Time for a new hobby or perfect an old one?

I have never been much of a sewer.  Always had sewing disasters; breaking needles, loosing patience, blowing up machines.  All which is rather sad considering my Mum is an ace at it.  My Mum mostly, but also with my Aunty, Nana and my eldest Sister helping made my gorgeous wedding outfit.  A four piece golden satin and silk number.  I'm feeling nostalgic as it was nearly 10 years ago, so I must post some wedding pic's.  Photography by Mark at Joshua Corporation, March 2002.  

If only sewing was a talent you instantly inherit.   But you know what I would take up sewing if I had this gorgeous machine like the new limited edition 160 Singer.  But I could also do with a new camera equipment as well.   

Knitting, on the other hand was something that did gel when I was younger.  I managed to knit myself a cabled cricket jersey, crochet pillow covers and blankets.  Fairly basic things, but still fun.  Though of lately with working, young children, writing, internet and blogging zapping my time, I haven't knitted since my children were little and I wonder if I would still remember how to cast on?  

Crafts such as these are such a precious thing, often taught by Mums and Grandmothers.  Have you thought about this too in the past?  I'm feeling the need to get back to my roots and brush up on some skills so I can pass them onto my children and their children.

  

To my Daughter Amber..."I will make your cake and decorate it, but just please don't ask me to make your wedding gown!"        

A Tribute

Day 34-366

A tribute to the 1931 Hawke's Bay Earthquake

Hastings City Centre 3rd February 2012

Today, 81 years ago at 10.47am a 2 & a 1/2 minute 7.8 magnitude earthquake shook Hawke's Bay.  The earthquake and fires to follow  without remorse took the lives of 256 people, with thousands injured.  Hastings and Napier cities were hit the most, both cities were almost levelled.   

There is so much more to tell about this earthquake, many of you know so much already.  My Nana has shared her tragic memories with me of the quake, to endure such a thing as a young school child would have been horrific.

Today in the centre of Hastings City there was a tribute, I was unable to attend due to work commitments, however upon taking my son into town after school we were able to site the tribute "HB Tribune Ltd" papers hanging up.  Lovely to see and read some pages quickly.  I will go back to read some more.

I hope to photograph some more of Hawke's Bays building's too over the next year,  Art Deco and Spanish Mission architecture is a love of mine.  With being a born and breed Hastings girl, there is plenty of it here to amuse me, thanks to the rebuild.   

Sadly earthquakes are much to common in New Zealand and in the Pacific Ring of Fire.  Often I wonder why we live here,  yes it's a beautiful to be and we are very lucky to be here.  But we can't live in fear. 

Years pass, People grow stronger cities rebuild, some a little faster than others.  I constantly think of Christchurch and my friends there.  Those Southerners are a hardy lot and I wish them much love and support!  I wonder what Christchurch architecture will be like when they are able to rebuild.  Will it be a themed style, eco friendly, Advant Guarde or plain Jane Modern and up most safe?  

       

  

Shoe's

Day 21-366 Red Shoes

Oh gosh, it has been a week since I have blogged.  It has been a busy week of looking after my sick hubby,  birthday's, organising my son's holiday social life, work and play.  Please forgive me my kind readers.  

I am not a huge shoe fan, I don't have a fetish and a closet full of shoes.  Personally I would rather buy a few really good quality shoes that are guaranteed to last a number of years, like my Doc Martens boots that I bought in pre veg days. I guess what my Mum said many years ago has stuck "You wont get rich by buying shoes all the time".   

I have been a vegetarian off and on for the past 12 years.  For the past four years I have been a full vegetarian and will not buy leather or animal based shoes (including the glue).  How is this story vintage you might be asking.  Here I go again gambling on.  But this afternoon I was wondering what to shoot for my vintage inspired photo a day project.  When I stumbled onto a Vegan Friendly Store website that sells shoes, not just any shoes though, these are vintage inspired and gorgeous! Here's the link: Vegan vintage inspired woman's shoes.  I love the Brogues and T Bars.  There are Men's shoes also.  Please have a look, the store is in Victoria, Australia, so maybe some day I will get to visit them.  But the postage costs shouldn't rock the boat too much either when I do decide to buy a pair.  Might need to start saving!

So my photo today is a pair of vintage styled shoes (man made materials too thankfully, although I am dubious about the glue used) I bought for an Art Deco outing.  Cost me $12 at the Salvation Store and they were particularly brand new!  Unfortunately these are a mere prop now as the metal stopper bit (or whatever it's called) fell off one of the heals, so one day I should investigate if it can be fixed.  

If you are into vintage costume's etcetera, I would love to hear about your lucky finds.  Please share in the comments,  post your blog or website should you have one.

Toodles,

Mel.        

