small steps

Walking around at flea markets is one of my favorite ways to de-stress, which sounds ironic because the entire mindset of getting that deal or finding that coveted piece before the next person does would seem inherently stressful. And that's sort of the case, but the best thrifters/vintage fiends I've witnessed are the ones who, when they are seconds too late to score that perfect honey-colored wood armoire, dramatically wail at the loss and then gleefully move on to continue the hunt. It's pretty wonderful to see people happy to be walking around aisles and aisles of junk and treasure and wondering who will go home with what.

I wasn't really on the lookout for anything today, but I picked up these floppy natural history-themed handbooks and the tools in the first image. My favorite find of the day is the fish toenail-clipper/bottle opener... such a "man's item."Amazing and gross! So when I wasn't dropping a dollar or two on these goodies I was watching well-dressed young scruffy hip types picking up beautiful rustic decor items, older ladies with push-carts lined with pillows for their tiny, feathery, yet well-behaved dogs, watching all the dogs (SO many wonderful dogs today) walking nicely, or snapping at others, or treading along nonchalantly with their equally nonchalant owners. My eyes glazed over at all the stalls, so I was seeing everything, yet not really seeing too much either. And it was wonderful.

Other things that helped lift my mood today: this succulent "bouquet" of mostly echeverias that Andy brought to me when he came back home for break. It's been sitting on my kitchen table without any water as I'm waiting for them to callous before I stick them into some dirt. This is technically the first time anyone (meaning a boy) has given me a bouquet!

It's an amazing coincidence that two gifts I received this holiday season were a book on 'the plants that create the world's great drinks' and a remarkably written guide to craft beer. I've been reading both interchangeably, and gaining a wealth of knowledge as it were, that I hope I can retain. It is time to fold up a little now, to reflect and ruminate on all things bad and good, to hold some energy to myself now.

march forth

1. California surfboard (!!!) Fuck L.A., love CA (???)
2. Whenever I see marbles, I think to myself: 'Lost, lost, lost...I've lost my marbles.' a la Toodles from Hook (1991), and how that scene was my first memory of and understanding of wordplay.
3. This is how I wish my closet could look. I have a steadily growing drawer of striped shirts, new and thrifted, but they really don't make clothing the way they used to.

starting anew

I haven't been out thrifting or venturing to flea markets for a good month or two. The need to save money and spend wisely really started becoming apparent to me, and even though I'd been having fun collecting great items I love and find inspiration in, realistically I don't have the space for most of it. So now I'm trying to purge and pare down what I wear, collect, and keep for sentimental reasons, and think twice before I make another acquisition. That said, starting the new year by going to the PCC Flea with my mom, sister and Jessica was really fun and gratifying.

wanting and having

Sleep will not be mine, so blogging it shall be. A book at the Long Beach Flea that I would have gladly taken home if not for the (what I assumed) high price, even though I didn't ask. And forget that I didn't ever study French. Compulsive purchase thwarted! I spied a giant dinner-plate sized insulator, did not bring that home either... but I did bring home a star insulator with a fabulous face carved into the post that it came with. So folk-arty! And yours truly I think on Saturday, a little disheveled but surviving the Southern California heat in a linen shirt that belonged to mother.

I want to live in outer space

Spotted these Replogle globes at the GCC swap meet last week! I got both for $5, and for their beat-up conditions I couldn't really complain. I've been on the hunt for a moon globe forever... I passed on one several months ago that was going for $40; when I asked the vendor if she could go a little lower she snapped at me, so I thought it'd be wisest to move on. Both moon and celestial globe are dented and missing their stands but I'm content to peruse them anyway and let them roll around in my room. I'm enjoying finding my favorite constellations on the celestial globe and seeing what other constellations are in relation to one another, and I had no idea there was a place on the Moon named Julius Caesar. Oh the things we can know!

the long beach flea

Went to the Long Beach Flea this past Sunday. The last time I had gone was last summer so that justified making the trip out with my mom even though I keep telling myself I should keep the spending to a minimum. My sister asked me the night before the excursion if I could please keep an eye out for nice chains to hang pendants from, which was so funny because those were already on my mental list. My sister and I both have lots and lots of pendants and a scarcity of quality chains to hang them from. I realized quickly enough that it's hard to find simple, silver chains but there is a huge abundance of gold/gold-tone gaudy ones to pick from. I managed to find a good chain for her with a giant medallion from Colombia on it as pictured on her blog, and found one for myself with a strange pendant on it that I realized right away as the trusty hammer of the Norse god Thor. I also got a beautiful sea-green glass fishing float which I secretly pretend is one of those glass orbs in The Department of Mysteries in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and I spend a few minutes every day gazing at it when I am taking a break from being busy. The keys and chain sans-penny charm are atop a crumbling copy of Oscar Wilde's Dorian Gray and the metal items were had for a mere $2. Last thoughts - I'd like to color code my bookshelves but then the genres and authors would get all mixed up and the thought of that terrifies me, so I'll keep the color coding confined to my t-shirts and underwear drawer.

flea market-ing

Some more flea market items that caught my eye on Sunday - Is this the Vans I'm thinking of?; I wish I could have made off with the sly happy face and "Put on a Happy D" button, but I have sooo many buttons; Southwest patterned shirts; a Scottie-shaped Avon perfume bottle!

buying & selling

I bought this Edible Mushrooms book for a dollar mostly because I was attracted to its cover and the black-and-white photos inside. Since Southern California isn't much of a 'mushroom'-ing place I had no urgent NEED for this, but I like reading up on plants and wild things you can eat. A bit later, a lady peered into my mom's cart and, upon seeing it asked if she would be interested in selling it to her. My mom said it was her daughter's and she would ask me if I'd part with it. So I walked over to the lady and she explained she was putting together a birthday package for a friend who lives in Oregon who forages for wild mushrooms and thought it would be great for her. So I asked her how much she was willing to pay for it and she said '5 dollars!' Sold! Then I realized she too was a seller tending her booth so it was a fun feeling knowing she had gotten something that day too, albeit indirectly.

flea market fun

Some snaps from the Rose Bowl Flea last weekend, right after which I fell into getting sick again. I didn't get much except for my new favorite ring and an old army sewing kit I'm thinking of converting to a wallet (?) but it was great spending time with my sister and being visually overwhelmed by the goods, the people and the atmosphere.