J.B. Taylor

Did you ever see a dream, walking?

My sister & I grew-up loving our family tradition of walking down Fifth Ave. at Christmas time to check out the spectacular holiday windows. My parents were both in the fashion 'biz, so we were brought up with the sense that retailers were like temples . . . sacred places to feed our aspirations and show us glimpses of the divine. And just like midnight mass at St. Patrick's, every Winter these stores give passerby a gift of beauty, free of charge . . . brilliantly conceived portals to something magnificent. Also adding to the excitement, is the fact that all these retail temples are falling over backwards, in a competition for your love and devotion.

So as a gift to those who won't have a chance to stroll down 5th this season, I've taken snaps of the two holiday displays that really left me dazzled. First (naturally), is Bergdorf's Busby Berkeley-inspired BG Follies, with each window displaying a decadent vignette of Art Deco boudoir dollies & mini-mannequins moonlighting as chorus girls, jazz babies, Ziegfeld cuties, and mini-Earl Carroll-esque beauties holding Sally Rand-style feather fans.

Also swoon-worthy were Tiffany & Co.'s windows, which featured delicate miniature scenes of romantic Winter moments a-la Uptown Manhattan. Ingeniously conceptualized by my dear friend, Christopher Young, each scene exhibits a mind-bending attention to detail . . . from the nearly-microscopic Tiffany blue ornaments on the Christmas trees, to the tiny blue box placed in the fluffy snow on the steps leading up to an ornate little Brownstone. Each vignette, an emotional fantasy bringing me back to that wondrous feeling of wiring a dollhouse lamp into a shoebox diorama in 4th grade, and having it actually light-up, making me feel like a magical wizard of electricity. Forget the diamonds . . . through these windows you'll view passion, creative vision, and pure love.

Photos: J.B. Taylor

Insta-obsessed.

Wishing I could post more often, but my husband & I are currently forming a new company (exciting details to be announced soon), on top of tending to our burgeoning design studio, which is currently a wonderful madhouse due to this feature about our work on Garance Doré! We're burning our candles at both ends, bright, to say the least. 

But if you'd like to keep up with our shenanigans on a more timely basis, you can follow @JB_Taylor on Twitter, or @Mrs_JBT on Instagram, where I post quite often. Here are some of my favorite recent captures . . .

Above, from top: Hand carved wooden camp totem spotted Upstate, moi celebrating my new Karen Walker Summer sunnies, Hydrangeas in our garden (the deer ate them all that night!), rooftop in Brooklyn at sunset, Ali Baba the Pug's usual morning pose, stunning antique embroidered kimonos currently on display at the Putnam History Museum (Cold Spring, NY), channelling The Craft with my witch sister Aviva in our Hobbity garden, Garance Doré enjoying the gorgeously scented rosemary at Hudson Hil's, across the road from our house at Russell Wright's woodland home 'Manitoga' (which Garance lovingly featured on her site) Ali Baba in his basket with his beloved bagel toy, weepy garden blooms, catching fireflies in the yard.

Cecil Takes Manhattan.

Cecil Beaton arrived to NYC in 1928 with a sketchbook under his arm, a camera in his bag, and a mission to woo Manhattan's upper crust in the same whimsical fashion that he dazzled his native England's ritziest regals.

I've been in love with Beaton's eclectic body of work ever since first viewing his glittering portraits of socialite Paula Gellibrand (Aka; Marquesa de Casa Maury) as a teen. His work felt so modern to me, that I wouldn't have been surprised if you told me he invented Glam Rock. The theatricality and decadence of his creative vision will inspire bright young things for ages to come.

Above: The photo that started my fascination . . . Paula Gellibrand as photographed by Beaton in 1928. Below: Yours truly in front of the whimsically hand-painted entrance mural.

During his years hotel-hopping in Manhattan (from the 1920s through the '60s), he created visual poems for Vreeland at Vogue, wardrobed the Metropolitan Opera, designed book jackets to swoon over, styled Broadway musicals, befriended Warhol, champagned with Monroe, and romanced Garbo. He became creative director of the social-set . . . slaying the city's elite with his lyrical watercolors and sumptuous photography. Beaton was a Renaissance soul of the highest order, deeply inspired by the city's metropolitan razzle-dazzle.

