More Early Memories

Here are the journal pages from the rest of the Journal Junkies present last night at Bizzy B (click on any of the photos to see a larger view).

Marilyn made two pages.  The first one was about "The Great and Deadly Snowstorm of 1944" during which she remembers being a young girl worried about her grandfather walking home during the storm (he was fine).

Her second page was about a book she stole from school as a young girl after her teacher told her she hadn't learned enough words to read it.

She told us she felt guilty about taking the book but she never got caught, she didn't have any trouble reading it and she never returned it.

Donna remembers being a young girl in her grandmother's kitchen in Trinidad.  Her grandma would make her recite the alphabet ("A is for apple, B is for bat...) while lunch was cooking.

Joanna made two pages which feature the same events but turned out quite differently from each other in design (one copy to keep, one copy for the store's book).  She put a number things she remembers from her early childhood on the pages - a family trip to Montreal, her first concert (Bobby Sherman), TV shows she used to watch she never liked Star Trek but had to watch every episode because she was outvoted by her brother and sister!)  I can't decide which style I like better!

Last but not least was Barb's page, which wasn't put together yet but she did show us a number of photos of herself as a young girl that she is planning to use.

Next month's theme is "anatomy", should be interesting! ;)

Early Memories

That's the theme for this month Journal Junkies at Bizzy B.  Here's my journal page, about the fuzzy pink bunny I had as a baby.  They say most of us don't really remember anything before we're about 3 years of age, so I don't know if I really remember this stuffed animal or if I just think I do because of photos and the stories I've been told about it.

2 Shows in 2 Days

Who knew antiquing/flea marketing could be so exhausting?  I went to bed early last night so I could get up early this morning to head to the Junction Flea.  Was there when they opened at 9, all done by 10 a.m. It was just too darned cold and windy to linger any longer than that.  At least this morning I was prepared with gloves and an extra fleece layer under my raincoat and a soft, woolen scarf around my neck.  It was actually hailing when we were headed back to our cars an hour or so later after brunch - crazy!!

All I bought this morning were some metal elements from Naomi Smith, a bead artist I know from The Toronto Bead Society.  I was glad to hear she will be there every month this summer, she always has cool stuff.  Several of last year's regulars were there, some were missing and there were a number of new vendors as well.  I have a feeling the cold weather kept a few away, hopefully it will be nicer for the June event!

What I bought from Naomi

Loved this display!

A Tattered and Torn display

The Eclectic Pelican

Several people were worried about their
tent covers blowing away today!

I felt very much like I was all shopped out after the trip to Aberfoyle yesterday, where I picked up a couple of old ledgers, some amazing rubber stamps, both a full alphabet and two sets of numbers (the letters and one set of numbers are 1.25 inches high, and the 2nd set of numbers are 1/2 high).

I also got two old photo albums, one with this kitschy cover:

They're filled mostly with black and white photos but one book has a few pages of colour shots at the back from 1960:

Snow angels!

Was home from the Flea by noon today, so darned tired I could hardly speak when my sister phoned to chat, had to lie down for a 1.5 hour nap!  Hopefully I will be all rested up when it's time to do it again in two weeks at the Christie Antique Show!

Take Your Dog Antiquing

Today must have been "take your dog to the antique show" day, I couldn't believe how many different sizes and varieties of dogs we saw at the Aberfoyle spring antique show.

As you can see, several of them are wearing coats because that's how bloody cold it was this morning. I was there without mittens or gloves and greatly regretting that oversight as well as the fact that I hadn't worn another layer or three under my raincoat.  Still, lots of great stuff to see and picked up some great deals (photos tomorrow).

Oh yes, and for those who prefer a different type of dog, there was this - the sizzling hot, flavor sealed Electro-Baked hot dog cooker.  Yum!

Spring is Blooming

I'm told the blossoms of the cherry trees in High Park were something to see this past week.  Sadly, I didn't get over to see them but luckily, they aren't the only thing blooming around town.  I found this crab apple right outside my office building today at lunchtime, had to check it out (and play with some of the finishing effects in Picasa afterwards)!

1960's

Cinemascope

Lomo-ish

Just One Half Hour

When I came home from work tonight, I wasn't feeling too energetic.  In fact, I was feeling downright lazy. I didn't really feel like doing a load of laundry but I knew I wasn't going to feel any more like it any time in the next few days either, so I'd better get it done while the laundry room was quiet.

It takes 29 minutes for the wash cycle so I told myself I would spend that time clearing up my closet just a little bit.  My closet is a small walk-in, big enough to hold a dresser.  Here's a photo from 2 years ago when I last decluttered - wow, it looks awesome! I so need to do this again!

Tonight, I figured I could at least clear the floor enough (put away all the jumbled pairs of shoes, move the bag of hangers - why do I have a whole bag of hangers I'm not using??, etc.) and put away the pile of turtlenecks I had dumped on top of the dresser as winter was coming to an end (won't need them for another 6 months or so!) so I could pull the dresser out from the wall to get at the necklace that had fallen behind it a couple of months ago.  I kept forgetting the necklace was there until I'd go to put it on with a certain outfit but of course, there was never enough time then to go searching for it as I needed to be getting out the door to work!

I've been missing this necklace!

Which is what I did.  Found a few treasures I had forgotten about in a drawer of the little dresser on top of the big dresser.

Then I put this bulletin board on top of the dresser.  Immediately took it down to change the paper (the silver wrapping paper I initially used was much too shiny, I think the dictionary pages look much better!), put it back up again and hung various necklaces on it.

Whoa! This paper was wayyy too shiny!

Ahh, slightly more organized, feeling much better!  And all it took was one little half hour of time! (okay, doing the bulletin board took a bit more time but that was the fun part!)

More Pretty Mail

Here are some more of the wonderful mail pieces I received in April during National Letter Writing Month:

Ann sent me this beautifully drawn postcard:

Mona made this postcard - I love how all the random bits and pieces combine together so perfectly:

This postcard is from Melinda, who somehow knew I like cats and birds:

My penpal Beth sent me this very cool collection of mostly edible treats from her home state of Oregon, together with an Oregon tourism brochure.  So far, I have only eaten the ladybug chocolate, I'm saving the beaver brittle, rock candy stick and marionberry treat for later.

Looks like a beautiful place, I really should head out there for a visit one of these days!  I'd love to go to Portland to be there when my sketchbook arrives, which is the weekend of June 17th, I believe, but I don't think that's going to happen.  So my book will be in Oregon before I ever get there!

I am in the process of putting all of the lovely mail I received during the month into a book, more about that in a later post...