Chatham Ho Treasures

Oh the glamour of the 20s! Todays Academy Awards

2012-02-01T09:10:00.000-08:00

So this is the photo I am featuring this week...how absolutely romantic...
I love the style..the composition and the romance of the early 20s era

I always...always am hunting for 20s photo..
and especially those wonderful Vaudeville photos...I mean they are simply art..how beautiful......

So the other day I was looking at the news and found out that there is another movie filming where it has the fashions of the 20s, and once again Marion Cotillard is wearing the most beautiful of gowns...now people are wondering if there will be a revival of fashion from this era..

Wow..I hope so!! I hope that this is a new trend, that we take some of the beauty of the 20s and look at it again...

The academy awards this year feature Hugo (take a look at the fashions in this one ~ especially at the end of the movie!! ..sooo magical!!) Midnight in Paris, (love that one!! how absolutely fun!!), and the Artist..(ok, I have not seen this yet..but I will!!)

It was in an era where there was so much change, and the fashions were amazing................

ahhhhh

cathi

When I say STUNNING...I mean it!!

2012-01-23T20:43:00.000-08:00

So I am surrounded by photos...and actually I do throw away old photos that are ripped, wrecked, too faint..etc.. Sometimes, yes, it makes me cringe..but it is because I am looking for the BEST...or at least the Different..or the really cute...

But when I list STUNNING in an auction..
it means..
it is the BEST

years ago, we used to be able to advertise our best items. on eBay...and now that is no longer an option..so with 1,469,0000 + photos..it is hard to stand out...

so i write stunning...or Stunning...or Amazing Stunning...or STUNNING..either way it means..
Stop, Look, you wont find one this good for awhile...

This week, I listed quite a few "Stunnings" ...Just decided...ah it is a cold winter..and I have so many pretty photos...and well..I guess it is time to put some out there..

This is of a darling little ballerina...She is perfect...and hard to get rid of...but I did it..and listed it as STUNNING, because I see it in person..and she really is...........

keep watching for the best............

cathi

LOOK WHAT I GOT TODAY FROM EBAY!!

2012-01-21T11:20:00.001-08:00

Congratulations!
It's your 12-year eBay anniversary
cathbas, We want to say thanks and let you know how much we value having you as an eBay community member. All of us at eBay wish you the very best in the year to come. Thank you!

John Donahoe President and CEO, eBay Inc.

What are RPPC's?

2012-01-10T22:41:00.000-08:00

I am often asked..what are RPPC's

You know, when i first began working with photos, I certainly didn't know.
But RPPC's are real photo postcards

Because people loved to send letters..loads of letters and cards..
and they would develop their photos into postcards and then mail them out to people.

There are some that have several copies..because they would send them to all the relatives.
Usually they are the photos that turned out the best..i mean why else would you want to send them out..but sometimes you find some really funny ones..

Lots of people collect these, because they are small.
Some collect the ones that are written on. They have a newsy note..and a stamp and a stamp mark...pretty cool, because you get a feel for what the world was like at that time in that town.

Some people collect the ones that are not written on because they are in better condition.

I like the ones that are not used usually, because I am all about condition of the image itself, if it can be used for art and things like this.

Rppcs are classified in many different forms, some are places, these can be quite valuable when you find a rare image. Then of course there are people. I personally love people photo cards. Then there are ones that are from Europe that are color tinted and are very pretty, but a bit more mass produced even though it was all at the turn of the 1900s, (so they are quite old) the postcard collectors really know what is rare and what isn't, I am not up on that..but there are some that really have value.

There are marks on the back, where the stamps were that all have different meanings that show date and era. AZO is one of the most common, but there are many others, and European often do not have marks. But primarily most rppc's tend to be from 1900 thru 1915
with the majority being around 1910s. Some are later, into the 20s but most are earlier.

With everything in collecting..it is all about condition condition condition..
but then it is also about subject matter and rarity.

So when you really get into it, it is the hunt that becomes the most fun!

In photos, I collect images that I love..not so much the name of the photographer, I am all about the image and the condition.

Either way..yes, they are a form of photos, and on cardstock and mostly matte finish although some are glossy.

They measure almost always 3.5x5.5
And look great framed!!

Great place to begin while collecting photos...not too big to store...and soo many varieties of images!!

cathi

oooops ..Happy New Years and Photo dreaming

2012-01-06T23:48:00.001-08:00

Vera Dawn Walker Early Female Pioneer Avaitor

OOOPS....

I never did post or even make the old photo ornaments for this Christmas..

Christmas is always a BIG thing in our home..and usually we have a theme and decorate with that theme..always fun...and each year..I am sure I will work with old photos..
and each year..i come up with some other idea instead..
sooo there will be a day that I will post how to do it..but I am so sorry ...I just changed my mind..and decided to do Gold and Ivory and we 3 kings...making loads of cut out flowers on Cricket..but that is another story...

Back to photos..
Well, during the holiday season, a good customer of mine, called me up. He was going to move, his mother was quite ill, and he had to put her in a home, and he and his family were moving to her home. That meant packing..and moving..and he loved collectables but had too many..
so would I be interested in some photos..
(would I?? foolish question!!)

so I ran to his home..and got some wonderful unique photos that you will be seeing throughout the next few months...it was sooo much fun............( one is posted at the top of this post)

So keep your eyes open to Chatham Ho Treasures on ebay..cuz there are so many goodies coming up...

For the love of photos...............

do you ever just look at your photos..get lost in your old memories and take a trip in the past while looking at them?

Tonight, as I was getting going through my old photos to get my listings together for the weekend, I found myself doing that...As I looked at them one by one....A warm feeling came over me, and memories began to flood my mind...memories of my own family...with similar photos...and as I kept looking at the photos..it almost felt like having friends around me...reminding me of the past..saying.."remember me!! Dont forget!! remember me!"

Our history is always with us...and sometimes we learn from it, sometimes, we laugh at it, things we might have thought or how we looked long ago, and sometimes we might even get angry with that history, or sad...but I really like those times when our memories just fills us with peace....like a comfortable old friend..that is what those photos did for me tonight..............

anyhow..you photo collectors..you know what i mean..

have a great week...and a wonderful 2012!

and happy hunting..for the most unique images yet.......................

cathi

Holidays around the corner...

2011-11-08T07:31:00.001-08:00

Charming Dance photos...................

So I went out of town and visited my daughter who lives overseas...it was WONDERFUL..
but I must confess I missed my grandbaby, my home and even ....my photos!!

Well, the holidays are just around the corner...and I have some AMAZING Photos that I have aquired and that I will be posting soon..................

also I am going to TRY to work on showing projects to make for Holidays..
One year, I used photos to decorate my entire holiday season...and this year..I am thinking of doing the same thing..(that and BRIGHT SHINY ORNAMENTS for the baby to smile at!!)

So keep posted and as soon as I am finished I will show how to use photos for holiday designs..

cathi

Great FREE website for making fun photos!

2011-09-03T22:34:00.000-07:00

So...I confess...I have been having fun with the cutest grandbaby...but dear blog..i still miss you..and dont want to forget you..so here I am... I am trying to get back to the photo world..
while still being the babysitter i have always wanted to be!! (yeah!!)

ANYHOW...I FOUND A WEBSITE I had to SHARE WITH YOU!
If you love photos...well this one is FREE, FREE!!

and it is soo much fun...i admit, all night i was addicted to it!!

The name is www.befunky.com
and you will have soo much fun!!

Before and after!!

so you will have fun with this.......

(don't you love this one!!)

Have fun fellow photo lovers!!

cathi

ok...so i had to show him off....

2011-07-28T22:11:00.000-07:00

a New Baby Boy...my grandchild...
mother and father are thrilled..
grandma and grandpa are over the moon........................

i must say i look at all my baby photos that come in for the store..a lot differently

All is well..I just havent posted because my daughter was L A T E...
then we have had FAMILY and Friends and everyone else coming around..
i feel behind on everything................................
except loving our new little one.............................................

ummmmmmmmmmm
more later about photos...just had to brag..

cathi

ITs Summer!! Finally!

2011-06-18T22:38:00.000-07:00

So, yes, we do live in one of the colder places in America..least it sure feels like it..
(chicago)
the weather has been sooo frustrating, that I actually got a summer cold!! ARGH!

and no..the grandbaby has not come yet..(it is 16 days away..........give or take)

so i had to busy myself with listing listing listing photos..
but who wants to list..when the weather is goooood??
when there is so much to do outside...and the dogs can run like crazy all around...

in fact..even my photos..like to be out on a nice day!!
this is a lot of photos of ladies decked out like pin ups...enjoying the rays!!

ahhhhhh...summer.....

enjoy it while it is here!!

cathi

So....I am going to be a Grandmother

2011-06-09T22:51:00.000-07:00

this week, i have begun to list most of my good photos on Sunday nights on eBay,
Not that i am slowing down.....BUT....
I am going to be a Grandmother!! first time!!yahoo!

and i am trying to change things a bit this summer..so that most of my main listings are on Sundays and at the beginning of the week...so that i am available...for...............that new grandchild!!

So i am literally a few weeks away from the big moment...

the house is busy...we are buying baby things...and suddenly...all of us are bright and shiny!!
(totally thrilled)

I will keep you posted...

thrilled...simply thrilled!!

cathi

The Glamour of the 40s...

2011-05-21T16:57:00.000-07:00

A few months ago, I found a collection of 40s photos of young women...all dolled up..in costume, hair and makeup just for a photo shoot.
Well, I ended up with loads of these photos..all 5x7 and through the months have been selling them...

then after many estate sales, and auctions, I haven't really looked at them in awhile..
so yesterday, I decided I HAD to get organized..and found the remaining grouping of these pretty treasures...

on auction this week on ebay...I decided to sell the last of them...
All I could think of was years ago, when I owned a store, I used to have many of the gals who worked for us~ model and take photos
well..they loved it...that is when the joy of being a girl...all the makeup and hair can be soo fun...

when i looked at these old photos..that is all I could think of...a group of giggling girls getting all dolled up for their famous photo shoot...

that is now being auctioned off...65 years later...

thanks for looking!!

cathi

what does oprah, lee dewyze, haley reinhart all have in common...

2011-05-15T23:33:00.000-07:00

the queen of all talk shows....
at harpo studios chicago il
farewell is only days away...

hayley reinhart..american idol top 3
played at Arlington Park Racetrack Arlington Heights Il Saturday May 16 2011

lee dewyze american idol 2010
played at Arlington Park Racetrack Arlington Heights Il 2010

yep....all from the Chicago area....

So I guess you have to be a Chicagoan to watch these storylines colliding....(of course Mayor Daley and Rahm Emanuel also have quite the storyline going this week too)

but you see...I am from the Chicago area...and this is all big news..
Oprah is leaving her show..and she is in our backyard...
it has been FACT in our area..that we had the BEST talk show hostess ever...
we knew it..might have even taken it for granted...but in any case, it was our fact.
Most of my friends have been either on the show or at the show..
I myself gave up 2 sets of tickets to care for my ailing mom..but in our area...getting tickets to Oprah was normal...she was part of Chicago...and we bragged about it..
May 17th is the last filming day..and all of us tried to get tickets to that..
(sadly, I did not)

Then there was Lee Dewyze ..the Mt Prospect native, that the whole town knew..
Hey, he was even in my sons gymnastics (my son is a coach) during his freshman year.
The parade, the sold out concert at Arlington Park racetrack was fun and I, the groupie enjoyed every moment of it.. American Idol 2010...it was a blast..
(being from a suburb outside the big city..we love to celebrate our hometown heroes)
Well his last day of reigning champ is May 25th when he turns his crown to the 2011 winner.

Then ...this week we had Haley Reinhart, a top 3 contestant of American idol who happens to live in the town RIGHT NEXT to where Lee Dewyze grew up..
in other words, ANOTHER concert at the Arlington Park Racetrack, another hometown hero and all of us turned out again (even thru the rainy weather) while she sang with her parents back up band...it really was fun....and oh so Chicago area...........

So this blog update is just that there are so many things we take for granted..(oprah) or things we just enjoy celebrating (like silly singing competitions!) and these things cross our paths ...
the things life is made up..those little moments...

