6.09.2010

Never Wear Sandals to an Abandoned House

Remember how I said I was going to be snap happy this past weekend?  My camera and I had a grand ol' time together at an abandoned house.  I was there to photograph some of the revamped vintage clothes that I will be selling in my upcoming etsy shop.  The dress below use-to-be a sheath dress (long sleeves and floor length) but I gave it a modern spin.  It took me a few hours but I adore the outcome.   What do you think?


As for why you should never wear sandals to an abandoned house, I stepped on a rusty nail.  It hit me on the side of my foot and punctured the skin.  Ouch!  So, of course I have not have a tetanus shot in the last ten years so off to insta-care I went.  

Anyways, let me tell you a little about this house.   

I first explored this house six years ago in high school.  My friend had told me the story about the house: a young boy killed himself while living there about 30 years ago.  Her mom had gone to school with the boy when they were younger. The family up and left, leaving all behind when this happened.  Six years ago when I went one dark night all the furniture, yearbooks, records, everything was still inside the house though windows had been broken and weather had taken it's toll.  It was terrifying in the dark with my high school buddies by my side.  

In daylight, it's quite different. Six years later the house is empty, destroyed, and graffiti lines the walls.  Many photographers use this site.  I called the number on the no trespassing sign to ask permission.  An old lady who sounded like she had dust in her throat answered.  Her name was Marylou Huff.  She ok'd me to photograph at the site.  Yes!  

Amongst the glass and rubble on the floor I noticed a pretty floral card; To the World's Best Aunt, Happy Birthday! Signed; from Marylou.  (There is a picture above of the card, fourth one down.)  It was weird being inside that house wondering what really happened and knowing I had just spoken with the lady whose life had been dearly effected by it. 

 I was holding, in my hand, a card signed by her 30 years ago when times were normal.  It was a quite moment in space and time.

65 comments:

chloë. said...

I love how something so seemingly unattractive can make for the greatest photography backgrounds. These pictures are fantastic.

And in reference to your comment, I do in fact agree with everything you said! But the way I took the saying to mean was that He is in complete control, and so often WE want to plan our lives and make things better for ourselves and kick and scream for our own way (I speak from experience), but God says to be still and know that He is God...and that He'll handle the rest.

Does that mean we do nothing? No way! WE make the choice to spend our daily time with Him. WE make the choice how we live our lives. HE just handles the things that truly are out of our control.

It's interesting, though, to see how two people can take something two different ways! Thanks for your input :)

Michelle (michabella) said...

Great pictures! Beautiful dress! How amazing that this abandoned house looks so beautiful! <333

Mariska Meijers said...

Looks really really good. Great atmosphere like looking at movie stills!

Kristie said...

I think the reason I love 13 Going on 30 so much is because I love the 80s. I will check out The Fifth Element though! I love movies full of suspense. Have a great day!

Kristie

The Constant Complainer said...

Ouch. Sorry to hear about the tetnus shot! Great pictures though. Worth a little pain I guess.

THE ALTERNATIVE WIFE said...

Wow what an interesting story! So wonderful that you got to explore the house. And I love the outcome of your photos! They look amazing!

Hope your foot is doing better :) xoxo

Raquel said...

Wow, what a story! Creepy and beautiful at the same time. Great shots!

Oh to Be a Muse said...

oh this story is so beautiful. and i love how your distressed photos match the abandoned house. great work, but wear shoes with heavy soles next time. :)

http://cherylclarke.blogspot.com

Lilacandgrey said...

WOW! What a crazy and interesting story! The house is a great backdrop for your photos-they came out gorgeous!

kimbirdy said...

i love abandoned buildings like that! but how awful about your foot! the photos came out beautifully, so maybe it was worth it? way to sacrifice. :D

Anonymous said...

I am thrilled and amazed with your AWESOME post except for your buh-buh, which I hope heals soon. Reading your post was something like out of a movie. I've told you this before and I'll say it again...I am falling more and more love with your Etsy shop and it hasn't even launched yet?! Has it?! I am so excited about it and love the whole concept of it. Your photos are FANTASTIC and love what you did with that dress. Is that you in the third photo down? Very pretty btw and lovely rings.

Heal soon and have a great day...

^-^ oxox

Rich Life Revival said...

Those are some beautiful pictures - its really interesting that they left everything behind. What a tragic story....

It's almost as if you can feel what once was in that house...wondering what times were like when things were good and when she wrote that card.

The dress is super cute!!