Now through Feb. 20th at the Museum of the City of New York, there is a wonderful collection of Cecil's New York oeuvre on display. Beautifully curated by Donald Albrecht (an acquaintance, as he is a board member of Manitoga, which is across the road from our studio, and a place dear to our hearts), the exhibit is a visual love-letter to Beaton, told through rare photographs, 1st edition books, set design and wardrobe sketches, watercolors, magazine layouts and original costumes. It is an absolute feast for the peepers.

Above: Beaton's colorful apartment in the storied Plaza Hotel, c.1946 (as captured by Dmitri Kessel). Below: My favorite piece in the exhibit . . . Broadway phenomenon, Tallulah Bankhead in watercolor and pencil, c.1932. Beaton later designed her costumes for a production of Antony and Cleopatra in 1937.

Locals only.

We love to support local businesses whenever possible, so on a recent Main St. stroll, in our nearby town of Cold Spring (New York), we wandered into a couple of new boutiques, and walked out with some beautifully scented swag.

At the newly opened arts and wellness center, The Living Room, there is a wall with hard-to-find herbal medicinals, teas, and holistic beauty potions. Being that I'm a lover of unique ropes and strings (craft nerd-alert!), I freaked over the cool looking and exotic smelling, Shiva Shakti "rope incense" from Nepal ($5), as seen above.

We were also happy to discover Cold Spring Apothecary, which offers beautifully scented products for both the bod and the home. Using solely organic ingredients, everything in the shop is home brewed or made, and the location itself is gorgeous, adorned with air-plant-laden reclaimed wood shelves, hemp linen pillows, Victorian-esque tincture bottles, and a wall of locally harvested loose teas in glass jars. For our kitchen, we purchased their crisply scented Lavender White Tea candle, and I can't wait to bring home more of their intoxicating creations.

 

Pirates, Jewels and Geometrics.

On a grey and misty day in Manhattan last week, the mister & I went on a lovely visit to the Cooper-Hewitt, bringing us tons of inspiration, not to mention a few extra pounds, after noshing on decadent corn arepas and plantains afterward at Caracas, one of our all-time favorite cafes in the East Village (which we always try to keep secret, but I feel so guilty not sharing the culinary love with you).

Above: Rhthme Coloré by Sonia Delaunay, (France, c.1946)

Currently on display are two gorgeous exhibits . . . Color Moves: Art & Fashion by Sonia Delaunay, and Set in Style: The Jewels of Van Cleef & Arpels. For many moons I'd been awaiting the debut of  Delaunay's exhibit, being that she is a muse of mine. . . both for her commitment to live an unconventional life as colorful as her creations, and the harmonious creative partnership she shared with her husband, painter Robert Delaunay.

(L) Sonia in her studio on boulevard Malesherbes (Paris, c.1925), and (R) a printed silk satin dress with metallic embroidery (Paris, c.1925-28)

Sonia was an abstract painter whose rainbow-hued art flourished in the otherwise cold & grey machine age. She applied her modern sensibility to textiles, clothing (including costumes for films and theatre), book bindings, and interior design. In the 1920s, she and Robert, with whom she frequently collaborated, began designing dresses described as "poems in motion", sewn of prints featuring controversial prose by Dadaist poets.

(L) Cover of La Prose du Transsibérien et de la petite Jehanne de France written by Blaise Cendrars and illustrated by Delaunay (France, c.1913), (R) sketch of Robe Poemè no. 1328 (France, c.1923)

Above: Film still from Le P'tit Parigot (which must have been a huge influence on Klaus Nomi, as well as Bowie), directed by René Le Somptier and costumed by Delaunay (France, c.1926)

Her controversial brand of couture led to much success and a storied Paris boutique, Maison Delaunay, which sold Sonia looks from top-to-toe, every time featuring her avant-garde patterns and textiles, and collected by stylish stars such as Gloria Swanson and Nancy Cunard.

A wool embroidered coat (so amazing in person, it had me entertain the thought of becoming a professional cat burglar) handmade for Gloria Swanson, (Paris, c.1923-24)

Looking at her work today, one can't believe how fresh and modern it all feels . . . there were whimsical embroidered cloches that felt totally Anna Sui, and other pieces in the exhibit that if you told me were designed by Marni or Rodarte, I wouldn't doubt it for a second.

