Tinker Tin Prom

Tinker Tin Trailer's 1st annual Tinker Tin Prom is tomorrow, May 31st at Barrelhouse Brewing Co! Sip some brews while wearing your old prom digs from any era & dance all night alongside Monte Mills and the Lucky Horseshoe Band. Food is available for purchase from The Pairing Knife, as well as extra beers from Barrelhouse (limited beer tickets will be given out). Starts at 5p with no cost to get in--just bring your fancy self and celebrate a year of drinkin', dancin' & tinkin'!

Happy Memorial Day

Happy Memorial Day everyone!

As you take time with friends and family to enjoy life together, remember how hard so many men and women fought for us to be here today, believing in a better tomorrow for future generations. We thank you for your loyalty and heart!

Ch Ch Ch Ch Changes

"Strange fascination, fascinating me / Changes are taking the pace I'm going through"

- David Bowie

Ruby's graduation and move to LA is not the only move anticipated around these parts. Lately, we are obsessed with stripping layers upon layers of paint, uncovering history and exposing old galvanized wire covers. Change is so so good--so stay tuned, more of it to come...

Ruby Around South County

We road trip out of the county often, love walking around SLO enjoying all things local, but this time, we decided to explore just outside our town's borders-to its neighbors to the South. Between shopping, eating and exploring the sights, we indulged in South County for a day. Many of these shop owners are great customers of ours and we wanted to experience their spaces for a change. Do yourself a favor soon, and follow our lead-treasures await less than a half hour away!

First stop: Esteem Surf on Pismo Beach. Owner Robbie Dominques shares our love of the past utilizing reclaimed wood, vintage crates, suitcases, etc from our store and elsewhere to enhance his displays. Not to mention he fills his floor with quality brands like Poler, Roark, Oakley (remember these?!). A space that makes you want to dress well, feel inspired, and get out in the water all in one. Oh, and they deliver a case of fresh donuts to the register every morning.

Post shopping, we walked a few blocks up to visit the newly re-opened Chop Street Cafe. Chef Chris Waller is serving up some amazing locally grown, farm-to-table faire (we tasted the mini Shepard's pot pie and fish tacos- yum!), while his wife decorates the space with old bottles, bottles, and succulent arrangements. We have been anticipating their opening with each purchase of olds she found at RR, and we were not disappointed by this talented couple!

With full bellies we jumped cities, heading into Arroyo Grande's Village. A friend and fellow junker, Ely has hoards of treasures to explore within his shop, Village Vintage. His collection of turquoise will make anyone into a lover of the Southwest, and as he unearths the history behind the pieces, your love deepens. This shop is always worth a chat and a gander!

On our way back home, we veered out towards Lopez Lake to admire the wildflowers growing inches from the asphalt. Purple and yellow spotted hillsides- is there anything more lovely than Springtime?

What South County nooks and spaces have you discovered? We need an excuse to get back out there!

Photo Journal: Vintage Camper Rally

We had so much fun at the Vintage Camper Trailer Rally this weekend! Unique trailers, remodeled ones, tents, cars, get-ups, bikes and loads of friendly people obsessed with all things vintage- it felt like a little piece of heaven. If you didn't get a chance to go, we put together a photo journal from our tour through the many many amazing sights we snapped: enjoy!

New Times Best Of 2014

This just in: we won Best Antique Shop in SLO County! New Times just printed their annual Best Of Reader's Poll, and we get to hold our title for another year. Click through below to see all of San Luis Obispo's best- pay special attention around page 45 for our little shout out!

Thanks to everyone who voted for us, and to all our fans for your continual love of vintage and support of local biz's like ourselves. Three cheers for SLO County!

Vintage Camper Trailer Rally!

This Saturday, May 16th, head on over to Pismo for the annual Vintage Camper Trailers Rally!

From 10-3p, meander through over 300 vintage camper trailers at the Pismo Coast Village RV Resort (165 S Dolliver Street). We will be there admiring the unique way people dress their campers and supporting our fellow roadtrippers. Don't miss Tinker Tin Trailer Co, who will be out there sharing the in's and out's of her rent-able trailers!

Collections: Night Lamps

This week I was asked to share one of my collections and had a hard time making my decision. Should I show my collection of vintage lingerie, edwardian dresses, white ceramic woodland creatures, ray bradbury books, random cross-stitched/embroidered pictures, vintage hats....at which point I realized that perhaps I hoard...er, collect too many things. Well, rather than come to terms with that notion I decided to just go with my night light collection...a collection I didn't even realize I had until asked to share on the blog.

So here you have it. My night lights, or night lamps...I'm not sure what to call them exactly. Nightlights always make me think of things plugged directly into the wall, and these are a bit brighter than those little glimmerers, so I call these night lamps. Not bright enough to light the room but bright enough to make it cozy.

