Brand-New Calendars in the Shop

I hope you guys all have wonderful plans for Thanksgiving! The husband and I are spending it together, just the two of us. We've been prepping for it all night!

I just wanted to drop a quick note and let you know that I have these brand-new one-page 2013 calendars up in the shop. They feature vintage details like flourishes and a chalkboard look but with modern style. I'm really excited about them - this is the first time I've offered calendars!

The one above features a vintage penmanship bird, made of whimsical calligraphic flourishes and curves. It has a chalkboard-type background that gives it a bit of an one-room Victorian schoolhouse look, but the fonts are modern script and serif versions.

The quote on the banner on this one reads, "And now we welcome the new year, full of things that have never been." It's a Rainer Maria Rilke quote that I've always loved - it just perfectly sums up all the hope and promise and dreams you feel when a new year begins! It has vintage-style flourishes framing "2013" as well.

Here's a white version, in case that goes with your decor better. I hope you guys like the new pieces!

I will be running special deals from tomorrow through Tuesday, so check the shop if you've been waiting for a sale in the store.

Happy Thanksgiving, hope you have a wonderful day however you choose to spend it!

1915 New York City Flower Show on Flickr

These photos of women with flower baskets are perfect for bringing a little sunshine to a rainy spring day! They look so suited for the season with their wide-brimmed hats trimmed with ribbon, their light and long cotton dresses, and their baskets filled with flowers they've collected.

 

I wonder about the story behind these shots. Are the flowers grown by the women themselves, ready to be judged at the show, or are the women the judges collecting their favorites from the stalls? Maybe they're selling the flowers as souvenirs to visitors.

At any rate, these photos might finally get me to spring for a straw hat with ribbons dangling down the back for pairing with colorful, vintage-inspired spring dresses and days at the beach.

Click on the photos to view them larger on Flickr!

Holiday Paper Flowers for Sephora

These white gardenias, poinsettias, holly leaves, and snowflakes created by Antlre Inc. for installation in Sephora stores are seriously inspiring me this holiday season!

I'm itching to create my own poinsettias, mistletoe balls, and icicles out of white or iridiscent paper and deck the halls (and every other surface) with them.

See more from their install here.

How are you decorating for the holidays?

Life Magazine's Penguins Around the World

Life Magazine has wonderful slideshows on their website featuring the kinds of photos they're known for - memorable photos that put a smile on your face and become instant favorites.

These are from their "Penguins Around the World" slideshow. It combines modern photos like the last one shown above with vintage snaps like the black and white ones I've selected.

I can't tell which I like the best - I love old photos but the vibrant shades in the color ones shown just jump right out at you. I love the mossy green on the mountainside, and the bright red pop of the penguin's Santa suit. Which do you like the best?

See more of Life Magazine's amazing photos here.

DIY Photo-Topped Box

I had this round box just sitting around in my basement, taking up space. I wasn't crazy about the lighthouse scene on the top, but I wasn't sure what to recover it with. While looking through Martha Stewart one day, I saw a candy box she'd made with a photo top and it sparked an idea.


First I repainted the bottom and the sides of the top in a lovely pale green. It's one of my favorite colors, and reminds me of the green sea grasses blowing the salty air.


Since the box held sand dollars collected one sunny summer day, I decided to top the box with a black and white photo of the beloved beach they'd come from. We still fondly call that morning "The Day of the Sand Dollars" - we'd find one sticking out of the sand, pull it out, and then find many more in the same spot. I think we each found 12 - 15 each that day...and we've never found that many since, no matter how many times we've looked!


I printed the photo a bit larger than the top, let the ink dry, and then centered the top over the photo as a guide and traced around it with a pencil. I carefully cut it out and applied it to the top with Modge Podge. I then applied a few more coats of Modge Podge to the top as a sealant.


If the photo hangs over the edges a bit, you can fix it after the top coat has dried. Just flip the top over and cut off the extra with a sharp X-Acto knife or boxcutter.

Boxes like these make great keepsake gifts. You could use a portrait of you & your spouse, your family, or a photo that reminds you of a special day like I did! Color photos work as well, I just like the way the grey tones pop against the more colorful bottom.

For a holiday twist, add snowflake pictures to the top and make the bottom a bright blue or red!

