blog #486 >> I Love Flow Charts!

I was bored, so I made this flow chart.
Have you ever been at a yard sale and thought, "Should I buy this?" Now if you're ever in a state of doubt, you can look it up on this handy flow chart. Just follow the questions to the correct outcome.

(Click image to enlarge.)




You can see other awesome flow charts here.
Flowchart: Understanding the Web, for Fans of Charles Dickens
The 30-Second Rule, A Decision Tree
So You Need A Typeface
Sheldon's algorithm for making friends - Big Bang Theory

Enjoy!
T

blog #485 >> The Slant-O-Matic

...The greatest sewing machine ever built!

And I didn't just make that up, that's actually what it says in the manual. And I'm sure it's true. How could such a lovely machine NOT be the greatest sewing machine ever built? It was made in 1961 and was one of the last models of Singer sewing machines to be made entirely of metal. It even came with an a "Multi-Slotted Binder," "The Ruffler," and a good variety of feet. Also, the manual has tons of helpful notes, whoever originally owned this machine, really loved it.

Yesterday, my sister gave me her old Slant-O-Matic. A friend gave it to her, and she's never used it. Recently she got a cute old 60's Singer in a table from Mike's for $45, so she's passing this one on to me. I LOVE it! But I'm afraid it's going to need a little work. It runs well and sews nice, but not as smoothly as I had hoped. I think it needs some oil and the timing adjusted. I fussed around with the tension and pressure and it helped quite a bit, but I'm probably going to take her into Montavilla for a tune-up anyhow. Today I'm going to sew up my muslin on it. Sewing machines, like cars, don't like to sit around for years and years and not be used. They bind up, so after I oil her up, I'll see if I can work out the kinks and get her to run a little more smoothly. (I named her Evette.) And I just can't part with my grandma's old Kenmore, Margaret. She's just such a great machine! It's perfect for heavy weight fabrics and I like that the plate comes off for sewing collars and cuffs. And I recently learned (while reading my manual) that it has a faux surging stitch, that I'm excited to try. I think I'll keep them both and use them for different things. Margaret and Evette, they sound nice together.

image found here

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And here is some swell plaid fabric I ordered from Sew Weekly. It's a fantastic sewing blog. I can't wait for it to arrive. I'm planning a darling skirt.

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And just to make sure everyone knows, JoAnn's is having an amazing sale this Labor Day weekend. Their McCall's patterns are $1 and the Vouge are $3.99! I spent about $14 yesterday and saved over $100! Normally I like Simplicity patterns better, but they are on sale all the time, the Vogue patterns are rarely on sale and I love the Vintage Vogue patterns. And $1 for a new McCall's pattern is just a really great deal. I never actually follow a pattern anyhow, I just piece them together like ingredients in a cookbook. Take a sleeve here, and skirt there, a collar from over there... I'm more of a Frankenstein sewer. Here are a few of the patterns I got, and I want this one from Simplicity when it goes on sale.



(McCall's M5591 Misses' Skirts and Sash- It's a pleated skirt WITH POCKETS!)
(McCall's M6446 Misses' Capes - It's the perfect coat to wear over a coat. Wouldn't it be cute in a dark red?)
(Vintage Vouge V8728 - Misses' 1946 Dress and Belt)
(Vintage Vouge V8686 - Misses' 1933 Dress Suit)

Cheers!
T

blog #484 >> Dilly Beans

Earlier this week I made a batch of dilly beans with the green beans from my parents' garden. I LOVE dilly beans, but this batch got all shrivelly. I think I might have over processed them. I suppose they'll taste alright though. I can't wait to open a jar.

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And as a bonus post, I've been working at taking pictures with my telescope this summer, so hopefully I'll have some great telescope pictures to post soon. I'm still trying to master the manual focus on my camera.



Cheers!
T

blog #483 >> Classic Films

(In which I prove I am a hopeless romantic and sentimentalist.)

