Last minute, yes. But Bay Area bloggers (and, heck, knittin’ readers, too), you want to meet up this Saturday? JStrizzy, RedSilvia, and I are getting together for coffee/beer and snacks and maybe a little yarn shopping, and you’re more than welcome to come.
Details:
Saturday, April 10th
1pm
Temescal Cafe
4920 Telegraph,
just a few doors south of Article Pract, map HERE.
Do drop me a comment or email, though, so we know roughly how many chairs we should grab…..
Now that the business side is dealt with, let’s go straight to the whinging portion of the programme, yes? I told you I was in a window-shopping mood yesterday, right? I didn’t really mean it. What I meant was I was in a mood to BUY. I just didn’t want to say it. When I went to the antiques flea market, I wanted patio chairs. I wanted old trellises. I wanted old broken French doors to prop against the ivy and drape with outdoor lights.
What I found were things like this chair:
This was $65. Puh-leeze. I tried to look suave when told the prices, nodding, as if thinking “ahhh, of course the iron bedstead that’s rusted through is seven hundred dollars. I would have thought more!” Then I walked away from each seller, actually thinking, “Dude. He’s HIGH!”
So I left, and went predictably to the place where I thought the real junk would be. The flea market. Okay. When did the flea market stop selling crap? Let me re-phrase — when did it stop selling people’s old crap and start selling all new made-in-China hecho-a-Mexico shit? There’s always been that row or two out of thirty that sold the cheap electronics and hair barrettes and cowboy boots and pirated CDs. But now that stuff took up twenty-eight rows and I barely found the row and a half of real people selling their real junk. By then I was so disgruntled that I left with nothing but a bag of dried mango. Oh, and this photo for Alison:
Not sold by weight, no, but there must have been at least ten of these booths peppering the flea market, all bras selling for either 3 or 4 for $10. Damn! Now there’s a deal. I give credit to my girl La Brainy for having the balls (breasts?) to actually buy some of ‘em. They scared me. I snapped the pic and ran.
A poor shopping day. But a good photo day. This one is for Lisa:
And after all that whining about never being able to entertain, I entertained six people at my house last night. One was a pop-in, three were a call-and-drop-by, two were planned, and all were lovely. At one point there was an overlap of five, and it was truly fabulous to hear the chatter and realize we really all COULD fit in my new apartment. Dinner party, here I come!
The girls brought over dinner in this basket. I was rather embarrassed how quickly it was appropriated.
Oh, and I did buy two things yesterday. A cute purse at Marshall’s, and this round container next to the lamp.
Who knows what it was originally meant for, but I’m using it for straight needles. I actually never use straights (stop it), so they’re merely decoration, but such good decoration, don’tcha think?
And I’ll leave you with one of my most prized possessions. Seriously. I love this so much. My Pope-in-a-Globe.
can i come on saturday? oh…i don’t live near you. oh well. maybe someday i can come.
i know, flea markets are a shameful these days. it’s not good junk anymore — just crap. so sad.
Since I’m already going to be at A.P. right around that time, I’ll definately stop by. Count me in!
Oh I love your Pope in a dome, do tell me he is saying let there be snow….it’s the tropical scenes that still snow that really appeal to me they are just SO tacky they appeal to my sense of style :0) Glad the home rang with laughter and conversation, the thing to do is have a dinner party that can overflow into the garden that way your place seems palatial. Maybe an afternoon garden party where the food is buffet so you can wear shades and cool hat and tell everyone they are divine!continuing into the night and ravishing puddings as everyone soaks up your style as they appreciate the decoration and lights :0)
Oh yes straights are always good for decoration:0)they make rather good friends too.
stop.it.
A round container to keep decorative but not useful straights in…AND a pope in a globe? sigh.
No WONDER you can’t find anything kewl at the flea market or the antique shoppe..you have already cornered the market on kewl and blogged about it.
Three words come to mind:
Architectural.Salvage.Yard.
The meet-up? Waaaaaah. Wanna be there!
Oh! My! Gawd!
I do love the pope-in-a-globe, which is WAY meaningful.
Maybe I can find one for Andy’s first communion!
Ha!
I don’t think so!
And besides. Andy’s into Precious Moments, being you know, 7.
Ooh, goody! We’ll come! We’re local, we’re knitters, we love Article Pract, we drink beer–I think we meet all the requirements. (Of course, since I am mostly a lurker & not a blogger, what we will do is sit at the table *behind* you & eavesdrop…)
Rachael, please tell me the Pope is in a SNOW globe. Really, otherwise, what would be the point?
😀
Sorry I can’t crash your party but at least I get to crash the one at MaggiStitches’ tomorrow night!
MaryB in Richmond
Oh, you will have such fun at Article Pract and the cafe! Re: chairs. I can’t believe they wanted $65 for that! I think you can get some ripoffs at Target!
