Drill Bits

Steve is great at fixing and building, hanging and tiling, electric and plumbing. These are great traits, helpful in so many ways, and I am thankful all the time. 

His dad, Massino, from Baucina in Italy, was the same way. As the oldest of 5 kids, he was expected to work the farm, but Massino wanted no part of it. He loved fixing and making things and became the electrician in this small town. He actually installed the first electrical switch and lightbulb in Baucina. Before that, there were none.

He stayed there until he turned 29, when he came to the US and settled down in Queens, NY. with his new bride. I will never forget the first time I saw his work table in that Queens garage. Meticulously labeled drawers, with minute details separating one from another. Massino had everything there and made sure you understood that he was pretty much right about everything having to do with those tools. His loud and sometimes gruff voice, along with his thick accent, directed how things were done, and Steve learned all of it from him.

In the basement in Barryville, the work space is organized in a similar way. Drawers are filled with tools and scraps. Steve built what he knew. 

The twist of the metal of these drill bits laying out on the flea market table were oddly delicate to me. Realizing they are made for the purpose of drilling through wood and hard surfaces, it was a complete juxtaposition. I had really never noticed their beauty, but felt inclined to buy the lot and shoot them. I think the vendor was incredibly happy and relieved to get rid of them, and we were excited at the prospect of shooting these tools. 

As soon as I figure out the use of each of them, I will add them to the organized drawers in our basement. 

Stamp Collection

 We have visited Julian up at school many times this year and we are getting into a routine. We leave the city early Saturday morning, and stop at an antique mall half way up, in the Poconos. I like it there. Steve, not so much, but while I'm shopping, he seeks out interesting food options for us. This last time, he found Polish pierogi’s filled with spinach, which were delicious, and actually made the stop even better than expected.

On Sunday mornings in Syracuse, there is a flea market at the CNY Regional Market. While Julian sleeps in, we visit there and shop the tables lined in barrack like buildings filled with merchandise. It requires a lot of digging. I found a blue loose leaf notebook filled with these cardboard sheets of stamps.

I was asked by another customer if they felt “hot in my hands.”  I found that a funny question and honestly, I really don’t understand what he was asking. I assumed it meant if I had to own it, and the answer was yes. I did. 

There are some serious stamp collectors out there, and I am not one of them, but I love these, especially the handwritten moments on the sleeves and the varied colors of the stamps. I found these all really interesting.

Brownies

These double chocolate brownies were delicious. We shot them, and thought we should take a few sections out to play around with the image. As we took them out, the crew started eating, and literally couldn't stop. We loved what was left behind.

We shot them for volpifoods.com. A family owned Italian cured meat company out of St Louis.  Please check out their website. Their entertaining section has a great collection of delicious recipes, many with a surprise kick, made with unexpected ingredients. 

Recipe   https://www.volpifoods.com/recipes/double-chocolate-brownies/

Driving

I love to drive with passengers in my car. To me, there is something special about communicating there. You are not looking at one another, you have the audio of your choice at your fingertips, and it’s a safe and easy place to connect. 

Our recent drive from Austin to RoundTop was no different.  Steve and I covered a lot of ground in the car, and made big plans. Some realized and others not, the 2 hour drive always keeps our focus in the same place, and inspired some great conversation.

Waze and google maps keep us on a certain path, avoiding objects in the road, but on these leisurely rides, I miss the spontaneity that a paper map of the overall area encourages.  Paper, can often highlight parallel country roads and detours, instead of encouraging you to get there in the least possible time. 

Once we are out of the car, it is an entirely different story. My pace is fast. At a flea market, I see a lot of objects pretty quickly, so when I get there, I am best going alone. This trip was no different and I quickly completed fields glancing back at Steve's slow and steady pace.

This is part of a vast collection of vintage metal I found that day. 

Espresso

Coffee addicts in this house. I am ashamedly addicted to starbucks- not a sweet latte concoction, but a strong multi shot form of decaffeinated coffee. This chosen, after a painful detox of caffeine in my 20’s. Steve is an espresso guy. Our Nespresso machine, creates the perfect rendition of an espresso and without fail, it is the first thing he goes to each morning. The perfection of the froth and the bold flavor is the closest home solution to his favorite cafe in Baucina, Sicily.

