Escaping Suburbia » Nostalgia

A commercial is trying to sell me stuff! OMGWTF!?

Kate — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 16:21:53 +0000

I had to laugh when I read a post over on AdFreak this week that mentioned how people are apparently up in arms at this Target ad for a myriad of reasons:

People, a little perspective, please? It’s a commercial for Target and they want you to buy something. It’s shocking, I know, but calling it a sneering and mocking attack on DIY moms is just a tiny bit hyperbolic, don’t you think?

I’m no Target cheerleader or anything, but I’m not going to pretend like I never shop retail and be all offended that they want to try to convince me that their costumes are better than what I can make. I mean, I HAVE EYES, and most of the costumes I see in stores are cheap pieces of plastic crap. Then again, I can’t sew and I’m fairly indifferent towards Halloween, so whatever. I think the DIY-fail mom in the ad is kind of how I would be… pretty pleased with my tap light ARC reactor power source thingy that nevertheless falls off at the slightest movement. And I think the kid’s reaction isn’t all that off either. How many of us really appreciated our mom’s homemade efforts at the time, and not only in nostalgic retrospect?

I sat in a coffee shop downtown yesterday and watched the kids trick-or-treat through the stores. The costumes ran the gamut from awesome to kind-of-pathetic on both the homemade and store bought scales, and you know what? No one gave a crap. Saying, “I’m going to give a kid more candy because his parents tried harder,” says way more about you than about those parents, dude… and just think about that rabbit hole for a second. It’s not like you can actually know from 10 seconds at your front door how hard anyone’s parents work or what kind of 20-minute fit the kid pitched – in public, mind you – to wear a generic costume just like all his friends have.

And, oh, by the way… that candy you’re handing out? DID YOU MAKE IT YOURSELF? No, you didn’t. You got a bag of high fructose corn syrup nuggets at a big box store and you’re portioning them out according to your own arbitrary standards, punishing little children for the supposed failings of their parents. In short, you’re a bigger jerk than Target at this moment, so shut up.

Flinn Block

Kate — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 14:57:49 +0000

Yesterday’s photo of the day is of the historic Flinn Block building in downtown Albany. It was built for the Albany National Bank (Albany’s first bank) in 1887. Lawyers had offices on the second floor.

I found this note on an architecture company’s website:

The 1887 Flinn Block is one of Albany’s most notable historic commercial buildings. The French Second Empire styled building’s ornamental features include use of cast iron, sheet metal and wood. Originally, there was a bank located in the westernmost bay with retail area to the east. The upper story has heavily detailed original woodwork in the rooms and halls. The second floor exterior remains much as is was originally designed. The cornice and parapet date to the fire of 1911. The first floor storefronts were also remodeled at that time using prismatic glass transoms and large display windows.

Cast iron!

Here’s an old photo, not sure of the date on this… late 20s or early 30s based on the cars in front?

I’ve been enjoying going to the local antique shops and looking through whatever old photos of Albany that I can find. Hoping to trip across some old photos of our house… not holding my breath though!

Giving the scanner a workout.

Kate — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 06:03:03 +0000

I love quite a few things about this photo. The lighting, the square format, the utter pristine nature of that Volkswagen bus. The look on my face that says “are you goddamn kidding me with this?”, and which my husband tells me I still get. “You’re looking at me like that right now,” he says.

Photographic Evidence of 70s Awesomeness!

Kate — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 06:11:00 +0000

Hey, do you guys remember the crocheted pinafore I found in a box of childhood stuff? Well. Hang on to your hats, because I found photographic evidence that I actually wore it at least once!

Time flies like an arrow…

Kate — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 17:10:13 +0000

August 2nd? AUGUST 2nd is the last time I posted anything here? How can that be? It seems like yesterday, not three weeks ago.

I know I neglect my two blogs fairly often. I’ve often been sucked into that microclimate of Facebook and it’s easy to forget that not everyone is there.

Anyway… not much going on here, just chipping away at the house, organization/improvements/getting rid of stuff. This article in the NY Times really inspired me, at least as far as getting rid of stuff… it’s hard to cut down totally on spending when you’re trying to make improvements to a house, but I am at least working on not accumulating new stuff. (Exception: an occasional book.)

Trying to get out and enjoy our open spaces this summer… at least on the days where it’s not a million degrees. Or, what, 90 degrees. Whatever. After 85, it’s just hot as far as I’m concerned. Yes, I am a weirdo who likes clouds and rain. Anyway, we headed out to the Finley Wildlife Refuge one afternoon & I took this shot with my Android phone. I’ve been playing around with a free app called FXCamera. This is the “toy camera” setting and I love the square format and the way it handles color. It reminds me of old photographs from when I was a kid.

Finley Wildlife Refuge

Here are a couple more shots taken with the same color settings:

Downtown Corvallis

My Morning View

These are obviously intended to evoke a mood, rather than be fine photography.

Well, guess I’d better go and do some chores or something. Ta!

Vintage tablecloth

Kate — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 07:18:12 +0000

Oh, hellloooo. Where have I been for a month? I don’t exactly… know… Working, I guess. We’ve been doing some organizing at home and I finally pulled out these tablecloths that Mama Wolf brought us on one of her visits. I’d never looked too closely at them. This one fits our table perfectly:

I’m thinking maybe this is Cluny lace, but I’m not positive. These belonged to Mama Wolf’s great aunt and uncle and she was given them sometime in the 60s when her great aunt passed away. I can’t tell when this was made, either, but am figuring it was the 30s or 40s… or before? I’m going to see if I can find some book of patterns and identify this any further.

Don’t go, Fall. I’ll even rake leaves for you.

Kate — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 16:29:27 +0000

When do I have to concede that it’s officially winter? I don’t want to. *sulks*

Clouds over a graveyard in Philomath (re-run photo from the blog’s prior life)

Rockin’ the 70′s Crochet Pinafore

Kate — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 18:21:19 +0000

A few years ago, my parents cleaned out their garage and sent me pretty much everything that had anything to do with me. I got rid of a bunch of stuff and kept one bin that now contains a few items of clothing, a couple of dolls (remember the vinyl Kewpie dolls?) and teddy bears, my old glasses, and so forth.

And then there is this. I do not remember ever wearing this, but I must have.

I can’t stop staring at it.