arrivederci

Eli has only two more days left in Italy. She has spent these last seven months exploring Italy's cities, eating the most devine Italian meals, learning more about her Italian man and discovering more about herself. When Eli arrived in Italy, she knew absolutley no Italian, yet now she can understand everything that people say and is even able to speak some basic Italian! In commiseration of Eli's departure from Italy, she thought she would share some vintage Italian travel-related ephemera, from a few of the cities that she explored with her beautiful Italian man. Enjoy!

Venice Travel Brochure 1933

Milano Travel Brochure 1934

Bologna Travel Brochure 1932

Florence Travel Brochure 1933

Eli found these incredible travel related vintage ephemera here.

cream coloured pages

While on the hunt for a birthday present for her little brother, Eli just couldn't go past a Moleskine. The simple black cover, the ribbon bookmark, the cream coloured pages with rounded corners make this little notebook so elegant. It just makes you want to draw beautiful drawings and write beautiful words in its pages. Hopefully Eli's brother will like it!


image

giveaway winner

Eli and Toggle would like to thank everyone who entered our little giveaway. Your support means a lot to us...and hopefully through this giveaway we have made some new blog-friends! We hope you stop by to say hello again!


Eli used her new letter stamp set to write everyone's name onto some brown butcher's paper. Then she put all the names into a hat and pulled out a winner (this way is just so much more fun and personal than random generators).

And the winner is...


Congratulations Sarah, you have won the Eli and Toggle giveaway of 3 Diana Mini prints, including Swans, Dumbo Ride and Dreamy Carousel. Eli will be emailing you shortly for your postal address.

Sarah said:

i would love to enter the giveaway! these photos amazing... they feel so magical!

& i just followed your blog! yay!

Thank you again to everyone who entered! Eli has visited all of your blogs and webpages and she is so glad to have made such lovely blog-friends. Eli and Toggle will be opening an etsy shop on July 31st, with lots more photographs and handmade products, so keep an eye out for another giveaway soon, to celebrate our etsy opening!

brownie brownie

Eli just loves her Kodak Brownie. She also loves vintage camera manuals. When Eli found an picture of an old Kodak Brownie manual, she got so excited that she just had to share it with all of you.

image

paper hearts project

Janice over at Little Miso is hosting a lovely Paper Hearts Project at the moment. She is collecting submissions of everyone's paper hearts, so you can participate too! All you have to do is cut out hearts from paper, write a cute message, stick them around your neighbourhood for people to find or see, take a photo and send your photo to Paper Hearts Project!

Here are Eli's paper hearts:


You can have a peek at Eli's full submission for The Paper Heart Project here.

Parque Guell

Eli had a wonderful time in Barcelona. One of her favourite places in the city was Gaudi's Parque Guell. It was just beautiful with tile decorations, portico and lovely walks through the gardens. Here are a couple of photos of Eli from Parque Guell and Gaudi's Pedrera.

last chance giveaway!

PS - Only 1 week left to enter our GIVEAWAY, for a chance to win 3 fine art diana mini prints.
Click here to enter!

barcelona trip

Eli and her man are off to Barcelona! We are leaving early tomorrow morning and are staying two nights in this hostel. Eli is just so incredibly exicted about this little trip - she has never been to Spain before, and has been told that it is just packed full of culture! Excitement!

image

vintage photo envelopes

Eli and Toggle admit that we have a bit of an affection for vintage cameras and vintage camera manuals. But vintage photo envelopes as well?

Kodak Film Wallet - source -

Eli and Toggle have just discovered the joys of the retro graphic designs on old paper envelopes which are used for developed photos and negatives. It seems like a bit of a specific thing to get excited about...but just have a look at these!

After Dark Snaps
- source -

More Fine Pictures

- source -
Old Film Envelope
- source -

Kodak Film Wallet
- source -

If you're interested in vintage photo envelope ephemera, there are lots of flickr groups out there. Try this one - we love it!

devine twine

Ever wanted to make your packages and projects a little bit cuter? Why not try bakers twine! Eli and Toggle are loving the Cherry Red Bakers Twine from Divine Twine.

stuff we like

Eli and Toggle love this Triangular Laced necklace by Spinthread.

fonts fonts fonts

Eli and Toggle are font and typography obsessed! We thought we would share a new font that we've discovered, which we love.


We found the cutest little internet page, which determines which type you are (via Frankie). Eli did the questionaire and was found to be Archer Hairline. She loves it!

image

camera collection

Eli is becoming really fond of her little camera collection. She loves to put them all together on her bookshelf - they look so lovely together. She also loves picking a camera to take out for the day, to see what wonderful things she might snap. Eli decided to put together a little collage of her camera collection, accompanied by a little personal history of each. Enjoy!

1. Kodak Brownie (1952 - 1967) : This was Eli's first camera of her collection, and quite possibly the most cute and aesthetic. Eli's mum passed it down her, which makes it really special. The black plastic body and rope cord are part of this Brownie's charm.

