Friday, November 21, 2008

Pretty P.O.S.H.

Vintage wooden numbers from a French flea market


French Sidewalk Chalk Eggs


A collection of vintage French keys


Vintage French Bistro Order Pads


Striped French Baker's Twine


Vintage Hand-made Wooden Tops




P.O.S.H.

Up to a couple of years ago, I had a date with the wonderful city of Chicago every Thanksgiving weekend. I made the long haul from Australia every year for the best part of 15 years to attend the same conference at McCormick Place, & I've always considered Chicago to be my 2nd home.

The spin-off from my November-December conference date was that Thanksgiving always heralded the beginning of the Christmas sales. So I always ensured I had a couple of days at the end of my official working week to hit Michigan Avenue, or most fondly known by the locals as Million Dollar Mile. It is the Windy City's premier shopping precinct & is smack in the heart of down-town. I always followed the same route, walking from my hotel to begin my day of delight at Bloomingdales, then across the road to Brookes Brothers to pick up MOTH's favourite shirts. Then I'd do a bit of a zig-zag pattern until I'd walked the entire length of the avenue on both sides, always keeping the Water Tower in the corner of my eye as a landmark.

Of course this sort of serious shopping excursion could only be done alone, although others have volunteered to come along with me, I've always politely declined. Waiting for those 2 days all year became an almost spiritual nirvana, a trek I needed to undertake alone, without the distractions others may bring to the journey.

I never got to visit the lovely store P.O.S.H. on N. State St., but I love to look at them frequently via the internet. Here's their latest offerings - just so cute!

17 comments:

  1. Millie...Thanks for the hot tip. I looked at the website for P.O.S.H. and will do some armchair shopping for sure. Love the twine & tops.
    ♥Rosemary

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  2. This is so funny. I live in the outskirts of Chicago and work down there. It took your post from Australia to show me POSH. I've never been there before but now I'll have to go. Thanks.

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  3. I LOVED hearing your story about your times spent in Chicago. How wonderful!!! I hope my new career will take me to all corners of the globe.

    Anna :)

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  4. Oh, yes please to all those bits and bobs! My hubby goes on yearly trips to Chicago too, but even when he does offer to go shopping for me, it is never all that successful. To tell the truth, I think he gets a bit overwhelmed by the amount of shops and the size of my list! Some men are natural shoppers - my hubby is not one of them. Next year I will be sure to put P.O.S.H. on his list (either that, or hide out in his suitcase!)
    Clare

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  5. Love all those bits you have found. It is fabulous to be able to travel for work, always something to look forward to! Amanda x

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  6. merçi de votre visite.
    cette jolie ficelle rouge et blanche est hélas introuvable en france
    c'est américain.
    votre blog est ravissant
    manon

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  7. French Essence gave you an award so please have a look when you can xv

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  8. I will have to pass this info on to my daughter who loves everything French inspired. She even named her blog The French Nest :-)! Your trips to Chicago sound amazing.

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  9. Sounds like a great time. I love this store. I have seen it on the web a couple of times. It seems like a it would be another world you could get lost in. Have a great weekend, Millie. Heidi

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  10. Neat finds they have!
    Next time I hit the Magnificent Mile I'll have to check them out :)

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  11. Like the vintage numbers Millie and the wooden tops...I am a sucker for timber...Dzintra

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  12. Millie ,Thank You so much for your message. We are OK now and I just hope the weather will calm down now. I missed blogging friends a lot while without the power or busy cleaning the mess.
    Have a great weekend XXX
    V

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  13. Great pictures! I especially love the keys. I will check this website out.
    Loved hearing about your trips to Chicago - lucky you getting to travel o/s with your job! Bet you had some fun times.
    I actually used to live in Chicago - many moons ago when I was 15. My dad worked as a management consultant on Wacker Drive, no less! We all lived in the city near Lincoln Park Zoo for the first six weeks then moved out to the burbs. It was a great experience as a 15 year old.

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  14. This is a wonderful vintage french stuff, Lady?

    Hope you had a wonderful w/end & pls. don't forget to visit & join my surprises.

    Cheers!

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  15. What a great find Millie. I love all of the photos, so I am off to find my own little treasure.
    Ness xx

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  16. Thank you for introducing POSH! I'm hooked!

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  17. I visited POSH last year on our anniversary, and it is a beautiful store, the best I found in Chicago. We went back again the next day as I had so soak in more of the atmosphere. We live in Mn so it's only an hour flight from Mpls. We will make a point to stop in every time we visit this great city. Stay at the Monaco on the river if you are looking for a special place to stay and not too terribly expensive for a special occasion. Only 6 or 7 blocks from POSH.

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And none will hear the postman's knock
Without a quickening of the heart.
For who can bear to feel himself forgotten?
~W.H. Auden

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