Thursday, March 04, 2010

Downtown Digging

Lately, I have been doing a lot of digging at my favorite downtown bead warehouse. I have been cleaning out this old shop since I was 17 - the age when I was allowed to drive on the freeway. I would take the old VW bus and head north on the 110 - exit downtown Los Angeles and head over to the east side of town. I must have found it accidentally - and thank goodness I did - I have been coming back ever since. At first I would just buy a few pieces here and there - deal with the ladies behind the counter - spending whatever money I had saved up from babysitting. I would ooh and ahh at the colors and the ideas - never knowing that one day I would end up in the same business!
It's gotten to the point now that when I walk in the front door, the manager greets me and says "Let's go to the back" - music to my ears.Once we are in the dusty, dark aisles of the warehouse, he points to a pile of things he has uncovered since I have been gone and says "I found this for you". After all my years of digging through junk, piles of boxes and dust - now someone, in this case the manager, is actually doing it for me. I think he must get a kick out of finding the old stuff, thinking I will like it and then presenting it to me - like - here it is - I too can find gold! I rifle through it quickly - not wanting to look too anxious or excited and after agreeing to a price, say "that will do" - inside I am usually jumping with excitement that someone has actually uncovered something I had never seen before - old pink silk wrapped fasteners? Why I need to buy the whole box - I will never know. Something about not wanting to leave anything behind. The last time I was there, the manager said to me "We are going to have to come to you to get the old stuff" and I thought yeah - basically we have just moved the contents of this old bead warehouse to my shop - it only took me 25 years!

12 comments:

Laura @ 52 FLEA said...

Beautiful! ...and how lucky to get to poke around in the back where the old stuff is...
...those pink silk fasteners have found their rightful home...

sewprimitive karen said...

How wonderful to have a source like that!

Daisy said...

Wow! what a great find. x

dorylyn thomas said...

funny story!

Dawn said...

What a wonderful treasure! Maybe we'll see some of the items on your website... I can hardly wait!

True North Interior Design & Antiques said...

You have so inspired me! I am an Interior Designer and I am doing a space in a designer show house inspired by YOU!
I have some progress photos on my blog, I'll publish more as I finish up this coming week. Just thought you might like to see.
merci!
CJ VanDaff-Zondervan

renee said...

It was so nice chatting with you, I know I will be visiting your site quite a bit in the future.

~Renee

Sharon Stanley said...

my question is why WOULDN'T you buy the whole box!?

Rose Brier Studio said...

Sounds like adventures I had in high school. Only for me it was my mom's vw bug and the antique/junk shops on Fairfax. No matter what anyone says, LA is a magical place!
~Marilee

Cheryl Carey Bass said...

LOL...moving it from one warehouse to another! It is so good that they are really working to help you find stuff you want. That's when you know you've "made it" in life! Keep the good stuff coming for us, Kaari!

Karla Laura Smith said...

Can't wait to see what I can't live without when I visit you online store and maybe see you at your place real soon too.

Warmly,
Karla Laura
www.artwhisper.typepad.com

molly said...

i'm loving on all this juicy new pink stuff, dude.