Photography, My First Love

I’ve had a camera in my hand for as long as I can remember. The first one I owned was a hot pink Kodak 110 film camera. I was around 10 years old. I photographed everything I could. Once the roll of film clicked past the last picture, I would have my Mama run me down to the local drugstore to drop it off for developing. Unlike today’s instant gratification; I had to wait 3-5 days to get my photos. I would go through and toss the bad ones and keep the good ones. I would say most were bad back then. But I didn’t care. I wanted to capture memories and places I may forget in time.

I have always gravitated toward nature – in life and in my photos. I love the beauty in the ordinary things. An old barn,  a dirt road, fields of flowers, anything that catches my eye. People would always say I had a gift for photography. I dreamed of becoming a National Geographic photographer when I was younger. Being able to travel and get up close to all the beauty that God created for us to experience.

When people kept nudging me to start a business, I thought they were crazy. Then came a point in my life where I wanted something different. So I sat down and made a list of what made me happy and what I was good at. I had only done photography as a hobby. It was something that made me happy. So I started giving free photo shoots to family and friends. Thus, my business was born. Word spread and soon I was scheduling paid clients. Photographing people and nature are two separate worlds. Photographing people may have paid the bills but it was not where my passion was.

I came to a crossroads in my life and put my camera down. It has been 6 years and I still get calls asking if I could do a senior session or schedule a family for their spring photos. The love of photography has never left me and in time I may pick up “people photography” again. But for now, I believe I’ll get back to my roots and my love of nature. Today, I thought I would share a few of my photos with you. Though my blog is going to be centered around home décor, I’ll throw in my love of photography along the way. And probably a few other interests as well. You never know where this life will lead you. Just enjoy the ride!

 

Farmhouse Style For Under $25

 

I’ve always loved beautiful things…in my home. My idea of beauty lies in the simplicity of generations before me. Since I was a little girl, I gravitated to the old, chippy, rusty and weathered items that are so highly sought after today. My Mama used to drag me to yard sales on the weekends which turned into estate sales and flea market treasure hunts in my adult life. She once told me I had champagne taste on a beer budget! Nothing wrong with having good taste on a shoestring budget. You don’t need a whole lot of money to add designer decor to your home. Long before shows like HGTV’s Flea Market Flip and The History Channel’s American Pickers…I was living that life; and still am. I’m just not famous yet. Today, in this blog I thought I would share some cute finds for under $25 that you could incorporate into your home. The items I have chosen you don’t have to leave your couch to buy.

This Vintage Style Egg Crate from Amazon would be a cute addition to any country kitchen. Use it as a table centerpiece or on your counter for utensil and napkin storage. Priced at $24.99.

I have a confession to make…I am in love with black and white enamel ware! It’s simple beauty makes it a must in any farmhouse kitchen. You kind find the authentic enamel ware at most antique stores and flea markets. But if you prefer the new; this Kitchen Utensil Holder from Amazon is priced at $15.97

Pillows, pillows and more pillows are a must in the bedroom and in your living areas. I am in love with the vintage flour sack styles. A little insider information…if your pretty crafty you can make these yourself with painter’s canvas drop cloth and craft paint. Or you can’t go wrong with this Pray Big Pillow from Amazon priced at only $15.00

I love the clean, crisp look of white year round. In my own home, I have varying shades of whites, grays with a punch of paled turquoise for a hint of color. This White Porcelain Pitcher from Target would add to your farmhouse charm paired with some lavender or cotton stems. Priced at $13.99

How cute is this for your powder room? I have a similar one in my guest bath. I have an obsession with old faucets. They remind me of an ice-cold drink from the outside hose pipe on a hot summers day. You can purchase this Primitive Country Soapdish from Walmart.com for $21.02

Why yes, you can find your beloved farmhouse style even at bargain stores. How cute are these little love pears? They would be perfect for as part of a mantlescape or side table. Pair them with your favorite candles and sage bush stems. These Ceramic Love Pears can be found at Big Lots for only $10. I love bargain stores!

Last, but not least are these Key Hooks from Big Lots priced at $10.00. The key hooks will be a great place to hang jackets, purses, keys or any accessories in your entryway. Or you could use them as towel holders in your bathroom.

No matter your style or taste in home decor…it doesn’t have to break the bank to turn your house into the cozy home you dream of.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vinyl Has Made A Comeback

I have always loved the sound of an old record. I suppose it comes from my parents listening to them when I was a child. My parental influences were primarily old school country and southern rock. Anything from Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, George Jones, Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash to The Eagles, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Fleetwood Mac. I had a well-rounded dose of great music growing up.

My first musical purchases were on cassette tapes back in the 80’s. Michael Jackson, Prince, Cyndi Lauper and Madonna were the Pop Icons when I was in Middle School. A few years later my friend showed up in her new car her Daddy had bought her. As teens, you didn’t ride around town without blasting your radio to the latest 90’s hits. Enter Garth Brooks with “Friends In Low Places” She pulled out this silver circle, pushed some button and the radio sucked it in like something you would see on a spaceship. “What in the world is that?” I asked. This was my first experience with a CD. I was perplexed. How does it play music from a plastic disc? There is no tape it is recorded on. My young mind was blown at this new technology. For years I compiled a new kind of music library, which I still have those CD’s along with the cassettes. Since those beautiful years of simplicity…most of my musical collection went digital. But somewhere along the way we missed something special. I love having something tangible in my hands. I can feel it, see it and if I were lucky enough, the album cover would have the lyrics inside. One of the best gifts we received this past Christmas was a record player. It also plays cassettes and CD’s. It’s one of those retro looking, one unit does it all. And we love it. Only one problem, we didn’t have a single record to play on it.

