Vintage Photo Friday: The Happy Couple?

Something borrowed. Something...blue?

...And this is exactly why couples hire professional wedding photographers for their big day. So the bride doesn't look like a Stepford Wife right before the system crashing and the groom doesn't appear...quite so melancholy. 

And speaking of crashing, I do believe that man in the middle is making a beeline for the reception, without an invitation. Just remember, guy: "Rule #76: No excuses. Play like a champion!"  You just know he's going to scope out the single ladies and sample the crab cakes. 

And in other matrimonial news, I'd like to celebrate my new union. I just met my scanner soulmate. Since my last breakup with the now defunct all-in-one printer/scanner/copier, I was worried I would be woefully single. Without a scanner, how would I ever share my collection of vintage photos with the world!?

Then I met the one. The Epson Perfection V600.   Hello, lover. 

I am so beyond excited to have a scanner back in my life. But in addition to scanning the usual  photos and documents...I can scan film negatives and slides!! And my new romantic interest even came with Photoshop Elements 9. Oh, the fun we'll have!!

Never again will I wallow in the depths of scanner singledom. And just imagine the possibilities for Vintage Photo Friday. 

Love is in the air! 

Vintage Photo Friday: Not Exactly...

Okay. The scanner is still being impossible. Maybe it's because I'm into antiquated entertainment and old timey things...but man, when technology is uncooperative I enter full-rage mode. 

So, in the interest of not going Hulk all over my dysfunctional printer/copier/scanner/fax machine, I must exhale and just walk away.

This isn't exactly vintage. And it's not a photo. But this video straight-up rules. I was just browsing the charts on iTunes and found what very well may be my new anthem. (My former anthem being "Eye of the Tiger" while sweating it out at the gym. Don't judge). This Friday, I present to you... the music video for "Thrift Shop" by Macklemore Featuring Wanz. The moral of the story? How to be pimp for less, thanks to Goodwill.

It is rather catchy. And as thrifters, I believe it is our sworn duty to make this video go viral. Oh and obligatory disclaimer: Explicit lyrics, biotch.

Enjoy and get ready to "pop some tags." 

The Key To My Heart Lies in the Thrift Store

...and it only cost $1.00!

This was a lovely impulse buy from one of my favorite secondhand stops,  The Philly AIDs Thrift. I was patiently waiting at the checkout counter while the woman in front of me was chatting up the cashier. I happened to glance down at the display case. And amidst an arrangement of pin-back buttons and  novelty jewelry sat this little beauty. Don't you love the heart shape? Adorable. 

While the cashier started tallying my meager stack of discount paperbacks, I eyed the display case for a price. Fearing it was for display only, I asked the cashier if the key was for sale, by chance. She gave it a once-over and said with a smile, "How 'bout a dollar?" 

And just then, in finding such a gorgeous skeleton key, so perfectly aged with rust...my heart burst with joy. 

THE END. 

Secondhand Scares: Have You Been Haunted?

As many of you might know, I'm a big fan of horror movies. From cult classics and 70s slashers to the supernatural, I love the adrenaline rush of a good scare. (Or at the very least, a good laugh from an impeccably baaaaaaddddd horror movie. And there are many titles that fall into the latter).

But this weekend, a new horror movie hit the theaters, one which I am really intrigued by and am eager to watch. The Possession is the story of a young girl plagued by demonic spirits after buying a mysterious box. And while I was originally skeptical of the often-used tagline, "Based on a true story," I did my homework. And the described events that inspired The Possession are disturbing. 

Now. Before I lose my core readership, let me just point out that in both the backstory of events surrounding the "dibbuk box" and in the inspired movie that resulted...the supernatural experiences were provoked by a...secondhand purchase.

While I try not to let my open-mindedness cloud my better judgment in matters such as these, I have to to admit a personally long-held theory when it comes to shopping secondhand. 

I believe relics of the past hold a personal history. They are a token of a time and a place. But I also believe these items have an imprint from the previous owner and that my new ownership is just resuscitating a life that was already lived in that item. I'm not sure if that makes sense to anyone other than myself. But, hey! That's me.

But all that being said, is it possible to go to a flea market or a thrift store or an estate sale and bring back more than a memento from the past? Is it possible to bring back something...ominous? Something haunted? 

What do you think? Have you ever felt uneasy or even haunted by an item you've bought secondhand? 

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