Fujifilm Instax Mini 7S Camera

Over the summer I bought a Fujifilm Instax Mini 7S camera because I wanted to have the option of shooting instant pictures and doing it on more of a budget.  Instant film photography definitely isn't cheap but I figured this Fujifilm camera would be more economical than using my vintage Polaroid One Step Land Camera which takes rare PX-70 film (you can still buy it though from The Impossible Project).  To go the vintage route, each picture would cost around $3.  The Fujifilm option would cost me less than $1 per photo and I am even able to buy the film at my local Urban Outfitters (to eliminate shipping charges).  As a newbie to instant photography I have been happy learning on my cheaper Instax Mini and being able to still get those immediate memories.

Does anyone have any experience with the Fujifilm Instax Mini 7S?  What are your thoughts on it?  It definitely took some getting used to on my part.  After a few trials, you start to learn the lighting situations where it can work best.  Being outside or in a place with a lot of light is usually a good thing especially if you are wanting that over-exposed, blown-out kind of picture (the flash automatically fires on this camera on every shot...I wish you could control it but oh well).  The picture above is a good example of the quality when you're outside on a sunny day.  The camera does have settings (indoor-dark, cloudy-shady, fine, and clear) but the differences between them can be miniscule depending on the lighting conditions.

Also this camera does not do well with close-ups.  You probably want to be at least three feet away from the subject you are trying to capture or everything will be blurry.  All the above pictures came out clear because they are landscape shots.  The above picture on the right is a little dark but I was out of the direct sun and under a lot of shade cover.  I should have tried another setting maybe.  As you can see I am still learning the little idiosyncrasies of the Instax Mini and with more and more use I begin to learn which settings are right for which conditions.  If you have experience with it, what are your tips and tricks?

I took these shots yesterday on a walk that Scout and I took at a local park.  I had to get a picture of her too as we were leaving to complete my little collection from the trip.  She was so, so excited to be walking somewhere new as is evident in her picture (crazy eyes!).  

Instant pictures are really fun and I love the credit card size that the Fujifilm Instax takes.  I have a bunch propped up and displayed around my room but it might be fun to make some sort of little journal or mini scrapbook for them too.  

I'll be posting more tips and tricks about my experiences with the Instax Mini soon.  I'm glad I got the camera since I love exploring new photography mediums and it is so nice to switch it up from digital occasionally.  Enjoy the pictures and happy Thursday! 

Tape strips courtesy of Pugly Pixel

Pictures from the Craft Fair

Happy Tuesday everyone!  Here in Southern California it actually feels a bit like fall today.  It is overcast and cloudy and I am curled up under some blankets.  I am so thankful for this because it has been pretty warm lately.  When it is 90°F outside, fall seems a long way off and the boots, scarves, and cozy hats have to stay packed away in the closet.  Will today mark a shift in weather?  I hope so but I'm not holding my breath...I'm sure a few hot days will sneak back in.  

I have finally edited my pictures from the craft fair that I participated in at the beginning of October and am excited to share them with you today.  I thought a lot about booth design ahead of time and even though there are many changes I would make for future fairs, I think what I came up with was pretty successful.  I got some compliments on my booth design too so that was definitely encouragement.  The vintage furniture pieces I used were ones my family already had and the props were things I had picked up over time from local antique shops.  For a backdrop, my family helped me construct a frame out of PVC pipe and then we draped muslin from it.  It was super simple but I wanted the items I was selling in the booth to be the center of attention.  

Be warned...all of the pictures are very yellow.  The fair took place inside so there was no natural light.  I tried de-yellowing a bit in Photoshop but there was only so much I could do.

This is the signage I came up with.  Since I was selling a lot of embroidery, I decided this was a perfect tie-in.  I am not going to lie, this was thrown together at the last minute, in the wee hours of the morning before I finally let myself sleep for a bit.  Considering how quickly I made it, I really like how it turned out and I'll definitely be using it again.

Old books, spools, twine, and crates were props that I had spread throughout the booth.  I wanted the space to feel a bit like grandmother's attic, like you were stumbling upon a bunch of old, interesting curiosities.  My stamped spools and wooden tags on the right were popular.  They are great for packaging.  I will definitely be incorporating them into my holiday wrapping.

Aside from the handmade crafts, I sold some succulents which my Mom had replanted into vintage tins and containers.  I like to plant all of my succulents this way to highlight the great texture of the vintage vessels.  I couldn't resist having my typewriter be a part of the display too.  I am so in love with it.

Bakers twine was up for sale (another popular item).    

