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Joy at The Compound

That photo I used for Photo Friday–of the two dolls: Searching for it led to some interesting discoveries.

I knew I had a photo like it, although the one in my head is not exactly like the one I found. But I also knew it was an older picture. Although the computer I use now has access to all the photos stored on my old PC, when I’m looking for something without a specific date or file location, it can be daunting to approach thousands of photos. The photo I could see in my head seemed to predate the old PC, so I went first to my actual physical photo albums. I have a lot of them, and they’re well organized, but I came up with nothing. Then I have a lot of little random photo albums for pictures that aren’t something anyone would care about looking at–scenery from trips, state of The Compound grounds through the years, bad craft projects, TJB publicity shots. Those albums didn’t have what I was looking for either.

There are several wooden boxes on a shelf in the guest room (also known as the Lisa/Debby Suite) that I never open because they’re a reminder that I’m four years behind in photo organization. (I think a lot of people, like me, now depend heavily on their computer photos instead of having them printed to put into albums.) With trepidation, I started exploring the contents of those boxes.

First, I found a boatload of old family photos that I didn’t know I had. I remember one time my mother made Debby and me sit down with her extensive collection of photos and go through them to take what we wanted. At some point in that process, nostalgia kicked in, and she made us stop. Maybe these are photos that I was given before we stopped, but I don’t think so, because some of them are OLD. As in seventy to eighty years old. And they’re of relatives I don’t know. But some of them are of our immediate family, and those were exciting to rediscover.

I never found the particular doll photo I was seeking. But that’s okay, because: I have a journal that’s been missing for years. I’ve mentioned it on here, usually without identifying what it is, but it’s a journal of thoughts/memories I wrote about my friend Steve after he died. More importantly, it contains my few photos of him. And that journal was in one of those wooden boxes! I can finally stop driving myself crazy over its whereabouts.

During my search, I also found a few more of my mother’s buttons that can be featured on Button Sundays and some TJB-related items I didn’t even remember I had.

I think it’s time for me to take on the project of updating and reorganizing (and yes, to some degree, even purging) my photo and memento collections.

What’s in a name?

“Cleanliness is next to ramliness.”

When I was younger, even during times I was poorer, I was brand loyal. I remember when generic products first began hitting the shelves, and it would have made economical sense to buy those white packages with the black letters, but I just couldn’t. Was it aesthetics? Because I always justified my choice by saying, “But I know exactly what I’m getting with my Jif, Tide, Hellmann’s, Golden Flake, Heinz, Campbell’s, Nabisco, Bama, Comet, Dial, Coke,” blah blah blah. I was certain that if anyone ever put me in a blind taste test, I could pick my favorite product.

I’m not quite as bad as I used to be. I’ll buy store brands or different brands for a lot of products now. Okay, never a peanut butter that isn’t Jif or a mayonnaise that isn’t Hellmann’s. But I’ve drunk store-brand colas and eaten store-brand oatmeal. I broke with my mother on loyalty to Tide, but only because of the expense. I still think it’s the best detergent. Because cost is one of my main criteria, I’ve grown indifferent to brand names on paper products, and I’m more likely to pick cereals based on the nutritional information on their labels.

Still, when I shot this photo, I wondered, if I were still using bar soap, would I purchase this?

Are you brand loyal?

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To be continued…

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Inspired by…

“There goes the neighborhood.”

I used to feature my little animals on my Hump Day Happy posts, and most of them were later passed on to my great-nieces and -nephews. Now I need to add “Inspired by Plastic Animal A Day” when I share them, because that site truly does spark my creative impulses or enjoyment every day.

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Runway Monday: This Is For The Birds (PR 9:11)

On the most recent episode of Lifetime’s Project Runway, the designers were given a L’Oreal challenge to create a high-fashion look inspired by exotic birds, possibly using a color palette from eye shadows and other cosmetics based on each bird. The birds included an Amazon parrot, owl, raven, and cockatoo.

Below, Tim Gunn and L’Oreal Paris makeup consultant Collier Strong with feathered friends.

Since the design teams drew three of the birds, I opted to take the unused bird: owl. Here’s the limited edition eye shadow for owl:

Although PR asked each designer for two looks, only one went down the runway, so I’m showing a single design.

The owl is a bird of prey; I knew Victoria had the fierce appearance perfect to model a design with the bird’s strength but also its soft feathers.

Victoria’s cocktail dress has a bodice with layers of rick rack in alternating colors and a skirt of black crinkled chiffon.

In keeping with the predator idea, I wanted the bodice to mimic a breastplate. Then I used pickups to give a fuller and more structured look to the soft chiffon of the skirt.
The pop of gold in the bodice is matched by Mattel’s gold earrings and shoes.

A closer look at the bodice, which I deliberately left with some small cut-outs for a sexier look. When Victoria sees what she wants, she’ll go after her prey.