"Sunday Driver" a vintage inspired band

Sunday Driver's album cover for In the city of dreadful night 

click here for the: Sunday Driver Album Download

Over the next couple of hours you can download this album for free or a named price, 

so what have you got to lose.

Have a sample listen from the link above or from the sidebar on the right.

They are a 7 piece acoustic band from Cambridge, UK.  Their genre is world music.  

Their music is a gorgeous complimentary blend of European and Eastern influences.     

Easy listening vintage inspired and big in the Steampunk scene.  

One of the singers reminds me a lot of Kate Bush, kind of folk like in a way and whimsical story telling lyrics.  

I like them. 

Silvo and Supper Time

Day 12-366 Silvo and Supper Time

Tonight I thought I would polish!   Silvo to me, well it's the bee's knees!   Years ago, on a quest to  be thrifty, I used to make my own polishing mix up with a concoction of stuff like baking soda, vinegar and toothpaste.  OK, why did I bother?  I used to have put in so much elbow grease to get anywhere and then the finish polish was never as good as Silvo's.   Silvo has a protection factor also to slow down the chemical reaction resulting in tarnishing.  The tarnishing will occur eventually, but it is slowed down with this polish.

It saves time too especially when there's tea and cake to be had!

Abyssinia,

Mel.

         

A piece of me

Day 10-366

I feel it's time to introduce myself somewhat more.

A 38 year old mum of two gorgeous funtastic future adults.

Married to an extraordinary man and dad who loves history, 

building things and is a talented artist!

I work with food during the day and with my camera as a part time portrait and wedding photographer 

whenever I'm given the opportunity. 

I am studying to be a better photographer and doing a vintage 366 photo project too.

We have 3 vintage tabby cats, a cute fat dog, 3 old almost non laying chooks (dare I say it, you know what that means), a shy cockatiel and some tropical fishes.

Vintage memorabilia is a passion of mine, I collect things.

I collect way too many things!

Most nights I stay up way too late writing blogs, researching and planning my book.

I have dreams!

This blog was started as a place for me to keep my motivation up for my book, 

by posting my ideas, photo's, inspiration, meet some more like-minded

vintage lovers 

and to 

dream some more!

Night night all.

  

Finders Keepers

Day 9-366 Finders Keepers 

Wow I have may it past my first week of this blog.  That makes me so excited, so excited that I may not sleep tonight.  No really, it is cool and thanks to my followers.  I can say at this stage I know each one of you personally or through our photographic connections and that makes me even more excited and humble that you wish to keep up with my rambling.  

I saw this van in town today, I was impressed with it's sign writing.  Doesn't it stand out well?  It made everyone's heads turn including mine.  I hope it's owner doesn't mind me doing some free advertising for them ;).  They have a website: finderskeepers.co.nz/

Well, there's something to be said for second hand goods, we either love of hate them.  I love them mostly.  I especially love how someone else's used goods can make someone else smile, give them a simple pleasure (as long as it doesn't cost the earth!).   

One man's junk is another man's treasure!  

Tonight a friend posted this on her facebook status... so I will leave you with this to ponder over (sorry it is long)

Anyone age approx 35 or over should read this - copied from a friend ... Checking out at the supermarket recently, the young cashier suggested I should bring my own bags because plastic bags weren't good for the environment. I apologised and explained, "We didn't have this green thing back in my earlier days". the cler...k responded, "That's our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment for future generations". She was right about one thing--our generation didn't have the green thing in “Our” day. So what did we have back then?After some reflection and soul-searching on "Our" day here's what I remembered we did have.... Back then, we returned milk bottles, pop bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles repeatedly. So they really were recycled. But we didn't have the green thing back in our day. We walked up stairs, because we didn't have an escalator in every store and office building. We walked to the grocery store and didn't climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks. But she was right. We didn't have the green thing in our day. Back then, we washed the baby's nappies because we didn't have the throw-away kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 240 volts -- wind and solar power really did dry our clothes back in our early days. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing. But that young lady is right. We didn't have the green thing back in our day. Back then, we had one TV, or radio, in the house -- not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), not a screen the size of Wales. In the kitchen, we blended & stirred by hand because we didn't have electric machines to do everything for us. When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used wadded up old newspapers to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap. Back then, we didn't fire up an engine and burn petrol just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power. We exercised by working so we didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity. But she's right. We didn't have the green thing back then. We drank from a fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water. We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull. But we didn't have the green thing back then. Back then, people took the bus, and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their mums into a 24-hour taxi service. We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn't need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest pizza joint. But isn't it sad the current generation laments how wasteful we older folks were just because we didn't have the green thing back then?Please post this on your Facebook profile so another selfish old person who needs a lesson in conservation from a smarty-pants!