a sunday of substance

Yesterday was a great day.

I have been excited for yesterday since I set that meeting with my bookseller friend. I have not seen him for a while and the books I have ordered have been languishing in his inventory for months. I was at the tail-end of a project and a fieldwork and thought I deserved a reward of some kind for being still alive. What better way than finally getting my old orders and paying up and maybe adding a couple new books to the package?

My friend sells good quality second-hand books which I absolutely love. Pre-owned books carrying a history of their own. Yellowed pages, old editions, rare hard-bounds. And that lovely old-book smell. He also sells notebooks – Moleskine and Field Notes and Fashionary. Yes, a dangerous combination for a writer/artist like me.

So I set up a meeting and I was fired up all week looking forward to it.

Layer on the discovery that Before Midnight opened in cinemas in July 10. Marvelous! The theme movie of my generation! If I had to name a mythology of romance for my generation it would be that trilogy. So I set Sunday afternoon for watching it with my sister, while also setting a couple of evenings beforehand to watch the first two movies.

Sunday arrived and I was like a child about to go on a field trip to Disneyland. Well I was. My own kind of Disneyland.

I met my bookseller friend in a cafe. He was late and I was too early. Which was perfect because I intended to get some writing done. I haven't written in a cafe for a long time, and it was such a glorious sunny morning, the cafe was half-empty, and there was this vintage jazzy music playing in the background. The other customers were quiet oldish people, not the usual crowd of noisy young things. Needless to say I felt right at home.

I took out my last Moleskine notebook (I have run out of stock) to write. I just have to say, I caught myself smiling many times at the sheer joy of the moment. In the past week there were little events that somehow perfected the trajectory of my life and I can feel the effect of it. Finding myself in that perfect spot on that perfect Sunday morning, I recognized the wisdom of the Universe and its infinite magic leading me to where I was. Most likely it was also where I needed to be. 

My dear friend arrived bearing my joys. Like a midyear Santa. A heavy bag of books and a heavy bag of Moleskine. He also brought a few vintage books I might be interested in (I was) and those were added to my loot.

I love vintage and old things, especially books. Look, this one survive through the war!

It was time to replenish my stocks. I am halfway through my last ruled Moleskine.

Then followed the kind of conversation that lifted one's spirits and refreshed one's faith in people and the world. Discussions about books, life decisions, the quality of paper, being independent, ideas and insights for improving our respective businesses, astronomy and mathematics, finding niches. An equal exchange without reservations or agenda, a connection that was effortless. I had missed it so very much.

We parted at lunchtime. I had a movie to catch. I also found out that another friend was joining me and my sister to the movie. Oh joy!

Before Midnight did not disappoint. I actually want to see it again and savor the words again. I didn't cry. Only almost. That part towards the end.

After the movie we had coffee and pastries at a nearby hotel. This time I was a content observer as my sister and our friend did most of the talking. But it was also one of those conversations that flowed naturally and without fear of misinterpretations or judgements. Then we went to my home to discuss options for framing my art works which I will be selling soon through another friend with a mobile vintage van (Doesn't that sound like a perfect way to start?) There were also some art and book discussions, analysis of men, women, and relationships, and a little history-digging for examples.

Brazo Bombs by The Legend Hotel. They taste like brazo de mercedes magicked into cream puffs. Very delicious!

The evening concluded with a light dinner. I started to feel tired and sleepy a little before ten. The adrenaline rush since the morning had finally worn off. I was happy. But my introvert self said, alright, time to draw back. If I had pushed myself more I would probably end up with a migraine. Oh, but make no mistake, it was the best Sunday I have ever had quite a long time.

I cleaned up, then tucked into bed with Sometimes The Magic Works. A fitting bedtime read for a beautiful day.

"I have decided, on reflection, it is best just to remember that sometimes the magic really works."
-Terry Brooks

How has the magic been working for you lately?

Good Old Thing

This old electric typewriter has been hidden in my parents' storage for YEARS. My dad found it when he was doing some cleaning and asked what I wanted to do with it. I want to keep it of course! So I brought it home and plugged it in and it is still working perfectly despite a lot of missing letters. There is even ink in the ribbon still! I will just need to replace the letter wheel and the correction tape and it will be good as new.

