I began the New Year yesterday. Planning, reflecting, setting goals. I have a yearly ritual, tearing off the first page of my desk calendar on the very first day of the year, you know the old fashioned kind, except mine isn’t old fashioned. After I did that it felt like the year had begun.

Philip... Read More

This December I’m finding that it’s easier to do Project Life in tandem with December Daily. Every evening I print out one main photo which is the story of the day in my 4×6 December album. At the same time I’m doing that, I print 2 or 3 other photos for the week’s spread... Read More

I love the supersized colour chart!

I’ve been a fan of Murobond for some time now and have had the pleasure of working with their paints, which are indeed superior, on a number of projects including our previous smidapaper store at Straits Quay. Last month I went to their new showroom... Read More

just a peek at some elements without showing too much =) the guest room started off as being my scrap space. then we had a big disaster of a leak and had it fixed. later it became sarah’s room while she was in high school. now it is my ‘free space’ and i decided it would be the guest... Read More

December has set in. In full swing, and everyone here is starting to feel the anticipation of the holiday season and the coming of another fresh new year.Late night scrapping has been a regular feature lately and my son has been shaking his head, suggesting (quite strongly) that I should get more... Read More

I was eager to get all my supplies together and embark on this much loved project for the 4th year running. This year I went with the Studio Calico kit which included a 4×6 exclusive album. i figured that since I had Project Life going on at the same time, that would cover all the little stories... Read More

SO happy to welcome you! Looks like a lot of crafting ahead, December Daily and finishing up Project Life. Lots of decorating. Already making plans to see loved ones and friends. Celebrating! SO happy to have the time to listen, to see , to be in every moment of this season that you bring.

Spotted this on Ali Edwards blog, (aliedwards.com), she wrote about the things she was thankful for and ended with this beautiful poem. We don’t celebrate Thanksgiving here but among the many things I am truly thankful for, is the influence... Read More

Such an interesting weekend! Hauled boxes to G Hotel for set up at 8am. We were given a really pleasant spot with a view of the sea and doors that opened at the back to a private ‘store room.’ It was so comfortable there, we didn’t feel that time had passed and soon it was time to... Read More

I have a thing for doorways and paths. We visited three cities, Dublin, Killarney and Galway. Noel took us right across the country and every bit of it was a delight. In each of the places we went to and all along the way there were doors and there were churches.

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What more could you ask for? A scrapbooking & photography tour. We had classes in the evenings, Ali provided us with so much stuff including this map of Ireland and this “hello Ireland” die cut which she cut with her Silhouette Cameo. The workshops were called ‘Writing on the... Read More

One year in the waiting and there I was . In Ireland. On my own, kinda. Oh, there were a few people. About 40. But I had a single room all the way so it was a nice mix between ‘people’ and ‘solitude’. This post is photo heavy so I’m breaking it up and starting with people.

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November brings me to the close of my year off.
A gift I gave myself when I closed down the Straits Quay store on the 24th of last November. I can’t believe how quickly it’s passed but when I think about it, it’s been restful and busy, quiet and exciting… I have come... Read More

Now that I don’t have a real store to contend with, you will be happy to note that the modern vintage blog is now a place for sharing and real community. As a store owner there was always the business to protect and yet there was and still is so much that I learnt, so many people I’ve... Read More

What do you remember when you travel? The feeling of anticipation weeks before as you gather items specific to your destination. Wondering what you’ll do , eat, buy?
Or the hope just before, when you think to yourself, “Oh, but I do hope it will be everything we imagined and more…”

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So quickly a month has passed. The last day of smidapaper was a crazy whirl and at 3.30pm when the last familiar face left, I was ready. Ready to close the book. To move on. To find out who I was without smidapaper. It has been an awesome seven years and for those of you who shared any part of the... Read More