Myself, wearing a light brown cowboy hat, pink and yellow floral top, squash blossom necklace with green stones, blue jeans, carrying suitcases up to the green trim French doors.

The Olympic Legacy of Palm Springs’ Oldest Hotel

March 15, 2023, 1 Comment

Resting in the shadows of the San Jacinto Mountains sits the eclectic complex known as Casa Cody, said to be Palm Springs’ oldest and longest continually operating hotel. This unique hotel has an interesting history, but perhaps its gold medal winning room is its vintage Olympic Village cottage. Unless you are one of the greatest…

Myself standing in front of the gallery's title wall, which reads "Poses Figures and Glances"

J.C. Leyendecker: Illustrating American Traditions and Queer Coded Advertisements

March 8, 2023, 3 Comments

For as long as I can remember I’ve always loved illustration art. Magazine covers in the pre-photography days have always enchanted with me with their idealistic images of seasonal celebrations, illustrated advertisements of rosey cheeked women whose lives are magically made better by whatever they are holding, all of it delightfully charming, while also making…

A yellow and red train is manned by a grey cat in a blue engineer's outfit, holding a sign reading "Chugging down the line to say, be my Valentine!"

Vintage Valentine’s Day Cards Vol. 2

February 8, 2023, Leave a Comment on Vintage Valentine’s Day Cards Vol. 2

Ages ago I shared some of my vintage Valentines Day card collection, which, at the time, was very small. Today, the collection has grown and I’m happy to bring you another sampling and plan to continue the tradition in the way I do my annual Christmas card post. I hope you enjoyed! And wishing you…

Myself standing in front of the gold wings from Wonder Woman '84.

Revisiting the Warner Bros. Studio

January 11, 2023, 2 Comments

This year is a big year for the movie industry with lots of anniversaries, including both Disney and Warner Bros. Studios turning 100. While Disney’s icons are of the less tangible, animated variety, Warner Bros. offers incredible studio tours that allows guests to step inside their most beloved films and television series. Way back in…

Myself, wearing a multi-colored bolero over a black lace dress, a pink lariat necklace, and a blue glass beaded necklace, and a pair of gold, shackle like bracelets, standing in front of the Muzeo's white brick building.

Unlocking Houdini’s Secrets at the Muzeo

October 19, 2022, 2 Comments

My dad is a delightfully bizarre and interesting person, who decorates his home with not your typical items. A coffin lays in his living room, a mannequin dressed as Sherlock Holmes sits on a small loveseat, and draped over the arm is a straight jacket, some handcuffs, and hanging on the wall, a small antique…

Overview of the sales floor from the balcony, high white walls feature arched details of gold on them, the arched proscenium frames a screen, two small arched balconies sit on either side of the screen.

The Surreal Experience of Shopping for a New iMac at an Old Movie Palace

August 12, 2022, 2 Comments

A couple weeks ago my beloved iMac started show signs of age. It could barely keep up with my photo editing, and I knew its days were numbered. So I set out to get a new one. Not too long ago Apple announced they were introducing new colored iMacs. My millennial heart skipped a beat.…

Myself standing in front of the banner advertising the Jewish Deli exhibit.

Dishing Up Deli History at the Skirball Cultural Center

August 8, 2022, Leave a Comment on Dishing Up Deli History at the Skirball Cultural Center

Being from the west coast and growing up in the 90s, the idea of the Jewish deli wasn’t a big thing around me. It wasn’t until I started watching and paying attention to television shows and films set in New York that I really began to understand this cultural phenomenon. With the rise of foodie…

To the right stands the tall sign reading "Motel Inn" and to the right is the one remaining, Spanish Revival style building, with the lone wall from the restaurant in the middle in the distance.

Remnants of the Motel Inn, the World’s First Motel

July 14, 2022, 3 Comments

Just off Highway 101 in San Luis Obispo sits a tall sign reading “Motel Inn Restaurant & Lounge First Motel in the World” but pull over and you’ll be welcomed not by a jolly proprietor, but instead by a chain link fence and only one building and a lilting facade just beyond it. This is…

The dock of the island, with the large former barracks turned apartments looming above.

More than a Prison: The Gardens, Native American Heritage, and Birds of Alcatraz

July 1, 2022, Leave a Comment on More than a Prison: The Gardens, Native American Heritage, and Birds of Alcatraz

Alcatraz. The Rock. The most formidable prison in the United States. From its early years as a fort, later turned prison, and then the location of the protest that sparked the 1970s Native American Rights Movement, Alcatraz Island is now a National Park that seeks to preserve the history of the island, while also accepting…

Myself, wearing a white embroidered peasant top with flare blue jeans, standing in front of one of the doors to the mansion.

A Night at the Historic Hayes Mansion of San Jose

June 20, 2022, 3 Comments

Patrick and I just returned from a little trip up to the Bay Area and what a whirlwind it was! I’m delighted to share many of the wonderful places we visited, and I’m going to start with the hotel we stayed at for our first night, San Jose’s Hayes Mansion. Even though we were only…

Atomic Redhead

1920s

The Olympic Legacy of Palm Springs’ Oldest Hotel

J.C. Leyendecker: Illustrating American Traditions and Queer Coded Advertisements

Vintage Valentine’s Day Cards Vol. 2

Revisiting the Warner Bros. Studio

Unlocking Houdini’s Secrets at the Muzeo

The Surreal Experience of Shopping for a New iMac at an Old Movie Palace

Dishing Up Deli History at the Skirball Cultural Center

Remnants of the Motel Inn, the World’s First Motel

More than a Prison: The Gardens, Native American Heritage, and Birds of Alcatraz

A Night at the Historic Hayes Mansion of San Jose