Wow! That Pope in a globe is WAY scary … kinda looks like King Kong ready to take over the world!
I love the pictures of your new place. It looks so warm and inviting! See, you had your first party and didn’t even realize it happened. No sweat, right?
Pope-in-a-Globe? This is why you’re my hero.
I’m gonna count myself in as a maybe for the Saturday knittin’. I have to finish garden stuff sooner rather than later, or the whole summer will be spent saying I have to work on the garden.
LOVE “Pope in a Globe”, do they have accessories (“Mary in a Globe”, “Wise Men in a Globe” and that all time favorite “Water to Wine in a Globe”? FYI, all the good junk is being sold on eBay these days, thus no good flea markets!
The Glove Factory; imagine! I would love to have one for my very own! I’d move right in and start knitting! Thanks for the smile; snaps and woofs to you.
Back in the day of sinful cohabitation, DH & I used to go to the Ohlone Flea Market in Fremont. Then: great junk. Now: suitcases stitched together with sewing thread and cheapo kitchen tools.
My friend Matt & I can still crack each other up with driving directions to “go gaily forward.” 🙂
I’m there.
Never mind my passover-based objection to meeting this saturday. I think my being out of town and therefore slow to respond nullifies it anyway. I’ll just have to bring some matzah candy (you’ll have to wait and see what it is).
I’m so curious about matzah candy now! Boggles my tiny little brain…
Re:the Alameda antiques market, I blame Martha and the Shabby Chic craze and all the ladies from Marin for the out of line prices. You know the dealers are all laughing. I’m a North Bay lurker — enjoy your blog.
Hey there…I will come by on Saturday, too. I am thinking about getting a tattoo at Tattoo 13 across the street from there…perhaps someone can talk me into or out of it…
Oh… lead me not into temptation… but I think I’m gonna come. The only rule is that I *cannot* buy anything! I’m completely (read COMPLETELY) broke until the 15th. But meeting up with Bay Area bloggers is too sweet a thought to pass up. Color me there!
Eek! They’re spreading. Moulded B-cups are taking over the world! Thanks for the photo, Rach. 🙂 Actually, I love all these photos. I can’t let Bea see that comfy basket or she’ll be all “Where’s MY basket? Huh?”
Sounds like a fun time at Casa Raquel last night, and of course, I wish I could meet up with you, Joanna, Silvia, et al. Have fun!
Wish I could be there to knit with ya, think of me?
Pope in a Globe? Straight needles? Oye! I need to read this when I am more awake. I honestly couldn’t figure out the straight needles.
Nap time.
Actually, I do believe the Pope in a Globe officially one-ups my buddy Susy who has Pope Pogs.
Oh dear.
$65?!?!? Take a look at Target (just as Mariko advises). Target had similar chairs and a matching table last year. I’ve avoided the Target garden area so far this spring, so I don’t know what they have this year.
Love your blog and the Pope in a Globe. 🙂
You should glue some wheels to the Pope-in-a-Globe.
Your knitting meeting is going to be such a great time–cool people AND matzah candy?
Pope in a Globe! I love it. Reminds me of the huge Pope keychain my grandmother bought me to commemorate her trip to visit the Pope in Toronto. She’s a devout Catholic and wanted me to have something Popely as it were.
I so would have preferred a Pope in a Globe.
And I have a hankering to here Meryn Cadell’s Pope song.
I gotta know, when you shake it do communion wafers float around, incense smoke, decrees denouncing women’s reproductive rights?
Am I going to hell right about now… I wonder where that keychain got to?
Where did you get that Pope in the globe? I have got to have one for my Mother. I think that it almost boarders on being sacreligious. What a Hoot!
Peace
My husband collects funky religious “art” and the pope in a globe is NOT in his collection. I’m off to scour the internet for one!
Does your county landfill have a “recycle” area? I’ve gotten some fabulous old garden furniture at ours for a song. I know a kick ass salvage place up here in Sonoma County if you ever get this far North. Getting stuff home in that convertible might be another story though! Hee!
I’m so bummed that I have a previous obligation on Saturday or I’d be so there to meet with all the blogfolk. Someday!
Hi there! I read all the time and never leave comments, but I just couldn’t leave your pope snowglobe unanswered. The first present I ever gave my girlfriend was this exact snowglobe that I got for her in Vatican City. I guess she liked it because we’ve been together 4 1/2 years now. We call the treasure The Papal Snowglobe and it occupies a place of honor in our home. I’m sure the pope would be pleased to have sponsored our love!
Ahh, there’s nothing like the pope in a snowstorm on your bookshelf.
Enjoy!
Jen
Hey Rach, you should try looking for old french doors at Omega Salvage or Urban Ore in Berkeley. There’s a list of other architectural salvage resalers in the area at http://www.greenresourcecenter.org/MaterialsSheets/Salvage.html, but those are two I’ve been to and like a lot.