.
My Dear friend Ange from the fabulous blog 'Signed by Ange' sent me a little parcel of goodies she thought I'd might like. Some little thing she picked up in a Vide Grenier [fleamarket] in the South of France. The parcel was lovingly wrapped and adorned with the beautifully creative caligraphy Ange is known for. Tied up with string and a single white Angel to protect it on it's journey.. I was so excited I forgot to take a photo of the parcel and the many layers of wrapping adornment within. [I may re-create the moment at a later date so I can share it with you].
Many layers of pass the parcel, revealed a small but heavy, bubble wrapped item. WHAT could it be???? Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined the contents... Five antique glass negatives dating from the early 1900's!!! I almost peed my pants with excitement.. and then had a little cry of joy for receiving such a thoughtful gift chosen to suit me! I'm sure most of you are like me and have the cupboard full of well meaning but unsuited gifts stored away for some future purge! Well I can tell you, this tiny thoughtful gift will be treasured for a lifetime and perhaps some future lifetimes also. [although I don't know who.. let me know if you want to be in the will.. hehe]
Keen to unlock the potential of these little darlings I quickly scanned them hoping the resultant images could be manipulated into revealing their content. This technique did bring forth some portion of these glass house occupants. Sadly though they managed to keep their heads and identity intact. It seemed the only thing to do was get a bit artsy with these fragments of French living. [Images #1 & 2 are alterations of the scanned negative]
In an effort to show you the glass negatives themselves, I took photos of them propped up against 'Mac In The Box' to see if I could get a shadow box effect from the screen. WELL why didn't I think of that first!! It would seem these fair folk from 1900 were enamoured by the iMAC and the resulting images produced far more detail. Of course that was after I spent hours producing those above. But never mind.. I like the artsy images from the first attempt and now have many hours of editing to look forward to. More importantly ... My fine friends from France... now have heads!! Yes, they escaped Mademoiselle 'La Guillotine' to live another day.
It’s almost that time! The time I have been dreaming and wishing for .. months in the making. The time when I get to leave the corporate world behind to be done with;
The Project That Ate My Life!!
Yes Ladies and Gentlemen, it is almost over. In just a few short days I will be saying adieu to the relentless schedules and timeframes that pushed the boundaries of my Work/Life Relationship to a new level of frustration. Yes indeed… Adios, Arrivederci, Caput, Done, Dusted, Abbastanza!!!! Time for rest, renewal and finding my sense of humour. It’s also time to be getting on with Christmas!
*
UH OH… CHRISTMAS…
I have completed ignored the fact that it is just over a week away. I’ve done no shopping, no presents, no decorating and worse … no Christmas Tree!! My one small tradition, which I admit I have overlooked for a few years now, is the acquisition and decoration of said Christmas Tree. Now before you call Social Services on me for neglecting my children, husband, Auntie twice removed, cousin in Outer Mongolia, doggie down the street! Don’t worry!! It is only me in this tiny apartment I call home. That is probably why I have become so lazy about this small indulgence of a tree. And small it is… considering all the lugging, lifting, rearranging and car squishing transporting will be done by self only … small will be the order of the day.
OK.. So first things first. Before I can even contemplate purchasing the prized possession, I need to get my house in order … literally. Months of 7 day working weeks has left not just my body, mind and sense of humour in a crumbling mess, but my apartment is bearing the brunt of Hurricane Julie. Organizing and cleaning after the months of neglect will take a small army and.. well … as the Governor- General is unwilling to assist in that department, I have considered calling in the big guns!! Yep… Mary Poppins!! I’ve heard there’s a new Mary on the block, a younger, prettier, more agile Mary. Not that I have anything against Julie Andrews, but seeing youth is no longer on my side, it better come with the cleaning lady.
*
Oooh Look.. Here Comes the New Mary Now
My type of gal… bringing the moon with her!!