My pleasure and business is going thru old photos...
glimpses of other peoples memories...a play...a dance...a birthday ...

all those precious little moments..that gives life sparkle...

may your life sparkle today....

cathi

It's May! 1907 Lady Godiva & Dreamy 20s Bride

2011-05-02T11:44:00.000-07:00

Dreamy Bride...

1907 Lady Godiva who caused quite the stir!

May...what a beautiful time of the year!!
The sun is shinning and without a doubt spring fever is in the air..

oh...and I have some beautiful Wedding photos that I will be listing this whole month..
I love those old 20s photos...soo beautiful..and those flowers...

and then there are the vaudeville photos...
I am always in love with a beautiful old photo..
I found some wonderful ones from 1907..old Vaudeville/stage Real photo postcards from England..

soo sit and enjoy....it is MAY!!

cathi

Rita Martin ~The Kings Speech~ New Ebay Fees

2011-04-14T19:53:00.001-07:00

Rita Martin was a photographer in England (1875-1958). She was THE photographer for those that were in the high social rankings in England and even photographed Queen Elizabeth, and the Queen mother as a young girl. There are many of her photos that hang in the National Gallery.....and I have some of her collection!! YEAH!!

So ....that means..the movie the Kings Speech..yep..THAT family...Rita photographed..only in real life!!

Her photos are incredible..soo nice..that I have a hard time putting them up for sale on eBay..
(I mean..do you have any idea how tempting they are to keep???)
but I have 3 of them up currently....and they are beautiful..and one is signed by Rita. ahhhh..

AND
News..
Ebay has increased our fees..they now charge us for shipping. They want us to offer free shipping (meanwhile they are charging us a percentage of the sale on shipping) and they want us to do Buy it nows.

So....
I do have buy it nows in my store..and all of them are free shipping..
BUT

i love a good auction...I mean..don't you?
Where else can you get a steal of a deal...and feel super great getting it..
or if you really love it..well you will pay for it...

I love auctions and I wish eBay would realize we still love them...

so...my shipping prices have to rise..(i am so sorry..i tried, i really did) but i still do great combined shipping...and
now...
I have RITA MARTIN photos...and I mean they are a true WOW WORK OF ART PHOTOS THAT YOU WILL REALLY LOVE!
I will try to list a few a week...but it is like pulling them out of my hands..i have a hard time letting them go......soooo beautiful...

say...isn't Spring lovely???
cathi

What do you do with all your old photos?

2011-03-29T10:12:00.000-07:00

Often, when I am mailing out photos to some of my customers..I am caught wondering..
what do they do with their photos?

Now I have all kinds of customers..some are painters..so I imagine the photos hung all around the room for inspiration.

Then I know I have customers who use them for collage art, so I picture them scanning endlessly and working very carefully to create just the perfect image.

Others work with fashion, and I am sure they stare at the fashions deciding what can they do with the fashions of old to blend with today.

Then there are the advertisers.. I am still hoping to see one of my old photos on a Geicko commerical!

And there are the collectors....
I am one of those..

you can come into my home at any given time..and find all sorts of pretty images framed and around my house, hanging on a wall..and in a beautiful frame on a book shelf..
they look like family..but i have no idea who they are..

I collect because an image strikes me..not because it is a big name, tho there are collectors that do that..
or because it is a certain era..
nope it is all about the photo for me..

that is why I list from so many different eras..I just fall in love with the photos..

ahhh...
What do You do with all your photos???

Cathi

Springtime is trying hard to get here....

2011-03-23T22:32:00.000-07:00

A few nights ago, there was the biggest moon because it was supposed to be closer to earth...in fact, it was so rare you weren't supposed to see another one like it until 2029

well...it was foggy, and rainy..and i kept checking and checking..
no moon!

then..the other day here in the Chicago area..it was getting warm..I had a light jacket on..it was so wonderful...

tonight it snowed..

but you cant fool me..i know that spring is coming...........
i saw the pregnant robin the other day...

saw this beautiful photo and wanted to share it with you...
it is on auction this week..

oh and i apologize for not updating..

i think it was between, a vacation with the hubby, then i got sick..a long cold that didn't want to go away, and then the hubby with a long cold that didn't want to go away..being glued to the television with all the latest news ...

anyhow..excuses aplenty..i just didnt post..

but i found this photo..and thought..

hmmmm
Spring is coming...

cathi

Winter & Summer

2011-02-02T13:34:00.000-08:00

With almost 2 feet of snow outside in the Chicago area, it was fun to begin to list my latest aquisition of photos..

Photos of Kids enjoying summer fun! 1950s era..
Taken by a photographer in Palm Beach Florida..they are beautiful...

but why now??

When I was a young girl, my father had a trade convention in January in Florida. Right in the middle of a long cold winter, my mother and I would pack up and get ready to enjoy the sun..
what a wonderful break it would be...coming back, all sunburned and able to get through the next hard months ahead.

Sometimes we need to remember in seasons and in life...everything changes...there is winter...but then summer will come again...

during some of these hard years lately ...with people unemployed and hurting from the economy..it seems hard to believer that winter will pass...

but it does...it takes time...but it does pass..

grateful for big snow drifts and the hope for sunshine

cathi

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2010-12-30T19:39:00.000-08:00

May 2011 be filled with Joy & Laughter
Loads of love
and if there might be any troubles
may they be small ...

cathi

Peace on Earth~ Good will to man

2010-12-16T11:18:00.000-08:00

So, My daughter is learning film...

and she has made a film featuring Israelis, religious, secular, Arabs, Palestinians, Russians, Americans, Ethiopians..

she is learning film in the middle of one of the hot spots of the world..Israel.

This is her very short film..I wanted to share this with you all..
so proud of her

cathi

Christmas is just around the corner

2010-12-15T11:25:00.000-08:00

I will confess...I have been so slow to update my blog...but i have been soo busy with getting my presents done..
amazing..it is now the 15th of December and I am almost done shopping..
I think it is a first..

and along the way..i found myself at a frame shop..
why..

well, i do have alot of photos...and so many times, i just have to frame them...they are true pieces of art.

There is this one photographer..( THE ABOVE IS ONE OF HIS PHOTOS...he titled it: A head c 1909 and it is for auction this week)
named CR Tucker..I don't know anything about him, except that I got these from a woman in the hills of Pennsylvania and she bought them at an estate sale..
well, it appears that he was some local artist..might have been famous in his day..although I have yet to find information on him..

anyhow..the more i see of his stuff...well the more i am a fan..

his photos are simply amazing..

but why they are amazing is why i love them...

the photos he did was when photography was in it's infancy, when photographers were experimenting with all different kinds of styles..

his was primitive in his style..yet there is such a softness to them..so unique and such a contrast to the studio photos that we all find from the early 1900s

anyhow..i will be introducing more of them.. I will confess, I have many sitting in my own collection but after going to the frame shop and looking at my walls i realize there is no way i can keep them all...
so be on the lookout...they will be showing up from time to time and these are quite magnificent..and so rare to find...

Hope your holidays are going well..and that you will be surrounded by love, light and laughter..
(oh and yes, just that right amount of art!)

cathi

Thanksgiving & Dancing

2010-11-23T22:41:00.000-08:00

Dance is the hidden language of the soul.

There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening, that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique.

You are unique, and if that is not fulfilled, then something has been lost.

~Martha Graham

I love dance photos..maybe because these days, I am older, don't move as fast or as well..but in my soul..there is a dancer inside. It could be a piece of music that makes the dancer within me begin to twirl...or it could looking at a large field in a distance...and picturing running and dancing through it...

The photos of the early 1900s dance..to me are the most beautiful..

this next month, I will be listings some special dance photos from several collections that I have found...

so as you think of what you are thankful for this Thanksgiving, give yourself a moment...
dance in your heart as you think of those things...

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving...

Cathi

Jesse James is in the house!

2010-11-18T21:33:00.001-08:00

could this be Jesse?

a couple of gun slingers..and in Jesse's gang of outlaws tintype

Belle Starr..Jesse's one true love?

Well, I am so sorry it took me so long to post..but wow, i have been wading thru Jesse James stuff..

So now it is up on Ebay and will be due on Monday, Nov 20

Things began to go so high, that I decided to save some stuff and not list it and give it to the high bidder..
so the highest bidder is in for some real surprises, letters from Jesses grandson, a negative of his wife..and oh so much more..it is crazy all this Jesse stuff.

Years ago, I used to visit St Joseph Missouri..such a neat town. It was where my mother's step fathers 2nd wife (got that? so basically No relation) lived. Well, she never had kids, and her name was Millie . We called her Aunt Millie.

She used to take us to the Patee house, and I remember all the Jesse James things, the pony express things..

well in this historians collection I even found original dees for the Pattee house..crazy!

So this was quite a fun find..

Take a look if you are interested in Jesse...he is in the house right now..but not for long!!

Cathi

St Joseph MO Madinger Shoe Store- Jesse James?

2010-11-03T19:04:00.000-07:00

Well this batch is turning out to be a mystery for sure!!
I went to the auction bought BOXES of crazy stuff...and there are notes on just about everything..but dont have a clue what it all means!

I do know that the person who loved Jesse James seems to have looked for everyone that looked like him, claimed they were him and so on...
so there are so many wild and wierd things...

But this is a batch of cabinet photos..on auction right now..
the one is supposedly Frank and his sister...
now is it Frank James?? I do not know really...but it is with all the goodies...

Then there is the Madinger shoe Store..in St Joseph Missouri...what does that mean..
I really dont know..but apparantly alot to this collector..as i found notes and notes on the Madinger family and their shoe store..

well..this is up to you history sleuths..

anyway..these are some pretty neat Cabinet photos!!

More to come....
cathi

Happy Halloween Jesse James (and I dont mean Sandra Bullocks ex)

2010-10-30T21:15:00.000-07:00

So today...i was at an auction...
and yes, it actually was a bit spooky!!
It was some person whose OBSESSION was with
Jesse James..
the criminal.

and they were on some kind of hunt on whether he was actually
killed or not...and all the fakes of Jesse James

anyhow..in the next day I will be listing the large lot of crazy and unusual photos, letters, and crazy memorabilia of Jesse James..
(yes, of course i bought it ..it is Halloween..time for a spooky mystery don't you think!!)

i will update as soon as the collection is up!!
cathi

Beauty Parlor photos...where did they all go??

2010-10-04T22:52:00.000-07:00

Before I was old enough to go to school, I used to go with my mother to her weekly hair appointments. She went to a lady, named Ruth, that had a beauty parlor (as they called it then) set up in her basement. There would be lots of ladies all around at the different stations. It was a place that I can still vividly recall the sights, sounds and the myriad of smells. There were two rooms set up in the basement, as well as a bathroom. I was relegated to the back room, where the hair dryers were and all the magazines and the coloring books for the children that might tag along.

Now the noise level was quite high, with ladies voices chattering away, and the big hairdryers were loud too, so no matter how hard I tried, I learned it was hard to talk to your mother when she was under the hairdryer. Then there was that smell, the scent of permanents, hair dye and lots of hair spray, and the occasional sneak to the bathroom for a smoke. But what I really remember, was looking at all those photos that were posted up on the walls. Photos of beautiful women with all their bubble hair dos! How I wanted to look just like them!!

Not too long ago, when I was getting my own hair done, I thought of those thousands of photos that were given out to all the beauty parlors of the world and wondered where they all went.

Then, the other day, I came upon some wonderful old photos made for Hair Salons in the 60s. They are really incredible..and came from a photographers estate. (It was a photographer in Paris) wonderful because they do not look like they had years of hair spray and cigarette smoke all over them.

Looking at them, I was brought back instantly...to the time when my mother would finally be finished and we could leave. Every week, I would look at her afterward and think she looked so good..even better than the models on the wall.

Now that she is gone, I smile when I see these photos...and remember...

cathi

Black Face & how it used to be acceptable

2010-09-26T19:05:00.000-07:00

After my mother died, I was cleaning out loads of her things, of course, and I ran across her old Woman's club book from when she was a president. The era: 1950s. She kept a scrapbook and throughout the book were several photos of women dressed up in Black face for programs that they did.

I gave the scrapbook to the ladies of the woman's club today, and some were shocked that this was in their history.. I teased them threatening to show them to the local newspaper!! (i was kidding!!)
Yet, as I go thru stacks of other peoples estates..you would be surprised how much I have run into this..not just the 1920s..but all the way to the 50s...

