Our first stop was lunch at Roam Artisan Burgers on Union. I was pleasantly surprised because we went in there expecting $12 burgers, as those of you familiar with the Marina district would as well. But they were actually between $6 and $7 and they were delicious! A gruyere cheese burger? Yes please. Plus I've been craving mustard and pickles lately and not only are their burgers heavy on the mustard, they make their pickles in house! Twas meant to be. I also got caramelized onions, tomatoes, and lettuce on mine. I can't eat bread so I ate it sans buns and it was still delightful.
Our next stop was Past Perfect, an antique store a few blocks west from Roam on Union. Let me put it this way: I could furnish my life with the contents of this place. I go in once a week and I never fail to find things I hadn't seen the week before. Yes it is pricey but these are vintage and antique treasures. You can't go in to a place like this looking to simply buy an object. You're buying artifacts from someone else's life. In order to fully enjoy the vintage/antiquing experience, you have to imagine the history of the object: Who wore it? Where did it sit in their house? Was it for practical use or decoration? Suddenly everything is precious, not just the gem stones and handbags from the '60's. Even a pack of bobby pins from the '50's gets the reaction of "OMFG bobby pins from the '50's!!!!" from me because they were in someone's hair 60 years ago! Weird? Maybe. Awesome? Absolutely. During my last trip there I took some pictures of a few of my favorite pieces in the store but you really must see it for yourself if you're into this kind of thing.
This chandelier is heaven hanging from the ceiling.
This is a wall mounted sconce/chandelier. They have it mounted on a mirror which makes it that much more epic. I have this thing for both chandeliers (thank you, Mom) and bronze wall hangings (not sure who to thank for that one). So a marriage of the two, especially one including flowers, is just unfair.
Creamsicle buffet/dresser/whatever it is it's awesome and I want it.
Bronze mirrored dresser. Need I say more.
1960's floral dress I bought there about a month ago. I got stuck in it in the dressing room/bathroom because, shocker, the 50 year old zipper jammed and I stood in there for about 30 minutes freaking out because there was an antique strapped to my body and I was killing it!!!! On top of that, the bathroom (which is a one-toilet deal) was under construction so the floor and surfaces were covered in dry wall dust and I was afraid to move lest I get some on the dress. Anyway, one panic attack later I managed to un-jam the zipper and purchase the dress. It was the least I could do. The picture doesn't do the colors in the dress justice. They're much more vibrant/jewel toned in person.
After leaving Past Perfect we jumped on the bus and headed to Hayes Valley to hit up The Other Shop (Divisadero and Oak). It is also a vintage/antique shop with a large emphasis on mid-century design, artifacts, knick-knacks and what have you. If you're into records, this place has a massive collection. They play good music. I love their light fixtures. I mean what is there to say, I want it all. End of story.
Image courtesy of Yelp
Back on the bus, this time to Haight to the Goodwill (where the real spending begins). But on the way there we stumbled upon Mickey's Monkey. We had originally planned on going here too, changed our minds, and ended up here purely on accident anyway. Honestly, I could've done without it. It's very small and doesn't carry a lot of the things I drool over. The reviews on Yelp had me thinking it was going to be bigger, a treasure trove. I either read it wrong or we were in the wrong shop. Anyway, don't let me deter you. Adventure on to Mickey's Monkey, choose for yourself!
Our adventure ended at the Goodwill in Upper Haight and as always seems to happen to me in this place, I found the exact random item I went in there only praying I would find! A ridiculous pair of trouser-style leather pants that I plan on turning into a pair of slouchy leather shorts. I say that so cavalierly like "oh yes, I'm just going to make them into a pair of shorts". Really it's more like "oh yes, I'm going to be ripping a pound of hair out in my attempts to turn them into a pair of shorts".
They're huge: $16.99
Jones of New York cinch-waist jacket: $7.49
Rockport ankle boots: $8.49
Large black long sleeved velvet shirt: $7.49
It had a matching pair of velvet pants (I immediately tried to imagine the individual who wore this outfit), and a matching set in bright royal blue. I resisted.
I plan on cropping this somehow, as well as the tee below.
The Police 2007-2008 world tour tee: $10.99
Silver alligator cuff: $6.99
So not the cheapest bunch of purchases but the only ones I bought myself were the shoes and the cuff.
How could I forget! While we were in the Haight we came across a shoe store (I'm forgetting the name! Curses!) and guess what they had in the window! The Sam-frickin-Edelman Zoes. Yeah. So in I went to try them on! Foiled. They didn't have my size. But they also carried the Litas, and as I haven't tried them on before, I did so. Generally putting on the item I've been obsessing over for awhile calms me down considerably. That's exactly what happened here. The Litas were incredibly lightweight but to be honest, I didn't like that about them. I like to feel my shoe on my foot and it just felt way too insubstantial for a shoe that size. And as I expected, they didn't look right on me. So I can officially move the Lita from my "Holy Shit" list to my "Ah yes. I tried those on once" list. The Zoes, however, staunchly remain at the top of list "Holy Shit".
Now that I'm back in 2011 after my trip into the beautifully-upholstered-olive-green-and-orange-mid-century past, I will nurse my blistered feet and day dream of cut up shirts and crazy leather trousers.
PS My best friend in the WORLD is coming to visit me this friday and we're going to have a creative marriage of the minds! I am beyond excited. Photo shoots and other creative adventures to follow.
-LG
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