1960s Posters from Hungary, Framed as Art

The kitchen has never felt "just right," even though it has so many things I love, like the herringbone tiling we installed and the vintage teak chairs we covered with houndstooth fabric (you have no idea how many teak stools and chairs with black and white houndstooth I've ripped from magazines and filed).  The black and white floors (already here when we bought the place) have grown on me.  Simple projects made over what was less than desirable, like the chalkboard knife block project and microwave re-do.  I've even gotten used to the wood cupboards Hubby loves - the ones that I painstakingly re-varnished, instead of painting like I wanted. 

But it's been missing . . . something.

I firmly believe that every space needs art (even if it's a DIY project or framed scrapbook paper).  I was confident that the right piece would make the room work, but I tried in vain to find it (first we hung a DIY painting, then a photo I took). 

I am happy to report, though, that I am now madly in love with the kitchen and finally found unique art that stitches together every aspect of this room:

I bought these three vintage posters when I was in Budapest.  Each poster is from the 1960s, when Hungary was Soviet-controlled.  The posters were issued by the Party to encourage Hungarians to shop.  We had them framed in identical, very simple, black metal frames.  We had planned to make floating frames but decided that preservation was important, so we took the pieces to a framer that uses archival grade material.  We skipped matting (it looked weird) but there are little spacers between each poster and the glass, helping air to circulate so the posters don't get humid and stick to the glass, which can damage the ink.

I originally planned to hang the girl with the parcels separately, but an outlet foiled my plans.  We had totally forgotten an outlet was hiding behind the art that was in the kitchen.  Unless we wanted it smack in the middle of the posters, we would have had to hang them thisclosetogether.

We finally decided to hang all three on one wall.  The middle one covers the outlet, so we were able to space them how we liked.  They are all slightly different in size, so we put the largest one in the middle and lined up the tops, which was Hubby's genius suggestion.  They really really fill up the wall, adding a lot of visual interest to the kitchen.  The 1960s aesthetic is a perfect fit!  The textiles represented in the posters look fabulous with the houndstooth and herringbone, and the brown in the tweed suit makes the wood cabinetry look intentional.

I am planning a few new accessories, like a new kettle (ours broke) and linens, so I'll take photos of the whole kitchen soon, but I couldn't wait to show you the new art! 

P.S. Want to know what they say?  When Hungarian is translated verbatim, it sounds like Yoda talking so perfect translation is no easy feat.  Here are my super rough translations:

How to Use Scrapbook Paper to Create a Picture "Mat"

It's cheapskate mat week on Dans le Townhouse!  Just kidding.  But I have been on a "frame my new souvenir art for as little as possible because vroom vroom" kick.  

When I bought the Ikea frames for the enamel paintings, I also looked for a frame for the quirky print I bought in Budapest.  When Ikea failed to deliver, I headed to Michael's.  The print is, unfortunately, not exactly a standard size.  Happily, at Michael's I found a pretty white floating frame that fit the bill (and was half off).  But white print + white frame, against our white walls . . . I worried the print might disappear.  As I meandered my way to the till, I spotted the scrapbook section.  Can we just take a moment to acknowledge the mind-blowing variety of scrapbook paper?  I was seriously overwhelmed, but I found two sheets I liked - a rich teal and a softer turquoise, both with the same embossed polka dot pattern.  I asked Hubby which he liked better (the teal).  I cut each to size and affixed the colour that got Hubby's vote behind the print with double sided tape - instant "mat"!  The other colour was placed facing outward on the reverse.  It's easy to swap the colours when Hubby's not looking (and fun to see how long it takes for him to realize), but the back also looks more finished, which I like.

If you're curious, the print is by Tascali David.  "Lesz" is a Hungarian word that sounds like "less" and the saying means, roughly, "it will be how it will be," a spin on "it is what it is" - which is an expression Hubby loathes, so this print cracks me up.       

The back is pretty, too! (The teal and turquoise look less similar in real life).

I set the framed print on the mantle along with the little oil painting Mom bought me.  Not sure how long it will loiter there . . . I still need to find the perfect spot.  At least it's out of my suitcase and in a frame.  That's progress!

I'm definitely hooked on floating frames (for everything from antique postcards to hand painted note cards), and now I've added scrapbook paper to the mix.  Coupled with Tuesday's painted background trick, I'm out of ideas for replacing custom mats.  For now... 

What are your nifty tricks for framing awkward things?

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How to Inexpensively Frame Oddly Sized Art, Without a Custom Mat!

