Creative inspration comes from everywhere for me. Museums, conversations, window shopping, reading, meeting new people, running with my dogs, listening to music. I used to work for a pastry chef who said his chief inspirations for new desserts came from going to drag shows. His work reflects this.
I draw from many sources when I paint or write or photograph or cook.
When I want to regroup, when I want to give my eyes a play date, I go to The Alameda Collectibles Swap Meet. Set at the edge of Alameda's old Naval Air Station, this extensive flea market stretches on an on towards rippling water and massive docked Navy ships. A shadeless city of booths laid out in alphabetized rows showcases antique dealers from all over California. And it only happens once a month.
If you collect anything you will see the missing piece your collection here. Serious folks show up as early as 6 am to get to the good stuff first, the rest of the population sleeps in a bit, gets a cup of coffee, slathers themselves with sunscreen, dons a wide brimmed hat and braves the airport sized parking lot.
No matter the age of the shopper, everyone is a bit dressed up in the old fashioned era of their choice.
Undercover Interior Designers compete for fancy chairs with 20 something Modsters and Great Grandmothers. Ooohs and Ahhhs are heard near perfectly restored quilts as well as never worn Pendleton's and rare Jadeite Fireking shallow soup bowls.
I have added a few pieces to my own ecclectic collections but I have never been as deeply satisfied as I was this past Sunday....
Because I found a PIE SAFE! Red and White! With ventilated doors and walls!
And a complete collection of Pyrex dishes-- sturdy aqua rimmed glass plates. Heavy '50's Dinerware. {My other collection of plates are rare and delicate and I needed something I 
wasn't as worried about.}
The typewriter, being the original means by which to create 'Zines: The Grand Papas of blogs, and being a close friend of the eggbeater, both in the Old Fashioned Crew & allied with the Luddites, needs to be represented. In just a few more month's Sundays I will be able to spell shuna fish lydon's eggbeater.
When we first met and you told me about the pastry chef inspired by drag shows I knew it had to be him.
Inpsiration comes from all around. The hardest part for me is simply making quiet space for it to come to fruition.
Posted by: haddock | 07 June 2006 at 01:01 AM
That maribou slipper reminds me of the cookie legs my friend Sue McCown plants in her parfaits.
Congrats on the pie safe find, Shuna! I love flea markets...
Posted by: Cathy | 07 June 2006 at 09:02 AM
I found some fabulous plates from the 60's once. I heart them so...
Posted by: Garrett | 07 June 2006 at 10:31 AM
I am lusting after your plates. Oh, the jealousy! ;-P
Posted by: Isaiah | 07 June 2006 at 11:46 AM
That pie safe is a treasure. It looks to be in ace condition, too -- I admit I am really jealous, but if anyone got it, I'm glad it's you.
Was thinking of that sort of protection from summer bugs and all the other day, remembering various measures like those porous cloth covers for dishes on picnic tables. I ended up inverting a small fine-sieve colander over a pint of raspberries to keep the varmints away from them.
Posted by: Kudzu | 07 June 2006 at 12:25 PM
It is amazing how much the right tools can make food taste that much more delicious and how good plates make it more of an event.
Posted by: beastmomma | 07 June 2006 at 04:57 PM
I didn't know pyrex did plates--I only have bowls. Now I'm going to be on the hunt.
Posted by: lucette | 10 June 2006 at 03:04 PM