How to store the custom photo postcards you receive or want to save for future mailings - postcards make wonderful keepsakes.

This article on how to store your custom photo postcards is in response to questions our readers have send us via e-mail about photo storage solutions we would suggest. One of the things I've heard people mention over and again is that their much loved postcards and photos have been yellowed and curled with age.

We've got a few simple solutions and sure fixes for that issue. The nice thing about postcards is that they are photo sized. So why not store them as photos?

Photo Albums

Personally, I have always stored my postcards in photo albums. At least I started out doing so.  Small space issues brought me to start using acid free photo storage boxes (see further into this article).  I'm happy with both solutions.  I usually picked up those little notebook sized ones that store one per page. Each pocket is completely clear so I can flip through them with ease, and am able to see both the front and the back! Great idea? Yes! Thanks!  You can go as expensive and acid free as you like with your custom photo postcards albums. Our favorite album though, was one like this, where you can put photos in the cover.  It's the one we have on our vintage trunk that we use as a coffee table and gets looked through by everyone that comes to the house for a visit.  It also gives us great memory time with the kids.  It's an opportunity to remember, to laugh, to share, to talk about the people and places we love and would love to go to one day.

Categorize

You can album them in categories, once you have enough together. Like who is sending them, where they are from, year they were received, etc.

Store for future use

I even keep an album chock full of photos I think would make great postcards at some point. This keeps them crisp and protected and provides me with an easy and fun way to pick and choose my favorites. Not to mention, I'm an organization freak, so this is a great way to keep myself organized and feeling special.

Box your Custom Photo Postcards

One of the easiest ways to store your photographs and custom photo postcards so that they are always in their very best condition is by keeping them in special, acid free quality board boxes.  Categorizing your photographs is easy with divider index cards.  They're great for stacking.  They hold lots of photos, and I do mean lots!  Best of all, they don't take up much space at all.  We use ours for both custom photo postcards that we receive and those that we think are good candidates for sending out.  In many ways, storing your photographs and postcards in boxes like this, is more manageable and easier to sort through.  It's especially easy to pull out the one you want to look, and hold it in your hand like the very first time.  Remember that moment?  Remember the smile that spread across your face? 

Scrapbook your Custom Photo Postcards

GET YOUR OWN Complete Scrapbooking Kit by Martha Stewart with stickers and decorations.

You can even store them in a personalized scrapbook album like my friend in Colorado does.  This makes looking at your custom photo postcards especially fun.  Show the front and write what was on the back all around the photo like a frame.  Make a print copy of the front of your photograph so that you can show both the photo and the original back with the stamp.  If you've got a great collection from a group of friends or from family, you may even consider sending your personalized scrapbook album to one of them, and then have them send the scrapbook to the next person, until it comes right back to you.

Frame Them

Another great idea is to frame them. Just as you would any other photo. This offers your postcards protection and display ability. Got a favorite postcard? Let it know how special it is to you and give it a splendid frame of its very own. Lots of frames now a days offer the option to slide your photos in and out with ease, so you can pull them out of their compartment and have a good smile any time you want.

Got any ideas for how to organize or keep your postcards picture perfect pretty? Share your ideas in the comments section.

Got ideas about stuff to write about?  Leave those too.

As always, thanks for reading!

Make your own postcard holders at home tips and ideas:

This article will cover the following subject:

1. How to create your own custom photo postcards from your own photos, including how to format the postage side of your postcard with photo and video examples.

Included are links, videos, and a bit about the not so forgotten form of letter writing.

The art of sending and receiving postcards is not forgotten. Fortunate for us, we can be as creative as we want with the custom photo postcards we send.

One reason we like custom photo postcards so much is they are to the point; from the frozen in time or place picture on the front, to the short scribbled message on the back, saying just enough to satiate and or inspire dreaming. We all love to receive them. Writing them is just as fun, and there is no need to be on vacation to write one.

Postcards, a form of letter writing

The art of letter writing is far from lost. Thanks to e-mail, it has reached new heights. Letter writing has become more popular and convenient than wonderful world of phone conversation, as of late, and is often far less expensive (considering the cost of text messaging, though prices have gotten so much lower).

Are people always looking for new ways to write letters? You bet. And the post office is pretty lenient, as long as there is sufficient postage and an address to send it to.

Though postcard writing is technically letter writing, we tend to clump postcards in a category of their own. We think of postcards as offering a peek into a special world. They make us feel like we're on vacation ourselves, when we receive them.

Did you know the postcard was patented in 1861?

• Postcard - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  This link gives a brief history of postcards, early controversy, postcard stamp info, a glossary of postcard terms, and other related links. Very interesting, if short, read.

How cool is this?

Couple delivered postcard 40 years after it was sent - Yorkshire Evening Post
Couple delivered postcard 40 years after it was sent - An elderly married couple were pleasantly surprised when a postcard popped through their letterbox - only to find it had been sent 40 years ago.

Coldplay, showing off some of their postcards from all over the world:

One Day, in the mail...

One day, in the mail, we received a custom photo postcard. A pleasant, if not odd, surprise. It was of our vacation in Colorado, a photo I had not known was even taken. It was not in an envelope, nor was it protected in any way, shape, or form. Yet it had gotten to us, intact, stamp on the back, addressed, and post office marked. Just as if it were a real postcard, complete with a beautiful, hand written message inscribed on the back.

There were more to come. On any given day. For any given reason, or for no reason at all.

What fun. What delight.

These picture perfect custom photo postcards we received from our relatives, who have taken postcard writing to new heights. Their creativity is simple and inspiring.

