Under a Blue Moon

My sister Kate and I hit up the Alameda Antique Faire on Sunday.  

We met up around 9:30 (after a rather harrowing romp through a very shady part of Oakland thanks in part to a misguided GPS system and in part on my absolute lack of direction) and braved the biting winds. No rain but my goodness was the wind sharp and cold. 

My plan (and $100 budget) was to buy vintage European linens but the two vendors that were there last Summer were nowhere to be found this time around. 

Both of us were rather bewildered by the predominance of mundane items (say – a burlap pillow or a jelly jar) that bore the Chanel logo. It was weird.  Does anyone think that the house of Chanel is really licensing their image to be slapped on a poorly constructed throw pillow made out of landscaping fabric from the Home Depot?  I don't think so.

There was a great selection of chandeliers and dressers.  And one perfectly formed skeleton that Kate was eyeing (it was a little bit out of her budget).

The one thing we did see that both of us loved was a birdhouse that wasn't for sale.  It was being used to keep the vendor's tablecloth from flying away in the wind.  I did take a picture of it.  Kate and I are pretty sure we know a couple of guys that could build us one.

 

I ended up buying a small table that I thought had a pleasing shape and is perfectly sized for a bedside table.  I have one of the those spindly decorator rounds covered with a tablecloth in the guest room that I've been wanting to replace for years.  Not bad for $40.

(sorry for the next two pictures – my camera batteries died and these were taken with my cellphone)

If anyone has been to the Alameda Antique Faire you know it is acres and acres of vendors – and it never fails that I'll find some large, bulky thing at the farthest point from the front entrance so I (and anyone hapless enough to be with me) have to lug it about two miles back to my car.

I also bought a doorbell cover plate.  I don't even know if I can retrofit it so it will work at our front door.  Right now we have a plastic, rectangle affair.  I'll need to see if I can find a round button type doorbell to fit.  

So even though my linen vendors were missing it still was a pretty productive day.  

 

I'm going to take a wee blogging break.  Hope to be back in a week or so.

 

The week in review:

February 27 – F is for Flower 

February 29 – Z is for Zebra.  I skipped 2/28.  I was also experimenting with a black background.  This was the last of the photography class so no more alphabet related photos.

March 1 – New tree swing!

March 2 – Look!  They don't always have their butts in the air.  

March 3 – Old keys.  I was playing with textures and post processing.  The original photo was completely dark and boring.  

No photo for March 4th either.  Sundays are hard for me since I'm usually getting my avian chores done (cleaning the palais and refilling the bird feeders) and getting ready for the trip down to my dad's.  So please excuse two absences this week.

Because I was taking a class many of the photos I've taken over the past month have been more about the camera settings and new photography techniques than about the subject.  Like the camelia and the zebra.  These techniques will serve me well if/when I ever open up an online shop and need to take photos of products.  But for my blog I think I prefer the slice of life (tree swing, rumpled quilt) type of photos.  

Those are the types of pictures I like looking at on other peoples blogs anyway.

It was an eye opening class.  I am so glad I took it.  It made me slow down and learn my camera a little better.  I understand light much better and I learned a few post processing tricks that help rescue a less than perfect photo.  

And, as a bonus, my N is for Negligee picture won a prize!  The instructors gave out prizes in different categories and that photo won in the "best use of natural light" category!