The Muse: Close Encounters with Sara Antoinette

 So Sunday the 20th found me in the big city, or as big as Somerville gets for the Top Shelf Flea Market. Being beastly hot I had already had to resort to a sleeveless dress that morning for church, not something I'd normally do when I have to be up on the alter reading, but when its already 86 at nine in the morning what's a girl to do? Also it was my first day with my new hair color (burnished copper) it still looks really dark indoors but in the sun, as you can see by the pictures, boy is it red. The day admittedly was full of strange encounters, with Sara Antoinette of The Technicolor Dream Shoes in particular. I had met her for the first time at the Swapaholics Garden Party Swap, in her crowd of fellow workers from Artifoktori. I had picked up one of her swap items off the rack, this dress in fact

(I deeply regret not going for her mauve blouse with the ruffled neck as well) and she stopped to talk to me about it saying how much she had enjoyed the dress and hoped I did too. Your typical meet at a party type acquaintance. If you're not familiar with the swap procedure when you come in you're invited to fill out a tag with your name, your blog name, or Twitter account information. After I got home I started following her blog online, and it seemed like I had found a fashion soul mate. Her vintage collection is vast and impeccable and we're even in the same career. Due to what is I'm sure a very busy life she doesn't post often but I enjoy seeing what she puts together when she does. So after a stressful half hour trying to find the location, a VFW hall right off Davis Square in which I got lots of bad directions, had a bite of a muffin with a friendly vegan outside a bakery in Cambridge while she googled my location, and sat in absolute awe at how city people are unable to comprehend anything outside of a four block radius I finally found it and was relieved not to have to park on the street. My apologies if you arean easily offened city dweller, but honestly I can give you directions any where from one end of Rhode Island to the other, throughout towns as far north as Sharon and Walpole and east to Taunton. Cambridge and Somervillare are so close its practically incestous, but I digress.

 The George Dilboy VFW was one of the great Art Deco buildings that you might over look because its so utilitarian, but is really an architectural gem. I have always had a weakness for these types of facilities, Knights of Colombus, VFW, Odd Fellows, Elks Club...the all have such a mid-century feel and have never really caught up with the times. The old boys secret society feel is irresistible. I was at an Elks Club recently for an even and to read the members names you'd think Lincoln was sill president, that and I always make a point to park in the Grand Master's parking spot, really what can he do?

Dress: Couleur International Ltd. swapped via Sara Antoinette
Shoes: Chinese Laundry via DSW
Locket: Heirloom from my grandmother
Bracelet: via Anthropologie
Sunglasses: via J. Marcel

While shopping I stopped at the Artifaktori booth and ran into the other girl who worked there that was with Sara that night (still don't know her name) and she was very nice, and remembered me. Then she told me Sara was wandering around with her mother some where. Just as I was leaving I ran into her, in all her fabulous vintage glory, and a friend talking, and I stopped to tell her how much I've enjoyed the dress, then we chatted for a few minutes and I went on my way. Then, because it was so nice out and I've never been to Davis Square I walked down the street to see what all the fuss was about. Now Sara always talks about the finds she makes at the Goodwill store in Davis, and what do you know there its was less than two blocks away. Well you know I had to stop. So I went to the back where the dresses are and found a few things then went downstairs (I know, two levels, South Attleboro can't even compete) and looked at a great wrought iron vine lamp which would go great in my mother's new garden bedroom, but passed it up because it was too tall. I did find some great vintage decanters though. When I went back upstairs to try on my clothes and check out, who do I run into. You guessed it, Sara Antoinette. She was trying on a dress too and asked my opinion, then her friend came over carrying the vine lamp. Needless to say at that point it got a little weird so I took my purchases and headed back south to Rhode Island. Poor Sara and her friend, they must have thought the caught themselves a stylish stalker. All in all it was worth the trip though, I came home with some great stuff that I'll post soon.

That's Sara Antoinette herself in the middle of the picture with the red hair and teal sweater, that corner she's standing in is the Artifaktori corner

Not sure if this gentleman who was running the antique book stall minded me snapping his
picture, perhaps that's bad blog etiquette. My bad.

Even the inside rooms have great details like the crests and the painted boarder at th e top of the room,
the floor pattern is pretty swanky as well. Behind Artifaktori's clothing racks you could glimpse a nice old fashioned bar but I didn't want to get yelled at so no picture, also there was a great elevator but when I got home the picture was too blurry to use. You got a taste of the George Dilboy VFW at least.