*
Mary’s brief will be simple; Clean the mess, organize the chaos and transform my tiny unit into a charming, yet unpretentious cottage, with private verandah overlooking the sea, somewhere far away from the city limits. Perhaps a small brook bubbling in the yard and perpetual rainbow crowning the roofline. Not too much to ask I say? We all know Mary’s carpet bag is just brimming with possibilities. Throw in a few butterflies and blue birds for good measure and life will be wonderful.
*
*
By the time Mary has finished sprucing up the joint, I hope the place will look a little like this. Peaceful, pastel loveliness. Nothing too garish, simple decor waiting for the season’s embellishment.
*
*
*
*
Only THEN I can get down to the business of decorating and consider the purchase of the prized Christmas Tree!
*
OH .. and as we Australians are in the midst of summer, I’ll need the outdoors tweaked a little ready for my R&R and the zillion new friends I will make. Couldn’t hurt to throw in a pool!
*
*
Only THEN can I look around me and say yes… this is the place I deserve to relax!
*
*
If by some sick twist of fate Mary is not available next week, I’ll go with Glinda … I hear she’s got the goods also!
*
*
Until next time.. when I will be celebrating the start of my fresh new life
[well at least until I get my next contract!]
*
*
IMAGE SOURCE: # Mary and Glinda, Google Image Search. # Interiors: Scanned from Romantic Homes Magazine
* 
*
Christmas at Atrani
I’ve been a little irregular at keeping up with Black & White Sunday. I also have been lax at getting into the Christmas spirit, so I thought I’d kick off my Christmas posts with some black & white images of Atrani. Homemade Christmas Cards ‘Alla Ruby’. Ok so I’m taking some artistic license with the subject matter [not really Christmassy although they are churches!].
Some time ago I saw a documentary of Atrani at Christmastime, the town looked so beautiful adorned with simple decorations of candlelight, illuminated stars and religious artefacts. Celebrations of Christmas were held in the town square and the many wonderful churches! I think it would be the perfect place to enjoy this season.
*
*
Travel Envy
Well I think that is enough post of Atrani for now [do I hear a sigh of relief ?] Seeing I won’t make it there for Christmas.. and you probably won’t either.. I found this link to provide you with some spectacular travel envy… The Italian equivalent to Google maps [here]
*
Happy Belated Kick Off for Christmas
*
Don’t forget to visit other Black & White Sunday participants – hosted by the gracious Anne Marie of ‘Na-Da Farm Life’ [here]
*
IMAGE SOURCE:
#1: Italian Christmas Image: Original image from Graphics Fairy – Colour and text alterations by me [being ruby]
#2-4: Churches of Atrani – Original Photos and Alterations by me [being ruby]
~
The simple pleasures of life
Down by the sea, not a care in the world except keeping the boat afloat!! And maybe … How to get back to land now the tide has come in. And … OH Dear I’ve slimed my dress with algae, Mother will be cross!. And … I wish he would look at me instead of that damn stupid boat!! And .. Did he really think this would be a perfect date ??? Yep.. Not a care in the world!!
~
Wouldn’t it be Luv..er..ly!
~
Hope Your Weekend Is Filled With Simple Pleasures
Thank You to All You Wonderful People who fill my comments each week with kindness, support and funny anecdotes!!
~
APOLOGIES: Sorry if I haven’t replied to all your comments.. working my way round slowly.. Also having some troubles with Snow!! YES SNOW!! I know it is Australia but I’m talking about the snow effect on some blogs I am trying to visit. Seems my pc just doesn’t like snow.. Aussie pc.. doesn’t quite understand it is winter in the Northern Hemisphere.. so If I haven’t commented and it is snowing on your blog.. forgive my pc it’s stupidity!!
~
IMAGE SOURCE: #Original Image from on old Address Book – Artist Unknown – Scanned and altered by me [Being Ruby]
*
On the Road to Atrani
Last week I left you somewhere in Positano… no room at the Inn unless you were willing to part with some cold hard cash. I for one would of gladly done so, not only for the view, but mostly for the need to get a good nights sleep, in a quiet room with clean sheets and a warm shower. A fabulous view of the sea would of been the icing on the cake. By this time I had already been travelling more than a month and was keen to stop for one of my ‘better stays’. My travel partner was only on her first week and keen to not part with her dollars, so as no low end accommodation was available, we set off in search of Atrani.
