Thrift Shop or "Vintage"

In Manhattan we have them all over; in fact, there is one in the building I live. Some are kind of junky looking, with little treasures piled into nooks and crannies, just waiting to be discovered. Others are more fancified, with mannekins sporting yesterday's "latest" looks, (like a gussied up party girl the day after a wild soiree -- rumpled, with makeup down her face, but still traces of pretty), trendy shoes with a bit of fray showing, and the occasional overstuffed chair or lamp. Further up this particular food chain of bargain shopping are the "Vintage Shops" that carry designer labels and charge higher prices. These shops have their caste system, too.  Some of them sell items that cost 75% less than the original price of a garment, while others are charging up  to 75% and more than what the original price was.  These are the items that stylists like Rachel Zoe buy for their clients (or themselves).

I don't love thrift stores; something about them makes me sad. Maybe I feel the energy left behind by former owners when I run my fingers over their chipped cups and old photos, or maybe it's because I'm sad that they have no loved ones to fight over who wants to inherit their things. 


But I do love to look through the windows at thrift shops and imagine the lives once lived inside those treasures.  Still, I'm hoping my Dave Letterman cup doesn't end up in one someday.

Lucy and Ethel and niches and blogs.

I was reading an article today about blogging.  The main reason, it said, that people visit blogs is for information. The question is, what kind of information?  So, if you are a blogger who has access to a particular kind of information,  like about fashion or music, show biz or investing, gossip or some technique, you are sure to attract others to your blog.  Like flies to honey. This is called a niche.

Then there are the little people like me who have friends who come to my blog because, well, because you guys are my online friends and we like to visit each other and catch up.  To me, it's like when Lucy went to visit Ethel's, except these days we do it on a computer instead of walking out the door.  (Coffee is still involved, though.)

So, are you a Lucy and Ethel blog visitor or a niche visitor? And if you go to any blogs where you don't feel a truly personal connection with the owner, what do you learn from them?  Just wondering.

We took that picture in Central Park last week.

How to Make an iPhoto Slideshow

For my non-Mac-head friends --please excuse this little tutorial that by default only speaks to some...I've promised to do a few sets of instructions on iPhoto slideshows.  An iMovie tutorial will be up in the next week or so.

How to make an iPhoto Slideshow

1. First things first.  Create a folder in iPhoto (“File” then  “New folder”) and drag all the photos you want to use for your slideshow into it.  Name it something easy like "Suzie's graduation" or "Billy's Christening Party."

2. Click and drag the pictures to put them in the order you'd like them to appear in the slide show. 

3. When you have the photos arranged the way you like them, click on the “Slideshow” arrow on the bottom center of the iPhoto menu.  Then you'll see 3 tabs that will help you set up your iPhoto slideshow.  They are:

Themes

There are six themes to choose from. Themes are the basic format of your slideshow and they include titles like classic, Ken Burns, scrapbook, shatter and sliding doors.  The themes are a background to your photos but they are also a transition from one silde to the next.

Music

The iPhoto slide show program comes with a few versions of default music, but you can upload your own music as well.  You will see a setting where you can choose to import a song from iTunes or elsewhere on your computer and add it to your iPhoto library.  You can have just one song that repeats (or loops) or you can choose several different songs, making a customized playist for your slideshow.  I'm always on the lookout for great songs for different kinds of slideshows.

Settings

In the settings menu you can choose how many seconds you’d like each slide to remain on the screen or, as I often do, you can click the setting that asks the computer to set things so the slide show automatically adjusts to the length of the song.  There are a few other settings within this category for you to play with, so look carefully when you are on the settings tab.

Sharing

 Once you have made your slideshow, you can share it in a number of ways; for example, via email, Facebook or Flickr.  Or you may want to make a DVD to share with your friends and family.

Making a DVD

Once you have made your slideshow and you are happy with the themes and music and settings, then you may want to burn a DVD to save it and share it with others.

So with your slideshow still selected, go to the top menu bar and click on “Share” and “send to iDvd”.   Then pick a theme for your iDvd,  double click the title and put your own title in, and then go to “File” and then, “Burn.”

There are all kinds of fancy things you could do when making the DVD but in the interest of keeping it nice and simple I’m leaving it at just a title. If you have questions feel free to email me, but this will get you started on making your own mini documentaries.  Let the Ken Burns games begin!!

The Best Easter Egg Hunt Story Ever (or unintended consequences)

One year my friend decided to color boiled eggs and make an Easter egg hunt for her kids, hiding them out around the backyard pool area.  Always wanting to include the family dogs in their fun (two giant labradoodles) she fashioned bows around their necks with an Easter egg tied on to complete the picture of the perfect egg hunt.  At the appointed time she let the kids and dogs outside to begin.  

On cue, the two dogs promptly set upon each others' necks, eating the eggs off each others' collars and leaving their empty ribbons hanging in tatters. Then they turned their attention to the pool area and ran from bush to post to nook and hollow,  elbowing out the kids and uncovering those lovely pastel eggs, gobbling them up before the kids could get to any of them.  If the children had been younger it might have been sad, but fortunately it was only hilarious.

At the end of this debacle, 36 colorful eggs were nestled inside the tummies of Monty and Zulu, the most enthusiastic Easter egg hunters ever.