Recently I read a post over at Puddles of Memories about her favorite Stars of the Silver Screen, which got me thinking, "I love the Silver Screen and classic movies of all types. I need to do a blog post about this." But instead of choosing my favorite actors and actresses, I went with a few of my favorite old movies. I had a hard time picking, but I settled on these ten, in no particular order:

The Shop Around the Corner: 1940

The More the Merrier: 1943

(Anything with Charles Coburn and Jean Arthur together is pure brilliance! I LOVE all her clothes in this movie and her squeaky little voice never fails to make me laugh. She was wasted in the silent film era, and Charles Coburn is pretty awesome as well. I feel like "The Devil and Miss Jones" deserves honorable mention, although I didn't have it up here. It's been forever since I've seen it. It's hard to find. Movie Madness only has it on VHS and I don't even own a DVD player anymore. Curse technology!!!)

Rear Window: 1954

(This movie is like looking out the window at my apartment, but without the crazy murderer living next door part.)

Roman Holiday: 1953

To Kill a Mockingbird: 1962
(Excellent book too!)

His Girl Friday: 1940

Holiday Inn: 1942

(I know most people would pick "White Christmas" over "Holiday Inn." Good choice, but I definitely prefer "Holiday Inn." The 4th of July dance is pretty awesome, and I can relate with wanting to run away and start a farm. I'm not usually into the musical dancing movies, but this one is a classic. I also love "Shall We Dance." Best rollerskating dance routine ever, and "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off" is a fantastic song.)

It Happened One Night: 1934

Desk Set: 1957

(Love and a giant computer, what more do you need in a movie?
Plus, Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn and such a great couple.)

Arsenic and Old Lace: 1944

Enjoy!
T

blog #482 >> The 25¢ Dress

At last, I've finished the 25¢ dress. I've been meaning to alter this dress for weeks! My sister found it at a garage sale for 25¢ and picked it up for me, but it needed a bit of work. It was super wrinkly, had a hole under the armpit and was a couple sizes too big. So I ironed it out, raised the waist line, turned the hole into a dart and added another dart to the other sleeve. Raising the waist line is my favorite way to take in a dress that's too big. And I look pretty good in high waisted dresses too. It will be perfect for the remains of summer and early fall.

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And as a bonus post, more eggplant from the garden.
Cheers,
T

blog #481 >> Terry-Taylor Yard Sale Extravaganza

This weekend was the amazing Terry-Taylor yard sale in Longview, WA. Honestly, it's one of the unknown wonders of the Pacific Northwest. It's a large neighborhood where everyone has a yard sale on the same day. And since it's full of older ranch homes, everyone has some pretty awesome stuff. Thrifters flock from all over, and parking is certainly treacherous. Don't even try to park within the neighborhood itself. You will be lucky to get a spot less than a mile away. It's a bit like a carnival inside, there are church fundraisers, hot dog and elephant ear stands, and local political candidates trying to get a vote. Some people who aren't having yard sales, just sit in their front yards in lawn chairs watching the folks go by. I imagine it would be quite entertaining.

This immaculate yard has some fantastic yard ornaments, I wish I had gotten closer to take the picture.

Here's a "bear chair." He looks like he'd bite your ear off when you're not looking.

And although this picture doesn't do this bed justice. It's one of the largest, heaviest beds I've ever seen. One loose screw and it could crush you in your sleep.

Here's an awesome retro hair dryer.

And I'm sure everyone needs a hand in a jar. (from Budd's Curious Itch.)

And this is a picture of the remarkable pirate shopping cart. I bet the other shoppers quake with fear when they see them careening down the store aisles during the Black Friday sales.

And here are my Terry-Taylor finds. I got that yellow thermos for 50¢, the little spice jar for 50¢ and the cute caterpillar on a leash was $1, The pink secretary blouse was $1, the sock darner was $1, the vintage bandages were 50¢ each, Charles Dicken's, "Hard Times" was $1, and the owl mug was my big purchase at $5. A little steep for me, but I really liked it and I wanted it for a planter.

