Rose Bowl Flea Market December 2014

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It happened again.

I got up before the crack of dawn.

To shop, of course.

What else is worth getting up early on a weekend for?

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My husband and I both love going to The Rose Bowl Flea Market in December. The weather is nice and cool. Cold but not too cold. The vendors are a little more jolly. It is just a nice time to go. Plus, it is fun to pick up unusual one of a kind Christmas gifts for people who will truly appreciate them.

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We have now worked out what is most enjoyable for us when we go to the flea market. We like to get there early and leave early. We got there at 7:05 and left at 9:05. Well, we left the first time at 9:05 and the second time at 10:05. But that is a long story involving me thinking we had lost a piece to an item only to come to the conclusion it had always been missing. You know, because items that are old… Vintage… They are always in pristine condition and you should never inspect them before you buy. Or always inspect them. It is one of those for sure.

There were so many amazing items there this time. We saw a beautiful library cabinet. It was too expensive for us, but I am sure someone grabbed it. And, of course, we did not get a picture of the beautiful piece.

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An Indian wedding bench from a wedding house. Actually two of them. And the third one, a blue one, had just sold. They were $350 each. They were so beautiful they made my heart ache. I have absolutely nowhere to put them. The sweet owner said I could treat them and put them outside to which I not jokingly replied I would move my bed out there first. I would never ruin such beauties with the outdoor elements.

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This green laundry bin was really cool. I have enough laundry bins. But I had not seen one like this before. And I am not quite sure it was a laundry bin, but it was perfect for the task. I hope it went to a good home. It even had wheels.

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I ended up taking this old game wheel home… I know. But my bleary (not Beery) eyes fell in love.

It was probably from some hometown carnival many years ago. It was not a professional wheel, but I loved the colors and the sentiment of it. Now where to put it? I had originally planned on hanging it above my daughter’s bed. Then the grogginess of the morning wore off and I once again became aware that we live in earthquake country. Probably not the wisest move to hang a heavy wooden object with rusty metal above your kid’s bed. It is a good thing I do not make most of my life decisions at dawn.

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I loved this old, I believe it was from Nepal but I could be wrong, alter. It was from the 1800s and very pretty.

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Of course, I had to take pictures of the unusual, too. This old Hamburger symbol. It was huge. I do not know what someone would do with it, but I had to take a picture of it after that dream I had a few months ago.

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Dolls. Dolls. Dolls.

They are watching me.

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With hungry eyes.

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I do not know why, but this sign made me giggle. I just pictured giving it to someone as a gift. I have since learned it was an old time actor. But I thought it was a bar sign. Both cases make me smile.

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In my hoarder’s ultimate fantasy, I would have a room filled with these metal letters. And I could reach in and grab handfuls at a time and they would slip through my fingers. And whatever letters were left would be my fortune for the day.

And that would make as much sense as a bar sign advertising Beery. Which, by the way, would always be my fortune of the day.

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I did not buy any of these letters, but they were neat. It was an overwhelming amount of choices.

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The coat is Anthropologie Tartan Blanket Coat (previously styled here).

There is a man at the flea market that sells exotic textiles whom I think has the best taste. He was there again on Sunday. He was selling the most beautiful blanket. It was like a kantha, but unlike any kantha I had ever seen. It was white with red and blue stitching. It had patches of kantha-like material. It was subtle but beautiful. I wanted it desperately. But my sweet husband really wanted to buy me a coat at another vendor because he thought it was perfect for me and I would wear it and think of him and so he did for Christmas. And the blanket had to give for the coat. I took a picture of the blanket in my mind. The coat will stay on my body and in my heart… When I get it.

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I picked up this fun little chest covered in fish for $20.

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I also purchased three of these afghan cardigans. Two for me and one for my daughter. I did not really think she would like them, but my husband was insistent that she would. What would be your guess? Would a teenage girl wear one of these?

I do know the answer.

Just like I did before the purchase was made. ; )

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I saw this dog and I thought it was a perfect cross of what Ollie and Murphy would look like if they had a love child.

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What would one would do with these geese? They looked interesting. Almost like they were from a set of a 1940s movie. They were also in pristine condition. I would have loved to have learned what the purchaser was planning on doing with them.

