state street - chicago, il
happy holidays explorers!
never let unexpected adventures go unexplored. – barbara purvis
[photo credit]
our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. but no matter, the road is life. – jack kerouac
[photo credit]
“At some point in your life, you want something that is real,” quotes tableware boutique P.O.S.H. on its website. Real things, designed in bygone times are plucked from flea markets, auction houses, and the occasional warehouse basement to find new life for sale at P.O.S.H.
An acronym for chic Victorian travel, P.O.S.H. takes you back to a time when table settings mattered. The space isn’t extensive, but the intricate and whimsical displays require circuitous wandering to absorb. Registering the myriad motifs and the stories behind the lovely curiosities is part of P.O.S.H.’s charm. Yet, not everything at this Near North Side shop is vintage; it’s a mix of old and new novelties.
A huge oak hutch offers open drawers lined with gleaming antique silver. Its upper-shelf holds a 1920’s tea service from the Chicago athletic Association [the “C” within a circle logo was later adopted for other use in Chicago athletics]. Vintage china is stacked on the floor, bone-white and glossy featuring a potpourri of patterns.
I enjoy examining vintage United Airlines appetizer plates, feather dusters from Germany, a bucket of antique French skeleton keys, and Hall China teapots circa 1950. Period maps from the world’s great cities adorn one wall, while a case of gorgeous vintage jewelry glitters beneath. 1920’s-era industrial marbles were found in an abandoned glass warehouse on the south side. Now a basket sits brimming with these algae-colored orbs.
The walls of the back nook are splashed with saucers and teacups in a Mad Hatter array and I’m craving every size and design. Many of the store’s finds are affordable and I find myself comparing china patterns, sizing up for an impulse purchase, suddenly wishing I had rows of cupboards to fill. Maybe I am looking forward to the holidays at home, but I find comfort surrounded by these chic symbols of domesticity.
I restrain from cabinet cramming purchases [they are, after all, not conducive to train travel]. Instead I settle on some vintage buttons from French Navy and Swedish Tre Kroner uniforms, perhaps to be used in some crafty future accessory. The friendly shop attendant admires my ability to balance coffee, camera, handbag, and merchandise with a single non-cast hand, and I discover she attended my alma mater as we chat. P.O.S.H.’s appeal is grounded in its lovely atmosphere and thoughtful pieces which are always changing. I recommend visiting soon to peruse displays of ornaments as well as unique and charming gifts for the holiday season. I spy some turquoise mason jars which I will be returning for, along with quirky Christmas gifts for a lucky few – that is if I can ever settle on a pattern.
P.O.S.H.
613 N. State Street
Chicago, IL 60654
Posted in impressions, shopping
Tagged china, gifts, jewelry, near north side, silver, tableware, tea, vintage
Greetings friends and fellow explorers! Accept my apologies for neglecting you for such an extended time. I fell victim to my own clumsiness and one of my writing arms has been [and still is] trapped in a plaster cast. While my typing skills have been negatively impacted, fear not, for my exploration aptitude is intact.
I like to play crafty at Christmastime, but if I can’t make gifts myself I enjoy purchasing them from much craftier people. There is such a community of uniquely talented craftspeople in Chicago, and I love perusing the various markets, especially when I can use the holidays as purchase validation. This season, I will be venturing out to the following holiday markets:
Lincoln Square Christkindl Market
I have yet to visit either “traditional” German 
holiday market, but the Lincoln square location just feels more authentically appealing than the Daley Plaza version. I am hoping this weekend’s weather holds a winter romp for me in this historically German neighborhood. Beer, brats, and buying things?…done.
December 3-5, hours vary
Located at Leland and Western
$3 Adult Donation
Handmade Market
If you can undertake a trek out of your house between October and April I recommend the Empty Bottle on the second Saturday of each month. The small and intimate layout encourages strolling and chatting with the thirty or so vendors. You are at the Empty Bottle so expect an alt. vibe. I picked up some unique jewelry gifts here last holiday season and can’t wait to find more. If you are not into it, the bar begins serving PBRs at noon.
December 11, 12 – 4pm
1035 N. Western Ave.
Chicago, Illinois 60622
FREE
Renegade Craft Fair
I am a huge fan of the Renegade Craft Fair and am particularly thrilled to check out the holiday version this year. At around 150 vendors, the degree of talent and variety is impressive and there are gems to be had for everyone. Among other things, expect to find jewelry, knitwear, and paper crafts with an indie aura. Food, drink, and jams are available, not to mention an ornament-making workshop.
December 4 -5, 11am – 7pm
Pulaski Park Fieldhouse
1419 W. Blackhawk St.
Chicago, Illinois 60622
FREE