Above: Models in Delaunay beachwear (France, c.1928), Sonia and her models in Robert's studio (Paris, c.1924), and design #253 in gouache and ink (France, c.1928-30)

And then there was the crazy ice on display in the Van Cleef & Arpels exhibit, featuring très dazzling pieces worn and loved by Elizabeth Taylor, Marlene Dietrich, Princess Grace, Jacqueline Kennedy, Doris Duke, Eva Péron, et al. Here are some choice pieces I'll be placing on my birthday list this year  . . .

Above: Kikumakie butterfly brooch (created using age-old Japanese lacquering techniques) c.2004

Art Deco Anneau (ring) brooch (Paris, 1919), and Art Deco compact (Paris, c.1928)

Stunning Lamartine bracelet, given as a gift to Dame Elizabeth Taylor (along with matching earrings, naturally) by husband Richard Burton, during a romantic visit to Geneva, c.1971. Le sigh . . .

Diamond lapel clips, inspired by the Egyptian and Mayan pyramids (Paris, c.1920)

Egyptian Odalisque evening bag, featuring quite possibly the most exquisite clasp I'll ever encounter in this lifetime (Paris, c.1927)

What gives, 1stdibs?

We recently attended a gala soiree hosted by ELLE Decor for the opening of the new 1stdibs showroom, located in the New York Design Center (and happily open to the public). For vintage decor-devotees such as we, the evening was a total mind-scrambler, considering there are 54 dealer spaces, each gorgeously showcasing their swooniest items.

Above: An original Kay Bojesen teak ape (one of only seven in the world!), made in Denmark, c.1950s, as featured in the Wyeth boutique.

We had designed business paraphernalia for interiors guru, Charles Burleigh, for the event, who along with his partner Lithgow Osborne, curated the Malmaison space, which featured Helena Rubenstein's custom etched and illuminated Art Deco bed, as well as mirrored obelisks, Versailles-worthy chandeliers, and Rococo cushions.

Above, L: Malmaison's display in the 1stdibs showroom. R: Helena Rubsenstein lounging on her disco bed, c.1930s.

We also fell in love with several items perfect for chez Vintager . . . like an industrial drafting table with ornate ironwork, as well as a life-size brass rhino sculpture (perfect for doing Edie Sedgwick ballet routines upon), and a papier mache bust of a debonair dude with a righteous moustache . . .

Above: A tapa cloth covered folding screen c.1980s, along with a Mexican brass rhino sculpture by Sergio Bustamante, c.1970s, both featured in Darrell Dean's space. Below: Edie Sedgwick dancing upon her leather Abercrombie rhino, as photographed for Vogue by Enzo Sellerio, c.1965

Above: Me falling in love with a moustachioed papier mache mister, as featured in Harris Kratz's blast of a boutique (where we could easily furnish our entire house with dream items).

Glitter & Glam Man.

 
On Wednesday eve, Mr. Taylor and I were invited to a reception at the Staley-Wise Gallery in Soho, to view an installation of photographs by legendary photographer, Bert Stern. Titled Jewels, Stern has selected several of his most famous portraits, including those of Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn, and (of course) Marilyn, as well as '60s super-dollybirds Twiggy and Jean Shrimpton. But what makes this exhibit special, is that Stern has glittered each print with crystal appliques, along with its frame, giving these iconic images added sparkle, hence the title of the show.

One favorite image from the show was a black and white portrait of Marilyn holding a silk scarf over the lower half of her face, like Sheherazade, and he had lightly dusted the draping of the scarf with silver glitter, giving her a spookily sultry aura. Another piece we dug was a large uncut-sheet of day-glo serigraphs Stern did for Avant-Gard magazine in 1962, featuring Monroe.

The Vintager Visits: Poma Rosa (Cold Spring, NY)

Left: A  1970s needlepoint that we begged the boutique's owner to sell to us, but being that it recently helped her through a hard year, she's not ready to let it go (can you blame her)? It has to be the most magically good-vibed piece of art on Earth. Right: Another great '70s needlepoint, this one featuring a 3-dimensional spider plant, a tabby, and wicker peacock chair (about $65).

