Wowsers!

Ages ago I worked for a vintage store in town. The owner noticed the hats I made and said she'd sell them for me so she did. One day, waaaaay out of season she did a show and one of my hats was at her booth. The rest is how the story was told to me:

This cute little boy, I think he was two or three, pointed and said bowling. He was really excited about the hat with the bowling pin. His mother said he liked all things bowling. They bought your hat. He was really excited.

I had always wondered about that kid and his mom maybe because the hat was bought in town, out of season or maybe the way the story was told or maybe because the hat managed to appeal to this kid and made him happy at first site. I never forgot the story, it was flattering. So years go by and I meet this cool girl and we talk and then I ask her if she'd be interested in doing some work for my site. I send her the link and she is like OMG! and then tells me of how her and her son both spotted this hat a long time ago at some open market in town. OMG! I say, I know this story!!!

Pretty freaky? Cool? Serendipity of some kind? It's pretty cool and she's cool!

A Time to Sew

I was remembering how my Mom and I would collaborate on my wardrobe. She would sew just about 75% of it, the remaining being socks, undies and school uniform. When I began high school we were still collaborating and I had cool shirts and skirts. Despite whatever differences we had or whatever inability to communicate, when it came to sewing and making me outfits I designed, she always got it with little or no explanation of the drawing.

I can't believe we didn't hold on to more of those outfits. This one shirt she made was a masterpiece, looked store bought, had top stitching, lots of detail. She kept the baby stuff but neither one of us thought to hold on to the rest. All I have left from that time is a cute three tiered, short skirt with lace on the seams, made to wear with leggings. I think she even got rid of the patterns ages ago and I never held on to the designs in a notebook or something. It did feel like those times would go one forever. For me age 13-18 went on and on and on without an end in sight. I think she feels the same way.

My mother gave me her sewing machine and sewing basket, for this I am tres grateful. It's a good machine. The sewing basket was bought with money my Grandfather would send her every Christmas and that means a lot too. These are valuable things and it's time I start sewing again.

End of March Minutiae

In
Vintage embroidered Mexican dresses and shirts
Watching old Bewitched shows
Exercise
Itunes(Yay! Finally music at work. The Cd player gave out long ago)
Uploading trip photos and video
My House

Out
Inertia
Infarto (watching this show once was enuff): Had nightmares after watching this and eating spicy Thai food after midnight.

The weather this weekend sucked. I missed Little Richard because it was crowded beyond belief. Oh well. I appreciate cloudy, grey days during cooler months otherwise it works to make me nervous. Those sort of days during the Spring and Summer have always ushered in bad news or bad times. In Del Rio it used to mean a tornado was brewing. If it's raining that's different. It's those stagnate, grey, muggy days with low barometric pressure that are perfect for all that is dismal. However, nothing too terrible managed to happen, it was quite social. Mental note, leave past anxieties about grey Spring days in the past.

Souvenir Shopping

Globalization has killed the souvenir trade and the fun of giving and receiving of souvenirs. I went all over looking for something authentic and found nada!

Most of what is now sold in that area of Mexico at their markets are plastic chucherrias from China. The artisans and craftspeople are no longer producing what they used to. Because this was not a tourist spot, they aren't even producing those items for each other. I used to get these gorgeous hand carved lil boxes and they are gone. In fact, the more typical Mexican items can be found at Fiesta in town! No need to go into the interior. Tourist areas like Oaxaca and Cancun still make souvenirs, talavera can be found anywhere but the real stuff is a bit trickier anyway, you can get the fake and real stuff in town. Non tourist spots used to carry the more authentic items because they were actually used everyday and made for Mexicans by Mexicans. Hard to believe that is gone or at least tres difficult to find because of it's pending extinction.

Anyway, a friend of mine was in Europe last year and had that exact same problem. What to bring the friends in Texas...something authentic and European, unique, not found or seen here in Texas...she found nothing! So that is why you didn't get a souvenir from me. You should go visit Mexico though. The border towns are just a tiny part of Mexico and they are pretty unique towns and don't give you an inkling of what Mexico is all about.

The Old Farmer's Market on Burnet Road

This evening I attended a meeting regarding the plans for the Old Farmer's Market on Burnet. The neighborhoods were given some input:

The first presenter was Paz P. Dhody: A charming man with a huge rock collection and no other goal than to beautify the place. He wants an oasis where families can hang, local merchants can utilize the buildings that are already there,dig up the concrete and put in grass. He feels there is ample parking already and the place will get a cosmetic lift (per the artist renderings) a farmer's market was included in the plan. He wants a place for local artist and outdoor eateries. This plan was tres retro Austin, green, unique, generous and sincere.

