I’ve been collecting old family photos for the last 5 or 6 years.. They are usually found in old shoe boxes or faded photo albums, and I feel like I’m the only one that still looks at them… So, every once in a while, I take one. I know I’ll take good care of them.
I find them absolutely fascinating. It’s a piece of history I can take with me; the paper has endured water damage and extensive wear’n'tear, but that only gives it authenticity. It’s important to know where you’re going, but you can not forget where you are coming from.
Some of the photos, such as this first one, date back to the WWII. My great grandfather is pictured there, with a large group of men, somewhere in the woods. The second image is even older, dating back to before the war (picturing my great grandfather and great grandmother, when they got married).
The rest capture the turbulent 50s, 60s and 70s, in a village (and surrounding area) in northern Bosnia & Hercegovina. That handsome young lad with the spiked-up hair is my grandfather, Ilija.
P.S. Given my “technical” constraints here, I think the images turned out well. A lightbox, however, would have made a world of difference. Maybe next time.
First you need an idea. An exclusive, invite-only dress exchange society. The Dress Society.
I thought of this while trying on MANY dresses at an Australian department store. A variety of cuts, styles and colours, I thought they were all beautiful. Then it dawned on me – what a shame it is that I will probably only wear it once or twice.
From personal experience, I know that girls don’t tend to wear the same dress many times. Nobody wants to become known for having a uniform (unless you’re a superhero). These beauties end up buried deep within the closet, never seeing light of day again. However, I can’t help but think that my once-worn, practically mint-shape dress could be enjoyed by someone else. Similarly, I would not mind wearing a dress that someone else wore once (isn’t that what dry cleaners are for?).
Why invite-only? Because that’s a way to maintain quality – the items must be comparable in value to make it a fair trade for everyone.
This idea is still rolling down a hill, and I’m waiting to see how big the ball gets, but the jist is here. I spent a day planning/sketching it out, a day talking to my friends Hana & Melissa about its potential; I endured Igor’s rigorous questioning of “what ifs” and worst case scenarios, and I ended up with a little website (still a work in progress).
I currently have some freelance work so I must put this idea to the side, but it will be waiting for me patiently. I hope to come back to it in a week’s time, with a clear vision of who, what, where & how.
The preliminary sketches (made on a sunny day, on a sunny beach):
Of course, the transition from paper to web always imposes a few changes to the original layout of things:
And what a video!.. Happy Valentines to all.. and if you’re not coupled up, there’s plenty of other things to love today – life, friends, family, sunsets & chocolate.. you name it. Love is all around you.