If I’ve ever gone missing, you might want to wait to alert the authorities. First, check out Sweet Lorain in Lakewood, Ohio. I might be there, buried under a pile of fancy hats or lost amongst the racks and racks of vintage clothing! Recently my dear friend Allie and I made a trip there and walked away with a few treasures. I sported the lovely chartreuse crop top I found there recently in an outfit post here on my blog, but was disappointed when I returned home and discovered the dress I had purchased was discolored in some areas. I though, gee whiz, I’m too experienced to be making rookie mistakes like this! Then I thought… you know, I really have earned a lot of vintage shopping street cred through the years- why not share some advice?

So, head on over to Babble where I posted 10 Vintage Shopping Mistakes to Avoid. Basically the best advice I’ve ever given the universe. You’re welcome!

If you’re traveling through Northeast Ohio, or maybe you’re from here and don’t know a lot about the vintage scene, you’ll definitely want to stop in at Sweet Lorain! It’s on Lorain (surprise, surprise!) west of downtown Cleveland, across the bridge. On Saturdays, the Westside Market is a great place to stop in to pick up produce, flowers, and a delicious meal (especially yummy crepes with all kinds of fillings!). After breakfast as the Westside Market, I love shopping the area vintage shops, like Sweet Lorain, which is right down the road.

The inventory at Sweet Lorain is vast and can be overwhelming. So be sure to plan lots of time to spend browsing! Even Phil enjoyed looking around, even though he’s not into ladies’ clothing. Thank Jesus. But he did like all the fun magazines and knick knacks they have in abundance. Prices at Sweet Lorain are moderate for standard vintage shops, but a little high for Northeast Ohio standards. Their prices to vary quite a bit, so sometimes you might be surprised at a high or low cost for the item you’re interested in. You just never know! If you’re looking for more affordable vintage, I’d check out the Falls River Square district in Cuyahoga Falls or Chelsea’s Vintage and Costume shop in Lakewood also. Another place to visit in Lakewood is Flower Child, whose prices and inventory are comparable with Sweet Lorain. Check out my Flower Child visit here!

The year I started art school at Akron was the very same year the Akron Art Museum‘s awe-inspiring renovation was completed. We were all pretty excited about it, and didn’t even begrudge our professors for assigning us trips to visit, or even assigning papers about the art we viewed. But… then I graduated school, and suddenly nobody was forcing me to go out and do these great cultural things, so I got lazy and hung out at wine bars, bowling alleys, and local bands’ shows for my cultural experiences.

I hadn’t been to the Akron Art Museum since my college days until Phil and I were invited to attend the digital media tour for their new exhibition on loan from the Whitney Museum of American Art: Real/Surreal.

The Real/Surreal exhibit features American realist and surrealist art, a lot of the time blurring the lines between the two. The collection of sixty paintings, drawings, prints, and photographs feature artists like Edward Hopper, who is famous for realistic rural scenes, and Man Ray whose work La Fortune really tickled my imagination. Phil and I were both blown away by the exhibition, from the detail of some pieces, to the eeriness of others.

If you are ever in the Akron, Ohio area, or just passing through, you should really stop in and pay the Akron Art Museum a visit! They house a couple of my favorites works in their permanent collection, like Chuck Closes’s Linda and Alvin Loving’s untitled textile art. Browsing the gallery is a great experience, and truly, the architecture of the addition is worth the trip alone! The Real/Surreal exhibit closes on November 3rd, so don’t miss it!

O U T F I T D E T A I L S :

In case you were wondering, I’m wearing: Nine West shoes, ASOS bodysuit (similar here), thrifted shorts, thrifted purse, and vintage hat from What Ezekiel Saw on Etsy

In the great land of West Cleveland lies a treasure trove of vintage at an endlessly kitschy store called Flower Child Vintage. I stopped there a while back with Allie and Kyle to check out everything its great depths has to offer. It was my first visit, though certainly not my last! I didn’t even get a good look at half of the goodies, but I made sure not to leave empty handed. Out of all the amazing vintage goodies, I left with only this little brooch. But like I said- I’ll be back, Flower Child!

The first floor of Flower Child is filled with furniture, housewares, and some fashion accessories, like hats and jewelry. The selection is really nice, and you’ll find a good mix of kitschy and classic vintage pieces. But don’t leave before you discover the basement! It’s like a whole ‘nother store down there filled with home accessories, textiles, records, and clothes! In fact, I could spend hours down there looking through all of the booths of vintage clothes.

It’s a little too easy to become overwhelmed at Flower Child, since everything is so segregated, and the individual booths in the basement aren’t organized very well. The prices aren’t cheap, so I wish they presented things a bit better. I think everything is so chaotic because the vendors control each booth (they do consignment), but it sure would be nice if the clothing was organized a bit better. I like to know what I’m looking at. Though, if adventure is your thing, then you’ll love shopping the basement at Flower Child!

If you’re ever passing through Northeast Ohio, be sure to stop at Flower Child, and if you’re up for swinging down to Akron, don’t miss The Bomb Shelter (which also houses Violet Velvet) or The Hidden Pearl in Cuyahoga Falls!