Photographs by Darren Samuelson

Darren Samuelson is the gifted photographer behind these misty, magical snaps of San Francisco. From top to bottom, they feature the city in the early morning, Alcatraz, and Land's End.

An afficionado of old film cameras, Darren recently created his own ultra-large format version that takes pictures on 14" x 36" xray film.

See more of his photos, including his new xray ones, here.

Ranunculus Season

It's ranunculus season! They look like miniature roses, but the petals almost have little ridges on the edges and they have little nubs in the center.

You can find them in various shades of red, orange, pink, and yellow but the white ones are my favorite! They add this bright freshness to a room - I glance at this lovely bouquet every time I pass through the kitchen.

Amazing Night Photography by Scott Lanphere

This photo of Big Ben was my background for months last year, and now Scott Lanphere has even more incredible night shots to choose from in his gallery!

It's amazing how well he captures the lights glowing in the dark velvety night. The contrast of shadow and streetlights (or moonshine, as in the top photo) really draws you in and makes you notice every little detail. I also really love the blur that the fog creates in the London photo!

See more of Lanphere's photography here.

Munich's Marchenball

Aren't the costumes in these photos amazing? I think the hare and badger (or is it something else?) picture is my favorite. It reminds me of the book The Wind in the Willows.

The images were taken at the Marchenball in Munich on February 15, 1862. The ball was thrown by "Jung-München", one of the city's most famous artists' societies in the 19th century.

These lovely photos, and 23 others from the dance, were put up for auction recently (with a starting bid of a mere 15,000 Euros). You can see the listing here.

I only wish they'd posted more photos from the collection in the catalog!

Russian Street Scenes

I love vintage photographs (especially black and white ones), so I was immediately charmed by these images of vendors in old Moscow.

See more at English Russia!

New City Series

I've added a new series of city-themed prints to my shop. Vintage images of London, New York City, and Paris decorate the backgrounds while a mix of vintage and script fonts proclaims, "A Bad Day in {City Featured} is still better than a good day anywhere else".

These prints were inspired by my love of travel. We all have favorite places, and favorite cities. When we're there, whether visiting somewhere close to home or somewhere thousands of miles away, life just seems easier and the days are rose-colored. Even a bad day in a favorite place is better than a good day somewhere else!

If you'd like a version of this featuring your favorite place, don't hesitate to ask! I can easily customize this print.

Keep Calm Holiday Cards

New "Keep Calm Holiday Cards" are now in my shop! The 6-card set includes two each of these messages: "Keep Calm and Jingle On" accented with a jingle bell, "Keep Calm and Kiss On" topped with a sprig of mistletoe", and "Keep Calm and Revel On" decorated with a bottle of champagne popping open.

They are blank inside, but custom messages can be added free of charge! Each 4" x 5.6" card comes with a matching white envelope.

(Low-res images shown to protect copyright, but all cards and prints are perfectly crisp!)

You can visit my shop here!

The Beach

Amazing photo, titled "The Beach" by Philip Effraim. The mist really sets off the silhouettes of the palm trees and the beachcomber.

Friday Smiles

Hope this brings a smile to your face - have a great weekend everyone!

Lovely London

I was lucky enough to study abroad in London when I was younger. Ever since then, I've longed to move back, even if only for a month or two. This beautiful photo by Scott Lanphere only intensifies the yearning! It's absolutely stunning, so full of detail, movement, and light.

Mirror the Sky

This is such an amazing photograph - the mirrors are so seamless and pristine that they mirror the surrounding streets and overhanging sky perfectly. I wish the uploader had posted more information about it!

Photo Find

I love this photo of two people kissing while dressed up as martians. I wish I knew more about it!

Happiness

This lovely black and white photo was posted by Lara. I love how it just exudes happiness. It has such a playful feel - the cluster of balloons floating skyward, her leg lifted just slightly, and the expression on her face. The tiny little flowers in the foreground and the fluffy clouds in the background are wonderful details as well!

Black and White Beauties

Just wanted to share a set of three beautiful, black & white photographs from OrionTrail's gallery.

Black and White and Beautiful

This is my favorite photograph in the online portfolio of Roamin'. The aged stones in the wall, the curves and shadows of the hill, the wisps of clouds in the sky - all these little details combine to make a captivating, beautiful photograph.

See more of the portfolio here.