Boro is a japanese word meaning “tattered rags.” Like early American patchwork quilts, These japanese textiles revealed information about a family’s history and social standing. These tattered and roughly repaired pieces showed an impoverished past, and were an embarrassment to many as Japan rebuilt after WW2. Now they are collectable and reveal Japanese history and folk culture. 

Spice

I have to go to India. Combining my passion for food, color, photography, yoga and culture, it is on a very short list of trips in the near future. Until then, I get an indian “fix” from Kalustyan’s. 

An Indian/ global grocery store on lex and 27th st in nyc; it is a place that’s worth visiting when you are here. This store has a massive collection of spices and world ingredients.

The iron pan came from a flea market in Austin last week. When I bought it, Steve looked at me like I was crazy. Honestly, by now I’m used to this look from him, but I knew I wanted this one. The bright and varied spices for our curry dinner seemed like the perfect pair with this worn iron Texas griddle. 

www.kalustyans.com

Bounty Bowl

I am in Texas. I flew down last week to work on a shoot with one of my favorite clients. I love Austin, but unfortunately, I seem to be jinxed every time I visit. Whenever I am here, something unfortunate happens. Whether is it a small car accident, a broken toe, or an illness, I am always met with a slight misfortune each and every time. When they call me for a shoot here, however, I do not hesitate to come down. Nothing would discourage me.

I am beginning to challenge myself- can I stay well, can I be safe? Alas, this time, I have a head cold. Things seem to be a bit more challenging. I struggle to find the focus needed for my task at hand.

It is perhaps why, I am sitting here and dreaming of this healthy and glorious salad from Laura Silverman from Glutton For Life and Fish & Bicycle.

A continuation from the shoot we did with Laura and Juliette in Narrowsburg, NY. This salad stands out in my mind. You must believe me, that is quite a statement, because that shoot was a cacophony of amazing flavor. One delicious element after another, but this Bounty Bowl....

I can describe it by the gorgeous colors. The simple, pure and local ingredients of watermelon radish, Laura’s pickled cauliflower, carrots, grains, radish sprouts and a perfectly cooked egg topped with Laura’s Energy Crunch, a savory granola. The texture and flavor is extraordinary.

The savory granola added a crunch and flavor that was indescribable. I found Laura’s Energy Crunch posting on Glutton For Life and have included it below. We are lucky that Laura has shared this simple and delicious recipe. I imagine this topped on anything will make it more than special. It will be a favorite when Fish & Bicycle opens in September.

I can’t wait to make my first batch when I am well, when I get home.

 http://www.gluttonforlife.com/2014/04/8/energy_crunch#letter

Fish & Bicycle

A frustrating part of putting together a shot, is wondering if we are creating a "realistic moment." As a result, we often miss some of the beauty and compromise the photo in search of the“sellable” shot. Don’t get me wrong, I love the challenge of meeting the needs and expectations of clients, but we also love the opportunity of approaching photography and styling in a painterly way with no boundaries. 

What Bette Found gives us that opportunity.

This is one of the reasons why we were so interested in shooting with Laura and Juliette from Fish & Bicycle in Narrowsburg, NY. I immediately understood that we shared a common sensibility about where a shot can go and how to approach it. Laura, a writer, chef and the author of her blog “Glutton for Life,” along with Juliette, owner and designer of the antique store “Maison Bergogne” in Narrowsburg, are embarking on a lifelong passion by opening their first restaurant.

We talked about the images that we could create that would meet the quality of Laura’s approach to food, and Juliette's sense of beauty. We started "painting with props" to make these shots. It always feels natural to me to style a shot, but how far could we take it? How full, or empty? How much could we push it without falling back into a comfortable place.

We had a great time.

This is why we start with this image from our Fish & Bicycle shoot. I love where it went. We'd like to share many of the images with you, but starting with this one felt just right.

Eugene Jho styled the food, Casey Zane assisted Steve and Steph Becker assisted me. What a team.

www.gluttonforlife.com

www.maisonbergogne.com

www.eugenejho.com

Rubber Stamps

I had a crazy moment. A friend called and asked if I wanted to go to the see "the hoarder." I don't really know why I jumped at the chance, but shortly after, we were walking into a garage in Chelsea that was filled with stuff - literally filled with stuff.

