Featuring

Dogs, vintage and repurposing – all things I love that can be found at Charmed Menagerie. It was because of these 3 details that I found Melissa’s Etsy shop. Coincidentally, she lives in Anaheim as well. Her charm bracelets are adorned with vintage, or personal dog tags and mixed with beads and filigree. Dog tags really are a dog’s jewelry. To wear it, especially after losing a pet, is to wear their last physical attribute. Maybe it is because I am a dog lover, or that I recently lost my Aussie, but Melissa’s charm bracelets are not just upcycling, but uplifting. Here’s her story.

Hi, I am Melissa, owner and jewelry designer of Charmed Menagerie on Etsy and my website: http://www.charmedmenagerie.com/. I love Natalie’s blog because I am all about upcycling, recycling and salvaging. My Elliott family lived out in the country and my Wallace clan came from Scotland. They lived by the motto of “use it up, make it do, or do without”.  I have so many antique and vintage treasures because they took care of their things and made them last. I grew up on stories from my Grandma Alice about “making do”. During the Depression my Mom had to have white tennis shoes for a school gym program but all she had was black tennis shoes. Grandma opened up a can of white paint . . . problem solved. They cut down old adult coats to make new coats for their children, wrapped bolted lettuce in newspaper for family to take home so they could save the seeds and plant them in their garden, and saved every scrap of brown paper and string so they never had to buy packaging. Grandma Alice also wrote on the back of every picture I have hanging on my walls so I knew what family member it had originally belonged to, as well as the bottom of every honey jar and dish. Her house was an eclectic treasure trove of turtle shells, pheasant feathers, dried flowers and herbs, scraps of fabric for dolly clothes, and lots and lots of jars of all shapes and sizes.

I inherited a number of pieces of vintage costume jewelry pieces from my grandmother, some of which had belonged to my great grandmother. That piqued my interest in vintage jewelry and as a young mother I would go thrifting and antiquing for more, collecting some lovely old pieces. I was always in a quandary about what to do with the little bits and bobs I had inherited that were missing stones, clasps, or were broken, as well as some single earrings, etc. The answer was vintage assemblage, a form of jewelry making where you take parts of vintage jewelry pieces and combine them with other parts and end up with a beautiful one of a kind vintage piece. I started taking vintage assemblage jewelry classes at a wonderful shop in Fullerton, Gilding the Lily, and began making my own vintage assemblage jewelry.

One day I was randomly shopping on Etsy for some vintage elements and found a listing of colorful old aluminum dog tags covered with solder. They just spoke to me. I made them into a charm bracelet, pairing them with some vintage curb chain, a Scottie dog charm, and vintage glass beads. I listed the bracelet on Etsy, wondering the entire time if anyone else would see the charm and whimsy in these beat up old dog tags. To my great surprise, the bracelet sold quickly and my vintage dog tag charm bracelet business was born. I do all kinds of vintage assemblage jewelry but I always have a soft spot for my dog and cat jewelry. Last year my husband and I rescued a little Maltipoo, Winston, who oddly enough came from a pit bull rescue. We just adore him. Because I love animals and want to give back, for every order over $100 I donate 10% to an animal rescue group. Donating to animal rescues has given an even more satisfying dimension to my jewelry.

If you are ever in West Anaheim stop by and meet Winston, sift through my glorious collection of vintage glass beads, vintage dog tags, vintage earrings, and all kinds of lovely old bits and pieces, check out my organic garden and share a bottle of our home-brewed kombucha. 

Crafting Felt Flowers

My sister gifted me a 1950s spaghetti poodle pulling a little cart. After deciding that she is too fancy to join my other novelty planters in the backyard, I knew felt flowers would be the perfect bouquet for her little cart. I had just finished putting together felt brooches for my family and still had not only the felt flower bug, but plenty of felt to work with. I’ve been trying my hardest to use what craft supplies I have at home before purchasing new supplies, but I was out of black felt so I found myself also bringing home a beautiful red coral and light peach felt.

In the floral section, I found green wood sticks that were the perfect height for the flowers. I was going to use wood kabobs, but the floral sticks saved me the time of cutting them down to the right size and painting them green, plus they were inexpensive. Armed with my felt, wood stems and glue gun, I was ready to get crafting. I just had to figure out how to make some buds.

Since I already knew how to make felt roses, I started searching for other tutorials for felt flowers. Luckily my search was short, since my friend Lisa of The Makery had just pinned a felt flower tutorial from SomethingTurquoise showing how to make felt ranunculus, anemone and peony. I also wanted to add a couple of Marigolds for some pre-Dia de Los Muertos practice and tried a tutorial from Jones Design Company and Momnivor’s Dilemma.

