Oh whaaaaaaat? Two blog posts in one day? Say it can't be so? I had some thoughts floating around in my head after publishing the previous post and figured that I'd best do another one before I forgot what those thoughts were - that kind of thing happens, especially when you reach a "vintage" age.

So this blog post is all about me. How egotistical is that? But while I sit here and type away, I think to myself that maybe, just maybe someday, someone will read these blogs and think "Who is this crazy woman?" so I felt that a proper introduction would either be something welcomed by blog visitors or scare the daylights out of all.

Mind you, I never anticipate anyone stopping by here to read my ramblings so I often wonder whether I can push the limits and drop the F word that rhymes with truck but then I second guess myself there and picture my dearly departed Nanna, shaking her head sadly and wondering how her little Sunbeam grew up to have such a potty mouth.

Anyway, hi everyone (the one or two people who may read this) - how goes it?

I'm Sam - Sam I Am. Born Samantha (a nice ladylike name that I'm sure dear Nanna approved of) but most people just call me Sam. I'm the poor soul in the photo above, wedged between two strange girls with horrific hairstyles and needless to say, judging from the fancy frocks and pantyhose, it was the 80s. Those two strange girls are my elder sisters, both who put me to shame when it comes to being uncouth. But I got the bigger boobs in the long run out of the three of us so I win. I recall this special occasion as being the day my Uncle got married and remember the experience well (lots of great seafood, no alcohol).

Born and raised in Australia - I had a fairly happy childhood, growing up in a very small country town in Victoria - population fluctuated depending on tourism and the amount of souls brave enough to live in a town of roughly 100 people, give or take. Yes, the town was THAT small. But it had it's good moments, we knew nearly everyone so it really did feel like we were being raised by a village. We felt safe, we felt loved and we had an abundance of rivers, mountains and paddocks to explore. Millions of memories run through my mind as I type this but I shan't dwell too much on those as this blog could end up becoming a book and I am certainly no author.

I now reside in the USA, met my husband in Seattle of all places when I visited here about 15 years ago. For a long time, I'd skirt the truth of how we met but age brings honesty and I'm happy to say that we actually met on the internet before meeting in person. It wasn't planned, there was no such thing as Match.Com, neither of us anticipated finding love the way we did. But it happened and I thank Bill Gates and all those pioneers of the internet for leading me to the love of my life. And when people questioned us how we met, we'd say that we were not much different to the couples who met during WW2 - the men on service leave in another country, meeting a saucy lass and making that lass their bride after much wooing and smitten letters sent over the seas.

My husband and I courted in our strange way, we would call each other and email and chat online - he'd send me endless amounts of handwritten letters (all beautifully stamped with a wax seal) and it was easy to imagine that it was the 1940s (at least with the letters) and not 2000 - there was no war, no tears or broken promises, no fear of this man who captured my heart, just a growing love. We met in person in Seattle, I returned to Australia - got a second job, saved my pennies and returned in April 2001 and we married that June.

Thats how I came to be here. I made it through the process of immigration which back then seemed so daunting, made even more so after 9/11. For my first year of living here, I was unable to work so I tried my best to help provide by scouring the internet for freebies and coupons. My first job here was managing a gift shop back in Washington State and since then I've worked in retail at places like Marshalls and Meijers, only to leave that world behind with the blessing of my husband who supported my decision to shoot for a career in photography which then led me to what I am doing today.

It's been a blessing to reach a vintage age, I'm much more forthright and open about myself and I am not one to shy away from speaking my mind or facing confrontation. I really don't have much of an ego though, honest! I hate having my photo taken and try to avoid putting pictures of myself out in the universe although if I get a really nice haircut, I'll whip out a selfie quicker than you can say "Justin Bieber is a nasty little plonker" - so do enjoy that charming photo of my sisters and I because it may be the only one you ever see.

My days are spent quite cheerfully doing chores, enjoying time with my two beautiful dogs and playing with crafts and all things antique and vintage. Being self employed allows for a great amount of flexibility but I still like to keep to a routine as so I don't get lazy or distracted. Mondays are what I call my "sacred cow day" - heaven help anyone who tries to get me out and about on a Monday. It's my day to get laundry done, clean coffee pot, do other household chores and do whatever I need to do after the weekends. So do forgive me, any friend who reads this - I don't do Mondays socially, it's just not my thing. You can grab me on a Tuesday, Thursday or Friday - even a Wednesday afternoon (Wednesday mornings are grocery mornings) but never expect to see me on a Monday.

I like a tidy house and am fussy about how I fold fitted sheets but don't expect a pristine clean - with two dogs and Ohio weather, I give up on the concept of a clean kitchen floor many moons ago. I'm pretty sure my broom faints every time I use it because it's not used to manual labor. And as a picker with merchandise to take to my booth, I sometimes use up all my storage space in the house until it gets moved from A to B so things do tend to get a little cluttered. M.O.T.H. and I are in contemplation of getting a bigger house so hopefully my neat streak can be returned to favorable levels.

I love to read although of late, it's hard to get time to do so. I used to love movies until it dawned on me that nearly everything released these days is utter crap. I absolutely love music and could do an entire blog about it but as you may have guessed by the snarky Bieber comment, I'm not too fond of todays standards. I love time with friends and have learned that it's not all about the quantity but the quality of the people one spends time with - it's taken me a long time but I finally have found "my people" as they say on Grey's Anatomy (I'm not addicted to that show at ALL!!) and I try to avoid letting people into my life who are filled with endless drama, theatrics and excessive ego. I'm just getting too old for all that and no longer have the patience for it.

So yep, I think thats almost about the entire summary and introduction of who I am. A creative person, a sometimes strange person, a dreamer. I'm human (at least I try to be although I talk dog pretty well), I make errors, I make mistakes but I learn from those and am willing to say sorry when needed or admit when I'm in the wrong. I'm sometimes mean but I try very hard to not be. I throw as much kindness and consideration to others in the universe as I can because I feel it's a good call to do so. Cooking is not my strongest forte but I can dish up something tasty when I apply myself, I'm an average sewer but can get by on the basics. I can swear like a sailor, or like anyone raised in Australia but I do have an attack of Miss Manners and try to be a lady and show some decorum.

I sucked at school but I have a thirst for learning - just not math. I'm often ignorant about current affairs but I try to update myself on the news. I love chocolate a little too much and mourn the loss of a youthful metabolism. I get scorching PMS and am trying to wish myself into early menopause so I don't have to deal with all the icky stuff that I deal with on a monthly basis (apologies to any male readers out there) and I sometimes wish I could go visit my younger self and tell her to be a little kinder to herself and to be less meek.

Lastly, I really get annoyed if I say "I" too much - because that feels a little too self absorbed and it's annoying.

And on that note, surely this is enough of an introduction. My tummy is yowling for some dinner, the MOTH is on his way home, the dogs are both being a little too quiet for my liking. So I'm off for now and will leave this blog be for a week at least. My promise to you is that the next blog will be more about something vintage, perhaps a little history lesson on Annette Kellerman? Some vintage theme recipes? 

Good night and farewell for now.

Sam aka The Vintage Chook.

P.S. Nanna would be proud, I didn't say f**k once!!