Garden Escape

For when you just have to get away from the hustle and bustle.

Garden Escape - by ashleyhasty on Polyvore.com

Project Procrastinators Party

The Inspired Room is hosting a Project Procrastinators Party, a party for all of us who have a list of projects we'd like to complete but keep putting off. Today I'm posting the "Before" photo of a shelf I purchased a few months ago from Bohemian Flea Market in Marceline, MO. I want to paint it Tiffany Blue and hang it in my living room. On May 14, I'll post the "After" photo of this completed project!

Paddington Bear

“Mr. and Mrs. Brown first met Paddington on a railway platform. In fact, that was how he came to have such an unusual name for a bear for Paddington was the name of the station.” 

In addition to Madeline, Paddington Bear was another of my favorite childhood toys. I had nearly forgotten about him until last semester when Dr. Wilson conducted a lecture entitled "Me in my Bag" based on a book of the same title by Yi Ying Wang. The very last interview was of an old man who carried Paddington Bear in his briefcase for his grandson. He answered all of the questions as if he was Paddington Bear, it was adorable!

Name: Paddington Bear

Email: I don't have one. It's very difficult with paws.

Age: ? That is something you don't ask a bear!

Web add: www.paddingtonbear.co.uk

Blog: Bears don't have blogs

What do you do? I think a lot.

What does your bag mean to you? It was all I had when I arrived in England, so it is very precious.

What's in your bag today? A photograph of my Aunt Lucy. She lives in a home for retired bears in Lima. A bar of chocolate with my picture on it. Some peruvian money. A jar of marmalade in case I have an emergency.

Items that are special to you:

Aunt Lucy's Photography--she taught me all I knew before I went out into the world. She is very wise.

Marmalade--It's very good for you.

My label--In case I get lost again

Breakfast at Tiffany's

I watched Breakfast at Tiffany's (for the hundredth time) the other day and I fell in love with this sofa made out of a footed bathtub. Every time I watch this film I find new inspiration, the first time I watched it I couldn't take my eyes off of her jewelry. I just loved all of her rhinestone and pearl jewelry. Later I enjoyed her little black dresses and fantastic hats. Then I wanted her ear plugs (the ones with the tassels! I may still want those...) and her eye mask with the embroidered closed eyes. But now, I want her bathtub sofa for my office. 


I'm obviously not the only one who loves this sofa. I found these recreations online! I even found a guy who also makes chairs out of old shopping carts. You can check him out here.

Meet Holga

A few months ago, I discovered lomography (you can click on the word to find out more about it yourself.) Essentially, lomography is a type of photography that takes purposefully "bad" pictures, which are actually quite beautiful. LOMO is a brand of camera (a relatively cheap, plastic camera) that had flaws such as intense color saturation and light leaks. Often times the pictures are somewhat blurry. After reading about these cameras, I was hooked. I ordered my Holga right away. Holga was the cheapest of all the Lomo cameras, I'm going to get used to it first and then order Diana (which I'll post about in the near future.) The day I got Holga in the mail I took a walk downtown and took a roll of pictures. It has been a really long time since I've used film, but I got back in the hang of it!

The ten basic rules of lomography are:

1. Take your LOMO everywhere you go and whenever you go

2. Use it anytime--day or night

3. Lomography is not an interference in your life-but a part of it

4. Shoot from the hip

5. Approach the objects of your lomographic desire as close as possible

6. Don't think

7. Be fast

8. You don't have to know beforehand what you've captured on film

9. You don't have to know afterwards, either

10. Don't worry about the rules

Isn't this the ugliest camera you've ever seen? I'm a little embarrassed carrying it around with me in public, but at the same time I feel a little old school and artsy. So this is the moment you've been waiting for, the results of my first attempt at using Holga!

Simple Woman's Daybook

For Today...

Outside my window...the sky is overcast but the temperature is perfect!

I am thinking...about moving to a place where the weather is always this beautiful.

From the learning rooms...It's spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you've got it, you want - oh, you don't quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so! ~Mark Twain

I am thankful for...life.

From the kitchen...Eric grilled gourmet burgers from Hy-Vee and they are delectable!

I am wearing...a dove gray, jersey knit, sundress; my BRAND NEW crocs (the cute ones, not the gardener ones); a short sleeve jacket

I am reading...hundreds of articles about the interactions between remarried couples.

I am hoping...I survive the end of the semester

I am creating...oh! I'm creating so many things right now! I'm creating beautiful photography (which I'll post about tomorrow) and and beautiful shelf I found at a thrift shop!

I am hearing...the breeze

Around the house...Eric and I are both sitting in the living room working on homework (I mean, I'm about to be working on homework....)

One of my favorite things...is to spend time with my husband, silently, without the television on

A few plans for the rest of the week...where to begin? 1. Finish my HDFS final paper; 2. Start and finish my paper on fiber content of men's dress shirts; 3. Complete a powerpoint presentation on my HDFS research; 4. Pack for Memphis! 5. Grade homework turned in late by my students (it is inevitable!) 6. Finalize my literature review and thesis proposal! 7. Submit a grant application to the Costume Society of America; 8. Figure out how to rotate a video I took sideways...don't ask...I wasn't thinking; 9. Clean the house; 10. Do laundry so I have something to pack for Memphis! YIKES

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...

Favorite Photo Friday

Museum Hopping

So you're touring New York City, Chicago, or even Florence and checking out all the fantastic art museums. You ought to grace all of those priceless pieces of work with some beauty of your own.

Museum Hopping - by ashleyhasty on Polyvore.com

Madeline

Update: I'm using this post for Friend Making Monday hosted by {aefilkins} and All That is Good.

"In an old house in Paris that was covered with vines,

lived twelve little girls in two straight lines

They left the house, at half past nine...

The smallest one was Madeline."

I adored this book as a child. My parents spent several summers in Europe when I was young so I grew up with more English toys than most girls, Madeline was one of my favorites. I even have a cute little Madeline doll.

See my post on Paddington Bear.

MORE Vintage Bikes

How funny that I would post about my love for vintage bikes today AND I would run across yet another fantastic company that sells them!

Check them out here.

Brand New Vintage Bikes

For as long as I can remember (I'm thinking back to elementary school) I've always wanted a pretty bike. Normal bike stores don't sell pretty bikes; they sell functional bikes, mountain bikes, dirt bikes, etc. As I got older I realized I wanted a vintage bike but I couldn't find any. I found lots of useless vintage bikes which were probably beautiful at one time but completely rusted through by the time they crossed my path. Then a couple of weeks ago I discovered Mitch Pryor Bicycles and I fell in love. Not only are they vintage-inspired...they are custom made! If any of you suddenly come across some extra money and want to buy me a fabulous gift, I want one in Tiffany blue!

René Magritte

Have you ever heard of Rene' Magritte? If the name doesn't ring a bell, perhaps a few of his images will look familiar. I particularly love the series of images known as "The Treachery of Images" in which all are inscribed with the french phrase for "this is not a...(insert name of object pictured)." Rene' Magritte was once asked about the series of images and responded with, "well, of course it is not a pipe, just try to put tobacco in it!"

An artist from etsy.com used Rene Magritte as inspiration for this collection of ties. I loved the story behind it, so I bought the black one for Eric.

Perhaps you are more familiar with these images by Rene' Magritte:

Son of Man

Le Pelerin

I love the whimsical nature of the images, how they don't make sense at first sight so you have to stare a little longer to fully appreciate them. They would make fun wall hangings in a child's room. I can only imagine how a child's imagination would develop with Magritte works surrounding him.