This collection is the culmination of a wish and a gift. The wish was something I possessed ever since "While You Were Sleeping" came out in 1995 and ever so briefly showed me the wonder of a light-up globe (It's in a tiny little scene in the very beginning of the movie). Well that did me in and for YEARS I pined for such a beauty but to no avail. I never came across one in all my thrifting adventures. 

Fast forward 11 years to my first wedding anniversary when several girlfriends gave my husband and me a perfectly lit sea urchin. Over the years, through multiple moves and being in the same house as a clumsy me and a growing bebe, it has shattered several times and I've faithfully (and imperfectly as you can see) glued that little darling back together again. (There's a metaphor in there somewhere, I'm sure.)

So, how did a single sea urchin light and a teenage dream of a lit up globe turn into a collection? First, I started working at Ruby Rose over a year ago and was lucky enough to go with Stephanie and Stacy on my first adventure to the Alameda Flea market. There I found the answer to my glowy-world dreams and toted that baby home as gleeful as can be.

Since then I found another sea urchin, (Castaways in Morro Bay) 

the frog (Revolve in Morro Bay) the snail (random antique store in Fresno) 

the rabbit (Anthropologie CLEARANCE!!! in Fresno) 

the salt rock (Sedona, AZ) 

and the shell lamp (Achievement House, behind Cuesta)

So there you have it, most of this acquisition wasn't thought out. I saw it, it glowed, I liked it! 

Well, I've been thinking about it and I believe I found the metaphor. Life is imperfect. Life cracks, chips, and even wounds us sometimes. But Life and we ourselves can still be a light to warm those around us. Perhaps we give off more light the more cracks we have in us. We can let the lines and shattered spots leave us fragile or we can let the broken parts of our lives make us more compassionate and understanding and careful and kind to those around us. We may be small lights, but we can be lovely lights. 

- Kendra G. - The Body Electric 

The Junking Trail!

If you made or missed Stitch Market and Three Speckled Hens, have no fear: the Junking Trail is here!!

TODAY & TOMORROW, 9 shops with 6 pop-ups open their doors with deals and treasures. We wish you a Happy Mother's Day from the Trail!

The Weekly Six

Before we open our doors for the week, check out our top six picks. We are constantly updating our inventory, so we want to keep you in the loop of the new things coming in. So today we bring you:

1: Whether you're a cat lover or a cat lover supporter, this is a great curl-up-with-a-book-and-sip-on-a-latte (heavy on the warm milk) kind of sweater.

2: Chinese lanterns, get 'em while they're hot! Trade the money burning in your pocket for another hot commodity.

3: Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow? On paper of course! This print is as delicate as it is educational: complete with a key, you'll be spotting thistles from dandelions in no time.

4: This piece is flowy, free, and made for frolicking. A great hike-and-seek-in-the-garden kind of dress (they'll never find you).

5: Sometimes you feel like a drink, sometimes you don't. Sometimes, instead, you feel like a flower. Whatever you choose to do with these glassies, you will be glad you did.

6: Whether you know how to tie your shoes or not, these are a great clog-strappy-sandal-cork-bold-color-all-in-one pair of shoes. Did we mention they are comfortable, too?!

Lucky Copycat

For this Copycat round, we pulled looks from the current issue of Lucky magazine and Anthropologie catalog to see what the store had to match the look!

This Weekend: Junking Season Update

We had so much fun last weekend at Stitch Market, thanks to all who came out! This weekend, Three Speckled Hens and AHah Magazine are up. Next weekend, Junk Trail! Junk Season fully is underway, don't miss out on these incredible events:

THIS WEEKEND:
Three Speckled Hens ($7-15 entry fee)

May 3-4 (Sat & Sun, 10-4p (Earlybird 8-10a)

Paso Robles Event Center

A biannual event that specializes in selling one-of-a-kind antique and vintage items. Over 100 vendors participate, selling everything from antiques and vintage to re-purposed treasures. Three Speckled Hens has been ranked as one of the nation’s top antique shows, and it’s right in our backyard!

AHah Magazine Launch (free!)

Printed issues will be available at Three Speckled Hens show and then again at locations along the Junking Trail.

A Happy, Artful Home Magazine exposes the aHah! moments all around the Central Coast. Be inspired by locals and their creative take on their places and spaces.

**PSST: We are so honored to have been included in the first issue, check out our article:

NEXT WEEKEND:
Junking Trail (free!)

May 9-10 (Fri & Sat, 11-4p)

SLO County (9 participating locations)

Take a scenic—yet efficient—tour up and down the 101 on this collaborative trek with vintage shops in SLO County. Some locations are hosting a pop-up local vendor selling goodies and gifts for Mother’s Day. Bring your mom or send her a treat from the Trail!
**PSST: we are hosting Orange Blossom Creative, a sweet local florist who uses reclaimed vessels to house her arrangements!