August 2019

Good Morning and happy Thursday! The holiday weekend festivities are in full swing, and this morning on my way in to the store I got a little sense of that “calm before the storm” feeling that comes before the crowds roll in. I suppose that’s a little ironic considering the unexpected morning rain – but that sunrise was certainly impressive!

Today I’m excited to share some more of the rodeo memorabilia that hides in various places throughout Fitterer’s. We have so much stored away that its almost overwhelming to choose which pieces to take a closer look at. From buttons to posters, books and belt buckles – the spirit of the Ellensburg Rodeo is alive and well in our cabinet all year long.

The little odd ball pieces I dig up are always my favorite, so I was happy to see an old rodeo ascot in the cabinet of history that was a little off. I picked it up and smoothed some wrinkles, smiling at the graphic and chuckling at the words printed below. “Allensburg, Wash.”

I had to look and at it three or four times to be sure I wasn’t reading it wrong. I even double checked with Brad , who also laughed and confirmed it must be a misprint.

It didn’t feel right to exclude “The Tradition Lives” from this one. It’s been shared before, but recently we acquired a pristine hardback copy ofthis 75 year history and I wanted to get a photo. This book is full of details and photos outlining 75 years of rodeo in Ellensburg. We have a few paperback copies of “The Tradition Lives” in our cabinet, so if you’re in town and interested, stop by and take a look!

Then last but not least, I chose a few things that always catch my eye as I walk by in the mornings. The first is Brad’s 2002 Rodeo Board name tag. For those who don’t know, the Fitterer family had a long history with the Ellensburg Rodeo, including Brad who served on the Ellensburg Rodeo Board for a number of years. I love things like this. For me they’re great reminders of how much the Fair and Rodeo shape the community here.

To be perfectly honest, I have no idea if this belt buckle has anything to do with rodeo. I just think its really cool. Its a red white and blue 1976 centennial Liberty Bell belt buckle and its in tremendous condition. The very minor imperfections in color let you know that it was likely handmade, and with great care. I’m not sure if its been here for the last 43 years or if it made its way down over time, but I thought it was kind of fun and unique.

Whether you are planning to join in on the Rodeo fun, take the kids up to the hills for a camping trip, working hard with the extra crowds or relaxing at home, we hope that you have a safe and happy Labor Day weekend! We will be closed Sunday and Monday , but hope that you stop in and say hello while you’re Downtown on Friday and Saturday – or today, of course!

Websters dictionary defines the word nostalgia two ways:

1. The state of being homesick: homesickness

2.A wistful or excessively sentimental yearning for return to or of some past period or irrecoverable condition also: something that evokes nostalgia.

When I think of the word nostalgia, I suppose those definitions do ring true; though my personal definition of the word is sprinkled with a dash or two more.

For me, nostalgia is sparked by something that brings me back to a moment in my past with swift emotion.

Its pulling up to the city pool and heading back to 1999 as soon as the chlorine hits my nose- so much more than a memory. Its an emotional experience that honestly struggles to be explained.

The bleach-y smell of pool chemicals suddenly has me feeling the summer sun on my skin and the bounce of a diving board under my feet during a long afternoon at my grandparents house. Lyrics from Alabama songs clash with the sounds of a scroll saw while my grandpa worked in the shop, and we played Marco Pollo.

It never ceases to amaze me that something as simple as a smell has the ability to bring me back to a time that I cherish. I get a few butterflies just thinking about moments like that.

That’s probably why I liked this little throwback find so much. Its not something that I dug out of the basement that’s 100 years old – Its actually just a single photo.

This photo, taken out of an envelope of developed film, showcases a section of the second floor at Fitterer’s prior to a remodel.

Judging by the rest of the photos in the sleeve, I think this picture was probably taken some time in the early 2000s. The picture itself shows that it was developed at Rite aid in 2002, so I think its a fairly good guess.

What stood out to me in this photo is the floral wall paper. When I was pretty young, we had something similar covering the walls in our kitchen. It was one of those nostalgic emotional moments that made me smile – especially because I’m certain I’m not the only one who has a memory or two of walls like these.

Interestingly enough, once thought to be outdated interior design trends have certainly resurfaced in 2019. I’m not an interior designer, so I won’t pretend to be an expert in these trends, but I think our love of nostalgia is part of what drives them to circle back around.

Floral wall coverings and fabrics are once again holding their place in the limelight. Velvet upholstery is working its way back into popularity. Geometric shapes and bold primary colors are finding their way out of the 1980’s. While each of these resurfacing trends has come back with some modern flare, their nods to the past cannot be ignored.

Like I said, I’m no designer; so even though I’m not sure my opinion should be taken as any more than well – opinion – I can’t help but wonder how much moments of nostalgia influence our choices when it comes to our homes.

Or maybe its just that “wistful or excessively sentimental yearning” that has me thinking too hard.

Either way, its kind of fun to see these trends popping up in design blogs!