New Year, New Thing

My vintage fabric bins runneth over! Starting soon, I'll have bundles of 5 coordinating 12" x 12" squares available for $6.25 at sosovintage. I'm starting with this blue pack, then moving on to yellow and pink and then who knows?! Initially I'll be using up some fabulous remnant pieces, so each of these first packs will be "one of a kind"! Happy New Year!

Thursday's Treasure

Just like my mother, I have a soft spot for angels. Not just any angels, though. I like my angels to be innocent and pure and sweet. You'd think all angels would be this way, but if you've done any kind of thrifting, you know that some angels can be downright tacky and even a bit on the creepy side.

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I found these two kissing angels (and their bench!) at a Salvation Army recently. No way was I leaving them behind. And, can you believe it? They are salt and pepper shakers! Awwwwww.

And What We Have Here Are...

... napkin rings!

(ding ding ding to Shabby Vintage Threads for her correct guess!)

Posie Patch Napkin Rings, to be precise.

{Make every day a garden party}

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Look for these in sosorosey soon, sweetly packaged in sets of 4 for $30.

What Have We Here?

Any guesses? Don't be shy, leave a comment :)

I'll be back with a *revealing* photo later tonight!

Makeover Monday: 12/27

I was pleasantly surprised this holiday season by the number of people who chose to send me their own baby blankets to be made into personalized stars. I'd love for this to be a year- round occurrence, because I really do love making these special items! These baby blankets came from a loving mom of 3 boys.

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Here they are all "starred" and "charmed"- ready to head off to their new home. Though we didn't work it out to have them for the tree this Christmas, they will certainly have a warm welcome when they come out with the other decorations next year!

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So, happy Monday after Christmas! How are you feeling? Relieved? Tired? Let down? Charged up? Me, I'm nursing a cold, but feeling otherwise very content. We had a really super holiday, and I'm all excited to move into a brand new year. Lots of ideas for new sosorosey goodies are flowing through my mind, so stay tuned for some hints and glimpses this week!

Merry Merry

I had to darken up the color a bit on Sophie's angel so that you could get the full impact of her details! I love the smile and the big butterfly-esque wings. Here's wishing you and yours the happiest of holidays!! Thank you for sharing 2010 with me- I'm looking forward to seeing what 2011 has in store for us all :)

Pillow Perfect

Look at the adorableness that Laura at SaharasHeart created using a fat quarter purchased from sosovintage! You can tell by looking at the whimsical floral embellishment that Laura has a serious eye for detail. Her shop is brimming with sweet pillows that beautifully combine fun and function. SaharasHeart is relatively new to Etsy, so head on over to be one of the first to give her your heart. Thanks so much for sharing your creation with us, Laura!!

Thursday's Treasure

Alert! Alert! Anyone with children or grandchildren, nieces or nephews- this website is a must see! Clicking on the Santa above will take you to *pnp*, or Portable North Pole. Click on the appropriate gingerbread cookie on the right hand side to begin.

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Just a few minutes of your time will allow you to create- for free- a personalized video for your child from Santa. Take the time to upload a picture or two where you're prompted- one of your child, and one of the gift they are really hoping to receive. That way when Santa reads from his magic book, it will be even more magical!

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If you would like to see the one I made for Sophie, click HERE. She is amazed!!

Ant Farm Update

Woohoo! The ant farm arrived last week! Here is the sticker on the outside of the box; this prompted us to give Sophie her present a little early. Worse than getting an ant farm with no ants would be getting an ant farm with dead ants.

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Here is the box for the one we chose. It shows all the different colors that the LED light cycles through. You can also stop it on any of the colors or shut the light off altogether.

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These are called harvester ants- boy are they big! They arrived in a test tube with a piece of carrot, and the instructions told us to put them in the refrigerator for 10 minutes prior to transfer. The cold makes them slower so that they are less likely to escape or bite.

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While we read that it can take up to 2 days for the ants to orient themselves and begin tunneling, we quickly realized that we have some very advanced ants. (proud ant-parents, lol) Ours started "digging" in the gel within a couple of hours. This is way more entertaining than I ever dreamed. Whenever we get home, Sophie runs over to the farm screeching, "I've gotta check on my ants!" So far it's two thumbs up on the ant farm... feel free to ask us any questions you may have!

Posie Pot

I took a mini vacation last night and snuggled up with a ball of cotton yarn that I have been ogling longingly for days. It was sheer bliss to be able to crochet with no specific plan, no timeline, no agenda. This little *posie pot* is the result, and she is just as cute as can be!

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The posie itself is finished off with an elegant black vintage button- with just a hint of a sparkly delicate design. What a romantic addition to any woman's working space- she holds pencils, pens, or crochet hooks with equal aplomb. Look for her (and her kin) in sosorosey soon!

