Modern Girls and Old Fashioned Men: 2011-03-06

I may have or may not mentioned that I am in my senior year of College on this blog, either way it is true. With this tidbit of information people usually ask me the usual questions of my impending doom as I step off of the ivory tower cliff and plunge into the real world: Any thoughts about a career? (yes), know where you are going to end up? (no), grad school next? (don't think so yet), are you excited? (yes).

While I do agree that all of these questions are important and should be answered with some real thought at some point in the next two months (yikes), I am much more inclined and excited to plan and think about my first real apartment. It's not that I'm incredibly materialistic, its more that I like planning rooms out and always have; just ask my father about how many times I reorganized my room over the last 21 years (double yikes).
I am a planner and naturally don't want to have to go out and buy things to put up in a rush, I'd rather have a collection of things that represent me on my walls. The BP Life Collection sure does have a nice ring to it...

While many of my friends can tell you that I am wizard when it comes to picking stuff up on the side of the road, I have been branching out from the "trash collection" aspect of my hypothetical apartment and moving into the framing zone. My most recent obsession is framing postcards. I believe that postcards, especially from the 40s, 50s, and 60s, have an artistic value and spark that a picture or poster does not. They are small which makes them intimate, but they are also of very specific things and very cheap allowing you to collect to your heart's content!

On a whim in an independent bookstore a couple of weeks ago I purchased Postcards from Penguin which is a collection of as they put it "One Hundred Book Covers in One Box". I highly recommend it because the cover designs for Penguin books are classic and they are harder cardstock which makes them much sturdier.

Of course there were many covers for books I haven't read and some that I probably will never read, but that doesn't mean that they aren't beautiful little artifacts on their own. My plan is to frame a few on their own, but to also group certain covers together that are related and frame them as tryptics. I love walls with different sized pieces on the walls and using postcards in the way that you want to really makes an impact on the way you look at your home.
Some examples of the Penguin postcards:

Naturally my walls aren't just going to be covered in book postcards because that would be boring! It is great to also check out thrift stores and warehouse sales such as the Oakland White Elephant Sale in order to find old gems and pay cents for memories and fun decor. Some of the postcards had writing on them from being sent, others were just blank. It's especially great when you find a postcard of a place that you have been:

Amsterdam Centraal Station

The White House (Written on the back-- Dear Nonnie, Thanks to your money I have been having a wonderful time. The buildings are beautiful and I have been taking lots of pictures. When I get home I will show you them. Love, Butch (1963))

Others are just so fun as little painted images that you can't turn them away:

Bern.Zeitglockenturm.

In the end though, it is the postcards that you pick up yourself that make the most impact. If you can find older postcards at your desired destination pay the extra quarter or 50p and use them to create a home in your house or tiny apartment...like I assume I will be in because I will be an unemployed bum.

Modern Girls and Old Fashioned Men

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Overheard: Written Edition

Sunday, March 6, 2011

In Good Company

Decor Roar: Postcard Obsession