Hipsters

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How about a private concert in a friend’s living room for a fun Saturday night?

It’s funny how some people are simply attracted to one another like magnets. You meet, start talking, and almost instantly feel that little pull, the sense that you’re going to discover there’s more connecting you than you ever expected. Camille is one of those people in my life. Every time we see each other, we seem to uncover another shared interest, another quirky similarity, or another reason to say, “Wait…you like that too?”

First and foremost, Camille and I are both thrifters, with a serious appreciation for retro vibes, vintage style, and the thrill of finding something completely unexpected. We both love the hunt for treasures, and I know to keep an eye out for anything World’s Fair-related because that happens to be one of her favorite things to collect. There’s something about knowing another person appreciates the same odd little treasures that makes you instantly feel like you’ve found one of your own kind.

We also discovered that our musical tastes overlap quite a bit. Actually, Camille is probably more aligned with Tim on that one, especially when it comes to some of his more alternative musical favorites. As it turns out, Buffalo Tom is one of her favorites too, so naturally that gave them plenty to talk about.

So when Camille and her husband booked Ted Leo to play a small, intimate concert for a handful of people right in their living room, somehow I made the cut!

And what a cool setting it was.

Camille’s house is filled with exactly the kind of things that make my eyes wander in every direction. Retro pieces, interesting finds, vintage treasures, unusual little objects, you name it. My head was basically on a swivel as I took it all in. Every time I looked around, there was another cool detail to notice, and I absolutely loved her vibe.

Then there was the concert itself.

There is something ridiculously cool, and maybe just a little bit hipster, about sitting in someone’s living room listening to a musician perform a private concert. I mean, is this what hipsters do? If so, I’m apparently one now.

As I sat listening to Ted Leo sing, my attention inevitably drifted away from the music for a moment and landed on something else that completely captured my attention: Camille’s card-catalog dresser.

Once I noticed it, 

I immediately started imagining how much fun it would be to own one myself, with all those little compartments just waiting to be filled with completely unnecessary nonsense, each drawer carefully labeled. Because clearly, what I need in my life is a piece of furniture specifically designed to organize things I don’t actually need.

And just like that, I have a new treasure-hunting quest.

Now I’ll be on the lookout for a card-catalog dresser of my very own.

After the concert, Tim and I had a chance to casually chat with Ted, and somehow the conversation turned to where he stays when he’s in Rhode Island. We figured he probably had a favorite hotel or stayed with friends.

Nope.

He owns a place.

And not just somewhere in Rhode Island.

On our street.

Seriously.

Of all the people in all the living rooms in Rhode Island, we somehow ended up at a private concert with a musician who happens to be our neighbor. We laughed at the ridiculous odds of it all. Sometimes the world really does feel incredibly small.

But let me get back to Camille’s house, because there was even more to love.

Her patio was surrounded by little strings of lights, creating the perfect cozy atmosphere, and the plants were unbelievable. She had the biggest pilea I think I’ve ever seen in my life. Of course, I immediately wanted to know everything about it...does she leave it outside all summer, how on earth did it get so big... light, water, what's the routine? 

The crossover of our interests could easily send us both down a very deep rabbit hole. Vintage finds, retro décor, collecting, plants, music, treasure hunting…there are clearly plenty of subjects for us to obsess over together.

We did discover one major area where our interests do NOT currently overlap: Camille does not play Mahjong.

Yet.

Because naturally, plans were made.

Mahjong lessons this winter.

And I think it’s only fair I invite Camille over to my house, where she can wander from room to room discovering my own collections, treasures, vintage finds, and assorted nonsense. I have a feeling she’ll appreciate them all in exactly the way I do.

Some friendships happen gradually, while others seem to click almost instantly. There are people you meet who just feel familiar, as if you’ve somehow known them longer than you actually have.

Camille feels like one of those people.

A private concert, a card-catalog dresser, a giant pilea, a shared love of vintage treasures, a future Mahjong lesson, and discovering that the musician on stage lives right down the street.

Not a bad Saturday night.

And if nothing else, I’ve learned that you never know what you’ll find when you walk into a friend’s living room.

Sometimes it’s a concert.

Sometimes it’s a kindred spirit.

Sometimes it's a neighbor.

And sometimes it’s a new item to add to your thrift-store treasure hunt.

“Some souls just understand each other upon meeting.” — N. R. Hart