How to make your own picture perfect custom photo postcards:

Here's what you'll need:

• Camera
• Film (if you're not using a digital camera)
• Developed or printed photos (4x5 or 4x6)
• Pen
• Postcard stamps

You can use old photos, or take new photos to send to your friends and family, or someone you don't even know.

Stuck on which photos to use? Choose one that says something you want to say or that says a little something about you or something you like or like to do. Or just use one you find inspiring or that tickles your fancy at the moment. 

If you like to bicycle, whether you actively participate in the sport is of no consequence, take a photo of your or another's bike or helmet. If you are building a new addition to your home, take photos of the process and use those. If you just got a new plant, take a a photo of it. Steps you have to climb one too many times? PHOTO OP! The sky is the limit.

So what do you do once your picture is in front of you? Grab a pen.

The first thing you'll want to do is make sure the address you are sending it to is written clearly on the appropriate space. Then place your postage so that your writing doesn't get covered up by the stamp. Then start writing as if it were a postcard. Mail. It's that easy.

Nikon HD Digital Camera System with 10-30 mm and 30-110 mm lenses.  Click to buy.

Tip: Be sure you use a pen that won't smudge or one that you don't have to write so hard it cuts through the photo. Do not use erasable ink.

This is what the front of your picture perfect custom photo postcard would be like:

little girl at screen door with black and white cat. 

Just like any postcard, pictures can be vertical or horizontal.

Source: Millie Kohler, CC BY-NC-ND, via special permission by Millie Kohler

The back of your personalized picture perfect custom photo postcard may look like this:

back of postcard

Like any postcard, formatting should be horizontal. Addresses have been hazed over. Mail from should be in upper left corner. Mail to should be on right side of Picture Perfect Postcard back.

Source: Millie Kohler, CC BY-NC-ND, via special permission by Millie Kohler

The following is a great example video on how to make your own custom photo postcards from your very own photos.

Vintage suitcases and traveling trunks have long been used for a more permanent method of storage.

A black vintage travel trunk belonging to past relatives, one that has seen many a train and horse drawn carriage in its lifetime, currently serves as a window table and is filled with Christmas storage, from lights and ornaments to pillows and mantle piece décor.  Yes, it has a lot of room, and it keeps everything safe and out of the way.

An early 20th century cedar lined chest serves as a coffee table and is secretly quite pregnant with all sorts of holiday and gift wrapping paper, ribbons, gift bags, and greeting cards. These things are stored away nicely, while still close at hand. Our cedar trunk also provides extra seating.  And yes, the cedar still smells wonderful. One of my favorite things about it is the fact that it has a key lock. 

Our use of these vintage storage solutions is quite satisfying. Not only do we get to enjoy the nostalgia and beauty of these vintage heirlooms, but for us, these pieces serve as a perfect solution for a 1920's home that has not too much in the way of closet space.

source: ethanollie - pretty old things - on Etsy

All of us have used some type of vintage item as a favorite storage solution. Vintage and antique mason or apothecary jars, for example, are among the most popular. If not an original, than a vintage style glass or crystal jar with custom modification to enhance the vintage look, but clean it up a bit.

Beans, buttons, pasta, birthday gift bows, we store these items in vintage storage solutions every day. Why? Because the jars and the things we put in them are beautiful. Because there is a warmth and a pleasing aestheticism that you can only get from vintage styles. 

Glass jars can be transformed into a million different things. Use your imagination. Embellish them inside and out, however you like.

A few years ago, Elizabeth (Liz) Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love and other books, had started writing down her best moment of each day on slips of paper and  would put them in the jar you see below.  She stopped doing that for a while and decided to start that ritual up again, asking her fans on September 16th, 2012 if they'd like to join her.  It's a hit.  Now fans of Elizabeth (Liz) Gilbert show off photos of their awesome "Happiness Jars" on her Facebook page. Liz has tweeted about this too, so you can find conversations of happiness jars over on twitter as well.

On her timeline, Author Elizabeth Gilbert writes:

Author Elizabeth Gilbert's very own original Happiness Jar.

My own HAPPINESS JAR update: I've been so touched and delighted by the images of HAPPINESS JARS that are flooding this page every day from all over the world that I had to add one of my own to the mix! Here is my original HAPPINESS JAR, as guarded this afternoon by my cat, Millie. She is a shrewd and exacting judge of contentment, and her relaxed pose in this photo seems to indicate that ALL IS WELL. Have a great weekend, everyone, and many blessings—Liz

People have shared their own personal happiness jars and their alterations to the happiness jar's contents, rules, and purposes.  Some people have been filling them with personal notes, wishes, things they are thankful for, even little trinkets that serve as reminders of happy times.  Some people have personalized their jars so that they're as happy on the outside as on the inside.  I really like the idea of starting a new jar at the beginning of every year and looking through it at the end of the year, to remind yourself of what's happened throughout the year, how you've changed, some of the key experiences you've had that got you where you are today. 

Here are some of my favorite jars that people have posted for Liz to see.

Got any favorite vintage or vintage style glass jars or jar uses?  Share them with us at eyeonlifemag@gmail.com, or let us know about it in the comments below.

Turning vintage furniture and other wooden pieces into beautiful storage pieces and organizational decor gives your home a personal touch and lets you explore your creative side.  Searching for those pieces is easy.  Finding them at the right price, not always.  Being able to spot a possibility, a little bit of both. 

