At the movies

My friend (who is too shy to be seen in this post) and I decided to see a movie last week and we chose Fashion Valley's AMC Theater (18 theaters in all) to meet. We chose a matinee and do you know that it now costs $9.50 to see a matinee and $11 for an evening performance? Well, gone are the days of a cheap date! If you take a trip to the concession stand you are liable to spend roughly $10. I guess that's why I don't get out much!

Can't decide what to see? Here are some movie posters to peruse while you are in line.

Walking down the third level corridor to see...

...Inception! I do recommend this movie but make sure you take a bottle of aspirin with you. There is a lot of mindbending scenery, a complicated storyline, and your brain needs to be running on all four cylinders. Concentration is key! Trust me, this movie takes a lot out of you. By the time I got out of the theater, my head was spinning, I was starving, and I just wanted to lie down and take a nap!

The acting was surprisingly great. I say this because I think the last DiCaprio movie I saw was Romeo & Juliet which I did like. No, I did not see Titanic, don't know why. But he has grown into a wonderful actor since Growing Pains! Why am I the last to know? Same with Joseph Gordon-Levitt, I know he has had a few successful movies but could only remember him as Tommy from 3rd Rock from the Sun. There are also great performances from Ken Watanabe and Ellen Page the girl from Juno.

Here's a huge display for the new Stallone movie featuring a host of actors best known for their action roles. Arnold Schwarzenegger makes an appearance in this movie and it did cross my mind as to how he handled the delicate matter of his salary. Did he donate it like he did the last time, he is after all still our Governator.

The new Will Ferrell/Mark Whalberg movie. It seems funny from the preview.


Lunch at last! I think I nearly collapsed because I was so hungry and tired from the movie. We went to California Pizza Kitchen and I entered the restaurant confident in what I wanted to order only to discover the Peking Duck pizza was no longer on the menu - they discontinued it!!! Arrrgh - don't you hate that! I ended up with the California Cobb pizza which the waitress said I would enjoy, and I did! It's my new favorite and here it is...oh, it was yummy!

On my next post I plan on taking you around Fashion Valley Mall where world class shopping stands at the ready! Here is a little teaser...

Pretty trinkets from Forever 21

Michael Kors anyone?

See you next week!

Passion for Fashion

I've recently been inspired by various fashion/thrifting blogs and have been thinking of maybe starting another blog just about what I wear or have found thrifting. In fact just the other week I was having a fashion conversation with Anita over at Castle Crowns and Cottages. Did you know that when I was younger I wanted to be a fashion designer?

Well, we'll see about the new blog but in the meantime I thought I'd do a little test post and you can tell me what you think. I scoured the depths of my closet to find something of interest and here it is...

...the sweater in question looking a little forlorn just by itself. I got it from Ross Dress for Less about a year ago and have never worn it! I was attracted to it by the color and then by the sleeves which are ruched and it just seems vaguely Victorian to me, a period I have always found fascinating.

I've never thought of wearing grey before but I've now got two sweaters in that color; this one is a pewter and the other is a light grey. I've been trying to figure out how to wear it. I'm not a fan of the belt and will be getting rid of the belt loops. I got the brilliant idea to use the belt as sort of a necklace like this...

...and I've paired it here with a vest.

How about a flower with little sparklies? This one is my great-aunt's brooch. I love little keepsakes like this.

Here is one half of a clip on earring that was thrifted at a yard sale.

A really pretty pink pin from a neighbor's garage sale, she said it was from the 50s or thereabouts.


This is a 50s pin I picked up at a thrift sale back home


I've never been one to wear a rosary as jewelry but thought it might look ok.


It looks gold but it's really silver. The rosary was given to me by Rene who thought it might help me through a serious illness I was going through. The crucifix is an antique from France and he fashioned the rosary together himself. I really love it as it is beautifully crafted and has a lot of personal history behind it. I will probably never wear it as jewelry but it was a thought!

Ok, here I am in the getup. Photo taken in my bathroom because of the wonderful light that shines through! The John Lennon glasses were a gift from my friend Sandi who picked it up at the Beatles Museum in Liverpool. I was jazzed! I'm also wearing an oversized pearl bracelet and dark grey magnet bracelet. (Remember when they were the rage?)

And just for fun, here are a pair of cat glasses I bought for Halloween one year. I rather like it and it seems to go with the outfit! I'm really digging my Chanel lipstick! I adore Coco and all things Chanel especially vintage Chanel.

Here I am with my crazy gato.

A couple of thoughts, it's really hard to take pictures of yourself! I should probably recruit someone to take the pics or maybe train Kitty or Sadie. It's also pretty wierd to see pictures of myself on the blog!

I'd like to direct you over to the blogs that have been my inspiration....

Vix at Vintage Vixen

Rebecca at Thrifty at Sixty(one)
Sal at Candy Cane is Married

All ladies are quite individual and I think they rock their style. Rock on ladies!

Art of the casa

Last week you got to see some unique features in my little casita. This week, it's art of the casa!

Ok, this isn't a painting but I love the scrollwork on this mirror which I got at my friendly neighborhood antique store called Resurrected Furniture. You can see the reflection of the sunflower painting and the man in the moon is a Christmas ornament from years past.