Remember the enamel art I bought at the Christmas Fair when I was in Budapest?  I still love how each piece is the same Hungarian landscape in four different seasons.  Since I have now officially spent time in Hungary during each season, these mean a lot to me.  The original framing was a bit traditional and bulky, so I asked if I could purchase them without frames to save some money and also to make them easier to pack.  Honestly, they never would have fit in my suitcase like this:
 

BEFORE

I knew they'd fit in simple, white Ikea Ribba frames, but I figured I'd have to spring for custom mats.  When I got them home and bought some frames, however, I realized custom matting might be tricky.  In addition to not being square, each piece is slightly convex.  The original matting was imperfect too.  Not to worry! Hubby & I came up with the genius idea to avoid custom mats but still create a polish look: paint the cardboard mounts!

Here are the enamel pieces, unframed and mounted on their cardboard backing:

Using a really small angled brush with firm bristles, I carefully painted around the enamel with some leftover paint (the same blackish greyish mystery mis-tint I used for the railing, the custom frame for the black white painting, the dipped stool and about a million other DIY projects.  I love this magic colour).  Here's what they looked like when I was done painting the cardboard mount:

I let the paint dry a few days to fully cure, then I popped the enamel landscapes into four Ikea frames.  I love, love, love the result.  The little strip of almost-black makes each piece POP and keeps them from getting lost against the white frames, mat, and walls.  I opted to hang them in a vertical row between the curtains.  That space always needed something.

Even from a distance, these little gems still pack some punch and I like how they connect the cooler and warmer colours in both the living and dining room.  Plus, the black makes sense with the black accents splashed around both space, including the frame of the new dining room painting and the curtain rods.  I'll definitely consider just painting a backdrop (even if I have to mount it on some cardboard myself) the next time I have some art that needs a custom mat. 

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Happy Birthday Mom (Some Virtual Gifts)

I am still a little blue my Mom has left.  I keep thinking she's just down the road, at the patisserie, buying a slice of cake (or four) and she'll walk through the door any minute.  She was my rock: cheering me up when I felt useless, making me laugh when I felt stressed, and dreaming up future projects when I felt crafty. 

Today is her birthday.  Other than copious amounts of pre-birthday cake, and slipping a card into her suitcase when she wasn't looking, I didn't have a gift or anything ready - not that my Mom is really into gifts.  But I'd love to have been able to give her something really awesome, to also say thanks for giving up three months to come to Hungary with me, like maybe . . .

1.  Some art, painted with love.

Mom is in the process of renovating/re-decorating her home and, in a movie-perfect-world, it would have been so exciting to whip up a perfect abstract painting (she likes moodier art than me), and hang it in place overnight for a birthday morning surprise!  Hmmmm, maybe for next year?  Okay, shhhh, don't tell her about this idea.

Via Eclectic Revisited

2.  An embroidered change purse, hand-sewn with love.

My Mom had planned to make an embroidered change purse while she was here, but there were some bumps in the road.  I'm terrible, because I (with love) made fun of her grand ambitions relentlessly.  I was able to do some of my embroidery (an update soon), but not all of it - yet.  It would have been such a sweet idea to surprise her with a change purse I secretly DIY'd, but that would have required a lot of sneaking around.  A time machine.  Possibly some bathroom embroidery, because the apartment is smallish and offers few private spaces.  Oh, and I would have needed to have made peace with sewing.  In truth, she probably would have just preferred I stop teasing her about the change purse that never materialized!

Shape Moth

3.  Highfalutin European cake, baked with love.

Our pre-birthday cakes were not baked by moi.  One year, though, I'd love to try my hand at whipping up a cake as good as what we had here.  I am worried what practicing this art will do to my waistline, though.

There's a Newf in my Soup

4.  Floor to ceiling windows, wished for with love.

This is, technically, a virtual gift list so let's go big!  I think my Mom would be totally happy without the change purse and cake (although, she really likes cakes) if I could give her a space with windows like this.

Curbly

5.  A dream bathroom, designed with love.

Along with the windows, I can only imagine my Mom's ear to ear grin with a bathroom (her next makeover project) like this one.  Of course, this particular room would take up at least a third of the square footage of my Mom's whole house.  This list got grand, fast.  I need to win the lottery . . . 

One Week Bath

Happily, though, I know just loving spending time with her is gift enough.  Most Moms just want their kids to love them and enjoy their company, right?  That hardly seems like a fair gift, though, because I think we're both lucky to get along so famously.

