yellow composition

Can you tell what these photos are of? If you thought they are a close up shot of a very cold beverage you are right, it's beer!  I've come across Burcu Avsar site via desire to inspire and was instantly captivated with his images.  This is one of his project where he wanted to capture the beauty and texture of beer which he did just so.  Check out his amazing still life and interior images here.

signs of spring

The gorgeous weather around these parts of the NW had me convinced that spring has officially started. Throughout last week and this weekend the weather has been spring-like. Days like these is when I get motivated to pack so much activities and projects in a day.

This weekend I started and finished two DIY projects. I also started spring cleaning in my basement. I purged some old furnitures, old clothing, knick knacks, boxed them up and dropped them to Goodwill. Took 400 some photos of items to list this week and also wandered around outside to look for some signs of spring in my yard...



I took this picture at about 5 p.m. yesterday...





these pretty little flowers are popping up everywhere...



elephant ears plant that reappears by my front entrance every February...



the Magnolia tree on the front yard...



I haven't seen the Bluejay but I believe he will be coming by very soon, and I'll have this bird bowl filled with water ready for him when he comes by...

the small details

For the past few days, I’ve been hard at work at re-shooting my items for the shop. I don’t mind at all, in fact I do enjoy taking photos of my items now that I have a permanent place to photoshoot. No more windowsill, although I get amazing bright photos on it, it just wouldn’t cut it anymore I needed to step up, after all the photos are your product is the mantra I often read in the forums. I love the new gray paint which is the new background and the sun filled corner I’ve just discovered. It’s the only gray wall in the house for now…and I may have to do the whole room sometime soon.

I’m also loving my new macro lens and I find myself more drawn to details, the F/1.8 feature is just what I need in this rainy and cloudy Seattle weather.

Here's a few of the small details in and around my home...


pincushion in my sewing studio, turned storage room...


my newly thrifted red bakelite flatwares is a perfect match to my Swiss Chalet bowls...


and on the outside, my front yard is still looking green even in winter months...


and I just adore the moss that's covering most of my front lawn, trees and rockeries.

That is all. I will have a big shop update early Monday morning...please check back!

before and after

ok, phase one is done. For those of you who were wondering what in the world does joint compound has to do with my online shop's transformation. Here's the story, one weekend, I took sample photos of my item (hundreds of photos to be exact) in different angles at a different locations in my house at a different time of day so I can find a dedicated place to photograph my items once and for all. I found a great corner, problem is the wall has the hideous popcorn texture and I don't want to fiddle with poster board or fabric as a background. So I spackled, sanded and painted and here's the before and after pics.

(before)

(after)


now on to photographing; my favorite part of listing my items...

forty

It was my birthday yesterday. It feels really weird hitting the big 40, such a big number. But happy and grateful to have the things I can only dream of when I was 30. And lookie what I got! Some flowers, cards and a new lens baby!!

...

Maybe all one can do is hope to end up with the right regrets

~ Arthur Miller

30 days of happiness: 23

happiness is Sundays, I look forward to Sundays when my mom comes over for a day and gives me a day off. She baby sits, cooks delicious food and just being there to talk to.

~~~~~~~~~

As an aside...
...sitting down to write something here has been difficult this week. Both kids were sick, which means sleepless nights and getting stuck in the house not being able to get things done. I have many new finds from the previous week that needs to be photograph, and can’t wait to show you, but hopefully I’ll get it done soon once the kids go back to school.

I also fell behind my 30-days of happiness posts; there are plenty of little things to be happy about but have been overshadowed by all the heartbreaking news of the calamities that are happening across the globe, which had me contemplating more and more of how short really is our lives here on earth, how to better myself, put a little more in taking care of my family, my kids, etc. Anyhoo, this is supposed to be a happy post so I'll end it here now and will be coming back with new and fresh vintage finds next week. Stay tuned!

30 days of happiness: 22

happiness is a basket full of freshly picked pears to give-away.

30 days of happiness: 14

some random things that are making me happy today...



taking photos of my items (I've really been enjoying photography lately, wish I had a whole day for myself setting up my stuff, and taking photos without any distractions. I've also been thinking of taking a photography class or two in the near future)

looking at Yvette Inufio Photography shop; I love the muted pale colours of her photos and that she incorporates vintage to her subject. So dreamy and romantic.

personal watermelon, ok just having a sweet watermelon on a gray day at the end of summer is happiness in itself.

this week old sunflower that still look vibrant and fresh from the day it was picked.