The Nightmare Before Christmas Light Trail

The world of realistic visual arts recently gained a new interactive, immersive seasonal experience. Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas Light Trail takes place until November 30 at New York’s …

Early American Quilt Making

Let me tell you a story about facing survival with patches of fabric. A member of the Coastal Quilters Guild of Santa Barbara and Goleta brought a quilt back to …

Fine European or Chinese Needlework

KT doesn’t know it, but she owns a 1930s ladies evening bag in the tradition of 17th century Viennese petit point. This style of needlework originated with the early French …

David Hockney Poster for 1984 Olympic

I cannot underrate the importance of art to the Olympics. TM’s poster of a coveted, historic, iconic image from the 1984 Olympics proves my point. David Hockney (born 1937) created …

Where to Find the Great Fleas

I’m thrifting the fleas in Malaga Spain as you read this. My brother owns a house there, and all siblings are invited. I plan to buy at Cartijo de Torres, …

Did These Candlesticks Impact Relatives?

Leichter, or candlesticks used for Shabbos, serve as a precious reminder of someone’s great-grandparents from the Old Country. Often they brought the set, or single candlestick, as one of their …

A Beast of a Sofa

Let me tell you a story about how the most out of place objects are found in the least likely environments. How did a beast of a sofa find its …

W Stanley Davis Won Flower Shows

HT sent me a photo of a sterling silver tulip-shaped engraved vase, won by her great grandfather for ‘Best Dahlias’ in the 1904 Santa Barbara Flower Show. HT’s great-grandfather, a …