José González de la Peña, Bullfighter Painting

Jose Gonzalez de la Pena Bullfight painting

I was in Lambertville, NJ, looking at antiques, when I spotted this bullfighter painting by José González de la Peña. I love the drama of the image, the way the red cape swirls around the torso of the matador. While I saw the exterior of two different bullfighting arenas on my trip to Spain, I … Read more

Mysterious Ellwood Kieser platter with quote

Ellwood Bud Kieser quote on a ceramic serving dish

I was in an antiques store in Hastings-on-Hudson, NY, when I saw this mysterious platter (serving plate?) with a quote from “Ellwood Kieser C.S.P.” from Christmas of 1988. It reads, “I Am Called not To be Successful But to be faithful.” I wonder what the significance of this is? And who is Ellwood Kieser? Ellwood … Read more

Carved wooden mask, origin unknown

Carved wooden mask bought at an antiques store

I was on a day trip, driving around western New Jersey, stopping in Frenchtown, Milford, and later Flemington. While I was in Milford, I browsed through several antique stores when I spotted this carved wooden mask, that made me stop and look closely. There was no ID tag, and the proprietor wasn’t sure where it … Read more

The Shocking Secret includes more than just one!

Pulp fiction paperback titled The Shocking Secret

I was browsing an antiques store near the Jersey Shore when this book cover caught my attention: “The Shocking Secret (The Content Assignment),” by Holly Roth. Looking at the cover, the drama is hyped up: this woman is tied to a chair, her head thrown back … is she in pain? Struggling to break lose … Read more

Our Lady, Refuge of Sinners Retablo

Our Lady Refuge of Sinners Retablo

As I mentioned yesterday, I went into Mexico Lindo Furniture in Santa Fe with a specific goal: I wanted to track down the retablos I saw in this store in 2022, and hopefully buy one. As I was looking around the store, I saw plenty of cool things – like this double-headed angel carved out … Read more

Vintage rustic door as a table in Santa Fe

rustic wood door repurposed as a table

I have a favorite home furnishings store in Santa Fe: Mexico Lindo Furniture. The showroom features a collection of unique, rustic and custom-built furniture which is hand-crafted and designed by artisans. The material used to create these phenomenal pieces comes from salvaged antique doors and shutters which have been taken from haciendas located in small … Read more