The new Library in Strathmere.

This past Saturday I took a walk down to the new Schiavo Library to check it out and to join as a member. Dr. Rita C. Schiavo was from Philadelphia and her family had a long history, over 80 years, in Strathmere NJ. Her father and uncle were land developers there and they owned several homes and many lots. Following her death, Rita, who had no other living relatives, left her estate to the town of Strathmere to establish a library there, as a gift to the small community. It's been exciting watching the library be built and to hear of it's progress. It really feesl like Strathmere in the Library and I'm sure Rita would be very happy.

A photo of her in a 1960s cocktail dress hangs in the library and more vintage images of here will be hung too.
I went through many boxes of things from her estate, which were resold on this website over the past 3 years. In the library, there is a special display in this pretty case, showing momentos from the life of Rita Schiavo - a baby dress, a hat, photos and letters. The hat and baby dress were items that I had kept from Rita's things (I usually keep a few things from some estate clothing lots that I buy, to remember the person) I was asked if I still had any of Rita's items that I could lend for this display, and I was glad to provide the hat and baby dress.

Throughout the library are vintage images of Strathmere, which I was asked and very glad to provide from the Strathmere website's collection of photos. The images were matted and framed by a local man, and they will be changed throughout the year.


You can see more of the photos from inside of the Schiavo Library here -
http://strathmere.blogspot.com/2009/07/peek-inside-schiavo-library.html

Project Runway Returns August 20th!

Yahoooooooo! Thank goodness! It's been too long and Fashion Show doesn't quite fill the void - I need Tim!

The bios of the new designers were released this morning on the Lifetime Website .

I haven't looked at all of the bios yet, but this gal caught my eye. She's a Vintage-y Kind of Gal, and she sells on etsy -

http://www.louiseblack.etsy.com/

Louise Black -

Strathmere 4th of July Parade photos

Here's where I am this weekend, watching and photographing the always awesome Strathmere 4th of July Parade! Got some sunburn today too. Beautiful weather.

Check out all 4 pages of photos here - http://www.strathmere.net/2009.html

Check out the hummingbirds fighting!

I managed to capture this great little video of the activity that has been going on all day outside my window. 3-4 hummingbirds at a time are fighting over the feeder, mostly females. All of the ones in this video are gals - very fiesty gals.

See how they fan out their tailfeathers, to make themselves look big and menacing. They sometimes hit the window or bang into the feeder when fighting. I sometimes feel bad that they are fighting, but it's just the way that they are. We have 9 feeders out in our front and back yards, so it's not like they are starving. But this one seems to be the busiest, although fights break out now and then at each of the other feeders. Maybe this one is popular because it's up on a 2nd floor window with lots of tree branches nearby. You can see them sitting in the branches watching the feeder for invaders.

The video is 1-1/2 minutes, and I thinks it's pretty cool. I am now a wildlife photographer/videographer.

That weird orb/UFO that you see is the ceiling light behind me, reflected in the window.

And the winner is . . . Talented!

So I put the names of everyone who signed up for the drawing on little pieces of paper, put them in a box and pulled out a winner. And the winner is Kate! Thanks to everyone who signed up. It was fun to put together this giveaway, and I'll do another little goodie box giveaway like this again.
So, being the nosey gal that I am, I checked out who this Winning Kate gal was and found out that she is a talented artist, with several shops on etsy.

Check out these super cute and fun Flappers Eloise & Ramona at http://www.flapperdoodle.etsy.com/




And her Movie Star artwork at http://www.silentsandtalkies.etsy.com/



Plus you can Check out Her Profile - for information about her other shops, and the shops of her talented family!

Hydrangeas make me happy

I had a grumpy moment yesterday and the hydrangeas cheered me up. My parents have a Summer rental at the shore. Most rentals are handled by the realtor, but some my Dad does himself. They are mostly friends-of-friends and he never makes the people pay up front, he lets them pay the day their rental starts (I know, but it's his house, so it's his way)
Anyway, I clean between tenants on Saturdays and I spend the weekend in the efficency cottage out back. The people renting the house this week have been renting for a few years and they know that I'm staying out back and that they are supposed to pay me. Do they bring the rent money out to me? No.
So Sunday before I leave, I go knocking on the door to get the rent. I'm feeling grumpy, because I shouldn't have to chase these people down for the rent. No one answers the door - but I can hear the tv! I knock and knock, but no one comes to the door. So I go stomping down the porch steps bitching and complaining in my head, and I pass the garden. That's when I catch sight of my pretty, pretty hydrangeas. Instant cheer. So I cut some to bring home with me, and put them in a pretty vase on my desk.
These are my favorite colors for hydrangeas - pale lavender, blue and green, I love the varying shades.