This photo was from another estate..a show that a group was doing..much like my moms womans club..I think it is 40s/50s era...and when i look at these..i am sad that this was our past...but happy that this is no longer our present..i know we have a long way to go...but we have come a long way...

cathi

Post Mortem Photos

2010-09-20T20:12:00.001-07:00

I know this is a strange topic...but when i found this photo, I found it something that I thought i would bring up.

I buy out old estates of people's personal things, so every now and then I run into these photos.
The ones of the children..to me ..are so sad..this one, although sad, is a bit different.

At first, when I was scanning this, I didn't realize it was Post -Mortem, I just thought it was an old woman that might have been blind. That was until I saw her hands. And I remembered being at funerals and seeing hands like this. So I was immediately taken back, until I looked at the items all around her. The hymnal in her hand (there is no piano there, why is this a Hymnal?)
The china, all different kinds, and stereoscope near her..even the peaceful way she was sitting..this was a loved woman..a woman who was loved by those around her..who cared enough to surround her with the things she loved.

It was a few weeks ago, I ran across the show Chasing Mummies, that is the History channel show all about a famed Archeologist that is finding mummies..
And what happened on the episode i saw, was that the mummy was surrounded by the pets, pottery, utensils..all things that the former person loved and would use in the after life.

I suppose we all grieve in different ways...

The most important thing is how we lived...and for this photo..what I read into it..is this was a woman that was loved..

meaning she learned enough in life to have others love her.

In the song "Nature Boy"
that was sung by Nat King Cole refers to this:

Take a listen:
These are the Lyrics:

There was a boy
A very strange enchanted boy
They say he wandered very far, very far
Over land and sea
A little shy
And sad of eye
But very wise
Was he

And then one day
A magic day he passed my way
And while we spoke of many things, fools and kings
This he said to me

"The greatest thing
You'll ever learn
Is just to love
And be loved
In return"

have a great week,
Cathi

Do you ever feel like everyone is looking at you?

2010-09-18T08:53:00.000-07:00

I love this photo...I felt like this yesterday...i had a fashion meltdown...
my hubby had all these things for us to do..we had a big event for his business and a party afterwords..and no matter what i just didn't feel like i had the right outfit....

when i saw this photo..i loved it...exactly how one feels sometimes..that the whole room is looking at you..

of course they usually aren't...but it just is that way sometimes..

anyhow..in the old photo world..i find many funny fashions..and definately ones that would cause me a fashion meltdown! i mean those tiny little waist dresses..ugh..those are really tough..
um...this would be ME in those fashions..(not really..but I sure would feel like this!)

ah well..thought i would share these photos with you................cuz sometimes..you do just feel like the room is looking at you
smile

cathi

Christmas in September?

2010-09-02T21:33:00.000-07:00

How annoying is this?
I am posting a Christmas photo!!

But I am posting it BECAUSE NOW is the time to begin to plan to make things..or start to buy things for the holidays..

Why?
Because if you do..you will save money!!

It is a proven fact...that the more you plan...and buy things in advance you will SAVE MONEY

soo..i am reminding you..(and myself!!)
so that you can begin to look for all those treasures that make a gift a GREAT gift!

Also..
I learned on an eBay powerseller post that if you buy thru some of these rebate companies..you can get a rebate..yep..money back to YOU if you buy thru their website.
what is the catch?
well..they are advertisers...and everyone today wants more business..so they drive people to the website, you buy thru their portal..and voila..you get a check every month in the mail..
and it is totally TRUE
i havent had spam or anything from it..

if you are interested there are alot of sights.
but the one I work with is Big Crumbs so if you are interested in checking this out...
( and i mean there are some deals here) go to BIG CRUMBS
it is FREE to sign up..

anyhow...
HAPPY SEPTEMBER...

cathi

Is this John Wilkes Booth?

2010-08-14T07:37:00.000-07:00

So I found a large group of tintypes in a book..to me they are always fascinating - a much more primitive photo- but there are some really fun images in them..

and in the back of the book was this lone tintype..not in as good of condition..and the face looked so familiar..

so what do you think?
Watch my auction on eBay on this one(just click on the tintype) and lets see what others think!

the top image IS John Wilkes Booth, the bottom is the tintype i have..
dont you love being a history detective???

Cathi

The wonderful last month of a glorious Summer...

2010-08-01T23:14:00.000-07:00

Ah Summer...
that wonderful time of year...when life feels free...

the flowers have bloomed..
and sometimes the grass has turned a bit brown...

the beaches are full...
there are block parties, cookouts...ahhh....it is August..
That last glorious month of summer..

Enjoy those special moments...fall is marching right around the corner...

cathi

Eastman's Solio Print out paper photographs

2010-07-16T17:31:00.000-07:00

I do apologize for being so late on updating my blog..but oh my...it has been SUMMER and the sun is shining..the flowers are blooming and it is HARD to work!!

anyhow..the other day, I came across this wonderful BIG box of stuff from an estate.
It was full of all sorts of unique photos, cabinets and so on..

But then i found..the most interesting thing...
a packet of Solio paper photographs from Eastman.

Well, of course that is the Eastman of Eastman Kodak, and the era is early 1900s.

But what is really GREAT about these photos is this.
Solio paper is a print out paper..meaning the sun develops them... a neat process but not so good to keep these kinds of images for long periods of time..as there would be lots of fading

And through the years..there have been alot of photographs that have been lost to fading..

But this package was all kept together, in an envelope..for i dont know how long....meaning that the images were crisp and fresh and not as faded as you would expect for 100 years. especially on SOLIO paper.

Rare indeed, So I listed them this week on ebay and these are a few of my favorites..
and it was a history lesson for me..

oh of course..as soon as i listed them..i covered them in archival covers, and put them in a drawer..they dont need any more light if they are going to make it another 100 years.

Neat items..

Well..have a great summer..I hope in your travels this summer you find some good surprises...and take time out and enjoy the sun!

ps....in my spare time, i have been playing with ZAZZLE as you might be able to see..really a lot of fun..
check it out if you like..there are all sorts of cool things on that website

As always,

Cathi

1st Communion headpieces from years ago..

2010-06-29T21:40:00.000-07:00

Well, I am back from my overseas trip...and after flying standby and waiting thru 5 different flights til we got on, a broken down train in France..and loads of miles to go..I saw my beautiful international daughters...and am full of mommy love..and am sad to get back home...

but...

i found some really pretty photos..along the way...and had to show them to you!!
Isn't this the coolest headpiece??

It was from a studio years ago named Sol Young, which I have found are incredible photos..
Here is an excerpt from an article i found on line about him:

" Sol. Young opened his first photographic studio in Union Square, New York in 1893. By the turn of the century he was operating at six separate premises, starting in Brooklyn, New York and Newark, New Jersey, and later spreading to Philadelphia and Connecticut. By the time of his death on 23 September 1921, there were eighteen studios. He was also one of the pioneers in the pastel and crayon industry."

Sometimes, I randomly run across these kinds of things...and they are simply a step above most other photos..

So this is my 1st Communion girl..guess it was all that visiting churches in France, and looking up family..that made this one catch my eye..
but it is a beauty, eh??

and what about that headpiece!!

have a great summer...........and a happy 4th!!
cathi

Going to see my girls........

2010-06-16T08:45:00.000-07:00

Well, summer has begun and I am getting to see my daughters...
CANT WAIT!
I have recently aquired SO many COOL photos..but you will have to wait a bit til I get back
so that I can list another day!!

until then...enjoy the warm, your family...and make magical memories

cathi

American Idol and summer!!

2010-06-02T22:20:00.000-07:00

Ok...so it was a crazy couple of weeks..
Why haven't I posted? Well.....we just happen to live right near where the latest American Idol winner lived...
meaning ..
we were completely caught up in IDOL mania!
From banners to Tshirts, to every restaurant, coffee shop, bakery, you name it..there was no where that his songs weren't playing and VOTE 4 LEE was everywhere!

Oh and when he had his hometown visit...we had a phone call from the police telling us which roads to take that day so that we wouldn't get stuck!! it was crazy ...EVERYONE was caught up in it!! we even got tickets to the hometown event along with 41,000 people in our town!!
a paint salesman that worked only minutes from our home and mixed our paint last year in our last reno project...the other night he was on Larry King...what a difference a year makes!

So...it was a crazy time...and soooo much fun!!

and then FINALLY..last week, the finale came and Lee Dewyze won!!
( yes, I LOVED crystal..but this WAS a hometown boy!)
Lee's banners were everywhere..the screams were genuine and finally after all these weeks, we all are breathing a collective sigh of relief as summer has come, idol is over and we and our entire town can get back to regular life!!

SO back to photos!!...This week, I am featuring some cool snapshots that i happen to run across..that show the JOY of summer...
don't you just love summer??

Today, my hubby and I walked around a lake...with the ducks..kids running around...people out fishing, the wind was in our hair.. and .ahhhh i could taste the freedom that this wonderful weather brings!

anyhow..just wanted to give a short update and wish you ALL a happy healthy summer!!
and i will be posting more ideas of things to do with photos..
Listed on this page is ETSY and in it are things I have made with photos during the past few weeks, I keep trying to make some new things and put them up from time to time...
hey it is great for mental health!!

SO have a glass of ice tea..put your feet up and enjoy the warm weather!
cathi

Things to do with old photos

2010-05-11T22:11:00.000-07:00

Well, I have been MEANING To do this...and Thinking of doing this...

But FINALLY I DECIDED to do this..

I am going to be posting things to do with OLD PHOTOS

I mean..really I love old photos..but what to do with them all???

So, I made a few ACEOs tonight

ACEOs are ART CARDS EDITIONS AND ORIGINALS

They ALWAYS measure 2.5x3.5

and are made of all kinds of things..painting, collaging, photos..you name it..

So I decided to look around the house and find some pieces of paper..and copy a few scans of photos and try my hand at them..

Very simple..and wonderful for that little gift for someone that you just dont know what to get them...

Project #1 ACEOs are something that are a GREAT use for old photos...

I will be posting some more things to make... (as soon as I make them!!)

Cathi

i found some really neat new photos!

2010-05-07T19:37:00.000-07:00

When I find a new photo collection..it is so much fun...

First..I just fall in love with it...look at it all the time..

then s l o w l y I begin to list them...say goodbye..as though it was an old friend..

I have many here I am having a hard time parting with....

so you sometimes see them eek out in my store..as i can part with them..........

This photo is of a baby...

well it is mothers day this weekend..and I thought i had to celebrate it..

so I will be posting these WONDERFUL cooll VERY AWESOME fabulous photos of babies that I just got..

Today, I posted 3..in the next few days I will post some more...

like I said..it takes me a little time..to let them go...............................

Happy mom's day to all you out there that are moms..

Have a wonderful Day!!

Cathi

( a very grateful mom..I LOVE my kids!)

SOUND OFF: Do you like the new Ebay changes?

2010-04-24T21:38:00.000-07:00

As of March 30th, 2010, Ebay as we knew it has radically changed.

Everything that was in peoples stores were released to the Core Search Engine

Giving people more ability to BUY IT NOW and getting people more and more away from Auctions.

I personally love auctions..love going to them..love selling at them..just love them..it is the thrill of the hunt.....

But Ebay has been changing to mostly a fixed price format and as of April 1st, everyone who buys or sells on Ebay could feel it.

I am trying to take an informal survey of how everyone likes the new Ebay changes.

Some of you I have asked personally, but if I haven't and if you have not responded, please take a moment and write a comment and let me know how you like these new changes.

If you don't know the changes..or havent noticed them..it is is like this:

Before, when you looked for photos..it would be 40,000 photos that were in the entire category..

plenty to choose from!!

but now..

there are 430,000+ photos in the category.

To me, it is kind of like being stuck in rush hour...being one of sooo many and getting lost in the crowd.

Now, this is not necessarily a bad thing..as for me..I found things very cheap because they were so hidden and no one else could find them...

but it also makes sellers struggle...kind of like being a retailer in an average size town with competition but..able to stay in business...

to having a HUGE MEGA MALL grow up next to you...and trying to keep your sign lit up so that people can see you over the HUGE MEGA MALL sign...

kind of like that..

and that means that many of the smaller ebay sellers just wont be able to continue as Ebay continues to go more and more with big sellers and lots of "buy it nows"

please sound off...do you like the new Ebay changes???

