Newest acquisitions.........

I've been wanting a vintage typewriter for awhile now.  I looked on Craigslist several months ago and was surprised to find a number of options for sale.  Ideally I wanted something retro and funky, and a fun pink or aqua color, but sadly, I found those options to be A LOT more expensive than some of the other typewriters up for sale.  Like $400 expensive.  Definitely NOT in the budget.  Especially for something that I'll probably use once a month, if that, for various scrapbooking projects.  My co-worker's husband actually sells stuff at a flea market in Lynnwood on a weekly basis, so I figured she probably had her finger on the pulse of vintage typewriters.  I asked her to keep her eyes peeled for me, and pick up one for me if she saw one available.  Less than a week later, I was with typewriter!  Check it out:

She's a beauty!  Gray in color, with dark green keys, and a cool brown retro case.  And the best part?  It works and it was only $5!!  Pretty much scored on that deal.  I like the way journaling with a typewriter looks on scrap pages, and hopefully I'll bust out a page or two soon.  I checked to make sure all the keys work, and they do, except the V gets stuck in the down position and has to be raised up by hand.  No biggie considering V isn't the most popular letter in the alphabet.  I'll manage :)

My friend Brenda stopped by on my birthday to drop off a little package and say hello.  I didn't open the package while she was there, but she mentioned that it was for me to use in my scrapbooking.  I was intrigued for sure!  What would she get me to use in my scrapbooking that I didn't already have?  So after she left I opened the cute little package and was surprised to find these:

Hand forged barber scissors -- so awesome!!  What a unique gift!  They included a little piece of paper with their story: "These scissors have been made in India by a family that has been making scissors for generations.  The blades are hand-forged carbonized steel and the handle is cast brass.  Each scissor is signed by the maker.  In addition to having great decorative appeal, these scissors are excellent utilitarian tools for the home or office.  You will still find a Nai (Barber) sitting on a street corner in India using such scissors to trim hair or a beard.  To prevent the steel from rusting, a thin coat of oil has been applied to the blades.  If used regularly the scissors will not rust, but when not used a thin coat of mineral oil will keep them rust free."

How cool is that?  The maker of my scissors is named Parveen.  I will definitely be using this tool in my scrapbooking.  Thank you Parveen for making such a great pair of scissors, and thank you Brenda for finding them and thinking of me when you saw them.  You are a great friend!