Remember when that man asked me if I was looking for an iceberg detector the last time I went to the flea market? Well, my husband recognized him again right away in his booth. He actually had glowing devices and was asking people as they walked by, “Do you need an iceberg detector?”

He added a new part to the line this time, too, “Or a zombie zapper?” So, if you are looking for either of those devices, look no further. But best to have some beery before your first use.

Would you be excited or sad to get a gift from a flea market? I only purchased gifts for people there who I knew would like them. If I gave certain people a used item, I would never ever ever hear the end of it. I will show the pictures of the gifts I bought in “Keepin’ It Real” at the end of the month. July’s Rose Bowl Flea Market trip can be viewed here.

P.S. I shared this on Savvy Southern Style.

NOW CLOSED Twenty First Blog Giveaway: $50 e-Gift Card

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This giveaway is now closed. Thank you to all who entered.

How is it December 10th?! How? I ask you. I have never been this far behind in my Christmas game before. For days, I was writing December 4th on my checks, hoping it was stopping time. I was shocked to see it was the eighth when I took the time to look. And now it is the tenth. And I am panicking as to what to gift my mother-in-law. But that is not what we are here to talk about today.

Blogging in the midst of this season is kind of difficult. I will still try to post daily, but if a day is skipped or if it is an influx of daily outfit posts, I apologize. I never meant for this blog to be so focused on clothing. Outfit posts are simply the easiest. And easy is my favorite right now. However, tomorrow I have a recipe post going up and Friday I have a post I find humorous. Saturday will be a littlest accessory I have been loving right now…

Wasn’t there supposed to be a giveaway?

Oh, yes. Sorry about my rambling. And I am so excited about this giveaway.

This month I am giving away one $50 e-gift card to Anthropologie or Free People or Amazon or Target. The winner can choose which of those stores they would like their $50 e-gift card from.

It is a warm time of year. Not in weather but in the bundling up of one’s self and the unfurling of gifts and emotions. I wanted to give away something someone could truly use at the end of this year.

To enter the giveaway for a chance to win the $50 e-gift card:

Please leave a comment on this post stating something you have seen, witnessed or heard about recently that warmed your heart towards humanity. I think I have been paying closer attention to people’s random acts of kindness as I go through my own this month. So because I am looking for it, every day I have seen people being kind to each other when they did not have to be. At the grocery store, I saw a woman give another woman her ticket for a free Red Box movie because it was expiring that day and she would not be using it. This morning, I saw a man pull over and help a stranded teenager with their car. I truly believe there is good in this world even when sometimes it is so hard to see. If that is too personal, you may enter with any comment you wish as long as it is pleasant.

You may earn a second entry by becoming a registered subscriber of this blog. You can do so numerous ways on the right hand side of this page. Please leave a second comment stating you are a registered subscriber. The second comment is your second entry.

Limit two entries per person in the forms specified. Must be eighteen years old to enter.

The giveaway runs from December 10, 2014 12:00 a.m. PST to December 16, 2014 9:00 p.m. PST. I will be choosing one winner from the comments entered on this post for the e-gift card using random.org. I will contact the winner on December 17, 2014 and display the winner’s name on this blog on December 18, 2014.

By commenting on this post, you are entering this giveaway for a chance to win one $50 e-gift card and agreeing to the rules outlined in this giveaway.

I will attempt to contact the winner three times with the email address provided. If I have not heard from the winner within fourteen days from the first attempt at contact, the prize will be forfeit and a new winner will be drawn.

Past winners are welcome to enter.

* Negative comments (chosen at the discretion of the owner of this blog) will be deleted and that entry will be forfeit.

*this giveaway and post is not sponsored by or affiliated with any of the stores mentioned in this giveaway.

Vintage Green Love

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I have been holding out on you.

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That sounds worse than it is. You see, I just assume that after I write a story, you have read it and will know what I mean even before I have published it here. But there are so many stories I need to publish and maybe then I will be understood… Or not.

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Same with my closet. I think that you must know what lurks in the depths of it. But how could you? When I, myself, often overlook things.

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Like this dress.

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I bought it at the beginning of the year. Felt bad about buying it. Stashed it in My Closet of Guilt and never wore it.

As one does.

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But I came upon it last week and fell in love.

