I've heard about how legendary Rose Bowl's Flea Market is for a while now. It's been up there on my list of Southern California flea markets to visit along with Long Beach Flea Market and a couple others. The Rose Bowl Flea Market happens every second Sunday and it was the second Sunday of the month when Treya and I were itching to check out some rare antique and vintage finds. Rose Bowl is one of the biggest flea markets in So Cal. The flea market attracts over 20,000 buyers every month alone and 2,500 vendors. I've heard tales that some of the hottest celebrities and designers frequent Rose Bowl. Their website even has pictures to prove it. Rose Bowl is truly a thrifters (me) paradise and a treasure chest of so many one of a kind odds and ends. The possibilities of what you can find there is truly endless.
Treya and I arrived to the flea market at 9:45am just as they were opening for regular admission. They have early bird admission at 6am. It was so easy to get tickets. You scan a bar code and it takes you to the link to purchase the ticket. It took us like 10 minutes to navigate the ticket purchasing. After you purchase the ticket it sends it to your email. Then you go to one of the many ticket checkers and they scan your ticket and then you're in. There are maps at the entrance which I highly suggest since there are so many vendors and the market is split up by categories.
Treya and I began in the modern section and were there for quite a while. They were lots of plant vendors, sage/crystal/tarot vendors, crafts vendors, graphic t-shirt vendors, contemporary clothing vendors and the list goes on. There is a vendor there for everyone. My favorite vendor in the modern section was @orangemoon_yarnart (their Instagram). It was a crochet shop. They had crochet blankets, trinkets, and my favorite, flowers. I had been dreaming about having more flowers in my home and these flowers could be forever flowers. They sold flowers that you could buy individually or make into a bouquet. The bouquets were too cute to pass up. It took me a hot second to decide which flowers to mix together but once I did they wrapped them up so beautifully for me. Treya purchased me a fun sunflower crochet purse for my birthday. I can't wait to pair it with a look in a future post. I absolutely adored this vendors. Their pieces were one of a kind.
I came across a really lovely sage and crystal shop. I was so drawn to the crystals I picked up four of them. I picked up a green aventurine, azurite, opalite, and green calcite crystal. They all have meanings that really resonated with me in this point on my journey as a soul.
After spending a couple hours in the modern section Treya and I had found all the contemporary goodies that spoke to us and were ready to move on. Before moving on to another part of the flea market though we had to stop for water. It was so hot in the direct sunlight and we were getting a bit dehydrated. I definitely suggest wearing a sun hat, sunglasses, sunscreen and light clothing. Neither of us had considered the heat when embarking on our flea adventure. A regular water bottle was $5 each, which is nuts, but we needed it. We picked up two. I also suggest bringing your own water so you don't have to pay those insane prices and you'll get way more bang for your buck.
After having a water moment we decided to check out the antique and vintage section. After all, that's the reason we came to the flea market to begin with. This section was enormous. The records, art work, furniture, clothing/shoes, and knick knacks were endless here. I've been visualizing owning an old telephone for a while and of course I found the perfect one here from an amazing vendor.
Treya found a fantastic pair of vintage cow boy boots and was even able to negotiate the price. The vendor was such an eclectic and eccentric man and in this moment I am forgetting his name. I think it was Gio or Gino. He kept asking me out on a date in between negotiating prices with Treya. He has the most amazing policy. You can always come back and exchange your shoes. He said he has one customer who comes back every week to exchange for a new/old pair of shoes. He has so many cow boy boots, fur coats and leather jackets.
I've also been dreaming of growing my tea ware collection. I am a huge tea drinker. My favorite tea is Harney and Sons Hot Cinnamon Spice. So when I came across this tea cup + tea set vendor I was filled with joy. I picked up this cute turquoise tea set from them.
After about an hour or so in the antique section we were both exhausted from the heat and endless possibilities. We had both found many items we were looking for or that just happened upon us. We headed out around 12:45pm. We were very very happy customers.
For the fashion portion of the post. What did I wear? Well, the first thing I considered when putting together this look was my footwear. I wanted to wear comfortable walking shoes. My vintage pink snakeskin booties were the perfect choice for a day of antiquing and walking. They are super comfy. Then I decided to compliment my shoes I would wear my fun mint organza dress with pink flower details. The sleeves can be worn off the shoulder or on the shoulder. The mid drift is flirty and cinched. The length of the skirt is playful. And you can choose to do a criss cross design around your neck or just tie it in a fun little bow. I chose the criss cross option. I completed the look with my telephone purse bag and furry barbie sunglasses. I got so many compliments on the dress, the bag, and the sunnies. So many people called me a Barbie and a Princess. My wardrobe is honestly starting to look a lot like a Disney princesses one so I hear princess quite often sprinkled in the compliments I get from folks about my outfits.
I am so happy the universe blessed us with The Rose Bowl Flea Markets. Cheers to many more trips there. If and when you decide to go make sure to bring lots of water, wear sunscreen if it's the summer and have so much fun.
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