Thankfully, there are many sites and blogs that appreciate or specialize in creative refurbishing ideas for all sorts and sizes of vintage items.  This is enough to get anyone giddy with excitement. There's a whole world out there of people just like us who relish in the creative process of putting vintage items to good use.

If you don't already, with the right research and through trial and error, over time, you'll be able to spot something and know exactly what to use it for in seconds flat.

Keep your eye out for those special vintage pieces.  Let your mind wander for uses that are outside the box, as well as in the box.  If you can't find just what you're looking for, there's usually a way to turn vintage pieces into exactly what you want with a little refurbishing and modifications.  And if the search for the vintage cool and chic doesn't float your boat, there are retailers across the globe that just may have that cool and chic vintage style storage solution you've been looking for. 

Exploring a small variety of uses for vintage and vintage style Metal pieces:

Vintage wire and metal pieces have grown exceedingly popular. So popular in fact that many modifications have been made to suite the modern lifestyle. Vintage wiring is often mimicked in modern pieces. Their simple beauty is much to blame. They work well in any room in the house. Unfortunately, for the same reasons, their popularity makes them increasingly more expensive to buy.

For this last reason, your best bet is to buy pieces that are not in perfect condition; ones that, perhaps, have rusted over time, but not all the way through. These pieces are just as easy to work with. A little bit of elbow grease, and they can be good as new. A bit of spray paint can brighten them up. After that, your imagination can go wild, creating a piece that suits your storage needs.

Other metal pieces, such as lockers, make for wonderful vintage storage solutions.  Extra shelves can be put in.  Small baskets, hat boxes, and the like, can store necessary items for a home office.  These can be useful in homework spaces, mudrooms, and yes, even breakfast rooms.  Tins, jars, trays, and the like, can hold goodies, utensils, craft work, even collected seashells from family vacations at the beach, keeping all dust free and safe.

Vintage lockers (Rue magazine) for the mudroom, child's bedroom, home office, porch, or even the breakfast room.

Vintage metal file cabinet.  Perfect for a mudroom, enclosed porch, or home office. 

Do you use vintage or vintage style metals in your decor or as storage solutions?  Share your ideas below or drop me an email at michelle@eyeonlifemag.com.

It was this particular photo below that got me really thinking of the wonderful beauty and possibilities that vintage pieces have to offer the modern home. Using a card catalog, of all things, to store ones wine and liqueur! Absolutely brilliant!

Source: Apartment Therapy - Inspiration: Using A Card Catalog as a Bar.

Vintage card catalogs in all sizes and styles are totally awesome vintage storage solutions. I've come to find many imagined uses on the web and in my mind. A great place to store jewelery for one. Greeting cards, photos, and keepsakes for another.  Don't know how to store your holiday ribbons, bows, cards, and small bags for holiday cookies and treats?  Catalog them.  Ah the joy a vintage card catalog can bring.

I noticed that there are many sites and blogs that appreciate or specialize in vintage storage pieces. This is enough to get anyone giddy with excitement. There's a whole world out there of people just like me who relish in the creative process of putting vintage items to good use. 

Let us know: What would you put in your Vintage Library Card Catalog Drawers? 

The possibilities are endless.  Photo source: arianna bell: organized interiors - Card Catalog Organizers

The outside of your house is all nice and spooky... but, um, I'm not feelin' it with that inside decor.  I think your walls could use a bit of help...

I adore classic, vintage, and goth styles of Halloween decor and am a great admirer of black and white photography.   Put these loves together and you have concocted a style that offers up the perfect ambiance to a favorite fall holiday.  Some words of advice: Never never forget about your walls.

On the decorative side, the idea of adding black and white vintage Halloween photos to your decor, offers a wonderful dimension to festivities.  Let's look at color pallet.  The six main colors of Halloween are •black •white •grey •orange •green •and purple.  So you really can't go wrong with black and white photos. 

They can replace photos and paintings you may already have on your walls, mantels, stairwells, hallways.  Very large or poster sized ones can even be leaned against open wall spaces.  You can display many or just a few.  They can be a main part of your Halloween decor, or serve as a backdrop.  They can be draped in cobwebs and spiders or banners and streamers.  Smaller, framed, black and white Halloween photos can even be set up strategically on your buffet amongst spooky punch bowls, ewy-gooey cupcakes, and wormy sugary treats.  The choice is yours.

What photos work best?

Not spooky enough?  Cut out the eyes and place a blank white paper behind them for an eery effect to an otherwise normal photograph of you and your cat.

Well, that's up to you.  There are so many choices, from photos you have taken, to black and white vintage-style Halloween posters you may find.  It could be especially fun to use personal photos of you, family or friends, "passed" or present dressed in Halloween costumes, or not (as some really do look spooky just as they are). 

With digital photography the way it is now, and with all the software available to transform the look of a photo, you can even turn a pleasant colorful pumpkin-picking-in-the-sunshine photo into a black, white, and grey, spooky and ominous delight.  You can even request that your color photos be printed up in black and white from just about any photo print shop.   Take photos of:

• pumpkins • Halloween decor pieces - individual or together •  an off angle close up of wooden porch steps (preferably peeling) •  a run down house •  the moon through the trees. 

Whatever your choice, be creative, take loads of photos, crop away, use what works.

Of course your photos don't have to be vintage, or even have a vintage feel to them.  But I have to say vintage spookiness can be quite fun to decorate with.

Some other great framed and spooky Wall ideas

A fabulous idea from Pottery Barn.  Overlap your Black and white photos for a spooky look.

