Sorry for the lapse, folks. Last week found us away and digging up all sorts of stuff in Pittsburgh—further solidifying that city's rank as one of our favorites in the whole U S of A. While I was mostly stuck in class, Valery (and our amazing hosts Hone and Carmela) plundered every available antique store and walked away with a handsome pile of loot.

[Image]We had to check in an over-sized package for our plane ride home, mostly due to the mod Space Mate shelf Valery stumbled across at an antique store. Seeing as how we had a new shelf on its way, Valery figured we needed to fill it up beforehand. Two wooden birds, a container (attributed to George Nelson) and a dish helped to round out the purchase.

[Image]Here's our ever-expanding Gruesomes stash. Valery found the toys at Bizarro Wuxtry in Athens in January. Enamored with these guys, she then picked up the LP via our pal, Bobby, at the bi-monthly Atlanta record swap a while back. The single was found at Eides for a flat tenner last week.

[Image]Our Flickr buddy Martin has this group and we made a mental note to keep an eye out for 'em. Valery couldn't believe it when she found a complete set of these (in the box even!) sitting on a shelf. Click on the pic for a larger / legible view! Also, the vintage fabric was unearthed at the same store, and Valery will soon transform 'em into drapes for her dressing room windows.

[Image]Earlier this year, my buddy Hone forwarded me a photo of some toys with a conspicuously present (and previously unknown) Tina Muskegon from Daniel Clowes' Like a Velvet Glove storyline. It should be painfully apparent by now that I've got an unhealthily big Clowes collection, so I emailed the photographer and it turned out that it was a resin model (with metal prosthetics) he'd made about five years prior. Fortunately, he was kind enough to make me one (thanks again, Robb!), but he was too busy to paint her up proper. Hone came to the rescue, volunteering his talents and knocking 'er outta the ballpark—maintaining his status as resident stony bro, thusly. OK soda promo cans and Tina rubber stamp included solely for kicks.

[Image]Much appreciation and many thanks to our friends Carmela, Hone, Steve and Pogo for making our trip to Pittsburgh even better than we'd hoped. Ice cream sundae lunches, irradiated Perry Como statues and Pogo's insatiable appetite for hair will not be soon forgotten.