Daily Dose of Cute

I've been using this adorable nursery planter to cheer myself up.  I've never been good with the heat/humidity, and as I get older it seems to get worse.  It has been in the 90s for the last several days, so I have been all about air conditioning and moving very slowly to keep my crank-fest on the down low.  Fingers crossed for an end to the heat wave in time for me to enjoy my birthday next week!

Makeover Monday: 5/30 Memorial Day Edition

I've had this beautiful fabric in sosovintage for awhile with no takers.  So, I decided a bit of it would be just the thing for a Memorial Day makeover!
~*~

The red, white, and blue today is dedicated to my late Grandpa Copeland.  He joined the Navy at 17 and had his ship blown out from under him in Pearl Harbor.  He went on to fight in the Korean War, where he was a POW for 18 months.  He also fought in the Bay of Pigs and Vietnam. 
~*~
I remember him as the man who would chase me around the coffee table tickling me until I couldn't breathe.  The man who would stop traffic for a fresh watermelon.  The man who loved (and fed) squirrels and seagulls, and who could grow vegetables in his sleep.  I miss you, Grandpa, and I remember you every day.

Upcycled Nest

I found a beautiful vintage sheet the other day that was way too thin and faded to sell as fabric.  It was perfect for a sosorosey project that I've wanted to make for a long time, though- upcycled nesting bowls! 

~*~ 

I'm thinking they look like rainbow sherbet... how about you?

Coming Attractions

~*~

Here we have the latest fabric finds: a lime and blue stripe, more Strawberry Shortcake, yellow calico, pastel stripe on white, botanical treasures, and pansies in the pink/orange/red/yellow colorway.

~*~

~*~

And OOH AAH!  This one gets a photo all its own- isn't this SPECTACULAR???  I couldn't believe my eyes at the colors and condition of this one.  I only have a fitted twin sheet, so get it while you can :)

Daddy-O

June 19th is right around the corner- time to show Pops how much he means to you!  Here's a preview of some of the more masculine items coming soon to sosovintage.  See something you know Dad would love?  If I haven't gotten it in the shop yet, feel free to send me a message for a reserved listing.

~*~

 ~*~

vintage office supplies $5

~*~

 ~*~

swanky Vicky Davis silk bow tie $15

~*~

 ~*~

milk glass poker mugs by siesta ware $25

~*~

 ~*~

brass *pocket change* dish $12

~*~

 ~*~

*Swank-Klip* tie bar and cuff link set (Spartan cameo) $20

~*~

Come back tomorrow for a preview of my latest vintage fabric finds!

Thursday's Treasure

Oh yeah.  Lauren is my American Idol for sure. When she sang this song Tuesday night, I boo-hooed like a baby- especially when she went down and hugged her mother.  And kept singing!  There is no way on Earth that I could have done that without losing it completely. 

~*~

 So, I never heard the song before Tuesday, and you can ask my mother, I am NOT a fan of country music in general.  BUT, this song, this line- wow.

~*~ 

"When I feel weak and un-pretty

I know I'm beautiful and strong
Because I see myself
Like my mother does"
(Kristy Lee Cook)

~*~

You are my everyday treasure, Mom- but today, this song is for you. :)

Handmade for Him

My latest set of 5 nesting bowls is perfect for the man in your life.  Let him organize his man cave accessories in style!  Each bowl is different, but they are all crocheted from a double strand of handsome cottons for extra strength and durability.  Blues, greens, browns, ecru... and *shhhhh* just the slightest hint of very manly eggplant.  ;)

Changing it Up

For anyone who doesn't know, each member of Etsy has an avatar.  This is a small photo to represent the shop/buyer. 

~*~

Some people use their facebook photos, some use a logo, some have a photo of something in their shop.  I like to do the latter in both of my shops, as it's a quick way for a person to see the kind of thing I sell when I post in the Etsy forums.  I change my avi seasonally or when the item pictured sells.  Or just when I feel like it!

~*~

My sosovintage avatar item sold the other day, and I need to replace it with something I have available.  Please help me choose one of the following:

#1 pink and aqua lamb

 #2 fawn couple

#3 big eyed girl

~*~

Which do you like best? 