Comments please!!

Thanks!!

cathi

Heart for the world and photos that show it..

2010-04-13T21:39:00.000-07:00

This week was a CRAZY week.

It was the week my daughter..the one that had 2 different ebay websites..and had taken over mine for awhile..left with her hubby to Europe..to live..

So I now have 1 son in America..and 3 daughters overseas.

Mmmmm was it a smart idea that I taught them to love to travel??

Anyhow..

Then..

My computer crashed..

I was talking to my daughter on the telephone and then everything went BLUEISH GREEN

Yukky color ...no red at all......it was all gone..

so off to Best Buy and they said..

Mother board is ruined.

so after 2 nights til 4 am ..total confusion with a new computer and another daughter that left overseas.. (mother board felt ruined alright!)

I took some time out to look over my photos

This photo is from Naples Circa 1924

One of my daughters was married in Sorrento not too far from Naples..

Our family is very at home traveling around the world.

I dont regret it...we have had some incredible experiences..

My children have a heart for the world and they live it out..

making a difference..

taking a different road...

finding their path

I found a collection of snapshots from a couple that traveled all over the world in 1920s.

Incredible places...all over Europe, Sri Lanka, Bombay, Australia, you name it

I am sure their parents missed them, too...

But there are some pretty snapshots here....

cathi

Just a Quick Happy Easter ~ Happy Pesach!

2010-04-03T00:26:00.001-07:00

Spring is a magical time of new beginnings...

For those of you that celebrate Passover...it is the celebration of freedom from Slavery...
from the desert to the Promised Land...

For those of you that celebrate Easter...it is the celebration of Freedom from Slavery in a spiritual way...

a celebration of new life...of resurrection...

and for those of you that just like Spring...

it is the celebration of new life...of the resurrection of everything that was once dead and now is alive again...

for whatever you celebrate...

may you enjoy 2010 Spring and may it be a time of new beginnings..may there be new life...and freedom for you and for those you love....

blessings
cathi

NEWS UPDATE: JJay is moving to Germany

2010-04-01T11:26:00.000-07:00

Well, after helping me out and working on ebay and developing her own stores...my beautiful middle daughter..is going to be moving to Germany with her hubby! They have been offered a Wonderful job..(it is one of those save the world type of jobs) and she is currently liquidating her inventory....This job opportunity came up quickly and it is something that she and her hubby have been waiting for..for a long time...and now, the time has come and she has to leave shortly. (sniff sniff)

SO...
if you love her photos...
then please check on Catherine Simms Bridal and buy buy buy because you will not see these kinds of deals very often. She also has a website named Uncle Bing's photos and things
so check it out.

After she leaves, I will go back to selling Loads of Wedding photos ...and will also offer photos from 1950s as well as all the items that I carry now.

Mom is sad...it has been fun talking to her every day...working on a business together...

but Mom is also SO proud!!

so check it out in the next week..she is leaving soon!!

Have a great ebay day!!
and enjoy that WONDERFUL sunshine...
(i am heading to the garden now!!)

cathi

CHANGES ON EBAY MARCH 30

2010-03-29T23:52:00.000-07:00

ANOTHER BIG BIG CHANGE!!

The photo above is how Ebay makes us sellers feel these days!

As of March 30th...
Everyone's store inventory will be in the CORE ebay sales.

What does that mean?
That means there is ALOT of stuff to go through if you are looking for something.

To give an example:
I looked at a seller that specialized in Tshirts.
At any given time, he has 50 Tshirts up...
but he has 135,000 Tshirts in his store!!

ALL 135,000 Tshirts will now be in the Search engine..
so you will have to wade thru his 135,000 tshirts as well as everyone elses..
THIS CAN BE OVERWHELMING!

so what to do??

If you like auctions...

(I still love the hunt!!)

Then go to the tab marked AUCTIONS
Then go to place on the upper right that says BEST MATCH
and pull it down and put in NEWLY LISTED
or ENDING SOONEST

This way..you will see what is new in the area you like to look into..
or what is ending soonest.

NOTE: If for any reason, you are NOT happy with this system..(give it time, there will be some bugs that HAVE to be worked out in the next few days)
Then PLEASE write EBAY...they listen to buyers..
Not to us sellers...but they definately listen to YOU the buyers..

I will update this blog more..i promise..

Good Luck!!

Cathi

Wow..So sorry I havent been here in awhile!

2010-03-29T23:50:00.000-07:00

Has it really been more than a month?
I am SO SORRY!
Guess..my daughters puppies..
(which have now grown and 2 are with my son)
and my daughter moving

and my other daughter leaving overseas for a job..

I have FORGOTTEN MY BLOG
sorry!!

new post NEXT!

A Valentine Vignette (featuring ...my daughter!!)

2010-02-13T12:37:00.000-08:00

Many years ago..I owned a bridal shop..so I took photos of my daughter when she would model flowergirl dresses...
This is from that collection.. (my daughter is now 21..so these are from years ago!)

Happy Valentines Day!
Cathi

GROWTH!! 3+ weeks and counting!!

2010-02-12T15:05:00.001-08:00

knew you wanted the LATEST PUPPY UPDATE!!
(i am heading out to see them in just a few weeks..should be crazy fun!)

Their eyes are open!

2010-02-09T07:53:00.000-08:00

Watch them grow!!
The latest puppy photos!!

More Changes...and the beauty of Old photos

2010-02-08T19:56:00.000-08:00

Hello...
It is the 8th of February and I sit getting ready for a major snow storm about to fall..something that many of you out there are already used to this season...

So...as we "hunker down" I took to reading the discussion boards for us Ebay sellers...and wanted to let you all know one of the latest developments in the Ebay world.

In a few weeks ( about 6 weeks to be exact) all the stores on ebay will be opened up and all the merchandise will be in CORE..which means..that there will be SO MUCH TO SEE!
I am not sure the reasoning why this is happening..it was tried many years ago..and it was really cluttered...and we were all afraid the site would crash...soo much stuff....

but Ebay has decided to roll this out once again..

but so YOU know...if you love auctions..(which I DO!)
then there is the AUCTION ONLY tab...that you can press..which should make things a little easier to manuver...in fact instead of 74,000 + photographic images that we have now to look at ..you will probably be seeing more like 1,000,000 images...now...that is ALOT OF STUFF...
and it could get a bit overwhelming... so practice using the tabs that they have put all over ebay..it should help some...

With all this new competition what is going to set us sellers apart??

Well, that is something that I have been working on these past few months..which brings us to the next subject...
Beautiful old photos...

I have decided to continue to STREAMLINE my own store. I will continue to be working on selling QUALITY photos..photos that are beautiful.....focusing on photos before the 1950s

I have been fortunate to find a few large estates full of really fabulous photos..
I mean photos that are in excellent condition..and are old and beautiful...

My main love is to find beautiful photos that look like art...
Photos that can stand on their own..and take on a new life...and be hung on a wall ...used in design..put in a frame next to your desk...

This photo that I have pictured here is MILVIA WARNER..and she was a real person..who was a bright woman that worked in Archeology and did some great work.....but before all of that..she was from family that had her picture taken..and all the photos from this family were beautiful......ones that can be framed and hung on any wall..

That is what I love about old photos...photos with a story..and photos that take on a new life as an adorning ornament in a room...

well..the snowstorm is on it's way.....but keep your eyes open to the beautiful photos that we have posted ....

Cathi

Musings on portraits.....and a blog contest...

2010-02-02T11:48:00.000-08:00

Ok, I admit it...if you have seen my store you must know..I love portraits..
I just love them.

Some people take pictures of places when they have a camera...
"oh my, I must take a picture of this statue"

but at the end of the day..
the thing that everyone REALLY wants to see..years later are all the photos of the people.
"did little Jerry every really look THAT little?"
or
"oh..it is ALICE..wow, I miss her..what a great photo!!"

and then there is me..
I have to remind myself..
"Cathi ..take a picture of the place!! you want to remember what this looks like"
but instead it is always the people...always about the people..

and when i am hunting for photos..
I ALWAYS or ALMOST ALWAYS 9 times out of 10 come away with photos of PEOPLE

portraits and portraits and more portraits.

and when i sigh about a photo...it is ALWAYS a portrait..

so i have accepted it...
if you want to find beautiful portraits...well we will ALWAYS have them...
sure some will be different than others..some more breathtaking..some with more character..but Portraits ARE my first love...

I think it is the fact that these faces are like art...done by the GREATEST ARTIST EVER!

oh......................

now for the other info...
JJAY has a blog..it is named Catherine Simms photos...and
on her blog she is running a contest on UGLIEST BRIDE

so cast your vote!!
here is the link Catherine Simms

and have a glamorous portrait filled week!!
cathi

1 week old.... GROWTH

2010-01-28T14:59:00.001-08:00

ok...will write more on my blog...
but tell me..how can you resist a puppy???

cathi

Guess who had puppies!!

2010-01-21T10:21:00.001-08:00

So...
I flew out to Connecticut and JUST IN TIME to be there for the puppy birth...
YEAH..
so now JJay is a proud puppy mom...
and me...
well i am the proud puppy grandma!!

Why do we love photos?

oh...because it is the miracle of photos that captures that special moment....

an incredible moment..

a miraculous moment...

moments that only come your way..now and then...

.......

Lola proud mother of 3 puppies...3 little girls...2 apricot and one black poodle!!

cathi

a time to weep...a time to help........

2010-01-14T21:33:00.000-08:00

Photos are powerful things.

Like hearing an old favorite song, photos stir the emotions, as their memories pour in our hearts.

Some photos are inspirational, calling us to a higher place.

Some photos are like art and can be hung on the wall to be admired by many and not just a few.

and then there are times...

when photos say so much more...that cause us to feel overwhelmed..helpless..
and we want to turn away....

but we can't

today is Thursday, and I sit at a computer with a roof over my head, warmed by a furnace that works. I sit here without hunger or want, knowing that we sleep well in our beds tonight.

and not too very far away...only hours by jet...is a poor country that has had it's share of poverty...without the basics that I take for granted...and now left devastated after an earthquake. with loss that is so unthinkable it is hard to even look at it...

But as we look at the photos of this devastation..and feel oh so helpless to change anything...
there is something we CAN do....

We can get behind those who are going to help out in this disaster...those who have the tools and the training to do the best they can..

This is information of how to give to Salvation Army, a group I have long loved and worked with over the years: A text message with the word 'Haiti' to 52000 will make a $10 donation, added on to your cell phone credit card bill.

There are many other organizations...Red Cross, World Vision, Doctors without Borders..and others...they are easy to find...and there are soo many of them that are doing so much good work..

When we look at those photos that are too hard to see...... remember, we can reach out...we can help...we can make a difference.....

cathi

Welcome 2010! Happy New Year!

2010-01-03T21:25:00.000-08:00

Well..hoping all you out there have had a lovely holiday season...we were full of family...and fun...
then i got a cold....and well ...it is now the 3rd and I am finally updating!!

So...I bought my daughter a dog...a dog that the old owners could no longer care for..
it was a black poodle..oh soo cute and all her life..Jjay wanted a "foodle" (that was how she said it at the age of 4!)

But...the dog...was growing..with a ravenous appetite..and you could tell her previous owners didnt really care for her...
she cowered...was hungry all the time...and was growing..
alot...

and yep..

we just found out she is having puppies...

so now Jjay has her own Ebay photo business and a pregnant dog..
(what mom's will do to Encourage GRANDKIDS!) j/k

anyhow.. as it turns out all is well..

my other kids were quite perterbed that they did not win the coveted dog...and so now they are going to take the pups...

oh what a fun winter my daughter and her husband are in for....

so ...for new dreams...new things...and yes...even new puppies..

cathi

It's all about that child..................