The sound as I was typing was simply glorious for me. It was like being transported somewhere back in time. It is like a time machine in its own way, just like when I play my vintage LPs on my record player.

Poems, short stories, essays, journals. I could hear them chattering in delight at the possibility of being written with this good old thing.

on a hot saturday afternoon

I cleaned my house. More importantly, I finally got around to fixing the horrible mess of wires and cables behind the TV shelf. I finally extricated the broken DVD player and re-arranged everything. The vintage Star Wars poster that had languished in storage for years is now up on the wall. I finally got around to play my vintage Beatles LP and pleased to discover that it is still in good condition. I found a spot to display the pretty sleeve design of Heathen Chemistry, the Oasis album which I stumbled upon last Monday and could not leave the store without. It totally messed with my budgets and I am sacrificing a few meals in the process but... an Oasis LP! I have always been a Liam Gallagher girl. Champagne Supernova has been part of my life soundtrack way back in the 90s (and it still is today). In Heathen Chemistry, I love the song The Hindu Times.

"In and out my brain

You're runnin' through my vein

You're my sunshine 

You're my rain"

- The Hindu Times, Oasis

5 things i want to learn in 2012

On top of all the things I want to do more of, there are a few new things I want to learn. These have been on my list since late last year but had to be put off to make way for the first trials with the shop and the settling in into the whole crafty lifestyle.

I am not yet sure how I will go about learning these. Maybe online classes, or buying tons of books and self-studying, or being lucky enough to find an affordable and accessible class that I could actually enroll in. I have an aunt and a grandma who can help out with a couple of the items but their availability will be tricky. So any help to point me to options will be most welcome!


Printing my own Design on Fabric

For this I am very inspired by untoldimprint. There are also colors and pattern combinations that I could only find in my head and not in the shops. And if I do find them in the shops then it would cost me a fortune.

I would also like to learn it closer to the old-fashioned way instead of just using an ink-jet printer or special gadgets. Silk screen printing is something that often comes up and I have come across it in one of my high school home economics class although we were never really allowed to touch screen nor fabric.

untoldimprint

silkscreen and scribble

Knitting

This is such a granny (worse, old maid) thing to do and I know I would probably not escape being needled (pun intended) about it. But then I would point these people to the blogs of really cool girls who knit. I mean, it doesn't have to be an "old lady" thing with all its related associations of being a recluse and surrounded by cats and all the other granny cliches  -- and by the way have you seen my ninety-year-old grandma? She defies most definitions of how ninety-year-old grandmas "should" be. :D

from art equals happy

Making Quilts/ Patchwork

I have two quilt-style skirts and I've always wanted a quilt for my bed. I just love the whole idea of having all the colors and patterns I want in one piece all at the same time! I once saw this really beautiful bed quilt at a thrift shop but it was being sold at Php5000. I could see why it could be worth that but it's supposed to be a THRIFT shop!

e-course by smile and wave

Dressmaking

I am particularly interested in recreating and reviving vintage patterns. Almost all of my clothes now are thrifted or vintage -- another move to help mother earth by recycling even with my wardrobe. Learning to make my own clothes will also support local fabric suppliers and significantly lessen the cost involved in each piece. I also don't have to make do with whatever fashion style is in vogue (which often lately only flatters skinny girls).

from Style Hive

It has also been difficult to find perfect fitting pretty skirts that don't cost a leg (and sometimes also an arm). So it would be great to just make them myself (and everything will be a flattering A-line!).

from grevilleadesign at etsy

Learn Adobe Illustrator

From handmade to digital - yes, I know. But this one I want so I can do nice prints for decor and gifts and maybe eventually for selling. I am particularly inspired by the art in Anna Johnson's Savvy Chic, the art of Nick Bantock, and Barbara Hodgson. It will probably be a mix of actual handcrafted collage and drawings which will then be further enhanced and polished by Illustrator. In any case, I would like to be able to reproduce some pieces and also be able to print them in various sizes for various use.

Anna Johnson 

Well, good luck to me! On top of everything, I have to do the Other Job so I will earn money for food and shelter and craft materials. But it's 2012! It's a much better year and there are more than three hundred fresh, possibility-filled, magic-imbued days ahead! ^_^

redecorating in progress

This is what I'm going to be busy with for the week before the new year: redecorating my home to prepare it for the fresh energies of 2012. It is also a way for me to cleanse and detoxify mentally, emotionally and spiritually. I also get to stretch my creative muscles and not hold myself back like I did three years ago when I just moved in. This time I will claim my space and really make it mine and let it speak for me.