I had to have some Polaroid camera love.  On the left are felt Polaroid frames which are magnets.  You can slip a picture right in for displaying.  The mini colored Polaroids are made of paper and the large one on the right is made from fabric and stuffed.  I'll be sharing more about these Polaroids soon.  I am in the process of perfecting them and getting them ready to be sold.  Do you like them?

Shots of my embroidery.  Not only did I have a lot of artwork in the hoops but also some embroidery pins, skeleton keys and hearts, which you can see on the right.

A shot of my embroidered Moleskine notebooks displayed in a cute aqua drawer.

The picture on the right is my set up with our vintage dresser.  The shot on the left is of a neighboring booth, Life By Hand.  I love how she propped up the door and hung necklaces from it, very cute.

These next two pictures are from my friend Rachel's booth who was my neighbor at the fair.  It was so fun being next to someone I knew so we could chat a bit.  When you're a vendor, it is hard to get away from your booth and actually spend time looking around.  It is a very different experience from being a shopper.  

Rachel sure has some beautiful vintage pieces and I enjoyed her display so much.  Very feminine and sweet.  

And one of me in my booth!  I had a lot of fun working this fair and was so glad that I did it.  You learn so much by actually gearing up for a fair and there is no way I could prepare myself for larger fairs in the future without starting with a small, local one.  Lots of hard work was involved but I am really proud of all that I accomplished and the work that I presented.  It was very me and I think that is super important, staying true to yourself and your style.  

I hope you enjoyed my craft fair pictures.  It was fun reliving it.  Have a great day and stop by the giveaway if you haven't entered yet.  You can comment today and tomorrow and I'll be picking a winner on Thursday.

What I Want...Friday, October 29th

Ya it's Friday my friends! 

I know that most of you are excited because it is Halloween this weekend and you're planning on dressing up and getting into the spooky spirit of this holiday.  And to that I would have to say...good for you!  You see, Halloween is not my holiday.  I liked it as a kid (I guess) but now, as an adult, I just don't see the point much.  I know that many would consider this sacrilege and maybe you're right but to each their own.  My favorite holiday is probably Thanksgiving just because it is all about family and food and being thankful for what we have.  But ghosts, witches, black cats...meh.  Clearly, I'm not feelin' it.  So instead of Halloween, I choose these 'what i want' finds:

What I want to { do } :: take photographs with my new Polaroid camera

Last week I finally purchased a Polaroid camera off of Etsy.  I have been meaning to buy one for awhile but for whatever reason (usually money) this purchase was put on the back burner.  Now I just need some film and my new photo explorations can begin.  I can't wait!  I have been wanting to decorate my room with some Polaroids (hence this DIY here) and now I can finally do it!  I bought the camera from Shalet at Peculiar Momma.  Definitely check out her little shop, it is wonderful and she is the sweetest!  Not only does she have some other great vintage cameras but you can also find some really awesome treasures.  But my favorite has to be the vintage books.  I am such a fan of old books and their binding so naturally I would be drawn to these items in her shop.  Wanting these French and Italian cookbooks right now.  I also commend Shalet on her great shop photography.  Seriously, if you have good photographs, it makes people want to buy your items even more!  I always sways my opinion.  Hence my desire to buy everything from Peculiar Momma!

photo: Peculiar Momma (check out her blog too!) 

Where I want to { dwell } :: in a Modern Shed home

After perusing the most recent issue of Dwell, I discovered this ad for prefab homes called Modern Shed.  I have always liked the idea of prefab and the opportunity to create cheaper housing for people.  But a lot of "prefab" homes aren't all that cheap and I don't always love their aesthetic.  But I really like this design by Modern Shed.  Of course these structures aren't really sheds at all, they are spaces built with the intention of being lived in.  They are insulated and totally livable.  The example in the picture is larger but some of the designs are as small as 8'x10'.  These smaller sizes can become a home office or studio space and are a lot easier to install/build than a traditional home remodel or add-on.  I really like the message that the owners of Modern Shed are trying to convey with their homes: simplify life.  We really don't need to live in McMansions.  I totally stand behind this and want to apply this philosophy to my own life (yes, I need to get rid of a few things).  When home buying is in my horizon (it feels like that will be eons from now), I will definitely consider Modern Shed as an option. 

