David Osborn and Charles Woods were two 60s era, California designers, who worked in silkscreen and offset lithography. I had the fortunate luck to stumble upon their artwork while searching for vintage screenprint posters online. After the recent passing of Charles Woods, in 2011, their estate was posted for sale on Etsy.

I was immediately attracted to their use of bold colors, cut-out shapes and ink overlays. And once I learned more about their story and lives, I had to have three posters shown above. I must say, the 60s aesthetic, combined with a Matisse look and rich colors, is even more impressive in person. My favorite is a scene of adobe buildings from the town of Hornitos, California. It is signed and  hand-screened on off-white rice paper. Prints and posters (dating between 1960 and 1969) are limited - so when they're gone, they're gone.

While I'll cherish these posters for their beauty and craft, it's also comforting to know that I am preserving a little piece of graphic design history.

_“I’d give up my spaghetti for
this here Olivetti.”
- Seventeen stylist Toni Kosover (pictured above)

I recently purchased THREE (yes, three) typewriters. I did manage to return one -  typewriter joke - I bought it on eBay and it arrived damaged in the mail. So now I'm down to two. Still, why would anyone need one, let alone two, typewriters? I found this excerpt from an article that I think explains it best....

The contemporary affection for typewriters may be a passing fancy, but it isn’t necessarily fancy. One reputed advantage of the typewriter is its simplicity. I have always been attracted to objects, like the strawberry huller, that can only do one thing. A typewriter cannot cannot find information, take photographs, produce a spreadsheet, tell you who’s following you on Twitter, play podcasts, find tax loopholes, flood you with apps or remind you that three friends have birthdays coming up. All it can do is enable you to type. With however many fingers are equal to the task.

- Reverting to Type  by Ralph Caplan

___One of my typewriters is a 1970's Cursive Olivetti Studio 45. Yes, it writes in CURSIVE! How could you not be obsessed with that? (see writing sample below)

This was the one I ended up sending back: 1955 Bright Red Royal Quiet De Luxe... what a beaut. It broke my heart to see it go.

My fabric library is growing. Got some new patterns at a couple different antique shops in Charlotte and Knoxville. Interestingly, many of the fabrics were used as feed sacks in the 20s, 30s and 40s. New fabric pocket mirrors, and other accessories, coming soon!

Of course, I didn’t leave Yee-Haw empty handed... I managed to snag an awesome banjo print and “One-of-a-Kind Journal” made from recycled press sheets. Cory was enamored with the Soul Series of prints, but he’s much better at squelching impulse purchases than I am (note to reader: if you ever go shopping with me, I will be that devil on your shoulder who convinces you to buy everything your heart desires). Luckily, Yee-Haw has an Etsy shop so I can surprise him with one for his birthday (shoot, I suck at surprises!).

Just a few random odds and ends I picked up over the last few weeks.

Although I'm a hardcore Jadite fan, this blue Delphite creamer won my heart.

And check out these mugs! The orange one is a Niagara Falls souvenir, and the other is so perfectly patriotic. Needless to say, I've started a new collection of milk glass mugs.

Not sure what I'll do with this heavy ass cast iron knocker, but it's a beaut.

Oh, and the belt was only a dollar - holla!

ANTIQUE WEEK ENTRY 6
Introducing a sneak peak at NMIC's new jewelry collection. What? Jewelry? I know, I know... I can hear you saying, "It's not a button" (and you're mimicking Arnold Schwarzenegger's voice in Kindergarten Cop when he says, "it's not a toomah!"), but bear with me. I want to start a sub-category of NMIC involving a new line of repurposed vintage goods (more on the salvage side of antiques).

I always find myself collecting random, antique odds and ends (ie discolored old marquee letters and retro bottle caps and of course postcards!) that could make for some really fantastic thing-a-ma-bobs, not just jewelry, but all kinds of things. So stay tuned, new ideas are flowing like molasses... er, I mean water.

ANTIQUE WEEK ENTRY 3
Letters, letters, and more letters. Found these old mismatched marquee letters at Metrolina over the weekend. Don't know what I'll do with them yet. For now, I like seeing what words I can come up with using the random sixteen letters I picked out. Kinda reminds me of my wood type collection.

ANTIQUE WEEK ENTRY 1
On March 19th, I walked into a real-life episode of Hoarders. My boyfriend and I were headed to the "big mall" in Cincinnati, when I spotted my Achilles Heel... a random antique store. Cory slammed on the brakes, I squealed with delight, and we headed towards the smell of moth balls unaware of the disaster we were about to witness. The small, unassuming shop was called, "Turn of the Century Shop" but a more appropriate name would have been, "Piles and Piles of Crap, on Top of More Crap Shop."

When I crossed the store's threshold I thought, "Wait, why are we in the storage room? Where's the antiques store?" It was a visual catastrophe. Stacks of clothes mixed with books, on top of boxes, under lamps, crammed in with everything from a Magic 8 Ball to a pile of old military canteens. I've never seen anything like it. I think I now understand what it's like to be a mole. As I blindly navigated my way through the narrow passageways, just wide enough to squeeze through sideways, I started to see through the clutter. I began to dig. Why not? I had to know what was under all this crap.

Then I saw it. A purple, indigo and orange vision. I tried to contain my excitement as I asked the store owner, "How much for this dress?" Unfortunately, I have the worst poker face and couldn't bargain if my life depended on it. She told me, "$22." I said, "Will you take $15?" She declined. Too enthralled to counter-offer, I just handed over $22, in cash, with no regrets. It's the best $22 I've spent in a while.

While attending Moogfest 2010, I managed to swing by the Synth Art Show. Over 15 poster designers from around the country participated in a group art show to celebrate the inventor of the synthesizer, Robert Moog. 

I was determined to take a poster home, but I didn't expect the selection to be so amazing. After much deliberation, this one (designed by DKNG Studios in Los Angeles) won my favor. I love the colors, textures and especially the message. I interpret it as a metaphor for my Not Made In China thang... just one little person trying to make something amazing out of endless possibilities.   

In the words of Wynonna and Naomi Judd, "Have Mercy!" The Metrolina Antiques Fall Classic did not disappoint. 

Here's what I got:
1. A festive fall hat - Annie Hall style with feathers ($20)
2. A vintage tooled leather portfolio case - the zipper is broken... but I'll get it fixed ($30)
3. Two southwest style travel bags - Navajo print is all the rage this fall ($10 for both)
4. About a half dozen records - including The Judds and Dolly Pardon ($10)
5. (Not Pictured) A Jadite Jeannette ribbed salt shaker ($10)