Inexpensive wall stickers of colorful butterflies enhance an old plain black vinyl sticker I had put on the wall three years ago. 

Christmas lights cheer up my bed. I'm thinking I could keep it there all year round.

My Sandman card collection come out of hiding in a tattered box and are put on display for better appreciation. Neil Gaiman remains one of my favorite authors. Morpheus still pops up in my dreams sometimes, often with cryptic messages.

A store-bought vintage style wooden storage box gets personalized with happy colored sequins so it would not get lost in the vibrant fabric cover of the plastic Muji DVD storage. The shells are from a recent beach trip with my sister.

Another Muji plastic CD storage gets dressed up in fabric. I also use its top to display vintage LP covers. The yellow roses are made of wood ordered from Etsy. A few pieces of vintage safety pins gotten for free at the lace shop and a bowlful of assorted stones bought as souvenir from Athens, Georgia (when I did my little pilgrimage to Michael Stipe and REM in 2000.)

Repurposed a furry shawl into a table cover, keeping my turntable cozy.

Inexpensive doilies freshen and brighten up the shelf tops that hold my little garden of flowers and herbs.

This space does double duty as garden and as shelf for my planner, journals, idea notebook, and life list notebook.

More to come!

the announcement poster

We are not even halfway with the to-do list but we are being brave and optimistic and posting the announcement:

We are holding it in my parents' garage. I have yet to make the buntings!

beginnings

About a couple of weeks ago, I decided (and realized) that I can, and should, pursue more than one job. For one thing, the business I am running now is still very much my old life with a few modifications. If I really want to try and do something really different and new I should ease out a bit from that comfort zone. At the same time, I should pay more attention to what makes me happy and excited to work on every day.

I have fallen in love with vintage and the idea of domestic bliss. Add to that a layer of being more earth-conscious. The whole thing put together paints a picture that is almost an antithesis of what I have been doing for the past sixteen years. It  was a difficult thought for me to grasp because I do not do very well with transitions. I like and welcome change but the journey from A to B tends to pain me a lot.

So two or three weeks ago I had a talk with my sister and we mapped out our lives and our hearts. We were both surprised at what we discovered and what we had to accept, and therefore what we have to take action for if we are to lead fulfilled lives and not waste our time.

One result of that is the decision to slowly build a small shop of pretty things (handmade/recycled/repurposed) and vintage. We will try out the whole concept in a garage sale-type set up on the first of December. Then we will work out the kinks and test drive it again about a month or two after. We will do this until we work out the formula and then we officially launch. Now all we need is a bit more capital. Plus a lot of research and studying.

Meanwhile, with the initial cash we have put aside we have started buying inventory and collecting raw materials. Lots of hard work and leg work! But at the end of a really tiring day the feeling of satisfaction I feel is fresh and different. It was a bit of a revelation. I thought I was set for the past sixteen years. I realize I was not.

Yesterday I stumbled into a midnight sale at the mall and was able to get a cheap clothes rack. When I got home my sister and I eagerly hung our first few pieces and imagined a happy future.

I even got some music to play in the shop ^_^

 

vintage shopping & stocking

My sister and I will be holding a vintage garage sale by the end of November so we are busy putting together the items for selling - from our own closets and from the closets of other people and from pieces selected from vintage shops.

This time we want to have a bit more fun and put some spin to the whole garage sale experience. We also want to make a bit of extra money for the holidays so we will be putting more than the usual effort to encourage people to buy and to be gentler with the haggling. I got really good tips from Heather Robertson of It's So Suburban. It was such perfect timing stumbling into her post!

Here's a sneak peek at a favorite feature piece:

crafty plan

I have planned a little trip for tomorrow afternoon to make the most of my trip to the dentist which takes me back to my old neighborhood. Since I will be in the area, I thought it would be nice to drop by my crafty Gramma's house. There are also nice vintage shops nearby I could check out. My sister is still trying to work out her schedules for tomorrow though but in any case I made options for her coming along.