Coca Cola Beauty

It’s a fabulous Coca Cola advertisement hanging out atop a building in Point Pleasant, West Virginia.

The local paper confirmed with a Coca Cola archivist that it was painted in the thirties when a local bottling company was gaining momentum. I would encourage you to read the story as it is quite informative and also talks about the Mail Pouch ad I showed you earlier this week.

Whenever I see this type of advertising – no matter how old and faded – I will always stop. I will make time, go around the block, brave the rain or whatever else is going on for a closer look. These remnants of another time, another means of advertising didn’t survive the decades to be ignored and I will gladly pay attention.

A Coca Cola Surprise

Yesterday was a meandering day. I’ll share some of those pictures this week but here’s something small for now. You can be sure I slammed on the brakes when I spotted this Coca Cola advertisement in Greenfield, Ohio.

It’s a narrow space between the buildings and you just see a sliver until you’re right up on it.

The brick is amazing.

Things like this keep me on the road, meandering across rural America and through small towns, seeking the old and unique things that make these places special.

I hope I never lose that sense of curiosity and awe about the world around me.

Seeing Red

The color red draws me in like a moth to flame. This is never more apparent than when scrolling through my camera roll after an antiquing trip.

The day I found the lunchboxes, I also found this adorable kiddie tractor.

Nifty wall art, reproduction but cute for a kitchen.

This fabulous red typewriter that I badly wanted. It’s the sort of typewriter that great novels should be written on!

A great Coca Cola cooler.

And an even better Coke machine.

Of course, I bought none of these things but they made for great study during my little field trip.

Is there a color or a type of object that catches your eye?

Happy Independence Day!

Many ideas have been crowding my mind lately about America’s founding, patriotism and what we have become today. Since I try to stick with mostly positive topics here, my wish is that you will simply take a moment to consider the spirit and bravery of those who fought for our independence when it might have been easier to sit down and be quiet.

If you choose to drink this holiday weekend, help keep the roads safe for all by not driving. And enjoy this cool 1907 ad for Coca Cola which could be used to soothe your jumpy nerves!

One more thought. The date on the calendar may say the Fourth of July but it’s really Independence Day.

Have a good day, my friends!

Springfield Antique and Vintage Extravaganza

On the first day of my fifth grade year, I sat on the school bus next to the new girl in my class.

When you live in a rural community, having someone new move in is kind of a big deal. I was expecting her because our grandparents were friends and my grandma had asked me to be nice to her. I would have been nice to Meria anyway but I’m so glad we met. We’ve been friends ever since.

It’s been a lot of years since that first day of fifth grade (ahem…. no need to count them…) and we’ve been through a lot together. While we don’t talk every day, she’s always there when I need her and we try to do something together periodically.

Yesterday, we went on a little adventure to the Springfield Antique and Vintage Extravaganza. It’s like an outdoor flea market that’s devoted almost entirely to antique and vintage items.

I’ve heard about it for years but never had a chance to experience the extravaganza for myself. I thought the use of the word extravaganza was a little much – that is, till I arrived. This event is massive. It’s held at the county fairgrounds and it’s so large we never found the actual end, running out of steam in the hot sun before we ran out of booths to peruse.

We shopped for a few hours but eventually surrendered to the sun, leaving for lunch and a trip though the Heart of Ohio Antique Mall which is also huge and which I adore.

She’s gluten free and I’m pescatarian so we’re a real fun pair to feed in a place where all the vendors sell meat and deep fried stuff. Next time I’ll pack a picnic!

Anywhoo… we saw a ton of neat stuff with prices ranging from dirt cheap to completely overpriced. But you’ll have that anytime you shop for vintage and antique items. What you don’t have most places is the sheer volume of stuff to look at.

Meria found some glass pieces for her collection and I scored some mid century children’s story books- all in excellent condition for $2 each.

Admission is $10 per person but parking is free. If you plan to shop a lot, bring a wagon, shopping cart or a large tote bag to haul your stuff around in. And, of course, remember that cash is king in this setting.

Next time I’ll probably take a backpack and will absolutely remember to pack sunscreen. I forgot mine and have a nice sunburn today.

Want to learn more about the Extravaganza? Click here!

The Nutcracker Family Restaurant

I don’t make it to Pataskala very often but always want to eat at the Nutcracker Family Restaurant whenever I’m in town.

It’s a locally owned place with a fifties motif, a whole lot of Coca Cola pieces and a collection of nutcrackers in all shapes and sizes.

It’s not an old restaurant and the exterior of the building is a little plain but the interior is a feast for the eyes for those of us who like that sort of thing. It’s really well done.

There’s a gorgeous counter with stools and lots of interesting things to see on the walls including gas and oil memorabilia as well as Coca Cola collectibles. The black and white tile floor, jukebox and working mechanical horse are simply perfect. At the cash register you’ll find a nice selection of vintage candies too.

They even have beautiful homemade desserts in a rotating case. Everyone knows that dessert from a rotating display tastes better!

The service is always good and the food is pretty tasty too. They serve breakfast all day and have everything from fish and fries to prime rib.

Meatloaf? You got it. A burger and fries? No problem. A club sandwich? Just ask. They even have a quinoa cauliflower burger which I want to try next visit.

The place is always busy and they have a lot of regulars which says a lot about a restaurant.

If you’re in the area I suggest you stop by and check ’em out.

Follow the Nutcracker on Facebook. From there you’ll find a link to their website which is packed full off good stuff.

Did you read about The Oasis Diner in Indiana? Man, I love a good diner!