Wednesday, December 29, 2010

A Beautiful Day in the City By the Bay…

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Hello, my friends!

It’s been a busy week, hasn’t it?!  Can’t believe I haven’t posted since last week…but it’s been filled with family, friends, food & fun…all the important things!

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I haven’t had time for any vintage creating this week, but I wanted to share a bit of our day in San Francisco with you…a little Christmastime California-style!

My Dad loves to spend time in San Francisco when he comes, and we aim to please!  It was gray, but pretty clear…and just beautiful that day…

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A bit afraid of heights, Dad still can’t resist the Golden Gate Bridge, and loves to cross it, feel the cables, and marvel at the technology of it…

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Here he is talking to my daughter Annie about the cables holding up the bridge…I always love his childlike wonder as he explains the things that fascinate him…

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My daughter Sarah has been on crutches the last couple of weeks as she sprained her ankle pretty badly, but she still wanted to walk across as much of the bridge as she could…we took it slowly, she and I…

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Here’s me…holding on to one of the smaller cables…I’m not such a fan of heights, either…these look solid, but you can shake them around a bit….eerie!  To the right of the farthest right cable, you can just see Alcatraz…very dim due to the fog, and a barge floating by…

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My Mom and oldest daughter Chelsea…such a wonderful time together!

If you’ve never walked across the Golden Gate Bridge, it’s quite an experience.  Cars whizzing loudly by right next to you, hundreds of pedestrians joining you on your way…and you feel the constant vibrations from the traffic, thousand of walking & running feet and the very gusty winds….like lots of small earthquakes, one after another…

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It’s such an incredible sight to look up at the vastness of those columns….amazing that such a bridge could have been built over 70 years ago…with no computer technology, or any of the things we require for building today!

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…right underneath the first big column…

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Sarah standing by the beautifully patina-colored plaque that pays tribute to the bridge and it’s builders…and a word I relate to…

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…the Past.  Beautiful.

Here’s a wonderful photo from the Past…May 27, 1937…the day the bridge was opened.  Just a couple of months before my Dad was born. What a day that must have been!

After we left the bridge, we drove around town a bit, and ended up at the beautiful Japanese Tea Gardens…we’d never been before and had heard it was not to be missed…

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My parents and Roger and I by this beautiful pagoda in the garden…

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…Dad and I on top of this beautiful…very HIGH foot bridge…we two  scaredy-cats just had to try it!

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Here’s a little zen moment for you at the beautiful koi pond…love the reflection of the trees in the water…

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…and one of my favorite images of the day…Dad and Mom walking arm-in-arm, enjoying the peace and beauty of the garden just at twilight…

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At the end of our day…a far cry from the silent garden…Union Square in the middle of the city…all lit up for Christmas…

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What a wonderful day by the Bay…

And lastly, a couple of vintage New Year’s greeting cards to share with you…

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I love the bright colors and gold-embossed elements here…from 1934…

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…and this little beauty…The Old Year steps out of the scene as Baby New Year takes his place…a New Year’s greeting sent in 1936.

Wishing you and your families a wonderful end of 2010, and a beautiful beginning to a new year…see you in 2011!

Don’t forget the fabulous New Year’s sale going on at Crafty Secrets until the 31st—stop by and check it out!

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Julie

Thursday, December 23, 2010

My Christmas Wish…

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At this busy & wonderful time of year, I just wanted to send you all a quick Christmas wish…

I wish you…

Halls that are decked and family joined together…

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Fun and frivolity—whatever the weather…

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Good food and happy gatherings…

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Joyful caroling…

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…the continuing of beloved family Christmas traditions…

Oodles of Christmas goodies in the kitchen…

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Sweet anticipation…

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Visions of sugarplums…

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…remembering the true meaning of Christmas…

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…and I wish for you many beautiful Silent Nights…

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Also…a very Happy Birthday to my sweet Chelsea Noel…

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…21 years old today…where do the years go?!

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We could never have imagined a more wonderful daughter…Chelsea, we love you!

and…

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Merry Christmas from the Campbells!

(All vintage images found online)

Julie

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Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Crafty Secrets Design Team Calendar Challenge

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Good morning, my friends!

Brrrrrr!  It’s a chilly, rainy day here in California…I can just imagine how cold it is for the rest of you!

My goodness!  Christmas is almost here…can you believe it?!  Our houses are filled with cookies & presents, lights &  carols, family & friends…absolutely the most wonderful time of the year!

Well, it’s time again for another fun challenge at Crafty Secrets—the Design Team has been busy creating for a “Calendar” theme this month…here’s what I came up with:

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A Happy New Year collage—I have a frame for this, but couldn’t remove the glass (it’s a shadowbox frame), and I couldn’t get rid of the glare, so here it is in all it’s unframed glory!

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An adorable vintage New Year’s image from Crafty Secrets’ “Seasonal” Images & Journal Notes booklet…and the background calendar also courtesy of Crafty Secrets as a free download available on their blog…

…beautiful, isn’t it?!

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A banner edging using Crafty Secrets’ “Artsy Banner” stamp sets (one of my favorites!) and their “Sexy Little Numbers” stamp sets for “2011”…

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A rosette I made with some lovely old red velvet I had in my stash…I decided to leave it a little shabby looking…I liked it better that way…

…over everything, a VERY liberal spraying of “Iridescent Gold” Glimmer Mist…I love the overall shimmer it gives…can you see it on the rosette?

Please be sure to stop by and visit the other ladies on the Design Team—they always inspire me!

Vicki Chrisman Team Leader


Crafty Secrets
Heartwarming Vintage Blog

A little more to share with you this morning…

A wonderful calendar card from 1939—a very special year in our family---

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(Don’t you just love the image of the June bride?!)

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…and the small card that went along with it…

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…isn’t that charming?

1939 was the year my wonderful mother, Karen, was born…

Karen Ann Ostlund, the wee one, 1939

…a very special year, indeed!

One more thing for you today…

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THE best recipe for Snickerdoodles I’ve ever tasted—and my family agrees, hands down!

SOFT SNICKERDOODLE COOKIES

1 cup butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

2 3/4 cups flour

2 tsp. cream of tartar

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

3 Tbsp. sugar

3 tsp. cinnamon

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Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix butter, 1 1/2 cups sugar and eggs thoroughly in a large bowl.

Combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl.

Blend dry ingredients into butter mixture.   Chill dough for just about 15 minutes in the fridge.

Meanwhile, mix 3 Tbsp. sugar and 3 tsp. cinnamon in a small bowl. 

Form balls about 1 inch in diameter and roll them in the sugar/cinnamon mixture.  Bake for 9 minutes at 350 degrees.  Remove from pan immediately…enjoy!!!

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These are sheer perfection!  A light, tender crispiness on the outside, and soft, tender goodness on the inside—YUM!

(Recipe courtesy of Food.com)

I hope you have a wonderful week—enjoy every moment leading up to Christmas Day!

The Smith Family with the Forsbergs, Christmas 1968

A very Merry Christmas to you all from a 1968 me…(along with my two brothers, redhead Steve, Scott in the playpen, Mom with a handful of tinsel, and Uncle Frank & Aunt Diana…ah, memories!)

 

Julie