I <3 this chandelier!  I mean I REALLY LOVE it.  If marriage to inanimate objects was legal in the state of Missouri, I’d be writing my vows right now.

Continue on for news from Retro Roadmap… Midcentury Reno… No Pattern Required… Retro Ranch Revamp… Mr. Modtomic… and Uncle Atom.

Also in the news:

• Mod Betty or Retro Roadmap recently visited Tupperware HQ in Orlando. Over on her blog, I also learned that there is a PBS documentary about Tupperware running on Feb. 14. The preview makes it look a hoot. Must see. Thanks, Betty.
• Over on No Pattern Required, Sara installed retro VCT floor tiles in her mom’s condo. It looks great. She also talks about the need to apply sealer. As I vaguely recollect from my install: You’re supposed to wait a few days or two weeks or something like that, then seal. If you don’t seal, you get scratches. Hey, how’s this for a tip: Consult with the manufacturer. Thanks, Sara, Good Daughter.
• Cori over at Midcentury Reno got the outdoor bullet lights installed. They look great — all midcentury modern like. Cori: Amen!
• Kate has an excellent tutorial on installing Ikea Kvartal panel curtains over on her blog, Retro Ranch Revamp. That photo of your Dear Husband is hilarious, Kate. And you: Workin’ hard!
• Mr. Modtomic found Eric Buck barstools. I never heard of these before, Mr. M knows way more than me, and oh my, they are indeed something. I like how he paid the people more than they were asking for. Respect the karma.
• Uncle Atom shares a hot tip — and awesome eye candy — about The Community Forklift in Hyattsville, Maryland, which seems to be a hotspot to find salvage vintage stoves, metal kitchen cabinets and oh my, look at some of those laminate countertops. Thank you, Uncle.

Thank you, all!

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The Business of Blogging

At Alt, I was a speaker on a panel, “The Business of Blogging,” with the Ami Price of ElizabethAnnDesigns.com/blog and Chris Gardner of Curbly.com.  Both of these youngun’s are super smart, and I learned a lot from them. 

For example, as regular readers may have noted, I have increased the frequency of stories to two times a day — first thing in the morning (posts 4:30 a.m. eastern/lunchish in London) and again at 11:55 a.m. eastern. (Sorry, dear Aussie friends, my brain is too small to triangulate to your time zone; call me American.) I got this 2 x day idea from Chris, who said that lots of readers want another “fix” of their intertube favorites at lunch time — so they might as well get it here. I will also be throwing in some ebay carousels on occasion. However, Ami advised that I don’t need to post on the weekend — we all need a rest. On Saturday morning, though, I will do a roundup with some link luv.

If you have a moment, I’d love to hear your ideas
for stories and topics for me to consider moving forward!

I am not at all worried about running out of things to write about — especially because you readers keep sending me your photos and your tips. Yay! Keep ‘em coming. This is what makes it all especially motivating. Even so, I am a whirling dervish getting used to the new routine, because it takes a lot of time. The vintage collage at the top — from Mel Kolstad — kind sums up what I feel like these days. Except, I’m likely working in pajamas.

Living the Dream

Have you longtime readers also noticed that Mel has not been on the blog with her monthly “Love the House You’re In” collages? It’s a loss for us, but reflects real positives for Mel. Since she left her day job to become an artist in January 2010, she has become busier and busier, and she could no longer do my little project. She is a professional artist! Did you know she… blames a little bit of her career change on Retro Renovation? Well, it gave her a “sign”. She recently wrote about making the decision to leave her safe job to pursue her dream, including my cameo appearance. Hey, soul sista.

Of course, all the collages shown in this story are Mel’s. Click on them to get to her page. And/or dive into her world via: MelKolstad.com. Ramblings. I think the point of this story is: Maybe you can have it all. But probably not all at the same time.

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What would it take to do this project? I’m thinking: Very smooth, tight-cell styrofoam… an electric carving tool to shape the hearts… a digging-out tool to carve the messages, spray paint and acrylic paint to paint the hearts and then the red message… and a hot glue gun to glue the hearts together. A less ambitious plan, of course, would be to do just few hearts — but I think that for impact, yes: Glue them together and make a little “installation.” If you want to do the box, too, you will need cardboard and more paint.

I love Southwest, it is hands down, my preferred airline. It’s so civilized that they let you changes flights without a rigamarole. Yup, two bags fly free; now, in comparison, when I step up to other other airline counters and am charged $25 a bag, I am angered. I think their customer-friendly policies help Southwest’s attendants stay in a good mood — which keeps us in a good mood — so it’s all a virtuous circle. It really helps make flying more fun. Yes, it is still possible: Luv Is In the Air. Want to read more about Necco Sweethearts®? Click here for the history of this iconic American candy.

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