Simple black and white printouts or illustrated pages from vintage books can be clipped to rods on stairwell walls.  source

You can purchase fabulous photographs like these from artists/photographers at places like Etsy.  Take this "Halloween Moon Photography 8x10, Black and White Night Sky Print, Surreal Tree Photo, Spooky Wall Art, Titanium Gray Decor".  Photographers like Elizabeth Urquhart will offer any print in a variety of sizes, including 20x30.

Black construction paper or felt silhouettes of a pumpkin, a witch, a cat, a skull. on a framed newspaper background, and voila, perfect for the mantel.

This do it yourself black and white Halloween project from Life in the Fun Lane serves as a fabulous example of what you can do for an entryway or other odd space.

Creating a spiderweb backdrop for old photos (unframed in this case works best because of the weight) is a perfect idea and allows for a few smaller photos to make a larger statement.

The only thing missing from these white shutter and window frames  is some black and white Halloween photos and art.  But it's a great idea for re-purposing and adds nice eye catching depth, texture, and character to your spooky decor.

Shadow boxes work just as well as photos, though are probably more expensive to create.  You can always take a photo of Halloween trinkets and objects like these against a white or black background for the same effect. 

A gallery of classic vintage monsters - black and white printouts you can make yourself.

Spooky silhouettes on newspaper with a touch of Halloween colored ribbon.  Perfect.

Spooky black and white wall murals (like this one from Pottery Barn) or wallpaper as your main Halloween decor for a room can be a far out use of a photograph.

Have a favorite idea?  Let us know in the comments below.  Or e-mail us your photos.

Apples and Cinnamon

Juicy and sticky caramel and candy apples are in season again.  What's not is your ordinary popsicle stick.  Nature's got a better handle on holding your apple just so, with leafy twigs.  Pretty, convenient, and found anywhere a tree grows.

Tips:

Poke a small hole (smaller than the diameter of the twig you'll be using) with a clean screwdriver, or make a small x with the tip of your paring knife (smaller than the diameter of your twig) and push your twig in slowly and carefully so that it doesn't break.

Make sure your autumn twig, preferably with a leaf or two or three (though the leaves are optional), is washed and fresh, not splintery, powdery, or dry.  It should also be not too thick and not too thin.  Rule of thumb, if it feels right in your hand, and can hold the weight of an upside down apple, it is just perfect.

Caution: Make sure our twigs are not from a poisonous shrubs or trees!  Apple and Oak tree twigs are best.  Definitely no Azalea twigs!

Here are some of our favorite pretty autumn twigs as apple sticks photos linked to some must make recipes and way cool sites:

Ultimate Caramel Apples - A Favorite Fall Treat

October Wedding Caramel Apples

Snow White's Candied Apples

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Are there really pumpkins big enough to live in?  Yes.  And if you can't get your hands on  a big enough pumpkin this Halloween season, you can always make your pumpkin house out of smaller pumpkins and other materials.  Here are some perfect for a Halloween visit or photo op.

As I can't find the true source for this photo, I can't say whether this is a real house or not.  But I do have to say that it would be amazing to spend a day in here. I imagine it has a rocker with a quilt, a wooden kitchen table, and handcrafted twig chairs.  Certainly a hearth with a kettle.  You'd have to roast pumpkin seeds and make pumpkin pies for sure.  And perhaps a nutmeg scented candle may be delightful for ambiance.   I don't know how you'd keep it from rotting.  Any thoughts?

Put her in a pumpkin shell...

This Geodesic home, built in 1997 by Steve Miller in Vermont, is not made of a real pumpkin.  It is actually made of plywood and other various materials. He put his wife in it, and his daughter in it, and himself in it.  They live very comfortably and keep very well.   

Not sure what this pumpkin house is made of.  But it would be a wonderful little tool shed turned Halloween Haunted House.  No windows, so I wouldn't close the door while I was in there, but it certainly could be made into a nice and spooky pumpkin house filled with cobwebs and maybe even a Halloween witch.

The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden gets quite creative with their use of pumpkins.  This pumpkin house is covered in pumpkins and various squashes.  A great idea if you ask me, and perfect for a family photo op.  For more great Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden pumpkin photos, check out Pumpkin Patch in Photos.

Know of any full size pumpkin houses you like or would like to visit this Halloween?  Let us know. 

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Vintage boots rock my world.  And it's no wonder.  With all the boots out there, vintage boots have a look that demands admiration.  Nothing says, "Wear me I'm gorgeous!" like a perfect pair of weathered vintage boots.  Which is why they sell out so fast, so if you find a pair, either online or at a local vintage shop, and they fit, don't hesitate to purchase them.

Here are some favorite vintage leather boot photos I came across recently for us all to drool over. 

Near South Ferry in Manhattan, a street photographer friend of Oye Diran shows you can't go wrong with a pair of perfectly worn brown leather vintage boots.  Special thanks to Oye Diran of Arista Imagery on Tumblr for special use of this awesome photo.

Most sought after this year are the kiltie boots made popular in 1969-74.  The boot on the left is a pair of men's Justin kiltie boots that sold recently, from an Etsy shop called Good Eye.  While these may be men's boots, I would certainly have absolutely no problems wearing them.

I don't know the brand or year of these brown leather vintage boots (by the time I got to the link they were already sold and the owner of Druther's Bizarre on Etsy is at Transformus and is temporarily unavailable, though you can check out past vintage cools on her tumblr blog, here).  I can say, however, that they are absolutely gorgeous and absolutely vintage.  The embellishments on the front faux strap are a unique addition, and I love the fact that they are not too feminine. The color is the kind of brown you want to touch and stare at.  Their worn creases add a beautiful dimension to their fabulous color.  While they look as though they've kept some of their stiffness, it's nice that someone else has softened up the leather for an easier fit and comfort factor.