I immediately began sneezing and had an allergy attack, which is extremely unusual for me, but nonetheless, there I was, struggling with an allergy attack, surrounded by great junk. I couldn't leave.

Loren was great with him. Prodding him to release some of his property, reminding him that he had called us. He had a detailed story about everything, and its importance to him was viable and real. As he slowly loosened, I found these oversize rubber stamps, which happily, he was eager to sell.

These oversized rolling adjustable rubber stamps are fantastic. They are industrial yet primitive. They'd be great as part of a display, actually used, or simply part of a collection.

They are for sale.

Canute Caliste

Many years ago, we bought these primitive Caribbean paintings by Mr. Canute Caliste from a small gallery in Grenada, in the West Indies. He was from the island of Carriacou and painted thousands of paintings throughout his life. At an early age, he said that a mermaid spoke to him and told him to make art. He was a musician, boat builder and painter, and often painted these simple depictions of island life on fiberboard.

In the 70's he began writing captions under each image, innovative spelling from a creative mind made them these even more interesting. One of our treasured possessions, he personalized a wedding painting for us.  "Bette and Steve can I love you ever more"

Probably the most colorful objects in our apartment, it reminds us of our time in the Caribbean, and that is pretty perfect for us.

lace

I guess you know by now that I am a little crazy with vintage goods. I always make sure when I am shopping at flea markets, to search beyond the surface.  I open up books, look in boxes, go through folders- searching for something beautiful and interesting.  Something we can shoot, or will work well in my next project.

I found these cards in a sewing book at Golden Nugget Flea Market. Alice was selling fabrics, buttons and books. I was  surprised and pleased after I found these crammed in a "how to" sewing book. She knew about them in advance, but to me, they were a lovely surprise. 

They are hand crocheted practice cards from Home Ec class in the 40's. The cards without stitching would be beautiful to me, aged and discolored as they are, but the attention to the work and care taken with each practice stitch make them so special.

These will be for sale next week through this blog.

Notary Ceramics

I had to own these beautiful bowls from Notary Ceramics when I saw them on instagram. I was struck by Sarah's subtle use of color and texture. The quality of her ceramics are organic and special. These simple looking bowls are absolutely inspiring with subtle detail and color.

They are hand thrown on a wheel with a mixture of porcelain and stoneware. Her glazes are all hand mixed to find the right shade, and she masters this. My green bowl, which is stacked below the white one in this photo, is a ridiculously beautiful tone. Her ceramics are modern and rustic at the same time, and will work in any home. 

Sarah has generously offered What Bette Found readers a 15% discount on purchases. Use the code  bettefound  on checkout.

www.notaryceramics.com

ranunculus

I wanted to post a day earlier this week, because Steve brought me these beautiful flowers today for my birthday, and I wanted to share. I realize not many people dissect the flower they get as a gift, but I had to show you the incredible beauty of this flower. I am inspired by how the color goes  from white to green to pink to burgundy to black.

I feel very lucky today.

Ribbons

Several years ago, I opened a small antique store above The River Market in Barryville, NY.  It was a beautiful little spot that we filled with vintage finds, mostly primitive, industrial, quirky and mid century. It was a nice shop and I worked with the owner of the market to make it special.

We were at a flea market in upstate NY, when I found this collection of ribbons. It was in a blue loose-leaf binder notebook with aged plastic sleeves.  I loved them immediately and didn't want to sell them.

As Steve and I work on What Bette Found, I think about many of the great things bought and sold over the years, and I am glad I held on to these, just for this photo.

I've been trying to research some of these ribbons and haven't had much success. If anyone has any information about them, I would love to know. Please be in touch.

Sewing Box

When we were first married, my mom gave us a sewing box. It was a pale blue flower quilted box, with compartments and a red tomato pin cushion.

I wasn't sure why that iconic box had to look like that, but it gave me an odd kind of comfort as a new wife and mom to have that familiar item in our home. It was as if it were an heirloom passed down.

In fact, the sewing box that I grew up with was a  white and blue rattan box from the 50's. It had a great feeling and didn't resemble that quilted sewing box at all.

