Vintage Thingies Thusday ~ Painting The Town

In my last post I shared my love for the town of Port Costa, CA. It's small on size, but big on community and charming houses, one built in the late 1800's. Most of the business buildings were owned by one man who recently past away. He had warehouses full of odd and wonderful things he had collected over the years, many of which were sold off. This dirty painting is one of the things I found at one of the sales.

The subject is St. Patrick's Catholic church in Port Costa, painted from an angle high on a hill, with my brother's house depicted on the very top of the left hill! It is not dated, and I can't read the name or word scratched into the paint on the lower right corner (church? Clark? Click?), but the frame looks old to me. I think it's done with acrylics or gouche. If anyone knows about paintings--PLEASE let me know what you think! Here's the back of the stretcher frame:

I thought it would be fun to walk up on that hill to see if I could figure out where it was painted. I walked up the hill where the quiet was deafening. No noise other than the wind whistling in one ear and out the other, and the birds singing their hearts out. I think I must have gotten been pretty close:

For more vintage thingies every Thursday -- go to Colorado Lady's blog

Vintage Thingies Thursday ~ 1930's House

Anyone who knows me knows I am a true blue "Roomie", but only a few know about my other vice. Addicted to dreaming of the ways I could happily live out my life in a house other than the one in which I currently reside, I stand up and say to you, "Hello, my name is Jan and I am a "Homie"." (And I'm not talking of the "what it do" variety).

Anyone who knows me well, also knows that I have been in love with the town of Port Costa, CA since I attended a painting class in high school, and went there for the first time. The only way to buy a house in this little town of 250 residents is wait until someone dies! My brother has lived there for over 20 years, and keeps me apprised.

My current Homie fantasy plays out in this house, which I recently had the obsessive need to meet. Prepare for delusions in three...two...one: I could use the huge formal dining area as my art studio, guestroom and dining room! The lace curtains I've held onto for 5 years would look perfect in the over-sized bay window! I would not have to stub my toe on the other furniture in the master bedroom every time I change the sheets on my king-sized bed! I could have an island in the kitchen! I could have two separate sitting areas in the parlor! There's room to build a deck for a hot tub on the side yard! My husband could park his 1965 Cobra in the 1200 sq. ft. garage below (oops, that's his fantasy!)!!!

The real estate agent did not need to point out the original oak floors inlaid with mahogany at each room's threshold, the electrified gas lights, the French doors with vintage glass knobs, the original subway tile on the bathroom walls and penny tile on the floor, The wood ironing board in it's own narrow vertical cabinet, the coved-crown molding throughout, huge bedrooms and closets, or the enormous built-in in the kitchen. I spotted those all on mine own.

He was kind enough to intimately introduce me, however, to the crumbling foundation, the outdated electrical, plumbing, gas lines and the $20,000 termite estimate. But, even THAT doesn't pop my bubble--now I'm hoping someone else will buy it, bring it all up to code (and PLEEZE paint all those French doors white!) and sell it at a ridiculously low price that even my husband will not be able to say "no."!!! It's a sickness, I know.

Have a sickness over vintage you'd like to share? Go to Colorado Lady's blogspot this and every Thursday, because as they say "Misery loves company."

Vintage Thingies Thursday ~ Let's Play!

Let's have some !!!


I got this of fun at an estate sale recently.

I couldn't resist the colors

and graphics! Even the inside of the box lid is beautiful with its green and white checks!

I don't know what I'm going to do with it yet. Maybe use the elements in an altered art project?

Find more fun at Colorado Lady's blog every Thursday!

Just Something You'll Like

Have you been feeling a little crafty, but your well of inspiration has run dry? Check out this blog: Just Something You Made, an off-shoot from (that clever gal) Cathe Holden's "Just Something I Made" blog. It's chock-full of ideas from clever people around the world! And a certain recently posted blog tutorial on bottle brush trees is being featured on it right now!