These brown 1970's vintage boots from Currancy Vintage Clothing may be men's boots, but tell me they wouldn't look fabulous with a flowy dress or denim straight skirt, or even jeans?

Last but not least are these far out sexy black leather women's vintage highway patrol police motorcycle boots from Amelia and Imad's RabbitHouseVintage Etsy shop in Nashville TN.   While the main foot of the boot seems like it's still quite firm, the leg looks quite flexible and soft.  Vroom vroom!

Vintage boots.  Always excepted by your favorite pair of jeans.

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Camping is one of my favorite things to do.  Not only do you get to relax in the moment, while embracing the glories of nature, but you also get to camp in any era you want.  Nature is nature, no modern technology to stand in the way of, say, a vintage experience.  For me, this means I get to bring along vintage goodies that make me smile and, I'll admit it, feel special. 

While I normally camp in a tent, age unknown, what I really want is one of these beauties from the 1950s.  A teardrop trailer.  Perfect for one... or two ♥.

Vintage Camper Bedroom

If the shoe doesn’t fit, repurpose it - The Old Moss Woman

Beautiful things come in all shapes and sizes.  So do old things that can be re-purposed into new ones.  Take these boots for example.  This is what happens to boots you leave lying around in nature.  Sooner or later, Nature is going to have a go at re-purposing what you leave out in her garden.  She’ll turn them into a work of art. A unique garden statue.  Something to ooh and aah over. 

This Photo Friday pic was found The Old Moss Woman’s Facebook page. One of the things I love about Facebook is discovering new pages by chance.   I especially love pages that are dedicated to the wonders of nature, re-purposed items, and ones that have gorgeous photos of miraculous things.  The Old Moss Woman’s Secret Garden is one of those pages I was delighted to come across recently.  It’s definitely worth a look and a few shares. 

While you won’t find an abundance of posts, the ones that are there have something to offer a lover of mosses, bits of mother nature’s wonders, quotes, and tidbits of information.  This page’s motto: “Be not an abomination to the Bees and Butterflies and then your garden shall know the enchantment that long ago the poets and minstrels spoke.” ~ Old Moss Woman

Interior design stairs with style is an option for saving space and a useful storage solution. Depending on the type of stairs you have in your home, the end result could free up not just your space, but your life.We’re all looking for extra storage in our homes. Interior design and architecture doesn’t always seem like it can help this solution, at least not while providing us with a style that suits us.  In fact,  the design of our homes, especially those of small space, often feels as though it is working against us. Our lives can seem bogged down with our special things that ultimately get called clutter because there is nowhere to put those items.

With computers, mp3 players, high tech phones, and hand held reading storage devices like Kindle, many of us don’t have to be overwhelmed by places for our photos and books (now digital) or music (now in mp3 format).  Even our tv’s take up less space than they used to.  For the rest of our stuff, it’s easy to get creative with our storage solutions when we put your mind to it. 

If you’re like me, you either decorate with great finds, or handmade or refurbished storage, like stacked hat boxes and vintage suitcases that replace the need for normal side tables, antique trunks that replace your average coffee table.  Yet it’s easy to get carried away when we feel like these options are our only way to solve our storage problem.

The fact of the matter is, for most, space is limited and finding a place to store our things while trying to live in a clutter free environment can seem overwhelming.

Most homes, especially old ones, have a lot of dead space that could be used in useful ways if only we could adjust those spaces to make more sense.  With the right contractor or even closet company, one space you might have wished could be used in this fashion, can actually be turned into fantastic storage space.  Your stairs.  By dual purposing a main feature of your home, like your staircase, you’ve opened a whole new world of possibilities.  A world I want to make my own. 

Here are some inspiring photos of stairs and stairwells that have been transformed into what I like to call luxury furniture.  Truly amazing.

If your stair well is wide enough:

This great design by California Closets found in Apartment Therapy is a fantastic example of what can be done to wide stairways. Be careful what you store and how you store it. Safety can be an issue, especially if you have very small children.

If the side of your stairs show:

That empty space under your stairs can prove more beneficial than a blank backdrop. Very useful if you’re lucky enough to have this type of staircase.

If you have a lot of books:

Bookshelf stairs can be a lifesaver for the book lover. This requires a greater overhaul than the previous designs shown.

For sleeker stairs and a more modern look:

You can hardly tell that these stairs are drawers but for the simple black drawer pulls that add a great look look to this home interior.

For those who ride a bike:

Finding the right place to store your bike away from the elements can be tricky. If the under side of your stairs are open like this one, installing a bike rack here could be just right for you.

Art Directors Club of Denver 2012 Paper Fashion Show winning dress design. ADCD Paper Fashion Show winning design, CC BY-NC-ND, with special permission via Dave Ingraham

Stephanie Ingraham artist illustrator designer.  CC BY-NC-ND, with special permission via Dave Ingraham

Last month on A Hat for All seasons featured an article on the annual ADCD (Art Directors Club of Denver) Paper Fashion Show.  We focused on the incredible hats that were created for the runway.  We wanted to find out more about this fundraising event and about the group behind the winning creation.  

Stephanie Hunn Ingraham, graphic and web designer, artist, and illustrator for siyo, was kind enough to chat with us about the show and to give us some behind the scenes information. 

Here’s what she had to say.

