Retro fancy

When I was a kid, I thought this furniture store in Montclair, NJ was the epitome of fanciness. That when I achieved Ann-Margret baked bean adult status that I would shop for all my furniture here.

On a recent trip back with my friends Sarah (a NJ transplant) and Tom Pluck (NJ native and fellow blogger), the Hampton House sign remains as evocative as ever.

The Golden Triangle

Here's a shout-out to one of the hot spots that Suzanne, Rob, and Nina will visit on their vacation. Which hot spot? The Golden Triangle. Not the one in Asia. Better. Pittsburgh—shown in non-precious metal on this ash(?)tray from the Wendell August Forge in Grove City, PA. How odd and wonderful to see something that was hand-made 50 miles away from the souvenir locale. I love the vernacular hallmark on the back of the ashtray, along with the outline of the keystone, the symbol of Pennsylvania, The Keystone State.

The history of the Wendell August Forge seems to echo the history of Pittsburgh itself—i.e. moving from manufacturing to a new life. On the Wendell August Forge site, check out the video from Antiques Roadshow about the keepsake (Yikes) from the Hindenburg's Millionaire's Flight. Big thanks to Martha Cansler, Artist Awesome, who gave Pat this memento of Pittsburgh.