Southwest Strategies: These guys began quite benign but quickly started talking three story parking garages and what the market dictated. They said if the market wants condo's we put down condos, commercial then we put down commercial. They kept talking about how well they preserve historical buildings but the buildings at the Farmer's Market are not historical (per the city's criteria). They talked about packing as much as they could into the area. Their big notch is Penn Field. Blehk! and they were actually proud of their buildings housing Clear Channel Radio, BLEHKx10!

Colina West: These guys kept talking about how wonderful their San Jose Hotel project came out. They stated that Ruta Maya and Austinuts and a few other local businesses showed an interest in the area. Sounds good but then they started talking about apartments. The area is pretty small when you start talking apartments and condos with commercial use. Maybe they can do that but it looks awfully small for both. What made me laugh was their talk of honoring the Old Farmer's Market with an outdoor living room type of space. I mean, why not honor the Old Farmer's Market with a small corner dedicated to remaining a farmer's market. What was said was the Triangle Park area in Hyde Park was much too dense and that this area would not be quite as dense. This was good to hear.

For the most part the area seems rather small but I'm no developer or architect so what do I know. I obviously preferred Dhody's sincere plan of beautifying the area and creating an area where people can hang. He didn't seem too concerned with making a buck out of the whole deal, and that seemed really revolutionary in these times. Southwest Strategies appeared tres desperate following the mild mannered Dhody and you could actually see the dollar signs in their eyes as they salivated through their presentation. I saw heads shake back and forth. The Colina West guys were easily flustered by questions but if they go with one of these commercial minded guys I'd rather it be Colina West than Southwest Strategies. It was interesting to see all this but it's all in good faith. None of the developers are legally tied to the ideas presented. Yikes! remember The Triangle and to this day they claim they didn't get what was promised.


Farmers Market founded in 1988
Owner: Hill Rylander
About the owner: Rylander was born in Austin Texas when it was still Waterloo. He is sixth generation Texan. Great great great gramps was the Adjutant General of the Republic of Texas. UT Ex student.

Products and Services: Austin's Historic Farmers' Market provides local and Texas growers to sell their goods directly to the consumers. The Market is open year round. The selection of fruits, vegetables, and plants is seasonal, of course. There are also several restaurants that call the Market home. The Market is also available as a venue for outdoor festivals and parties.

History: The modern farmers' market era in Austin began in 1988 when Texas grocery-store chain scion C. Hill Rylander secured a multi year lease on the abandoned Travis County wagon yard property at 6701 Burnet Rd. After some refurbishment, Rylander christened the facility the Austin-Travis County Farmers' Market. On the face of it, the wagon yard is a dream-come-true market location: plenty of off-street parking, covered sheds for stalls, public restrooms, access to water and electricity, several existing buildings for restaurants and shops, a high-traffic area. The market flourished in its early years, charging a $10 stall fee to more than 50 farmers a year. It was the original home of The Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Contest and was twice recognized as one of the 10 best markets in America, once by USA Today and again by Cooking Light magazine. However, a couple of bad drought seasons exacerbated the damage done a drawn-out lawsuit between the Republican Rylander and the Democratic County Commissioners Court, spelling an end to the market's heyday. Once the lengthy lawsuit was settled in Rylander's favor, the market became known as Austin's Historic Farmers' Market and now hosts an annual chile-roasting festival in late summer and a giant pumpkin sale every fall. In October, 2005, The Market was host to the First Annual Texas Barbeque Festival. Thousands came to sample the state's best BBQ and listen to live music. The facility is currently home to the Brentwood Tavern, Hill Country Nursery & Landscaping, Dog Almighty restaurant, La Femme Culinaire commercial catering kitchen and numerous seasonal farmers. Rylander is enthusiastic about the future, reporting that he has several farmers signed up for the first weekend in May plus some new arts-and-crafts vendors to entice customers to the Burnet Road market. "We're here to stay," he told me this week, "and we'd like folks who haven't been out here in a while to come check us out again."

Back

Since I have been back I have been trying to articulate the experience and have not been able too very well. Los Mochis is beautiful, it's agricultural, has a beach, four colleges and my Abuelita's home. It is very easy to become accustomed to waking up in Mexico every morning and I experienced a bit of culture shock upon returning.



