a little of this and that

These tea spoons are a recent auction find. My partner found them in the bottom of a box with some other items and gave them to me because they have my initial.

Another recent score. Have you ever seen a scale like this one? It was a first for both of us.  I'm a sucker for anything white and rusty, and it's accurate, too.

However, I'm not certain that it's staying with me. It may take that one-way ride to the booth.

Isn't this little sewing machine adorable? There's a cover for it also. (behind it to the left)  As much as I like it, and it is rather small, it's either going to the booth, or I'll set it aside for the etsy shop I keep threatening to open.

Well, this weekend is the big day.

 I'm plunging. And there is snow in the forecast for tomorrow. eeeeek.

I've decided this is where I'm going to go in my mind. Think it will help? Hopefully, there will be at least one photo of the event. I promise to share it. There are costumes involved. heh.

What about you? What plans do you have for the weekend?

hope you stay warm!
xo
maureen

vintage collections and a question for you

The above photo is my 365 photo for Tuesday. I haven't played with textures much lately, so I decided to give some new textures a try. I used two wonderful textures from CKC Photography, she shares her lovely textures free on her website, you can find them here. I purchased the book on the bottom from the thrift store recently. I love the title, Homemakers' Encyclopedia, and the nice turquoise color. I seem to be finding (and bringing home) vintage books lately. So that brings me to a question. How many items does a collection make?

You know how it begins. Something catches your eye at a flea market, or tag sale. It could be a colored glass jar, a lovely cake pedestal or *ahem* a vintage camera, and you bring it home. While at another early Saturday morning yard sale, you see another, and the price is too good to pass up. Without even thinking you bring it home. And then a maybe a friend notices that you have them, and gives you one she's had sitting around, unused and unloved. The next thing you know, you have three of them. I think three's the number, with three, it's official, you have a collection.

That's happened to me with vintage typewriters. I wanted one. One. I asked my friend and business partner if he had any. (We share booth space in a small antique mall.) Nope, but he sure has the connections.  And now, I have five of them. Five.

The only problem is, I'm trying to downsize. I moved into my  small house with the intention of sorting through my old crap treasures and keeping only the things I really love, and getting rid of everything else. Everything has to have a place, a home within my home. No more hoarding storing things in the basement. (I allow myself to keep seasonal decorations in the basement, but I've thinned much of that out also.)

I have to say, I love these old typewriters, each one is different but they all have a simple utilitarian beauty all their own.

I love photographing them also. They are perfect for using in a vintage still life and adding some texture.

And sometimes, even when you know you shouldn't, you can't help yourself. It's one you don’t already have,  a color you've never seen or a price that you just can't pass up.

Like this Royal model. It's big. Big and heavy, and rusted and the keys are stuck (yes, I know all about WD40, I'm still spraying it). But just look at those key caps. They are glass and they are gorgeous.

The to-good-to-pass-it-up price on this one? $2.00. Yes. Two dollars. U.S.

This is the newest addition. It's in fabulous condition. I was surprised at how easy it is to type on it also. Nooooo, not as easy as my computer keyboard. But still. The keys are really smooth. Another interesting thing is each model makes a different sound when the keys strike the paper.

That's the bell. You know, to let you know when you get to the edge of the paper. Remember? And then you had to reach up your left hand and push the carriage back to the right? Oh. You don't remember? Heh.  I do. I have to confess. I learned to type on one of these when I was in high school. 

The bottom line? I can't keep them all. They are going to have to find a new home. At least three of them are going to take a one-way ride to the antique booth. I have it narrowed down to two that will stay, which one would you keep?

And about selling in an antique booth? It's always been a dream of mine. However, not surprisingly, it's not exactly as I had imagined. I had thoughts of getting all the crap great vintage treasures out of my house, finally.

Wrong.

Now I have even more lovely vintage collectibles in my home waiting for that one-way ride. This is what my back porch looks like.

In case you can't quite make it out. There are seven doors, three tables, one book case, two shelves, one dorm size refrigerator, four wooden folding chairs, a small white child's chair, a vintage high chair, a wooden bench, a set of wicker furniture, a wooden trellis,  and if you look carefully, another typewriter. And a few other back porchy kind of things, snow shovels, ice melt, gas grill and recycle bin. And one dead plant. I know you are jealous now.

Just keepin' it real.

xo maureen

giveaway winner

Thank you every one for your sweet comments on my Polar Plunge post. And thanks to all who were able to donate! With your help I've raised $250 for a great cause. It's been unseasonably warm here, high in the 70s today. As luck would have it, the forecast for the weekend is back in the 40s. But, that's certainly better than below freezing. Hopefully I'll have photos from the plunge, because the team I'm participating with is dressing up for the plunge. I'm certain it will be quite the spectacle.

Okay, according to Mr. Wizard Random Number Generator the winner is Kat, from The Kat Eye View.

Yay! Contact me Kat and let me know what color you would prefer.

Thanks again everyone, for your support for the Special Olympics.