2009-12-17T19:09:00.000-08:00

Another year slips by. We come again to the time to remember that, when we have nothing to offer, He comes. A defenseless child comes to bear the weight of our struggles…impossible but true. God acknowledges that I cannot help myself in the most important issues of life, but He can. He sends His Son because I have no hope without Him. He sends His Son because I cannot. What an unthinkable celebration! We celebrate being small, being cared for, being relieved of our burden. It seems to me that every other holiday requires something of us, celebrates something we have done…but not Christmas. These days exalt our inability and His total sufficiency. We give gifts not because we have so much but in order to remember we have nothing at all. He had to give us the gift of life and there was no exchange. I have nothing to give back. Christmas is about receiving not giving. My prayer for you is that you can enter into the season with this wonderful truth in mind. It is all about Him giving to us and we rest and receive. Emmanuel! All of life in one word… God is with us. Merry Christmas!

Many blessings to all of you!!!

cathi

More Mother & Child Photos..........................

2009-12-11T21:56:00.000-08:00

Well we are only 2 weeks from Christmas as I write this...and as much as I want to show you so many photos...I just can't pull myself away from Mother & child photos...

I love them!
I must admit...they are not always easy to find...I am sure that is because these are the ones that are kept in families...so these dont show up all the time...but every now and then...I strike Gold..
and that is this week!! GOLD!
The first...
IS AMAZING and it is REAL ...not one of those photos that are posed and are of models..but this is a wonderful photo from a photographer taken in a clients home of a beautiful mother and her child..
do you not LOVE those clothes? I mean..how come we cant wear something like that???
Then the second...
well..she is just too pretty!! and that baby soooo young...how in the world does she keep her hair when that baby is soo young!! beautiful...

and the third..
(in person this is a true 10!!)
is one of my favs..the dress..the way that baby is sure to be pulling on the beads..(beads..come on now..who can wear beads around a baby??) it is simply lovely!!

during this Christmas season...when we celebrate the greatest birth...I am often drawn to those beautiful photos of mothers...

a year ago...i lost my own mother during this season...and this year..i have grown to only love and appreciate her more...

and my own children...

ah the beauty of moms...........
(but you sure won't catch me in BEADS with a baby!!)
cathi

PS:
AS A MOM...I WOULD BE REMISS TO NOT LET YOU KNOW ABOUT WHAT JJAY IS UP TO IN HER EBAY.
CURRENTLY, SHE IS GOING TO BE MAJORING ON WEDDING PHOTOS AND HER STORE'S NEW NAME AND NEW LOOK IS CATHERINE SIMMS VINTAGE WEDDING PHOTOS
CHECK IT OUT!!

Getting ready for the holidays..........

2009-12-04T22:36:00.000-08:00

Every year, We make a BIG DEAL out of Christmas...our children are scattered all over the world...and the ONE rule is that they MUST be home for Christmas...
For the last 20 years, we HAD a BIG house and decorating it was a 2 day project.
I was OVER THE TOP when it came to decorating...crazy ....it was a Christmas paradise!And everyone came over and the holidays were a BIG thing...we invited everyone to our Christmas...and we had soo much fun!

but, this year, as with so many people today, business was hard...and we inherited a quaint little house...and the smartest idea was to DOWNSIZE and move.To be debt free....to live a simpler life.

so we moved...and although, our home hasn't yet sold...but we are completely out of it...and into the quaint little house....

now, because it hasn't sold, we haven't done any renovation to our "new" old home.....and the house is old......and hopefully, next year will be a big renovation year...
but not yet..

so our family...will have to share bedrooms, bathroom, and it will be a tight Christmas..a little Christmas....and there is NO room for over the top..not at this moment!

as an American..used to having it all...
that is kind of hard..in fact I feel a bit foolish being so sad about not being able to decorate like i used to...or to have the big flight of stairs my kids used to sit on every Christmas morning before they got their stockings...

but as a mother wanting to be with my kids....well, I found this photo today....something I bought from an estate...

and as I looked at it...I was again reminded....that it is NOT about Stuff. It is not about having more...it is about being content with what we have.

With all the ads...all the "stuff" we often forget these truths....
the "stuff" the "buy me nows" pull at us...

2009 ....many of us Americans have had to learn to change some of our priorities..

I think many of us will all have a different Christmas this year...
maybe not as much under the tree...
but hopefully we will learn to really appreciate what we do have...............

cathi

Madonna Mother & Child Photos.......

2009-11-26T21:58:00.000-08:00

Over the years I have found several different madonna photos...where the moms dress up and have their babies dressed in cloth with them...
So beautiful...
This week...in honor of the Christmas Season that has come upon us...
I have a Madonna and baby photo I recently found....
(the top one!)
May this season be a blessing to you.............times of love ...reflection....and hope....

cathi

Thankful...............

2009-11-24T20:17:00.000-08:00

To educate yourself for the feeling of gratitude
means to take nothing for granted,
but to always seek out and value
the kind that will stand behind the action.
Nothing that is done for you is a matter of course.
Everything originates in a will for the good,
which is directed at you.
Train yourself never to put off
the word or action for the expression of gratitude.
Albert Schweitzer

Thankful for all of you...fellow photo lovers....
cathi

It is ALREADY November 19th!.........

2009-11-19T15:07:00.000-08:00

Christmas is literally peaking around the corner.....

HOW did this year go so fast???

Well, for any of you that might have read any of my old posts..and knew that my mother died and i inherited our old family home....so with that and a poor business climate, my husband and i decided that we needed to sell our LARGE home...and move...well...after only a few weeks on the market......well...we seem to have sold our house!!!
(I say this ever so cautiously because closing is still a few weeks away)...yet the contracts are signed and if there was a theme for my year..it would be CHANGE....

and now.....Christmas seems to be peaking around the corner...
soon it will be time for all my children to come back home (?..ok we moved in a much smaller house...so where will they all fit?) and time for making all those wonderful memories that get you thru the hard times....

it has been almost a year since my mother has died and there still isn't a day she isn't thought of or missed....

still Christmas is peaking around the corner....a new Christmas..with so many changes.. A Christmas of new beginnings....as it should be...

so lately i have become infatuated with fairy/angel photos...
mostly always featuring little children...dressed up like angels...

as this new season peaks around the corner.................
(love those photos!)

cathi

What a Gibson Wedding photo.................

2009-11-09T21:56:00.000-08:00

Well, This week...has been full...............we finally got an offer on our house...and so it is that crazy time when we have to go thru all the numbers...and at the same time.. I have been trying to get photos up...hunt for more photos..(have an appointment tomorrow to meet with some people who want to sell their photos) and still try to get the house together.............BUSY ...

then...............in the midst of it all...i found THIS..............

now understand..I find photos all the time..in fact it is my day job! then i put them in files and keep them safe ...then, when i am going to list photos, i go thru my photo room and then decide what to post.

so I was in my photo room ......and I was FRIED..really stressed...and trying to be calm (which was not working!) and then i found THIS.............

now the color on this is BEAUTIFUL...
the dress...oh so lovely..........
and the woman....so attractive...( in my DREAMS i look like this!)
the man...boldly sitting in the chair....

beautiful image...
calmed me right down...loved it....

so my pep talk for this week is ..if things get a little rough......take a moment..look at a photo or two...it can really help....

OR if you get frustrated and everyone around you is driving you nuts.....

you might like this photo instead!!

cathi

News...Deals...and more....

2009-11-05T22:13:00.001-08:00

As I have shared in other posts...my daughter Jjay has a new store...and I wanted you to ALL know that she is having a SALE! If you are interested in DEALS ...the name of her store on ebay at this moment is charjayhay .

She is going to be featuring lots of mid century things...and lots of old 50's photos..
and she has BIG DEALS THIS WEEK!!

As for Chatham Ho Treasures....well, lately, I am in love with the 20s and dance photos and all of that..(although there will always be brides in my store!)

This is one of my latest photos...this is from a movie that was done in 1928........oh to dress like this on a daily basis..must have been fun...............

anyhow..wanted to let you know...........................................

cathi

Edith Mason's beautiful portrait............

2009-11-01T20:43:00.000-08:00

Well this is my recent photo crush!
I must admit, when I found this photo....I couldn't even begin to think of listing it...
so it sat happily in my BEAUTIFUL STUFF I DONT WANT TO PART WITH pile.

but... this IS my business...soo.....

I researched the photo...and found out that this beautiful 1920s photo was none other than EDITH MASON...a wonderful opera singer that sang in the Chicago Opera in 1921.
(this photograph was done in Chicago)

And if you go to youtube you can hear her beautiful voice...

what is really unusual about this photo is, that I have a large collection of twin dancers...the only collection I do not let myself part with...and it is quite extensive. Anyhow..these girls named Velma and Selma danced with the Chicago Opera company in 1921.

Meaning ...they knew our Edith....
I have loads of photos of them traveling with the opera company...now is Edith in one of those photos?

What a unique time ...1920s...when the world was so exciting..full of new adventure..so many changes in technology...so many changes in the world....

love that era....

Have a great photo week....and enjoy Edith...........

cathi

Happy Halloween

2009-10-31T12:42:00.001-07:00

This is my darling daughter...(see..told you I loved costumes!)

cathi

When a photo is like a piece of art...........

2009-10-23T22:29:00.000-07:00

When I was a little girl, my mother would make our family travel from Chicago once a year to St. Joseph, Missouri to visit an elderly lady named Millie. Now, Millie was no relation really to my mother, but since all my mom's family was gone..this woman filled in, like an elderly aunt. And my mother loved her.

Now Millie had no children...and her home was FILLED with antiques...I was not to touch ANYTHING..which was always hard when I went to visit her. So I was made to sit very carefully on the couch in her living room....while Millie told stories and poured us tea and spent special time with mom. (My brother and dad were always back at the hotel..)

In her beautiful living room, there hung a large portrait of Millie as a young ingenue. She had a beautiful dress on (much like this photograph) and I would look at it for what seemed like hours...behaving in this very beautiful...but delicate home. As years went by..I always came back to see Millie's portrait...and the last time I saw her, she retold the story of her "coming out party" and the gown she wore.

After Millie died, the portrait was given to the historical society...but I never forgot that fashion

Then, the other day...I found this photo....it is simply beautiful in person..and although the woman was much older than Millie in the painting..the style was just like the one that I had memorized so long ago.......

Although this is not a painting the photography on this is so soft and so beautiful..it is like an art piece......

wow...I love old images..................

Cathi

Gazing into a pond....

2009-10-18T10:26:00.000-07:00

Lately I have been finding some awesome photos....
soo many that are almost HURTING to let them go...............

this one is EXCEPTIONAL!...
1920s...incredible costume...design...really wonderful...
(and for sale this week on ebay!)

....anyway...this photo kind of reminds me of when my kids were going to be brownies...I of course was a brownie leader and my girls were SO excited when it was their turn to be brownies..

anyhow..there was this ceremony where we put this mirror on the floor...decorated it of course..and then took the girls and turned them around...and we all said:

"Twist me and turn me and show me the elf:

I looked in the pond and I saw.......

MYSELF"

Then we would pin the brownie pin on them..and they were to become brownies...full of good deeds and loads of fun meetings...

so...every time..i look at this photo, i keep thinking of this song...

ok.....this is NOTHING like this photo(she HARDLY looks like a brownie...)...but hey.............all photos provoke memories ..eh???

Have a great week!!
cathi

to be a fairy princess....

2009-10-10T23:18:00.000-07:00

Did you ever want to be a fairy princess for Halloween?

On Halloween, when I was a little girl, every year in our town we would have a costume contest and there were prizes!...so all the children came out for it.... Each year I would dream for weeks of winning the prize. But my mother couldn't sew.. so each year at the last minute she would pull out an old clown costume she bought somewhere and MADE me wear it. I had to wear it EVERY YEAR and I hated clowns and I never won....

I would look at the other children that would win and wish i had fancy costumes like them... and I would dream that one day I would get a special costume......and maybe i would be a fairy princess...but i would be the most beautiful fairy princess ever........

So, of course...when I had girls...I vowed I would make them costumes that they would win 1st place..no matter what!

Each year, my costumes were elaborate...i would spend a fortune at the fabric stores just to make something no one else would have..
and of course i would have to design my own costumes...taking apart patterns so that over the years my kids were everything from
egyptians to japanese, from cabbage patch kids to money ladies, there was even a year i made them all shoes...you name it... every costume was so over the top...i was competing year after year to win the prize....

only there were no costume contests ....so there were no prizes...

Finally one year, my kids could tell by the gleam in my eye that halloween would soon be there and the annual trip to the fabric store would begin....
and they all ganged up on me....and said...

