Throwback Thursday, Holiday Edition

This doesn't look posed, does it? My mom is still pissed that she had to wear those pajamas. All she wanted was a nightgown!

Grandma had awesome style in the 1960's! I would move right in there! Curved sofa?? Swoon!

The next several days will be spent baking more cookies than I can count and attending Christmas celebrations. I just wanted to share some holiday photos for Throwback Thursday and wish you all the Merriest of Christmases!

Vintage Cookies!

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Cleveland Rocks! Part 2

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Vintage Winter Throwback Thursday

It finally got cold here in Ohio. It was in the 60's until recently and did not feel at all like December in the Midwest. Today I want to share some retro winter pictures of what I want most for Christmas....

SNOW!

My Mom in the 1960's 

 I think this is my Aunt & Uncle. Grandpa has been known to pull their sled with his car. Surprisingly, everyone survived and now he's dancing "Gangnam Style"

For good measure, I included a picture of me. Pretty sure I would be like the little brother in A Christmas Story if someone pushed me over in that getup!

Is anyone else dying for a winter wonderland or is it just me?

Cleveland Rocks! Part 1

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Helpful Tip No. 4

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Mirror to Chalkboard Makeover!

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Cyber Monday Savings!

Happy Holidays from Atomic Purple!

Starting NOW until Midnight on 11/26/2012

Thanksgiving Thursday Throwback

Happy Thanksgiving, friends! I'm thankful for a day with family, friends, and food! I'm also thankful for vintage and old family photos!

I really wish that dining set had stayed in the family!

Have a great day, everyone! What are you thankful for?

Vintage Pyrex Discovery!

Like a lot of other vintage junkies out there, I am obsessed with Pyrex! The vintage stuff was unbelievably well made! It has a million uses, can withstand very high heat, and resists chipping like no other.

I recently purchased a set of primary bowls and noticed that the bowls were marked differently than what I'm used to seeing. I did a little internet research and found out the they're marked differently because they're the oldest version and the Pyrex company wasn't numbering them yet.

Here are some subtle and not-so-subtle differences in the vintage and older vintage primary colored bowls.

I hope you guys don't mind that I totally geek out over this stuff. I know I'm not alone in my obsession!

First, notice the color difference in the red bowl. There wasn't a drastic difference in the other colors.

Next, check out the difference in the bottom curve.

Not all of the bowls in the older set are thicker, but there is a definite difference in the red.

Of course, the easiest difference to spot is the bottom marking.

And I just listed the complete set of older bowls today on Atomic Purple! Click on the photo and you'll go right to the listing!

That's the Pyrex scoop I have for you today. I'll let you know if I find out any other cool info!

Jungle Jim's Adventure!

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Helpful Tip No. 2

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Knock Knock Knock, Penny!

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Helpful Tip No. 3

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Getting Excited!

Great Monday mornings are made of coffee with friends. I started my week at my favorite coffee shop, Press, in Dayton's Oregon District.

I was meeting with my friend, Lisa, to discuss a photography workshop that she's wants to offer at Grass Roots Enrichment and Wellness Center.

You guys, I'm so excited about this! Not only am I going to have a gallery in her space, but I'm also going to teach the workshop! AND there's a possibility that I might be teaching another one for kids!

The workshop won't be until spring; but I'm already stoked to start planning the curriculum. I'm also excited to try out some new photo labs and get some of my photos up for sale at Atomic Purple soon too!

Retro Halloween

It's not a secret that I'm not a huge fan of Halloween. It's just not my thing. Since vintage is my thing, I thought I'd post some retro Halloween photos for Throwback Thursday. These are pictures of my one of the Halloween parties that my Mom's family threw in the 1960's. The costumes are kind of weird. I don't know if that's just how costumes were back then or if my family was extra quirky....

The furniture!

Do I spy a Pyrex bowl?

Best curtains EVER!

Are you dying over the furniture like I am?? I SO wish my Grandma had hung on to some (all) of it! And those curtains!!! I die. Seriously!

Happy Thursday and welcome to November! Bring on the Christmas music and pass the egg nog!