A lovely new boutique has opened not far from my home, and though it's sometimes hard to share good vintaging secrets (especially when they're local), I believe in shopping karma, so here's the low down . . . Poma Rosa is located in the quaint antiquing village of Cold Spring, New York, and it is stocked to the rafters with chic finds. Patricia, the sweet owner, has a fabulous eye for both mid-century decor and '70s attire, and i've never exited her boutique empty handed. On a recent visit I swooned over the array of Scandinavian teak furniture, kitschy 1950s landscape paintings, jazzy men's accessories, gold '80s earrings and '70s disco dresses. But the pièce de résistance, is her wall of vintage handbags, where I always score something special . . .

Above: 1950s paintings of nautical and rural country scenes, and loads of swank mens accoutrement (i'm thinking of going back for that plaid travel case, unless you beat me to it).

On recent visits we've purchased many cherished items . . . like the 1970s Italian green leather mini-doctor's bag ($65) seen below (as worn to a holiday party at Russel Wright's studio, hence the amazing birch-bark door), as well as Nic's beloved hand-knitted German wool cardigan ($85), and a tiny brass and bakelite souvenir jewelry tray from the New York World's Fair, c.1939 ($20).

Poma Rosa: 93 Main Street, Cold Spring, NY 10516

Elaine.

So sad to hear about the passing of Elaine Kaufman, proprietress of the landmark Upper East Side eatery, Elaine's. Since 1963, It's been a favorite hang for the gliterati, including regulars Jacqueline Kennedy, Tennessee Williams, Bianca Jagger, Tom Wolfe, Liza Minnelli, George Plimpton, Michael Caine, Martha Stewart, Kurt Vonnegut, Nora Ephron, and Diane Keaton.

It has been immortalized in films such as Woody Allen's 1979 film Manhattan (above, left), as well as Billy Joel's song Big Shot, and was mused about in the 1994 book, Everyone Comes to Elaine's. It was a favorite date spot for Madonna and Sean Penn (above, right), and also happened to be where Woody and Mia Farrow first met.

  (Above, L): Robert Altman and Lauren Bacall entering Elaine's (R): Geraldine Chaplin, Lauren Hutton and Shelley Duvall (Lillian Gish in the background) at a fête celebrating Altman, c.1977

For any writer, sitting on one of Elaine's scuffed black bistro chairs is akin to rubbing the Buddha's belly, so it was where I chose to celebrate my birthday, as it was a few blocks away from our NYC pied-à-terre and the walls were lined with good luck. Sometimes when I was running errands, i'd walk several blocks out of my way just to peek in the window at the acrobat sculptures and carousel horses hanging from the ceiling. It emitted such a cozy vibe that i'm sad I didn't spend more time there, basking in the larger-than-life presence of Elaine herself.

(Above, L): Celebrating my 35th at Elaine's with Christina Caruso, the very glamorous designer of Isaac Mizrahi jewels. (R): My photo of Elaine's magical and whimsical decor.

Her staff has announced that Elaine's will go on, operating as usual, and in a city where historic hangs are disappearing like mad . . . three cheers! Be sure to stop by for spaghetti and meatballs next time you're in Yorkville.

Steepletop.

After reading Nancy Milford's extraordinarily fascinating tome, Savage Beauty, about the great American poet, Edna St. Vincent Millay, i've become deeply transfixed with the story of this brilliant bohemian, who lived her life with dramatic élan. After winning the first Pulitzer Prize awarded to a woman for poetry, she became the most famous person in America, and her readings in the 1920s were more like rock shows . . . with screams for encores, and young fans swarming around just to breathe-in her velvet-clad ethereal air.

Above: E.St.V.M as a little witch, c.1800s (posted just in time for Hallow's Eve!)

Most of her life was spent high atop a hill in Austerlitz, NY, at Steepletop . . . the beloved farm estate (named after a wildflower), where she resided with her husband, Eugen Boissevain, until her passing. It is a National Historic Landmark that has been turned into a museum, along with an old barn that is now the Millay Colony for the Arts, as per the wishes of Vincent (as she preferred to be called) and her sister, Norma Millay Ellis, who oversaw the estate until 1986.

