family stories: tina de forcade

As a child, I didn't realize what a blessing it was that I was able to spend time with three of my grandparents and my great-grandmother. Now I recognize just how special those years were to all of the generations. 

My great-grandmother Tina de Forcade passed away in 1991. I was seven years old, but I remember her vividly. She didn't speak to us in English, but that didn't matter. My sister, cousins and I would sit on her bed or in her lap, and she would talk to us in Italian. She had kind eyes and soft skin. She seemed so ancient and wise. I wish I had more memories of her. I hope this post will encourage my family to share some of their memories (hint, hint), so I can share them on the blog. 

She was a beautiful lady with a timeless sense of style and a lovely twinkle in her eye. 

With her daughter Lucy and grandchildren Tina and Fred. 

With Fred and a very adorable baby Tina.

With her two eldest great-grandchildren -- me and my cousin Carlo -- in 1985. 

vintage palos verdes

We've been scanning more film from our family archives this week.

All of these are of Palos Verdes, California around 1960. The beautiful church is Wayfarers Chapel. The last photo taken from the car is really neat as well...love seeing all the old cars!

We'll be back with more next week! 

film preservation: the 1960s home

Photo preservation is so cool. 

Who doesn't have a box of film slides that has been sitting on the top shelf of a closet for years and years? That dusty container holds precious memories that have been all but forgotten. Many of the people in the images have been gone for at least a generation. Homes, furnishings, cars and gardens look different. Colors and styles have changed. 

By preserving these images, we bring the past back to life. Perhaps we realize that so much of what is gone has come back in style again. Perhaps we see something that inspires us. We reconnect with family and friends we haven't seen for decades. For the first time, we "meet" grandparents and great-grandparents who gave us our appearances and personalities. We discover our love for 1960s Cadillacs or mid-century furniture. We decide to work on our posture. We shop for classic clothes that we hope will still look good forty years from now. We turn off the TV and put down our iPhones. We live for today.

Film slides won't last forever. Even if they have been stored in their original boxes in a climate-controlled space, they are very susceptible to fading, dirt and scratches. As someone who considers these images to be priceless, I recommend preserving digital and print versions of every image. From there, make multiple copies, share with family and friends and store at least one copy of the digital files in a fireproof safe.  

Last summer, I started preserving our family slides and discovered I had a passion for the process. Gerald & Joan now offers film preservation as one of our service lines, and we'd love to help you preserve your family's images. More importantly, we want to encourage you to get those boxes out of the closet. The memories are much too special to lose forever. 

diy princess birthday card

Eliza, our niece, turns eight today. She just happens to be one of our favorite people, and I'm not just saying that because she's family. She is one of those special people who is smart, funny and drop-dead beautiful. She loves to read, makes all As in school, has a wonderful sense of style (she is a mini shopaholic), loves everyone and has a fun, witty personality. She became a big sister a few months ago, and she was thrilled when she received the news that she wasn't going to be an only child anymore. She absolutely loves her baby sister, and sharing the spotlight doesn't bother her at all. She is a very special little person.

In honor of her birthday, we decided to make a princess card. She is a princess, and she's at the age where she loves all things girly -- makeup, Barbies and shopping. A princess card seemed like a good fit for her.

Here's what you'll need to make your own princess card:

- A variety of colored card stock (I used plain and patterned for this card)
- An envelope
- A cutting mat
- An Xacto knife
- A metal ruler
- Paper glue
- Basic and scalloped scissors
- Embellishments (I chose rhinestones)
- Markers (Mine are fine-tip Crayola)
-Fun stickers
-Ribbon

First, use your mat to find the center of your card base (5" for this card), and then score it by running the knife lightly down the center once or twice. Fold in half.

Choose another piece of card stock in a different color, and cut it down to the size of the front of your card (in my case, 7" x 5").

On the flat piece of card stock, draw the shape of a crown. Remember, we aren't going for perfection here!

Cut out your crown shape. Also cut out a strip of patterned paper that is the width of your card (mine was 7"). This is going behind the crown, so the height needed will vary. Mine was approximately 2.5".

Glue the patterned stripe and the crown to the front of your card. Let it dry thoroughly.

While the front is drying, add some embellishments to the inside of the card. I added another strip of patterned paper, some stickers and a pretty piece of ribbon that I had in my crafting stash. As I am completely out of letter stickers, I hand-addressed the message. 

Once the front of your card is dry, add some embellishments of your choice. I used some scraps of my base color to cut out jewels in various shapes as well as a strip to go across the bottom. For some interest, I used my scalloped scissors to add a special edge to that strip. Then I glued everything down and added some rhinestones, sequins and stickers. I paired this sparkly card with a shiny silver envelope and more fun stickers. 

The result is a card fit for a princess!

Happy Birthday, Eliza!