Leigh said...

ooh... i love stories like this! these make the BEST movies!! :) and the dress is adorable!

tifsong said...

these photographs are exquisite, dear girl. and so are you. your words strike emotion and your thoughts provoke. i'm so very glad you choose to share these things. it's interesting to ponder such life changing events, and pray and pray and pray they don't happen to you.

love
tif.

Kelle Dame said...

These are incredibly gorgeous! I can't even wait to see your shop! I love the dress too! I love stories like these and to see the remnants of someones life is always so interesting and fascinating! Can you tell I love this post!?

Unknown said...

What an interesting experience, it's so strange to walk through places like that and imagine what they were like before, before tragedy struck. These photos are absolutely beautiful!! I can't wait to see your shop!!!

Anonymous said...

What funky pictures! Great job :)

teresweetstyle said...

you speak spanish very well!! congratulations!!
i love that photos!!
very kisses!

Kell said...

That's crazy.. it may sound weird but I love abandoned houses, and stories behind them. It's kind of a trip.
I love the dress!

Helena - A Diary of Lovely said...

love the dress, and ooouch yes!!
im not a fan of abandoned houses, they scare me haha
Photos look great though, it's definitely a good setting to take photos

Madeline said...

Your pics look awesome! Why is it that abandoned spaces are so interesting?

And that floral sheath dress is ridiculously amazing. I'll buy it from you yesterday.

ebeepaperie said...

What amazing photos!

VM Creation Atelier said...

Hi,darling!-)*

You dress let me thinking about years of 60's...and I think,if the girl have long legs and if you choose for a one colorful wide weistband:-)*,you got the bestseller,lovely Rachael!!!

I like you photos,it gives SO special vintage effect...

Just very inspiring post,sweetheart,I mean it:-)))*

Love and hugs for you,
***Violetta***

Jennifer said...

That's an amazing and haunting story.

And I ADORE this dress! Love love love it. Gorgeous shots. That wallpaper style is my favourite -- even damaged, it's still so beautiful.

Bethany Sines said...

oh my gosh, who took that picture of you? GORGEOUs!!!!! what the heck!

Anonymous said...

Beautiful shots :-)
I am such a procrastinator applying for permission but I can see it is well worth it! Great location.

Fé... said...

Wow, I think it's a beautiful make over. The new dress looks amazing. I heart it. And ouccch, I feel sorry for you, and hoping that it'll heal soon. Advice noted, no sandals to abandoned house. The house is amazing though, I need to say :p Have a lovely day, sweetheart.

Diana Mieczan said...

What a story and how amazing that you had a chance to be there...Those photos are so stunning and the dress is to die for, sweetie:)

Have a great day:)
Muah and see you soon!!

Josie said...

I LOVE the dress -- so gorgeous! And this story is crazy -- tragic but what a beautiful old house.
xxoo Josie
http://winksmilestyle.blogspot.com

Free Pretty Things For You said...

ouucchh!! :(
so sorry that happen to yoU!
But those are AMAZING pictures!
im in love with them and in love wiht your dress.. if i ever loose my baby weight i will So buy something from you lol
it sucks.. i hate my self right now!! lol you know what i mean ;)

Miss Mayhem said...

Wow! That is so cool... Very cool place for a photo shoot!

Was that you in the photograph with a woman in it?

Miss Mayhem said...

I am your newest follower!

Anonymous said...

Love the photos and the story behind it. Glad you are feeling better. xo

Carina Joana said...

I love to know those houses :) they always have a story behind them ^^
I realy loved the phots, so vintage!
amazing *

Carina Joana said...

ps. I hope your foot is better by now :X

Raquelita said...

Yikes! I hope your foot is okay and that instacare prevented any infections!

Such an interesting place to photograph that beautiful dress!

Brian and Kayla said...

I think I'm freaked out because I've been in this house. Is it by WG? It was fun running in to you! Your blog is fabulous!

Anonymous said...

I hope your foot is okay. Ouch!
I love the photos, and that dress is simply lovely. The third picture is so beautiful!
Overall, all the photographs are interesting. You have inspired me. I'm going to look for old houses next weekend. :)



LOVE!

julianne. said...

these are absolutely beauuutiful.<3333

Yelena said...

this post gave me shivers.
i have a fascination with old, abondoned house, buildings, old anything. it intrigues me that once upon a time it was someone's story, someone's everything. blows my mind.
as for your upcoming etsy shop. i was so excited to see those (beautiful!!) photos and the whole idea! i've been thinking about adding something similar to my resale boutique. i've ran across so many beautiful vintage dresses that with a little work can be modernized and turned into something gorgeous! i can't wait to see more of what you've done! good luck dear! keep me posted! :)
xo.

