California Part 2

Well brave adventurers we are we set off once again on the bus headed to our hotel in Orange County.  Saturday was my free day so after we got to the hotel and got rid of our luggage I took off for Orange Circle determined to get the most out of my all day bus pass.

Along the way I unexpectedly found a Target and got supplies for Disneyland the next day which was great and some cheap Elf make up brushes (read $1 to $3).  I did finally get to Orange Circle though and learned that it is the geographical center of Orange County and definitely worth a walk through for the lovely mix of places to eat and antique malls and stores.  I once again had my handy retro shopping map but really didn't need it once I got there because it was easy to get around fun to wander.

I was thrilled to add a Cherry Red Bakelite bangle to my collection at 30% after some digging through a display case and generally thrilled just to walk about and see some of the coolest furniture on the planet at I place called Woody's (check out that ta-booth in the window) and then right next door a cupcake place that was feature on the Food Network mmm delicious :)

After wearing out my feet and my eyes I knew I better head home so I'd be ready for the big show the next day (Disneyland).  On my way to the bus stop however I was smitten by two more sights one of which I will catch you up on later but for now here are some last looks to hold you.

Travelogue - California

Early Thursday morning I left our crazy cold snap and flew off first to Vancouver.  From there we made our way through customs and then go on a plane to take us to John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana!

The weather was lovely when we arrived and we eventually caught a bus that took us down the highway to Long Beach.  I was intent on doing some vintage shopping and more than anything exploring what there was to see.  It was a long trip but we made our way to our hotel and saw all the coast on the PCH on the way!  On our travels we met a man from Seattle who couldn't get home because the airport was closed and who was staying in Laguna Beach.  He had all sorts of tips and advice and it was definitely a nice start to our vacation.

First thing Friday, we went walking about and found our way to the bus information place just north of the Pike on Pine and we bought all day passes and after a fine breakfast set about exploring.  We made good use of the shopping map I had printed from http://www.shoppersmap.com/

Unfortunately what we didn't realize was that things were more laid back than we had allowed for and all the shops on 4th Street weren't open until noon.  So we toured  the area for a bit I bought a cute purse at the AIDS Assistance Store for $3 and then we caught the bus up around the Signal Hill area where the antique malls are and thing were open.  I found most prices were commesuate with the internet but it was thrilling so see some things I've never seen in person here like all the Heywake furniture and cornicopia of signage.  I was looking for a thermometer for my new house and after reviewing the prices and thinking about how important it is to have the temperature in Celsius in Canada I went for a really cute reproduction piece along with some awesome deco stove S&P and some great 1940s postcards that I'm intent on framing.  One of my other finds was some vacation slides which I want to maybe turn into a cool lamp like Erica did http://www.ericamulherin.com/blog/2010/01/07/the-most-awesomest-lampshade-ever/ my slides aren't as cool and I only have 80 for now but it is a start and I'm hoping to collect some other older ones as I go along.

After having a snack we caught the bus back to 4th Street (seen here the corner of 4th and Cherry) and had a great time shopping I looked long and hard a vintage Mexican circle skirt but in the end decided I'd never be bold enough to wear it and instead picked up some great soveniers (robot ice cube tray! guitar spatula!) and swooned over more furniture pieces.

We had supper on our way back to the hotel at a place called Creme de la Crepe where we hit the end of happy hour and got to order off the lunch menu at or maybe after 4 PM.  It was delicious after a long day shopping and was not far from Downtown Darling which we checked out along the way.  After all that it was nice to get back to our room and put on some warmer clothes.  We went out and checked out the ferris wheel and pier and then came back to our room for some well deserved sleep.  Saturday we journeyed back to closer to the Airport in Orange County.

And then it snowed

Well the mercury has dropped to -29C/-20F but I soldiered on and walked to work today.  It is all good except for the fact that I like to wear my glasses to work and there is no practical way to wear glasses and a scarf and not have the glasses turn into a foggy mess but hopefully this won't last for too long.

I am waiting on the girl who has an offer on my condo but things look bleak on that front and I'm starting to lose patience. In the mean time the plumber who changed the sink valves last week needs to come back again and I am wondering if my car is going to start when I need to use it or if I should re-insure it as a block of ice.

I bought my ticket for Viva and it appears after much plotting and discussion with my friend I also have an extra ticket should someone want to buy one.  Flights here were on a big sale here for the last week so my flight is all booked and I booked the hotel way back in May so I'm covered there just for now on my own in the big city which is not the end of the world but frustrating that it is so hard to co-ordinate things with other people.

The sun is shining despite the temperature so that is the plus and my vacation to California is coming up and I found this cool site that has vintage shopping maps for places around CA so I'm pretty excited to put them to the test and see what I find.  http://www.shoppersmap.com/  The new house could use some retro-fittings so I will be bringing a suitcase with a lot of empty space to fill :) and hopefully getting some great deals to share.

When I get back it will be crack down on my diet time and get packing for the new place.  Hopefully the condo really will sell this week but if it doesn't I guess there's nothing I can do except keep busy and try not to think about it.  The change in the mortgage rate (drop 0.5%) has been a bonus so I guess it will all even out eventually.

I'm working on an embroidery for the new house 10 points if you recognize where this border comes from!  Until next time stay warm.