October Goal Wrap-Up

Wow! This month flew by! I didn't accomplish as many goals as I wanted to, but I enjoyed myself and that's the most important thing, right? If you missed my October goal post, you can find it here.

Here's my original list...

#1-2 The waking up early thing did not happen, well maybe a couple times, but definitely not regularly. I think I need a new approach. I also don't think I did more yoga, at least not whole sessions. I do find myself practicing various poses while I'm waiting for things and I think that counts. Anybody else do downward dog while they're waiting for the microwave to ding? Randomly plank? Just me? Moving on!

#3 I feel like I've done a good job keeping my shop stocked and am continually excited by my amazing customers! I'll keep it coming! By the way, you can sign up for my newsletter here and I'll be sending out some special deals for the holidays!

#4 I took a little too seriously. I think I read 3 books, including A Dance with Dragons by George RR Martin that is particularly massive. I also remembered why I hadn't been reading very much. I get so sucked into the world of fiction and don't get much else done. If you're into series' check out George RR Martin's series. I thought Dance was the last one, but there will be 2 more. I also highly recommend Bossypants by Tina Fey. Hil-ARIOUS!

#5 I've gotten to spend some time with friends this month and I hope to keep it up. I get pretty caught up in my own bubble and it's nice to get out and have some good conversation.

#6 It feels so good to be shooting again! I did some family portraits for some friends that may or may not show up on here. I haven't decided yet. I also took a couple trips out shooting with friends to photograph the fall foliage. I'm glad I didn't put it off. I would've missed some gorgeous colors!

#7 I don't know if I'm getting more comfortable blogging or if I'm more aware of things that I'd like to blog about, but I feel like I'm making progress. Thanks for sticking around. I hope you like what you see so far! Let me know what you think of my new autumn layout!

Finally, I'm down to the wire on #8. I might fit in some baking today, maybe not. But it will happen soon!

What do you think my goals should be for November? Suggestions are welcome!

Lately

Listening to Tristan Prettyman's new album, Cedar and Gold 
TP has a beautiful voice and I've been a fan for many years now. She's really evolved from the surfer girl sound she had on her previous albums and I am loving it! I was a little afraid to give this one a listen because I had heard it was an album written about a breakup. I was pleasantly surprised that this album is about healing and it's wonderful! Very uplifting and doesn't make me want to curl up in a ball and cry! You can listen to the whole album on Tristan's facebook page here. I bought it on iTunes and I can't get enough!

Watching Dancing with the Stars All-Star Season
I have always wanted to learn to ballroom dance! One of these days, I'll get around to it. For now, I'll live vicariously through celebrities. The phenomenal eye candy doesn't hurt either! The problem is that they're all so good this season and I don't know who to root for!

Reading The Paris Wife by Paula McClain
This is a historical fiction novel about Ernest Hemingway's first wife, Hadley. It's told from Hadley's perspective and isn't so much about art and literature as it's about people and relationships. I'm not even a Hemingway fan, but I was intrigued by this book and it turned out to be a really good read. You can buy it here. Although, I downloaded it to my nook from my local library.

Thinking about so much! Too much! I've been thinking about what I want my blog to be and that led me to some deeper thinking about what I want my life to be. All roads for me are beginning and ending with happy. Getting happy. Being happy. Staying happy. Living happy.

That's what's been going on with me lately. What about you guys?

Helpful Tip No. 1

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Grandpa Dancing Gangnam Style!

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Vintage Dress + Family Tradition

I thought I'd do a little "Throwback Thursday" on the blog today and share a family tradition. It all started with a sweet yellow dress that was bought for my Mom when she was a baby. My Grandma loved the dress so much that my Aunt wore it when she came along nearly 8 years later.

My Grandma doesn't hold to ANYTHING. She's very "Out with the old and in with the new!" Miraculously, she kept this dress for her granddaughters to wear someday.

My cousin's baby, Rikki, recently became the 10th baby in our family to have her portrait taken while wearing the dress.

Rikki waiting for her photo shoot to start

My Mom's really into digital scrapbooking and she makes beautiful pages like the one below.