Norma made sure that every detail in the home was exactly as Vincent left it, much to the joy of devotees, like me. Mr. Taylor and I took our dear friends Doris and Joe to tour the house and its verdant grounds on October 17th, the day before the anniversary of her passing. It was terribly moving to stand in her boudoir, looking at her little glass pill bottles and travel souvenirs, and even more wondrous was her private library, filled with thousands of first editions, each one well-loved, and in the middle of the room, a blanketed chaise, and a funny little hand-painted "silent" sign hanging from the ceiling. We all sighed when it was time to exit, as none of us ever wanted to leave.

Yet the most intense experience for me, was Vincent's stunning Poet's Trail, where she and Eugen frequently rambled, and where both their spirits were eventually laid to rest, along with her beloved mother and muse, Cora Millay. On the chilly Fall day when we visited, travelling down her well-worn path, covered with Technicolor leaves, acorns, and bright green moss, I really felt as if I were walking in a dream. And when we arrived at Vincent and Eugen's memorial, the tears began to roll. It would be impossible for any visitor not to feel the poignancy of this artist's life.

Steepletop is closed for the season, but check their site for upcoming events, as it is truly an unforgettable place. And for more photos from our magical day, visit the full gallery here.

All photos (except Vincent the witch): © Nic & J.B. Taylor

Mystery Spot (Phoenicia, NY)

Whenever trekking up towards Woodstock for the day, we always make a point of stopping at Homer & Langley's Mystery Spot, which is filled to the rafters with vintage finds of all kinds. It is a diggers treasure-trove of kitschy madness, from deadstock '70s mini-dresses to '50s Christmas decorations . . . from Art Deco jewelry to '60s hippie pottery . . . from tacky velvet paintings to scandalous '40s paperback crime novels . . . But our favorite area is the record room, where you can find everything from weirdo '70s jazz to crappy disco rarities, and a whole lotta Prog and classic rock essentials.

Check out the pic below of my glam-tastic friend Christina totally over Nic's LP flip-through marathon, as well as pics of the priceless Plant Music LP i'm still kicking myself for not buying (apologies to my fern and cacti) . . .

 

The "Spot" is owned by the fabulous Laura Levine, who is not only a vintage collector extraordinaire, but a wonderful illustrator and rock photographer (she has taken some of my all-time favorite portraits of Tina Weymouth and Exene Cervenka).

Be sure to visit this fun link to view a gallery of Mystery Spot shoppers holding their finds (including the likes of Kate Pierson of the B-52's, Richard Hell, Blondie's Chris Stein, and countless others)! We were totally jazzed that Laura wanted to include our portrait on the site, holding two of the coveted records we purchased upon our last visit . . .

I think I see the light.

Mayday! Mayday! Several awesome vintage culture institutions are in need of our support, so please heed their call, and do what you can to ensure they are around for generations to come . . .

One of my favorite places to visit in NYC, The City Reliquary, which i've previously blogged about here, is in desperate need of both visitors and members. So, if you're in Brooklyn, stop by and let your mind be dazzled by their wonderful collections of NY-centric knickknacks and ephemera. They also currently have a display of a museum member's life-time collection of unicorns!

Over in L.A., the Cinefamily, who have taken over the historic and beloved Silent Movie Theatre, are hosting silent Wednesdays, and as they are renting original prints of these very rare films, they need to make sure attendance is high, so they can afford to keep up the tradition. So all you old timey babies better show up tomorrow to see Olive Thomas Charleston-ing her way through the 1920 flicker, The Flapper!

And click HERE to sign a petition that could help save New York City's historic Tin Pan Alley from real estate developers. This is a cause that is especially dear to my heart, as a relative of mine, composer Harry Ruby (writer of Who's Sorry Now?, I Wanna be Loved by You, and most Marx Bros. tunes), began his career on this very street.

On a sad note, Erich Segal has passed on to author's heaven. In 1970, he penned the weepy novel, Love Story, which later spawned a film starring Ryan O'Neal and Ali MacGraw, yet was most famous for bestowing upon us the world's cheesiest break-up line . . . "Love means never having to say you're sorry".

I'd also like to bid adieu to my sister's kooky ex-neighbor Zelda Rubenstein, who was also a great actress in films such as Poltergeist and Sixteen Candles.

This is how I picture Zelda walking "into the light" . . .

Calling all organic modernists!

