Weekend Finds: Almost Snowed In Edition

Good morning!

How's everybody? Ugh, it's been a heckuva morning so far-- Nashville was hit with a cold snap last night and the resultant, blizzardy weather this morning was NOT. FUN. LET ME TELL YOU. FOR COMMUTERS. I am a self-professed lily liver'd coward when it comes to driving in icy conditions; not because I'm afraid of ice, mind you, but because people in these parts drive like absolute lunatics when there's even a breath of cold air on the roads. Soooo, I parked my car in a large retail lot on a major street, and waited for the bus to come take me to work. And waited. And waited. AND WAITED. The times on the little ticker-tape bus schedule in the designated stop kept changing-- first 8:23, then 8:39, then 8:52...and no bus! Finally, after about thirty minutes in the cold, the BRT appeared, and I spent most of the ride in trying to thaw out and silently cursing everything I could think of ("Goldurn stinkin' bus in the gd mother lovin' ice and if I have to wait on the way home, I swear to GOD...," etc, etc..I essentially sounded like an Oliver Stone movie edited for tv). I got to work at 9:30, shivering, stamping my feet to ward off the cold...only to find that the library isn't opening until 11 DUE TO WEATHER CONDITIONS. Uuuuurrrgh. So I'm the only one here (apparently everyone else checks their work email with great regularity of a Monday morning)-- but that doesn't mean I can't use my silent, solemn, self-reflectory time here to type out a weekend find post.

A more reliable form of transportation than the one I chose this morning.

So what did I find, this weekend, you may ask? What DIDN'T I find. Let me get my mind off the snow-pacolypse with some gabbin' about junk acquired.

First off, Matthew and I popped in Goodwill on my lunch hour last week to pick up a picture frame, but were rewarded for our troubles with not one, but TWO exceptional items that just fell into our paths during the ten minute total trip. Do you not love when you're not even looking for something, and it jumps out at you with a bobcat's own spring, begging to be bought? Item one, this 1990's hussar's jacket (no, Eddie, I am not kidding):

This was hanging on one of the circular racks in the middle of the Charlotte Avenue store (green tag, $5.99), and what more could I ask for in a late eighties'/early nineties' jacket? Adam Ant like military styling, plus THE WHOLE THING IS INEXPLICABLY MADE OF BLACK DENIM. In a regular, I don't know, non-denim material, this would look dressy-on-the-verge-of-costumey...IN denim, let's not lie, we are on a whole other level of vintage bizarre-itude. I did initially get the jacket for my own use, but look how good it looks on the husband!!

As we were checking out with picture frame and jacket in hand, this framed print was leaned up in one of the windows with some other contemporary art (huge marigold on fuschia background, Home Goods kind of things, bluh)...I was instantly sold on the "I think it's the Last Supper, but WHAT IS GOING ON" factor of the piece. I usually don't buy religious-themed art/home decor, but come on. How could you say no? I showed a picture-of-the-picture to my coworker Jesse when I got back to work, and he said he had seen something like it before. Me: "Oh, I hope it's not secretly some Scientology masterpiece or something." We google image searched it to find out, and whoa, it's actually a reproduction of The Sacrament of the Last Supper by SALVADOR DALI OMG. No wonder it leaves one with that "Seriously, what am I actually looking at" feeling. Matthew pointed out that it reminded him of something from a seventies' prog rock album cover, and considering Dali finished the work in 1955, think of how avant this avant garde piece would have been when it was painted in the midcentury!

Some closeups...beardless, Gerard Malanga looking Jesus sitting with his robed, bowed heads, terrifying looking disciples....

And the body of Christ floating up above...From Wikipedia:

The Sacrament of the Last Supper was completed during Dalí's post-World War II era, which is characterized by his increased interest in science, optical illusion and religion. During this time he became a devout Catholic and simultaneously was astonished by the "atomic age". Dalí himself labeled this era in his work "Nuclear Mysticism". He sought out to combine traditional Christian iconography with images of disintegration.

"Nuclear mysticism"...now you're talking my language!

On Saturday, Dad and I ran around to the sales...I didn't find much but what I did find, I was VERY pleased with. At one sale on Acklen Avenue, I recognized the same house from last summer, where a bunch of primo MCM furniture had been for sale at fair but four figure price tags. Adrian Pearsall sofa, etc, etc. For some reason, they were doing another sale, and I managed to find two pieces to take home with me. This mink-trimmed sweater appears to be home made, but in WHAT. STYLE. it was made! The inside is lined in beige silk with a black lace overlay...the sleeves each feature a rhinestone button, there's a frog-closure and an even bigger rhinestone clasp at the waist, and LOOK. AT. THE COLLAR. At the same sale, I found a Saks Fifth Avenue coat from late forties'/early fifties'. Both are in tip top condition, and set me back $15 apiece. Higher than I usually pay, granted, but for mint-condition items? Fine, fine, take my money. I am looking forward to wearing this one out with some swank, Dietrich like outfit (as always, my true style compass).

I ran around to the thrift stores a little on Friday but only picked up these two crazy print polyester items...the green one on the left is a halter dress and the pink on the right is a collared shirt. I keep trying to cut down on the number of seventies' clothes I pick up, and crazy stellar examples like this keep hounding me! The heart wants what the heart wants, I guess.

Last but not least, Sunday I went to a blogger meet up arranged by Kimmie from That Girl in the Wheelchair. I am always glad to get a chance to hang out with fellow lady bloggers in Nashville (it's a cool crew to belong to), and we laughed and traded stories over good food at Gray's Pharmacy in Franklin. Here's what I wore (of paramount importance, obviously):

And here's a group shot yanked from Kimmie's instagram (shamelessness). Here you can see, from left to right, yours truly, Jenna from Kitty Cat Stevens, Lauren from Lladybird, Brittany from Viva Bang Bang, Amanda from Junebugs and Georgia Peaches, and Jen from Librarian Tells All. Aubrey from Adventures in Aubreyland and Sarah from Simply in Bold were also in attendance, but missed the photo opportunity (how about that Gray's sign in the background? Cool, huh?). 

Anyway! Good finds, good company, good weekend. I'mma have to remember the weekend that was as I slog through this no-good, very bad day at work! :) What did you guys do this weekend? Find anything cool out at the sales? Made any discoveries you later found were even neater than you thought they would be? Let's talk!

I gotta go make some more coffee and continue the dethawing process (eeueeuuuugggh), but I will talk to you tomorrow, if Jack Frost doesn't get me! Have a great Monday, and I'll see you then. Stay warm!