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This Will Make You Laugh. Promise.

I am starting to live like a messy teenager here in Budapest, flinging stuff on available surfaces instead of putting things away ("I'm too tired," she whined).  This is so unlike me!  My bra is obviously unimpressed:

I can't believe I just showed you all my mangy bra (I seriously have better and prettier ones!) but I had to show you because I almost died laughing when I saw the scowling "face" that had appeared overnight.  Can you spot it, or have I been spending too much time in the mulled wine?  I can't even look at the photo without bursting into giggles.  

Laughing is good, because my Mom's flight home leaves tomorrow :( 
We're off for one last adventure.  And mulled wine.

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A Bit Lost, But Thankful

I've been in Hungary for almost three months!  I've learned the lay of the land, had some fun, but have mostly been buried under my research.  It's weird, but I feel like I've been here for years.  I don't feel like "me" anymore.

Removed from my "normal" life, I'm a bit harried.  I'm always rushing, there's never enough time to do everything I want to do.  This is sometimes a problem at home, too, but it's somehow magnified here.  One thing I do seem to have lots of time for is introspection.  I'm always lost in thought as I make my way through the city to the library (on what has to be the most rickety bus).  I think it's the beautiful surroundings that make me think more.  Is it the gloomy, grey weather that is shaping my thoughts?

I'm not sure I know what I want to be when I grow up anymore.  I thought I knew where my talents lie, but recently my confidence has been shaken.  I want to do everything, but feel like I'm not really good at anything.  In any case, I'm thankful for the luxury of being able to contemplate these things.  I'm also thankful for the friends, family and Hubby who motivate me to try harder.

P.S. And of course I messed up the time when I set this post to publish, so it only went live later in the afternoon (EST).  Le sigh.  It's been one of those days.  Here's to the weekend, when I hope everything turns around and the sun shines.

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Design Week: Jewellery, Jellies and was Sarah Richardson here?

Design Week, which in Hungary seems to mean Design more-than-a-month, finally wrapped up.  We tried to see as many exhibits and fairs as time allowed (see highlights here and here) but of course we missed a lot.  I wanted to share my absolute favorite stop - a cute little gallery - because the exhibits were so creative, innovative and chalk full of gorgeous inspiration.

First, a quick taste of the jewellery exhibit on display at the time:

by Kecskes Orsolya

by Huber Kinga

I loved ogling the jewellery, especially since I like to make my own (see here, here and here for a few examples) but the display - suspended Styrofoam planks - caught my eye as well, because it was simple but so clever!  A striking black and white photo exhibit provided a pretty backdrop.

When we headed to the basement, a second jewellery exhibit awaited us.  The jelly fish-like jewellery, floating in the darkened space, was quite a sight.

Upstairs I met my dream installation!  Each gallery guest was invited to take a "scarf" from the display and add it to the mannequin representing the sea and the mannequin representing the Hungarian Lake Balaton, to help shape our collective impression of what those bodies of water look like.  You know I am obsessed with Lake Superior and the colour turquoise, plus I love interactive anything, so I spent forever loitering up there.

The last little nook (was this small gallery not packed?!?) had some beautiful back lit photographs.  Remember how Sarah Richardson did something like this to a client's photo for a retro-inspired space?  I wasn't sure I liked the idea before, but now I'm sold and really want to do this - maybe with one of my photos of Budapest?  I'll add that to my list of things I'll probably never get around to.

Suffice to say, we were really into these exhibits.  My Mom leaned in so close she almost touched the jewellery with her nose . . .

. . . while I had waaaay too much fun in the scarf exhibit (I'm trying to see which one goes with my scarf, for no apparent reason):

I think the point of the exhibit, as cool as it was, may have been lost on me.

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Budapest Flea Market: A Skit + Our Finds

Setting:  Budapest Apartment, huddled over a laptop.  September.

Tanya:  Ooooo, look at this Mom, there's a great flea market within walking distance!  Feel like going this weekend???

Mom:  All we'll come home with is fleas. . .

Tanya:  Oh c'mon.  It might be good. 

Mom:  (silence)

Tanya:  I'll buy you a slice of cake on the way home.

Mom:  Sigh.  Fine.  

Setting:  Bolha Piac (flea market).  September.  The hottest friggin day all week.  Tanya and Mom ended up slightly off course.  After an hour long walk, they arrive.  They are over dressed (whose idea was it to wear a scarf?) and already sweating.  Then they encounter throngs of people.

These photos are from late in the day, when the crowds had already thinned.

