vintage – Chasing Dreams

If I knew her before, I would have named that rose-patterned top ‘Feanne’

September 16, 2009December 29, 2019 Rhiza2 Comments

The other day, Feanne posted this lovely photo of herself wearing this vintage rose-pattered long-sleeved top she purchased from the first collection of dresses in the shop. :)

By Feanne

Later on, I found an outtake in her tumblr account:

By Feanne

Isn’t she pretty? :)

Pay her a visit, you won’t regret it, she’s a brilliant artist: Site | Tumblr | Deviantart

It has been a blast since TheDreamerie was launched three weeks ago. I admit that venturing into something that would generate extra income was among the major reasons why the idea of putting up an online store came to fruition (not to mention finding an outlet for my unavoidable impulsive shopping sprees, but that goes without saying). However, I realized as I went about finding clothes and dresses to put up in the shop that the real profit in this business, more than the money, is meeting new people and finding items that would inspire others to express themselves through their clothing.

Is it so weird that I’ve developed a certain attachment to the clothes we put up in the shop? Ahhh, especially after naming them as if they’re our children! Conversations like, “Have you sent out Fiona to Liz already?” or “This dress looks like Seraphim to me.” or “Yay, someone is getting Janice!” are normal everyday YM exchange between me and Marian, as if we talk about real people and not clothes. I guess what I’m trying to say is, more than the thrill of shopping and being surrounded by pretty vintage clothes, I’ve grown to love the idea of finding these dresses someone to take care of them.

Such is how I felt when I saw Feanne’s self portraits. It made my heart swell with joy knowing that this rose-patterned long-sleeved top, which used to be hanging in some unnoticed rack in the corner of a thrift store in some old building in the city, which I later named “Old Rose”, is now in good hands.

I thought seeing these photos was the sweetest thing that happened that day.

Thanks, Feanne. If I knew you before, I would’ve named that vintage top after you. :)

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Meanwhile, we recently launched our Third Collection over at TheDreamerie.Com. Do drop by, you might find something you like. :)

Soft, Dreamy, Vintage Photographs

July 30, 2009December 29, 2019 Rhiza13 Comments

DAY EIGHT. I wasn’t able to take a photo today, but this post will have a bunch of photos just the same. :)

Tonight I got home from Bible Study, replied to some emails, got some work done, and.. when all the work-related browsers were already out of the way, I readied myself to take in my daily dose of inspiration. It’s amazing how I’ve been around the web for so many years and yet, how little I’ve actually seen. Sometime in the last couple of months, I have unknowingly opened a door that lead to blogs, and photostreams, and realms that I never knew existed. It’s like finding a gate to a secret magical place, and each step of the way I find something/someone new to draw inspiration from.

These are just some of the photographers I’ve been following lately (fine, stalking, but really, I’m planning to let them know I’ve been admiring them from afar, like through an email or something, soon).

+ Kristybee: Flickr | Etsy Store | Blog

I love Kristy’s soft pastel colors, and polaroids, and flowers, and vases, and that window sill, which, for some reason, makes everything on it look oh-so-lovely.

Kristy Bee | Lilylove 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

+ Susannah Conway: Flickr | Shop | Blog

Susannah’s photographs look like they came straight out of The Secret Garden. I’ve been toying with the idea of buying her prints so I could put them under my pillow so I would dream of them.

Susannah Conway | Unravelling 1, 2, 3, 4

+ Amanda Gilligan: Flickr | Photo Blog | Personal Blog

Amanda takes both film and digital, but really, whenever I browse through her streams, I cannot tell them apart anymore! And I love how she takes photos of some of my favorite things — polaroids, books, and coffee.

Amanda | Lyptonvillage 1, 2, 3, 4

Dreamy, vintage-like photographs never fail to make me swoon. I love how each one of these female photographers — Kristy, Susannah, and Amanda — is able to own up to a certain style that makes her photographs distinctly unforgettable. You’ll never miss Kristy’s soft tones. Or Susannah’s dreamy touch. Or Amanda’s vintage style.

