THE POSTCARDS OF YESTERYEAR VS. THE POSTCARDS OF TODAY

There is something so unbelievably enchanting and romantic about vintage postcards. In stark contrast to contemporary ones, the postcards of yesteryear evoke nostalgia, sentiment and soul. Today's postcards are, well...frankly, quite unappealing. Not only are the majority of them overly Photoshopped, most of the city and landscapes seem unrealistic, digitally enhanced and can be hard to look at. Why are some of our most beautiful cities being captured in such an unattractive manner? Somehow postcards from the past were able to capture the spirit of a busy street, the tranquility of a beach vacation and the glamour of a majestic city building. While I understand that they had limited tools and colors to create postcards way back when, but there is just some sort of subtle elegance and concern to enhance the natural beauty of a setting rather than make it bold and distorted. Although art is subjective, I think that contemporary postcards are simply soul-less and uninspiring.

Are the days of soft colors, decorative fonts and romanticism gone? Just because we have such a multitude of digital tools, colors and effects available to us does it mean that we need to take advantage of all of them...at the same time? I truly believe that if someone were to resurrect the art of the antique postcard that there would be a worldwide postcard revival. In fact, there should be a postcard revival. Here is a collection of some of my favorites from the European countries I love most. HOLLAND

POLAND

FRANCE

CZECH REPUBLIC

I, for one, would love to see where my friends have travelled rather than viewing photos in a Facebook album. So in an attempt to bring back the vintage postcard (at least in our home) we purchased this great wall organizer. It's very similar to the Rustic Wall Organizer from Pottery Barn just a slightly different print on the burlap and distressed wood finish.

These are currently the only postcards we have, which is sad considering all the countries we explored on our backpacking trip. I wish we would have started collecting them years ago, but until I pick up some more, these will have to suffice. They are no way near the beautiful vintage ones that I lust over, but you get the idea. As soon as I get some more attractive ones these will be filed in an album or something.

I cannot wait to find some vintage postcards at flea markets in Prague and Warsaw. I have high hopes that they will have exactly what I'm looking for.

"WE WON'T GET FAR....FLYING CIRCLES INSIDE A JAR."

When I first starting going to thrift stores and garage sales people were practically giving away mason jars because they had accumulated so many over time. I never even looked twice at them because A) I don't make home-made jam and B) they were usually rusty and dusty. To be honest with you, I used to view them as, well...junk.

One day I was looking for something in Matt's parents' pool house and came across a shelf of pristine mason jars. They were starring back at me and saying "Take us home and make us into something beautiful." They didn't really say that, but they might as well have since the next thing I know I'm asking Matt's dad if I can "borrow" one. He told me just to keep it since they had so many and a grand love affair began. For whatever reason, I had a change of heart and since then, I've starting collecting these glass cuties from anyone who is willing to give them to me or wherever is willing to sell them to me. I only have a handful so far, because as it turns out, the day I decided that I actually like these jars was the day they ceased to exist. I no longer come across any at garage sales and even thrift stores seem to have given up on them. If and when I do find one, it's like winning the mason jar lottery.

If you're wondering what on Earth I'm planning to do with these jam jars, I think you'll approve of my ultimate goal: to create a show-stopping dining table centerpiece comprised of a collection of mason jars all varying in height, width and styles. I was inspired by these simple yet gorgeous wedding centerpieces and think that they would translate well into an interior space. And by interior space I mean my dining room.

There is something so country (the good kind of country) about these centerpieces. The way they light up the environment is romantic, nostalgic and calm. Not to mention, it is so easy to put this together for your next dinner party or movie night. This doesn't just have to wait until your wedding, the beauty of mason jar centerpieces is that they are versatile and not too fussy. They are appropriate for almost any occasion and set just the right mood during any time of the year.

For now, I have just a few displayed on my coffee table (pictured below) and there is nothing prettier and more relaxing than sitting down to write or watch a movie by mason jar candlelight. Obviously my collection doesn't look anything like the lineup in the photos yet, but I promise you, I'll get there. I envision about 20 jars, staggered and arranged down the middle of my rustic dining table, lighting up the table, food and the faces of our friends.

EARLY EVENING

LATE NIGHT

If you think that I don't have standards for my jars, worry not. I specifically look for ones with no cracks, knicks, or label residue and they must have some sort of personality, as you can see in this one. It says Atlas Mason, and I love that I have no idea what brand that is or where it came from. The more mystery and character the better.

I've guess you could say that at this point I've become a scavenger, and my never-ending hunt for these jars has become desperate because I would love to have this arrangement finished before the summer ends. I'm simply not satisfied with the teeny-tiny display that I have going on my coffee table right now.