I love how the flowers came out, and am loving how great they look in my poodle planter. I even made a few extra rose buds for my poodle cigarette holder that I was planning on using as a vase.

Have you crafted any felt flowers lately?

The Vintage Patio

My favorite place to read is in the shade of our crape myrtle. To be honest, it is my favorite place to paint, sand wood, really do anything in the afternoon shade of the canopy. While flipping through a 1961 issue of Better Homes and Gardens I noticed my favorite backyard spot was one of their ’50 Improvements Under $50’.

Years ago my dad put the patio together using locking bricks around the crape myrtle. Because of California’s perpetual drought, having a draining patio in place of lawn helps eliminate run off and of course there’s less lawn to water. In 1961 they recommended cement finishing to accompany the patio bricks, but I've listened to Jeremy talk about the importance of proper drainage to know that gravel helps water drain through the patio, instead of around it.

The wrought iron patio furniture in the magazine is very similar to ours and made me wonder about its history. I found an article in Country Living Magazine that explained how American blacksmiths “popularized wrought iron during the 1920s, and it remained in vogue until the Eisenhower era [1952 – 1961], when lighter, cheaper, rust-proof aluminum caught on.” We brought our patio set from Mexico, so I was surprised to find that wrought iron furniture had deep roots in America.

Do you have summer patio plans of your own? If you do, remember, “material costs, wise buying, and the way you adapt the idea will make the difference.”

Destination: Palm Springs

Jeremy and I celebrated our 4^th wedding anniversary this weekend by taking a little road trip to Palm Springs. We headed to the land of mod with Mid Century Modern on our minds. And of course some pool time to cool off from the 100 degree temperatures.

It had been years since I had been to Palm Springs, and Jeremy’s first time. We had an easy drive for a Friday afternoon considering Southern California traffic. It just so happens that as you drive in to Palm Springs the first building you see is in the Mid Century Modern style, which I was pretty excited about. We returned to the Tramway Gas Station the next morning for our self guided tour map of Modern Palm Springs. The majority of the sites were residential homes, but there were other public buildings on the tour like fire stations, libraries, and hotels. We found a couple of shops selling modern décor, but I was really hoping for some great vintage desert shopping.

We took a few strolls downtown and were bummed the historical society was closed for the summer. That’s right, closed for the summer. They did have great vintage relics in their windows which made us want to know what treasures they might have inside.

Although we thoroughly enjoyed our time lounging in the pool and walking through town, we had a blast at the Tonga Hut, two days in a row. We stopped in for cocktails on Friday night and then returned Saturday for champagne brunch. We took advantage of the air conditioning in the upstairs lounge while enjoying fabulous rum cocktails. I was excited to find that they served Asian style “salsa and chips” of wantons and sweet and sour sauce and their fruit bowl served over ice.

On our drive home we took a detour to see the Cabazon Dinosaurs. As a kid I remember thinking how huge they were! Now that I’m all grown up, they are still big, but not as large as I remember them. It was fun to experience something from my childhood with Jeremy. The cherry on top was getting to climb to the top of the T-Rex together, which was something you couldn’t do when I was a kid.

The Anaheim Packing District

On the corner of Anaheim Boulevard and Santa Ana Street sits a Sunkist packing house. From 1919 to 1955 the Packing House served as a part of the Anaheim Orange & Lemon Association where orange growers would deliver their fruits to be packaged and transported around the country on the railways. It makes me wonder how many oranges from the orange groves that used to grow where my house sits traveled through the Packing House. How I remember it as an ice house. You pulled around back and requested bags or even blocks of ice that were carried in trunks or truck beds to celebrations around town. These days the celebration is at the Packing House.

The last few years have transformed the site from a rough, empty building to a beautifully redesigned and functional space housing over 20 eateries and community meeting spaces. Although the days when the building was used to sort and pack oranges are gone, the exposed beams, large ceiling windows and original wood floors compliment the new modern touches.

Walking in the North entrance you have a view of most of the first floor and atrium. To the front you have the concierge and to the side Studio la Fleur, a little flower shop on carts. To the right you have the Hammer Bar which I think is one of the best put together spaces. The actual bar area is an old trailer hitched to a vintage tractor. Sitting in the bar you feel like you are in a greenhouse, surrounded by plaid and metal vintage camping décor. Cocktail glasses hang from rakes, with copies of Popular Mechanics laid out for reading while lounging on old tractor seats. My favorite cocktail? A Twist of Cane: rum, fresh-pressed cantaloupe, lemongrass syrup and Aloe Vera liqueur.