Yeah, culture shock. For two days it felt as though people here were being rude to me and each other when they spoke and it's because over there so many are so warm. It's colder here and after the experience in Mexico it comes off as rude when it's not(?). Customer service in Mexico is a dream but strangers on the street and in the stores and all around you say hello and give you nice smiles. Mexicans start talking to you no matter where or who you are and it's friendly and engaging. Like a co-worker of mine says, "In Mexico you feel alive and know you are living." There is a sense of more social freedom.

I kept hearing, "La vida es calmada y tranquilo no hay para preocupar."


Being able to have fresh food everyday from markets just around the corner was a luxury. I wish there were real markets just around the corner in our hoods in addition to grocery stores. My uncle prepared a dinner with fresh octopus and marlin and it was divine. He just went down to the markets along the beach. I made chicken with ajo and cominos with a chicken that had been dead less than three hours and the flavors were divine (though difficult to work with and stomache while preparing because there is more blood in a fresh, fresh chicken). The eggs tasted eggier, the milk richer and so the flans and cakes were divine. I don't use divine very often.

Los Mochis is dense, especially downtown and there is no zoning so you have residential home, tire shop, house,dentist, house, restaurant, grocery store. My cousin lives right in the middle of downtown next to a bank.



There are mountains in the distance and so much space around you. In no time you are in the countryside and there is lots of it.

My Abuelita was her same, sweet self and remarkable for 90. She is going strong and enjoying life with great-grandchildren. I got to see what she does everyday and hang with her on the couch in the living room and listen to music, learn new knitting stitches, talk and talk. I took a ton of photos and video and miss her terribly. Seeing the rest of my family after 18 years was surreal. When I left my cousins were only 10 years old and now they have children of their own. Despite a few brightly painted rooms, so much had not changed, the way the house smelled sans the scent of limes since my grandmother no longer cooks. I did miss my grandfather and it was hard shaking that feeling that he'd come into a room and suggest an opera or a book.



To experience everything as an adult was interesting and I feel I am still digesting it all. I haven't felt much like talking, having a hard time adjusting to the time change (I was two hours behind)and getting up for work. What is it when you fall right into a place and it's like you never left but returning to where you have been living all this time is where the culture shock is? I have always had a hard time adjusting to the US despite being born here, so much of my childhood was spent in Mexico. I never felt 100% Mexican or 100% American. What's funny is Bush was there and had an entirely different experience.

Here we go

The alarm went off at what was previously 4:45am. UGH! Since a kid, waking up at 5am to travel has always been a thing. I was always up by 5am and I never feel good at 5am. Looking forward to 11am when I feel better and more like an adult.

I take Dramamine pretty early on because it helps. It helps with everything, I tend to get anxious. The combo or Dramamine and Benadryl really helps. Anything else would cause me fall into a deep sleep and I'd have to be carried. I don't mind being up in the air or anything it's something else. It's like our cat Monty, he loathes being put in a car to visit the vet. He squirms and cries then stops and gets curious and you can tell a sense of adventure is there but then he returns to crying and squirming. He likes his head hidden but then he wants to know what's up to. I can relate to that feeling while traveling.

I just want to get there and try to shut everything around me out but then I don't want to miss the moments of travel either so I perk up a bit but only to return to my focused state of getting there. I suffer from random claustrophobia and those seats on the plane are probably what trigger it. I have to concentrate on feeling as if I am in some place open and that I can control and that takes a lot of will power and imagination and tricks you play on yourself. Trains and ships and car travel don't do this me. Busses and planes-blehk!

Once Monty gets to the vet he's more less fine and the trip back is always easier. Same for me. I love Monty , he's my lil trip mascot.

Book Minutiae

1. Sucker for coffee table books filled with photos. I try not to buy them anymore, they are the first to get off the shelves when I need to get rid of books but I found one I think I want. Nudie! All about Nudie and his suits.

2. After my own copies of J.P.S Brown books. Half Price has none. Time to purchase them from J.P.S. Brown himself.

3.This past weekend I unloaded some books at Half Price. I am never really 100% sure I ever want to sell my books back but I went ahead and did it anyway (part of this process of separating from objects). One of the books was The System of Objects by Jean Baudrillard. UGH! Why did I do that?! If you are familiar with the book you will understand the irony of my situation.

EEEEEEEW Austin Modern Smells Bad!