It is a vintage dress purchased from Etsy. I love shopping for vintage clothes on Etsy. There are a plethora of beautiful pieces. With so many different sellers, the prices vary, so it is a good idea to look around. I cannot believe the prices some sellers ask for both low and high. Check the seller’s feedback for reviews. Check their social media and Etsy home page to see if they are running any coupon codes. My dress was $64 and I thought this was fair.

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It is the very best color. An odd shade of green that takes on different hues depending upon how the light hits it.

It has the most amazing embroidery of deep blues and bright pinks tickled through with tiny mirrors. Yes, tickled.

The bracelet is from World Market a few months ago (similar here). Have you been to World Market lately? They are killing it in the jewelry department.

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I took these pictures at my dad’s house. I liked how the Juniper Tree matched my dress. My husband, the photographer, did not like the matching. He wished for more contrast.

I feel the same way about the model’s thighs.

You work with what you have.

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The only thing I can remember about Juniper Trees growing up is that coyote feces is full of Juniper berries. And so I avoided any and all Juniper Trees as a child, positive that there were coyotes lurking beneath each and every one.

Speaking of coyotes, I am no longer afraid. Our cluster of homes sit upon the edge of our town. This means frequent coyote spottings as we venture out. Two days ago, it was pouring rain in California. My husband saw a soaking wet, miserable looking, coyote dart into the bushes in front of his car.

It was all that he spoke of that day. He said it was the saddest sight. The coyote looked thin and bewildered by its wet surroundings.

There are not very many Juniper Trees here.

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Did you grow up around wild things? Do you own a vintage dress? Do you store it and not wear it or wear it all of the time? Do you know odd facts about animal feces? Or is that just me?

*I shared this on The Pleated Poppy and Reasons To Dress.

To Keep Or Not To Keep?

That is the question. Definitely not as deep as the original philosophic query but it has its place.

I think.

Maybe not.

Oh goodness, I cannot decide if this post is obnoxious or not. Probably a little of both.

When Free People had their annual 25% off sale a few weeks ago, I bought a few items with the intent of my husband gifting a few to me for Christmas. As one does.

But I am unsure of two of the items and do not know how to style the third.

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First up, Free People’s Eyelet Duster. I had originally given this top bad reviews because when I had purchased it two of the buttons had fallen off. But for the sale price coupled with the discount, I felt it was worth it even if I needed to replace the buttons. I am definitely keeping this. I like it with skinny jeans and tights. Underneath it for the picture is a white tank slip, but I did not style it with any accessories because I need ideas. I love the shape. I like the color. But I do not know how to accessorize it. What do you think?

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If I keep these boots, they will have to be wrapped up to be placed under the Christmas tree from my husband. I am simply trying them on here to see what you think. I was in love with the idea of red boots. Especially red tall boots, but now I am not so sure. Are they too superheroy? Is that a good thing? A bad thing? Too Kinky Boots? Too tall with the width of my thighs? Too attention grabbing? Just… too? Is the shape good or bad? Do you think I should exchange them for black or khaki? I do not have either of those colors in boots. I have tried them on with a few things in my closet and the two grey dresses I tried on with them look better with these. In fact, I love them with grey. But what else could be worn with them? Do you think skinny jeans? They are very comfortable. Which to me is very important but… I really am on the fence with these. Please let me know what you think.

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Finally, This jacket (sold out, but I am sure a few will popback over the next few weeks or check the availability in store). I LOVE the embroidery and colors but I am not so sure it is flattering on me. I would not wear it with this outfit, I would wear it with jeans, but I had to put it on quickly as we were running out of daylight. I am just so unsure about all of the zippers. The pockets are not deep enough to be useable. But that embroidery… Gosh, I am such a sucker for embroidery. This would be another Christmas present from my husband if you think I should keep it.

So, that is what I purchased in November. I also grabbed this dress in indigo during that sale at Free People, but I love it and it is a no-brainer. I am wearing it with grey leggings and tights with brown boots and brown accessories during the winter. In the summer, I will wear my gladiator sandals with it.

Thank you so much for any advice you can give. I know this is such a weird and maybe inappropriate post especially coming after yesterday’s heavy one. I never do things in a manner that makes any sense. I need to make my returns next week so I decided to ask for help and I, Thank you! Thank you for any you can give!