On the South West side of the building you will find the first of many eateries. Adya isn’t just any Indian restaurant, it focuses on Indian street food. Chef Shachi Mehra’s fare has been a huge favorite; I have yet to hear anyone try something they didn't like. Many people assume Indian food means curry, but this isn't true at Adya. Even if you don’t think you are a fan of Indian, you might be surprised by the Malai Tikka chicken and goat cheese naan – my favorites! Bonus – everything except the bread is gluten free.

Chances are you won’t be disappointed by the other food options either. The eateries aren't traditional sit down restaurants, but this isn't a food court either. Community seating between the restaurants allow for variety that can meet your party’s palette. Choose from sushi and ramen from OrangeTei, fish and chips from The Chippy, waffle sandwiches and craft beer at TheIron Press, shabu shabu at Rolling Boil, comfort foods at The Kroft and coming soon is Georgia’s southern cuisine. And don’t forget to grab dessert! Although I haven’t tried it yet, if the line speaks for how good their pops are, Pop Bar serves gelato on a stick with dipping options like chocolate and nuts. Since ice cream is my favorite treat, you’ve probably seen me in line for Han’sHomemade Ice Cream. Crafted from cream from local dairies, this ice cream is delish. I suggest the peanut butter ice cream with chocolate ribbon.

I love the culinary and dietary variety that come together under one roof at The Packing House. Raw Chef Jenny Ross’ Lemon Drop serves cold pressed juices, smoothies and a variety of other raw and vegan foods. Have you ever thought a delicious breakfast would be slices of avocado topped with berries? Me neither until I tried it. Since I’m not a full time vegan, I can walk downstairs and visit Wheat & Sons Butcher/Rotisserie for locally sourced grass fed meats. I’m thinking a perfect summer day would include a fresh squeezed juice, then a whole chicken or sausages for barbecuing in the afternoon.

Don’t forget to visit the outside spaces for relaxing in the shade. Railcars that used to pull up next to the building to transport citrus throughout the country now sit stationary as outdoor eating spaces. Just outside the East of the building is a grassy area with plenty of seating including rocking chairs and a fireplace. Take a seat on North side of the building’s first floor rocker or ground level lounging areas and enjoy the view of Farmer’s Park.

When I first walked inside of the Packing House on opening day I was impressed. What I saw far exceeded my expectations and I thought, “This is ours.” The way the Packing District (Packing House, Farmer’s Park & Packard Building) has been developed is one with the history of Anaheim. There aren't many historic buildings left in Anaheim, and to give these life again is celebrating the past, present and future. During the media tasting welcome address, Shaheen Sadhegi of The LAB Holdings, who has developed the area, said the Packing District was designed with “localization, customization and personalization” in mind. He referenced how post WWII America’s interest was in mass consumption, but these days people are looking to make their own goods or buy local goods. That to me is part of what building a community is all about.

There’s a group of us that frequently run into each other at restaurants, Center Street or even the Anaheim Brewery. These meetings aren't always planned, many times they are just by chance. We call each other neighbors even if we live streets or miles apart. My neighbors and I have been excited to see so many strangers at the Packing House. We imagine there are other groups of friends, probably thinking the same thing about us. Now we have a new place to bump into each other, and even meet new neighbors. 

Anaheim Packing District

440 S Anaheim Blvd

Anaheim, CA 92805

Community Bazaar

This weekend I took my vintage on the road for the first time. I attended the Community Bazaar handmade and flea market as a seller, and of course as a buyer. I was already in love with this event since it was a mix of handmade goods and vintage, but it was also being held at one of my favorite places in Anaheim; Community. I shared an indoor store space with The BeesKnees Vintage, who has amazing Pyrex, Fire King and Hazel Atlas pieces for sale.

To top it off, The Makery was hosting a rummage sale for craft goods. I dropped off some excess crafting goodness earlier in the week and had a sneak peak, but during the Bazaar I was too overwhelmed with the amount of amazing craft goods people were detaching themselves from. I ended up with the cutest retro zoo print pillow case and wood beads. I have my fingers crossed that a beautiful pink flower print fabric is still around later this week. Talk about buyer’s regret if it isn’t because it would make for a fabulous shirt dress.

My loot! Metal pin leg table and picnic handbag from The Mexican Picker, vintage zoo pillowcase and wood beads from The Makery Rummage Sale & yellow Pyrex fridge dish.

To be honest, it should have been a trading post, since there was quite a bit of buying from other vendors. I suppose that’s what you get when you bring together vintage and handmade lovin’ friends.

The Sunshine Grove vintage & wood goods will be at the next Community Bazaar on July 5^th and August 2^nd from 8 am to 1 pm at Community: 423 S Brookhurst St. Anaheim, CA.