When we found this old wooden silverware box lined with yellow velvet, I jumped at the chance to style it as a sewing box. Who knows, I might even replace it with the baby blue one.

Pink and white

I was on my way to the flower market last week, before we shot this, and a blizzard derailed our journey. Once we were shooting, I decided to use thread and string to bring in the color and beauty of the white porcelain, instead of the flowers I couldn't get to. 

It made me start thinking about the many options out there to create a beautiful space - unconventional choices for decorating.

Perhaps I was thinking about this upcoming Valentine's Day, with my use of pink and red. I don't know-  I just love the way the thread moved in the bowls and brightened up the image.

Home

Sometimes this looks like clutter and sometimes this looks just perfect. Today, on this snowy messy February day, this corner of the room looks just right to me.

With my tea poured, I get to work surrounded by things I love. I hadn't looked through the Tapies book in quite a while, but was inspired by an instagram account that I follow, lottes_loppefund.  The texture and simplicity and depth of their paintings truly inspires. You should definitely take a look, both at Tapies and her instagram.

The simple painted portrait of an Italian boy that we bought in Sicily this past summer on the street, leaning against the 1920's hand painted practice sheet of the alphabet found at elephants trunk years ago- the beautiful colored ceramic balls given to me as a gift from a dear friend, ironstone salve jars, folded maps and family photos, a purple glass holy water bottle, my Henry Street white ceramic slab, all sitting on a vintage Adirondack velvet top table. No connection except that they are inspiring to me today, my mood board for the day..

Feathers

 We have found many feathers taking walks in Barryville over the years and they seem to have grown into a diverse collection.

I was going to write about my desire for a greater knowledge and acknowledgement of birds, of the illustrated bird books I have purchased over the years, placed on our back porch upstate, covered with bird poop from the many nests built directly above the table where they rest, but I am not. Instead,I am going to write about the feathers/quills used last night while at the show "Hamilton," on Broadway. The subtle use of feathers that passed from one statesmen to another, creating laws, writing letters, signing treaties. The feathered pens that were used to communicate bills being passed, betrayal and redemption. The simple and important symbol of the feather being passed around as this spectacular production unfolds.

It was my 2nd time seeing the show, and if it is possible, it was even better than the first. I noticed details I hadn't seen before. I noticed more wordplay from Miranda's incredible mind, and I noticed the talent, the phenomenal talent. 

Perhaps it is the feathers shot on these old papers written by hand, that tie it into Hamilton for me, or perhaps it is the history wrapped in a musical based on words and poetry. Whatever the reason, it gives me the opportunity to mull over that wonderful show and the clever, brilliant, informative and entertaining moments that Hamilton provides.

Tintypes

These tintype photographs, actually on thin pieces of iron, were incredibly popular in the 1800's. Their ease and mobility made it a great solution for carrying personal photographs, particularly for soldiers. 

The interesting texture, color and style was used long after other photographic options were available, a lot like the polaroid is continued to be used by some today. The small ones were placed in decorative paper sleeves. You can still find them that way. I liked this small, postage stamp size group of loose portraits I bought on Ebay last year.

In researching tintypes, I found a photographer, Robyn Hasty, who works in this beautiful format now. She teaches classes and shoots tintype personal portraits. Prices vary regarding size and location.

They are simply beautiful.

www.brooklyntintype.com

clothes line

My obsession with string continues.

When we first had our oldest son, we decided to move out of Manhattan. We thought the best thing for our family was to move out of the city and create a life for ourselves in the suburbs. We chose Katonah, NY and found a charming gate house on an estate to rent. 

Within moments, Steve and I were stripping the walls and texturizing them with plaster and subtle paint colors. We lived there that Spring, doing simple renovations and making our house into a home. 

One of the charms of that house was the big backyard. We loved the idea of the clothes line, made with a rope tied from tree to tree. We loved the idea of our clothing drying in the open air. It was definitely a luxury for us that was not available with living in the city. Unfortunately, our landlord, in the "great house" did not share our feelings. She promptly and strongly suggested that we use the dryer provided in the house. 

Our time in that little house did not last long, for several reasons, as we made the unusual decision to move back into the city. 

The romance of the clothes line has not faded.