A Pain in the Grass

About an hour after I bought this thing on a recent road trip, I had some serious buyer’s remorse.  

 

Now that I think about it, my remorse started to set in as I lugged it across the street from the thrift store where I purchased it in order to put it in the car (which sounds much easier to do than it actually is).

By the way, as far as foreign objects in the back of a Subaru go, an anchor is very close to the top of the list of things to avoid.  It takes up an awkward amount of space, is impossible to pack around and, in a true crime against the senses, IT RATTLES.

CONSTANTLY.

As we rolled down the highway, this thing jangled, clinked and clanked in a way that could only result in a series of tiny-yet-constant mental seizures for me so at one point I pulled it out of the car (this too sounds much easier than it actually is) and went at it with a pair of pliers, 100% ineffectively, just to try to make the (insert any curse word here) clinking stop.

 (Issues alert: I once pulled my car over on the freeway to silence a suitcase zipper pull that was jiggling just a little, a sound not detectable by any human ears other than mine).

Another member of the exclusive Anchors Anonymous club. 

I quickly learned that when you’re the person in the car who BOUGHT AN ANCHOR and that clanking, awkwardly-shaped anchor is eating up precious cargo space, you pretty much have to go along with just about anything your traveling companion buys, says or does.

Because you are the person who put an anchor in their car.

 “May I have a sip of water, please?”

“No, because you bought an anchor.”

“May I get out of the trunk and ride in the car now?”

“No, because you bought an anchor.”

“Are we there yet?”

“No, because you bought an anchor.”

Lather, rinse, repeat.

Not Subaru-friendly. 

Once at home, I sent the anchor straight to storage because we needed some time apart to think about where this relationship was going and don't you know it, I suddenly started seeing anchors everywhere.*

4,852 likes can't be wrong, can they?

And then this post popped up on Facebook, courtesy of Mike Wolfe American Picker. 

Justified.

*Three anchors probably don’t indicate an impending anchor-décor-trend but it’s all I’ve got to go with.  

JUNE 16, 2014 UPDATE:
 Thrilled to report that ten days after I dropped anchor at Monticello Antique Marketplace, it sold! Turns out it's just as awkward in an antique store as it is in the back of a Suburu.  Anchors away!

Do you see what I see?

All photos can be clicked to enlarge

Or maybe the real question is, “Do you want to see what I see?”

Or even “Would you want to see what I see?”

Because if you do, you can.

My friend Ethel has gotten me hooked on yet another internet time vacuum fun way to share those random vintage moments that pop up throughout the day and if you’d like to come along, you can see photos of them as they happen.

Whoa.

That’s right! For example, when I spy a piece of rare vintage barkcloth and it's not for sale, you can feel my pain in real time!

I can only guess that the question you’re now asking yourself is, “Where in the world do I sign up for that?!”

On Instagram.  

It’s a great way to feel confident and assured that you’ll never miss an exciting moment such as this:

Or this:

Or even this:

All with riveting captions from me and occasional comments from the internet.

I’m addicted.

So if you want to see what I see, just follow along on your smartphone. It’s easy to download the free Instagram app and follow IntoVintage. The app also allows you to leave comments and to heart the photos that you, well, heart.

The other option for viewing photos on Instagram is to use it on your computer via the Instagram website.  You can also take a sneak peek of my photos by clicking here.

I follow lots of my favorite bloggers along with new-to-me vintage loving folks I discovered while exploring Instagram.

And if you’re posting your photos on Instagram, please leave me your Instagram user name in the comments section so I can see what you see too.

The postcard post

Mt. Hood

Every once in a while when there are multiples of something vintage for sale and I can’t bring myself to take on the possibly excruciating and/or time-consuming task of cherry-picking only certain ones to buy, I hear Sue of Vintage Rescue Squad whisper in my ear, 

“Ask how much for all of them.”

And I always do what the voices in my head ear tell me to do.

The multiples I’m referring to are vintage postcards. Hundreds of vintage postcards. 

Still counting them.

They’re from the 1960s & 1970s and they depict landmarks and landscapes in and around Portland, Oregon. Everything from snow-covered Mt. Hood, pre-eruption Mt. St. Helens, the Columbia River Gorge, the Oregon Coast and many, many views of the vintage Portland skyline. I’m guessing these postcards are unused inventory from an old souvenir shop.

Crater Lake, OR

I’m a state souvenir junkie and proud of it.

This one is my favorite.

I did end up buying every last one of them with the idea that I would resell them but without the idea of how exactly I would resell them. 

I’m envisioning these being used as save-the-date cards for a vintage-inspired wedding (there are enough for a HUGE wedding) or thank you notes or holiday cards (snowy outdoorsy scenes) or something along those lines. Or perhaps you have an idea?

The Oregon Coast. I've stood in this exact spot many times!

Hundreds of them…

If I pin it, it will come.

Original image can be found here

My current obsession with all things vintage camping rages on and it recently jumped off my Pinterest board and into the backseat of my car.

Just days after I pinned that little plaid camping stove I came across a very similar one, buried in the garage of an estate sale.

I stopped short of a giant squeal of delight when I discovered it but later I turned to the stranger next to me in line to let them know this Very Important News: that-I-just-pinned-this-stove-on-Pinterest-and-now-here-it-is-in-my-hands-and-isn’t-that-amazing? 

Luck was with me since I said it to someone who knows (or was nice enough to pretend to know) what Pinterest is and is tolerant of people who talk to strangers in line at estate sales about random things they find in the corners of garages.

Camping (and outdoorsiness in general) was the theme with some of my favorite finds on my recent road trip with Laurie/Ethel.

