polaroid memories. :)

little bit about me and my family...
my dad. :)
my dad has always been a gadget guy.  I simply love that about him.
he's always been the first to get new gadgets...
new green screen original apple home computer.  yup, we had one with ACTUAL floppy disks.
                         pacman was never so cool as on that first computer we owned.
new cell phone when it wasn't even popular yet.  he even got me one!
huge and clunky and I'm pretty sure it weighed 8lbs.  but it was SUPER cool! :)
he's the first in line for a new blackberry...an ipod...a mac book....
yup, he's a gadget guy. :)

some of my most vivid memories of my dad involved taking pictures.
he had this sweet olympus film camera as a kid...which is awesome because
I now have great visual memories of me and my brothers and sisters growing up!  :)
he'd make us pose in front of famous fountains in the east coast.
         that we played in...yup.  public fountains and we were splashing around in them...awesome. :)
in front of a giant crab in massachusetts.
    that scared my little sister so much that to this day she still gets a little nervous at that story. :)
in front of the niagra falls...no words for how crazy amazing that was.
all four of us kids standing in a row in rainy door county...
                     I seriously loved that place, but it always seemed to rain...
but before that olympus film camera, was a genuine polaroid land camera.
yes.  an original polaroid camera.
he used it mostly for taking pictures catalogueing restaurant food for his job.
but sometimes, if we were lucky...he'd take pictures of us.
goofy faces.  calvin & hobbes distorted faces.  monkey faces.  crazy funny faces.
it. was. SUPER. cool. :)
how you could take a picture and immediately out popped a warm rectangle
that you shook and flopped and then slooooooooooowly your face would fade into the picture?
pure magic.  well, if you're five.  :)
yup, my dad had the sweetest polaroid land camera when I was a kid.
it fascinated me.

why am I thinking about polaroid cameras?
well, because my grandpa turned 90 years old yesterday.
yup.  n.i.n.e.t.y. :)
my mom made this really cool collage video of pictures that he's had since 1921.

think about that...1921.
    he's seen the great depression.
        he's seen pearl harbor.
              he's been through the 50's, the 60's and the 70's.
                   he's had the pleasure of loving and then
                         holding their hand as they passed of two extraordinary beautiful women.
                             yup.  90.  crazy. cool.  and a TON of memories.

so my grandpa and my dad got me thinking about memories...and cameras.
and I wonder...what are your memories?  what are the things that have filled up your lifetime?
THAT is this weeks challenge...take a photograph of something that brings back a memory.
it could be a wedding ring or piece of jewelry...a photo OF a photo...a book...a place...anything! :)
I want to see part of your life story this week... [kreatid challenge] memories.
and because I know polaroid land cameras are had to come by...
you can use this png. at the end of this post as an overlay if you wanted in photoshop...
but you SO don't have to...I simply want to see YOUR memories.  :)

and WHAT is the prize your are wondering?!
I know! (you have to say it like craig fergusen...it's funnier.  I promise.) :)
kyla from one late night has g.e.n.e.r.o.u.s.l.y has offered to donate to the winner of this weeks challenge
this ADORABLE polaroid land camera plush!

I should say that SHE is giving this away because I SO would not give it away...
   I covet it and WANT it and would NOT share. :)
      BUT she is nicer than me and is generously donating this!

a little bit about kyla and her company...
"...For my handmade pieces I really try and come up with something fun that both children and adults can appreciate.  I have a super huge love for photography and my camera’s adventure everywhere with me!

I remember when I was little and the camera was always the item that I couldn’t really “play” with as it was breakable and expensive. When I was about 10, Crayola came out with a bright yellow film camera and I was in heaven; I finally had a camera that no one was concerned with me breaking. I was addicted for life!

That memory really stuck with me, and I thought about making something for that in between time that children could really benefit from; thus the Plush camera was created.
I get to custom these little babies into the buyers taste, and each and every one I make seems to get cuter!

I really like to dig back in to my childhood for creative ideas. I think the market is so chalked full of really manufactured 100 times duplicated things, and I like to think that out of all of those things on your shelf the unique ones are the most talked about! Just think boxes and rows filled with shiny plastic toys, and a cute handmade plush thrown right in there. I would be drawn to it instantly.

I like to brainstorm, and then create. If I mess up it’s all part of the process. When I’m happy with a shape and product I create a pattern. I really like to incorporate color and texture. If I can put a button on it, I will! I love them.

One of my big rules is don’t create it just because it’s popular! Ultimately you do want to sell, but you don’t want to sell yourself out. When creating each item; as well as finding thrifted goodies I stop and think would “I” keep this or buy this. I create for myself first and foremost. If I am 100% behind an Item, I can put my name on it and be proud of it being in someone else’s home."

you can find and friend/fan her here:
etsy shop: www.onelatenight.etsy.com/
facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/OneLateNight-Handmade-and-Vintage/133384440057643
twitter: twitter.com/onelatenight
blog: onelatenight3point14.blogspot.com/
flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/33124996@N02/

super cool, no?! 
so THANK YOU kyla for your generosity!
and remember to check out the rules for this weeks challenge here!  :)