Dana's Baby Party

Have I ever told you that my dream is to be a freelance photographer for magazines? OK, I said it. That's my dream.

I love to photograph parties, events, places and details. I would love to photograph for Real Simple, Country Living or Cottage Living...if it was still published!! Still mourning the loss of my favorite magazine...

So yesterday I helped host my fabulous neighbor Dana's baby shower with Dana's good friends Diane and Heidi. Dana is having her first baby, a girl, and is due in February. I can't believe I won't be here to meet her, and I won't be here for her to Baby Gus!!!

We hosted it at the Rye Square House Museum, which is one of the oldest houses in Rye, built in 1730 I think. It was a great location, and I had sooooo much fun getting all the decor together.

Check it...

The front door with baby things put together by Diane.


Diane and Heidi also did this this clothespin line filled with baby clothes for Dana. Isn't it adorable?? It looked so great and they had to get Dana's baby a Brooklyn onesie since that's where Dana lived before Rye.


I had a lot of fun doing this setup. I got baby pictures and young girl pictures of Dana and displayed them on my vintage potato chip holder that I snagged for $6 at the Paris Street Market in Denver. This is a staple in my house and holds pictures, Christmas Cards, announcements, vintage postcards....anything that I want to display.

I also framed Dana's ultrasound picture and used my scrabble letters so everyone would know what they are looking at. Idea courtesy of my sister as she always has scrabble letters in her house.


On to the cakes. Oh my. It doesn't hurt that our neighbor across the street (the one whose chocolate shop we went to in Boston a couple weeks ago) used to be a pastry chef. What? You're offering to do a cake for the shower?? Um, let's think about that one. YES!!!!!

Wow, it was good, and Wade is enjoying some of the leftovers.


OK, now this was too cute. Diane and Heidi put together this diaper cake. Every diaper was individually rolled and taped down and set up as a tiered cake. Is this not the coolest thing ever? So it was double duty...decoration and gift. Dana is set for the first week (OK, maybe just the first few days) of diaper changing!


This next project belonged to me and Tyson. We went on a nature walk at the Nature Center and collected sticks, then spray painted them white. I ordered these tissue paper flowers from Oriental Trading Company and displayed them in white vases as the food table centerpieces. Then we pinned extra baby socks and stuff to them.

So each centerpiece cost like $3. Love it!


I love all my enamelware, some of which I picked up recently at flea markets here, and I used them for forks and napkins. White white white was the theme.


There were two fireplaces in the room, so I bought scrapbook paper and sewed a garland of flags to go across the mantels and used my telephone pole glass things that I picked up at Hell's Kitchen Flea Market in NYC as weights. I also used my spinning gourds from that I won from Janna's blog to decorate the mantel.

By the way, the flag idea also came from my sister. She made some for Tyson's shower and we hung them in his room. So Dana took these home and can use them to decorate in her baby room. And again...like $3 per garland.




Dana's mom came up from Savannah, which was so special. She reminds me on my own Mom and I just got attached to her immediately. She helped us shop for food at Costco on Saturday and was such a trooper.

Diane and I had asked everyone coming to write a wish or blessing for Dana that they could read (if they wanted) at the shower and bless Dana and her baby girl.

Lots of tears were shed, and it was one HUGE love fest.









It was such a great and special afternoon, and I'm so glad I had the chance to be a part of it. Love you Dana!!

Brooklyn Flea Market

We have a list.

OK, I have a list. But I call it ours because that's what married people do, right?

Since we've lived here, the list has grown, but we keep marking things off. Who doesn't like marking things off a list??!!!

So Saturday we marked two things off this list: The Brooklyn Flea, and the Brooklyn Bridge.

What could make me happier than seeing my loves walking hand in hand to a flea market??!!






Like father like son....checking out the bikes!


One reason I love this flea market is all the AMAZING food that is available. We bought an amazing wood fired white pizza for $9. The food vendor brought in a portable wood fire stove and the dough and ingredients were all made fresh on site. Amazing pizza.


And these were my finds for the day! Vintage tupperware snack tubs? Yes please. Three white frames for my collection for $15? Score! And an adorable jar...


Brooklyn Bridge to come...

The Elephant Trunk Flea Market: Take Two

You may or not remember when I attempted to take (or drag) my family to the Elephant Trunk Flea Market, New England's "largest" flea market. Well, if not, you can read about my disastrous attempt here.

I knew I could never convince Wade to try again with me, despite employing all the feminine wiles I could muster. So I took the kids by myself since he was out of town.