Do you have a family tradition that you look forward too? Have you started any new traditions? I'd love to hear about it! Thanks for reading!

Think Pink!

I'm sure you already know that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and I want to take this opportunity to tell you about my friend Suzie. This spring, Suzie found a lump in her breast and went to the doctor to get it checked out. She was diagnosed with breast cancer and began treatment right away.

After she lost her hair to chemo, Suzie asked me if I would do some portraits. She wasn't sure if she would share them, but thought she should document this time in her life. I was happy to oblige.

Isn't she beautiful??

This month, Suzie decided to post the photos on facebook for all of her friends and family to see. She wanted to make sure that everyone realizes the importance of self breast exams. Suzie is only 32, has NO FAMILY HISTORY, and NO RISK FACTORS!

I can't even tell you how proud I am of Suzie. She has always been one of the kindest people I know and she has an amazing positive outlook. As a wife and mother of 4 young kids, she tried to keep things as normal as possible, even when the treatments wiped her out. I don't think she realizes how strong she is. She is truly an amazing woman!

She still has some more treatment to go through before this ordeal is over. I'm so excited for when Suzie can put this all behind her.

Suzie and her husband painted messages on each others' heads. Love this!

Suzie recently walked in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk in Cincinnati along with a big group of family and friends. If you'd like to make a donation to that charity here is the link to Suzie's team "The Bosom Brigade"

I had to include this shot. Not only are they getting photo bombed by their 2 youngest kids, but I  love all the laughing! It really looks like "them"!

 I love you, Suzie! Thanks for letting me share your story! XOXO

Southern Style Fried Green Tomatoes

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Yoga Doesn't Suck

Yesterday, I mentioned that one of my goals for October is to do more yoga. I'm not a health or fitness nut. I don't generally even enjoy exercise. (loathe is a better word) I'm a curl up with a good book kind of girl. Moving around is definitely not my favorite thing. So, I wanted to tell you why yoga is my exercise of choice and what I think so far.

I didn't start doing yoga to lose weight. I could use some tightening of my "wobbly bits", as Bridget Jones would call them, but that isn't the reason I do yoga. I wanted to give yoga a try for two reasons. First, I've been trying to learn to meditate. I'm a high anxiety person and need to learn to relax my mind. I think this will always be a work in progress for me, but I wanted to add yoga to the mix. Couldn't hurt, right? Second, my body hurts. Back, shoulders, neck...they ache. Just sitting. This was a new thing for me and I didn't like it. My goal is to gain strength and flexibility so my posture improves and I carry my body better. Guess what??It's working! I'm already less achy. As for the meditation thing, we'll just have to see.

Below is what I've done so far and what I would recommend for true beginners, like myself.

For starters, you'll need a sticky mat, a yoga strap (or belt in a pinch), and I like to use a yoga block too. The best prices I've found were at Marshall's & TJ Maxx.

I attempted to take a photo of my gear for you guys, but someone wanted to help and never did get out of my shot. This is Satchmo, by the way. If you follow me on Instagram (@retr0phot0), you'll see him and the other furbabies quite a bit.

I decided to do yoga at home because I didn't think I would benefit from going to a class before I even knew the names of any of the postures. Also, I there are lots of different kinds of yoga and I wanted to find one that I liked. 

Turns out, I prefer slow flow yoga. That means you hold your stretches, which I like because I feel like I get the full benefit of the stretch. (Btw, in my 20's, I wouldn't have had the patience for slow flow yoga. I probably would've liked power yoga, if I'd known what I was doing or bothered to learn.)

Yoga for Beginners with Barbara Benagh has been the best DVD I've tried. I tried 4 different DVDs that all had excellent reviews. I like this one the best because she moves slow and explains everything. Also, she says that she's not teaching you anything new. She's helping your body remember the openness and flexibility it was born with. I like that idea. It reminded me of how my nieces folded in half (for easy storage) when they were babies.

I really like the way yoga makes me feel. I think my posture is improving too. Good posture definitely has a slimming effect. I haven't lost any weight, but my niece keeps telling me I look skinny. Go figure.