And when you’re a photographer, having people associate your name to your photographs is just waaay awesome. Someday, I hope to find my own way too.

30 Days of Awesome, 8/30.

Typecasting: Twitter 1.0

July 29, 2009December 29, 2019 Rhiza12 Comments

DAY SEVEN. It’s becoming more and more difficult blogging about awesome things, not because I’m starting to get lazy already, or I can’t think of anything to blog about. Nope. It’s kindof the opposite, actually. Since I started this 30-day challenge, everyday seems to be bursting with awesome things that I find it hard to choose just one.

7/30. Typecasting my awesome things.

Like yesterday, for example. I thought I’d blog about thrifting, because I seem to be doing that quite often lately, whether online or offline. The pretty vintage dress *points to picture* was delivered to me yesterday from UkayManila (Thanks, Lauren!), and I have another one coming from InTheFishbowl tomorrow. OAN, I thought it would also be nice to blog about this book I just started reading, The Virgin Suicides, and a bunch of other books lined up for me after I finish reading this one.

(You know what, I might just blog about these next time!)

Now, you see, I’ve been typing about these things with my Olympia, too. (I know, what a nerd, right?) I initially wanted to type something coherent, only I ended up typing random thoughts throughout the day. Oh well.

Anywayyy. It’s Henry’s turn to speak now. Check out my second typecast, twitter style, just because typecasting is awesome like that. :)

Continue reading “Typecasting: Twitter 1.0” →

Finding a Typewriter in the Most Everyday of Places, and Buying One

July 24, 2009December 29, 2019 Rhiza14 Comments

DAY TWO. Tonight, as I walked away from Office Warehouse with my brand new Olympia Traveller Deluxe, I was momentarily in deep thought: how was it possible that I had been in and out of that place, unaware that I was sharing a room with a shelf full of typewriters? How, Riz?

Let it be known that today, July 24, 2009, I found my first typewriter. At Office Warehouse. In the same shelf where the printers, calculators, and USB gadgets are. Right beside the office desks where I usually hang out checking out stuff I need for my home office. How come I didn’t notice the typewriters there before?

2/30. Meet Henry, My Olympia Traveller Deluxe

It wasn’t love at first sight though, mind you. You see, a few hours earlier, I was able to get my hands on an actual, oh-wow-I-can-feel-it-in-my-fingers vintage Hermes 3000 at the Grand Thrift Shop at Cubao Expo. The guy was selling it to us at PhP 2900, waaay cheaper than the $250 (+$150 shipping) unit I’ve been considering to purchase from an Etsy store. But the Hermes 3000 at Cubao-X was old and rickety and unmaintained. It could type a bit, but it kept getting stuck. The owner said he was selling it mostly as a decorative element.

But I wanted a typewriter I can use!

So we left, had dinner, and passed by Office Warehouse because I still couldn’t get over the fact that I almost got myself a Hermes 3000. And there it was. The Olympia Traveller Deluxe. It wasn’t eyecandy as the other typewriters I saw online, but I had to try it. The moment I started typing, and heard the clickity-clackity sound that came with each press of a key, I knew I found my first typewriter.

I have to forgive myself for breaking the habit and posting 2 hours late (MNL time), on my 2nd-friggin-day into this 30-day challenge. I prepared a different post for this day, but that was before I knew I was going home with an Olympia tonight.

July 24’s awesome thing has got to be this: finding a typewriter in the most everyday of places and finally getting myself one. A close second would be, finding out that a typewriter ribbon costs 16 pesos at Office Warehouse. That, ladies and gentlemen, was how much technology cost in the yesteryears. Awesomecakes.

And so, my first typecast. (Whut? You don’t know what typecasting is? Hello, Strikethru.)

