hello. we are on a short hiatus and will return in late august. in the meantime, check out the everyday polaroid pool for daily additions. thank you.

One thing I adore about Sydney is market shopping. Sydney has endless varieties of markets and most run on the weekend. Paddington is full of higher market jewellery and art work, while Glebe is a bit more grungey with its used items and funky clothing. Bondi offers a bit of everything on Sundays and the famers market at the Entertainment Quarter has some of the yummiest baked goods you can find. I will miss the people, the food, the atmosphere and mostly, the cheap goods!

I’ve always been a fan of meandering through the park. late warm afternoons, golden retrievers chasing after tennis balls, friends throwing frisbees, plastic glasses on tartan rugs, the sunlight casting down across the long wisps of grass…

One thing I do love about Sydney, especially the part of Sydney that I live in, is the architecture. The old Victorian style terraces that line the inner west streets are filled with character and charm. A lot of the homes are Federation style too and every time I see them, it reminds me of my childhood, growing up in one.
My beloved childhood home has since been knocked down. I think it should have been heritage listed with its beautiful ornate ceilings, beautifully tiled fire places and stain glass doors. There is a definite mix of architecture in this town and often times the older places are run down. It makes my heart weep.

Sydney can be as cosmopolitan as you need it but just behind lurking on the outskirts and even within its suburbs are scatterings of bushland. This little patch is just behind my family home. A little path that wanders down through suburban homes and leads to kilometres of bush.

This old chalkboard is a close friend of mine. I heart the look but detest the dust. This is my everyday.

So already I’ve deviated away from showing you Sydney and am showing you, I guess, my Sydney.

I adore my apartment, its old and filled with character, has creme walls with white picture rails, glass doors that lead into cute little rooms, glass knobs on , but the kicker is the wooden, white shutters over the windows.

This is the beauty of Sydney…a gorgeous old building right in the heart of the modern city.

Hello, hello. My name is Amanda and I am here in lovely everyday polaroid land for a whole week!

I thought for my week I would take you on a little journey through my town. I do this for myself mainly because this may be my last winter in Sydney for a while. Join me as I polaroise my favourite things about Sydney and I guess, what I am going to miss about it when I leave.

Today I give you my little village and the atmosphere that comes with living in an inner city village. Breadsticks and muffins, lattes and fresh vegetables, people carrying them in baskets and cloth totes. That’s my little village.

and now, we welcome dear amanda. so so happy to have another australian as part of our growing list of guest contributors. amanda has a stunning knack of capturing the beauty of light and tranquility. i can’t wait to see her week of everyday polaroid. hello!

Last night, while we waited for our dinner to finish cooking, Brandon and I shared a beer and played cards. We like to play cards, but we only ever play one game: Double Solitaire. Brandon learned it from his grandfather, and he taught it to me on our honeymoon. Anyway, last night, while we were playing, I was complaining about how tired I was, and Brandon was complaining about how tired he was, and it went on like this for a while, with both of us complaining. We’re very fun people to be around. But then he looked kind of dreamily out the window and said, “But I do love how, when you’re really tired, getting into bed feels so good.”

Then he completely thrashed me at cards. Which is okay, really, because I thrashed him even worse after dinner. And then we went to bed.

It’s been such fun to be here. Thank you, thank you, for having me.

Is it weird to photograph your trash?  Because every time I go to empty the compost into the big bin outside, I have this terrible urge to take its picture.  I can’t stop.  It’s so pretty.

There is something sort of triumphant, I think, about a pile of dirty napkins.  It means you’ve been doing something right.  I’m hoping to get these napkins dirty this weekend.

Happy Friday, everybody.

Last night I had my first Polaroid dream. In it, I went to the Parker in Palm Springs. I’ve never been there, but I’ve heard about it from Jen. My version had some sort of big, lush amphitheater out front, and a lot of people. When I walked behind the main building, there was a broad horizon with water in the distance and bright, glaring sunlight, and then a thundering pack of wild horses ran by. It was very romantic, in a Marlboro Man sort of way. Actually, now that I think about it, I might have been confusing the Parker with the Gorge Amphitheater in central Washington. Anyway, I took out my camera and tried to take a bunch of Polaroids, but what came out in the photograph was never the same as what I was pointing the camera at. For example, if I was aiming at the horses, the shot would be of the amphitheater. It was very disconcerting. I am trying not to read too much into this.