After spending hours finding inspiration on Pinterest, I was motivated to do some of the projects I've had in mind for my living room. It's not all done, and I'm planning a post with some of the changes, until then, here's a sneak preview.

 

I'm totally ready for lighter, spring colors. How about you? Have you made any changes to your living spaces as we anticipate warmer weather and longer days?

I'm also musing at Mortal Muses today. I'd love it if you could stop by and say hello.

I hope you have a wonderful week,

xo maureen

very pinteresting

Happy Friday. Hard to believe the weekend is here already. Hope you've had a good week, and are coming down off that Valentine chocolate high without any ill effects. I haven't posted much this week, but I have a good reason. Just as I am working out ways to make better use of my online time, I discovered a new website. A new timesucker website. But timesucking in such a good way.

*WARNING* What I'm about to tell you may cause you to lose hours of your time lost in inspiration.

Here goes.

Pinterest is a new website, and in my opinion, a brilliant idea for a website. Honestly I can't believe someone didn't think of this before now. {or maybe someone did, and I just have no idea}

from the website:

What is Pinterest? Pinterest is a social catalog service. Think of it as a virtual pinboard — a place where you can post collections of things you love, and "follow" collections created by people with great taste.

So here's how it works. Pinterst allows you to create virtual inspiration boards of all of those cool ideas you find on the web. You create your own boards, name them what you want and start adding images. As you surf the web and find an image you'd like to save, you 'pin' it to your inspiration board. It's different than copying, or downloading the image to your computer. And it works much better than bookmarking the URL in your favorites. When you pin an image it retains the location of the original image. You only have to click on the image on your pin board to be taken to the original location where you found it. Perfect. You aren't stealing a photo and it allows you to revisit the website for any additional information.
You can share your inspiration boards and subscribe to other 'pinners' boards. You can also browse pinned photos from all users in different categories and 're-pin' them to your board. I know, is your head spinning with it all? Trust me. It's good.



Okay. So enough talking about it. Go, have a look yourself. I have a link on my side bar to my pin boards. Or you can look at popular pins here. I think you have to have an invitation to join the site to create your own pin boards. If you're interested, let me know, I have a couple of invitations left. Happy pinning. :)

What do the photos in this post have to do with Pinterest? Nothing. Just some random photos on my camera.

Have an inspired weekend.
xo
maureen

happy valentine's day

I tried all weekend to write this post. And real life kept me busy, that happens. All I’ve managed to do is take some photos of some of my Valentine’s Day decorations around my house.

So I decided to post them anyway.

I hope you have a sweet day, full of love.

And maybe a sweet surprise or two.

 

That sweet subway art sign in the back was a gift from Jan @twoscoopz. She may or may not still have the link up for  you to grab  your own copy. (Hurry, she said the link would be up through Monday evening)

That’s my Mom and Dad in the photo below.

The fabulous heart in the photo below, belongs to a friend, who let me borrow it for a photo shoot. It's a very vintage, very cool large, red, tin heart. Wouldn't it be the perfect prop for engagement photos or wedding photos?

Happy Valentine's Day!

xo

maureen

I'm in denial

I'm in denial. It's been going on for a few months now. But I have to face it. The big event is looming.

Before Christmas I agreed to become part of a team. A team of otherwise normal individuals. What makes this group of people different is one event. Each year, before spring is officially here, this group of extraordinary individuals gather at a local lake. Before spring is here, people. Once gathered, they throw themselves into the icy cold water. Before. Spring. Is. Here. That means there is very likely ice in the water, heh, icy cold water. Have I mentioned how much I dislike the cold?

I know you have to be asking yourself "woman why?!" by this point. Good question. It's for a great reason. Yes, we're Freezin' for a Reason, I'm doing a Polar Plunge. For the privilege to join this extraordinary team, I am raising funds for the Special Olympics of Illinois.

I'm currently training for a half marathon and I enjoy being physically active and competing. This is a great opportunity to help others experience the joy of participating and competing in athletic activities.

I am collecting donations to help provide this opportunity to more than 21,000 athletes with intellectual disabilities and more than 4,000 young athletes ages 2-7 of Special Olympics Illinois. I would appreciate any support you can give for this worthy cause. You can make an online donation of any amount, in my name, through a secure website directly to Special Olympics by clicking here.

And to reward your generosity I'm going to join more than 5000 people statewide and voluntarily jump into freezing cold water in the middle of winter. Did I really just say that? *shiver*
My plunge date is February 26, I hope we have an early spring thaw.



Wondering what the photo of fabric and camera strap have to do with this post? I'm also offering a giveaway for a custom camera strap cover. Leave a comment on this post for one chance to win. If you make a contribution, in any amount, to Special Olympics Illinois through my web page, you'll get another chance to win. After you make a donation, just come back here and leave me a comment on this post letting me know.


Once a winner is chosen, I'll contact you about details of your strap size and color preference. I'll leave this open for a week, and announce the winner February 19.