 

Thus began our weekend hunts to find all the greats from our childhood. Now let me state that I was shocked and delighted when I saw “New Vinyl” being sold at Wal-Mart. But I love vintage. You will not get that old record smell from a newly produced album. Nor will it have that well-worn cover from generations pulling it from its sleeve and spinning it on the turntable. So if you are into the vintage vinyl, we have found the best places to find them. Of course a quick search of Google and you can find most anything you fancy. But I’m a gotta see it first kind of buyer; especially when it’s something old. Quality can be fooled by a photograph.

Our best finds have been at the larger flea markets. They are our #1 choice for buying vintage vinyl. There are literally dozens of record vendors. Most will make a bundle deal if you are buying several. I have seen records as low as $3. Most are between $5-$10. Unless you find that rare 1976 Eagles Hotel California album with a poster inside. It was priced at $36 but I got it half off that day. It was the last day of a 4 day flea market. Word of caution…comparison shop. Prices between vendors can vary hugely. Unless you are looking for a specific album. The good ones are rare and if you find one you really want the price won’t matter. My #2 pick for vintage vinyl would be antique or junk stores. The selection won’t be as large or good as the flea markets but the prices are usually much cheaper because of this. Coming in at #3 is your local used music store. They usually will have a vast selection at pretty decent prices. We have one near us that even have $1 bins. The only downside is you may look through thousands of records to not find a single one you want.

Of course, if you are of the new generation you can buy the world at your fingertips without ever leaving the house…or your jammies. I’m not too old, but I’m old-school. A self proclaimed “born in the wrong generation, youngish still, but with an old soul” And I have always had a love for old vintage things.

The Weathered Porch

Why is it so hard to choose a name for our new business? Because we make it hard. I want something that people will remember, a name that relates to the business. Yet I am a sentimental kind of person, overly so. For weeks I have brainstormed different ideas only to be shot down. A quick google search would tell me someone already had the perfect name I had chosen. After all this torment, I finally have it! It was stupid simple and just sort of smacked me in the head.

The Home Behind The Name

The Weathered Porch; perfecto! And now the story behind it. When I was a child, we lived in an old farm-style house. This house was the first home my parents ever owned. It was surrounded by 100 year old oak trees that were spectacular. There was a garden out back that my Father after working all day would come home in the evening and tend to. I can’t remember ever buying vegetables from the grocery. From the time I was in the 4th grade until I left home, this house was the only home I ever knew. I rode my bicycle all over that property, trying to keep up with my older brother and his friends. There was a swing set in the back yard where I had removed the swings. I would pretend I was an olympic gymnast doing flips over the top and win the gold. A well worn path led to my best friends house which was in eye sight of ours. I became a pretty good basketball player on the goal that was held up by one of those oak trees. If you want to become great at dribbling and ball control; learn on a gravel driveway. The house didn’t have modern day heating and air. And that is where I learned the art of stacking wood and keeping a fire going in the Ashley wood stove. I can remember the excitement of  Christmastime like it was yesterday. My Mama wasn’t a big decorator for the holidays because we didn’t have the money for such things. But each of us kids always had new toys under that “Charlie Brown” tree as I like to call it. When I was around 13, I opened a black and white 13 inch TV. You would have thought we had won the lottery! I finally had my own TV that I could watch in my room. To this day my Mama says that was the biggest mistake she made…letting us have TV’s in our rooms. She said she never saw us again. When warmer weather would come around again; our little world would come alive with the help of the spring showers. I used to love to sit in the swing on the weathered porch and listen to the raindrops on the roof. There was a smell of earth and newness in the air that I still remember to this day. I would sit there for hours watching the world go by in our little town.

And Then It Was Gone

It was inevitable, progress would come. As bad as we hated it, fought it and shed many tears over it; the little town grew around us. Big development came and began buying up land. The ones they couldn’t buy from, they bullied into thinking they would take it by something called eminent domain. Which was a term my young mind had never heard of. Eventually I suppose all came to an agreement. I was a young mother myself by the time this happened. Our family went in one last time in January 2010. I took a ton of photos and two boards from my bedroom floor to have a cross made from. Just a few weeks later I would drive by on a sunny snowy winters morning on my way to work. There was a certain beauty in that old house sitting there empty that drew me up the driveway to photograph it one last time. It would be the last photograph and memory I would ever have of my childhood home while it was still standing. On my way back through town that afternoon it had been bulldozed down to a pile of rubble. Years have passed more quickly than I want them to. But the memories of that old house are burned into my soul. I wish it was still there, but a supermarket and strip mall have taken its place. But as I drive by in my mind I can still feel the summer breeze on my face and see myself as a child riding my bike while the sun is setting. And the oak trees are whispering a song while the swing is swaying in the wind on the old weathered porch.

We Gather Our Past In Clutter

I am a “keeper of memories” myself. This story explains it more beautifully than I ever could.

the red ant

I may have mentioned Marie Kondo and her magical tidy method a few times before.

‘ere’s the rub:

When you are young you mainly look forward.  You look to the future.  You are unstoppable; and “old” stuff like outmoded toys and too-small clothes get thrown out with delight as “holding you back”.  Sentimentality is a no-no, it’s “not modern” (it already wasn’t “modern” many generations back).

You can’t understand why old people “hoard” seemingly worthless stuff.  Why hold onto that chipped old cup?

As you grow, you come to realize that there is this memento from a moment you spent with your parents, maybe the last one, and the reason you are never throwing that trinket away, is because it triggers that memory every time you look at it.  Or the champagne glasses you used at your wedding – just two, for you and your spouse.  Throw them out?  Never!  …

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