Vintage Textiles #2

It's not just historic architecture that I've got a soft spot for. I also adore vintage: Vintage housewares, vintage decor, basically vintage in all categories. I don't have a lot of vintage clothing in my wardrobe, but every now and then I find a great piece. Some of the selections here are from my wardrobe, others are those I've seen out and about, and some will be up for sale in the near future.

This patriotic red, white, and blue plaid is the textile used in a fabulous button-down Western shirt I discovered several years ago. It's a great, lightweight material, and is probably a great top to be worn to 4th of July cookouts and picnics (if you can handle wearing long sleeves in a hot climate). I'd estimate this shirt was made in the 1970s, and is a fine relic of a time when clothing was rather colorful. This shirt will eventually be up for sale, and would look mighty fine in any closet. 



photo copyright Megan Petty

Vintage Book Spotlight: The Original Warm Fuzzy Tale

I've been a big fan of books since, well, as long as I can remember. I'd like to place a lot of the credit for my affinity for literature with my mom, who not only read to me a whole lot starting from infancy but who herself is an incredibly avid reader. Thankfully, this early exposure to reading led me to become quite the reader myself, and many of the books I have accumulated over the years are vintage in nature. Therefore, this feature, in which one of my vintage books will get to bask in some well-deserved attention. 

The first book I wanted to profile was the 1977 kids book classic, The Original Warm Fuzzy Tale. My friends and those who talk with me on a regular basis know that I am fond of using "warm fuzzy/ies" as part of my vernacular, and it's quite possible that seed was planted when I read this book as a child. Claude Steiner told the modern fairytale of a world that was gifted with warm fuzzies, cute, Tribble-esque creatures that made people feel really happy. A villain endeavors to keep people miserable, and undertakes a way to get rid of the warm fuzzies. Sadness ensues, but like many modern fairytales, this book has a happy ending. 

I love JoAnn Dick's gleeful, very 70s illustrations of a Utopian peasant society, as well, the colors alone were so warm to me as a child, and I still smile when I pick this book up today (well past my childhood years). A wonderful read for anyone with young children in the home, or anyone who needs a little escape from the hectic pace of modern life. And let's face it, sometimes we could all use a warm fuzzy.    









photos copyright Megan Petty

Door of the Day #7

Seen in Fairfax, May 2015.

















Photo copyright Megan Petty

A Visit to Fairfax

For history buffs, there's plenty to see in Washington, DC and Alexandria, Virginia. However, once you get past those two areas, things get a little thin on the ground. There's a lot of suburban sprawl here, and in my county (Fairfax), an area with a population of over a million people, there's more hideous tract housing and McMansions than there are historic sites. There is history to be found here, however, you just have to look a little harder to find it. Tucked between strip malls of the same businesses you could find just about anywhere, there is Virginia history.

A couple weeks back, I drove about 20 minutes to Fairfax, the name of both the county and the small, independent city within the confines of the county. The few blocks of the downtown center are charming, their buildings survivors where others of their era have fallen and disappeared. There are local businesses here, inhabiting these old walls, adding a sense of community to a place where chains are mere minutes away. You could almost pretend you weren't tucked away in a quiet enclave amongst miles of suburban sprawl. In certain spots you can catch a whiff of boxwoods, to me a sign of a truly old spot. I love that smell. 

The oldest house still standing is the lovely place pictured just above, the Ratcliffe-Allison house. Built in 1812, this red brick building feels both aged and gracious. A short walk away from the Ratcliffe-Allison house is the courthouse complex, encompassing both the old courthouse and the newer building that took on most of the city's legal business with all the modern conveniences. The courthouse survived the Civil War, though it didn't fare well - the story goes that the walls were intact but the inside was virtually gutted by the Union army. They sure did have a knack for destruction. I'd never been inside the old courthouse, so I was really happy to be able to finally do so. After walking through some more modern additions, I met with a member of staff who took me into the oldest part of the courthouse. 

The large, simple space looks as you might imagine the inside of a country courthouse might (at the time it was built, Fairfax went by another name and was in the middle of acres of undeveloped land). A reconstruction had been done in the middle of the 20th century, using archive photos and historical conjecture. The large chandelier in the courthouse was found in an attic space, lending an air of authenticity. I very much enjoyed looking at old photos of the site, and hearing tales of the past from my very knowledgeable guide. I was also allowed to see the archives room, and look at various historical court records and other documents preserved and taken care of by the courthouse staff. Again, I realized what wonderful handwriting people had before the advent of technology. The various documents were filled with scrolling, graceful script. 

After my tour, I wandered around a touch more before heading down the road a bit to the Fairfax Museum. Housed in a former schoolhouse, the museum offers a great permanent collection of Fairfax and Northern Virginia artifacts, as well as hosting different exhibits in the first floor gallery. On my visit I was fortunate enough to catch the collection of Civil War drawings in pen and ink by a gentleman named Edwin Forbes. I was so impressed with the quality of the work. There was an almost timeless quality to his drawings, and they also felt so alive that the soldiers depicted in any given work might just be able to leap from the frame and into the room. During my time at the museum, I was the only visitor, which was both gratifying (I do like being able to meander through a museum and not feel rushed by gaggles of other tourists) and a little sad (where are all the history lovers?!). The upstairs space was a trip through Fairfax history, from the first days of the Anglo settlers to the more recent history of the onset of suburbia. It's a great way to see how the city/county transitioned from a region of about 12,000 people to a crowded place of over 1 million residents. My favorite part of the collection was the space dedicated to Confederate Spy Antonia Ford and her Union officer lover. He divorced his wife to be with her, no small matter at that time. But it made me happy to see people doing whatever needed to be done to be with the one they loved. 

For folks in the area who haven't really seen Fairfax, and have merely driven through, I recommend stopping. The courthouse and museum offer pleasant distractions for an afternoon. More photos below.

  












photos copyright Megan Petty