Change Is in the Air...

There are going to be some changes around here soon. As Sheryl Crow says, "I think a change would do me good." Stay tuned for a fresh new look and fresh new content!

The Elkhorn Flea Market

In my opinion, there are few flea market experiences that surpass the Elkhorn Flea Market. I am a bit partial since I grew up in Elkhorn, but I have found that this is one of the best flea markets in the country for discovering hidden gems and priced-to-sell finds. It might not be as beautifully curated as Junk Bonanza (by the way, I'm going in September, so stay tuned!), but the digging and the searching always pays off.

One of my favorite booths made an appearance at this month's flea market. The seller finds all sorts of, what he refers to as, "doo-dads," and puts them out on a table for perusal. I love to buy up the pieces for my vintage crafting creations, and I think I easily spent an hour sifting through a pile of tiny treasures.

A couple of my other favorite booths were there as well, including ChiPPy-SHaBBy, which has a plethora of crystal chandeliers and well-loved pieces of furniture, and BlackByrd Primitives, a beautifully-curated booth filled with farmhouse finds.

I also managed to score a gorgeous little sofa table for only $50 (yay, me!). No library card catalog, though. My mother has begun referring to this elusive piece of furniture as my "unicorn."

There were plenty of beautiful things I could've taken home with me, but I settled on the table, the "doo-dads," a globe to cover in chalkboard paint, and a few objects to create vignettes with. If you live in the Midwest, the Elkhorn Flea Market is a junker's must-do.

My table (the find of the day!) along with my globe that I covered in chalkboard paint and a few small items: a number from a baseball scoreboard, a rusty spring, and a silver vase filled with feathered darts.

My "doo-dads" for a wreath I'm going to make.

What's New?

I may be awesome at many things in life, but blogging regularly isn't one of them. I recently thought to myself, What would motivate me to blog more? I thought about this as I wandered around antique stores. And flea markets. And garage sales. And then I had an epiphany.

My blog should focus on what I truly love, the thing that encompasses most of my free time...vintage. Amazing finds, recommendations of places to shop, and photos of treasures I've discovered. You'll be able to join me on my quests, and I'll be writing about a topic that makes me happy.

Although my random musings were pretty great, I have a feeling you'll enjoy my vintage adventures even more. So, on that note, I'd like to talk about a decent antique store I visited today, Originals Mall of Antiques in Oshkosh, Wis. It's a hop, skip, and a jump from my alma mater, Ripon College, and I used to frequent this place in my college days. I even bought a dress for a formal from there.

A little digging was in order, but the finds were worth it. A lot of great painted vintage furniture, and an outdoor area filled with rusted treasures. I particularly loved an old suitcase covered in stickers, perhaps from the 1940's, and a rhinestone tiara that would look perfect atop a ceramic bust. Or, you know, on my head.

Next weekend...Elkhorn Flea Market!

Guest Post: Camp Iwanabreak

Today on the blog, I'm featuring a guest post written by McKenzie and Nikki, the founders of a new summer camp for adults called Camp Iwanabreak, where there's one big rule: no technology! It's here in Wisconsin, and it sounds like SO much fun. Visit the Camp Iwanabreak website and have a look for yourself. 

The Need For Real Life Connection in the Modern World

            Did you see the 2013 Academy Award winning movie, Her? In case you missed it, the protagonist of the movie falls in love with the software on his phone (a souped up version of Siri, if you will). I found myself thinking about the movie long after I left the theater, wondering: Is this where we are headed?

            Ten years ago, if you would have asked people what technology would be like in 2015, I’m sure few would have been able to accurately predict our very newfound dependency on our gadgets, apps, and websites.

            Instagram has created a culture where appreciating beauty with our own eyes is no longer enough; we have to photograph our experiences to validate that they are worthy. Snapchat has us recording every moment; we need evidence of our night’s adventures. Twitter has us devising ways to condense the magnitude of our lives into bite sized chunks. Tinder users are swiping left and right, looking for potential dates, but don’t dare approach the people around them. Speaking of relationships: How many times have you heard someone talk about their “Facebook official” relationship status? And I haven’t even mentioned LinkedIn, Pinterest, or Flickr. Sigh.

I’ll make a bold claim, one that I think we all must own up to: We are just so busy narrating our lives on social media that we’re forgetting to live them. We spend more time looking down than we do looking up. Over half the population has admitted to preferring digital communication to the real deal. If I were making bets, I would guess this number would continue to rise. Unless…

Unless we decide it’s time to redefine how we live life on this beautiful world. Do we want to spend half of our waking life experiencing reality through a screen? To reduce the wonder, beauty, sadness, and enormity of our human experience on earth to a digital footprint?