We started our day eating at McKinney & Doyle, in the small town of Pawling, NY. Some friends had told us it was a MUST DO for brunch on the weekends, with the most amazing blueberry pancakes. Since it was close to flea market, we went! And it was worth it. The kids enjoyed the blueberry and chocolate chip pancakes, and I had the most amazing omelet with fresh baked bread. Ahhhhh, I'm hungry just thinking about it. Wanna make me happy? Just cook me a really big hot breakfast with all the fixings. Especially when I'm pregnant...I'll consider naming my kid after you!!





Then it was off to flea market in New Milford, CT. And yes, it was open this time. Note to self: only open on Sundays. It does cost $2 per adult to get in (kids free), but to wander in an open field with 200-300 vendors? Totally worth it.

I have to warn you that there is a mixed bag of vendors. Some good, some not so good. There were a few vendors selling bulk socks out of cardboard boxes, so not everyone was selling stuff that I was drawn too, but I still had a good time. AND the sun was shining and the trees were gorgeous.



Of course we left with a few treasures. It's hard not to walk away from a flea market without a Little Golden Book. Ava picked this one out, as I only let them have 1. $3.00 per book! So much for the $0.25 cent cover price. :)


I also found some great enamelware to go with my collection at home. These two small boxes with lids are perfect on my desk for holding (and concealing) all sorts of knick knack desk stuff.

The larger enamelware is going outside to hold the kid's sidewalk chalk. I kind of ran over our last enamelware bin holding the chalk. Oops. SOMEBODY left it out in the middle of the driveway. I won't name names, but the thing was DESTROYED. I think I was in a hurry that day.



Happy flea-ing!

VW's...

...make me happy.

Not all VW's, mind you, and I am no VW fanatic by any means. If you ask me what year, engine type and size, you're asking the wrong person.

I've always loved cars that are unique, and yes, old. I think I got that from my Dad. I always preferred to be tinkering with him in the garage than in the kitchen. Funny how some things don't change. I'm still trying to get used to being in the kitchen.

Most people know that I drive a VW van. Not an old bus, although Wade and I almost bought an orange pop up 1978 one a number of years back...but we already had 4 cars. I drive a 2003 VW Eurovan. With 2 kids and a big dog, I needed more space. But a Honda Odyssey just wasn't going to cut it. I needed (ok, wanted) something more unique, so my 6 month quest for a Eurovan with low miles finally ended with "our van" that we found in Boulder the day after Christmas in 2007. And it's been love ever since.

I guess that's when I became a VW fan. But mostly I just love old vintage cars, and certain VW's happen to be in the category.

Our fabulous mechanic in Greenwich, CT has been in business since the 1920's and they are third generation VW people. Why would I take my van to the brand new VW dealer just NEXT DOOR (also next to the Ferrari, BMW, Mercedes, and Bentley dealerships) when I could take it to Freccia brothers and their lot full of previously-loved-old-VW's that now have weeds growing through the windows?

Exactly.

So when I picked up the van last week from her 50,000 mile massage, I took along my camera and had some fun. I'm just showing you one image, because someday when I get my little (but continuing to grow thanks to baby Gus) tushy in gear and get my new website up and running, I will also have a stock photography site where my full collection of vintage cars and trucks can be seen.

Happy driving!

Shells and Enamelware

I love shells. I always have, and I guess I could thank my mother for that. For as long as I can remember, my Mom always brought home a handful of shells whenever we went to a beach.

I have since continued that tradition, and Ava has inherited it from me! Good thing our kids inherit the good things from us too.

So my fabulous neighbor Dana, and her husband, got back from a long weekend away at St. ..... I can't remember! One of those St. Islands in the Caribbean. She brought be back the greatest present...a glass jar with some shells.

They are now on my dining room table on one of my latest enamelware finds. A gorgeous tray that I found for $10 at an antique store in Cold Springs (on the Hudson).

The glass jars and other white dishes are from various other flea markets, and the white "dented" cup with the coral in it was made by my Uncle Mal.

Another love of mine: white dishes. Can't have enough!! White NEVER goes out of style.


After our trip to Cape Cod in May (you can read about that by clicking on Cape Cod from the subject selection on the left), I, of course, brought back a "small" collection of Cape Cod shells. Aren't they beautiful? I keep them on the back stoop in another of my favorite enamelware pots, so everytime I walk past them, I think of our wonderful Cape Cod vacation.


P.S. I brought back a lot of great flea market finds from our trip to Colorado, and I'll post some more finds soon.

I'm a winner!

To say that I'm addicted to eBay might be a bit of a stretch, but I guess you could say my "enjoyment" of eBay of late could be considered a habit. I love getting that e-mail "YOU WON"!! And who doesn't like the hunt, the chase, the bidding, the victory?

I'll have to share some other of my recent eBay purchases, but for now, I'll share two.