Anyway, I chopped up that green garlic from the other day and made it into soup. I thought about sparing it because it was so pretty, but I had to eat lunch.

The rhubarb wanted to sit on the stoop one last time before it went into the pot.

Rhubarb Compote
Adapted from Dana Cree

If you don’t have any Grand Marnier, just substitute water, and consider adding some grated orange zest – just a bit, to taste – at the end of the cooking time.

1 lb. rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
Grand Marnier

In a medium bowl, toss the rhubarb with the sugar. Put the butter in a heavy medium saucepan, and melt it over medium heat. Add the rhubarb and its sugar and a splash of Grand Marnier, and cook, undisturbed, for about two minutes, or until the rhubarb begins to release its juices. Then give it a good stir, reduce the heat to medium-low, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until all the juices are released and the compote begins to thicken, about 15 minutes. When the compote is ready, it will be thick and saucy, with a few tender, juicy lumps of rhubarb remaining. Taste for sweetness; I sometimes like to add a bit more sugar.

The compote will keep for about a week in the refrigerator. Serve warm, cold, or at room temperature, with plain yogurt, ice cream, whipped cream, or nothing at all.

Most Sunday mornings, we go to the farmers’ market in our neighborhood. There are always a lot of puppies, and the Tallboys play on the sidewalk, and as far as the eye can see is a patchwork of Polarfleece jackets and stove pipe jeans. It’s very Seattle. I love the market. But lately it’s been sort of depressing, to tell you the truth. I like kale very much, but if I see any more of it, I am going to sit down on the curb and sob. All I want is a strawberry. Brandon has taken to giving me pep talks on the way there, just so I won’t make a scene. The winter isn’t so bad here, really; it’s May and early June. That’s when Seattle and Summer play their annual game of Hide and Seek. A single round takes something like six weeks, and it’s never clear who will win. Today it is 52 degrees and raining.

Anyway. I don’t mean to be a downer. This past Sunday, we did come home with two heads of new baby lettuce and a bag of sugar snap peas, which was a great improvement. I hesitate to say that things are looking up – it is 52 degrees and raining – but I am going to have some sugar snaps for lunch, and maybe I’ll feel more confident after that. In the meantime, I had to show you this bunch of green garlic. When we get home from the market, I always take charge and put away our loot – organizing the fridge is among my cheapest pleasures – and while I was unpacking our bags this Sunday, I set the green garlic on one of the chairs at our kitchen table. I just plunked it down, la di da. But when I saw it there, it seemed so happy and relaxed, like a lady in an old movie, letting her hair down at the end of the day. I had to take a picture.

Happy Tuesday, all.

I’m so happy to be here this week. Ever since it launched, I’ve loved the concept of this site, and the way the words “everyday” and “polaroid” look together at the top of the page. Last night, when I was thinking about what to write here today, I realized that I had never really paid much attention to my everyday until I started taking photographs. There is something about framing a scene in the viewfinder – even a very, very ordinary scene – that helps me to see it a little differently. It helps me to see the potential for beauty, rather than just my boring dinner, say, or my crooked stove, or my overflowing trash bag. Now that I think about it, really, I think that’s the reason why I take pictures: to see my everyday life from another angle, as something more graceful and intentional than it often feels. Because let me tell you, it ain’t so graceful. Or so intentional. You should see my hair right now.

This week, I am pounding away at a writing deadline and spending a lot of time at home, in the kitchen and at my desk, where I do most of my work. I’d like to share with you some of the scenes that cross my everyday path. Most of them will probably be in the kitchen, since that’s where all the fun happens, but we’ll see. The photo above is from a few nights ago, when my husband was out at work – he sometimes works for a caterer – and I poured myself a glass of wine and made eggs and a mixing bowl of salad. You can never go wrong with eggs and salad, I find. Even straight from the bowl.

