vintage
Vintage life hacks for old school improvement; technology makes everyday life easier, but some useful instructions never go out of style.
Chrysalis
The metal box sat in the back of the closet. Unassuming, 8 inches long by four wide and not much deeper. I pressed the small lever and it sprung open. Carefully wrapped in a faded red ribbon were a dozen letters, paper thin and brittle. As I lifted them out of the box I noticed the little black notebook tucked underneath. Carefully, I brought the metal box out of the closet and placed it on my bed. The black notebook had a faded date on the cover, 1957, in gold leaf, suggesting a different time. As I opened it, my eyes fell on Alfredo's handwriting--ornamental and fluid. The notes of the artist lay in front of me, hidden from view for all these years. I put the notebook back in the box and turned to the bundle of missives. Carefully, I freed them from the ribbon and started at the top. "I look around me", it said, "and I recognize nothing. There is no brilliant sun, no colorful malecón, no Cafetín del Muelle. Miramar is not El Vedado. My studio--a small garage on a main road in a house once owned by my family, was left behind. Marble and clay broken and crushed, dreams of liberation that were nothing more than that. I boarded the freedom flight and realized that freedom was and is no longer. The easy collaboration, the afternoons of tertulia and cafecito, the quest to create art that was authentically Cuban--all broken promises and political propaganda. To start over, to surrender my identity and replace it with a shiny gold eagle. Peace to work, that is the price of peace. To lose yourself in your work, each new piece an effort to bind you to this new reality. Exilado. Denaturalizado. Desterrado. The choice impossible. To die at home or be reborn in foreign soil. I struggle. I carve a piece, unyielding marble. Each drop of the hammer a reminder." Twelve letters in all, twelve pages filled with ennui and regret and loneliness. Hundreds of words spilled from a soul lost to its identity. All addressed to Sara, of the clear green eyes and long red hair. Sara, tamer of lost souls and curator of memories.
Viviana Valdes-SantosPublished 3 years ago in LifehackWhy You Should Convert Your Old VHS Tapes to Digital?
So many precious memories of many families are stored on VHS videotapes. Those old tapes can give you a lot of great memories, from your family Christmases, your wedding video, favorite childhood films, home movies, even your kids' first baby tapes that you watch with the entire family. These old footage but unforgettable memories could be unwatchable soon, just because Video Home System (VHS) tapes are rapidly declining. VHS tapes not only cut down over the time but the devices on which to play they are not in production any more.
My LegaciesPublished 3 years ago in LifehackAn Antique Shop Christmas!
I have always found it hard to figure out what to get my family for Christmas. I'd either get a stupid "As Seen On TV" thing that would break within the week but was fun for a while kind of thing, or I'd just go for the easy way out and get a gift card. I always felt like a jerk that didn't care about anyone when I sprang for the gift cards, and I bet that's what everyone else thought too.
Emilio (Sleepy) SalinasPublished 3 years ago in LifehackStarting a Coin Collection
What do Hollywood star Jack Black, Louis XIV of France and the Roman Emperor Augustus have in common? The answer is a passion for coin collecting -- and they have tons of company too.
Rosie BagleyPublished 4 years ago in LifehackVintage Suitcases Two Ways
Like many first time home buyers, when we bought our fixer-up starter home - actually a townhouse - we were a bit house poor. After moving in I threw myself into renovating the main floor, which was a depressing shade of beige, and spent the first year in our home spending my weekends spackling, sanding, painting and wallpapering.
Apple DaintyPublished 4 years ago in LifehackSurprising Vintage Life Hacks That Still Work to This Day
Right now you're thinking: 100 years ago...life hacks? I know it sounds crazy, but trust me, there are some really interesting and quality steps that can be taken to ensure your difficulties in life are easily hacked away. Thanks to the Lost Generation and their adoration for cigarettes, a wide range of collectable cards were issued in every pack, showcasing photos of advertisements, celebrities, or other cultural references. More than not, these cigarette cards showed the people of long ago how truly dumb they were in certain moments, which is why UK-founded Gallaher, at the time one of the largest tobacco distributers in the world, became a staple in these collectable cards.
- Top Story - September 2017
Extreme Frugality from the Victorians
We’ve all read the click bait headlines: How I cut my grocery bill in half! I saved 50K in one year! Most of the time those tricks of saving are just reigning in frivolous spending, or benefiting from a nice income to start with.
Glen WarrenPublished 7 years ago in Lifehack