Wanderlust & Pixie Dust

Great Gatsby Picnic

Years ago I read about a dream come true picnic in Victorian Magazine.    Referred to as the Great Gatsby Picnic, this was a yearly event that took place at  Dunsmuir Mansion in Oakland, California.  I didn't know it at the time but I would one day become a docent there.    Sadly my time as a docent at Dunsmuir was limited because my ex-husband soon after got a job transfer to Las Vegas, land of endless Victorian mansions and historical properties.  NOT.  I cried for days.  But that's a whole other story. 

Somewhere I still have a copy of that issue.  Where in blazes is it?  When it turns up I shall share.

The first chance I had I volunteered to work the day of the picnic.   That's me below in the vintage pink dress (not me up above with the happy feet!)  I don't know what happened to that dress darn it.  I know that I sold the vintage satin heels though.  That was a huge mistake.  Always think twice before parting with vintage shoes that are in great condition and wearable in YOUR size.  You may regret it later.

 

I remember being in absolute awe.  These people were not kidding around. 

 

Everyone dressed the part or made a grand effort to do so.   Everywhere I turned I saw authentic and period perfect outfits and accessories.

 

 

A vintage car club joins in on the festivities.

 

 

My ex-husband was not interested in participating so I attended by myself.   Happily, my current and final hubby loves all this sort of thing just about as much as I do.  My fingers are crossed and I don't know how now but we're hoping to attend next September.  It would be great to see a whole bunch of like minded and kindred spirit blog friends there.

As I find out more and dig up additional photographs (they're spread out all over the place) I'll add them here.

Lord Have Mercy, Chris Isaak

 

I don't know how it happened.  Somehow I got sidetracked and instead of walking the dog, I swooned over Chris Isaak on youtube for a half an hour. 

Years ago when I was still in High School,  there used to be a free magazine called BAM.  You could pick it up at record stores. Records stores wow.  They've gone the way of dial telephones.

One day I noticed this gorgeous, heavenly man on the cover.  Or was it a full page picture?  Not sure now.   Anyhow I was mesmerized.  I remember reading a description of his music.  I can't remember what the hay it said but I remember being immediately hooked.  I vowed that the first chance I had I would see him perform live.

Feign to deny it,  I fell in love with the man before I ever heard a sound from his sexy lips.

I saw him live at Bogart's in Long Beach.  Of course this club is long gone.   U drove for miles on a weeknight to see him croon live in San Juan Capistrano.    Did it several times actually.  I saw him perform a couple of times in San Francisco.   After all these wonderful performances and swooning over him from afar, would you believe that a friend of mine went to go see him and he shook her hand.  Or said "Hey Baby" to her or something to that effect.  Not fair!  Guess I shouldn't complain. 

It reminds me of another time that my friend Sylvia (or Silver as I called her) had her father take us to see Leif Garrett.  Girls were going psycho nut crazy.  I'm sure that we were too.  Somehow we got separated and I alone got to say hi to the teen idol and get his autograph.  TWO autographs mind you.

Afterward Silver begged and clawed at me to give her one of the signed photos.  No way man.  The more she made a scene the more I resolved not to give in to her.  Before you wonder how I could be so mean,  stop for a moment and remember what it was like to be a pre-teen girl.  If I remember correctly, she gave me the cold shoulder all the way home.  Back then you could ride free and easy in the back of pick up truck.  Trust me.  We were pals again before long. 

I digress.

Back to Chris dear.   It was during his Forever Blue tour that I was able to see him for free at the Aladdin in Vegas.  My husband at the time knew someone who worked there and I we luckily were given free tickets.  Old married woman that I was,  I swooned with the best of them and  walked away with an autographed t-shirt that I still have today. 

Take that Countess Jain Olenska.  Where are you by the way?

Yesterday

I spent the afternoon at Heritage House.

 

My husband thought it was funny that I got so worked up about my hair.  I had cut it into a 20's type bob earlier in the week.  I explained that the blouse I was wearing (with white on white embroidery) had late 1890's leg-o-mutton sleeves that clashed with my head.  Two entirely different time periods.  I've been meaning to create a hat and now I really have to get to it soon.  

I wore the little birdy brooch up above on my shirt.  To avoid any damage to the shirt I just pinned it through two eyelets.  I found this brooch on Ebay some time ago.  I won it for close to nothing and felt dreadfully guilty about it.  I think that it's just darling.

It was pretty slow at the house yesterday so I wandered about and took a few pictures.

You can glimpse book from the gift shop that I staff, propped up on the other side of this beautiful beveled glass window.

Love this little paperweight.  I actually have been lucky to own several of these of my own.  Sometimes they have a sturdy wire on the back to allow them to stand up on your desk or mantle.

I attempted to photograph myself in this huge mirror.   As you can see it came out all blurry but I kind of like the effect.  It looks nice and spooky.  

This one came out blurry too but you can still get an idea of how large the poof is on these sleeves.

Below is my favorite room in the house, the linen closet oh my.  Oh how I wish I had a space like this in my house.  I would love to have a small room or a huge walk in closet devoted to linens, textiles and fabric.   