Thank you so much for being here.

well, thank you jen for yet another incredible week. i love where you are taking us with your new polaroids. well old polaroids made new again with your words and sketches and stitching. truly inspirational.

our next contributor to everyday polaroid is molly! i have been looking forward to this week to see molly’s everyday scenes which you also may follow through her photostream and her wonderful blog; orangette. molly has a sweet knack of taking something regarded as pure indulgence and wrapping it up (i’d like to think in a simple muslin cloth) up so it feels as though it is something you should have or eat or drink everyday. welcome molly.

what a fun fun week! i really enjoyed the beauty of a real everyday through tommy’s work. the theme was brilliant; a week of mess. it makes me want to sit back and stare at the pile of laundry shaming me into submission. in fact i will! thank you tommy, look forward to having you back again soon.

and we are saying hello to a familiar face, which you may or may not recognise behind the scribble. all will be revealed when jen starts her posting this week.

It’s been nice sharing the skeletons in my closet for a change. But it’s Sunday and that means back to hoovering, mopping, scrubbing and tidying! I’m already looking forward to the reward of a rest that consists of bean bag, food magazines, tea and Poilâne Punitions.

Tip of the iceberg – the same story applies for my wardrobe, bookshelves and kitchen cabinets. I love hoarding and being neat, simultaneously. Can it work?

Major refurbishment on the floor above our office means there is dust, dust, dust everywhere. Thankfully it’s the weekend soon, and a long one at that. I ♥ bank holiday Mondays!

Probably the best kind of mess. If only I am not running late for work!

A conversation from perhaps 10 years ago…

Mum: Go make your bed.
Me: But why? I’m going to sleep in it again tonight and it’ll be messy again.

Ah, the folly of youth.

These fellows are waiting for my recycling crates to come from Camden Council. The last ones have mysteriously vanished.

This week I’m inviting you to join me on my journey to cope with messiness. Some people revel in creative chaos but I absolutely stress out in an untidy environment. However an attractive alternative activity often crops up when it comes to time for cleaning and organising.

Hopefully, I can learn to relax a little around messiness, with the help of my SX-70. Today’s focus is on stacks of food magazines and recipe cards waiting to be filed into clear Muji folders.

what a magical week! i have enjoyed the week of subtle greens and nature by following jen and the adventures of the glass dove. thank you jen for coming up with such a sweet theme and carrying it through the week. hope to see you here in this space, again.

i’d like to welcome our next contributor; tommy. tommy lives in london and documents her life with notes by naive.with an approachable and eclectic style she makes her days feel as though they can be yours too. so good to have you here, tommy.

thank you again friends!  xoox~jla

thank you friends for joining the glass dove on her journey – she will be home tomorrow!  xoox~jla

i am so excited to be sharing with you this week : i do hope you enjoy the adventure

i’ve had fun putting together a polaroid diptych each morning, working with a theme based on my original and selecting a contribution from the ep photo pool. thank you to erin, lottie, yu-i, molly, kathya, cosie and jen for your additions and going along with my idea this week.

i’d like to welcome jen to guest posting to everyday polaroid this week. jen’s eye with a polaroid camera is like reading a magical story of beauty and wonder. everything is light and full of thought, so i am looking forward to the week of story by jen. welcome!

left: time for a toast,
right: after*

left: after glow
right: nesting light

left: ready for mixing
right: coffee… mmm

left: weaving
right: pola02

left: my kitchen in the afternoon

right: summer?!

left: it warms my heart

right: 2008-04-17

thank you sandra for your week of everyday polaroid. i really enjoyed seeing glimpses of your day and your city, all through a polaroid. i am still thinking the beautiful magnolia tree, one of my favourites.

this week, i am going to continue  with some everyday polaroid diptychs .

this sunday is the best.

have had so much fun posting here this week, thanks for visiting.
/sandra

saturday is for flea markets, sunny walks and breakfast at a french café.

the perfect start on a sweet weekend, i wish you all a sweet one too.

fika is what to do.

living in the same city for almost nine years, i sometimes get pretty tired of the streets i walk. to find new inspiration when feeling like this i try to find places or details that don’t look like the things i find typical of gothenburg. what do you do?

sometimes it’s easier to look down when walking, especially if one is in deep thoughts. try to drop the thoughts on the ground and look up instead, there is so much beauty up there.

hello! as you may have read, my sx-70 decided to die one day before i was going to guest-blog here. luckily i had another polaroid camera i’ve never used and it works perfect. this is so fun, thanks deb for inviting me. see you tomorrow!

