Navajo Art

My original plan was to haul a bunch of stuff back on our road trip. We were going to scour Midwestern antique stores, desert swapmeets, city flea markets, and maybe even check out Navajo roadside stalls, but when the car died and we had to fly home, I knew "pack light" would have to be my new modus operandus.

The things I did purchase were small and light, and coincidentally enough, all Navajo.

Placemat purchased at Monument Valley 

Thunderbird sand painting also purchased at Monument Valley

Small rug purchased from Route 62 Vintage Marketplace on the western outskirts of Yucca Valley

And this last item was actually a gift from a friend of mine in Joshua Tree.

Desert sandpainting

I really wish I could've brought back some bigger items, like a rug or vase, or even a piece of furniture, but alas, that will have to wait for next time!

-J

Home Sweet Home

I've been back for a week now and I guess I've been hiding because a few unforeseen circumstances on the trip have inconvenienced my business - and life - in a significant way.

Our road trip was progressing successfully. We made it safely from Ontario to Monument Valley, Utah, with virtually no hiccups and then the morning we left for Arizona, everything started to go wrong. My car broke down in the middle of nowhere on Navajo land and just as AAA was coming to get us, a storm cloud proceeded to hover over us. It poured 10 minutes before the AAA guy arrived and about 10 minutes after we left. What a coincidence.

The head gasket blew on my car. Repairs were not worth the vehicle value so I sold it to a guy in Flagstaff for $200. We decided we would still drive to California to finish our trip but we had to rent a car; it happened to be graduation week in town so there were literally NO rental cars available. I got some help from one of the guys at the auto shop where we were at; he said he had an Avis/Budget car in the shop that we could take.

So we drove west to California on no food, the blistering Arizona sun cooking us from above, and when we got to our Airbnb after 8 hours (we blame Phoenix traffic for that one), I collapsed from exhaustion and was bedridden for 4 days. On the 5th day, hubby got sick.

I'll say this. Despite the troubles, we had a good time. Things could've worked out better, yes, but we got to stand in Monument Valley and watch the stars illuminate the world, we got to drive through snow-peaked rocky mountains and across saguaro-dotted desert valleys, I got to experience all day McDonald's breakfast. So I no longer have a vehicle and do not have enough money to buy another one; that just means Thrift Haul posts will be more infrequent.

Ah well, you live and you learn.

Some highlights from the trip!

Colorado

9,075 feet elevation pitstop in Frisco

View from Candlewood Suites in Parachute

Utah

Iconic Monument Valley

View of Monument Valley from View Hotel balcony

Monument Valley at dusk

Hubby and I on sunset hike

Crazy tree

Cat we met in the valley whom we named Juniper

Yucca blooms

Arizona

Horseshoe bend. Last good memory before car death.

Arizona on the way back out.

California

Camouflage cabin in Morongo Valley. 

California sunset

Cabin was situated on a horse ranch.

What a beauty.

Outdoor bath

Datura

Yucca swap meet

Out and about in Yucca

Trailer belonging to a friend in Joshua Tree

Nothing like a JT sunset. The world looks like it's on fire.

Last outdoor bath of the trip.

Last California sunset

-J

California!

Off to California! Hello desert and sunshine!

This photo was taken in San Francisco, which we won't be going to, but I have no other California photos on this computer so it'll have to do.

Happy thrifting!!

- J

Thrift Haul: Southwest Palette

I leave for California tomorrow!!!

I shouldn't have done so much shopping before such a big trip, especially since I know I'll find a million things in the Southwest that I'll want to bring home with me. And the other irony is that most of the things I buy are Southwestern themed, so, I'd be much better off just waiting until I get to the real thing.

But I can't resist bargains so here's some stuff I hauled last week.

This was my favorite find.

A beat up wool rug with a very Navajo Ganado-inspired print and color scheme. It's missing some bits but personally, I like the exclusions. 

Blurry shot. I might leave the rug where it is; I like the layered look.

Lots of frames. New artwork includes the horizontal Spanish piece in the top left hand corner. I also put some Mexican tarot cards and Mexican amate paintings in some frames.

Sucker for bowls, especially the 90's clear bottom Pyrex bowls (blue bowl). This is actually the last color in the Southwest set and the only one I was missing.

Now my set's complete...kind of. Mine don't nest. My new blue one is the same size as the pink one, so I guess what I really need is the large blue one.

Photo courtesy of The Rusty Nail Pail. 

Mexican water jug w/ gold plating and a little terracotta pot with glazed steerhead.

These super 90's porcelain canisters. I couldn't resist the Southwest trim and the turquoise lids.

Hubby got me this cute little coral pink patio table...

 

...and I got hubby this military green Russian mailbox.

- J