Bathing Beauties from Long Ago. These little porcelain figures come from Germany and Japan in the 1920s and 1930s. Great collectibles. It's summer and time for the beach. America has some of the finest beaches and here in the Bay Area we have more than our share ... and Vintages has just the right things to decorate your beach house, play in the sand, bring as beach-hostess gifts or leave as tokens for guests. Add a bit of whimsey or creativity to brighten up your guest rooms and patios. Stop in and see what we have. Here is a sampling: Birdhouses for Beach Birds! Hand decorated with shells we found on the beach. ($39.95 each) Pillar candles are great, but these little shell candles are a unique touch for any beach side abode. (Pillars from $6.95 each; Seashells $5.95 each) Handcrafted painted metal folk art fish ($19.95 each); Hand painted seashell table with removable trays ($199.95 each) Shell and sea grass wreath - perfect for any door ($49.95 each) ...

Alexander Calder Fish - Wire and glass pieces Hirshhorn Museum in Washington DC has a splendid exhibit: Over, Under, Next: Experiments in Mixed Media, 1913-present . It is on exhibit until September 8, 2013. The museum describes the exhibit: Butterfly wings, glass shards, doll parts, crumpled automotive metal, jigsaw puzzle pieces, clothing, straight pins, furniture, and colored sand – these are just some of the materials in Over, Under, Next, an exhibition of approximately 100 examples of collage and assemblage, primarily drawn from the Hirshhorn’s collection. Before 1913, when Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque first incorporated commonplace, mass-produced images and found objects into their art, everyday materials were regarded as bric-a-brac. Since then, artists internationally have embraced the idea that art could scavenged from fragments and detritus in the world around us.  A Wonderful Treasure Drawer This exhibit is loaded with inspiration for all of us...

We just acquired some lovely vintage Belleek items to add to those we already had in stock. These are all limited stock -- one each! Hand Painted Belleek Butter Cottage ($165) Several Neptune items: Cup & Saucer ($69), Sugar & Creamer ($69), Salad Plates ($195 set of 4); Tridacna Coffee Pot with lid ($195); Mug with Dogwood Flowers ($39); Small Creamer ($39) In addition to these newly acquired pieces we have a couple of Shamrock vases ($85 & $95) and a set of 4 Shamrock Salad Plates ($95 for the set).

The American Art Museum in Washington, DC, has a fantastic folk art collection. On exhibit right now is a great selection of hand crafted, folk art weather vanes and whirligigs. Thought I would pass along some photos ... enjoy. The whole folk art collection is great inspiration for those of us who love mixed media art. Here are a few examples. Great art piece made from wooden letter press blocks. Memory jugs loaded with bits and pieces of souvenirs and memorabilia. Close up of this marvelous memory jug boot. Drift wood, old paint brushes, glass eyes, ...

We are back fom our short vacation and family trip to Fredericksburg VA and Washington DC. The weather was lovely, visiting family was fun (as always) and we enjoyed DC. Fredericksburg is a lovely old Virginia town at the site of one of the Civil War's notorious battles fought December 11–15, 1862. Burnside's Army of the Potomac was unable to displace the Confederate Army of Virginia led by Robert E. Lee. The union forces withdrew on December 15th. Today along with the Historic Battlefield, Fredericksburg is home to the University of Mar y Washington and a beautiful downtown right on the river. We enjoyed a delicious dinner at the Barvarian Chef one evening. Old Print of the Battle of Fredericksburg Fredericksburg Battlefield National Monument Old Mansions abound in Fredericksburg We were then off to our nation's capital, Washington DC, for a couple of days of museum strolling and shopping. Georgetown is always a great walk, even if the shops are a b...