Tell us a bit about how long this show has been going on and who’s idea this was.

The Art Directors Club of Denver has put the Paper Fashion Show on since 2005. The first year the paper fashion show was very different.  Jimmy Diffee from ADCD Board of Directors was the original idea man. He wanted to put on a fundraiser that really was creative and edgy. He had heard of the San Francisco Paper Fashion show and pushed to try it here in Denver. The first show was a huge success. The first show was hosted by drag-queen comedians and had 23 designs.

How much has been raised and has the amount seen steady accumulation?

The first year the show raised $1500 for Downtown Aurora Visual Arts (DAVA). This year they donated $5000 and the total donated over the 8 years is $27,000.

What sorts of specific programs have been made possible?

DAVA has a Job Training in the Arts class for middle school aged children. These classes have shown through research that a creative outlet can increase a GPA average.

They also have after school programs for children ages 7-14. These programs foster creative thinking and problem solving skills.

The children that participate in the programs at DAVA also design paper dresses for the Paper Fashion Show. The kids are amazing and the designs they put together really are fantastic. Please visit DAVA for more information on their programs.

winning fashion design group ADCD Paper Fashion Show 2012   CC BY-NC-ND, with special permission via Dave Ingraham

How long have you been a part of this show and What prompted you to get involved with ADCD and DAVA?

Four years ago in 2008 my dear friend Elizabeth Barnes and I went to the Paper Fashion show. Her Husband owns a specialized print shop and has been attending the show from the beginning. When we saw the show we looked at each other and said, “Let’s do this next year.” We did! In 2009 Elizabeth and I teamed up. We named our team Pulp Function, a clever name we thought. Our first year as designers we had a blast. The next year Barry Brown joined our team. This last year we had Elizabeth, Barry, myself, and Robyn Winters.

That first year that I attended the show was my first knowledge of ADCD. I am a graphic designer and so have been involved in the club since then. The Paper Fashion Show is one of their main events and I am happy that I have been part of it for that last several years. My involvement with DAVA has only been in relation to the ADCD Paper Fashion Show.

winning dress ADCD Paper Fashion Show 2012

Butterfly Dress on the Runway ADCD Annual Paper Fashion Show 2012,CC BY-NC-ND, with special permission via Dave Ingraham

How do the fashion shows liken to other fashion shows?

The ADCD has done a great job of creating the Fashion Show feeling. They really direct the show designers to create avaunt-garde pieces that have a real fashion quality. Of course they also like the wow pieces that push the show to be as artistic as it is.

What is your favorite part of the show?

I must say my favorite part of the whole show is sneaking that first peak of the competition. When we all arrive at the venue, it is always so fun to see all of the other creations. To see how our design fairs to the other 50 designers. Now that I have been in the show for 3 years there are familiar faces and it is fun to find out their story about this years dress.

What inspired your team’s fashions?

Barry is a big fan of the 1930’s Designer Erte’. He brought a book with Erte’ designs. Elizabeth Robyn and I brought dress fashions to the table as well. Our discussions covered the wow factor as well as the ability to create the concept out of paper.

This year our concept was directed to a butterfly. We wanted to create a dress that had a different look than our winning dress last year. The butterfly concept twisted and turned into the dress that won.

Butterfly Dress ADCD Annual 2012 Fashion Show, CC BY-NC-ND, with special permission via Dave Ingraham

How long does it take to prepare for a show like this?

For our most recent winning dress, we started our concept meetings in December. We met to discuss the direction of the dress. In January we finalized our concept and ordered paper at the end of January. Paper was delivered in early February. We met weekly right up to the date of the show, March 15th. I personally put in about 75 hours of design work and creation. The other members of the team matched my time as well. We have estimated that from design to concept to creation took about 300 hours total.

butterfly dress walking on runway ADCD fashion show 2012,  CC BY-NC-ND, with special permission via Dave Ingraham

How are the models chosen?

The ADCD provides models from NXT Modeling Agency. We are allowed to choose our own models from their site. It is on the designers to meet the models and fit accordingly.

How does seeing your designs on stage, and then after in the photos and videos, make you feel?

This year it was so fun. It was our concept to push paper to a whole new place. We wanted people to look at the dress and be wowed by the fact that it was paper. To see the dress come down the runway, I knew we succeeded in that. It looked like fabric.

What is your favorite step in the process from beginning to end and why?

I love the final fitting. It really puts you in the place of… we did this we created this out of paper!

We’d love it if you could share some of the details of this years winning Butterfly Dress.

I would love to. The wings were constructed in wire. They were wrapped with paper then the wings were glittered. For the dress we cut the paper into small pieces. Our team crinkled each piece to give it a soft feel and each piece took about 20 minutes. I sewed each of the pieces together and then tailored the top and skirt to fit our model like a glove. It is amazing to work with paper in this way. It is as much an engineering project as it is design. We had to really think about how paper is and then transform it.

Which is your favorite design of yours from all of the shows you’ve been involved in and why?

I am torn between this years winning dress and the 1st dress created by just Elizabeth and I. This years dress was a showstopper. We set our sights high and we made an amazing dress. It does not compare though to the first year, Elizabeth and I had such a great time designing, it was not a winner that year, but we felt like winners. We were so proud of ourselves for doing it.

What happens to the dresses once the show

s are done?

