A visit to the Fela's Shrine!

We wanted to go out with the boys  before they left for their summer journeys. So last night we went to see the broadway show, Fela. Wow the music and dancing were so original. So cool. So much fun. It was a true story of a legendary man named Fela Kuti.  The Shrine was the name of Fela's nightclub in Nigeria during the 1970's. It was a wild time. The costumes were great and the set was interesting. I wasn't allowed to take pictures of it. Too bad. It was so colorful. One corner was decorated in African masks. It's clear that tribal  masks can make a great design statement. Check out this room from Elle Decor.

A real feeling of Africa come out of these tin animals I have in the shop. They are made by artisans in Zimbabwe. They would be a great inspiration piece in a baby's nursery. All lined up on a shelf. How neat is that.

It was a fun night out!

See you.

Christina

Visit to Old Hollywood

I am in the city again to take the kids to fencing.  I  have about 2  hours to kill. Sometimes I pick up merchandise at vendors. Sometimes I have to shop for clients and sometimes, it is just time to blow off before pickup. Those days I get to check out the new shops. Limelight Marketplace opened recently.

A mini mall of pop up shops. Actually,  it is more like a tasting menu of shops. Each one is a small version of a main shop found elsewhere in the city.  One of the most interesting shops is Old Hollywood.  First you have to find it. It takes turns and steps and little passage ways to get to. It is a jewelry shop focusing on indie designer collections.  Their jewelry has such attitude and great vintage feel.

It looks like you walked into a 1930's prop department.  Wow  I love it.  I know it  can border on creepy, but so inspiring.

Just another afternoon in the city.

See you.

Christina

Opening day at the Flea Market

The Doherty household was up early this Sunday. Justin and Miles were scrambling to get  out the door for a tournament on Long Island. James and  I were readying ourselves for our first flea market  outing of  the season.  James is my new flea market buddy. He started to go with me last year. He is the perfect partner. We work well together. He knows that for me, it is serious buying for the shop. I have interests and he has interests.  He  is thirteen and is very strong willed. "No way Mom is that ever going to sell." "If you buy that I am not going to help you take it to the car."  "Oh, that is so cute." "I want to help you build your dollhouse."  That's  my James. I love everything vintage. It is the backbone of Cici Crib. It's inspiration for the new stuff in the shop. It is about finding vintage accessories to go in the shop.

It was a dusty, gusty start at the flea market. We arrived after eight. I knew from the amount of cars in the lot that we were too late for uncovering any super treasures.

I found a few pieces of art. But as I laid them out at home, I realized that they will need a ton of clean up and repair before they are allowed into the shop. Sigh...

The Currier and Ives print is so lovely. The little girl has a cane in one hand and her doll in the other. Perfect for a little girl's nursery or bedroom.  It's title, "Grandfather's Cane." The dealer asked if I was a cane collector. No just a shop owner.

The 1960's Circus litho is so stylish. Really nice in  a modern nursery. Needs a hefty cleaning.

I bought a group of children books from the 1920's-1940's. They are not in great condition. But the illustrations are crisp and vibrant. Time to talk to Judy at Framings, an absolutely top notch frame shop across the street from Cici Crib.

The dealer told me Rags was a precursor to Raggady Ann.

Mother Goose

Peter Rabbit

Wynken Blynken and Nod

I found a little metal train. Inside the train, it reads  Midge Toy, Rockford, ILL. USA.

One day I will make my own dollhouse. I had a great one growing up. For now I collect items for it. Maybe when I retire I will make one.  I found this metal  refrigerator . The dealer and I think it was an advertising piece from General Electric. It is the perfect size. It will fit into my imaginary dollhouse 1/12 scale.

James was happy with his purchases. He found some steel pennies from 1943. He is discovering political memorabilia. We came home with our little treasures. It's back to reality.  Time to prepare for the week ahead. James tells me about his 5:00 A.M. departure for  Washington DC this Tuesday. Oops, I forgot about his field trip. Time to get packing.

See you.

Christina

A Sunny Trip to the City

Kids were at Grandma and Grandpa's house last week, so Miles and I took an afternoon off from work to do some fun things in the city. First stop was the Knoedler Gallery on the upper east side to check out the Milton Avery show.

The art of Milton Avery's art was so indicative of the time. I love the industrial nature of it, yet it is such a gentle take on it. So beautiful. They would fit perfectly in my living room. Just a bit out my price range...

Afterwards, we strolled down Madison. I checked out some children shops, Bonpoint and Baby CZ. Always something new. It's funny as a shopkeeper, I look at other shops differently. Not only is  new merchandise always on your mind, but interesting displays, lighting, merchandising and  traffic flow are also.   We came upon Itoen tea shop.  Itoen  sticks close to it's  cultural guns, always pure in Japanese tradition.  It's closing it's doors, as well as the upstairs eatery, Kai Restaurant. It hurts to see another shop pass away. I bought a lovely handblown glass that now holds my makeup brushes on my new vanity in the master bathroom.

We reached  the subway  and headed downtown  to Moss. So crowdy was Soho, that it was nice to find a quiet spot at Moss. Moss is part galllery part store. The owner's folly. A section of the store was closed for remodeling. Flos Lighting will set up a new shop in the closed area .

Last year  we decided  that  our everyday flatware  and china  were tired  and needed replacement.  So I found some flatware at Moss that we both liked.

Nice and simple, not too heavy or light. Italian. I am still raking  over the china purchase.

Across the street from Moss I eyed a new shop that Kisan.  A shop that has a little bit of everything, with a large dose of children and women's clothes. Owned by a French and Icelandic couple, the shop holds carefully selected items from around the world.

I fell in love with these necklaces made by a Parisian jewelry designer, Servane Gaxotte. So Cici Crib cute!

Miles said it was time to buy my much belated birthday gift. I am kind of hard to buy for, so after 20 years of marriage, we kind of settle for this approach. I love my new necklace.

We  ended the day with an  early dinner at WD50 . The chef is imaginative . You have to go with an open mind. My meal was delicious! A nice ending to a sunny day.

See you.

Christina

Bakelite Show

We finally made it down to the Bakelite Exhibit at the Hudson River Museum in Yonkers.   From utilitarian objects  such as phones and pencil sharpeners to jewelry, bakelite was all the rage in the 1930s and 1940s. The show was interesting in it's technical content.  The clock to teach time and the toy car made in Czechoslovakia were cool.

Bakelite can be so stylish. I wish they asked my brother for his napkin ring collection. Always a highlight at the Thanksgiving table along side his midcentury china.  Some of the pieces look like these:

I am definitely a casual collector of bakelite.  With the exception of the ridiculous number of  enormous bakelite beads that my sister and I purchased years ago out of  an elderly lady's  garage, my collection is tiny. I used  4 of the beads in the past 12 years they have been in my attic. They were  sewn on the tips of a window valance in my son's  little nursery.  One day I am sure I will find another use for them.  They are just so nice.

What about all that fantastic, fun bakelite jewelry that could have been displayed at the show.

My most recent purchase is a bellhop pin I found  at a flea market last fall.

One of the nicest pieces in my tiny collection is a feeding set. I waiver between selling it in the shop or donating it to the Museum of Modern Art for it's tremendous design.  This baby spoon and fork is silver plated with bakelite handles. It is made in the US by Napier. I believe Napier is no longer in existence.They also made some very chic costume jewelry during the mid century.

Can't wait until flea market season starts, for the hunt to begin again.

See you

Christina