Graciella's Sunflower. This painting was given to me by a woman I would see in the alleyway every once in awhile on the weekends. She was collecting soda cans. Someone had given her this painting which she had in her cart and when I expressed how much I liked it she gave it to me! She was very sweet.

The Letter, by Renoir. I purchased this one at an impressionist exhibit at the San Diego Museum of Art located in Balboa Park. I have been enamored of impressionism since high school and my favorite Renoir is The Luncheon of the Boating Party. For the longest time I thought it was housed at the Louvre but it is actually in a museum in Washington, DC. Meanwhile you can visit The Letter anytime at my casita!

I purchased these little dogs a Westie and a pug from Marshalls probably when I first moved here. They are adorable!

Bathroom art! I got this glamourous lady at Bed Bath & Beyond with one of the store's 20% off coupons. It is a 1957 Vogue cover by Henry Clarke titled Savoir Faire.


Prints and frames from Ikea in keeping with the Parisian theme.


Close up of the Arc de Triomphe, a pretty little replica I got at a thrift shop for $2.

My father was a pilot with Hawaiian Airlines and collected all kinds of airline memorabilia. Here are two posters probably from the late 80s/early 90s.

Ladies, roll your tongues back in!


This is a signed and dated painting that was given to me by someone I worked with. I am embarrassed to say that I am unsure who the artist is as I cannot read the signature but it is lovely and was painted in 1979.

Back home in the early 90s a friend of mine was moving state and knowing how much I always admired this poster she was kind enough to pass it on to me. I think about Marian every time I look at this picture.

I purchased the next two posters at a yard sale not so much because I have an afinity for Africa but because I thought I might want to collect some travel posters. These were professionally framed and when I first strolled by, this one, Africa by Air, sold for $25 and the Air Afrique sold for $75. He didn't want to go down in price so I said I might stop by later to see if it had sold or not. It didn't (!) and he dropped the price to $10 and $20 - SOLD!

I love this poster. It's like a picture within a picture.

Fruits! I got the pears from a thrift shop and the lemons from a shop that was going out of business. The double matted lemon print is by Shelley Hely an Australian artist. I bought a few things from this shop as everything was priced to go.

This adorable bunny was given to me by Kelly who at the time managed a hotel on San Diego Bay. He invited me and a few other friends to Easter Sunday Brunch and we each got a little painting. This is hanging in the doorway to my bedroom.

I think this scene is familiar to everyone! My sister got this for me for about $2 at a yard sale. It's an oil painting and the woman said she got it while she was in France. This is going in my bedroom once I get things rearranged.

The Madonna and child I got for a pittance at a neighborhood antique shop. It sits in the little telephone nook.

Even kitties need art! This is where my gato dines every day!

The background plaques were found at a yard sale and the little birdies were from a great fresh fruit and flower stand in La Costa. They also sell yummy gourmet items and have the best chips and fresh, fresh salsa and chocolate covered strawberries. Yum!

The casa art vault!

This is a poster of the Royal Hawaiian Hotel were I used to work. It is gorgeous and historical and has lots of stories to tell. However, it is a romanticized version as there are no buildings pictured in the background.

Hope you enjoyed your tour!

If you have a moment, stay a little longer and have some light refreshment.

I made the banana bread this morning. It's fresh from the oven!

Tea? Cream and sugar?

Have a great week!

tour of the ol' casa

Hi, thought I would share a few of the unique features of my humble abode. My home is a pink 1930 Spanish bungalow quite common in Southern California. What I love about this home and older homes in general, is that there are many features you just don't see anymore

Here is a unique light fixture above the kitchen sink with equally unique cabinetry work that modern home builders don't bother with these days.

I'm ready for my close-up Mr. DeMille!

One of two built-ins in the breakfast nook


A pair of really cute hot chocolate china cups and saucers, a little bear, and a tin featuring Peter Pan that I picked up at Marshall's probably when I first moved here in 2000.


I collect tea pots and here's one that is also part of my bunny collection. There is also a picture of my grandmother and mom and uncle as children.

This is a what people used to call a milk door. This is inside the house...

...and this is taken from the outside. There are compartments on either side of the door where the milkman would store the dairy products.


You don't see this too often, behind this door is a pull out ironing board

I'm not sure that this drawer pull is original to the house but it's romantic looking!

A lovely treasure and an original. I consider it a piece of art and it hangs in the living room.

Another interesting light fixture. It's "milky" looking and hangs in the hallway where the ironing closet it.


A regal looking front door knocker.


Here is what it looks like from the inside, you can see there is a latch which you can open...

...And here's what you see when you open the door.

An original door knob.

I never quite realized what this was until one day I put two and two together. This is from inside the house in what is the dining room and...

...and this is what it looks like from the outside! It's not used as the mail drop anymore as the front porch is now enclosed.


I've had a number of people give me their take on this little nook and the general conclusion if that it used to hold an old fashioned upright telephone.

Another built in located in the hallway which I converted into a little bar setup.

Love these glasses, I picked them up at a garage sale for only $1 each, never used.

The shaker on the right was a birthday gift and the wine rack is from Ikea.

I recently did a remodel of the bathroom. It's not complete yet I am still waiting to put in a new floor but see the silver knobs, they were the original fixtures of the bathtub and just below it is a piece of yellow tile that I saved. The bathroom featured yellow and black tile so beautiful and "old school" but had to be removed. Believe me I cried buckets!

Hope you enjoyed your tour!