Thursday, May 24, 2007

Things that never really happened

Oh how I'm loving using these vintage kits and elements. Lots of fun making up stories about pretend relatives, all these old ancestors I didn't really have. Lots of fun.

I do hope that I'm paying homage to these beautiful people of yesteryear, having a bit of fun, laughing with them, not at them. One thing I've noticed is that they didn't smile a lot back then. Was smiling taboo? Was getting your photo taken such a completely serious thing? It's quite unnerving finding all these people with sad looks on their faces. I do hope they had joy in their lives.

Credits

Old Spirit collaborative kit by Digital Scrap Spirit
Vintage frame by Katie Pertiet
Flashwords background by Katie Pertiet used for the title
Notepad by Retrodiva from Bohemian Poetry kit
Stitching by Tracy Blankenship and Ultimate Stitches by Lisa Whitney
Keys from escrappers and Lauren Bavin
Butterflies – Ad Challenge freebie by Dana Zarling
Fonts – Blackjack and Typewriter


I have a sensational banana cake baking in the oven right now, the house smells absolutely delicious. Mike and I are going to a trivia night tomorrow which should be fun. Mike knows a truckload of things about everything and nothing in particular. It's like he sees things on National Geographic or the History Channel and it just sticks in his head. On the other hand I am full of HOllywood Schmaltz. I can tell you who is with who, who was with who, and probably who will get with who, ha! So I'm thinking together we may just make a good team.


Now back to the cake. I remember when living in the city the phrase "bring a plate" was eh, I'll pop down to the supermarket, pick up a packet of Tim Tams, plonk them on a plate and there you are and people were pleased.


But the phrase "bring a plate" in the country fills me with horror and brings a whole new set of worries. There's no scooting down to the supermarket, no siree. It's baking. And being able to bake the highest, the lightest, the sweetest of whatever you are making. It's almost like Bring--a--Plate--Olympics! And oh the shame if at the end of the night you have to take a near full plate back home with you again. That's where hubby and his mates come in. I badger them to go eat my stuff, make some ooohings and aaaahings whilst doing so, which in turn makes other people want to try it too. And then I'm happy. I go home with an empty plate. I've been able to hold my head high. It's almost like ... shhhh ... I'm part of the inner circle in the country. Don't tell anyone!


There will be a pic tomorrow of my delicious banana cake with caramel icing. I may just even share my secret recipe with you. :-)


6 comments:

Victoria said...

HMS (Holding My Sides...Is that one in use? ROFL is great, but I'm more of a side holder.)

So, that is why Stilletos are so popular! Luckily she didn't go in for bigger hair bows, I have a sensitive scalp ;)

I love the trivia stuff too. My husband looks at me funny when we are answering Jeopardy type questions and then I throw in some unimportant info about some celebrity marriage. He always says, "How do you know this stuff?!?"

That banana cake sounds scrumptious!

Bells said...

oh I can imagine the bring a plate issues in the country are a big deal!! You should document it somehow carol - give us an insider's views in more depth. Imagine turning up with crackers and dip???!!

I took home a full plate a while ago and was absolutely mortified to do so. I like your technique of getting the boys to help out!

I adore that Kylie story. Your stories are beautiful!! And I love the title - things that never happened. You're a genius. Where DID you get the idea?

Bells said...

oh and the serious expression thing was apparently because getting your photo taken was a serious thing - you took it quite seriously and often had to stand and pose for a long time while it was all set up. Couldn't hold a smile for that long!

Tracey @ozcountryquiltingmum said...

All our old pics around here were the same, I think their health was so bad, their teeth were so bad and they worked that hard that all the smiles were sucked out of them!
I have lived in the country my whole life and "bring a plate" still mortifies me. I now have 2 stalwarts that get eaten and everyone knows them as mine. Curried farm eggs on salad occasions and a great hedgehog for all others.
So cultivate something as yours and you will never haver to do anything else! tracey
oh...and eat heaps yourself on the night-you know the food handling on your own!

ksharonk said...

Check my blog for the yummy cookies of last week recipe ... mmmmm! :) [glad you enjoyed the buttons, lol!]

LVMommy22 said...

lol at the 'bring-a-plate olympics!

as for the serious looks in vintage photos, it used to take a while for portraits to be taken. it wasn't just point and click and done. you had to stand there a while for the camera to do its thing. so photographers told people to hold very still and smiling a long time was difficult, so people didn't smile. it was a pretty serious business to get your portrait made. i learned all this because the sad faces distressed me too!
:) M