MOM ! CANT WE JUST BE FAIRY PRINCESSES
JUST NORMAL FAIRY PRINCESSES
PLEASE!

CANT WE PLEASE GO TO A STORE AND BUY A COSTUME!! AND JUST BE FAIRY PRINCESSES?

well of course i did go to a store...and bought dresses...and added a lot of trim...and a bit more sparkle..........well...you know....they still had to be the BEST most BEAUTIFUL fairy princesses every....

~I came upon this photo the other day...
(it is even better in person one of my favorites!)

and I remembered Halloweens of years ago.....and every girls inner dream......to be a fairy princess.....

happy october...
cathi

Navigating around Ebay these days

2009-10-03T23:07:00.001-07:00

Lately there have been a lot of changes in Ebay. I have discussed this last year in a number of posts and have been very involved with other sellers trying to get our voices heard...and some things ebay really listened to us in...yeah!...(they are stilllll Changing!!)

so now there are some new changes that as buyers it is important to know:

As you probably know- there has been a BEST MATCH component to finding items at auction.
instead of NEWLY LISTED or ENDING SOONEST, the default goes immediately to BEST MATCH.

This is because the company wants us and wants you to BUY IT NOW.
so BUY IT NOW items are higher in the best match...except when the auctions are almost over.

now for me, I usually list lower prices in my auctions then i do for buy it now. (if you want a deal...the auctions are really the way to go!) I like auctions...and i like the fun they are..and when there are things that I want to buy.... if they are at a "buy it now"..i may never FIND it..let alone BUY it...so I am an auction girl all the way.
(unless it is a book or something)

so I ALWAYS go to the pull down screen that says Best match and change it to NEWLY LISTED. then i see all the new things that have been listed in my section...
then I change it to ENDING SOONEST...and i see what is about to end on auction...
Now, I collect information from ballet from the 1920s and am always hunting thru auctions for things on this subject (as well as gifts for others and so on)

So the news is that the BEST MATCH feature will soon be even more modified...and you will see MOSTLY buy it now in the best match setting. As sellers, we just got this news the other day. so I wanted you all to know how to work with this feature.

The reason is Ebay is changing..and trying to find it's way...with a new CEO and loads of losses in its company...Ebay is trying to understand the marketplace..(that and I dont think that the current CEO of Ebay knows anything about auctions!!)

BUT...I still think that Ebay is the BEST place to find unique and unusual things...but it is changing and I wanted you all to know about some of these changes...

ah well...happy photo hunting...
just wanted to pass this information on to you...
another day for more ebay discussion...
time to look for those old ballet magazines!!

cathi

Fun photos from Vaudveville era...

2009-09-26T21:53:00.000-07:00

I have recently fallen IN LOVE with old 1900s-1920s Vaudeville/performers photos..
It is the costumes...the styles..you name it..I love it!

It all stated a few years ago when I was looking up something on ebay and ran across photos that were simply stunning. It was being sold by someone who loved beautiful portraits...and I had never seen anything like it in my life.. they were women of the 1920s...stars and unknowns in simply Glamorous photos!

then...not long after that..I ran into a HUGE estate of a set of twin dancers...
and I bought it...

All of it...

and then i had to begin to sell off some of my other collections..because..well, you cant keep everything...

well...then i was hooked..
old photos from dance and vaudeville eras were beautiful!! i mean some are funny...
and some were incredible...and
well you know they wont be around forever...
and i began to hunt for them...and hunt and hunt...
even went into an abandoned house in Chicago and found a batch..Now that is hunting!

like this one here that is listed above this..
it is from a family collection that were in vaudeville and this is early 1900s..
how cute is this photo!!

anyhow...you will see more and more of this era on Chatham Ho treasures this fall and holiday..

and maybe you will fall in love with them too...........................

or not...

thats ok...
cuz i can always ad more to my collection...
smile!

cathi

Jjay OPENS NEW Ebay STORE!!! w wedding photos!

2009-09-18T17:34:00.000-07:00

Can I brag about my daughter???

I know ...this is a blog about photos...BUT...I must tell you what an AWESOME daughter I have!

She is now Selling on Charjayhay's vintage finds Now, I originally started this store, and named it....so that means she will probably come up with some very clever name..but for now..this is the name of the ebay store (oh and we just got TOP SELLER status!! yeah!)

On her website..you will see 1950s Midcentury finds...fabrics..photos..things like this...

AND

WEDDING PHOTOS..

1920s and before..

Like this INCREDIBLE photo I posted here...

so NOW we are officially in competition!!! Smile!!

She has GREAT taste and this lovely image is from her new collection!!

Chatham Ho Treasures (my store) will be focusing on photos BEFORE 1950...

and I have loads of fun vaudeville...(I have officially fallen in love with this era)

and of course

I will always carry

Wedding photos...

.................................................................................................................................

So please visit her....she is lonely over there..and misses all of you!!

I, on the other hand am so happy to be back!!

Have a great photo loving day!!

Cathi

Change is in the air!

2009-09-07T20:32:00.000-07:00

ok.............crazy times....

This summer...beginning in July...my hubby and I sold a family home in Iowa.. and I called out my lovely daughter Jjay to come and help me and we worked on packing and moving and an estate sale. (that was Estate Sale #1)

THEN

my lovely daughter Jjay, came back to Illinois where she helped me get rid of things in my mothers old home and helped me do another estate sale. (that would be Estate sale#2)

THEN

The following week, Jjay helped me PACK up our home...

because we decided to move and Downsize (or as my hubby calls it..RIGHT SIZE) our life

since i inherited my mothers home.

(that would be Estate sale #3)

The photo on top is my house...it is big...6 bedrooms...and we always had it filled..with our children or other people's kids...this was my old life...my hubby and i worked with youth for years....

(all the while doing photos on the side!)

then one by one..as the years rolled on....the kids moved out...are on their own...and now we have a large house...and we inherited a much smaller one......

so we made the plunge...

signed the contract to sell it...

and moved our things to our much smaller home..

now during all this change...my daughter JJay had taken over my ebay business for me...

and now....in a few days...Jjay is heading back to Connecticut where she resides with her hubby...and I will go back to Chatham Ho Treasures.

BUT

Jjay found out that SHE FELL IN LOVE WITH OLD PHOTOS...so she will now be selling photos under charjayhay Treasured Finds (where I was selling the past few months because I found so much stuff I had to sell!)

I am blessed with an AWESOME daughter....who I trust has taken care of all of you over the past 9 months...

I am so proud of her and her husband who gave their time unselfishly to her dad and me during this crazy time.....

so I am sure you will be seeing alot of her....she LOVES old wedding photos and plans on selling lots of them.....

so it is time for me to RIGHT SIZE my life...

to live a little simpler....

and still ...oh yes....to enjoy those special moments...

Cathi

ps...dont forget to check out charjayhay next week...

A Collection of My Favorite 1950s Photos

2009-08-22T12:45:00.000-07:00

Woman at the park, under lovely blossoms

This photo just says "relax, and enjoy the day circa 1950s style"

Great shot of a 1950s Ford Consul Car (made in Great Britain)

A Boy's Basketball team, c1950s. Look at those goofy uniforms!

Time to Fish for Vintage Photos

2009-08-15T23:12:00.000-07:00

Ah, it's summer time & I haven't even gone fishing... But I have gone fishing for vintage photos and have found lots of good "catches" Such as this one. This photo is of a man fishing in Lake Wenatchee in August of 1911.

I'll bet if I saw a photo of a man in August 2009 fishing in Lake Wenatchee, it wouldn't look much different. Some things just stay the same. Its a comforting fact, when so much around us changes.

I wish I was fishing right now.

Wish it was time to relax and enjoy the stillness of the water, and the gentle pull of a fish at my reel...

So, if you can't get out there and look for some real fish, make sure to look for some vintage photos! Now is the time. Summer is a great season for deals!

*Jjay

THE ESTATE SALE

2009-08-07T21:03:00.000-07:00

This is the Momma...and I just wanted to write to let you know what my wonderful daughter has been doing...while you might have been looking for new listings...my daughter has been working day and night helping me with my mothers estate sale!

today we had the sale ...and this photo is just what it was like!!

after a long day..(many months in the making) she ran home to post..."i only have a few photos up..i have been so busy!!"

she is truly a great daughter...and now i have fully caused her to be addicted to photos as well!!

ah a true mother and daughter business...smile!

hope your summer is great.....we ...are still digging out of the sale..(over tomorrow)

bittersweet...(my mother would have had so much fun at it!) but wonderful to share with my daughter....

cathi (jjays proud mom)

"That snapshot stayed in my memory"

2009-07-27T19:20:00.000-07:00

I found this wonderful story of a life long love affair that began with a single vintage snapshot & I had to share it....

"93-year-old from Arlington Heights pops question to former sweetheart, 92"

The newpaper article explains how this man met & fell back into love with his former sweetheart, after 8 long decades! Both were married, had children, and were widowed. Years later the woman sent a photo to the man of the two of them as children. As quoted in the Daily Herald:

"For McKitrick, marrying Beatty marks the culmination of a lifelong love story.

He recalls a day, many years ago, when the two of them stood in the Wisconsin sunshine and talked about how one day, they would marry each other.

"I still picture her as my third-grade sweetheart. I've carried that in the back of my mind since that time," said McKitrick, who counts among his prized possessions a photograph taken of the two of them about that time.

"That snapshot stayed in my memory," he said, "and her face stayed in my memory."

This is the reason why snapshots and old photographs are important.

Who knows, the photo may have been torn or smudged, but it helped to rekindle a love that had died out years before. To read more, please follow this link http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=308819

Enjoy

HUGE SALE ON VINTAGE PHOTOS!

2009-07-18T16:30:00.001-07:00

Lazy Days of Summer Sale Starts Today!

MY FIRST EVER 1/2 OFF SALE!!!

For one week only save 50% off all of my store inventory (Over 250 items!)

If you haven't stopped by in a while, and were waiting for a great time to save on vintage photos, now is the time!

www.chathamhotreasures.com

Please feel free to email me if you have any questions!

Jjay

Home at Last~Finding Old Photos

2009-07-11T09:15:00.000-07:00

It's a funny thing to go home, for some reason one turns into their old self.

For me, its the "High School Me" Since I've been home I've been to Starbucks a few more times than normal, and I even bought Wilco's new CD. (I haven't bought CD's for a long time!)

But, best of all my Mom & I went hunting for Vintage Photos! We found some fun ones, and I probably paid way too much for them, but then I justify it because I actually sell some of my treasures.

This was my favorite find. Its a 1920s Snapshot of a woman on the beach with her dog.

For some reason it looks like a painting. Like I have seen it before...Maybe its a painting I will do some day. I love the wood on the beach & how the tip of her dress is flapping in the wind. She looks content, and happy. She must be visiting Home.

HAPPY 4th!

2009-06-28T02:04:00.000-07:00

HOT...oh my it is HOT...this is the momma writing..because JJay is taking advantage of the heat and getting a tan...me, the momma..do not want more wrinkles!!!

Well, it is soon to be the 4th of July week...and THIS IS THE TIME TO TAKE PHOTOS!

(although..note to self: dont take too many photos of 4th of july parades...unless you know someone in them!!~ cant tell you how many funny photos I have found like that in my boxes!)

I love this photo of the kids at the water...oh...water...oh...it is soo HOT

( was over 95 in the great Chicago area...HUMIDITY!)

BY THE WAY....HAVE A GREAT 4th...Happy Birthday America...Happy picnics everyone!!

oh and happy photos .......

and sooooon (I am so sure....) you will hear from Jjay again........after that swim in the pool that is!!

the momma aka cathi

WHERE ARE YOU JJAY???

2009-06-27T19:05:00.000-07:00

WHERE IS MY DAUGHTER? WHY HASN'T SHE POSTED SINCE MAY 29TH?

AND WHAT IS THIS??? ON HER EBAY PAGE???

signed the momma

The Pensive Bride

2009-05-28T12:23:00.000-07:00

This vintage Bridal Portrait is just too lovely!
c 1920s-1930s
She looks like she is thinking deeply about life....and the love that will soon be her husband.

Let all thy joys be as the month of May
And all thy days be as marriage Day
Let sorrow, sickness and a troubled mind
Be stranger to thee.
To a Bride: Francis Quarles, 1635.

