Howdy, neighbor!

In case you weren’t part of the throng as Patina Decor opened next door to Mrs. Darling on Friday evening, have no fear — not everything is gone! In fact, there’s now some new goodies brought in to replace what sailed out the doors.

Of course, you missed a heck of a party. Funny how Riverside’s antiques lovers all seem to be friends with one another.

We’ll try and get some pictures posted soon. In the meantime, stop by and see for yourself — both shops are open Wednesdays-Saturdays. (Why not make an afternoon of it? We hear that new Thai restaurant at Brockton and Sunnyside is excellent!)

Welcome Patina Decor! (And yes, it’s the Vintage Bliss crew!)

Mrs. Darling is delighted to welcome a new neighbor, Patina Decor — and in case you hadn’t figured out the clues in the previous posting, it’s owned by Pat and Larry Whalen, former proprietors of Vintage Bliss.

Think sparkle and chandeliers and florals and cottage…

The grand opening — and boy, is it going to be grand! — is 5-8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 5 at 6510 Magnolia Ave. Mrs. D (who will offer 10% discounts during the evening) and Rob will stay open late to join in the festivities; there’s parking behind the building and all along Sunnyside Drive. Click on “directions” above for a map.

Patina — which will offer more vintage fare than the old Bliss — will then be open 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesdays-Sundays; call (951) 683-0767 or e-mail patinadecor@sbcglobal.net.

See you there!

Mrs. Darling rings in the new year with a new phone

Mrs. Darling now has its very own phone number — (951) 683-3500.

Better yet, that means we’ve been able to fire up the ol’ credit card machine! No more trips to the ATM! (We just can’t do debit…)

A belated holiday thanks to our new friend at wanderlustnpixiedust, who snapped some lovely shots of the Christmas open house! (And thanks to everyone who visited Mrs. Darling’s and made the holiday season so bright!)

Next up — Valentine’s Day. Be prepared to fall in love with some sweet vintage Valentines cards.

And check back soon to find out about Mrs. Darling’s new next-door neighbor, a familiar name to dedicated Riverside antiques and vintage aficionados — it promises to bring about a sort of old-fashioned euphoria, if you will — think time-tested rapture,  a sort of classic nirvana…

Open house sneak peek…

Photographer extraordinaire Carrie is out of state, but this should give you a general idea of what’s in store at Mrs. Darling’s open house on Friday. It’s all sparklier and brighter in real life…

Christmas open house this Friday

Don’t forget, Mrs. Darling’s Christmas open house is this Friday — Dec. 4 — from noon to 8 p.m. (the shop will open as usual at 10:30 a.m.)

The shop is brimming with vintage Christmas cards, shiny ornaments, country-style trees and even some warm-and-fuzzy handmade sheep, courtesy of Wendy Shipley.

Check back here on Wednesday night for a sneek peek…

Mrs. Darling’s new e-mail!

Got a question? Want to be on the spiffy new mailing list? E-mail mrsdarlingantiques@yahoo.com and we’ll help you out!

We promise, we won’t share your information with anyone.

Holiday hours and after-hours shopping!

Now that the turkey and pumpkin pie are in the fridge, the vintage mercury-glass balls, the midcentury Santas and all manner of sparkly merriment are making their way into Mrs. Darling’s….

Through Christmas, the store will be open 11:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. on Sundays as well as the regular hours (10:30 a.m-5:30 p.m. Wednesdays-Saturdays). And if that’s not enough, there’s Evenings at Darlings — if you and your friends would like to shop after hours (groups of three to five, please), call (951) 323-0543 to set up a private visit.

The holiday open house is Dec. 4….

And don’t forget, there’s plenty of free parking behind the building!

Happy holidays!

Holiday open house on Dec. 4

Mrs. Darling’s holiday open house will be Dec. 4; check back for details! Lots of sparkly vintage fun is promised!

In the meantime, Riverside’s Mission Galleria (across from the Mission Inn) will be holding its own seasonal event on Friday, Nov. 13, from 5-9 p.m. — booth No. 303 on the main floor is home to some of Mrs. Darling’s ephemera and photos…

And on Saturday, Nov. 14, Old Glory and Vintage Flair will be holding their big holiday extravaganza from 4-9 p.m. Limos will whisk shoppers between OG (at Market and 14th streets) and VF’s alley off Elizabeth Street (near Goodwill) — which will be filled with vendors selling art, antiques and more.

Remember, buying antiques helps the economy and the environment! Shop early and shop often!

Ready for Thanksgiving?

OK, it took a little longer than we’d expected. But here’s fresh photos of some of the items at Mrs. Darling’s, courtesy of photographer Carrie Rosema:

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Newer fall hours!

Mrs. Darling is now open 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays…. and through the end of the year, we’ll likely be open on Sunday afternoons, too!