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My name is Melody M. Nuñez, and I’m an artist and a writer. Please look around my website and make yourself at home. I post new blog entries weekly, and hope you’ll subscribe to my blog and come back often! To learn more about me, please view the “About” page…SUBSCRIBE
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Tag Archives: Old Towne Orange
Vintage Beauty
There’s something about antique, vintage and otherwise imperfect surfaces that I just love. Worn, distressed, rusted, aged – these are all wonderful adjectives in my world. I suppose part of the allure is the instant sense of history that’s conveyed when you see a piece that’s somehow distressed. And though many artists and crafters regularly use techniques intended to mimic the aged and distressed look (myself included), there’s nothing like the real thing. That’s why I nearly swoon when I visit antique stores like the ones over in Old Towne Orange, and I was smitten with so many pieces when I stopped by for a little browsing a few weekends ago. If I didn’t have a finite amount of space and a limited budget I would’ve been buying things left and right!
I only purchased a few things, but really enjoyed all the eye candy. (The last two photos, below, show what I bought) I snapped a few iPhone photos of things that made my eyes happy, and hope you enjoy seeing these items as well. The first of the two photos is a detail shot of the item in question, and the second is a wider shot.
While in the first store I saw a Penny Rug for the first time. Made up of hundreds of hand-cut circles of felt and thousands of stitches, I was blown away by how much time and effort must’ve gone into this piece. Penny Rugs aren’t actually used as rugs – they’re more like table runners or decorative coverings for other home furnishings. I was intrigued by what I learned about Penny Rugs on Wikipedia, but probably won’t get around to making my own – and this $79 version was definitely out of my price range!
This yearbook from the 1930’s had a beautifully embossed cover and spine. So lovely!
I love the floral motif on this silver platter, and even think the tarnish is pretty!
I’m not a girly-girl, and am generally not drawn to this shade of pink, but this feathered hat was such a delightful ball of fluff that I couldn’t resist trying it on!
Ooh, yum. The rust-colored, mottled surface of this mirror is fantastic.
This set of rusted drawers is so incredibly cool, I was barely able to make myself walk away! If only I had more space and $200 to spend on one piece of art supply storage!!
What’s with the bronzed baby shoe? The last time I visited the shops in Old Towne Orange I was with my friends A.T. and A.C., and we saw bronzed baby shoes. I knew they’d been popular back in the day, but we wondered aloud – what possessed folks to bronze baby shoes anyway? I’ve seen a few pairs since then, and they’ve kind of been growing on me. So, when I saw this one shoe – and it was marked down – I indulged my weird bronzed baby shoe interest. The shoe is engraved across the top, and says Beverly with a date of 12-30-46. So sweet, and interesting too – Beverly is near to my mom’s age. Do you suppose the date is when Beverly was born, or the date she took her first steps?
My purchases for the day:
3 vintage photos featuring babies – originally $2 each, they were marked down to $1
1 other vintage photo (upper right) – $1.50
Small striped shell (center) – 50 cents
Bronzed baby shoe – originally $12, marked down to $6
Total: $11 plus tax – a bargain for a day’s entertainment and some fun items for my creative stash!
What types of things do you like to shop and window shop for, dear readers? Do you collect vintage photos and vintage buttons like me, or have another kind of collection? Please fill me in…
Warm regards,
Melody
Posted in antiques, inspiration, life in general, vintage
Also tagged Bronzed Baby Shoe, Penny Rug
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Antiquing (& Eating) in Old Towne Orange
Antiquing in Old Towne Orange, California is one of my favorite ways to spend a day. The thrill of the hunt is part of the fun, and there’s a ”foodie” aspect, too. In addition to having several antique stores, this little area is also home to several wonderful places to eat. So if you like to gaze at goodies from the past and grab some great grub, you’ll definitely enjoy a trip to Old Towne Orange. I snapped some photos with my trusty iPhone on a recent trip – please scroll down to see images of things that caught my eye versus what I actually purchased.
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My Perfect Schedule
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I like to start looking through the stores around 10 a.m. I break for lunch at one of the nearby restaurants around noon, and then continue shopping until sensory overload sets in. Sensory overload is a very real danger when shopping in antique stores because they cram stuff into every nook and cranny! I don’t usually eat lunch and dinner in the area, but if you’re coming from out of town and want to make a day of it, you could easily eat two great meals at two different restauruants.
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Antiques Galore
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Let me clarify something: When I go antiquing I’m not looking for stately wooden furniture or Depression-era glassware. Those kinds of things are certainly lovely, but they’re not my thing. First of all, my budget is too small, and I’m actually looking for smaller things size-wise, too. I’m usually searching for unique little bits and bobs I can use in my art: vintage buttons and other trims, vintage photos, and things like handkerchiefs.
The stores I visit generally have a good mix of merchandise though. Bigger pieces for those looking to decorate their home, and smaller pieces for people like me who are looking to embellish a collage.
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First – things I liked, but didn’t buy:
Image at top – I love vintage ornaments, and they looked great in the glass bowl.
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The green on this dish brought Ireland to mind.
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I love this rich, velvet hat – but not the $45 selling price.
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The baker and the silver lover in me adore this pan. Unfortunately, the price was unappetizing.
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My Grandma Neva loved owls, and I do, too…
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This skirt was lovely, but at nearly $80 it wasn’t a great fit.
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You know you’ve reached “a certain age” when you start seeing toys from your childhood in antique stores!
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This beauty is a vintage footwarmer, used in the early days of automobiling. I love the contrast of the green velvet and the metal…
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Here’s what I did buy:
This book of Practical Arithmetic was a bargain at $1. It will be perfect for collage and is already partially disassembled!
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I love vintage photos, and purchased five black and white photos for $1 each. Here are two of the images I chose – the class photos go well with my book!
Total spent: $6.00, plus tax
Restaurants
With so many restaurants to enjoy, it can be tough to decide where to dine. Here’s a brief list of some of my favorite restaurants:
Watson’s Drugs & Soda Fountain – Watson’s has been a fixture in Old Towne Orange since 1899. Not only do they have a soda fountain/dining area that serves up delicious food and desserts, they also have a small drugstore that sells some “old school” candies you might not have seen for years. The meals are good (including breakfast), but I really go to Watson’s for sweets: shakes, root beer floats, banana splits, pie. Everything I’ve had is good – the difficult part is choosing what to order!
Renata’s Cafe Italiano – This Italian restaurant has great food. I love their lasagna, garlic bread, and house dressing!
Bruxie – This is a new addition to my favorite list. They serve waffle sandwiches – both savory and sweet. Yum! I’ve only eaten at Bruxie once thus far, but will definitely be going back.
I can vouch for the following:
Savory: Bruxie Burger, and the Smoked Salmon & Dill Cream Waffle
Sweet: Lemon Cream & Berries Waffle, and Soft Serve Frozen Custard
Salty: Fries
*Note: Bruxie is very popular and is likely to have a (potentially long) line, so don’t wait until you’re starving to head over.
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I invite you to post a comment and share your favorite antiquing locations – please be sure to include your favorite nearby restaurants!
Warm regards,
Melody
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Posted in antiques, art, art supplies, inspiration, life in general, photography, restaurants, vintage
Also tagged Bruxie, Orange, Renata's Cafe Italiano, Watson's Drug & Soda Fountain
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