Sea Story

Once upon a time... That is how every vintage item's story begins. One such story is about a boy who went off to serve his country. It was 1940 and he left his sweetheart Betty, a blue eyed, strawberry blonde who was a second generation Swedish Lutheran. He had never left his town of Richfield, Minnesota except for that one time he went to Niagra Falls on a family vacation. He was not only leaving all he knew but he was going to the country of Churchill and Big Ben. He marched in the Fourth of July parade proudly wearing his perfectly starched sailor suit, blue wool with white stars and stripes. His mother dabbed her eyes with her kerchief in the crowd out of pride and terror as she realized this passing moment of glory would be replaced by days of painstaking waiting. I walk into a bedroom and look in a closet. It smells like mothballs and hanging in the closet forgotten for decades is that sailor suit. The boy who wore it, grew up, came home, married Betty and had a family and lived the American dream. Now he has passed. His legacy hangs in this closet, sad and forlorn for perfect strangers to examine and pick up at a bargain. I buy it. Not because there is any innate value in and of itself, but because I promise to tell that story.

In it for the Long Haul

As I sit here in my cozy upstairs nook on this snowy (yes snowy) April day in Minnesota, I refuse to be uninspired.

I want to wish time away, to fast forward to 65 and sunny with the windows open. I have to check myself. Wishing time away is like throwing away a perfectly good thing just because you feel you have no use for it anymore.

I call bullshit on this.

I have adopted a new attitude. The idea of reinventing and giving new life to things once thought old and used up.

This all began with perusing every thrift store, junk market, and estate sale in town in search of unloved goods looking for new homes: forever homes.

Like a lost puppy in the rain I stumbled upon a sad little 1960’s Radio Line wheelbarrow with chippy paint and a squeaky wheel.  Something about this little guy said “ I’m not done hauling dirt, yet”. 

“ I’m in it for the long haul”.

And, with that I signed the papers and took him home.

Once considered broken down junk, this happy apple green wheelbarrow is now suitable for toting rocks, dirt, and of course the family doxie.

This little wheelbarrow has been a jumping off point for many more and bigger projects. As I speak items once sent to the attic are being dusted off and restored to their original luster.

Let the hunt continue...

From Conception to Reality: The Etsy Shop

In the last few weeks the "think tank" has been at work to create a new Etsy store. The process is arduous as there is a lot that goes into the startup. So, this blog's topic centers around the basic steps for creating an Etsy shop. So, you want to open up a shop. It looks pretty easy right? Just sell some stuff online. In concept it is having a product, marketing it and maintaining a customer base, right? Yes, that is the simple version. Yes, you need a product and then you need to market it and then somehow continue to keep the customers coming. The conception of Badger Hunter Inc. (currently under construction), was born out of the family love affair of dachshunds. This breed was genetically engineered to hunt down badgers, go down their holes and be easily pulled out by their long pointy tales. An unmistakable breed, comical physicality and ferocity. Celebs such as Pablo Picasso and Adele have popularized the breed and those who have the pleasure of being owned by one (no joke) are eternally loyal and in love with their own doxie. So, with the birth of the name comes the marketing of the product. Ours being furniture, home decor and distinctive pieces for the home, many of which are DIYed, upcycled and given a second life. It is our belief that a house becomes a home when the pets and people breathe the life blood into the inanimate. You now have a name and a marketable product. How do you present this product? With an online shop you are limited to photographic images so get comfortable experimenting with your camera. There is no store where tangible and tactile experiences can take place. You are telling a story through your image that is highlighting this product you want your customer to feel he or she must have. Stories are told through visual images but even more so through the descriptions of objects that are grabbing attention through the intentional placement of value on being unique, creating a space that is inviting and putting your personal touch through the way you choose to display these treasures.

