From the Bookshelf

When I was in fifth grade back in the early '60's, my best friend Linda gave me a book for my birthday.  I was a voracious reader then - just as I am now - and books were just about the best gift I could receive.  The book she gave me was Trixie Belden and the Gatehouse Mystery. I absolutely loved it. I was able to amass many others in the long running series over the next few years and I read them often. I don't know if it's being retired or being sick or whatever, but recently I had an urge to read them all again.  The first, Trixie Belden and the Secret of the Mansion, was written in 1948 and the books have a charming vintage feel. I've owned the first six (in the old original Whitman cello versions)  throughout my life, so I started my Trixie Marathon with those.  Then I was able to find the later paperback versions in lots on eBay for not much per book.  There are 39 all together and I now have the first 32.  I am really having a blast revisiting these.  Talk about literary escapism.  Hey - it keeps me off the streets and it's lots cheaper than drugs!!

It's All Sew Vintage!

When we were in Boston last month we walked past the most amazing window display I've ever seen. All Saints Spitalfields, a tres cool clothing store out of the UK, has a vast amount of front window space and every bit of it was full of vintage sewing machines.

Dozens of brands, dozens of models,

beautifully designed, pieces of art.

And, every one of their stores worldwide has the same display!

They searched high and low, finding every machine they can,



to create these wonderful assemblages!

Paul's Hat Works

Well, we drove down Geary Street til we hit 25th and started looking and there it was - Paul's Hat Works. Established 1918 and now going out of business and selling off 91 years of stock! We approached the door and read "Tuesday-Saturday 9-6". I'm sure we saved an awful lot of of money, because if what we were able to see through the windows was any indication - it was a vintage dream!

Margot stood behind me and tried to shade the windows so I could get pictures (she did pretty well). These shots give you just a tempting idea of what we could see. Fantastic hat boxes, old machinary, blocks and forms. I still have no idea what an exploding Empress Eugenie is, but maybe its better that way. I'm sure my imagination has made it much more fun than it really is.