Side of the car wash, with a blue banner featuring a yellow Dale car and text reading "Manager's Special Free Wash Tell 'Em Liz Sent You."

Stepping Back in Time at the Lady and the Dale Car Wash

February 18, 2021, 2 Comments

Back in the mid-1970s America was facing an oil crisis, and one woman, Liz Carmichael, stepped up claiming she had the answer – the Dale, a three-wheeled car that got 70 miles to the gallon. But was it all it was cracked up to be? Some didn’t think so, and eventually Liz found herself in…

Myself standing in our dining room, wearing a red shirt reading "Have a Coke and a smile" in white script, and white jeans. On the dining room table is a heart-shaped box full of chocolates, a bottle of Coca-Cola, and valentines. Behind the table are various valentine decorations.

Sending a Little Love

February 16, 2021, 1 Comment

Well, I got so focused on trying to get Valentine’s Day cards into my Etsy shop that failed to get some of my own in the mail! It resulted in me spending Valentine’s Day frantically writing cards to friends and family that will arrive late. But I wanted to do it, because honestly we could…

Sitting on a blanket in front of my orange tree, wearing a white sweater, with two orange brooches, and a skirt featuring various California landmarks, while reading.

California Dreamin’ is Becomin’ a Reality

February 10, 2021, 5 Comments

Since moving to California I had dreamed of having my very own orange tree. I imagined the joy of stepping outside, plucking an orange off the tree for fresh orange juice in the morning or for an afternoon snack. When we moved into our house a little over three years ago I hemmed and hawed…

Myself standing in front of a western style outhouse with cacti in front, wearing a Cerro Gordo tee and western style jeans.

Vicariously Exploring the Ghost Town of Cerro Gordo on YouTube

January 6, 2021, 3 Comments

Amid COVID-19 I’ve been watching a lot of TV. Like, a lot. In my New Year post I mentioned watching a lot of DC content, but something else Patrick and I have been watching for the last several months is on YouTube actually, Ghost Town Living. A couple years ago a listing for an entire…

Myself wearing a black and silver fringe leather jacket, black tee, and leopard print pants. I also wear a white face mask that has embroidered details of a heart and the word "rotten" that emulates Harley Quinn's face tattoos.

Hello, 2021!

January 1, 2021, 11 Comments

Welcome to 2021! I’m not sure I’ve ever been so thrilled to see a new year. Over the years my relationship with New Year’s Eve has shifted. When I was in school I didn’t think of it as a big deal, since to me the whole “New Year, New Me” thing didn’t really equate in…

Massive trees edge a street and are decorated multi-colored lights.

A Drive Down the 100 Year Old Christmas Tree Lane

December 15, 2020, 2 Comments

Amid this pandemic, there is a strong need for fun, while of course staying safe. And with the Christmas season, I’m even more thankful for festive holiday lights, including Christmas Tree Lane, an LA area tradition that just turned 100, laying claim to the “oldest large scale outdoor Christmas display in the world.” Normally, Christmas…

Myself wearing a black top that features an open skirt, with black cigarette pants underneath. A white blouse peeks out at the top and a large orange bow with a print of black cats is worn at the neck.

Anaheim Halloween Parade – Drive Thru Style

October 28, 2020, 3 Comments

I’m lucky enough to live in a town that has a Halloween parade every year. Under normal circumstances, there is a fall festival during the day before the parade starts. The festival is full of games, artists selling their unique works, and live music. Then as the sun sets the parade, with its collection of…

Myself, wearing an orange cardigan over a black t-shirt with a black and white illustration of black cats running around a fire that has spooky ghost cats rising from it, and black jeans.

When Black Cats Prowl…

October 15, 2020, 4 Comments

Obviously things are different this Halloween season as a result of COVID-19, and Halloween is big business here in Southern California. Typically all of the amusement parks have special events, rural areas become autumnal havens full of pumpkins and apples, while LA has its very own Haunted Hayride, and even local homes do their own…

Myself, wearing a blue with white polka dot scarf as a headband, a red peasant top, and white flare jeans, a necklace with an image of the Declaration of Independence, and a white mask with various political buttons on it.

Vote, Baby, Vote!

October 13, 2020, 3 Comments

Over the weekend Patrick and I filled out our mail-in ballots and dropped them off at a local drop box. As some of you know, I’m originally from Oregon, which is all mail-in voting, so I am extremely thankful it’s an established option here in California, while some states have scrambled to get mail-in going…

A buffet piece sits on the back wall of the dining room. Atop the buffet is a diecut owl, cat atop a skull, a skeleton wearing a pirate costume, in the middle a spirit board themed to the House on Haunted Hill, with a woman screaming, skeleton, and Vincent Price, to the right of it a plastic jack o'lantern with a black party hat with an orange cat atop it, and next to it a diecut skull. Hanging above all of it are themed framed pieces. On the left is a framed segment of a paper table cloth featuring an illustration of a haunted house. In the middle framed witch and skeleton, on the right a framed segment of a paper table cloth with witches and pumpkins. Sitting atop each frame is a diecut black cat.

Halloween is Creeping in Early

September 16, 2020, 6 Comments

Normally I don’t share my Halloween decor until early October, because despite decorating mid-September, I tend to spend the remaining weeks of September combing antique malls and flea markets for fresh vintage finds to add. But, this year obviously is much, much different. I’ve taken COVID-19 extremely seriously, and despite many antique malls reopening, and…

Atomic Redhead

Fashion & Style

Stepping Back in Time at the Lady and the Dale Car Wash

Sending a Little Love

California Dreamin’ is Becomin’ a Reality

Vicariously Exploring the Ghost Town of Cerro Gordo on YouTube

Hello, 2021!

A Drive Down the 100 Year Old Christmas Tree Lane

Anaheim Halloween Parade – Drive Thru Style

When Black Cats Prowl…

Vote, Baby, Vote!

Halloween is Creeping in Early