Its a rainy day & I'm waiting for my rainbow

2009-05-24T19:17:00.001-07:00

1920s vintage photo of a lovely girl. who, in my opinion, looks like shes waiting for a rainbow... a bit of color, a splash of life, something exciting. She is all dressed up with no where to go...

"The best thing about a storm is the rainbow that appears at the end of it.

Its been raining a lot here.
Dreary days.
Cloudy skies.
Puddles.
And now, very green grass.

Sometimes life is filled with little storms.
Lightning that illuminates our situations.
Thunder that wakes us from our sleep.
And rain drops, like hail, that pound at our window sill.

There is something so beautiful about the rain.
It washes away the dirt and quenches our deepest thirsts.
Rain, like water, fills.

Its been raining a lot.
For what feels like months.
And only just today did I see a rainbow in the sky.
A full half circle.
Then, the blue sky invaded pushing the gray away."

--Jjay

It ain't over till the fat lady sings!

2009-05-03T16:11:00.000-07:00

This Vintage 1950s Photo was taken by photographer Allan J. Delay. I feature a lot of his collection on my ebay store. For some reason, I have really begun to like 1950s Black & White photos...and am on the search for more!

Today I realized that with life its not over until the fat lady sings! Sometimes we cant see how everything will work out, or how all the little pieces will come together.
LIFE is still happening to us, and we can't always see the larger picture....

The phrase "It ain't over 'til the fat lady sings" is a proverb essentially meaning that one should not assume the outcome of some activity (frequently a sports game) until it has actually finished.

Case in point the Boston Celtics vs. the favored Chicago Bulls.
After many overtimes & a lengthy few games, the Celtics eventually won out against the Bulls.
Too bad. I was really hoping the Bulls would win..
Jjay

White Orchid~Vintage Postcard Photo!

2009-04-08T09:09:00.000-07:00

Real Photo Postcard (RPPC) From Brazil, Postally Used & dated 1908

Its my birthday in one day. So, as always, I have to tell my husband what I want.
Yesterday while we were at the store, a LOVELY WHITE ORCHID stole my glance.
It now sits on a ledge in my home.
Orchids are symbols of peace & beauty. I wore two flowers in my hair on my wedding day. My husband says their unique shape is "sensual." It made me wonder about Orchids in the past. If they were common in North America or not. Apparently the US has many native Orchids. Orchids of Wyoming, Nebraska, etc. (http://www.orchids.org/ooc/na_orchids/us_orchids_java.shtml)
I often list photos with Calla Lilies. People loved them back then & they still love them now! But, I have never found an old photo of orchids, till now! I searched through the wild wild web and found this vintage orchid postcard photo! Wow! Unfortunately it is way over priced, even for me....I will have to wait till I find some of my own.
Jjay

Vintage Double Wedding Photos!

2009-04-05T18:43:00.000-07:00

Seeing Double? Nope! Its just Double WEDDING Week in my store & I had to share it with all of my blogger friends! These are just too unique & are rarely ever found!! 1 in 500 & I have 3 of them!!! (That is also because I sell a lot of photos-higher possibility of finding the "golden ticket")

Lets look at the facts...according to Wikipedia, of course, "A double wedding is a single ceremony where two affianced couples rendezvous for two simultaneous or consecutive weddings. Typically, a fiancé with a sibling might plan a double wedding with that sibling. In the Philippines, however, the wedding of two siblings within the same year is considered bad luck and is called sukob."
OOPS! I think these couples may be guilty of this Sukob!

Did you know that "Double Wedding" is also the name of a film in 1937?

Honestly, a double wedding is such a foreign concept, especially since the brides I am familiar with are insanely selfish about their wedding day (including myself of course!)
But, in this economy it might just be a better option for friends & siblings...
Who knows maybe the idea of double weddings will gain some renewed popularity?!
All I know is that they make for excellent vintage photos...
Jjay

Where do I put all these Vintage Photos?

2009-03-26T20:01:00.000-07:00

Adorable little Girl. A bit nervous of the camera, but then she gets into it :) These Photos are from a photographer who took a lot of childrens photos in the 1940s-1950s. She is just too cute.

Where is the best place to store lost Art? To store someones fondest memories, greatest loves, or secret moments?

Its been a few months since I moved out to the East Coast & I am still unsettled. I have my store area organized, but I have moved it (or had it moved on me) 3 Times! GRR!!!
That's a lot for me.
I'm getting a bit frustrated to say the least.
I just don't want to misplace any of these treasures & I want to make sure to store them properly (away from heaters & windows!) I have so many photos, they take up a huge area in my living room!

It got me thinking. What do people do with all their photos? Most of the photos I find have been stored in someones basement, or the back of their closest for years, just waiting to be seen! Sometimes they smell like mildew (I hate that!) and sometimes they look as though no one has touched them for over 100 years, in perfect condition! What is their secret? And is it better to have a well loved photo or a photo in mint condition?
Funny thing is the photos in mint condition sell better, but I am sure they were not as highly valued by the owner (probably not framed or even taken out of the box). Its difficult to set a price on "value." What is the true Value of an item? To one person it is garbage, good for nothing. To another it is their most prized possession. How sad then, when finally a trove of photos are found people toss or sell them.

Well, Spring has arrived (as of March 20th!), and I have funneled all of my frustration with moving my store from one corner of the room to the other into planting!!

Yesterday I planted a delicious herb garden with Lavender, Dill, Parsley, Oregano, Cilantro, Sweet Basil, & Sage. Or should I say, I "started" the seeds. Meaning, I am keeping them in a plastic container in my window sill to help the seeds get started (without fear of frost).
I think my husband (who purchased the seeds) was just trying to keep me from getting too upset at him for moving my stuff around, but it worked!
I cannot wait to see them bud..... In life it is just as important to have something to look forward to, as it is to bring closure to our past (boxing up old photos :) & order to our present!
Enjoy today, Jjay

The EXTRAordinary

2009-03-18T08:18:00.000-07:00

Extraordinary Vintage Wedding Photo. Why is it Extraordinary? Look at the little girl holding the train of her dress. Look at their hats & lovely outfits. Incredible & in incredible condition!

Besides my own auctions at chathamhotreasures.com (hopeless plug in) here are few extraordinary things I found while looking for the ordinary....

1. Japanese Corrugated Cardboard Furniture ($28.80) Don't ask me why this stood out, but maybe its because you can make your own furniture out of cardboard!! (I have tons of that!)
2. Prince Charles Love Letters ($30,000) Enough said. wow. Thats too much money for a depressing storyline.
3. The Secret Art of Dr. Seuss!! ($1,505) Who knew he had secret artwork? How cool is that!

4. A New Website by Ebay called World of Good!! I love it! Everything is fair trade, recycled & helps to promote awesome habits in today's society. So my question is this, are vintage photos considered "recycled items" on their site, since I am saving them from being thrown out? In order to sell on their new site I have to be identified by a third party as being Eco-friendly. Apparently Antiques are not necessarily considered "recycled items"....but maybe they just don't want the site flooded with antique dealers!

If you find anything extraordinary while searching for the ordinary, let me know. Jjay

Tiny Imperfections Show Lots of Character

2009-03-17T13:57:00.000-07:00

Lately I have found some hidden treasures which at first glance seemed worthless. Why are we too quick to judge the perfection of an image? Some of the best images I have ever seen were not perfect. Though I enjoy photos in mint condition, vintage photos are still vintage and can never be 100% Flawless. Its hard to explain this to people who are accustomed to having excellent photos print in microwave time (aka digital cameras & photo printers!)
The key to finding quality vintage photos is looking in unusual places, and being willing to accept imperfections. I believe that tiny imperfections can show lots of character. Isn't that also true of ourselves? The little quirks we have, make us unique. I am horrible at directions. Ask me which way is north & I will always point directly in front of me (25% of the time I am right!). My sisters think that is funny. My husband thinks its cute. Its just me.

*Look at this perfectly imperfect vintage photo! The little girl in the foreground was moving, so her face is blurry! And the men in the back are working with such a unique farm tool! (loggers!) The background is barren, no homes yet, since they are only just getting all the trees cleared! I love photos like this. They tell a story!*

One particular imperfection I have grown quite fond of on vintage photos is this...
When two, three, or more photos have been stacked together for a period of time there is an oxidizing effect, where the image is lightly transferred to whatever it touches, either the front flap of the folder or the back side of another photo. Its a chemical reaction over time, but it is almost ghostlike in appearance.
The best way to protect and care for your vintage photos (to prevent preventable imperfections) is simply to store them well (away from heaters & pests), to clean them gently (no water or wet substances) & to display them appropriately (not near direct sunlight). For more helpful tips on caring for photos go to this website for the American Institute of Conservation.
Heres to loving vintage photos, Jjay

snow snow go away.

2009-03-09T11:14:00.000-07:00

**Cant wait till I can do this**
*1950s Photo by photographer Allan J. De Lay. "Friends enjoying the pleasures of summer!"

Its still snowing.
I cant believe it!
The groundhog was right about the Northeast!
Big fluffy flakes of snow have been falling for the past 2 hours!
The dirty, muddy ground has been covered with a lovely blanket of white.
Unfortunately so has my very long driveway.
--Signing off to shovel some snow. Grr, Jjay

the roaring 20s

2009-03-05T08:33:00.000-08:00

*Lovely 1920s Wedding Photo. They went "all out" This was an expensive wedding, with designer hats & dresses. They did not skimp on this one! It is my "fave" of the week. Just Gorgeous!

I'm reading this excellent F. Scott Fitzgerald book right now entitled "Tender is the Night"
In it he speaks of the disillusionment of the American people just before the great depression.
Unfortunately I see way too many parallels.

The Americans are frequent travelers and are known as belonging to the most powerful country on earth. As tourists they make up a majority of the earned income in their various vacation spots, spending upwards of millions of dollars per season. All this in the roaring 20s.
The 20s were called the "roaring 20s" because it was a time of great excitement & there was much to be said. The war had ended, the soldiers returned. There was a giddiness, a playfulness & and an anticipation for the all that was to come. Sadly, the only thing they did not expect was the Great Depression.

We too have lived in a world way too consumed with our own consumerism. Do you ever find that when you walk into a store you walk out with much more than you actually needed? Or that you are more willing to buy that extra shirt, shoes, and not give the same amount to someone in need? Thankfully, now is the time to ask those questions, to reconsider how & why we spend what we spend. (or for others to question why we invest & save where we invest & save? For even that can be dangerous (aka Madoff)

So, what do we have left of these roaring 20s, these spendy 1990s? Lovely pictures. Great shoes.
I guess, all we can do is appreciate what we had, and remember that life is not about what we have or have not, but how we live or live not.

The best investments....

2009-02-26T20:11:00.000-08:00

During times like these its important to remember that the best things in life are free. No tax, no government, no stupid news shows will ever take those away from you!

Here is a list of a few treasured investments that have not lost their value in recent times :)
A good laugh on the phone with my mom
The smell of chocolate chip cookies baking in the oven
Remembering fun memories through old photos
Dancing in my car to a great album
The awesome feeling of having completed a fat burning workout!
Comfy down comforters
A loving kiss...

[This photo comes from the estate of Allan J De Lay, Portland photographer for the Oregonian Newspaper. It is so adorable, I couldn't resist blogging it! It made me remember that there is no price tag on fun moments like this. ]

AND THE WINNER OF LAST WEEKS CONTEST?????????? Sandra!!
(You win!! A great color tinted photo will be on its way to your home!)

The best title for the weird photo below is:

"I'm her. He's me"

***Thanks to everyone who participated. Those who didn't--you missed out! If you are too scared to write because you don't want to sign up to blogger--just do it! Its a painless process & they won't send you spam or sell your info. It would be fun to hear from everyone who reads this, I would love the feedback! Plus it would encourage me to write more often!**

People are Funny Photo CONTEST!!!

2009-02-18T11:27:00.000-08:00

People.
The world is filled with them, and yet sometimes I still cannot understand them!
People are funny creatures.
We all are.
Getting to know another funny creature only reinforces that idea. And because people are funny, so are their photos, or the artifacts they leave behind.
Take a look at this Hand Colored Vintage Photo

*GIVE THIS PHOTO THE BEST NAME Or DESCRIPTIVE TITLE & I WILL SEND YOU A HAND COLORED VINTAGE PHOTO for your very own!!