Humans are incredible. It’s time we start connecting with them - in real life! I don’t know about you, but I want my kids falling in love with life in the present moment - and not worrying about whether or not that moment is perfectly curated for others to consume.  

Galentine's Day

I've almost always enjoyed Valentine's Day (I know, insert groan here, I'm that annoying person who genuinely likes Valentine's Day), but Galentine's Day is pretty up there for me now, too.

I went to a Galentine's soiree Friday night at my friends' Emmy and Michele's house, and it was a girliness explosion in the best way possible. Otherwise known as right up my alley.

A gift exchange, brunch foods, pink champagne, heart decorations everywhere, and no dudes. Amy Poehler would fully approve.

It was quite difficult to give the gift I had brought to someone else. Mainly because it was a cupcake bath bomb (complete with a tiara on top) and a vintage ceramic unicorn figurine. I chose two of the most obnoxiously feminine gifts I could find, so of course, I wanted them. I picked up both gifts at a local shop called The Regal Find, a vintage-meets-handmade store that's my new obsession.

But the gift I received was definitely on par - candy, candy, candy, and a large tub of egg-free, edible cookie dough. It's almost gone.

So, here are some photos that represent my Galentine's Day experience. Yay for ladies.

Curly, curly hair and pink lips. Ready to get my Galentine's Day on.

A close-up of my oh-so-sparkly J.Crew earrings

My lady-ized gift that I sadly had to give away

My Anthropologie wristlet for the evening

Let the Galentine's-ing begin!

Even Pandora was dressed all girly-like for the party

Mood lighting

This is a Wisconsin-inspired trivet I made at the party. Of course, Coco had to get in on the action. Maybe I should have just named this blog post, "Two Adorable Pictures of Cats."

Guest Blogging Awesomeness: Brainleaf

I am thrilled to be a guest contributor on the BrainLeaf blog. My post “10 Conventional (And Not-So-Conventional) Ways to Find Freelance Work” was recently published. Here is an excerpt from my post:

"The technological revolution took over the world of freelancing during my time away, and new methods of getting work have surfaced. I still use many of those conventional practices from back in the day, and many tend to be profitable – a classic is a classic for a reason, after all. But the more 'alternative' ways to get hired have proved lucrative as well."

Click here to read the full post

Brainleaf is a project scoping app that helps freelancers and web studio owners manage client expectations. Check it out and sign up as a beta user today over at http://brainleaf.com.

I'm Not Speaking to Winter

Here is a recent picture that I took of Ginger. I took it with my iPad when I was in bed. That's where I've been spending a lot of my time lately. In fact, I'm in bed right now. It could either be the fact that I have the best flannel sheets around, or that I'm in the throes of my yearly bout of seasonal affective disorder. 

You might remember me mentioning my SAD in a post I wrote this summer about Robin Williams. And of course, on a warm, beautiful summer day, it's easy to write about winter depression. That's when I'm like, Yeah, I remember what that feels like. But this winter is going to be different! But now that it's January, I'm reminded of how totally sucky it really is. 

There are a few things that are getting me through these dreary months. 

1. My hubby, my family, the friends who know the ins and outs of what I refer to as "my stuff." And my two furry buddies who share the bed with me, Ginger and Coco.

2. My work. Depression does this thing to the brain where it just doesn't process things correctly, but writing seems to cut through that fog. The house is less-than-organized and I've barely seen the other side of my block in over a month, but I'm staying on top of my workload and deadlines. Yay me. 

3. Humor. I'm always fascinated these days when I actually manage a decent pun or funny quip. My brain is still able to find hilarity even when things aren't awesome. A few minutes ago, I asked BJ to pick up some milk on the way home. He asked, "Anything else?" And without missing a beat, I said, "A new brain, if they have it in stock." 

I've decided to talk openly about my winter blues on here because I want depression to not be hidden under stigma - I want it to be a topic of normal conversation. "Hey, I like your shoes. By the way, I have depression." 

It is what it is. January blows, February is slightly better, and March is when everything starts to lift. Until then, you'll occasionally see me dragging myself to the gym, looking zombie-like out at dinner, or looking longingly at a cloud-filled sky. 

Since I can't relocate to Tahiti at the current time, these things I found on Pinterest have managed to lift my spirits, even inspiring a chortle here and there. Enjoy. 

ME

 

ME

ALSO ME