Please leave a comment with your # vote- I really appreciate your input!

Makeover Monday: 5/23

A new sosorosey customer saw one of my sweet petite tie dye bowlees and asked if it might be made in a larger size.  Of course I could do this with several shirts, but I also had this lovely sheet that I've been dying (sorry, couldn't resist) to crochet!  She loved the colors, so a-cutting I went.

~*~

I knew from the colors and experience that it would be a gorgeous bowl, but I had no idea just HOW lovely it would turn out.  This is one of my favorite works to date.  Hope my customer loves it, too :)

~*~

Happy Monday, friends.  Thanks so much for your kind words and sympathy about my grandmother.  We were able to make the trip to Michigan for the services, and we were so glad to have been able to be there.  So, after driving 22 hours in the course of 3 days, I am back with fond memories and a hill of laundry.  Other than taking care of that and my family and shops, I don't have any big plans for the week.  This is a good thing.  How about you... What's on your agenda for this week?

Daily Dose of Cute

Such an adorable Strawberry Shortcake sheet from 1980.  Beautiful colors and sweet sayings, dots and fruits and kitties and fun... I have to sell the whole sheet to one lucky person, as I can't bear to cut it!  Look for it in sosovintage soon.

Coming Attractions

Look for these *new* vintage fabrics in sosovintage soon!

Thursday's Treasure

Treasuring long life.  Family.  Togetherness.

~*~

Grandma Ruth Morse became an angel this week, just shy of her 99th birthday.  We feel certain she will be celebrating in heaven with her beloved husband Chuck.  Her life was long, her ways were kind, her love was strong, and her strength was immeasurable.  She will be dearly missed.

Small Town Girl

That's me, a small town girl.  I went to my favorite post office the other day- a teeny tiny place in historic Clifton, Virginia.  Tom, the afternoon postman, greeted me and Sophie as usual.  Then, he said, "Hey, remember when you were in here the other day and we got to talking about those new padded mailers?"  Yep.  "Well, I let you leave without paying!"  Oh my gosh! 

~*~

Then, the amazing part?  When I asked about the packages, he assured me they were off and fine.  How could that be?  Well, he wrote a personal check for my postage.  He said he knew I'd be in sooner or later to pay him back.  This is the same post office where Karen, the morning postwoman, sent Sophie's hairbow to my house when she left it on the counter.

~*~

30 miles outside of the nation's capitol, where life is a big bundle of bustle, the Clifton post office is an oasis for me.  My daily dose of small town living- my Cheers equivalent!  Do you have places like this where you live? Which are you... a city mouse or a country mouse?

Lordy Lordy...

Look who's 40!!

~*~

Donna over at Little Tiny Stitches is one of my very best blog buddies.  Her kindness and friendship are like a warm fireplace on a cold and rainy night.  She is a super, multi-talented woman who has reached a milestone birthday today with characteristic grace, charm, and good humor.  Let's see how many good wishes we can accumulate for her in the comments, OK?  How great would it be to get 40??  No matter who you are or where you come from, please take a short moment to leave a comment... all are welcome and appreciated! 

~*~

And, if you have time, click the link above to visit her fabulous etsy shop- you'll want to make her a favorite, because she always has exciting and beautiful new things popping up.

~*~

Happy, happy birthday, Donna!  I hope you have a day full of sunshine and love, and that your 40th year is your best one yet :)

Makeover Monday: 5/16

I had a special request last week for a large chair pad in shades of ivory and peachy pinks.

~*~

These were the final fabric selections; two vintage sheets and a plain ivory cotton.

~*~

Here is the finished product; 18 inches across and bursting with ivory pinky peachness!  It will be used for a heavy antique oak desk chair in a recently redecorated office space.  If you look closely you can see my special new touch- the ivory stitching around the edge.  I like the way it balances the colors and lends a very *finished* appearance. 

~*~

Happy, happy Monday!  I'm way behind on listing new things in both of my shops, so that is my main goal for this week outside of mommyhood and housewifery.  What do you have in store for the next few days?