I started a  free 21 day yoga challenge from the Yoga Journal website in September. It'll take me longer than 21 days to get through the whole things because I don't do it everyday. I really like that it lets me try out different instructors and techniques. That'll be helpful when I choose my next DVD. Who knows? Maybe I'll feel comfortable enough to join a class.

October Goals

Ok, guys. I'm posting my October goals up here for everyone to see. I tried to keep the list short and broad so that it didn't turn into my to-do list (it's crazy long and detailed) and so that I didn't set myself up for failure. Notice how the theme of this list is MORE and not specific numbers. Much more reachable goals.

Feel free to hold me accountable. Here they are!

1. wake up earlier

This is going to be a toughie for me. My sleep schedule has been messed up since I started staying up late to watch the Olympics. Then, I continued to stay up and watch Jimmy Fallon. It's getting ridiculous. I'm WAY more productive during daylight hours. Also, I require quite a bit of sleep..probably more than most adults would think is necessary, but I digress. Any suggestions on how to accomplish this? I'm all ears.

2. do more yoga

I don't know why I fight it. I always feel better after doing yoga. It's the actually doing it and making time for it that's the problem. I did recently start a 21 day challenge, so that should help. There's actually a lot I'd like to tell you about my recent experience with yoga, but I'll save it for tomorrow.

3. keep shop stocked

I hope this is always a work in progress because it means people like my stuff and are buying it! For October, it means that I get everything posted so there's a lot available for the upcoming holiday season. I've been adding things and updating a lot lately, so make sure you check it out!

4. read a book

I've always been a big reader. I haven't been reading too much for pleasure lately because I've been glued to my computer or out treasure hunting. I really don't think this goal is going to pose much of a problem since I just picked these up from the library...

5. spend more time with friends

This might be the toughest goal of the month (and where I try not to whine). It's hard when all your girlfriends become mommies and suddenly have families to take care of. It makes finding time to get together near impossible at times, even if they need girlfriend time as badly as I do. Anyway, I'm hoping to sneak in some coffee and lunch dates with the girls this month.

6. take more pictures

I should put post-its that say this all over my house. My mom has 2 naggy mom things that she says to me. One is "Some mascara wouldn't kill you." and the other is " What kind of photographer ARE you??" It's because I never have my camera with me when I need it. It's heavy and clunky. I don't take it everywhere. I have my camera phone in case of emergency now, but it's really not the same. My goal is to take photos for me and for this blog with my "real" camera.

7. blog more often

Working on it.

8. bake something pumpkin

It's OCTOBER. It's the law. Pumpkin baking will happen.

That's it, guys. What do you think? Do you have any goals for October?

I + Pink Bathrooms

Did I mention I love pink bathrooms? Pink anything, really. But pink bathrooms & time capsule houses make me weak in the knees.

I saw this gem today and couldn't resist snapping a quick picture with my phone.

It's by far the pinkest bathroom I've ever laid eyes on. Yes, that is a pink toilet and there's a matching tub just out of the frame. This house also had original kitchen cabinets AND a pink oven! Seriously?? I die.

That's all for today. You can learn more about pink bathrooms here and even take the pledge to save the pink bathrooms! Have a great weekend!

Soaking Up the Last of Summer

I love fall and I'm glad the sticky summer heat seems to be officially over. I'm excited for the leaves to change and to get my sweaters and boots back out; but I'm really going to miss my little garden. If you follow my instagram feed (@retr0phot0), you've seen how excited I've been to harvest all those glorious tomatoes and cucumbers! I've spent the summer feasting on cucumber and onion salad, BLT's, and pasta with fresh sauce. Yum!

While I've been preparing for winter dinners by freezing tomato puree and transplanting some rosemary and basil to pots indoors, I'm really going to miss the harvesting ritual. There's something so rewarding about picking from the garden you spent so much time planting and nurturing.

It's also become a nice bonding time for my youngest niece and me. She's 9 and such a helper. She loves to work in the garden and is very particular about which tomatoes are ripe enough to pick. She eats a good portion of the harvest as she goes and tells me about her day. It's nice. I hope she still thinks it's cool next summer.