Family Tree

We all have an ancestry whether it is known or not. As the song that Julie Andrews and Christopher Plumber sing in “Sound of Music,” nothing comes from nothing, nothing ever could. The idea of lineage is something that has existed since the beginning of time. The Bible speaks of “begetting” and the line ----- to describe generations, families, heritage and a beginning. Although in our every day lives we may not have on the forefront of our minds that we are part of a heritage and a line that began at some point long, long ago, we are. With that are the characteristics that make us similar – the shape of your eyes, a distinctive nose or the unmistakable laugh that you share as blood. This sets you apart, makes you a family, and bonds you in ways that are obvious and not so much like how you can finish a sentence or be thinking the same thing. The idea of being in a line of human existence and sharing blood for generations is humbling and baffling to be part of the speck of humanity for a blink of time. You probably know where you came from back maybe two or three generations and then it becomes blurry... What was their story, their pain, how they laughed or what color was her eyes…the same hazel with flecks of brown and blue like your mothers? So, I wanted to create my lineage in photos like a gallery to display with pride the heritage that makes me. One part Danish, a dash of French, a proud eighth Jewish, some jolly good English and smidge of this or that though I am not quite sure what. It is what made me travel to Auschwitz to feel the pride and sorrow of a people I came from who suffered atrocities, it is what made me want to learn French to let the awkward, musical words that were probably spoken by some of my ancestors fall off my tongue and it is what makes me smile when I remember my Danish grandmother whose own mother made a life for herself as a pioneer in a small town in Iowa not speaking a word of English and her name was Anna and she was beautiful and thrifty and misunderstood. So, here it is – a beautiful tapestry of faces that tell a story in twinkling eyes, crooked smiles, wrinkled brows – a story of the family whom I love.

The Other Sister

My astrological sign is Leo the Lion and as much as I do not base my life on astrological signs, there is a lot of truth in the synopsis of what a Leo represents: tenacity, egoism, leader…

If I could be any person that has existed I would choose Julia Child as she encompassed not only a life of risks and ultimate successes but also a period in history that I love at her peak of career in the 1950s and 60s. She as a woman fighting the prejudices and barriers of a career driven individual is a great example of graceful feminism.

My experiences result in who I am today. A colorful upbringing of eccentricity, creativity and lack of wealth made me see the world as a place full of imagination and possibility. Life was sweeter because not every desire was instantly granted and where there wasn’t, love and laughter filled in the gaps. Far from perfect and plenty of rocky roads along the way, make me appreciate the small things of life.

Some facts about me: I am a 34 year old single woman who lives with her brother and three miniature dachshunds. 

I love my Craftsman era two story stucco house in the middle of the urban city of Minneapolis. There is a rough around the edges melting pot of nitty gritty realness about my neighborhood. A mixture of all walks of life and cultures and orientations sharing  geographical space. A hip, yuppie café resides on the same block as an African Braid shop and an Italian mom and pop café where simple, filling fare is served without pretension. I share a lot of wonderful moments with my five other siblings who live in the cities and enjoy coffee, photography, walks, estate sales, farmers markets and hole in the wall restaurants with me. As mentioned by my brilliant compadre, we are neighbors and partake in this vital and raw experience together.

My life’s ambition is to be a hedonist. Enjoy my god given talents and love and live to my fullest potential. With that begins this blog – an outpouring of my quotidian experiences to hopefully inspire others in their own life’s journey. 

Nice to meet ya.

Every relationship begins with an introduction, whether it be proper or not. Well, my Ma raised me right, so, let me properly introduce myself. My christian name is Anne. I'm one half of Two Old Houses, and 1/8th of a rowdy bunch, called "The Madison's". I'm pleased to meet you. At this point I must sound like a cow milkin', hay bailin', coop cleanin' hillbilly. Maybe, I've misrepresented myself. I bleed 612 (Minneapolis area code).  Yep, thats me, the girl down there in the picture. 

I'm the 3rd born out of Six kids. That's all of us down there. No, we aren't catholic, or mormon, or adopted. I guess our existence can only be explained by the birds and the bees. I grew up riding bikes, climbing trees, and bickering and laughing with my siblings. My parents didn't allow television in our house, so creativity was a must. Big pine trees were 80 story skyscrapers, and pretzel sticks were cigarettes. This shaped us. Although, life has led us all down different paths in our adult lives, we have unexpectedly ended up in closer proximity to each other than any of us ever expected.

 I live in an old house in the sometimes misunderstood neighborhood of North Minneapolis with my baby brother Johnny and that cute dog pictured down there ( Petunia). Two blocks away in another old house lives my oldest sister Lisa, our other brother David, and 3 very naughty little dachshunds. I bartend to pay the bills and dream and create in my off time. Although, I would consider dreaming a full time job, and am shocked that someone isn't paying me to do it.

There is something to be said about how we treat the space we inhabit. Love it and it will love you back. Create an inspiring space and be inspired. I intend to use this little chunk of the blogosphere to share with you the place I love getting up every morning and drinking coffee in, and closing every evening drinking vodka in. Come along as I share my home improvement woes and victory's, my DIY fails and accomplishments, and other unrelated tid bits. I hope you will be inspired or at least entertained.

                                                                   Now, meet Lisa.