Music Vibes & Honey Do

Today things are going slowly. I've been sick since last Friday and while I've been making the most of each day stuck inside, today is just dragging out. I really don't feel like it is the afternoon already.

In better news those good music vibes I put out a month or so ago really paid off. An old friend from high school had an extra ticket to see Andrew Bird tomorrow night at the Pabst so I'm going with her! It'll be great to catch up with that lady, and it always seems to happen around musical events. The last time I was able to see her was when she traveled to Oshkosh to see the Ben Folds show at the university.



I feel a little guilty leaving Richard at home alone, especially since he has the day off from school. But really I need a good Andrew Bird fix, especially since the last time I saw him kinda fell flat - frankly, no one else was there to see him, they had all come to see the other three bands, and the whole energy was just off. Its been a good long time since I have some good live music.

Things I want to Accomplish today
1) Feeling better
2) Organizing basement/studio
3) Prepping stamps
4) Putting together and scanning a few new sets of stamps
5) Stock photos and product descriptions
6) Two new Etsy listings
7) Laundry
8) Filing
9) Breakfast for dinner

Where we come from

I know it's a bit of a way off but I am so very excited for next June. For the first time I will get the chance to go to New York to see not only where my father grew up but also Ellis Island on June 12th to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first of my family arriving in the United States from Italy.

Richard and I are going to have a time figuring out the logistics of getting us both there. For teachers school doesn't end until June 15th and the rest of the family is planning to leave New York on the 13th. Perhaps I'll just have to stay a while longer and we'll meet up later, whatever happens, I really can't wait. I have never been to New York, and I can't wait to see my father's childhood home. Maybe Anna will even be back at Scholastic and we'll have a chance to explore the city together. Really, there are just so many possibilities!

One of the great things about this trip is that it will really push me to find a new job and really promote and work on the Suitcase Art shop so as to gather the funds for what promises to be an interesting trip.

If you've got any suggestions of things to do/places to see, I'm open to each and every suggestion.

New Stock this week!

Things are falling in place on the homefront, and I'm slowly unpacking and re-organizing my basement studio/office. This means some fabulous vintage pyrex and anchor & hawking kitchenwares that have been waiting in boxes are being listed this week in the store. But if you just can't wait until tomorrow morning, there are still a couple of Campus Cuties hanging out.

ps- tomorrow I have some promising job applications to turn in! wish me luck!

Milwaukee City Guide: American Science and Surplus

At the risk of exposing one of my quirky supply secrets I just want to tell everyone how much I love American Science and Surplus. It has been a while since my last trip out there, to be honest its been at least two months and I kind of ache to get back there. Whether you're looking for Canadian forces brass buttons, test tubes, microscope slides or an overrun of promotional boxes from Victoria's Secret - this is certainly the place to go. Every time we have friends or family visiting from out of town this is one of the places I love to take them.

My husband Richard introduced me to this wonderful store, and even has a method of perusing the rows to be sure he doesn't miss anything. I certainly can't fault him for that, as I have a set path when it comes to each particular thrift store. This is the place I get quirky packaging supplies for Suitcase Art as well as little lovelies, like those tiny little compasses, as special little freebies in my packages.

One of the best parts are the signs created by the employees for each item. All of them are certainly descriptive but most are also a little tongue-in-cheek. Like the following for a rubber komodo dragon

REAL ONES TASTE LIKE CHICKEN!

This one tastes like rubber, so no snacking. This very realistic Komodo dragon model, made by Safari, is 10" long, and has its accurately forked tongue sticking out. Our favorite carrion-eater comes with a tiny fact sheet from the Carnegie Museum of Natural History.

93624 KOMODO DRAGON

If you can't make it to the Milwaukee area location, they also have locations in Geneva and Chicago, Illinois as well as a rocking website where you can order many of the items they have in the stores, I recommend visiting the "Must Go" section first for great deals on ridiculously strange clearance items

Maxwell Street Days Success

So this past Sunday Richard and I went out with his brother Chris, and Chris' girlfriend Erika to the last Cedarburg Maxwell Street Days of the year. It was quite a chilly day but I got the chance to wear my new corduroy fall jacket - even managed to lose a button already!

So onto the glorious finds...



#1 - Argus 40 - complete with original leather case and in perfect, out of the box condition. And did you know it was one of the early bakelite Argus cameras? Because I didn't! Not until I got home and did some research.

#2 - Fisher Price Barn complete with farmer, cow, pig, horse and chicken. I remember playing with this thing constantly at my grandmother's when I was growing up and it was one of my favorite toys. Truth be told I already have my own barn and I only got this for the pieces and will probably pass this second barn on to someone else. Speaking of Fisher Price barns - you should check out some of my favorite toy photos over at doe-c-doe, she uses vintage paint-by-numbers as backgrounds for her vintage toy collection and her style is truly inspired.

