMPANY PURSES ARE HERE!

I love fabrics, a lot. I have this horrible habit of buying fabric that I just can't leave behind and then I store it away, never to be seen again. A few months ago I started collecting old sheets from thrift stores. I had no idea what I was going to do with them, but they were so beautiful, with prints and patterns so unique to store bought fabrics, I found myself coming home with piles of orphaned pillow cases, top sheets and an occasional fitted sheet. Then one day my friend Rika took me to SAS, an amazing discount fabric store. If you live in Phoenix, and you love fabric you MUST go. It is mind boggling. There are containers full of buttons, refrigerator boxes full of lace, tables and tables full of awful sequins covered stretchy fabrics that would make a figure skaters heart sing, and the most wonderful wall of discontinued trim from who knows when, unlike anything you would find at your corporately owned fabric shop. Three hours later I was strutting to the car with one giant bag full of the most beautiful old trims and fabrics. Feeling triumphant after my amazing score, my mood fell in an instant as Rika asked me what I was going to do with all this stuff. Here I was with another sack of stuff that would end up in a box and I just blurted out, "I'm gonna make bags". Finally, after months of waffling and my mom on my back and by my side, I have bags. These are the first of many, we've already sold one! This is what I've been up to for the last month. I hope you love them as much as I do.

JUNK IN THE TRUNK

Welcome to Junk In The Trunk Vintage Market.

Today Ted and I went to the most (at risk of sounding trite), adorable "vintage market" at WestWorld in Scottsdale. Created by three lovely friends who have affectionately nicknamed themselves "The Trio," Junk In The Trunk is a marketplace for people who have a passion for all things "chippy, rusty, vintage and handmade." Well, that's me, so with boyfriend in tow off we went to the far side of the universe aka, Scottsdale. We were greeted at the entry by the sweetest display:

And I immediately knew that our journey had not been in vain. This market had cuteness and class! You could really tell that every vendor had been carefully handpicked to compliment the super sweet aesthetic of "The Trio" and the general ambiance of the market. YES! AMBIANCE! In the middle of a   parking lot! What a fun and inspiring way to spend a Saturday. 

Thanks Junk In the Trunk.

Best idea for curtains at Junk In the Trunk booth...strips of vintage sheets!

www.junkinthetrunkvintagemarket.com

Most beautiful vintage dresses by WaistLand.

www.etsy.com/shop/Waistland

Pretty earrings by Carol Rose

www.bellasociety.etsy.com

Probably my favorite thing there, this dresser was hand painted on the inside.

by Junk In the Trunk

Great displays from Giselle and Hubby Roman from For the Love of Old. You can find them in Phoenix at 5835 North 16th St.

For the Love of Old.

More goodies from Carol Rose.

Okay, my second favorite thing, this crazy feather hat from the crew at the Melrose Market booth. You can find them in Phoenix at 4610 North 7th Ave.

Melrose Market

And, my third favorite thing, this beautiful umbrella. It reminds me of a mushroom. And a geisha. 

 A mushroom geisha. 

All of the vendors were equally awesome, these are just some highlights. There had already been over a thousand people in by the time I got there so may I suggest you marking your calender for September 15th for the next Junk In the Trunk event and arrive early for the good stuff.

GUSTAVE BAUMANN

Last week, Rika, Ted and I went to the Phoenix Art Museum to see the small albeit powerful "Gustave Baumann: Artisan Printmaker of the Southwest" exhibit. Oddly, a month or two ago, I had seen his work in one of those books of postcards on sale at an airport in New Mexico on a layover and was struck with the simple beauty of his prints. But some kind of negative "Oh, it's on sale, something must be wrong with it" or "Maybe I'm just jet lagged and this stuff is actually terrible, that's why it's on sale..." brain washing mechanism kicked in and I didn't buy the postcards. Dumb. Turns out his "stuff" is actually beautiful and after doing a google I found that there have been many an inspired blogger to adoringly blog his images.

After a few days of emotionally kicking myself, feeling like I had yet again made another horrible mistake, lo and behold, I received an email from the PAM saying Gustave would be there for me even though I had let the word "sale" skew what I had known instantly to be exceptional beauty (which is really weird and totally backwards 'cause I LOVE a sale).

So, off we went on FREE DAY! to see the exhibit (every wednesday is free day at the PAM but please leave a little donation to support your arts!). I found Baumann's prints to be honest, understated yet complex, and truly lacking in ego. He was really just trying to convey the beauty of his natural surroundings in a way that would be immediately felt by those who viewed his images. It was such a pleasure to be able to see his prints in person, all hand done by Gustave himself, and to see an inspired view of nature, vibrant and loved. And I got to buy my book of postcards.

See Gustave Baumann: Artisan Printmaker of the Southwest at the Phoenix Art Museum 

April 7-July 8, 2012

Orme Lewis Gallery

PhxArt.org

VINTAGE JACKPOT

I work at a wonderful, magical place called The Cottage Garden aka The Cottage.  I have worked here for over a year and I must say it is the best job I have ever had. And here is one of the many reasons why: Just a couple of weeks ago one of our most lovely customers Delores came in and plopped down a giant basket full of mint condition vintage clothing for me to H-A-V-E.  Now just so you know, Delores is somewhere around eighty years old, used to model, and as she says she used to "go". The woman knows how to dress. Needless to say this stuff is COOL. Thank you Delores, I love you! And maybe one day she'll give me her old Arizona Highway modeling pics for me to post here for us to see. Anyway, here are pics of my vintage jackpot!