Makeover Monday: 12/20

Here she is, the bare 2010 Thoma tree. We have been getting our tree at the Lake Ridge Nursery for many years. They are always very helpful, have a great selection, and even provide hot cocoa and cookies for you while your tree is being tied onto the car. They throw in a free 6" poinsettia, too! We're not sure whether we ended up with a Douglas or a Frasier fir, but she is over 7 feet tall and smells like heaven.

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I put the lights up on Saturday. Well, my first attempt was on Friday but I ended up with a bum string in the middle of the tree. Sophie and I did the ornaments on Sunday, and we're pretty darned happy with the results! Now we're ready for Santa to come put some presents underneath...

Daily Dose of Cute

I found these three reindeer at the Salvation Army last year. Each one has his own "issue" (don't we all!), so our home is their last stop. We appreciate imperfections around here; missing bells, wandering eyes, raggedy tongues just mean they have known love. We should all be so lucky to have our less than lovely bits looked on so kindly!

Fabby Fabrics

I've been playing with the mosaic maker over at bighugelabs again! These are some of the *just in* vintage sheet fabrics coming soon to sosovintage. If you love something and want a larger cut, now is the time to let me know :)

Chin Up, Pup!

Don't be sad... It wasn't just you who didn't get a Christmas card from me. No, silly, I didn't take you off my list! I didn't forget you! Something had to give, you see- so that's what gave for me this year. Last year I mailed cards out, but my tree didn't have any ornaments. I pick my battles and sacrifices carefully around here. So please know, I'm wishing you all the happiest of holidays and a healthy 2011 filled with loving people and loads of memory making :)

Thursday's Treasure 12/16

One of my very favorite things about our neighborhood is that Santa always makes a planned visit a couple of weeks before Christmas- on a big old blaring fire engine! Thanks to the Buckhall Fire Department, Santa and his elves make several stops at street corners throughout our residential community.

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Santa pulls up a chair, poses for photos, and listens attentively as children of all ages either wail or whisper in his ear. Sophie was one of those wailers for a couple of years. Last year she was willing to stand beside Santa, but she didn't say much. This year she was the life of the party. Despite the cold and rainy day, she jumped right up on his knee and talked his ear off. When he asked what she'd like for Christmas, she answered, "Well, anything you bring will be just great". He smiled and pressed her for more info. She whispered, "a talking Rudolph the reindeer". (SCORE!!!!)

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Next time we see Santa will be Christmas Eve. On the night before Christmas, this same saintly crew rolls slowly down our street with sirens and lights going wild. Santa -sitting on top of the fire engine- waves and ho ho ho's to all who come to their doorsteps to gaze at him with wonder. We live only 30 miles from our nation's capitol, but at times like this, it feels like we're in our own special little town in the middle of nowhere.

Doppleganger

I found the little guy on the right ages ago. Thought he was so adorable, I even did a blog post about him. I was convinced he was a cover for an egg. Silly me.

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My friend Karen from VintageStation wrote to me one day saying she had found a chick/bird just like mine! She said hers came with a noise box inside... you know the cylindrical things with the holes in it that utters sounds when turned upside down? Her noise box didn't work though, so she didn't know what it actually "said".

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As shocked as I was that she had found the same item, I was triple surprised when I found Little Miss Pink Bow on a recent thrift trip! She has a non-working noise box too. Poo. (hehe, too poo too poo. Oops- obviously spending too much time listening to five year old humor.)

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I debated about whether to sell my friends separately or together, and I've decided to do neither. They just look too happy to have found each other, so I'm keeping them!

Makeover Monday: 12/13

A very talented Etsy friend and repeat customer, Deb of Keepsake Blossoms, has an exciting new venture she is preparing for. She'll be selling her beautiful clay flowers at her own kiosk in her new hometown. She came to me looking for a basket tray to display some of her wares. She wanted shabby chic, but needed color since most of the blooms this will contain will be white. I dove into my stash and found this gorgeous Waverly flannel sheet that would be perfect for the job!

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The result looks like a garden itself! The pinks and greens and touches of red really flow together in a gorgeous way. I'd love to see a photo of this full of Deb's amazing handiwork.

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Happy Monday! This is Sophie's last week of school before the holidays, and she even gets out early on the 17th! Wha???? Her Christmas program at school is today, and I'm excited to see her all dressed up and singing her little heart out. I'll be sending off the last of the family holiday packages today, and crocheting stars as fast as my fingers can crank them out. This will be one of those beyond busy weeks for me... how about you? Wishing us all lots of luck getting done what we need to get done- and enjoying the spirit of the season in the process!

A Little Something

In addition to the bowls featured this past week, my wedding dress customer was also hoping I'd have enough of her fabric and lace to make a little something for a very special bride-to-be. She wanted to give her this as the "something old" for her trousseau, and we wracked our brains to come up with just the thing.