Today was definitely an eBay day. Let me share...

I used to stare blanky at eBay uncertain of what to search for. I always read in magazines about cool things that people have found for their homes on eBay and I'm like, "how in the world did you think to search for that?" All I can say is practice makes perfect because you can buy ANYTHING on eBay.

I've been keeping my eye out for lockers just because I love them and they are so functional. I have a set I bought at the Paris Street Market in Denver a few years ago, and I use them in our little mud room for the kids to put their backpacks, shoes and other stuff.

So I was looking the other day, and I found some small cubby lockers (each locker is 12'x12') for an amazing price. And they were in NY! The state of NY sells excess "stuff" and I got these lockers for only $55. I have seen these at flea markets for well over $200. So Presta and I took a little road trip to the state offices in Albany and picked up my new treasure. They fit perfectly in the van, and after a little cleaning and a fresh coat of spray paint, they will make a great dresser for one of the kids.


After picking up the lockers, I came home to a package from another eBay purchase. I got a huge lot of vintage milk caps...110 to be exact. Aren't they cool? You can make them into fridge magnets, or display them in a cool container. The kids love flipping through stuff like this.


Happy bidding!

Paris Street Market

How could I come to Colorado and NOT go to the Paris Street Market?? Mom and I met Janna and Anne there this morning and I sooooo restrained myself, you have no idea. If only I still lived in Denver....

But of course I managed to find some treasures and things to add to my collections, but I'll have to post about those later.

Ava and Anne are becoming quite the treasure hunters too, and they had such a good time together. They put on quite the parade for everyone in their wagon!

Happy 4th everyone!!

Home Again

I flew back to NY this afternoon from Michigan. Some of you know, but for those of you who don't, the workshop was cancelled on Sunday night while we were at the mixer meeting everyone for the first time. Amy's husband David was on business in San Francisco and fell. He bumped his head pretty good and had some problem with speech etc. The next morning he had a seizure and was rushed to the hospital. This was Sunday, so Amy received the phone call Sunday and was visibly shaken at the mixer Sunday night. She left about half way through because she got the news that the doctors found a tumor in David's brain.

She flew out first thing Monday morning to be with him. You can read more about their experience on Amy's blog or David's blog.

So there were 20 photographers in Grand Rapids with no workshop. Believe me, no one disagreed with her decision to be with her husband!! Those who drove went home, and some changed their flights to fly home early. My friend Melissa and I decided to stay. The price to change flights would be about the same as the rest of our hotel stay, so we decided to make the most of it. We wandered around downtown and took new head shots of each other, and hung out with some other photographers who also stayed.

Right now, I'm tired, but glad to be home. Please keep Amy and David in your prayers. They are now at the Mayo Clinic in MN and he will undergo "awake" brain surgery tomorrow morning to remove most of the tumor. David is only 27 years old.

Meanwhile, here is my memento of Michigan...to add to my manhole cover collection.

My Most Perfect Day....

What do call a day when your in-laws are in town to watch the kids ALL day free of charge, and your husband wants to spend all day in New York City with you wandering around and going to flea markets??? Perfect. That's what I call it!!!

There are two flea markets in the City that I've wanted to check out, and they are open only on Saturdays and Sundays. The first is the Antique Garage (West 25th between 6th and 7th), which is a two story flea market in a parking garage, and the second is the Hell's Kitchen outdoor flea market (West 39th between 9th and 10th).

Wade was such a patient gem. Wow. He knows how much I love to sift through stuff (or "junk" as he likes to call it), and with no kids in tow, I was like a kid in a candy store!!! These are my treasures from our day...

Some vintage Valentine's to add to my collection $0.50 each.


A vintage NYC postcard $0.25.


A vintage yellow beaded bangle $5.00

A vintage flower brooch with the prettiest yellow sparkle in the middle $15.00.

Those glass things from telephone poles. Four for $10.00.

Here are some shots of the Antique Garage.

After patiently watching me sift through all the treasures at the Antique Garage, we found a Goodwill store (yes, even in Manhattan), and then rested our weary feet at the Antique Cafe (www.antiquecafeny.com) for almost two hours. I had the most amazing quiche, and to continue a date tradition we have, we took each others picture with our food. Wade had chicken veggie soup and then we finished our time there with some AMAZING carrot cake.

After wandering the Hell's Kitchen Flea Market, we visited B&H Photo, and then walked by a movie theater and decided to go in and see what was playing. Perfect timing!! We were just in time for "He's Just Not That Into You". Poor Wade!!! What a girl-kinda day! Bless him. Love you so much! It was the perfect end to a perfect day.

Thank you Wade for my most perfect day...