The other day, Feanne posted this lovely photo of herself wearing this vintage rose-pattered long-sleeved top she purchased from the first collection of dresses in the shop. :)

Later on, I found an outtake in her tumblr account:

Isn’t she pretty? :)

Pay her a visit, you won’t regret it, she’s a brilliant artist: Site | Tumblr | Deviantart

It has been a blast since TheDreamerie was launched three weeks ago. I admit that venturing into something that would generate extra income was among the major reasons why the idea of putting up an online store came to fruition (not to mention finding an outlet for my unavoidable impulsive shopping sprees, but that goes without saying). However, I realized as I went about finding clothes and dresses to put up in the shop that the real profit in this business, more than the money, is meeting new people and finding items that would inspire others to express themselves through their clothing.

Is it so weird that I’ve developed a certain attachment to the clothes we put up in the shop? Ahhh, especially after naming them as if they’re our children! Conversations like, “Have you sent out Fiona to Liz already?” or “This dress looks like Seraphim to me.” or “Yay, someone is getting Janice!” are normal everyday YM exchange between me and Marian, as if we talk about real people and not clothes. I guess what I’m trying to say is, more than the thrill of shopping and being surrounded by pretty vintage clothes, I’ve grown to love the idea of finding these dresses someone to take care of them.

Such is how I felt when I saw Feanne’s self portraits. It made my heart swell with joy knowing that this rose-patterned long-sleeved top, which used to be hanging in some unnoticed rack in the corner of a thrift store in some old building in the city, which I later named “Old Rose”, is now in good hands.

I thought seeing these photos was the sweetest thing that happened that day.

Thanks, Feanne. If I knew you before, I would’ve named that vintage top after you. :)

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Meanwhile, we recently launched our Third Collection over at TheDreamerie.Com. Do drop by, you might find something you like. :)

DAY EIGHT. I wasn’t able to take a photo today, but this post will have a bunch of photos just the same. :)

Tonight I got home from Bible Study, replied to some emails, got some work done, and.. when all the work-related browsers were already out of the way, I readied myself to take in my daily dose of inspiration. It’s amazing how I’ve been around the web for so many years and yet, how little I’ve actually seen. Sometime in the last couple of months, I have unknowingly opened a door that lead to blogs, and photostreams, and realms that I never knew existed. It’s like finding a gate to a secret magical place, and each step of the way I find something/someone new to draw inspiration from.

These are just some of the photographers I’ve been following lately (fine, stalking, but really, I’m planning to let them know I’ve been admiring them from afar, like through an email or something, soon).

+ Kristybee: Flickr | Etsy Store | Blog

I love Kristy’s soft pastel colors, and polaroids, and flowers, and vases, and that window sill, which, for some reason, makes everything on it look oh-so-lovely.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

+ Susannah Conway: Flickr | Shop | Blog

Susannah’s photographs look like they came straight out of The Secret Garden. I’ve been toying with the idea of buying her prints so I could put them under my pillow so I would dream of them.

1, 2, 3, 4

+ Amanda Gilligan: Flickr | Photo Blog | Personal Blog

Amanda takes both film and digital, but really, whenever I browse through her streams, I cannot tell them apart anymore! And I love how she takes photos of some of my favorite things — polaroids, books, and coffee.

1, 2, 3, 4

Dreamy, vintage-like photographs never fail to make me swoon. I love how each one of these female photographers — Kristy, Susannah, and Amanda — is able to own up to a certain style that makes her photographs distinctly unforgettable. You’ll never miss Kristy’s soft tones. Or Susannah’s dreamy touch. Or Amanda’s vintage style.

And when you’re a photographer, having people associate your name to your photographs is just waaay awesome. Someday, I hope to find my own way too.

30 Days of Awesome, 8/30.

DAY SEVEN. It’s becoming more and more difficult blogging about awesome things, not because I’m starting to get lazy already, or I can’t think of anything to blog about anymore. Nope. It’s kindof the opposite, actually. Since I started this 30-day challenge, everyday would seem to be bursting with awesome things that I’d find it hard to choose just one.

7/30. Typecasting my awesome things.

Like yesterday, for example. I thought I’d blog about thrifting, because I seem to be doing that quite often lately, whether online or offline. The pretty vintage dress *points to picture* was delivered to me yesterday from UkayManila (Thanks, Lauren!), and I have another one coming from InTheFishbowl tomorrow. OAN, I thought it would also be nice to blog about this book I just started reading, The Virgin Suicides, and a bunch of other books lined up for me after I finish reading this one.

(You know what, I might just blog about these next time!)

Now, you see, I’ve been typing about these things with my Olympia, too. (I know, what a nerd, right?) I initially wanted to type something coherent, only I ended up typing random thoughts throughout the day. Oh well.

Anywayyy. It’s Henry’s turn to speak now. Check out my second typecast, twitter style, just because typecasting is awesome like that. :)

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DAY TWO. Tonight, as I walked away from Office Warehouse with my brand new Olympia Traveller Deluxe, I was momentarily in deep thought: how was it possible that I have been in and out of that place, unaware that I was sharing a room with a shelf full of typewriters? How, Riz?