Thanks so much!
xo maureen

the color purple

Happy Purple Tuesday purple peeps. Hope you are staying warm where you are. Today's high is in the teens here. I made myself a cuppa hot chocolate this morning and took a little time to enjoy my newest copy of Where Women Create. Have you seen this magazine? Such gorgeousness, you really should have a look at it.

Do you get emails from Etsy, with fabulous collections of items for sale on the site? Somehow I must have signed up for them, and they are so much fun. Always a collection of things for sale around a theme. I received an email collection yesterday and it was all purple items! Purple jewelry, accessories, fashion, bath & beauty, home decor and even purple for him. You can check it out here.

It's been awhile since I've done a purple mosaic. The photos below are not mine, they are taken by some of the wonderful photographers on Flickr, and added to the ♥happy purple tuesday♥ flickr group. If you love purple, you really should take some time and have a look at the amazing purple photography added there. You can also click on the link below the mosaic to be taken to the photographers photo stream.

1. purple gloriousness, 2. Do I look sharp?, 3. ¡, 4. Dahlia in bloom, 5. Kind of crayon, 6. snowy purple [wk3], 7. wild violet, 8. PURPLE BLOOM, 9. Mini-Frosted Fence Posts!, 10. “How many pictures of spring flowers in glass jars can she take?” they asked. , 11. You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty. Mahatma Gandhi, 12. IMG, 13. stick figures

I spent a bit of time with PSE playing with my photo above. I can't quite decide which version I like best.
The photo below I used Pioneer Woman's Soft Faded action, to well, soften it. I really like the softness. But I also like the pop of color on the first image. I used PW's Boost action on the first photo.  If you haven't tried actions, PW's set are a great set to begin with. Lots of different effects and they are free and simple to download and install.



What do you think? Burst of color or soft and faded? Have a great Tuesday!

xo
maureen

the color of winter

I don't have much of a green thumb when it comes to house plants. They tend to be such needy things. You know, things like sun and water. I have a tendency to forget the water part, and sun during the winter can be elusive. But this plant has been with me for over 10 years, and many moves. When I taught, it was in my classroom and the children took care of it. I was only responsible for  it over summer break. It always flourishes in the heat and humidity of Midwest summers. For the last five or six winters it's had to struggle through with only me to occasionally take notice of it. And for a few winters it was always in danger of being nibbled on  by Queen Ripson, the house royalty cat . 

This winter has been different. The only place in the house where I could find room and light for it is in my bedroom. It has been a pleasure to wake up each morning to be greeted by a vibrant green reminder of summer. And I have made a point to tend to it more carefully. We have both survived the winter better this year.

Perhaps it's been the company.

While I enjoy a bit of color in my room, it is still rare to find color outdoors right now. I took this shot last week during the ice storm we had. Recently as I watched some tutorials from Kim Klassen, I threw this texture on top of this photo as I was practicing some PSE tips. When I sat down at my computer the next morning it was still on the screen. And I thought, how true, there is beauty to be found during winter.

xo

maureen

photo challenges and a winner

This weekend I'm participating in two photo challenges. One is hosted at Kim Klassen's Test Kitchen. Players submit an SOOC (straight out of the camera) image to the flickr pool. Then each person chooses someone else's photo to process. I chose this lovely photo {above} of a vintage sled, taken by beachscooter. I then used three of Kim's textures to process it. Of course I wanted a vintage feel to the finished photo. I was pretty happy with the final image. {mouse over to see the original}

Over at  twoscoopz the word for this week for  Focus 52 is framed. It was the perfect opportunity for me to take my vintage Kodak Duaflex camera out to try some TtV photography.

You can find out more about using vintage cameras and TtV here.



Processed with Pioneer Woman's sepia actions.

Processed with Pioneer Woman's 70s actions.

I think I said I would post the winner of the copy of Artful Blogging on Wednesday. Um. Yeah. Well, it's been a busy week? Do you have snow where you are? Because we do, and while it's pretty, {until you have to go out and shovel it} can I just say I'm so over it? I woke up to another four inches of the white stuff this morning. *sigh*

Thank you to all of you who left such sweet comments on the Artful Blogging post. And welcome new visitors from Artful Blogging.

Okay, the giveaway. I did the random number generator thing and copied it, but for the life of me I can't figure out how to put it in my post. I know I did it before, but apparently I've used up all my brain cells getting the mouse over to work on my last post.

Alrighty then, drum roll please . . .
and the winner is . .
Suzanne from Meridian Road!





Suzanne, come on down . . . you're the next contestant . . . oh, sorry, wrong game.

If you're not familiar with Suzanne's blog, stop by and give her some bloggy love. She has a gorgeous home, and the most creative and inspired DIY and trash to treasure projects. Rumor is, Pottery Barn trolls her blog for ideas. See for yourself here.

These lockers are one of my favorite make over projects of hers. Aren't they gorgeous?

She created this trumeau mirror from an old wooden door, and won a montly contest at DIY club. 

She is so clever and creative.

 

Congrats Suzanne, send me your snail mail info.

Hope you all have a super fun super bowl Sunday.

xo

maureen