For now, the garden's still producing veggies and I intend to take full advantage! I think there are some fried green tomatoes in my future. (Stay tuned for the recipe!) I'm also stoked that my peppers seem to love the cooler weather!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Mission

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How to be a Rad Old Lady

I went to an estate sale this week at a condo where an old lady had lived. It was full of old lady stuff. Not even the cool old lady stuff that I look for, just stuff. I checked out the ground floor and then made my way upstairs. More old lady stuff. Then, amidst all the traditional furniture and floral bedding, stood a life size cardboard cutout of Captain Jack Sparrow. Old lady was badass. I wonder what other secrets she had....

Get your own here and you too can be a rad old lady.

My Day in Photos

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When Harry Met Sally Girls' Night Freak Out

Recently, my step daughter made a visit and we had a girls' night in. We went thrifting, to dinner, and decided spend the rest of the evening watching movies and painting our nails.

I had planned to get a new release from Redbox, but when I asked my daughter if there was anything specific she wanted to see, she said, “I’ve been wanting to see When Harry Met Sally. You have that, don’t you?” What’s that? My 16 year old wants to watch my FAVORITE MOVIE OF ALL TIME?? Cool! I remember watching it with my best friend when I was her age. I was stoked.

If you’ve never seen it or even if it’s just been awhile, I suggest you watch it. First of all, it’s very funny. Second, it has an amazing soundtrack (Harry Connick Jr! swoon) Also, once you get past the scary ‘80’s fashion, it has a great story. It also makes me want to go to New York. Every. Single. Time. In autumn. Sigh.

Do I need a spoiler alert when a movie’s over 20 years old? Well, just in case, I’m about to talk about the movie!

Like I said, this is my favorite movie. I just love it. I have always identified with the character of Sally. High maintenance, but thinks she’s low maintenance. Okay, I’ve come to terms with this one. I’m high maintenance. Moving on.... Watching the movie this time, I realized that not only am I still Sally, but Sally and I are now the same age. Whoa. When did that happen?? Total new perspective.

I know the most famous part of the movie is the whole orgasm-in-the-deli scene. While it's very funny, my favorite scene has always been the one when Sally breaks down after hearing the news that her ex is now engaged. Sally's a big ball of irrational emotion, a total mess, and something I can definitely relate to. Of course, it's also hilarious!

“I’m gonna be 40!”

“When?”

“Someday!”

“In 8 years.”

Crap.

I’m gonna be 40 in eight years! That can't be right. Can it? I mean, 8 years ago I was 24 and that seems like last week! I totally know how she feels, irrational or not! Can anyone else relate to this overwhelming feeling that time is passing by WAY too fast or am I the only one having a movie moment here? I know I shouldn't worry and that I'm still young and 40 isn't even old. But every once in awhile, I go into panic mode freaking out because I'm not where I thought I'd be by this time in my life. 

Thankfully, I got a hold of myself, the kid didn't seem to notice my near hyperventilation, and I was able enjoy the rest of the movie. In the end, I'm actually really glad we decided to watch When Harry Met Sally, even with my mid movie freak out. It was a good reminder to make the most of the years I have left in my thirties and, according to Sally, “the clock doesn’t really start to tick until you’re 36” anyway. Thankyouverymuch.

We finished up our girl’s night by watching Clueless (90’s fashion this time) and girl talk until super late. I wish she lived closer so we could hang out more often. I think we both had a good time and our nails turned out great. Alas, I forgot to take pictures.

Reassessing the Blog

When I started my blog, the idea was to write a blog based on my etsy shop. It seemed like a good way to promote my business and for my customers to get to know me. I wrote a few blog posts about crafty things I’ve been doing and my photography passion, but it hasn’t been particularly shop related. …Frankly, I don’t think shop posts would make very interesting reading...Today, I found this treasure hunting and I carefully cleaned and photographed it so it’d be shop ready….snore…

So, I decided to take a break and decide what I really want my blog to be about. I read a lot of blogs and I thought about what I like and dislike about different ones I read regularly and I kind of surprised myself. Turns out, I prefer blogs with more written content than photos. Who knew? I’m a PHOTOGRAPHER! It’s crazy! I’ll elaborate on this in a later post, but yep. Crazy. I think it’s because I’m an avid reader. I like stories. I don’t want bloggers to tell me they like “this” or “that” unless they tell me why.