The Anaheim Plaza Sculpture by George Tsutakawa, 1963

photo source / drawing source

Last year the Anaheim Historical Society hosted a lecture featuring art in public spaces. My friend and Anaheim artist Kevin Kidney highlighted 8 art pieces along with their historic and city significance. One piece really stood apart. I shouldn’t have been surprised to learn that the bronze sculpture I was admiring on the screen was from the 1960s and so MODern.

The sculpture happens to be a water fountain designed by artist George Tsutakawa, a painter and sculptor from Seattle Washington. What I found so interesting about this piece is that the sculpture was designed so the metal shapes directed the water to create a dynamic sculpture of its own. How cool is that? Tsutakawa created over sixty public water fountains across the US starting in 1960. So why had I never seen Anaheim’s Tsutakawa sculpture?

Tsutakawa was commissioned to design and create a bronze sculpture water fountain for the front of the Anaheim Shopping Center’s new Robinson’s Department store which opened in 1962. The fountain itself was added later in February 1963. The very glamorous department store not only offered shopping, but 2 dining options: The Mission Room and Carousel Round Robin. When I headed out to visit the sculpture I took advantage of the opportunity to dress in my very best early 1960s outfit complete with my little terrier along for shopping and lunch.

The Anaheim Robinson’s closed in 1988 and shortly after the shopping center was demolished and rebuilt as the Anaheim Plaza. Not to worry, the fountain still exists though it is no longer functioning. Unfortunately it is hidden behind a Rubio’s restaurant and surrounded by planters, which explains why I had never seen Tsutakawa’s artwork.

Lovers of vintage and art, what do we have to do to restore this great piece of art and get the fountain working in maybe a more eye catching spot?

Populaire

I am a fan of French films. Who doesn't love, and I mean looove, Amelie? Am I right? Even if you hate subtitles, but are a lover of Mid Century, give this film a try for the eye candy. The fashion! The hair! The décor! It is all très magnifique.

And yes, this is a movie about a typing competition and the glamorous secretaries that compete for the international title. Follow Rose on her adventure in 1959 Normandy, France as she goes from secretary to competitive typist. With her boss turned Coach, Louis, along for the ride, you know there is bound to be a love story too.

It's Hot, Let's Wish For Summery Things!

This is the first week I’ve spent in shorts which means it’s just going to get hotter! I'm ready for some beach time and something cute for play time. I even found a great outfit for my brother-in-law's August wedding. Now for some summer eye candy!

My Sugar Doll AMOUR Halter Bikini Top, Claude Donoho Shop 80s Etienne Aigner Straw Bag, Daisy Chain Gang Vintage Peacock Shoes, My Sugar Doll CUPCAKE Bikini Bottoms

Mary Beth Hale Red and Yellow Bakelite Bangles, The Perf Sandal Cherry Red via Mod Cloth, Jibri Online Tropicana Bustier and High Waist Pencil Skirt 

Cherise Design Vintage Style Cotton Dress, Miss L Fire Flora, Vintage on Hudson Vintage Canvas Clutch

***These aren't affiliantes, just things I love!***

Show and Tell with Rita from Sammy's Grammy Vintage

I began to collect vintage items for my home from the very onset of my “one and only” marriage, homemaking, mothering, chauffer-ing, cheering, baking, cooking, canning, nursing, gardening, loving, shopping, knitting. Reason being: in the beginning we were too poor to buy new things. If I remember correctly, the first antique we bought was a round oak dining table and 4 chairs. The poor, old antique chairs could not stand up under the pressure of 4 males (1 husband and 3 sons) who leaned back on the chairs, putting their weight on the 2 back legs of said chairs until the chairs collapsed. Next purchase: a new set of “old” chairs. And new house rule: “NO LEANING BACK ON THE CHAIRS”. The beautiful table still resides in my dining room (covered in a cloth I made from red toile). 
 

 

 

That was the beginning of my love affair with vintage. One of the things I loved to hunt for at estate sales was vintage table linens, especially napkins, looking for the ones with embroidered monograms, tatting on the edges, or crocheted edges. Once I had enough of them to satisfy the drawers of my vintage armoire, I still was addicted to hunting for them. What to do, what to do? My answer to this quandary – re-purpose them and sell the results. So began my long association with BORN AGAIN ANGELS. Unfortunately, the angel craze seems to be passe’. I sold the last one in my etsy shop at Christmastime. I do have one of them “hanging” in each room of my house. My addiction to estate sales is still intense. I buy what I can remake, re-purpose, re-imagine into something adorable for my shop.

 

You can find me and my creations at

Sammy's Grammy Vintage Shop, Blog and Facebook.

 

*Have a fabulous story to share about your vintage collection? Join Show & Tell! Just send me a note for the details.