Vintage Paper Fair

As I mentioned in a previous blog, February is Vintage Month. This past weekend marked the halfway point of this month, so I felt an update was due.
Unfortunately, I missed out on a few events I was really looking forward to. Saturday, Feb. 6th was an Apartment 3 Party at the Standard Downtown and, although I said I was going, I lied. The weather was horrific (for Southern California) and the clouds, rain, thunder and lightening kept me indoors all day.
I also had every intention to attend the Vintage Expo happening that weekend as well, but on Sunday I ended up at a friend’s house instead, Ooh-ing and Aah-ing over Vintage 1930s Mesh Bags and Costume Jewelry while the Saints won the Superbowl.
Valentine’s weekend, My Dude Man ended up taking a couple days off from. After working out our plans for the weekend, they did NOT include driving to Palm Springs for Modernism Week. But that’s OK! We DID make it to the one event I have longed to attend for years - The Vintage Paper Fair.
O-M-G. I had an idea of what to expect, but really...I didn’t know what to expect. I couldn’t contain the goofy smile that spread over my face when we pulled back the heavy curtain. I browsed through vintage fashion posters, vintage botanical posters, movie posters and more! I walked through aisles and aisles of old postcards; some dating as early back as the mid-1800s! I looked at old road maps, secretly sniffed old books, and gawked at the cheap meal prices on the old restaurant menus. Heaven!
Somewhere among the paper was my Dude Man. I last remembered him muttering “wow, this IS cool...” before we separated.
After finding each other on the opposite end of where we had entered, he surprised me with an Antique Valentine’s Day card from 1908! We enjoyed the rest of the Fair together, where we learned about Hold to Light Postcards.
Here are a few of the items I purchased for myself. Enjoy!

The Old Ridge Route

By the time Monday came around, I was in desperate need of some shopping. Unlike most women in the City of "Angels," I do not enjoy day-long shopping sprees at the Beverly Center, Colorado Street, Melrose Ave., or any other over-priced shopping areas LA has to offer. Instead, I enjoy leaving the city and traveling a mere 50-60 miles North to the mountains, where vintage and antique shopping is patiently waiting.For many years I've wanted to check out View Larger Map">Old Ridge Route Antiques in Lebec, CA. Having traveled up and down that part of the 5 Fwy my whole life, I walked in with high expectations...and left on Cloud 9 (hours later).
I got sucked into the $1 jewelry box the second I walked in the door, where I scored great sterling silver necklace charms, old pins and a gorgeous pair of faux gold cuff links - which my husband claimed before I could even finish cleaning them.
After I left my thrifty finds with owner Paula Clevenger, I made my way through the huge layout of antique furniture sets that were in impeccable condition. If you are in the market for a vintage vanity set, well...this is your place! I believe the most expensive vanity I found was $200, and all of them are complete with a stool and mirror! If I didn't already have one, I would have come home with two!
After browsing through antique beaded handbags, vintage toys and dolls, household items and many more goodies, I made a final stop to the $.50 picture box. For some reason I was drawn to a picture of a woman who wrote on the back of her photo that it is "horrid" and to "destroy it."

I can't help but think that maybe I should obey her wishes that weren't met all these years and destroy it; or, if I should be selfish and keep it alive, in spite that she wanted it destroyed decades ago. What would you do?

Of the items I walked out with, I'd have to say that my favorite find of the day was my latest home decor project - 1950s pictures of Rome, Italy. Each photo includes a detailed description of the sites on the back in pencil, by the photographer I'm assuming. Having traveled to Rome a few years ago, the connection was immediate to the pictures. And the passion and interest in each description motivates me to keep those pictures alive.