I like diversity. Recipes, crafts, Pinterest mishaps, personal events, gardening tips, whatever! I like to read the stories from their everyday lives. That is what I want to share with you. My stories. This is a blog about a girl that just happens to run an etsy shop of the same name. Thanks for reading.

What the Heck is ETSY??

I love Etsy.com and I'm so excited about my new shop! What has really surprised me about starting this business is how many people ask me "What's Etsy?" So, let me answer that question for you. 

Disclaimer: I am in no way responsible for your impending addiction. You have been warned.....

Etsy.com is a marketplace for the most amazing handmade and vintage lovelies that you will ever see! It's like a craft show/antique store/vintage shop right in your own home! It's a great place to find original art and vintage items online. There's something for everyone at all price points. No auctions, thousands of vendors, and the site is incredibly easy to navigate.

Etsy isn't a new site either. They just celebrated their 7th birthday and they are even offering wedding registries! How awesome is that?? You can register for handmade and vintage housewares for wedding and shower gifts!

Here is a sampling of items you can find on Etsy.com

Buy it here.

Buy this print here

Buy this sweet dress here

Get this ring here

Buy this breathtaking painting here

Pick up this personalized wallet here

The list goes on and on! Go check it out and tell me how much you love it. Heck, tell everyone! Shout it from the rooftops, I am.

And visit my shop here while you're at it!

Atomic Love at Target

I think paint-by-number kits are adorably kitschy and I'm so excited about this new one from Target!

They're Charley Harper prints! You can get them here and they're on sale right now! Happy painting!

Photo Groovin'

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Spice Rack Makeover!

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Green Gardening for Pest Control

The weather has been just gorgeous here lately! I've been taking advantage by gardening my little heart out! So, I thought I'd pass along a couple cool tricks I've picked up along the way that have saved me a lot of aggravation.

Ever heard of a mosquito plant?

Mosquito Plant

A friend told me about them a few years ago and now I can't make it through summer without them! The real plant name is Citrosa Geranium and it's a geranium that smells like (you guessed it!) citronella. I like to plant mosquito plants in pots and keep them on my porch and patio. It's a great natural way to keep pesky mosquitoes away. I'm an absolute mosquito magnet and not a fan of bug spray so I even like to rough up the greenery a little to get the scent moving in the breeze and, while I'm at it, I rub the oils on my arms and legs for an all natural bug repellent. Works like a charm!

I'm sure you've seen these guys before....

Marigolds

Marigolds are easy to grow and take care of. I'm not crazy about the way they look. I generally think they look like dandelions. ( Although, the orange in the pictured flowers IS rather nice.) They do have a secret power and it's in their scent. Have you ever taken a whiff of a marigold? They stink. like. skunk. Totally gross, right?

EXCEPT...We're not the only creatures repulsed by the skunky smell. Plant some marigolds around the border of your vegetable garden to deter rabbits, squirrels, and other thieving varmits and keep your tomatoes safe!

That's all I have for today! Do you have any green gardening tips of your own? I'd love to hear them!

Just Keep Swimming!...Figuring Out My New Etsy Career

This business stuff is some hard work! I'm loving the treasure hunting part of my job. It's just so fun to dig through other people's junk! I have so many awesome treasures I want to share with you, but I've been so wiped out from all the hunting that it's been tough getting everything cataloged, photographed and uploaded!...Is it too early to hire an assistant?

Here are a some of my faves that I've found time to post:



And here's a little preview of what's coming next:

I hope you like what you see so far! There's much more to come!

Also, I snagged some cool retro shelves and spice racks that are in pretty rough shape. I'll be giving them makeovers soon and posting the pics for you all to see! Thanks for reading!