Tanya:  Jeez Louise, look at the people.  Can't believe we needed to pay a crappy admission fee.  Whatever, let's go!  Start shoving! (enthusiastically tosses herself into the crowd and starts barreling through pushy people)

Mom:  SIGH.  How big is the slice of cake you're going to buy me? (trailing behind)

Setting: Inside the bolha piac.  Sketchy looking table (one of many).

Tanya:  Ooooo, look what I found!  A Kalevala Koru sterling silver brooch.  Think it's vintage?  The clasp seems different than the newer version.  It's only $20!!  Act casual and let's haggle.

Mom:  I hate it.  It's ugly and doesn't look like a bird.

Tanya:  Oh, you think so?  But I like it.

Seller:  You like?  4000 HUF.

Mom: (with an unimpressed stare) 2000.

Seller:  3000.

Tanya:  I'LL TAKE IT! (said too shrilly and screechily, because that's less than $15.00)

Seller:  Would you like a bag?

Tanya: (pinning it on her coat and skipping away)  Nope, no need!  (Turning to Mom) Did you really hate the brooch?

Mom:  No it's pretty, that's my "haggle face".  Come on, it's hot and packed and dirty and we've seen everything.  Can we go???

Tanya:  Sure.  I'm so happy we came, though.  Take a photo of me with my awesome new find!

Setting:  Budapest Apartment.  Huddled over a laptop.  Late October.

Tanya:  Holy crap!  Didn't we see some of these hedgehogs at the flea market??  The original Walter Bosse design was highly copied, but if there was an original there, it's worth hundreds!  What are the odds, though?

 
Mom:  Let me see, let me see!  Hey (said super casually), did you say you wanted to go to the flea market again?

Tanya:  Again?  Ummm, maybe.

Mom:  C'mon!  It will be fun!!  Maybe you'll find more Kalevala!

Tanya:  Will you buy me a slice of cake?

The End.

Just kidding, that's be such a cliff hanger.  But script writing is exhausting ;)

We went back to the flea market, on a frigid day this time, and found far fewer tables (and people), so although the looking was less pushy and shovey, there was less to see.  We bought a book on Hungarian embroidery for $5.00, so when this project is done I can cook up something better.  We also, weirdly, bought vintage stamps.  A boatload of gorgeous stamps for which we have cooked up some fun projects (details when I'm back home).  The stamp seller was the funnest guy - really jovial and friendly and gave us a bunch for free.  I think he figured he owed us a few for finding our Hungarian (and lack of stamp knowledge) so hilarious.  This whole mess o' stamps was less than $5.00:

I have about a dozen projects in mind.  These are first up . . . 

So, no hedgehogs to be found and, although I ogled some vintage jewellery again, I left without a dent in my wallet.  I'm really happy with my Kalevala brooch, which is about $90 online.  I can't wait to give it a little polish, though.

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Aquincum

Some of you have asked for updates on my research.  How do I type a crying face emoticon??  Just kidding.  But an update on my research would involve too much complaining about being behind, not finding materials, getting the run around, having a seriously worrisome pain in my leg that might be a pinched nerve (are numb toes a bad sign?) and wanting to be a tourist instead of a researcher.  Right now, I'm too intrigued by the idea of flinging my research out the window and becoming a poet who lives in a Winnebago to talk about my research.

Can you tell I needed a chill out day recently?   I want to chat about that instead.

We've been trying to fit in sightseeing and shopping when we can, but I needed something more chill, so we hopped on the train and headed to Aquincum, a Roman ruin.  Because tourist season has dwindled, it was just us and the trees (I've missed trees).  Oh, and this cat.

I sat down for a moment to put my camera away and he hopped on my lap and flung himself down on my purse where he began to purr and, to my Mom's utter disgust, drool on my pants.  Is it weird this stray cat was hugely comforting??  He smelled clean enough for snuggles, and totally cracked me up!

My Mom insists the better part of the day was this:

 
Although she sure did seem to spend a lot of time trying to snap photos of me. 



In addition to a bunch o' photos of my derriere (even with a limp, I move faster), there is a whole "where's Waldo" type series of me trying to dart out of her field of vision:

Life with paparazzi must be unnerving.  No wonder celebrities go batty.  Despite the photo dodging, my Mom managed to snap a few of me and I looked happy and relaxed!  Hopefully this sunny, leafy, super chill day was enough to recharge my battery and help remind me I'm in beautiful Budapest and should enjoy more, stress less. 

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