Entry 49, Kimberly for winning two concert tickets. I will email you today with info about the concert you chose. Please reply by Friday or I will reselect a winner.

Plus, come back on Thursday for my next Fun in the Sun giveaway for Luau on the Lake!

Once in Ohio (etsy.com/shop/OnceinOhio) features great Ohio vintage shopping online

Between adjusting to the new job, getting ready to host tomorrow’s PlayhouseSquare scavenger hunt (still time to get tickets!), and tidying up the house after the Great Furniture Move of 2013, I haven’t felt this pressed for time since chairing Jump Back Ball – yikes!

When there’s not enough time to get lost in a good comic book or unwind with a glass of wine, I turn to something more immediate for a break.

Which is how I always find myself browsing Etsy and other online craft and vintage shops.

And what’s better than a vintage shop? Shopping for Cleveland vintage goods from the comfort of my couch!

Heart of Cleveland postcard. All photos courtesy of Once in Ohio and linked to their Etsy page.

After starting his online vintage shop NickaDizzy, a former coworker of mine Dale Luckwitz found he was discovering a lot of great old treasures from Ohio’s past. Beautiful postcards depicting the Cleveland of old (check the link to see what Cleveland Clinic used to look like), a vintage ‘Outdoor Ohio’ travel guide, and even a pre-RTA Cleveland Transit Society safe driving pin.

So Dale started up an etsy shop and blog – Once in Ohio – dedicated to all things Ohio vintage.

Right now his store features over 100 items with prices ranging from $2.95 to $80. But the vast majority of items are under $20 – extremely good deals on some of these items.

Greetings from Monkey Island! This postcard makes me smile every time.

My Top 10 favorites:

• B.F. Goodrich’s Wonder of Rubber Comic Book – $17
• “We’re at Monkey Island” Cleveland Zoo Postcard – $6
• Stylized Vintage Drawing of the Sheraton-Cleveland (now Downtown CLE’s Renaissance hotel) – $6
• Golden Jubilee Celebration Book from Cleveland’s St. Mary of Czestochowa Parish (68 pages in Polish and English) – $8
• Vintage Linen 1940s Postcard of the Cleveland Museum of Art – $3.95
• “This is Cleveland” 1946 Calendar Book with Photos – $18
• Ohio Railway Spikes from Cleveland Interurban Railroad – $8
• “The Heart of Cleveland” Pre-Terminal Tower Postcard – $7.95
• Lakewood Little Theatre Playbill from 1939 – $6

and

• Big Chuck and Lil’ John Ultimate Fan Package – $80

That last one is pretty fantastic for the Big Chuck and Lil’ John fan in your life because it comes with 7 records of songs played at the beginning, end, and in between breaks of the show, a signed photo, vintage sweater, and book of Polish proverbs.

Big Chuck and Lil John Ultimate Fan Pack

In addition to his store, Dale just started a blog that digs a little deeper into the history (and mystery) behind some of his vintage finds.

Take a look at his post about an antique beer bottle from the Huebner-Toledo Breweries Company for an interesting lesson on Prohibition.  And if you have your own story of Ohio’s past, share it on the Once in Ohio facebook page.

The upside to last year’s dress debacle and scrambling for a last minute replacement is that I learned how much I love Etsy. A few accessories can take any dress and tie it into the theme.

Another lesson I learned from last year is the need to get my dress early – a dark blue one-shoulder gown that didn’t break the bank and is a great base for a Mrs. Peacock ensemble.

With the dress in hand, I turned to Etsy. From head to toe, I’ve found plenty of Peacock-themed ideas on the site.

Hair-raising Jump Back Ball Accessories:

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All That Glimmers…Jump Back Ball Jewelry:

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Dress Up Those Dancing Shoes:

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And to complete my outfit, this vintage coat from one of my favorite Cleveland shops Room Service (who is now doing wedding planning for you soon-to-be Cleveland brides): 

The only thing left on my Jump Back Ball to-do list: What’s a Clue costume without a weapon?

Or in my case, a handmade brooch inspired by Peacock’s weapon of choice. A trip to Pat Catan’s is in my near future – especially with this weekend’s coupons.

Going to this year’s Jump Back Ball on Feb. 23? Need some accessories to spice up your outfit?

Here’s what a quick search got me. Someone please buy the Hungry Hungry Hippos hat – I’m kind of in love with it:

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Share your Jump Back Ball fashion ideas in the comments!

This is part 4 in my Jump Back Two Spaces series. Check out my previous posts:

• Part 1: Getting into Character
• Part 2: Jump Back Hair-spiration with ONE Styling and Dino Palmieri
• Part 3: Upcoming Events – Jump Back Ball Edition

Enter to win a BolsitaBebe Change Purse for Charity inspired by the Eastside's Coventry Village. Pictured here is her Athens design.

When Scott and I lived in Shaker Heights, one of our favorite Eastside neighborhoods to visit (still is – even though we’re in Avon Lake) was Coventry Village.

There’s Big Fun, wine at La Cave du Vin, delicious food at Tommy’s, and I can thank City Buddha for helping me find some unique accessories for this year’s Jump Back Ball.   As Coventry-resident Elizabeth noted in Clue Into Cleveland’s first guest post, the neighborhood is also home to plenty of people-watching opportunities.

Because of this, when Jodi Schwaben told me about her handmade BolsitaBebe Change Purses for Charities, I realized her Coventry-inspired purse would be the perfect item for my second giveaway!

Jodi, who has the unique ability to combine classic taste with artistic and fun twists, names each handmade change purse after a different city or neighborhood (I just bought the Ohio City purse).  And for every purse purchased, she donates $1 to a new charity each month.

In April, BolsitaBebe raised funds for The Ronald McDonald House. This month’s non-profit is the Cleveland APL, an organization close to my heart because of my rescue cat Chloe.

One of my favorite things about Jodi’s change purses is that she writes up a little story on each one, tying in aspects of the place they are inspired by. For the Coventry Village purse, she writes:

Whether you’re at the Inn working the crossword or sipping on a Tommy’s milkshake, the Coventry Change Purse will keep your essentials close and your hands free so that you can clap for that awesome indy band at the Grog Shop.”

The Coventry Village Change Purse is brand new and not yet up on the BolsitaBebe Etsy site, so the winner of the Clue Into Cleveland giveaway will be the first person to receive this limited design.

Support a local designer and nonprofit by ordering a BolsitaBebe change purse or
enter my giveaway for the Coventry Village design!

There are 6 Ways to Enter The Giveaway
**You must leave a separate comment on this post for each entry**

1) Mandatory first entry: Leave a comment on this post telling me your favorite part about Coventry Village.

2) Follow @ADHicken AND @BolsitaBebe on Twitter

3) Twitter users can get an extra entry each day for tweeting: “Check out @ADHicken’s Clue Into #CLE #giveaway for a @BolsitaBebe Coventry Village Change Purse http://wp.me/pPIgG-za #etsy”.  Each day you do this, you must leave a new comment.

4) Click “like” on Clue Into Cleveland‘s AND BolsitaBebe Designs‘ Facebook pages. 

5) Follow Clue Into Cleveland through NetworkedBlogs.

6) Add my blog to your Google Reader (or add me to a blog roll if you have one). 

You have until Monday, May 23rd  at 11:59PM to enter.  And remember to leave a separate entry for each one of these that you accomplish – Good Luck!

***

Disclosure: BolsitaBebe offered one change purse to give away to a lucky reader (to be selected via Random.org on Tuesday, May 24th). As always, my thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.