I know that you can buy mason jars at Target or on Amazon, which I consider the easy way out and to me, there is no thrill in doing that. By doing so I would be depriving myself of the rewarding feeling I get when I finally score one.

This smaller one has a fruit design representative of the jam it once contained. Alongside my jar arrangement I also add some glass candle holders that I pick up at estate sales and thrift stores. This gives my small collection some much needed height and adds visual interest. I will be collecting mason jars all throughout the summer so keep your fingers crossed that someone ends up begging me to take them off their hands at a random garage sale...I'll be more than happy to do so.

"Prague never lets you go..." - Franz Kafka

Well, it's finally official. We are going to Prague! Matt and I were both granted time off from work and our tickets have been purchased. I never feel like a vacation is set in stone until the ticket confirmation shows up in your inbox. It's a beautiful feeling, it really is.

The total flight time will be about 18 hours, but I've always loved airplanes...no fear of flying here. I keep myself busy by bringing a good book, listening to music, playing Scrabble, sleeping and watching movies and before I know it, we've landed and a new adventure begins.
Since I was a child, my family considered it very important that my sister and I be cultured and aware of our roots and history. We traveled to and from Europe as often as we could, but now that my sister and I are grown, it is becoming increasingly difficult to plan family vacations, especially internationally.

Matt and I explored various European countries on our backpacking trip three years ago, but somehow I've never made it to Prague. Many have told me that it is the most beautiful and romantic city in the world and I couldn't possibly be more excited. We will be spending one week in the Czech Republic and the second half of the trip will be spent in Poland. My oldest cousin is getting married and we will be partaking in the wedding festivities. Putting finances aside, European vacations are worth every last penny. The cityscapes and country landscapes are worth the flight cost alone and of course, time spent with my family and close friends is priceless. I have a feeling that I'll fall in love with Prague and as usual, heavily consider staying for good, but in the end, there will be too many ties with California that would have to be severed and with misty eyes, we both board the plane home. Here are some of the postcard-views we have to look forward to...

The motive behind this trip, besides my cousin's wedding, is a reunion with our dear friends, Mark and Tereza Long. We met almost three years ago online through my former job, and then met in person one year ago. We instantly connected and spent the next few days together while they were visiting the Bay Area. Not only are they a beautiful couple, I feel a deep connection to them that can only be attributed to fate. Over the past year we have been daydreaming about drinking beers in a pub, wandering the streets of Prague, treasure hunting at flea markets, sleeping in castles (a future post) and exploring their territory. Tereza Long

Mark Long

Only seven weeks to go...perhaps I should design a special calendar to help us count down the days.

"And we frolicked about in our summer skin..."

I'm a nostalgic person by nature, and to make matters worse I become a nostalgic mess whenever I listen to Death Cab for Cutie. And by mess, I mean the good kind of mess. Each album evokes very specific memories for me so I never pass up an opportunity to see the band live. You'd think that I'd be bored by now considering I recently saw them live for the 11th time, but I know myself and it's fair to assume Death Cab for Cutie shows will never grow old to me. No matter how many eye-rolls I receive or how many times I'm the butt of a joke, they will always hold a special place in my heart.
Favorite Ben Gibbard Performance
Death Cab for Cutie's Latest Single
Top Three Death Cab for Cutie Songs
And here is an episode of Storytellers featuring Death Cab for Cutie...

OH, PEONIES...HOW I LOVE THEE

My life-long love affair with peonies and the most feminine of flowers has recently been rearing its ugly head and telling me to start my garden already. There is nothing that I love more than a fresh bouquet of flowers, however I'm very particular about what I put in my vases, especially my birthday gift from Matt's sister, Heather, this year.

These little bud vases from Pottery Barn were sent to me straight from heaven (via UPS) and I love finding the perfect little flowers for them. I keep them on my desk at work and they are a constant source of happiness throughout the day.

Currently, my main source of flowers, mainly roses, is from my parent's houses. Over the years they have tended to and nurtured some gorgeous rose bushes in a variety of colors. I tend to gravitate to the fuchsia and marigold colors, and as you can imagine their scent is out of this world. But lately I've been feeling the urge to plant my own garden so that I can make little bouquets from my own flowers and not have to rely on my parents'. Since our yard is small, I've narrowed it down to four different flowers that must grown in my garden. IN my opinion, these are the most beautiful blossoms ever and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they thrive in our hot weather and dry conditions.

PEONIES

HYDRANGEAS

SWEET PEAS

RANUNCULUS