Friday, April 23, 2010

make your own planner cover

Just a little pop in here to point you in the direction of this really neat project from Just Something I Made blog. It was from last week, so I am a bit late. Maybe you saw it?

She took a vintage book and a day planner and a pretty decorated file folder and made this. So nice!

Detailed directions here.



Monday, April 19, 2010

inspired

Last Thursday I got home from work and was waiting for a postcard club friend to come by and pick up some items I had photographed for the auction that was happening that next night. Friday night was the annual auction and dinner for the postcard club I am a member of, The Webfooters.

I love the Webfooters. They're a great bunch of people I am getting to know and I really like spending time with older people. At 45, I am one of the youngest ones there!

Saturday and Sunday was the annual Webfooters Sale so it was a full weekend of postcard and vintage ephemera madness. Both events were fun. I got some great stuff. I had never been to an auction before, but more about that later.

The point of this is last Thursday. It was a pleasant sunny evening and I opened the windows to let the air come in. I watched the tulips sway in the breeze and I opened my mail in the quietness of the house. In one package was a book that I had ordered.

The book was Postcards to Box 464 by Amanda Laughtland. It was the most absolute perfect time for me to receive that package and I sat in the stillness and read the book cover to cover.

Amanda, a poet and teacher, was given a box of postcards, all of which had been sent to a couple that she was very close to growing up. She took the different postcards and created poems out of them. She moved words around, changed phrasing, maybe added in some things, but all the while she tried to keep true to the postcard while also perhaps infusing it with another deeper meaning.

The result is a wonderful selection of poetry and history. The love she felt for these people who owned box 464 comes through in some way as well. And so does the love of their friends who sent postcards from all over.


October 20, 1954

At Fisherman's Wharf, we felt

like fish ourselves, lured in
by the catch of the day. I love

these restaurants for their names-

Alioto's, The Grotto, Vista Del Mar.

They sound as close to Europe

as we'll get. Had three days here

but leaving tomorrow for Reno.


Maybe I'll have some luck.

Amanda makes it look easy. I am tempted to try my hand at this kind of found poetry, but I think that it is probably much harder to do it and to do it well. The results of Postcards to Box 464 is a dreamy, friendly collection of poems that somehow manages to be carefree and deep at the same time.

It was a very pleasant hour and I am so glad I got to read this wonderful book in that way.

It is put out by a small press. If you are interested it would be such a nice thing to support small presses. You can find how to order here. Amanda's website can be found here.

Sunday, April 18, 2010

best laid plans..

I had a nasty computer virus for the last couple of weeks and have not been able to spend more than a couple of minutes on the computer. I think it is over now (knock wood) and am glad because there were blog posts I wanted to get too...now if I can just remember what they were.

While I am trying to figure that out I thought I would pop in to say hello and let you know of some neat vintage sewing patterns I put in my Etsy shop today. I am trying to help my mom make some extra money, so I volunteered to list them. I have a lot more from the late 80s and 90s's that I may list later if they don't sell when I take them to the Twilight Rummage Sale next week (Portlanders, that is on 50th and Hawthorne at the Eagles Lodge from 4-8 on Saturday).

Anyway, take a look a these if you are interested. Some of them were bought for me in 1965! Almost all seem unused.


Etsy
Buy Handmade
thecedarchest

Sunday, April 4, 2010

april is a great month for....

Another installment from my How to do Anything Better Book. Some good ideas here. Let's all go to a drive-in movie!


april is a great month for

Saturday, April 3, 2010

free moo cards!

Moo is working with Etsy to give away free business cards. Sure, the cards have a promo at the bottom that offers a discount for people on Moo cards, but since I totally like Moo and Etsy I have no problem with it. Plus, did I mention they're free!

Moo lets you use images from your Etsy shop, Facebook or Flickr account. I used my flickr account and it looks like I got about 2 of each, which means I must have used about 25 images. It was pretty fun to be able to use some of my vintage images, images of zines and other stuff, too. I got the recycled paper with a matte finish. You have a couple choices on paper.

I think there was a charge for shipping, but if I recall it was about 5 bucks. Still a totally great deal. Here is a pic of some of mine. Get some yerself! Offer expires April 30th.

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