I always tread carefully when in  this house and refrain from man handling anything but let me tell you how tempting it is to want to unfold every last thing in this room, one by one.

This particular photo is pretty high up on the wall.  I'm not sure what the flowers are made up but I love the effect.  I'm guessing that they were created fro

m some sort of shell?

Here is a pix of the gathering on the backside of the shirt that I wore.  My modern hands are not used to ironing such things.

Not used to ironing huge mutton sleeves either.   Luckily the cotton in this shirt appears to be strong and sturdy.  There are a few areas of thinning (that were not mentioned in auction I might add!)  but the fact that it was large enough to wear comfortably made up for it.   I own several vintage or antique tops that are suitable and sturdy enough to wear.  I'm trying to carefully rotate them to keep stress on the old delicate threads to a minimum.

Amazing how ornate everything had to be back then.   So pretty.

I just love all of these critters.  Look!  See that cute little bunny in the center? 

I just love all this shelf full of doggies.  Wish that I could bring them all home with me!

I've Been a Baaaaaad Girl

Ok.  Like a lot of you money is tight in our family.  VERY tight.   I go into the worst withdrawals every weekend because I am dying to bust out and go treasure hunting.   Well yesterday the husband was home and we ran around first thing in the morning running errands.  When we had finished we then strolled through a couple of small local antique malls. 

I crossed my fingers behind my back upon entering the first,  Please I hoped, let me only find a pretty postcard for a dollar!  A bit of antique lace for $2, or a bag of delightful old buttons for a few dollars more.  You get the picture. 

Did not turn out that way.  I wound up with the plate up above, an old sewing basket, a lovely old fringed textile and wonderful (unusual) vintage piece of wicker.   Long story short, I headed back to one of the stores later without the husband intending just to splurge on the sewing basket for $11. 

Shhhh....more pictures to come later.  Somebody else puh-leez tell me that you were also naughty this weekend!

Things that I've done and want to do again

I'd been seen this list here and there on the internet lately and decided to give it a try.  I was pleased to be able to check off more than I thought.  Of course this list means absolutely nothing if you have no desire to do these things in the first place.  I must confess to NOT being one of these folks.  Personally I would love to do almost everything on this list and go back and do what has been done again.  Is this being greedy?

1.  Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Gotten flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

HONORABLE MENTION:

8. & 11.  65. Does parasailing off a mountain in Austria count?

13.   Have not seen this but I have flown through numerous thunderstorms as a flight attendant.

17.   I've been inside the Statue of Liberty.  We were not allowed to walk to the top for security reasons. Does anyone know if this is still the case?

43.   I've purchased someone a sandwhich and a hamburger before. 

50.   Been to the Eiffel Tower several times but the line to go up was always too long.

85.   Read 1st half.

86.   Been to the White House but never inside.

I do believe that it's time to make a new list.

I have no interest in skinny dipping.

The House That Didn't Become a B & B

 

The doors to this beautiful old home were flung open and all the contents were up for grabs.  I stood there in line with everyone else but there was no joy, no getting weak at the knees.  Had this been some unknown house across town I likely would have been stricken with the vapors  upon entering.  This time it was different. 

 

A lovely antique sled recently rested here.

The original owner Mr. Ames was a Pony Express rider.

Several summers ago I had the privilege of getting to know the owner and the inside of this beautiful home. 

When I learned that the home was hopefully going to be turned into a Bed & Breakfast, I was thrilled.   I live around the corner and had driven by a billion times.  When we first moved into the neighborhood I declared to my husband that I would get inside sooner or later.  Actually I've said that about several homes in the neighborhood and I always seem to find a way.  It's true!  Ask him.

One time I saw that a an old home that I had been eyeballing was being prepped and painted, soon to be sold.  Boldly I walked in the front door and asked one of the painters if I could tip toe through.  Carefully I made my way about.  I'm such a nerd,  I remember being so excited.  I could not get home fast enough to ask my Pauly "Guess which house I was just in?"

But I digress.

We all had such high hopes and my heart goes out to the owners.   I can only imagine the dread that went into the decision to give the dream up. 

I was there on day one of the sale.   It was strange to walk about and see so many of the familiar contents.   I knew the story behind the lush tufted upholstery on the fainting couch.   Now it had a huge price tag stuck on it.  Didn't seem right.






This sale took place in March but it's taken me all this time to write about it.  I'm so sad for my friend and the house. What will become of it now?  

The last day of the sale I walked back over armed with my camera.  Here are a few of the photos I took that sad day.  

 

Stained glass window in the front parlor.

What you see as you enter, facing the main stairway.





Beautiful woodwork.  I wasn't the only one taking pictures.  Or the only one who dreamed of going into this house. 




Another view of the stairway.




Here is a close up of one of the fireplace tiles.  Original tiles remain on several of the fireplaces.   This particular young lady is one of my faves.













A few pretty trade cards that found their way home with me.




A spectacular light fixture that hangs above the main stairway and a close up.





 

 
Many more photos to come in the next few days.  I'll be sharing the other things that followed me home, the upstairs and more of the gorgeous grounds.

Clicking on this LINK will take you to a great article that appeared in a local paper and a VIDEO.  Enjoy.