Daily Dose of Cute

My newfound deck of vintage playing cards.  I get such a surge of joy when I see these in thrift stores!  You wouldn't believe the other junk I had to buy just to get these, though.  Bundling is only a good thing when YOU determine the bundle.  See, the people who work in this thrift shop put the most random items in a bag, and then price the bags at around $2.  Sometimes you end up with a great lot, and other times, not so much.  For $2, though, I'm happy with having my cards and re-donating the rest of the *stuff*.

Muse Makes

A relatively small load heading to Maryland this weekend.  8 large cotton table coasters and 2 large upcycled bowls.  The light was terrible for photos today, so you can't see that the bowl in back is the most delicious shade of pale blue with little red flower flecks...  Ah well.  Head over to The Muse and you'll be able to check it out for yourself!  Can't?  Well, I've got some lovely new baskets coming to sosorosey next week, and that's open 24/7 in every country!!  Yay for Etsy!

Coming Attractions

Loads of lovely vintage fabrics, freshly laundered and ready to list!

~*~

~*~

 ~*~

The first five fabrics will be sold as fat quarters... unless you need more *wink*.  The last two, however, will be sold as just one large piece- about a half yard each.   As always, blog readers get first dibs- so if you see something you need to snatch right up, send me a message and it's yours :)



Thursday's Treasure

~*~

There she is.  Behold- the NEW for 2011 USPS FLAT RATE PADDED MAILER.  9.5 by 12.5 inches of pure fabulousness.  This may not excite you as much as it does me, but anyone out there that buys or sells fabric ought to be plenty thrilled to hear about this.  Goodbye thin, cheap, inflexible, good for nothing usps flat rate cardboard envelopes- hello water repellent, sturdy, flexible wonderfulness!   I mean, $4.95 for as much as you can fit in the envie anywhere in the US.  And for you international people, it's just $13.95 for many countries!

~*~

Now, shhhhhh.  This is a new item that they don't stock in post offices.  You must order them for yourself, and at that, they only send you 15 at a time.  But, they are free of charge and delivered right to your doorstep.  I've ordered two sets already and plan to make it a weekly order.  Just hoping the powers that be don't discover that they've made a USEFUL flat rate mailer and decide to stop making them.

~*~

How much fits in one of these lovelies, you ask?  Well, I did a stuff test with a pile of pre-cut fat quarters, and the verdict is......

.......drumroll......

....... a whopping TWENTY fat quarters.  FIVE yards of fabric!

~*~

US Sellers- order yours today by clicking HERE.

That Time Again

Time to find that perfect gift for your child's teacher.  I found mine already, and am so happy with the product and service that I received, I have to share! 

~*~

Mary Burrows, the artist behind mbartstudios, is a class act.  The same day I placed my order, she contacted me for a detail that I had neglected to mention in my note to the seller at checkout.  She got to work on my order right away, and had it shipped out within a week. 

~*~

The clock above is from the same shop, but I went with the plaque that has the same quote by casals.  "The child must know that he is a miracle, that since the beginning of the world there hasn’t been, and until the end of the world there will not be, another child like him".

~*~

My order was packed very well for shipping, and when I unwrapped it, I was blown away by the quality workmanship.  It is far more delicate- in a good way- than I imagined, which will make it easy to hang just about anywhere. 

~*~

I chose this quote because we are fortunate to have a teacher who naturally and truly enjoys and appreciates each child for their respective personalities and strengths.  She has made my Sophie feel happy, safe, loved, and special from day one.  Mary has many inspiring quotes and products to choose from, though- and if you have a special saying that you'd like, she'll even work with you to create a totally custom project. 

~*~

So, have you thought about your teacher gift for this year already?  If so, please share your idea here.  If not, you know one great place to go!

Sunny Skies

One of my very favorite things to do is create groupings of vintage fabrics for a special occasion.  So, I was super happy when a new customer stopped into sosovintage recently asking for a collection of squares in yellows and blues.  She wants to use them to add visual interest to the tables at her vintage chic wedding.  She needs 20 of each color, (2x10 different fabrics), and this is my collection so far.

~*~

 ~*~

 ~*~

~*~

Fingers crossed for a happy bride-to-be :)

Makeover Monday: 5/9

 For today's project, I rooted around in my stash of cotton yarn for the brightest colors I could find!