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I had just enough of the antique lace left to crochet this little heart. I sewed a pinback on the reverse, and pinned it to a length of the leftover material. The bride can either pin the heart by itself to her garter or bouquet, or leave it on the length of fabric and tie that around her bouquet.
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Though it's only about 2" by 2", this little lace heart is bursting with history and love. I am so lucky to have my small part in the big ideas my customers dream up!

New Life

The ultra talented Robyn from giddyupandgrow recently purchased some pink swiss dot fabric from sosovintage, and just look at the cuteness she created! That fabric never looked so good. If you're looking for adorable headbands, hairclips, and more- pop on into her etsy shop. Beware: you will say "aw" no matter what!

Thursday's Treasure 12/9

I have always enjoyed solitary pursuits; my own company suits me just fine! After having a child, however, "alone time" has become an even more highly treasured (albeit virtually extinct) commodity. Yes, I'm alone when Daddy goes to work and Sophie goes to school, but running around doing laundry and grocery shopping doesn't really count, y'know?

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So, it's always so very appreciated when my mom and dad (the unit aka *nanapa*) host a grandchild slumber party weekend or take her out for the day while I sleep in and then go shop til I drop. I had the opportunity to do the latter over our Thanksgiving trip and it was absolutely wonderful! I went to one of my favorite antique malls near their home in Pennsylvania and spent 3 glorious hours wandering from booth to booth in blissful peace and quiet. Thank you so much, Mom and Dad!!

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The little fawn above was one of my purchases on this adventure. From her wobbly rose colored antlers to her scuffy spots to her jaunty bell, she is a such a precious bit of Christmas past. Look for her in sosovintage soon!

Wedding Bowls

These are the two bowls made from the wedding items I showed you on Monday. I used the long silk slip as the base, and topped them off with a round of lace. Between you and me, I was terrified to cut these things up- they were so old and delicate that I truly feared that the result could be disastrous. As you can imagine, I am very pleased that they turned out so well. I added the knot of silk and lace at the side to really showcase the fabrics within. Now to see what I can make from the leftovers for the extra special item...

Welcome to the World, Rudolph!

So, driving to school last week, I asked Sophie what she wanted for Christmas. Before she could answer, I told her I wanted to know just the ONE special thing that she wanted more than anything else. She thought and thought for at least 10 minutes. Not a word. Finally I said she could tell me two things if one was too hard. A few minutes later, she pronounced, "A talking Rudolph the reindeer".

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While I quickly counted my blessings that her one desire wasn't like a stereo system or Wii or her own moonbounce, I couldn't keep myself from saying, "Really? That's the one thing you want? Don't you think your big gift should be something you play with for a long time, not just at Christmas?" She sighed a big 5 year old sigh and said "Really, Mommy. I WILL play with it always- not just at Christmas."

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Well, we'll see about that!

I went home that day and googled "talking Rudolph" or something like that. I got a million and a half hits, and the first 50 were all over the map. I had no idea what talking Rudolph she was hoping for. Minor panic set in, and I began asking around to see if other mothers had heard of this mysterious talking reindeer. Nope.

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I have been having some heartburn over this issue for days. This weekend I happened to be sitting on the couch while Sophie was watching TV. A commercial came on, and she jumped up and shouted, "There HE is!!!!"

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We watched the advertisement with glee, and today I set off for Build-A-Bear workshop right after I drove Sophie to school. I stuffed her Rudolph and gave him a heart and a wish, then I couldn't resist buying the sleigh driver outfit and the hat/scarf set pictured. And the Rudolph song insert. Who knew that birthing a reindeer could be so fun?

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$50 later (yes, FIFTY), my child will have her Christmas dreams come true. Priceless.

What are your munchkins hoping that Santa will leave under the tree?

Makeover Monday: 12/6

Just a "before" teaser today... I received this antique wedding ensemble from a new sosorosey customer. She's hoping her family heirlooms can be repurposed into 2 small bowls as well as a unique item that will serve a very special purpose for her daughter...

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Stay tuned for the "after" later this week!

Happy, happy Monday!

Seeking People with Ant Farm Experience

My darling daughter really, really wants an ant farm from Santa. Now, Santa thinks she should get this ant farm from a place called "Ant Farm Central". (Click on the cute ant if you'd like to see the site. )

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I have NO personal experience with Ant Farm Central, or for that matter, with ant farms in general. I am mysteriously drawn to the blue gel farm- it looks cool and the ants get all the nutrients they need from the gel (no feeding--> bonus).

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The main thing I'm trying to decide is whether to get the ants WITH the kit, or get the kit with a mail-in rebate for the ants. I can't really puzzle this out- I mean, why would I wait on the ants? Might they die before Santa delivers the gift? That would be kind of a buzz kill. Have any of you Santas out there done the ant farm thing? I'm open to all advice and opinions from those more informed!!