Dear Traveller | My First Take on Typecasting

Reference to the novel by Audrey Niffenegger, “The Time Traveler’s Wife”,
where Clare is the Wife, and Henry, the Traveler.

Jody says she’s a dinosaur for getting attracted to typewriters. So what am I now, giving names to typewriters and writing typing them love letters? A trilobite? Awesome.

30 Days of Awesome, 2/30.

Typewriter art and illustrations

July 11, 2009July 11, 2009 Rhiza1 Comment

I was searching for typewriters in Etsy this afternoon, and found these amuuuhziing stuff, and I was like, since when did people start doing this? I never really thought of typewriters as art subjects, and never really paid attention to these stuff until recently. Uppercase has an entire category dedicated to typewriters, even. Where in the world have I been, anyway?

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Volume 25‘s typewriter illustrations have got to be my favorite. Aren’t the mushy little love notes in there the cutest thing? Siigh. <3

Visit Jessica’s blog and Etsy store. Definitely coming back, and blogging about her again, yep! :)

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Michele Maule, meanwhile, has got the most number of typewriter art in all of Etsy, so if you’re specifically looking for typewriter art, painting, and illustrations, you’ll definitely come across her lovely store. Go go go, visit her Etsy store and see for yourself!

Some mixed media collage:

And paint reproduction on canvass:

This is one of those days I wish I’m more artistic. It’s hard to be bursting with inspiration when you lack skills, you know what I’m saying? I go cry in my room now.

Nah, just kidding, no crying. Today’s a happy day. Happy weekend everyone! :)

Taking Vintage into my Living Room

July 10, 2009December 29, 2019 Rhiza6 Comments

Last Thursday, I went to the mall to look for an extra rack for my clothes because my stuff won’t fit in my closet anymore. The intention was pure, I needed to de-clutter before snakes start nesting on clothes that were scattered in every corner of my room. Clothes rack, check.

What I failed to do, however, was resist looking around and buying a few more things that I don’t really need.

And it all started with this wall clock. (Isn’t it the prettiest thing?)

I don’t know how it started, but this crazy obsession with typewriters and anything vintage (-looking) came to me with this sudden fondness for wall clocks. (Not too long, I also took home an old Coca Cola Wall Clock from Vintage Pop’s clearance sale.) So yep, this vintage-inspired clock found its way to my shopping cart in no time, as if I needed more reminders that time is ticking away.

This was shortly followed by these floral printed curtains, which were on sale. The huge floral pattern looks like something my grandmother will appreciate, which is exactly what I love about it. And I like how I didn’t have to take down my old red curtains because as it seems, the printed pattern looks perfect against the two-toned red curtains anyway.

Surely, red and olive green look lovely together, Christmas or no Christmas.

And then there were just a few more things: fake flowers on a porcelain pot, scented candle in a jadeite metal pail, and a cheapo table cloth with orange and red stitches. Voila, instant living room overhaul.

I got home from the mall yesterday feeling a bit guilty for splurging (again) on things that were not in my budget to begin with. Tonight, however, as I spend time in this little corner, I know that I could justify my impulse buying again and win in court.

I needed this change.

For freelancers like me, who spend most of our days confined in such a small space, little changes like this spell a lot of difference. Workplaces affect productivity, after all.

Old items: (1) Love seat/two-seater couch from SM Departmen Store; (2) Red throw pillows from Our Home; (3) Red two-toned curtains from some supermarket, I can’t remember which one; (4) Lamp from Ikea; (5) Red adjustable round table from Dimensione; (6) Vintage make-up kit and coffeeholics mug from Vintage Pop.

Recent additions, all from SM Department Store: (1) Floral printed curtains (P375 each x2); (2) Vintage-inspired wall clock (P299); (3) Red table cloth (P35); (4) Scented candle on a pail (P239); (5) Fake flowers in a porcelain pot (P149).

P.S. Daily doses of Decor8, plus the habitual bloghopping through her blogroll, did this to me. Thanks, Holly. :)