Ann Marie said...

what a wonderful house! your photos are incredible.
hope that nail didn't hurt too much ;)

tabitha said...

Absolutely stunning! I love abandoned places, there is something so amazing about them, and all the wonderful textures. Oh and what lovely old wallpaper.

Thank you for adding me to your blogroll :)

Kallie, Happy Honey and Lark said...

Its so interesting that you found something from the woman you had spoken to. It looks spooky, but somehow sort of safe.
you did an excellent job on the dress!!

Alexandra Rae said...

Wow. What a story. I've been out of the blogosphere for a while, but what an awesome post to come back to! As a mother it's painfully haunting. I tend toward the tragic, so of course I read this and heard the screams and hysteria of the parents when they found him, felt the pain of their hasty departure and yet saw the beauty of the house and its odd resurrection. Did you feel him or anything in the house? Whatever one believes, you have to believe there is energy of spirit left behind. Maybe he was artistic and enjoys the ruins used this way by people. And to find the card from the woman you spoke to! Eery. I love the photos! They're fantastic. (do you cross process your film or are they all digitally colored that way?) The dress is so cute. I love reworking vintage pieces. Can't wait for your etsy shop!! So happy to be back to see you :))

LyddieGal said...

wow, what a spooky/awesome place to take photographs.
the dress looks adorable in it's altered state, and sorry to hear about your foot!

Chic on the Cheap

Punctuation Mark said...

love the dress and all the images... something like that happened to me once and just like you had to go to the ER for a shot... not a fun thing!

aziz miring said...

nice...

Heather Taylor said...

I love that story, it's so remarkable.

little luxury list said...

The dress is the epitome of spring - it's lovely!
Hope you're doing ok dear.

Oh and so sad re; the house. How interesting how everything can change in a moment.

Marcie said...

I am so impressed. Words can't express how cool I think this dress/shoot is. You are so talented and I can't wait to see more.

xo
Marcie

:: Lavender's Green :: said...

What an incredible building. Such a sad story behind its current state though :( I'm glad you were able to capture the beauty behind the sorrow.

I've tagged you for an award over at my blog!

x Jasmine

Claire said...

Wow what a fabulous place for your photo's i can't wait to see your shop:)

A said...

ouch! and tetanus shots suck! and pretty dress!

Sarah B said...

What gorgeous gorgeous photos in what looks like an amazing place! I'd love to use it as a backdrop for my wearable art - pity I live on a different continent!!
Hope your foot is ok :)

Unknown said...

The dress looks great, that old house is amazing...and so, so sorry to hear about your foot! (I hate shots!) The whole story of the house seems very "Gray Gardens"!

OneCraftyFox said...

Oh wow, what an amazing story. I think it is so sad that people have enterd the home and sprayed graffiti on the walls. I mean, that was someones home and a very tragic thing happened in there.

I can't imagine how you must have felt reading that... captivating yet unsettling at the same time I can imagine.

Congrats on the photo opp though, and on your new Etsy shop!! Can't wait to see it when it is up and running :)

OneCraftyFox said...

PS, sorry about your foot!! Hope all is well :)

Unknown said...

what an amazing story... I am with The Zhuzh so very grey gardens!!! Sorry about your foot and the tetanus...!! The dress looks adorable!!

Itzel Díaz said...

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ALFIE said...

these pictures are AMAZING!!! i am uber jealous that you got to shoot in such a fabulous location!!

can't wait to see the shop :)

shopgirl said...

What a sad, sad story and even more tragic because it seems like they couldn't bear to take any of their treasured moments because the memories were too difficult to bear.

p.s. very adventurous and brave of you to go into the abandoned house. You must be really passionate about photography. Beautiful results!

shopgirl said...

Ooops, forgot. Sorry to hear about your foot...sounds painful, but I guess lesson learned?? I hope it gets better soon.

xo

...on the brink of something beautiful said...

love love love that dress!!!
-kellie

*sunday* said...

photos look great! who is the girl in the photo - very pretty with that off-center lighting

Unknown said...

such amazing and moving story...I'm also intrigued to find out what really happened. You found such a beautiful place for photographs,and they look fabulous.
I'm the new gal on your blog,and must say I like it very much
greetings from Montenegro :)

Find Maeberry Vintage Clothing Store online at maeberryvintage.etsy.com or at our Salt Lake City, Utah location 207 East Broadway (300 South) in the lower level of Now & Again.