photo: Modern Shed

Who I want to { hug } :: Mondo from Project Runway

This is a totally new and random category for 'what i want fridays' but if any of you watched the season finale of Project Runway last night then you'll probably agree with me.  Mondo deserves a hug!  Why?  Because he totally should have won last night.  And not only was he the CLEAR winner, but he also seems like the cutest, sweetest guy ever!  I love his designs!  Yes, his prints are crazy and his colors are bold but amazingly, he makes it work (as Tim Gunn would say).  I don't know much about high fashion but I think things coming down the runway should be a little crazy and over-the-top.  These designs should spark our imaginations and take us into a dream-like fantasy land, showing us things we've never seen before.  I think Mondo's collection did that.  Gretchen, who won, has a nice collection with very wearable pieces but to me, all her stuff looks like it belongs at Urban Outfitters.  I'm disappointed with the final outcome, hence I want to give Mondo a huge hug and tell him he's amazing and that I would definitely like to rock some of his outfits!

photo: Mondo Guerra on Zimbio

What I want to { read } :: Mr & Mrs Globe Trot blog

Green Wedding Shoes featured the wedding of two photographers earlier this week.  It was a beautiful wedding and I loved everything about their day.  But now I'm even more interested in the travel blog that they are keeping.  You see, after they got married in September, they set off on a 6 month honeymoon where they will get to see the world (Eastern & Western Europe) and experience it together.  Holy cow!  This is the best idea EVER and I totally want to steal it.  After having traveled around Europe myself with my friends, I think it would be so great to make all of these fantastic memories with your new spouse.  I don't even know these people and yet I am so excited for them.  How fun!  And since they are photographers, the photos on the blog are beautiful.  I want to take some time this weekend to really read through the posts and devour all of the pictures.  Basically, to live vicariously through them, yes.  

photo: Mr and Mrs Globe Trot 

What I want to { obsess over } :: the Lakers

It's that time of year again kids!!  Yep, the basketball season has officially started and I am now back into Lakers mode.  See Kobe's face in the picture above...ya, that's how I feel now that basketball is back on.  I missed it for those few months.  Football = ugh!  Baseball = double ugh!  Hockey = who the heck watches that?  Basketball is my thing err, should I say, the Lakers are my thing!  I love this team and the energy that surrounds it.  And the fact that we're back-to-back champions, ya, that doesn't hurt either.  This season will be great...I can feel it!  So I am preparing myself for the months of crazy ahead, many moments of me yelling at the TV screen (they can't hear you, you know?), me adorning myself in purple and yellow on game days, and me scheduling my life around the games.  Oh yes, and me religiously hating on the Miami Heat (or more specifically Lebron James).  

photo: LA Times Sports

Crafted Tutorial: How To Make Polaroids

So I love polaroids!  They have this nostalgia about them that is so irresistible.  To me, what I love about polaroids and film is that you only have a few opportunities to get the shots you want.  It makes you think about your picture more, forcing you to spend the time to compose an image.  Obviously the benefits of digital outweigh the bad but because you are able to take an endless amount of shots, you may not always be focusing on getting the best picture.  Maybe next time I take some digital pictures, I'll pretend that I'm using a film camera and try and get all my shots in 24 or 36 takes.  

But despite my love affair with polaroids, I do not own a Polaroid camera (and it would be an expensive hobby even if I did own one).  So what is a girl to do?  Fake it of course!  I wanted to transform a few of my printed pictures into polaroids so that I could decorate my room with them.  With an x-acto knife, cardstock, and some tacky glue I was well on my way to achieving that vintage film feel.  

Ok, this tutorial is probably not the most sophisticated and my version of a polaroid definitely doesn't live up to the greatness of a real one but on a limited budget this works perfectly.  From afar, no one will know the difference (well, they might but if they are that offended by your efforts than tell them that they can go buy you a real Polaroid camera then).  

What you'll need:

-printed photographs

-white, untextured cardstock

-x-acto knife & metal edge ruler

-tacky glue

Instructions:

1. Cut out two 3 1/2" x 4 1/4" rectangles from your cardstock.  Designate one as the front and one as the back.

2. On the front piece, cut out a smaller rectangle, leaving a 3/16" border around the sides, a 1/4" border at the top, and a 13/16" border at the bottom (see diagram above).  

3. Cut down your photograph to 3 1/2" x 4 1/4" (or slightly smaller).

4. Sandwich your photograph between the two pieces of cardstock and adhere all together with tacky glue.  

Tada, you're done...so easy!  

Here is a finished one of me and my brother!

And us on the refrigerator!  

I would like to put together a few more of these polaroids and make some type of collage/photo wall with them.  I found these pretty images to serve as my inspiration: 

{ lilacmoon studio }

{ ohdeedoh }

{ the pretty blog }

{ so chic events }