~*~

I had so much fun making this nest set that I couldn't stop at my usual 3 bowls- I made 5!!  I call these my gypsy bowls, for their exotic and colorful nature.  Look for them in sosorosey sometime this week, or ask for a set made just for you.  I have PLENTY of yarn left, lol!

~*~

I'm feeling a bit like that first photo of the yarn- somewhat frazzled and coming undone.  We had an amazing Mother's Day weekend; having the chance to spend time being a mother with my mother was really special.  But, whenever we go away- even for a weekend- it takes a little time to get back in the groove. 

~*~

I realized today that Sophie only has a month left of preschool.  That means *I* only have a month left before summer vacation!  So, in an effort to get things done that need getting done, I have appointments this week for Sophie's dentist, an oil change, and my hair.  Next weekend I'm off again- this time to Frederick, MD.  I'll have my semiannual shop-til-you-drop, eat-and-drink-til-you-bust, talk-til-you're hoarse overnight with my best gal pal.  I'll also bring a few goodies to restock the shelves at The Muse.  More on that later in the week!

~*~

Enough about me- what's new with YOU?  Any special thrift finds or projects?  Did you have a wonderful Mother's Day?  Do leave a comment and share!  Hope you have a happy, happy week... I'll be back to regular blogging as soon as I have dug myself out from under this mountain of laundry :)

Coming Attractions

Pretty pretty flowers will be popping up in sosovintage this weekend!

Thursday's Treasure

Any avid thrifter will tell you that one of their favorite places to look is in the cart of the worker stocking the shelves.  The lure of fresh pickings!  I try not to be too obvious about this, as I don't want to get in their way or be a pest.  BUT, if I glance in and happen to see something... I have no problem saying, "Oh, can I see that please?"  That's how I found these like-new Vera pillowcases the other day... lucky me!

Scrap Happy

Attention quilters, scrapbookers, mixed media collage artists, seamstresses, crafty people and vintage fabric lovers!  Beginning today I will offer fabulous scrap pack bundles in sosovintage.  Priced to move at only $5, these bundles will be made and weighed to be at the 13 ounce mark so that they can be shipped US first class for only $3 ($6 international).  Each bundle will contain about 30 different fabrics in mixed sizes and amounts- all clean, guaranteed vintage, and free of flaws.  I'll list a bundle whenever I have one ready, and if you ever need one and don't see it, just ask.  I'll be happy to whip one up for you ;)

Nested Treasure

 Ooooooooh.  Aaaaaaaah.  Just look at this gorgeous set of primary colored nested Pyrex mixing bowls.  I found them on the bottom shelf of the thrift section that I call "ridiculously expensive".  These must have been priced by the new guy, though, because LOOK at the price tag:
~*~

Yep.  Seven dollars and ninety cents.  Yay me, yay me... happy dance, happy dance.  Upon close inspection, they are in near mint condition.  Value: $80+ for the set.  Wooohooooooo!!!

Makeover Monday: 5/2

I went through a phase of collecting small antique glass bottles about 20 years ago.  I amassed about two dozen, and they have been staring at me ever since, begging for a purpose.

~*~

This weekend I rediscovered one of my very favorite cotton yarns, purchased at one of those super swanky, ultra expensive yarn shops.  I love this yarn so much- the softness, the texture, the way it works up- that I haven't even wanted to use it. 

~*~

I decided to part with some of the cotton and some of the bottles, though, and I'm pleased with the result!  These little flower lariats also serve as hooks so that the bottle can be hung on a suction cup on a window and used as a vase.  An easy way to bring a little color and fun to any room :)

~*~

Happy Monday and happy May!  Let's see, this week I am finalizing Mother's Day gifts and going on a petting zoo field trip (Wednesday- fingers crossed for a nice day).  I'll be sending good thoughts and well wishes up to Massachusetts on Thursday as my father-in-law undergoes a surgical procedure.  Friday I've been invited to my daughter's class for a special Mother's Day presentation in the afternoon.  She is SO excited, and I can't wait to hear her sing her song and present her gift.  I'm not supposed to know those last two things, but alas, my child takes after her father in secret keeping.  No matter, I will still be VERY surprised and grateful.  Here's wishing you all a sunny, happy week :)