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I am loving these prints and cards spotted over at Ampersand Vintage. If you have never stopped by...take the time! Guaranteed you will find at least one treasure.

Above: all I have to say is hahaha! Below: such inspiration!

circa 1947

Circa 1920

circa 1920's


Have a very Merry Christmas!! I'm off to a blizzard in Minnesota armed with my Hasselblad for the holidays. See ya in the New Year!

Boutique Peek: Redux

I got the chance to visit Redux on East Burnside a few weeks ago. It's a very eclectic shop with a bunch of treasures tucked away...definitely take the time to swing by if you're doing any last minute gift shopping for that hard-to-find someone!

Baroque-style framed mirror and a tree tie! Fun!

Ryan Berkley Illustrations in card form!

The art on display was by Haley Ann Robinson; very fantastical! It has a bit of a Wonderland inspired feel...

I like how these antlers are just a bit wonky...gives it a fun feel...

They had a great selection of antique books-turned-notebooks

This jack-o-rabbit was not found at Redux; but in another boutique just down the street. Too funny!

Christmas Tree

I love this time of year! This is the first time since we've been married that we live in a house and not an apartment. When we were looking for a new place to live, the first thing that I saw in our new place was the perfect corner for a Christmas tree! Needless to say, when it was time to go to the farm and get the tree, I was super excited!

At the Christmas tree farm, and then loading the tree into Tonka!

The finished product!

Even our Christmas Cards for this year are tree-themed...however; even though these are all crafted and ready to go; the addresses and messages are not going to make it out this year. Look for a Christmas tree card in 2010!

Stamping and gluing.

Glitter! Martha's green tinsel...beautiful!

All laid out to dry...it was really hard keeping the kitty away!

The finished card on the finished tree!

Happy Holidays!

It's a Sperry Christmas!

So this year my hubby and I got each other Sperry's for Christmas...inspired by East Coast nautical classics; we got ourselves some boat shoes! I have never been sailing; but someday I would love to go! More then anything else; the warm waterproofing of theses shoes are perfect for the soggy climate here in Oregon!

Vintage sailboat prints available here.

Above, my yellow waterproof, flannel lined rain booties. These remind me of the MudCats that we used to wear when I was little and we still had horses...technically, they were my sisters horses because I was so small; but I remember the shoes! I wish the picture could convey how comfy these are! Below, Dave's warm (and very Pacific Northwest appropriate) buffalo plaid Chukka's




Me in my boots!! They just had to be tested in the rainstorm outside today...they worked great!

Pumpkin Bread

I just love to bake! I made a couple of loaves of pumpkin bread a few days ago and it turned out very yummy. I love the way that it makes the house smell! The recipe is down below and is an old family favorite.

Farm Fresh Eggs...

I tend to make just a bit of a mess when sifting flour...

And maybe just a little bit of a mess when blending it all together...

Ready to eat!!

3 C Sugar
1 C Salad Oil (read: Vegetable Oil)
4 eggs, beaten
1 C pumpkin
2/3 C water
31/2 C flour
1/2 C walnuts
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp each of nutmeg, all spice and cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves

1) Cream sugar and oil. Add eggs and pumpkin. Mix well
2) Sift dry ingredients into separate bowl
3) Add dry ingredients to egg mixture alternating with water
4) Pour mix into 2 9x5 greased/floured loaf pans
5) Bake at 350 for 1 1/2 hours. Stand 10 min. Remove from loaf pan to cool

Midwestern Winter

A few shots from Iowa and Minnesota last Christmas. Shot with 35mm film; these are scanned negatives. I got them scanned at RiteAid (I know, I know) and they totally screwed up the scans; but I feel like the results are rather intriguing. There is almost a translucent feel to them. I shot them all except for where noted otherwise. Enjoy a winter treatise!

Above and below shot by hubby DB

Above shot by DB. Amazing the peaceful quality he captures.

Traditional Trimmings

This is the last set of images from Hello Holidays! I had such a great time pulling all of this together! These images are meant to inspire a traditional homemaker to branch out just a little bit. Add a bit of sparkle and just a few woodsy-elements to update your heirloom holiday decor. A gilded mirror with an evergreen garland can be beautiful! And the evergreen doesn't need to be a traditional pine garland; it could be made of magnolia leaves, boxwood branches, rosemary sprigs, or eucalyptus. I hope you all find a bit of inspiration to decorate your homes this season! I can't wait to put up our tree and get ready for the holidays!