2. Polaroid EE33 (1976 - 1977) : This is Eli's favourite polaroid. She picked up this boxey brown camera for only 5 euros at a market in Milan.

3. Diana Mini (original Dianas 1960s - diana mini 2010) : This is the analog film camera that Eli uses the most, and has had the most fun and rewarding photographs. It travels everywhere, everyday with Eli. Bought on a whim in Milan.

4. ISO Rapid I (1965) : This is Eli's second favourite looking camera. It's just so square and its black riveted body is quite classy. Eli bought this cutie for 5 euros at the same market in Milan.

5. Polaroid Impulse (1988) : Eli's first polaroid! It just looks so eighties - especially with the red stripe. Eli bought this polaroid at a thrift store for 15 euros.

6. Polaroid Colorpack 80 (1971 - 1976) : This polaroid preceedes the EE33, which is why they look quite similar. This polaroid was generously passed onto to Eli as a gift from her boyfriend's father. It was his camera during his youth.

Each camera has a story to tell, and
each camera is special to Eli, in its own way.

photo image 1 - photo image 2 - photo image 3 - photo image 4 - photo image 5 - photo image 6

Eli and Toggle: Giveaway

Eli and Toggle have decided to do something a little bit exciting...and host a GIVEAWAY!

We are giving away 3 of our Diana Mini shots. You could win the Swans, Dumbo Ride and Dreamy Carousel 15x15cm fine art prints!

To enter, all you have to do is be a follower and leave Eli a little comment on this post.

Entries will close of Tuesday 22nd of June.

A winner will then be drawn out of a hat and announced a couple of day following - hurrah!

Please leave your email with your comment so Eli can contact you if you win!

if you leave

Nada Surf has been one of Eli's favourite bands for a long time. Her favourite song would have to be If You Leave. It's such a sad song...and it has helped Eli through those hard times when someone close to her has left.

"If you leave, don't leave now. Please dont' take my heart away. We always had time on our sides, now it's fading fast. If you leave, I won't cry, I won't waste a single day. But if you leave, don't look back. I'll be running the other way. I need you now, like I needed you then." (lyrics)

The images are Nada Surf posters designed by Jason Munn of The Small Stakes.

baker's twine garland

The lovely Lauren over at A Fabulous Fete is hosting a giveaway of cute party accessories!


The party kit includes adorable paper and baker's twine bunting as well as a mini cupcake stand. Eli would absolutley love to win these goodies!

participate: the envelope project

Eli is following her own good advice (unlike Alice, for the literary reader) and is getting more involved in the blogging community this month...by participating! As well as signing up for Rhianne's Photo Swap, Eli is also going to participate in The Envelope Project held by Pip from Meet Me at Mikes.

To participate, just send Pip a decorated envelope for her to display in her window, with something little inside. Everyone's little something will then be photographed and put up on flickr. At the end of the whole thing Pip will draw one envelope and send everything to one return address. How exciting! For more info check Pip's post about The Envelope Project.

polaroid love

Eli bought her first polaroid a little while ago, and ever since has been on the lookout for some useful hints about how to use this type of camera.

Thankfully, the wonderful Alli from One Pearl Button has compiled a Beginner's Guide to Polaroid Photography. She takes you through the different types of polaroid cameras and then through the film options. If you're like Eli and new to polaroid photography, you should definitely have a peek.

look into the sky

Here is what Eli saw when she looked up into the sky last week.

participate: photo swap 2010

Eli and Toggle are just a little bit excited about Photo Swap 2010, hosted by Rhianne from For the Easily Distracted. Rhianne held a photo swap last year with great success and is doing it all again this year!

All you have to do to get involved is take a bunch of photos on any film camera and send your film to someone else to get developed! You will also be send a film from someone else to develop; how fun, developing someone else's photos!

Eli signed up for the photo swap this morning! She has decided to use her Diana Mini to take some double exposure shots for someone! Come on, get involved and head over to For the Easily Distracted to sign up for this awesome swap!

mint savoy

Eli and Toggle have fallen in love with Cassia's work. We just love the prints from Lola's Room Photography; especially the Mint 8x8 Print (above). The soft dreamy colours and quirky subjects of the photos are beautiful. Cassia also has another etsy shop Violet May, selling gorgeous collages. We love Capture the Moment Print. Have a peek at Cassia's blog here.

the sad bears

Eli has recently been so inspired by her trips to the zoo and to various carnivals, that she just feels the need to draw some circus animals. When she visited the zoo the other week, she absolutley fell in love with the bears. They were so playful and wise at the same time. It broke her heart though, when she saw one of the bears in captivity repeatedly walking in a circle in the corner of the enclosure. The bear's footprints consistently followed the same pattern that there were large holes in the ground where each foot went. It made Eli realise that there is a dark and sad side to the places where humans seek enjoyment - the bears are sad. This set of circus bear drawings Eli is doing is going to be called 'The Sad Bears'.