Sneak Peek

It feels like it has been ages since I have had a chance to just sit down and do some listing. I find that if I tell you that I'm going to do it, though, I hold myself more accountable. So, here are a few of the things that I hope to get on the shelves tonight!

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A new rag ball creation for sosorosey! This table mat/coaster is bursting with color... and it's large enough to serve as a pet food rug on the floor as well.

~*~ And for sosovintage, a neon plastic piggy bank from 1977...

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... one of those cool pillowcases from my stash...
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... and a classic glass tree topper complete with glitter, mica, handpainting and indents.
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If you don't see these things in my shops by tomorrow morning, feel free to give me a stern talking to :)

Thursday's Treasure

I found this vintage angel tree topper while thrifting last week. Her wings and body are made of felt covered cardboard, and she hails from Korea according to her inner sticker. I love the way her hands are folded, and the sweet little gleam in her eye. But check out the fuzzy troll-doll-esque hair. Somehow she manages to innocently pull that look off, and that really can't be easy to do!

Under a Rock

Where have I been? This song has apparently been around for 10 years, but I heard it for the first time yesterday. In the event that any of you have been as out of the loop as I have, let me introduce you to a very special song. It sure had me boo-hooing up a storm in a shopping center parking lot. (In my defense, I have PMS.)

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I'm not typically a country or Christian music fan, but I am very drawn to this particular song. Click on the photo to hear it for yourself, and leave a comment to let me know what you think!

Will Work For Twine

Back in September, I shared my awesome source for beautiful baker's twine: The Twinery. Fast forward to November, and guess who I got a message from? Nicole from... The Twinery!

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I knew they had a website, of course, but it turns out they also sell on Etsy. Nicole caught a glimpse of my tags made with her twine, and she made me an offer I couldn't refuse.

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In her message to me, Nicole wrote "On Dec 4 and Dec 9, The Twinery is setting up craft fair booths at two local elementary schools. All the monies that come in to the schools for those days will be going to help local families in need this holiday season. We've been looking for crafters to create items using our twine so we can showcase them on the tables at the craft fairs in an effort to sell as much twine as possible to help the families! I am setting up a mini Christmas tree on our tables and I thought that your twine star gift tags would be great as ornaments on our tree! "

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How cool and small-worldy is that? She offered to pay me in $$ or twine, and you KNOW which one I chose. She kindly sent me two of the sampler packs pictured at the top of this post, and I had so much fun playing with the beautiful colors. I have lots to spare, so I think I'll list this little rainbow of stars in my shop for others who just may have a mini tree to decorate.

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The best part of this whole twine deal has been meeting Nicole and chatting back and forth with her. She is such a genuinely nice and positive person- all while being a perfect professional and creating one of the best products I've ever seen or used. She has promised to take photos of these stars on her tree, and I will definitely share them here.

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Here's wishing The Twinery many, many sales at these craft events so that the families in need will have lots of help this holiday season. I'm honored to have a small part in their generosity!

Makeover Monday: 11/29

Inspired by a recent custom order for gift tags, I started this creation with a mini kraft card, celery green yarn, and sweet red checked ribbon.

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So stinking cute! A little gift enclosure card that's perfect to include with your sosorosey goodies. These come with matching kraft envelopes, too. Look for them in the shop later today!

Friendsgiving

I guess I took a little impromptu blog vacation. Thanks for coming back! I hope all of you American readers had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

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The following photos were sent in by a super sosovintage customer. She purchased these vintage faux weave gold napkins from my shop specifically for a pre-Thanksgiving dinner party that she was hosting for her friends.

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Atop each napkin are handmade Indian headdresses for the ladies and turkey "gobblers" for the men.

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Persimmons, clementines, and heirloom tomatoes make up the main centerpiece.

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The secondary centerpieces were created with layers of beans, popcorn, split peas and chili peppers. The china was inherited from grandma, and the amber glasses were collected from local thrift stores.
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With so much thought going into each and every detail, I have no doubt that the party was a smashing success. Thank you so much, Ashley, for sharing the new jetsetting life of these napkins!

Plethora of Pillowcases

Yep, I definitely have a superabundance of vintage pillowcases! I have pairs, singles, queens and standards. There are cottons and blends; pinks, yellows, blues and greens. Tiny floral prints and large geometric jumbles. Listing fairy! Where are youuuuuuuu ??????

Shabby Shelf Project

A kind customer from Colorado recently sent me this photo of her bookcase project. She purchased some vintage wallpaper from sosovintage, and transformed her plain jane shelf unit into a shabby chic stunner. Well done, Jackie!! Thanks so much for sharing :)