I also bought two other books, a 50's first aid book and an early copy of "The Moonstone," but I'm so depressed... No, that's not the word, distressed? No, that's not it either, disappointed? Closer... I'm just so sad that they fell out of my shopping cart somewhere between Terry and Taylor! I didn't hear them fall, and I didn't think they could, but they must have slipped through one of the one inch gaps along the side of my collapsible cart. I've decided to make a cute cloth bag to fit inside so that never happens again. I'm still feeling their loss. At least I'm only out $3.

I almost spent more on lunch than I did on all my finds combined! There were a couple of cute kids out trying to drum up business for their mom, "Are you guys hungry, you sure look hungry! Come on in and get some Hawaiian BBQ! My mom makes the best Hawaiian BBQ! Try a free sample! We got fresh baked pineapple upside down cake. We'll even entertain you while you eat!" What can I say... he was right, I was hungry! All I had for breakfast was a quick slice of toast before I left Portland, I had been walking around for hours, and it was nearly two o'clock in the afternoon. mmmm... Although, $7 is more than I would normally pay for a lunch, it was some of the best BBQ, I've ever had. And even though I can't remember the name of it, that banana drink for $3 was pretty remarkable as well.


A close up of the vintage bandage boxes and a couple of pictures of the cookbook my sister found.

One of the houses was having an Estate Sale, (I bought the owl mug, sock darner, and bandages there.) And if it were closer to work, I would have seriously considered buying that house! It was a beautiful time capsule home from the 60's. I wish I had sneaked in and taken a look at the bathroom, but it was really crowded, and I'm sure they didn't want us snooping around. It still had all the original lights, carpeting, hardware and appliances.

Take a look at the cute pink retro dishwasher! It was teal inside with a circular lazy susan rack on top. Yes, I opened it. I was trying to not be snoopy, but I could resist!

The lights were pretty amazing too!

And it still had the original countertops...

As well as this remarkable wall unit.

Anyways, the Terry-Taylor yard sale is once again, the best yard sale of the year. I don't even bother to going to any other.

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And as a bonus post, here's a picture of my first ripe eggplant!

Cheers,
T

blog #480 >> From my internet travels

Okay, here's a nice little blog post w/o any meat!
This is a swell little collection of cool links I've found online recently.

p.s. I should mention, I'm becoming increasingly addicted to pintrest. I think I even like it better than my google reader feed, and that's really saying something!

Here is a super cute kitchen found at Apartment Therapy.

Here is a dorky accordion kid, found at pintrest.
(Also, I find this advertisement slightly misleading. )

Amazing bedspread from Sewing Daisies. See how she made it!

I love Nutella too! From Chibird.

Adorable book couple. I tired to track down the original link, but it turned up blank on etsy. See it at pintrest here.

Tea is indeed refreshing! Found at pintrest here and at this beautiful tumbler page named the oxford circus.

The perfect "welcome" mat for less then welcome guests. Like those crazy poll takers.
Found here at ffffound.
I love how they filled in the cracks, chinks and crevasses of their home with books as if they were spackle!
See it here at Pamela Love and Jordan Sullivan's home.


These two fancy fellows are from My Daguerreotype Boyfriend. I love this site!


And these strange floating people are from:

Edison's Anti-Gravity Underwear Kite Babies, 1879

JF Ptak Science Books Post 1562 [Part of a series on the History of the Future]

There was a time in the late 19th century when it was seen that Thomas Edison could do just about anything--so much so that the Brits in The London Punch gave him tongue-in-cheek credit for inventing (flying, so to speak), anti-gravity underwear.

Read more about it here at Ptak Science Books.


And although I usually try to avoid the kitty internet craze, I just can't help it! These ones are just so funny! From Cats That Talk. Discovered here.

And as a bonus link, here's a fascinating story about The Vidocq Society.

Nineteen years ago three men had the idea of a regular lunch club for crime experts that would try to solve some of the United States' most baffling homicides. The Vidocq Society has now been instrumental in solving hundreds of crimes. Adam Higginbotham meets the founding members.

I suppose I find this so interesting because I've recently been reading lots of Agatha Christie's Miss Marple novels lately.

Find the complete story here at The Telegraph. Well worth a read.

Okay, time to go be productive now...
T