at first i thought sandra would be unable to take the reigns from mathias this week because her beloved sx-70 is being a bit difficult, but as she is such a superstar she has found a way and will continue her intention to guest contribute this week with a new pack of film and her 634cl.

this is very exciting as sandra is a talented illustrator and photographer who inspires me with her daily snippets of life in gothenburg.

welcome sandra!

thank you mathias for a great week of your everyday polaroid. i think my favourite was the friday businessman. the light and composition is so perfectly fantastic.

my friend ann ran the hamburg marathon today. that’s 42.1 km. that’s awesome. we went up to hamburg to meet up with fellow flickr peeps to support her. it was a great day.

how can you not have cake and/or pie on a saturday? impossible.

because sometimes you have to wear a nice suit. i don’t do it often, because i feel too dressed up. but from time to time it’s totally acceptable.

i think this is one of my favorite polaroids ever.

good time is a really nice thai restaurant. they serve food on nicely decorated crockery, and with fancy cutlery, though the latter are more pretty than they are useful. i fully blame jen for inspiring me to snap of pola of this.

if there’s one thing i enjoy besides cupcakes, photography and summer it’s riding my bike to work in the morning. not one of these though. but come on, who wouldn’t love to ride one of them.

in case you didn’t know: i’m a vegetarian. i go nuts when i’m in a store with shelfs and shelfs loaded with all kinds of fruit and vegetables. and let’s be honest: fruit and veggies are just made for polaroids.

Four of my favorite things: early morning sun coming in through the bedroom windows, thongs, slip-ons and mr. t, our trusty yet sometimes slightly grumpy cat.

thank you jen for your wonderful contribution here this past week. i really enjoyed viewing your monday, tuesday, wednesday, thursday, friday, saturday and sunday and admiring your unique polaroid style. such an honour to have you start up the guest contributors.

and

welcome mathias, who will hold the fort for a week during polaroid week no less!

mathias is a dedicated photographer with a vast collection of cameras and a certain love for baked goods. sometimes the two collide. like many, polaroid has captured his imagination too so i for one, can’t wait to see what new things he will post.

off we go …

More of my forks, knives and spoons here.

tabletopprops by jen in highland park

visit jen::

blog | flickr

__________________________________

just a note:

thank you for checking in with everyday polaroid this week. it has been wonderfully quiet here, seeing as this wee space started on a whim, only a week ago.

the thing i like about starting on a whim is seeing how things evolve. perhaps everyday polaroid will be around for a short while. perhaps it will grow into something which hangs around for longer.

right now, there aren’t any hard and fast rules, just that it includes the everyday through a polaroid lense. as expansive as that sounds, it still feels rather small and nice. a little parcel waiting to be opened.

as an introduction this week, i selected contributions from our photo pool each day. after a week in review i can see that there has been a subtle theme; with everyday objects being upright or placed purposefully. i kind of like that.

which brings me to today’s selected photo by jen (aka danske). jen is a professional prop stylist and photographer whose chosen medium is a 680 polaroid. so it is of no surprise that jen will also be our first guest contributor, starting monday. you can read more about jen over at the contributor section which will be continually updated as more folk join in.

i for one, can’t wait for tomorrow.

signing off for the week,

deborah

untitled by whitney in chapel hill

visit whitney::

blog | flickr

light & dark by jen in a pretty sweet sounding place.

visit jen::

flickr

thing-karalinedress by abby in portland, or.

visit abby ::

blog | flickr

* by deborah (that’s me) in sydney.

visit me ::

blog | flickr

spring brekkie by mathias in berlin.

visit mathias ::

blog | flickr

drying rack by tommy in london.

visit tommy ::
blog | flickr

the wink is far more tighter than any other wink you get from using a camera. it’s tighter because you’re balancing this boxy thing in your hands (both of them most likely) and you’re also trying to set the shot up. but you want it now and you don’t want to waste any more time. so you wink a little harder, for extra balance and concentration. then, click and whirr. that polaroid wink helped.

as many polaroid aficionados know, polaroid has announced that they will be stopping complete production of film from 2009. some wonderful folk have set up save polaroid and if you are a photographer or admirer, you should take a picture of yourself and explain why polaroid should be saved. there is a group for such things.

hello!

from next monday, there will be daily polaroid posts inspired by the contributions in the everyday polaroid group.

just another place to share the polaroid love.

i hope you’ll join in.