I can't exactly articulate what about this rubs me the wrong way but something does. Maybe it's because there is something forced and not quite genuine about this. Maybe it seems a lil too desparate but read:

10 ways to make friends with your local Vintage dealer
Do:
Stop by often, even if it isn't to buy. Most dealers get new stock in weekly if not daily, a regular customer will eventually be steered towards the newest arrivals and best deals.
Let your dealer know what types of things you are looking for.
Educate yourself, learn styles and prices, if you like Hey-Wake, learn what prices are reasonable. An educated buyer is a favored customer.
Be friendly but do not monopolize a store owner's time -- a five minute conversation is usually welcome but be sure not to prevent a store owner from helping other customers.
Let your dealer know when you are looking for something in particular. If that item does turn up, your dealer will be sure to let you know first.
If your taste changes, let your dealer know -- theirs may be changing also!
If you've asked for a specific item and the dealer calls to let you know they've located one, be sure to go in and look it over. You are NEVER obligated to purchase an item, but it's always nice to come by or at least return the courtesy with a phone call.
Get Real and be realistic! One of the fun things about collecting and decorating with original Mid Century furnishings is the joy of having unique items unavailable to just anyone with a catalog! Keep it in mind that anything more than even 5 years old will show some wear. Don't place unrealistic expectations on your collection, especially on rare items. If you'd like only mint condition items, let your dealer know so they can steer you in the right direction.
Keep it Real. If you're on a budget, let your dealer know! There are really incredible vintage items out there that are not stamped or marked but are still very worthy design icons. These usually cost much less than something similar that IS marked. As I always tell my own customers, "Are you really expecting your friends to flip that over and look for the makers tag?"
Most importantly, HAVE FUN!

Don't:
Come up with a story about how you're redoing your entire home, are an interior designer, will send in wealthy friends etc. in order to get a discount. Whether it's true or not, dealers have heard this a zillion times before and usually already work with most designers in town. Instead establish yourself as a steady customer first, if a discount is available it will come to you.
Ask for an over-the-top discount on an already well priced (or worse, already on sale!) item. If you really want an item but cannot afford it, consider layaway or ask if something with a similar 'look' is available for less.
Be insulting. If you think something is priced too high, keep it to yourself. If you think something is overpriced, ask why it costs so much. It may be rare, or from a particular designer... you may learn something you didn't know already.
Never play the Ebay game; i.e., "Oh I'll just find it on Ebay for less". Most dealers supplement their store income with Ebay sales and are well aware of what an item is selling for on Ebay. Usually the item in question sells for more than what it is priced at in the store. And don't forget those shipping costs!
~ From Austin Modern Website


How about,just have fun hunting for vintage and retro items.
~ Sez Me

Pocket Money (1972)

Tonight we watched Pocket Money: directed by Stuart Rosenberg from a screenplay written by Terrence Malick starring Paul Newman and Lee Marvin(Strother Martin, of course). It's an interesting film that flows at a sticky, pace. It is tres light but not a comedy, not a typical Western. I loved it but I don't recommend because I don't know if you have the patience for it.

The story takes place in Arizona and Mexico, Paul Newman plays Jim Kane and is referred to as the "Chihuahua Express": get it? Kane is broke and in debt after purchasing horses infected with the Equine version of syphilis. To raise some money he involves himself with Garrett (Strother Martin at his most theatrical) who needs a few heads of Corrientes (horned cattle from Mexico) for a rodeo. Kane is promised payment for expenses and $2 per head. What ensues is one fouled up step after another, Mexican standoffs and then a somewhat unsuccessful financial ending for Kane and all involved. "The bottom has dropped out of the rodeo business" and the cattle are no longer needed by Garrett, everyone is now in some sort of debt, Kane is stuck with unpaid expenses, the end.

Just a guy bringing cattle over from Mexico to a hustler and then nothing really happens but that is why I like the film. It has well formed scenes that ramble into good lines, in real life you have non sequitors and mumblings and obscure references. It's an interesting story about a guy who is slightly, mentally retarded (per the movie, not the book)and trying to find his place in the ranch world he was born into. His mistakes and bad decisions are things you can relate too as are his losses and frustrations (the way he handles feeling angry and frustrated), none of which are caused because he is mentally retarded but because he is honest. Kane constantly calls it like he sees it, his only handicap is honesty and expecting things to be on the level.

This is a movie delicately structured, awkward, a slice of life and character study. You will not find a movie like this past 1978(3 Women par example). These lil gems were all over in the 1970's. It takes a certain sensitivity, understanding of this sort of narrative strategy and patience to watch and appreciate a movie like Pocket Money. It's hard to tell if the audience for this sort of film is now extinct, the stories, the type of actor or the directors. Perhaps all of the above.