I'm going back tonight for the rent. All day I've been trying to figure out how to let them know that I'm pissed, without being rude.

***Update - the rent has been paid, and I was very polite.

Geek Alert - I'm addicted to playing Farm Town

So much so that I had to do a screen grab to show you my Farm!
Farm Town is one of the many, many, time-sucking games on Facebook (if you have managed to avoid playing those games, don't start now!) I've tried many of the games, and I like Mafia Wars, Pet Society and Farm Town the best. Most of the games you can only play maybe 10 minutes at a time until you run out of the game's pretend money, so they don't really waste alot of time. But Farm Town does take more time.
You are given a plot of land where you plow, plant seeds, harvest and sell the crops. Then you can expand your farm, and buy things for it. I don't know, it's just fun. Plus you get little farm animals that wander around and make noise. It's cute.
I also play some YoVille, but that has some interacting with other people, and you know that I am an anti-social hermit. And I had a few weird moments with other people on there. But I like decorating the apartment, which is basically all you do.

Hummingbirds entertain me while I work.

This is my first Summer with my office up here in this room. My desk is pushed right up to the window so that I can look out into the back yard while I work. I bought another hummingbird feeder that sticks to the window, and it hangs about 2 feet above my computer screen. So I get to watch the hummingbirds come for a drink all day, while I work. They've become alot more active the past few days, so there have been fights and scuffles (hummingbirds are feisty and very territorial) They've bumped up against the window while fighting. So small, so tough. So much fun.

It's hard to photograph them, especially through the window, but here are two rough shots so that you can get an idea of how close they are to me.

Happy Birthday Harlow!

Guess who turned 1 this week?
Remember her first photos, just 1 day old, probably less than 1 pound?




Now she's a big girl, 64 pounds! The breeder said she would be a little bigger than the average female bulldog, that she could hit 55 pounds. Well she hit that and then some! .
She's alot of fun, and she and Boris are such good buddies, they have alot of fun together. She is the alpha wolf though, the big boss. He let's her be the boss, he doesn't seem to mind her pushing him around.

Giveaway - Little Vintage Goodies and a Vintage Clothing book!

Hey, how about a giveaway?!
This giveaway will be a hatbox full of little vintage goodies and a book about vintage clothing.
Anyone is able to sign up for the drawing, post a message below (with contact info) or send an email to dvintage@comcast.net

Let me tell you everything included in this giveaway -
* Three vintage photos from the estate of Florence Kline
* 3 cards of vintage buttons and a group of matching blue buttons - also vintage but not on a card.
* A piece of gold velvet ribbon
* A vintage pin made of seashells
* A stamped linen piece to cut and embroider that make 9 coasters with fruit on them. Shown in the background in the photo to the left here and a closer view is below on the left too -



* 3 Sample Sheets from Signet Frocks, from the 1940s. They show garments available from the company. They originally had fabric swatches on them, but those were removed (Not by me)











* 3 oval vintage images of pretty ladies

* A pair of black dress gloves

* 3 dainty hankies with pink embroidery and crochet

* A wool felt embroidered silhouette from Bucilla (not sure what that was meant to be used for, it has been embroidered)









* A linen piece with lace on one end

* A Black patent vinyl zipper bag - either a small purse or make-up bag.
* The book 'Shopping For Vintage'. It has very short profiles of designers from the 1890s-1980s. Also some jewelry and handbag designers, tips on buying vintage and guides to realworld and online vintage shops and fairs. Book has artwork, no actual photos of vintage clothing.
* And it all comes in a small vintage hatbox from Gimbels!


Yes, you get everything show above, fun little vintage stuff! A winner will be drawn on the 22nd of June.