Typewriter Tape

Right before a rainstorm last year, Justin spied a box down the street that looked like a vintage typewriter case.  So he goes out the door and around to the neighbor's trash pile to look a bit more closely, and as it turns out, there is a working typewriter with a sheet of paper from years ago still in the machine.  The only problem was that the tape barely worked; it was just about dry and the letters were so faint that they were not exactly legible.  So, thinking that it must be really hard and expensive to find tape for this old, old machine, I put it away in deep storage to be taken out when I have the need of a vintage typewriter.  Of course, it's actually really easy to find typewriter tape--I later learn--because it's all pretty much universal. SO ha, but now I got some new inky tape and I have been typing up a novel, or at least a storm:

So, you guys get to look at pictures of my awesome old machine. Vintage typewriters. yay!

It's Still Raining

Today is miserably rainy, but the rain only makes things greener.  It's been two days since these photographs were taken and everything is already different.  I'm trying to remember the dry:

look! the explosions are turning into tiny maple seeds!

I've never had an opportunity to pay this much attention to the change of seasons; I've also never been this excited for it to come, although I still find it rather odd that spring brings such excitement.  It's always brought dread my entire life: all I can think about is how many more days it will be until it's too hot to go outside.  But now all I can think about is how soon I can wear light, flowing, silk summer dresses and have picnics.  This is weird. 

More Treasures

Check out all the cool old stuff I snagged in Arizona:

These are all from my Great Grandmother's tool collection. Vintage knitting needles, sewing needles, crochet hooks and that button hook I got my dad to give me (it's sterling silver).  The knitting needles have been worn down so much that the tips have dulled and now they are hard to use.  I can't decide if I want to file the ends back into a point or leave them as they are.

The Crochet hooks are so tiny--one of them is definitely less than 1mm, which is the smallest I've ever seen; and they all have metal caps that protect them, which is ingenious.

And I got my dad to give me the button hook--saved from certain destruction!

And while on the subject of collections, I'll show and tell the carded vintage buttons I also snagged while in Arizona.  I'm going to have a hard time removing them from the cards, but I do think I will have to complete this project someday soon. You can click on the image to make it extra huge, if you want to look more closely.

My Parent's houses

My mom's house and my dad's house

utensils:

collections:

art:

general preference:

Adventures in Arizona

We visited an ostrich farm this weekend.  Each guest gets a plastic cup filled with pellets to feed the birds, and it's basically like a giant ostrich petting zoo except the ostriches are on the other side of a fence.  They are a lot like chickens, except much larger and stronger--but the way they move their heads and go for food at any cost is similar.  They would also get in little spats where they would hiss and chest bump each other, which was hilarious.  These are all females; the males were kept separated across the field.

The fence is about 5.5 feet tall.

There is also an aviary with pretty rainbow birds that drink nectar.  As soon as you walk in the door, these little birds will land on you and look for the food.  Their beaks were actually more painful than the ostriches.

More spring!

These are my favorite smelling flowers:

This is what spring in the desert looks like--The citrus trees are already blooming again!

Buttons and Snaps

I really like the green shell Crane Craft buttons, but I also love the red and gold Exquisit ones. I really want to use the buttons, but I can't bear to split up the set or even to take them off the cards. I know I can still keep the cards in my 'ephemera stash' but there's something to having and keeping these just as they are.  There are lots more cool bits and pieces here. . . I'll try to collect some more.

Here and There

Last weekend I was here:

Ithaca-dangerous and grey. 

(and full of awesome people)

Next weekend I'll be here:

(actually, I'll be there tonight)

Arizona-hot and bright.  

I'll be back next Tuesday, so things may be light until then. Hopefully, however, I'll make some cool stuff.  I'm also very excited to watch this game while I'm there!

Spiced Coffee

French Press Coffee with Spices:

I prefer to use whole spices, coarsely ground; and I just place them in with the ground coffee.  It's delicious.

Fools' Gold

I've been having a love affair with iron pyrite for quite a while.  It's one of my favorite stones and I love the muted metallic tone it has.  We made some new pyrite cluster necklaces that came about very serendipitously. You can check them out below:

We also have a prototype globe necklace in the works.  It may be popping up again soon, but you can catch a sneak peak here:

It reminds me of a globe.  The stone beads were a gift and I love them.

Warm Days!

There are a lot of great old trees in our neighborhood (on which I've expounded previously) and, having spent most of my life in Arizona (where the seasons are hot and less hot), I get excited about watching the seasons change.  Usually these changes occur gradually: the leaves turn and fall throughout the autumn months, and they grow ever so slowly during the spring.  This past week, however, has been an absolute explosion of springtime.  This is what the tree in front of our house looked like on Sunday afternoon:

And these photos were taken yesterday:

It's been so exciting, especially because I'm not stuck in a dreary office all day; I can actually enjoy the weather.  I know this is just a tease, and we're in for two months of rain and those few and far between taunting warm days, but this was a nice reminder that winter really doesn't last forever.

almost there