I need a great title-this one deserves it!!
Too many titles come to mind.....
Have fun!
Be creative not crass! Jjay

Peering into another world...

2009-02-15T16:18:00.000-08:00

I should be used to this already. I've moved countless times.
Something inside me though just cannot understand.
I think it is that when I move to a new place I carry with me the expectations of the old.
Its almost as if I'm on the outside looking in, wondering if anyone can see my face peering out that hole.

Thankfully there is a liberating sense of adventure, like I'm a spy from a different world. Its exciting to learn my way around, to discover new little stores, & to walk fresh paths. The sense of loneliness & separation, unfortunately, creep in & try to overwhelm the adventurous spirit at times. Its then that I fight back & remember that I'm not alone peering out this window.

I guess that is why this photo is one of my favorites.
This vintage 1950s Photo is from Allan J. De Lay's personal collection(photographer for the Oregonian). I think it is of his kids. They are so cute looking out the window at the world below. I wonder what they see??

The day of ones birth...

2009-02-12T15:07:00.000-08:00

The amazing part about birthdays is that even though I hate celebrating my own, I LOVE to celebrate other peoples!! Happy Birthday to my husband, my mother-in-law, best friend, & grandma, who have birthdays this coming week!!

This adorable Vintage Real Photo Postcard Photo was my favorite find this week. So fitting. I just love that he has a homemade birthday cake sitting next to him with only one candle in it. It is dated July 12, 1948. A very historic year for many reasons. One of them, being it was the birth year of the state of Israel. Also, Mahtma Ghandi was assasinated & the game Scrabble was introduced to the public....
Birthdays are a funny thing. My philosophy is to just enjoy them while you have them. While it may be awkward to accept cards & pats on the back from coworkers & friend it can be encouraging to remember that you are appreciated & loved, at least on this day. The day of your birth.

leap year...

2009-02-09T16:28:00.000-08:00

I found this great photo among my Portland, Oregon collection & for obvious reasons made me think about leap year. Last year February 29th, 2008 was leap year day. Who knew? I don't think I even realized that last year consisted of 366 days! February consisted of 5 fridays & the next occurrence of 5 Fridays in the month of February is in 2036!! (leap year is every 4 years) I will be my mothers age by then! I wonder how the world will change... how much will a gallon of milk cost?

Since I forgot to celebrate it, and I'm assuming a few others might have forgotten to celebrate it--Happy Late Leap Year! Hope everyone is sticking to their New Years Resolutions...its been more than a month~now is when we begin to forget we ever made resolutions!
Revive those resolutions & get to work on renewing your body, soul, mind, & relationships.
Jjay

Weddings, Weddings, Weddings

2009-02-04T17:43:00.000-08:00

The single day of one's wedding could very well be the most memorable day in one's life.

Every moment of that day is planned.
Every item worn, given, or received has been uniquely designed.

When I think back to my own wedding, I can remember it like it was yesterday (well it wasn't too long ago, but still) No other day compares.

Today, when I look at wedding photos, I can't help but think that this is the Bride (& Groom's) most memorable day of their life (whether it worked out or not it is still memorable!!).
Sure it was 50+ years ago, but the emotions & thoughts were still the same.

Treasured photos can come in many different sizes & shapes. A worn out crumpled picture might be someone's trash or their last photo of their beloved dog. One never knows. A wedding photo, however, is a guaranteed magical moment.

Enjoy this magical moment of a unique bride wearing spectacles... Isn't she lovely? Jjay

its time for take off!

2009-01-31T11:21:00.000-08:00

another allan de lay photo from portland, OR (his are my favorite to list, they are easy to describe, scan well, and they are such unique 1950s images)

there is just something so satisfying about selling something you treasure.
i stare at a single picture for a while, post it, describe it, & then check at every possible moment to see if it sells. When it does i am ecstatic! who knew that i would find so much excitement from selling a single picture?
the best part is that i know when someone purchases something they are going to get something better than what they can see in the scanned photo. Our photos are always better than the scanned images! you cant say that about a lot of things.
ebay is an interesting world. it is filled with the unexpected, from constant changes in the html code (grr) to selling pictures i never dreamed would go so high, or not selling pictures that i thought would.

in a way its a tiny microcosm of american society. in the old days people use to go to their town auction houses to bid on items they could normally not afford. today they go to ebay.
but the economy is affecting everyone and i found out an alarming statistic. january of last year we had 6x's the amount of people visting our pages!! its funny, i would have expected sales to go up--seeing as one can determine their own price for an item (you dont have to spend an arm & a leg!). i guess one never knows... heres to the hope that sales will begin to take off once more, not only for me, but for all of the sellers who are supporting their families....

the approach of the cupid

2009-01-30T11:19:00.000-08:00

(this photo is from 1909, now on auction, my favorite of the week-beautiful baby dressed up as cupid!)

Cupid is coming!
I've seen him hanging from the fixtures at CVS, the candy aisle at the grocery store, & popping up on many websites.

Cupid cant help but remind me of the valentines days when i was not married...when i was waiting & hoping to be struck by his arrow!
when you're married or in a relationship the bar gets set pretty high, but when you're not in any relationship at all, a simple grade school valentine will do.

funny how we expect so much, how stores, ads, & movies set us up for unrealized goals. although i don't want their kind of valentines day in my head i'm always thinking of what he should get me for valentines day: "oh, those roses would be nice" or "wow, i would love to have him make me dinner like they did in (insert movie title)

Who is cupid anyhow?

Cupid (according to Wikipedia) is from Roman Mythology & was the god of erotic love & beauty.
Then how come he is so often pictured as a small helpless cherub?

while i do not believe that cupid is a god, i do believe that Love is a force...that God is LOVE.

this God of love is a lot stronger than the cutey with the bow & arrow. although that lends itself to a poignant word picture. why was the cupid used a symbol of love?
Is that how love is?
One moment you don't even believe in love and then suddenly out of nowhere it strikes you, and at that moment you are completely different than you were before. You change because love is so strong, it overwhelms the other wavering emotions & sets things straight.

I guess its true.... "to love & be loved--is the best gift in this world"

Oh, how I miss Paris!

2009-01-24T15:59:00.000-08:00

There's just something about the French.
They do things right.
They eat excellent foods & stay thin.
They make gorgeous lingerie.
They speak french.
And they enjoy the finer things in life.

Its only been 2 months since I was last in Paris, but it seems like years ago. Paris is such a unique & lovely city. When I was there last I remember thinking "I feel at home." Finally. There's not many places (beside home) where I do feel at "home" I love Europe.
Sometimes I find myself driving past strip malls & vast parking lots here, wondering, "why am I living here?" Don't get me wrong, there is something so beautiful about living near family, but it is definitely not the urban sprawl.
This photo is from a french postcard. At the bottom it says "Bonne Fete" Which basically means Happy Holiday or direct translation "Good Holiday".
Its little pictures like this that remind me of all the good things about Paris. (Yes, there are some bad things about Paris too...aka the fact that everything is very expensive!)
Au revoir, Jjay

GIRLS & THEIR DOLLS

2009-01-22T17:51:00.000-08:00

GIRLS & THEIR DOLLS
I am a long time doll lover. As a child my mother use to take me to a place called Shirley's Dollhouse. It was there that I was able to pick out my first doll. I had been given dolls before that, but my first time picking out my own doll was a big deal. I can still remember how crowded that shop was, and what a tough decision it was for a little girl to choose one lovely doll or another lovely doll. As I grew older I added many dolls to my collection. One in particular I found in my mother's old store, that she used for a display. I remember asking how much it cost & returned the next day with all the pennies I could find.
What is our strange bond to our dolls? We name them, we take care of them, and even today its hard for me to just shove them in a box in storage.
This Photo captures a girls love for dolls. It shows them playing with them, talking about them & to them. The picture at the top in a way illuminates the human nature of the dolls.
Funny, I can remember taking "wedding photos"of my barbies marriages (don't even get me started on barbies!!). This collection of photos is from an excellent photographer named Allen J De Lay. He worked for the Oregonian Newspaper in Portland, Oregon. Chatham Ho Store is featuring many of his photos if you want to see more or buy these :) Its a great feeling to sell work from a photographer, the quality of the work is so high & so unique. enjoy! Jjay

Publish Post

Obamabilia

2009-01-20T21:51:00.000-08:00

I teared up today watching the Inauguration. I would have cried but I was in a gym full of people who seemed not to care. Everything kept going on as history was being made. I wanted to shout across the gym "STOP! Doesn't anyone care?" but I didn't because I'm sure they do care, but at that moment they cared much more about themselves & working out not to notice .

It was then that I realized that History is made all around us & often times we miss it. As I watched I wondered if years from now I would remember where I was on this day.

You know what I mean, everyone remembers where they were on September 11th, or JFK's assasination. There are a few moments like that in my life as well:
My first kiss
When I first learned to Drive (with my dad in a church parking lot)
When Mother Teresa died
The weekend of the 2005 Tsunamis ( We were at Disney world, which made that reality all that much worse) & Hurricane Katrina.
And possibly today .... I wonder.

Years from now will the future "vintage items" be Obama pictures & memorabilia? (Obama + memorabilia=Obamabilia) Most assuredly yes!!

This photo would sell well....Its an old photo of Our President Barack Obama in 1963 in Hawaii.

No seriously today was a special day. A day of hopes realized & of dreams come true.
How powerful to stand with our African American brothers & sisters and affirm them. Affirm that they can make a difference & change their communities. How powerful that President Obama can shake the hands of the old Party boys, join the ranks of 43+ of the most powerful white men in history and stand in solidarity with his other half...I am impressed & I am blessed by this.

And then the most amazing thing happened...Later in the evening I watched Bush's welcoming home speech. He seems 20 years younger already & told a lot of funny jokes. Somewhere inside of me, the frustration with him melted away and I appreciated the fact that he had worked hard as president. Its not easy being president...
Good Luck & God's Blessings President Obama (you're going to need it ;)

Jjay

Getting My Feet Wet!!!

2009-01-17T14:21:00.000-08:00

I have finally ventured forth into this foreign land...EBAY! It is an uncharted territory for me... I carry with me the road map my mom has given me and I am hoping to not veer too much off the path!

It is an exciting and scary thing to work on someone elses business. There is a great sense of responsibility not only to that person, but also to their customers.

My favorite parts about this journey are the treasures I have found along the way. I found this photo--and I love it. The true reason is because I love to wear dark lipstick..dark sexy red lipstick..and that is exactly what she is wearing.. it struck a chord with me.. Maybe someone else will enjoy it too. At least I hope so.

For some reason, I think this year will prove to be a year of building my self confidence. What a sense of accomplishment it is to begin something and follow through with it. I cannot wait for all that is in store! Literally.. In the Chatham Ho Treasures Store...
Jjay

Snapshots of our lives

2009-01-15T17:53:00.000-08:00

In this digital age, where most of our pictures remain on our laptops and life speeds quickly past, a photo is indeed a snapshot of our lives. A moment caught in time. A visual aide to help us remember special moments or people we would have otherwise forgot.

Since December I have been to Iowa, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, & Oregon, not to mention all of the states I have driven across. While I have been packing, moving, and driving across the country I have thrown many things away, said goodbye to dear friends and relatives and have been greeted by new ones. I have had to learn to let go and move on.

Because of this, I long to hold on to special moments in my life. If we cant hold on to people, or to time, or even to places, we can hold on to a picture of those things. We can hold in our hands a memory. We can cherish a person and remember a special place.

In a way these photos come to life, because they carry so much life within them. Not just my own photos, but the photos of others as well...

If you stare at them long enough you can imagine what the child in the photo is going to do next, or what that young man is thinking. If I stare at my own photos long enough I can remember the thoughts I had while that photo was being taken, or the smell of the flowering tree in the backround.

Im not going to include a photo in this post, instead, I want you to take a photo that may be tucked in a drawer, or in the original envelope you received it in, and look at it again. This time remember. Remember the thoughts, the emotions, the smells, the sights, the weather that day, or the feeling of that persons warm hand on your shoulder as they squeezed you to say "cheese".

And maybe, just maybe, you will put that picture on your wall instead of hidden in your drawer...
Jjay