*
*
Atrani
Atrani is only a couple of villages south of Positano, but lugging the backpack was starting to really get on my nerves so when we were finally greeted by this sight above, it was the elixir I needed to keep going [and snap a few pics!].
Still dreaming of a room with a view, my hopes were dashed as the only cheap accommodation left was in a hostel built into the rock face and partially underground. No windows, no ventilation and an inept humidifier adding to the noise that kept sleep at bay. I was dangerously running on empty at this point [sounds terribly familiar right now] so the only solution was to continue on my travels, away from the beautiful, yet pricey Amalfi Coast before the dream was shattered completely. Alas on my third day I took off for quieter pastures .. solo. By the time I made it to the bus stop I had already met my new travel partner for the next week or so. Another Aussie traveller [one of the benefits of lugging a backpack is the people you meet along the way].
*
*
Church of St Mary Magdalene
Sadly I did not see inside the ancient churches that are Atrani’s pride. My two days there were mostly spent looking around Positano and Amalfi, yet it is Atrani that stays on my mind and will one day lure me back to that region.
I have a few more photos to share of the walk into Atrani and also some of the cobbled laneways found there, but the Church pictured here [The Church of Saint Mary Magdalene] is my favourite and best viewed alone .. in Sepia.
*
*
So there you have it..
The Road To Atrani and The Room Without A View. Once again I feel a little guilty I have not made it around to everyone’s blogs this week. I do appreciate each and every comment and miss visiting your blogs and finding out how your week has been. As I get closer to the end of the project, the work hours are reducing but I’m also little out of energy .. so only one more week to go!! Yoo Hoo!!!
*
*
IMAGE SOURCE: #ALL Images above - Original Photos & Altered Images – me [Being Ruby]
I decided to go with the curved edges this time. Reminds me of watching my tv which has now lost it's blue as well as it's green.. getting more and more sepia everyday.. every show's a classic!!
*
POSITANO IN PINK & GOLD [& a touch of Blue]
One of nature’s glorious gifts to this world is Colour and Positano has it in abundance. Bathed in Golden Sunlight .. Punctuated by the Flaming Pink of Bougainvillea .. and Draped in the Misty Blue Skies reflecting Blues of the Mediterranean. Gratefully the mere mortals that inhabit this wonderland respect nature’s artistry and adorn their homes in subdued tones of the same palette.
*
*
*
*
* * *
I seem to have missed spring entirely and my fizz is a little fizzled. So today, after my nanna nap, I took a walk down memory lane and dug out these photos of Positano. Seems the perfect solution to brighten one’s outlook and put a little zing in my zang.
One of my great travel regrets [besides never making it to Cinque Terre] was that I did not stay in a room overlooking the sea. After dreaming about the Amalfi Coast for many years, the friend I was travelling with did not want to spend the extra dollars. Instead we stayed in an underground hostel with an inept humidifier, sharing a room with a dozen other travellers and sleeping with our money and passport down our pants. The joys of backpacking. Some things in life should not be scrimped, the Amalfi Coast is one of them.
Hope you enjoy this display of colour. Of course there are more Amalfi Coast images but you’ll just have to wait for those. I may even work my way up to some Christmas cheer soon but for now enjoy the Bougainvillea.
*
* *
IMAGE SOURCE: #ALL Positano Images above. Original Photos & Altered Images – me [Being Ruby]
![glinda 2a[23]](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicQViIKjXISs2aPJz7770w3hI1A-e7FLZdxX89sI-j4lpyDBKPlHPfvEDwzECjUcY1mSpiA3mzZDlV0A6oW5eacFeNRizVL2kP62P54AYG5N6AZZkTiBFe9TVWsQ7NOvd7-qRQErbktpRN/?imgmax=800 "glinda 2a[23]")