The mister and I have been asked to host a very magical event THIS SATURDAY, June 6th, at Dragon Rock, the mid-century home of designer Russel Wright. It is in honor of Wright's annual laurel festival, celebrating the beautiful mountain blooms, and will take place on the grounds of his Garrison home, situated in a secret quarry, called Manitoga (meaning; "house of the great spirit").

Join us for this magical afternoon ice cream social and potluck lunch, set in a stunning landscape of waterfalls, and moss gardens, under the shade of Wright's legendary organic-modernist home. It'll be a truly unforgettable day for naturalists, designers, mods, hippies, and inspiration seekers alike.

See the invite below for more info, or go to our facebook page (and be sure to RSVP before Saturday) . . .

Here are some photos from a recent tour of magical, mystical, Manitoga . . .

 

By row (L to R): Dragon Rocking out, Russel's hide-a-way studio peeking out from the road, stepping stones cross the quarry, Wright's color palette, a whimsical doorknob (no two knobs are alike on the property), Russel's beloved "moss room", the living room as is stands today, city-lady Lizzie in a rare encounter with nature, Dragon Rock nestled into the mountainside.

And for those who will be attending, who have never been to Garrison, you're in for a treat! Not only is it so gorgeous that the first time I laid eyes on it, we gave notice on our apartment, but  it has also served as homebase for; Peter Frampton, Patty Hearst, Dan Flavin, Kevin Kline, Phoebe Cates, Diane Weist, Ivan Chermayeff, fashion journalist Cathy Horyn, and filmmaker Julie Taymor (to name just a few)!

Here are a some tips for making the most of your visit to gorgeous Garrison:

~ If taking the Metro North from Manhattan, when you arrive at the Garrison station, be sure to cross the platform and walk over to Garrison Landing, an historic little village on the Hudson that wouldn't look out of place if it popped up at Disneyland overnight. The Landing was much admired by Abraham Lincoln, and has a dreamy gazebo for watching the sunset, a playhouse (where they also host special screenings of films like Gimme Shelter, followed by a Q & A with filmmaker, Albert Maysles), a fun art center, and a wonderful bookshop, where I have found rare issues of the '60s magazine Eros, as well as an out of print book on optical artist, Vassarely. The Landing was also a main location in the filming of the 1969 Barbra Streisand film, Hello Dolly!, so fans of Babs should look around to see if you can figure out where Vandergelder's was located (Walter Matthau's shop in the film).

Here are some photos of Garrison Landing as it appeared in Hello Dolly! . . .

~ If in need of a nosh, be sure to stop by the Garrison Market on Route 9D, which is a cute coffee shop/ice cream joint, housed in a vintage gas station.

~ 10 minutes up Route 9D from Garrison, is the town of Cold Spring, which is truly adorbz, and dotted in antique shops and eclectic boutiques. On Saturdays, be sure to stop by their small but wonderful farmers market, and snack on apple cider donuts, artisanal cheeses, rare mushrooms, and amazing fresh baked breads (there's also sometimes a petting zoo)!

~ And if you're the hiking type, tackle the lush trails down to Constitution Marsh, where you' can do some major bird watching, whilst wading in a sparkly mountain stream. Then visit the Audubon Society's mini-museum, where they have live feeds of the marsh's baby birds in their nests. Here are some shots from a recent visit . . .



(1st row, L to R): Nic and our friend Joe found it comical that I wore a dress and knee-hi leather boots to go hiking (whatevs), psychedelic day-glo marsh moss, looking out onto Constitution Island in the middle of the Hudson River (2nd row): Items found by explorers around the marsh, a tiny chipmunk digging through leaves for a snack (I was begging him to jump inside my purse, but he was too busy), the biggest fu*k#!g spider i've ever seen, taxidermied birdies and a sweet collection of birds nests found around the trails.

~ Also, from Garrison, it's only a 15 min. drive up to Beacon, where you can visit the breathtaking Dia museum of contemporary art (which is located inside the old Nabisco cookie factory), or skip across the river to Storm King Art Center, where you can have your mind blown by gigantic environmental sculptures by Calder, Serra, Rauschenberg, and Nevelson, and Goldsworthy.

Photos: Corbis, Profiles in History, Manitoga, Lizzie Brandt

Let's Go Vintaging in New Paltz, NY!