 These beauties (Mt. Hood and Crater Lake) were purchased in California & transported back to their home state of Oregon.

This mossy mushroom has already moved on to its new forever garden and may I add a word or two about those blue glass insulators? I don't know much about them other than they're pretty (and were once outdoors) but I always buy them when I can find them for a dollar or less because they're consistent sellers for me. 

I couldn't resist the aqua canteen.

And I bought the birdhouse just for the colors. 

Happy Camper!

Are we there yet?

After many conversations in the car regarding things neither Laurie/Ethel nor I could recall about our previous road trip to Alameda Point Antiques Faire (Did we stop here last time? Does Roseburg come before or after Ashland? Where was that place with the great cupcakes?), I decided to take some notes this time around.

FRIDAY

As planned, we left Laurie’s house in Portland, OR at 8 a.m. to head to Alameda Antiques Faire in the San Francisco Bay area. Woo-hoo! So excited!

One scheduled stop on the way out of Portland at a church rummage sale was quickly followed by two unscheduled stops at estate sales.

 Which resulted in another unscheduled stop back at Laurie’s house to unload her car which was now completely full. Four hours and 16 miles later we are still in Portland.  

Yay us!

New plan!  Leave for Alameda at noon.  The goal is to reach Redding, CA, about 420 miles away, where we’ll stop for the night.

That afternoon we went to three antique malls, a thrift store and a vintage shop before eating dinner and eventually keeling over.

It is weird that it took us 9-1/2 hours to travel 420 miles? The junkin’ just can’t be rushed.

SATURDAY

Laurie/Ethel admires a combo stove/refrigerator. 

We hit the road at 8:45 a.m., eventually ending up in Emeryville, CA, about 200 miles away (an *easy* 3 hour drive) and just a short distance from Alameda Point Antiques Faire, our Sunday early morning destination / reason for living.

We managed to turn a 3 hour drive into 10 hours and here’s why: 3 vintage shops, 1 flea market, 3 yard sales, 2 rummage sales, 1 thrift store, 2 huge antique malls, 2 random shops and 1 estate sale. In 4 cities.

SUNDAY (aka The Really Big Day)

 Got up painfully early at 5 a.m. and the reward was attending heaven-on-Earth, Alameda Antiques Faire, for 7 hours of some mighty fine vintage shopping from (not a typo!) 1,000 vendors.

Eventually I had to rent a shopping cart (as in the type used at a grocery store) to collect the items I’d purchased and left behind with the vendors. I kept it all straight with my Patented System for Remembering© by writing the vendors’ booth numbers on my arm.

In sharpie.

Tired, happy, sunburned and loaded down with vintage junk, we left Alameda at 1:30 p.m. to begin our drive back to Oregon, stopping in Yreka, CA for the night.

MONDAY

Random antique mall vendor in Medford, OR? It's all a blur to me now.

We left Yreka around 8:45 a.m., thinking we’d be back in Portland by 4 p.m., only 325 miles/5 hours away.

After stopping at 8 more antique malls (and one ice cream shop) in 2 cities, we rolled into Portland at 8:15 p.m., taking almost 12 hours to travel 300-ish miles.

 To recap: 4 days / 1400 miles / 3 estate sales, 3 rummage sales, 13 antique malls, 2 thrift stores, 4 vintage shops, 1 flea market, 3 yard sales, 2 random shops and 1 Alameda Antiques Faire (because there’s only one Alameda!).

Thanks for traveling along!

Click the photo above to read Laurie’s version of events.

Just in case

Late last night, when normal people are winding down and relaxing, Ethel and I pulled into town after 4 very full days of hardcore junking and unloaded a car packed-to-the-gills with vintage finds from our road trip to Alameda Antiques Faire.

Today I’ll be processing my finds, going back to Ethel’s house to pick up a second load of vintage junk (!!), and thanking my lucky stars for all of our good luck and great vintage scores.

Please stay tuned for further updates as they become available.

Click photo and prepare to be amazed

 Meanwhile, as my thoughts turn to junking closer to home, I thought I’d share this *beyond amazing* score at a yard sale.

Gives me hope.

Miss America

Do you ever wonder where bloggers go when they suddenly disappear for months on end?

In the case of this blogger, let’s pretend I was touring the countryside in my imaginary vintage camper, having madcap vintage adventures all over the USA and now, just for fun, I’ve pulled a few snapshots from the photo album to share with you.

   A beautiful Fall day – I threw on a skirt, some heels and a blond wig and headed out for an impromptu hike.

Never pick up bears who are hitchhiking. Ever.  

(There I am, off to the right, fiddling with my camera, getting ready to take a picture of me being eaten by a bear).

My favorite, camping! I know it looks like we’re survivalists smoking a side of beef but it’s really just a little campfire for s’mores.

(I am truly a happy camper at heart. Check out my Vintage Camping board on Pinterest).

I mastered a new sport in one afternoon. This is so much easier than it looks! And the ride down the mountain in the ski patrol sled was much more exciting than the ambulance ride that came next.

This was a wacky day when everyone but me put on their vintage plaid shirts and took turns pulling me around by my foot. I am such a good sport!

There was even a little beach frolicking. That’s me on the far right. In the red suit. With my head under a tiny pink umbrella.  (Not in the tiny black shorts and wristwatch).

All goofiness aside, I’ve missed you. 

There’s a big weekend ahead of junking with Ethel (road trip!) and when we return, we’ll tell you all about it.

Have a wonderful weekend!

All of the images are from the pages of my new favorite vintage book, America's Wonderlands, circa 1959.