Many of the dresses are auctioned off. EXPEDEX, the paper supplier, often buys two or three of the dresses to display at their headquarters in Denver. The amount the auction raises goes towards the fundraising efforts so many of the dresses are bought the night of the show. 

butterfly dress close up ADCD paper fashion show 2012, CC BY-NC-ND, with special permission via Dave Ingraham

A friend of mine came across a page that showcased photos of a dozen butterfly eggs and said, “This would make a great Easter egg hunt.”  It certainly would.  While not as easy as finding hard boiled, decorated Easter eggs on the lawn, a real butterfly egg hunt is an egg hunt that should be taken seriously.  These careful scavenger hunts could take place in a variety of locations across the world and proceeds could help benefit butterfly habitats and migrations.  I’d go, and would even take my kids (who are older of course).

Photos by Photographer Jay Cosse

This got me thinking about the gorgeous Easter eggs that people take the time to decorate.  Ideas andmethods vary from store bought dyes and decals, to handmaded gilded and glazed embelishments, to natural vegetable dyes and rubberbands. 

 It comes as no surprise that Easter eggs are often decorated with butterflies.  Butterflies are synonymous with spring.  More and more people are growing and appreciating the beauty and wonderment that comes with butterfly gardens. Here are a few photos from some interesting blogs across the web to enjoy, re-create, and gather inspiration from (click on references below post for links).

Loven Stamps: The Easter Tree: Big Shot Beautiful Butterflies
Musings from Kim K. Decoupage Easter Eggs
Martha Stewart Speckled Colored Easter Eggs and Boxes

 
52 mantels.com Deooupage Eggs

The Trouble with Jeans for Women? It’s never been easy to find that perfect pair of jeans.  You could be a girl with a very cute, sexy, slim body, and still have frustrating jean problems because your curves are, well, curves.  Truth is, no two bodies, normal or not, are alike.  When someone finds a pair of jeans they feel great in, they stick with that brand and style for as long as they can.  I’m still looking for that perfect pair, but I have gotten close.  The majority of styles out there in the way of jeans for women have overstayed their welcome, in my opinion, and very few designers, from what I can tell, have stepped up to showcase the natural woman’s body.

7 Seven Jeans Bootcut. These are an example of what is out there. This is not my body, not even close. These may be perfectly great jeans for me, but until I try them on, there’s no telling. (For the record, I have tried them on and they’re way too tight in the thighs.) Good luck finding photos of jeans on a woman who is size 12 or 14; even more luck if her body is the same shape as yours; and even better luck if the dressing rooms have mirrors that tell you what you really look like in themThe problem I’ve had these last 3 years is threefold.  First of all, the waist lines available really suck for anyone who has acquired a softness in their mid section. Second of all, we are back to non curvy, for the most part, when it comes to jeans, so if your body bears any semblance of sexy, you can pretty much forget most brands and styles of jeans available.  Third of all, is it just me, or are jeans a lot longer in leg length than they used to be? Because I’m sorry, but while I’ve got nice legs, they don’t go on forever and I don’t know many women who have legs that do. And no my legs have not shrunk!

I find no pleasure in rolling up my jeans, I think it looks dumb. (I’m not going fishing and I’m not gardening all the time.)  I know designers are trying to make it stylish to do so because they’re trying to mask the fact that their faulty pant legs are way too long. I also know that another tactic designers use to cover up their faulty jean design is to bring back stilettos as a key accessory to pants and jeans.  These tactics only bring frustration and pain to what should be my normal life, as I try to do normal things in not so normal clothes.

Note to fashion designers: I find no pleasure in showing off the softness of my midsection to anyone other than my significant other in private.  Nor do I enjoy trying to cover up the fact that I’m not a fitness buff with shirts that are way to long, not long enough, too poofy, or too tight. I don’t like the option of wearing Not Your Daughter’s Jeans because though some women like them, they’re not all they’re cracked up to be.

My sister says that hipster jeans (which have been around longer than I ever expected them to be and are taking over the world now) are great for your back.  That they’re comfortable. This from a woman who thinks thongs are fabulous and have great coverage.  I say they’re not useful for the average woman who doesn’t have a tramp stamp or a whale tail to show off.  I have neither, so what’s the point.

I am not a model.  I am not pregnant.  I am not fat, I’m just normal sized.  Most of all I hate trying on millions of pairs of jeans for hours and hours on end without any luck.  I’m sure I cannot afford to pay an haute couture designer to design the perfect jean, just for me.  So where do women like me fit in?  What can we fit into? Is there a jean that makes a woman look pretty just because she is?   A pair that makes her look just as great clothed as she is naked?

Eileen Fisher Organic Cotton Stretch Skinny JeansFor me, so far, the answer is Eileen Fisher. And believe me, yes, I’m happy to pay the higher price.  The length of her jeans is perfect.  The soft, organic cotton, stretch skinny jean is just perfect.  Hugs and tucks in just the right places. 

Though I’d like them to be a bit higher in the waist to cover up more belly, I’ve found tops that hide that area perfectly.  As for my thighs, even though these jeans are considered “skinny jeans” they fit perfectly, even when I sit. And my legs look fabulous without having to suffer to look that way.

I’m hoping that she will come out with a pair of jeans that pleases me even more.  Her expansion of the simple things, the basic ideas, really make me smile.

No matter what your age, or general figure, it’s important to wear clothes that look and feel great while enjoy the pretty life.  Eileen Fisher has that covered.  She looks at the whole woman.  At generations of women.  Of women as a society.

Vintage Glass Bottles

Accessories are important both to a room’s decor and as ways to express yourself in your living space.  They are the difference between a room that makes you want to use it, and a room that says, “Yeah, I just don’t know what’s going on in here.”