Vintage Studio—Fun vintage clothing, estate jewelry, hats, and accessories for men and women, in the heart of New Paltz. Recently spotted were; diaphanous '50s slip dresses, (around $40), glam feather covered  Valley of the Dolls-style maxi-gowns (around $75), great leather clutch purses (around $30), a Pierre Cardin logo covered suitcase ($65), and deadstock half-aprons from the 1930s that would look adorbz paired with jeans (around $18). They also have a fab selection of deadstock fabrics and trims, including many great 1940s florals and tropical prints, as well as toys, books, and whimsical home decor tzotchkes from many eras. Among the bounty of things I bought upon last visit were; a perfect shimmery taupe '80s scertary dress ($35), '70s Brunschwig & Fils ikat fabric remnant ($25), a 1940s mauve felt fedora  a-la Andie Walsh in Pretty In Pink ($28), and a cute West Point badge with a little soldier doll attached ($8). 11 Church St. (845) 255-3022

The Water Street Market Antiques Center—Over 26 dealers offering a very eclectic array of antique and vintage merch, from the 1800s to the 1970s. It is located in the most popular weekend shopping  area for  N.P. residents and daytrippers, so the turnover is high, resulting in a different 'teeking experience from visit to visit. In fact . . . I dare you not to find something, as you can basically O.D. on turn-of-the-century wooden furniture, one-of-a-kind curios, folk art, jewelry, books, groovy swag lamps, Art Deco glassware, records, lots of '50s kitsch, mid-century pottery, childrens toys from the 20s, and so much more! 10 Main St. (845) 255-1403

                                                                   

Top row: My 'teekin' partner Nic @ Water St. Antiques Center holding a cool 1950s decanter covered in Russian soldiers ($12), groovy 1970s macrame chandelier, if you can call it that ($25), stack of 1980s After Dark magazines ($12). 2nd row: a view of the store's stacked top floor. 3rd row: Signed Cliff Patterson? studio pottery bowl c.1973 ($18.50), cute children's craft book from the 20s/30s, colored stained-glass swag lamps c.1970s ($25 each). 4th row: fabulous mid-century mosaic coffee table of which i'm kicking myself for not purchasing ($75), 1920s pierrot baby doll (?). 5th row: a fun menagerie with Victorian tin boxes, shell basket, sterling toast holder, hand-carved totem pole, and folk art pirate doll (all priced super-cheap)!

Rhino Records—East Coast hub of the California-based music collector valhalla, and once-indie record label of the same name. The shop is smallish, but is packed with a stellar selection, and great prices to match. If you're the type that would drool over a mint 1st pressing of Pink Floyd's Atom Heart Mother for $25, or would be stocked to see all of Bill Nelson's hard-to-find electronic releases for around $10 a pop, you'll feel right at home. Also on offer are great platters of rare new wave, jazz, and freedom rock. Plus, all the dudes that work there are really nice, and one one occasion they were blasting Talking Heads, and on a Sunday morning, they were offering everyone donuts while they browsed. Need I go on? 3 Church St. (845) 255-0230

                                                             

Above: My sister, Lizzie, happily scavenging for No Wave LP's @ Rhino Records.

Barner Books—A great dusty, jazzy ol' bookshop, full of disorganized collectible and unusual used tomes. There's much fun digging to be done on its vast array of shelves, and on the $1 carts out front. Favorite items seen were beautifully ornate little booklets from the 1930s on drug addiction, vintage cookbooks galore, and many large-scale artist monographs at great prices. My purchases were a copy of  a hysterically risque book from 1976 on phallic art-to-wear called Hardcore Crafts ($12), and a rare copy of the 1969 magazine Avant Garde, featuring Picasso's Erotic Gravures ($12). 3 Church St. (845) 255-2635

And for some fun, vintage and un-vintage places to check out while exploring N.P. . . .

Mudd Puddle Coffee for lattes and iced teas, Barnaby's  for cocktails (skip the grub) in an old-timey-stained-glass swag-lamped-'70s-steakhouse-vibe, Manny's old-school art supply store, The Groovy Blueberry for tie-dyed hippie garb, Karma Road vegetarian deli/bakery/juice bar, and Jack's Rhythms for more vinyl LP's and CD's, and the Wallkill View Farm Market for free weekend hayrides, NY state honey, fresh produce, crafts, and a corn maze!