old photos | Bead Happily Ever After

Even Faded Photographs Can Make You Smile

Posted on December 10, 2012 by crystal

Studies suggest that perusing your collection of photos can be an ideal way to de-stress!

I don’t know about you but with Christmas just a couple of weeks away I need all the relaxing moments I can get right now. There’s still so much to finish – my lists have lists!

What to do? Well, I decided to test the relaxation theory by pulling out an old photo album. I have to say that the following trio of photos made me forget about my to-do list – at least for a few moments. 😉

I found 3 cute photos of my Dad and his sisters. The first one was taken when they were children, the second as young adults, and the last one when they were close to retirement age. It touches my heart that I have this record of the three of them posing together over such a span of years!

My Dad and his Sisters

1. As Children in the 1930’s….

2. As Young Adults in 1946 (My Dad is 20 and his sisters are teenagers.)

3. And as Grandparents in the 1980’s (In this photo, the 2 sisters have reversed their standing positions – each is on the opposite side of where she stood in the two previous photos above.)

So, now I can highly recommend curling up with your favorite photos whenever you need to unwind. 🙂

I’ll bet you have some sweet ones, some funny ones, and some you absolutely cherish!

Feel free to share them here if you like! I’d be happy to post any that are sent in.

Hugs,

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

Posted on June 3, 2010 by crystal

I am a woman;

therefore, I LOVE a bargain!

Especially when that bargain is cute, cute, cute! 😀

A few weeks ago, I bumped into these little “summer” frames on the clearance aisle.

They’re flip-flops!!! I fell in love. 😉

I decided to put some summer photos in them. It wasn’t easy because the openings are so tiny, but after some finagling with the scanner, I printed a few cropped pictures from summers of long ago!

Daughter #1

Daughter #2

Sir Beads and me, circa 1972 BC (before children)

OK, no laughing!!! We weren’t true “hippies” but with his beard and my flower-child dress, we certainly looked the part. lol

It’s gonna be fun to have this summery trio on display for the season!

Do you also love bargains?

Smiles,

Gallery Wall

Posted on June 23, 2009 by crystal

I have to admit that we have a rather eclectic decorating style at our house.

We’re a little bit country and a little bit rock and roll . . . oh no, wait! – that’s Donny and Marie. 😉

Did I just date myself? (LOL) If you’re too young to know who they are, you could google them.)

One connecting thread in our decorating, though, is our love for vintage items. When we first moved into our home, we decided to make a “gallery wall”. We began with old prints in interesting vintage frames.

Eventually, we included a treasured collection of very old family photos from several generations.

Over the years, we’ve even added a few contemporary pictures, and this blend of “old and new” is on display in our front entryway. The arrangement continues to expand and it’s such fun to be able to enjoy photos that would otherwise be stored in boxes and albums.

You may prefer a more modern, or a more formal, or perhaps a more whimsical look!

The best thing about a “gallery wall” is that it can feature all the things you love in whatever “theme” you choose.

I took a quick look online and found a cool link (click here) with nine different versions of a gallery wall. Be sure to scroll down the page to see all of them!!!

How do you decorate your space? 🙂

January Cleaning and Crafts

Posted on January 13, 2009 by crystal

I always have the urge to get organized in January. I think it’s the combination of the cold weather and the fact that I’m already on a roll as I put away the Christmas decorations, and try to find a new home for any gifts we’ve received.

Yesterday, as I was looking for a spot to store a new game, I came across an old photo album with pictures from my early years as a crafter. It made me smile as I calculated that the photos are (gulp!) 26 years old!

Craft fairs were in their infancy then, and this is a picture of my very first one.

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The photo is fading a bit, but if you click on it to make it larger, you can get an idea of the display. My daughters are “helping”, Dear Husband is the photographer, and I seem to be working on something even as the event begins. The fair was held on a sunny autumn day on the grounds of a school in New Hampshire. The raffia dolls that you see were very “in” at the time – hard to believe now! It was a particularly exciting day not only because it was my first fair, but also because I was approached by a lady who wanted to display my items in her gift shop! I was so delighted – I couldn’t believe it.

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It turned out that the shop was a restored “caboose” which was just adorable. We took a drive to see it after hearing that my crafts were on display. The kids look thrilled, don’t they? 😉 Well, it was a long drive.

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Since that time, I’ve learned many new crafts and had lots more adventures at craft fairs and gift shops, but it was during those earliest years (see Take this job), that I discovered something pretty valuable.

I learned that “making something” is like giving your spirit a vitamin! 🙂