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…

Close-up of a record sleeve featuring a handsome mustached man holding papers, text reads "David Niven reads the 'world's most famous love letters'" to the right is a heart shaped chocolate box, and nearby is a pair of pink birds with large blue eyes.

Hearts Galore!

January 18, 2023, 1 Comment

Over the last few years I’ve really gotten into collecting vintage Valentine’s Day cards and chocolate boxes, and I feel like I’ve reached the point where I truly decorate for Valentine’s Day. What’s so funny is that I still really don’t care much for the holiday itself, but I love the vintage ephemera that results…

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…

Gorgeous Streamline Moderne Firestone turned Brew Pub

August 31, 2022, Leave a Comment on Gorgeous Streamline Moderne Firestone turned Brew Pub

Driving down La Brea in Los Angeles you may pass by a beautiful streamline moderne Firestone station, complete with its iconic bowtie neon sign standing tall over the streetlights, but don’t expect to get your tires replaced here. Instead you’ll find beer and tacos, this is All Season Brewing Company. Built in 1937, and dubbed…

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…

Myself, wearing a cream cowboy hat, fringe leather vest, floral shirt, and tan corduroy pants, seated inside one of the red leather booths.

The Resurrection of LA’s Fred Harvey Restaurant as Sports Bar

August 4, 2022, 1 Comment

April 7 2026 UPDATE: Everywhere Beer Co. announced on Instagram that they would be taking over the former Harvey House location! Lost Places Update: Homebound Brew has been recategorized as a Lost Place. Why? Sadly at the end of 2023 Homebound closed for good. I have heard the space will turn into an event venue.…

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 red, white and blue stripe shirt, blue jeans, and carrying a vintage cream colored suitcase, standing in front of the motel, which is painted blue with yellow trim, in the background hangs the sign for the motel, a black sign reading "Ocean Park Motel Kitchens Hot Tub No Vacancy" in neon letters.

Staying at San Francisco’s First Ever Motel, the Ocean Park Motel

June 29, 2022, 2 Comments

After our stop in Santa Rosa it was time to head into San Francisco proper and check into the place I chose for our stay. Like I said before, I love staying at unique and historic places, and when I found out San Francisco’s first ever motel was still standing, I knew we had to…

Greetings from San Francisco

June 8, 2022, 3 Comments

…Well almost! We are headed there this weekend for a few days, and I thought it was the perfect excuse to share the San Francisco portion of my vintage postcard collection! The historic Cliff House originally opened in 1863, serving as a resort for the upper class of the Bay Area. However it burned to…

Atomic Redhead

1930s

Vintage Valentine’s Day Cards Vol. 2

Hearts Galore!

Revisiting the Warner Bros. Studio

Gorgeous Streamline Moderne Firestone turned Brew Pub

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

Dishing Up Deli History at the Skirball Cultural Center

The Resurrection of LA’s Fred Harvey Restaurant as Sports Bar

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

Staying at San Francisco’s First Ever Motel, the Ocean Park Motel

Greetings from San Francisco