The biggest spot in my home to express myself and play around with accessory decor is my mantle.  Lucky for me, I can go crazy and bold or as simple a refined as I like due to the grand span and size. 

Wonderful things to do with photos.

I never get bored.  With all the great ideas for accessorizing on the web and in magazines, it’s easy to get inspired. 

My love of decorating extends to using photographs in interesting new ways.  When the two can finally meet in a new and intriguing way, I’m thrilled. 

Take this great idea I came across in the following photo I found on the web. Combine two awesome loves to make an accessory that is unique, personalized, and way cool.

It’s not just mantles that can benefit from this beautiful exhibit. Book shelves, coffee and accent tables, kitchen counters, window sills, these and more can be used as decorating backdrops for photographs in vintage bottles.

Vintage Photos in Glass Bottles.  Vintage photos displayed in Vintage bottles line this white fireplace mantel.

Some tips:

• You’ll want your vintage bottles to be clear, not milky.
• Use photographs that take up the heights of the bottles you’re using.
• Magazine photographs work just as well as camera photos, as do photocopies of photos.
• Color or black and white photos work equally well.
• For best results, stick to a theme.
• Make sure the bottle necks are wide enough to slip in a curled photo
• Long tweezers will help with maneuvering the photos once inside your glass bottles.
• Don’t recap or re-cork your vintage bottles so that they can breathe and so that your photos and bottles don’t collect water condensation.
• Using labeled bottles is okay, as long as the label is on one side and not the other.  A labeled bottle would be beneficial to use if you’re choosing to display your photos in bottles placed where they would get a 360 degree view.

I’ve been walking quite a bit lately and my shoes just don’t always make my feet happy.  I don’t necessarily go out to shop and browse and chaufer on purpose, but more than likely my day ends up that way.

Cozy Oateal Slippers by FiveSisterz on Etsy

My poor feet pay for it when I leave the house with just any pair of shoes.  If I were smart, and I’m beginning to get that way, I’d only keep the shoes that fit, the shoes that feel great no matter what I’m up against, the shoes that look great, and the shoes that don’t have the insole taken out by our sweet but weird dog every time I leave the house.  If I were smart, I’d keep those wonderful shoes in my closet with the door closed.  In fact, if I were super smart, I’d wear my slippers in public. 

Don’t get me wrong.  I’ve always been one to follow the classic fashion rules when it comes to shoes.  Thankfully we women no longer have to succomb to Birkenstoks (whose comfort and look I had grown to appreciate once upon a time).  Nor do we have to substitute our 9-5 shoes for our sneakers while wearing a nice suit or dress (an odd combination no matter what way you look at it).  There are now so many brands and styles of women’s shoes that offer excellent support and comfort despite round the clock extended wear, that we women are really luckier and more fashionable than we’ve ever been.

But what happens when, for one reason or other, you find that those favorite shoes that you’ve worn and relied on for quite a few months (okay seasons, perhaps decades) decide that they just absolutely hate you?  They’ve had it.  In one day they bunion and corn you to death.  In fact, if someone offered you a wheelchair or scooter, you’d gladly accept, just to ease the pain enough for you to get on with your life. 

Shimmie Cozy Knit at Rocket Dog comes in half sizes. Woohoo! I bought mine at DSW. They go great with jeans or black pants and my wooly grey sweater coat.Well, let me tell you what you do. When you’re at the shoe store buying special occassion shoes for your girls because they have school performances or a dance to go to, head over to the slipper section.  Chances are there is quite a wide variety of slippers and you’ll love them to death.  They’ll have nice soles with good traction, some thicker than others (you know, in case you need to walk your dog who has an upset stomach because he or she got into the trash or the baked goods you had sitting on the dining room table and you don’t have time to put on regular shoes and if only you had a yard with some grass you’d be ever so thankful, or maybe you just have to wait at the bus stop and it’s way too early for anyone in their right mind to bother with shoes when their slippers are right there by the bed). Find a pair that could pass for shoes, that are super comfy with just the right flex and protection, that are the right fit,  and that are neutral enough to go with just about anything you’d normally wear.  That’s exactly what I did.

I now call them my multi-pupose slippers.  And while it took a while to get used to the fact that I was wearing slippers out in public (to the sandwich shop… to my son’s dentist office…) I found that it was quite liberating.  I could focus on what was really important… spending money I didn’t want to spend.

Oh, and if anyone looks at you funny because they don’t realize that it’s perfectly okay to go out in your out on the town slippers, just look them square in the eye and act like you own that footwear (which you do).

Extending your Growing SeasonTo be a good gardener, you have to have patience.  Growing from seeds to plants is a process that takes a lot of commitment, most of it slow.  The growing and tending process of a garden can be a difficult time for those of us who like to see results right away.  Being in a rush will only result in over watering, over aggravating, and planting too close together, none of which will culminate into positive results. 

Plants need space, routine, and knowledge of what it is you are attempting to grow.  I use the word attempt here because if you are like me, that is exactly what you are doing in your garden space, attempting to grow something that will one day be spectacular. 

Here’s the video that got me thinking about this, this morning. 

You may have guessed, I am much like Toad in this story.  I look around at some of the beautiful gardens that I have watched  come to fruition around the neighborhood.  I know the time it took, the patience, the many steps.  The smartest gardens change with the seasons, offering the eye something spectacular to witness no matter what time of year.  I’ll get there one day. 

In the mean time, I’m stocking up on plant and garden knowledge at A Lovely Garden, and certainly getting prepared for anything a girl needs preparing for with The Survival Girl.