Let it be known that today, July 24, 2009, I found my first typewriter. At Office Warehouse. In the same shelf where the printers, calculators, and USB gadgets are. Right beside the office desks where I’d usually hang out checking out stuff I need for my home office. How come I didn’t notice the typewriters there before?

2/30. Meet Henry, My Olympia Traveller Deluxe

It wasn’t love at first sight though, mind you. You see, a few hours earlier, I was able to get my hands on an actual, oh-wow-I-can-feel-it-in-my-fingers vintage Hermes 3000 at the Grand Thrift Shop at Cubao Expo. The guy was selling it to us at PhP 2900, waaay cheaper than the $250 (+$150 shipping) unit I’ve been considering to purchase from an Etsy store. But the Hermes 3000 at Cubao-X was old and rickety and unmaintained. It could type a bit, but it kept getting stuck. The owner said he was selling it mostly as a decorative element.

But I wanted a typewriter I can use!

So we left, had dinner, and passed by Office Warehouse because I still couldn’t get over the fact that I almost got myself a Hermes 3000. And there it was. The Olympia Traveller Deluxe. It wasn’t eyecandy as the other typewriters I saw online, but I had to try it. The moment I started typing, and heard the clickity-clackity sound that came with each press of a key, I knew I found my first typewriter.

I have to forgive myself for breaking the habit and posting 2 hours late (MNL time), on my 2nd-friggin-day into this 30-day challenge. I prepared a different post for this day, but that was before I knew I was going home with an Olympia tonight.

July 24’s awesome thing has got to be this: finding a typewriter in the most everyday of places and finally getting myself one. A close second would be, finding out that a typewriter ribbon costs 16 pesos at Office Warehouse. That, ladies and gentlemen, was how much technology costed in the yesteryears. Awesomecakes.

And so, my first typecast. (Whut? You don’t know what typecasting is? Hello, Strikethru.)

Reference to the novel by Audrey Niffenegger, “The Time Traveler’s Wife”,
where Clare is the Wife, and Henry, the Traveler.

Jody says she’s a dinosaur for getting attracted to typewriters. So what am I now, giving names to typewriters and writing typing them love letters? A trilobite? Awesome.

30 Days of Awesome, 2/30.

Since that day I discovered (apologies for making it sound like I found cure to cancer) that typewriters still exist, and that people not only collect them for decorative purposes but still use them these days, I have not stopped surfing, searching, subscribing to feeds, and drooling over typewriters online.

This new hobby/interest/addiction of mine is starting to make me crazy, I even dream about it sometimes. But I shall not stop until I find a typewriter that has my name on it. I need just one, and then I’ll shut up.

Some of the typewriter shops online that I frequent recently:

Poetictypewriters.com

Poetictypewriters.com is actually kind of new, I just found out about it today through Uppercase. I’ve been eye-ing one of their typewriters already (the 1950s Hermes 3000), have found my way to their etsy store, and have messaged the owner to know if they ship to the Philippines. That’s my main problem, actually. Most online shops that sell typewriters ship only to the United States and Canada, I have yet to see a local site selling typewriters.

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This caught my attention big time. (Feel free to think that it’s my vintage radar at work.)

Entertainment Weekly’s July 17 Issue’s cover story featured Harry Potter’s Cast in yummy vintage get-up. At the risk of sounding sentimental, I feel like I grew up with these guys *sniff*. I’m sure you, like me, still associate Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley and Ginny Weasley to their younger versions from way back Sorcerer’s Stone. It’s interesting to see how the adorable little Hermione grew up to be kindof hawt. *girlcrush*

Here’s what’s inside the EW’s July issue, I’m glad someone took time to scan the pages.

Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Daniel Radcliffe, & Bonnie Wright

Emma Watson is looove <3

Some interesting trivia about these people:

• Rupert Grint missed a couple of days filming The Half Blood Prince because he was infected with H1N1 (swine flu). Sounds familiar, hmm.
• Emma Watson is doing a Natalie Portman and going to Columbia University to study English Literature. Beauty and brains. I think I’m in love.
• Bonnie Wright is going to film school after Harry Potter.
• Daniel Radcliffe is only 5′6 tall. In the movie, take note how shorter he is beside Rupert. Verrry noticeable, indeed.

Tonight is the second time I’m going to see Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. My thoughts about it, to follow.

I was searching for typewriters in Etsy this afternoon, and found these amuuuhziing stuff, and I was like, since when did people start doing this? I never really thought of typewriters as art subjects, and never really paid attention to these stuff until recently. Uppercase has an entire category dedicated to typewriters, even. Where in the world have I been, anyway?

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Volume 25’s typewriter illustrations have got to be my favorite. Aren’t the mushy little love notes in there the cutest thing? Siigh. <3

Visit Jessica’s blog and Etsy store. Definitely coming back, and blogging about her again, yep! :)

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Michele Maule, meanwhile, has got the most number of typewriter art in all of Etsy, so if you’re specifically looking for typewriter art, painting, and illustrations, you’ll definitely come across her lovely store. Go go go, visit her Etsy store and see for yourself!

Some mixed media collage:

And paint reproduction on canvass:

This is one of those days I wish I’m more artistic. It’s hard to be bursting with inspiration when you lack skills, you know what I’m saying? I go cry in my room now.

Nah, just kidding, no crying. Today’s a happy day. Happy weekend everyone! :)