#3 - One Hefty Smurf glass (Hardee's 1982) to replace the one I broke a while back, we even found the final piece for that collection - Jokey, but didn't get him - a little pricey for a glass collection we really can't use right now (tiny kitchen = limited cabinet space)

#4 - A couple of typewriter ribbon tins, one is a gift for a certain gentleman's birthday and the others will make their way over to Suitcase Art Vintage and Supplies soon.

#5 - A handful of printer blocks.

#6 - One blue pyrex refrigerator dish to replace the one that broke at my grandmother's last Christmas, this one didn't have a lid, but I'm sure she still has a couple extra.

#7 - the requisite bags of postage stamps. There is an older couple who sell stamps and coins, and I always buy at least one bag of stamps from them. They sell these sandwich bags full of envelope corners and while at least half are the same flag stamps over and over, there are always a few gems I use in my projects/stamp collections. This time, I bought three, and I hope they keep me busy for a while because there won't be another Maxwell Street Days Flea until next May!

All in all I only spent a grand total of $20.50, so I think I made off with some really awesome deals!

Last Flea of Summer - Maxwell Street Days

While it may be chilly outside already, this Sunday marks my official end of summer - the last Maxwell Street Days flea market of the year. I just can't wait to go - but it really does sadden me that the summer is really and truly over.

It'll be chilly going out so early in the morning (it starts promptly at 6 am!), but I won't mind getting a chance to show off my new fall jacket - it's maroon and corduroy, two of my favorite things! On the upside I'll probably meet up with my old roommate Beth and my brother-in-law's girlfriend is even tagging along, so it'll be fun having an early morning expedition with the girls. Surely I'll find something to add to my cache of lovely vintage pieces to pass along on etsy, but otherwise this next week will contain many, many lovely pieces of vintage costume jewelry. For now there's just the Serpent Bracelet signed by Whiting and Davis.

Vintage Jewelry

I recently stumbled upon quite a few pieces of vintage costume jewelry. I must admit, I'm keeping more than a couple for myself but the rest is going to be up for sale on Etsy.

Here is a pair of Gold tone pinwheel clip-on earrings by Elizabeth Morrey all ready to become a funky addition to your jewelry box.

This is my personal favorite a gold-tone mesh snake bracelet by Whiting and Davis. It is in gorgeous shape, and would make a great statement piece to go with any outfit. I'd keep it, but don't wear gold often enough. This piece will be up on etsy.com tomorrow.

Honey Do: A Time to Dive in

What I should have gotten done yesterday

- Suitcase Art website and blog facelift

- wedding photography website

- stock photos

- new listings on etsy

- cleaning the office

What I actually got done yesterday

- sewed the last curtain panel for our bedroom (no more loose fabric over the curtain rod! yay!)

- unpacked boxes in living room/kitchen

- took exactly 4 stock photos before light burned out

- no new etsy listings

- some work on the Suitcase Art website

Frankly, today is not looking much better. I'm going over to my parents' house to visit with mom and will probably spend the majority of the day there. But I still have a revised 'Honey Do' list for myself today.

Tuesday

- stock photos of five vintage jewelry pieces

- write ups on jewelry for etsy listings, list at least one tonight

- clean the office

- laundry

- post actual content to blog besides these silly lists of mine

new take on Suitcase Art

I've decided that it is time for an overhaul of my businesses and online presence. My website and blog are getting a facelift as are my etsy shops - Suitcase Art Vintage & Supplies and Natalie Jean Photography.

I'm dedicating myself to my online Vintage and Art supplies store, and I'm trying to take a more proactive role in promoting that business and my photography. My father and I are starting a wedding photography group and I'm working on the website but more on that later.

In personal news, Richard and I were in the process of buying a house but the sale has sadly fallen through. But I suppose that just means I have more time for the other things I need to do.

All in all, there are many things to do today...

- Suitcase Art website and blog facelift

- wedding photography website

- stock photos

- new listings on etsy

- cleaning the office

I realize that I have been neglecting this blog, and I have no really good reason, except that...

- I got married just a month ago.
- Richard and I are buying a house.

- I am always trying to find a job.
- we're packing constantly.

- and I discovered this thing called tumblr.

I'll be around more now, promise.

An Open Letter: To Everyone I Know

I realized as soon as we began planning the wedding that leaving people off the guest list was inevitable. I have so many friends, and so many people that I love, but to keep a "small" party cuts had to be made.

This is my apology to all my friends I was not able to invite. I'm not going to single people out, and I'm not going to provide any explanation as to why you weren't invited and other people were. I'm only going to say this - I'm southern, I have a huge family, they all had to be invited first. Please, friends, know that I love you, and wish I could have you here to celebrate this wonderful day that is creeping ever closer.

Lots of love,
Nata Jean

Typewriter Inspiration

I found this photo over at Sweetie Pie Press, and I really love the typewriter display. On the deer...well, I have a love/hate relationship with taxidermy, just like Zombies. On the one hand, both taxidermy and a zombie invasion seem really quite cool as concepts, but they kinda freak me out in practice.

It still really makes me want to put all my typewriters on display in one place, rather than scattered about the way they are now.