Makeover Monday: Halloween edition

For today's makeover, I started out with my lovely almost-six year old tomboyish daughter. 

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A little bling and a crown and a gown, and she became an Egyptian princess.  She wouldn't admit it, but I think she had fun being all dolled up!

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Not the greatest photo in the world, but I wanted to share the fun of the "hand bowl".  Sophie has wanted one of these for about 3 years, and this fall her dream came true.  We got the last one at Target a few weeks ago, and it has been a riot to have around the house.  The motion detector works from several feet away, so we'd often get a sudden, creepy voiced "trick or treat" or "happy Halloween" or "want some candy" just from walking by the table.  Made me jump a few times, that's for sure!

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Did you have any fun Halloween adventures?  Do share!!

Love This Girl

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I have three X-factor favorites.  I already introduced you to Chris Rene.  He is my second runner up.  This is Drew, my first runner up.  As you watch, keep in mind that this amazing girl is FOURTEEN years old!!

Friday's Favorite Fabric Finds

Ooh, happy almost Halloween weekend!  It has already been a week full of parties and fun, and it will continue right on through Monday evening.  That's when I plan to collapse!  Sophie was planning to be a zombie- until we went to the Halloween store and she got scared out of her wits.  She grabbed the Cleopatra costume and said, "Let's get out of here!"  So, my tomboy will be wearing a long princess gown... with sparkles and a headpiece.  I can't WAIT!!!!  What are your little ghouls and goblins going to be?  How about you- any costume planned? 

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While you're planning what to write in your comment (heheh), here are a few fabrics coming soon to sosovintage:

Abstract floral from Cannon

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Pretty twiggy pattern on a pale blue background

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cotton "cutter" tablecloth ready to become a pillow or tote!

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And my favorite for the week- another cotton cutter tablecloth in pink and aqua...looooove!

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If I don't see you before Monday, be sure to come on back for a spooooooky makeover on Halloween!

Thursday's Treasure

Aren't these porcelain babies adorable in their little pink dotted onesies and bows? 

I found these... along with 8 of their closest friends in a *bag* at the thrift store.  It was sale day, too...so instead of $3.90, I got the whole bunch of them for $1.95!!  Treaaaaa*suuuuuure :)

Tonnage

Over there on the right are the fruits of our labor.

THIRTY SIX POUNDS of apples!!!!

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And yes, it's the rare photo of me and Sophie... rarer still to have one I'm willing to share.  Perhaps it's the way I conveniently hid behind her, lol.

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I like that when I crop it and turn it greyscale, it has a grainy old days quality to it.  Good old days, for sure :)

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Now, for the yummy recipe.  I'm no chef, but I do have a love affair with my crock pot.  This recipe for slow cooked homemade applesauce was so easy that I had to try it.  I mean, I had everything I needed right in the house!  I used 9 medium sized apples and went with only half a cup of sugar.  I was liberal with the cinnamon.  Set it on high for 4 hours, and it was finished in about 3.  Best applesauce ever!!!  Do you have any sure-fire awesome apple recipes?  I could use them!!

Another Kind of Picking

Sunday dawned cool and crisp, so we decided to venture out west toward the mountains to do a little apple picking.  The leaves were colorful, and the orchard was full. 

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The smell of apple turnovers and freshly baked apple bread, pies, and cinnamon sugar donuts wafted out of the orchard store.  I told Sophie if she'd help me get some good photos she could have a donut when we finished picking.  I was really hoping to get a good shot to use for a Christmas card, and hey, a little bribery never hurt anyone.

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She loosened up a little once we told her she could go up into the trees a bit to search for apples.  This was her first tree climbing experience, and now she's hooked.

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The problem with going so late in the season was that many of the apples near ground level were picked or had fallen.  We chose not to get one of the long picker thingies when we started out- a bad decision that we only realized after we had trekked up and over the mountain.  So, orchard rule number two *no climbing the trees* was broken.  Hubs can be a bit of a scofflaw, but he is also very enviro-friendly, so he was a considerate climber.  No broken branches in our trees!

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I'm not 100% certain, but I think we may have gotten at least one apple from every tree.  It seems like just when we thought the bags were full and it was time to leave, one of us would spot another "good one".  Guess how many pounds of apples we had when we finally got back for the weigh in?  Go on- guess.  I'll post the answer tomorrow, as well as share the recipe I used to make a yummy apple treat!

Makeover Monday:10/24

Happy Monday!  It's a fresh new work week, and I have a fresh new project keeping me busy.  A request for a 2.5 foot by 6 foot rag rug in sage, celery and rose gave me the chance to gather up this bundle of oh so shabby chic fabrics.

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As I was shopping for fabrics and noticing how absolutely beautiful they looked together, it occurred to me to ask my customer if she'd like to take a chance and let me try something new.  Since the customer is my mom, she decided to trust my instincts and allow me to make her rag rug from the same midcentury pattern that I used for this cotton yarn rug.

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Here she is so far, one fourth finished at 30" wide and 18" long.

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And a closeup of the texture.  I have been searching for a way to give my rugs an extra special touch, and I think maybe I've found it.  I really like the softness of the weave and the way the colors blend without a distinct striped effect.  Fingers crossed that Mom loves it, too :)

New Space

For the last couple of weeks, Sophie has been off and on preoccupied with her bottom front tooth's looseness.  While she was feeling excited about the "big kidness" of it all, I knew she was a little nervous about whether or not it would hurt when it came out.  Now all of that wonder and worry is behind her, and she is indeed feeling very mature- her tooth came out Friday night during "pizza and movie night"!!

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In a humorous twist of events, she didn't even feel it come out.  Didn't even know it had come out, until I asked her how the tooth was doing.  She showed me, and I shrieked, "It's not THERE!!!"  We looked in vain all over the couch, in the ice cream bowl, in her pajamas.  Yep.  You guessed it.  She must have swallowed it.

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So, Sophie spent the remainder of the evening shaking her head saying, "I can't believe it" and looking at her new space in the mirror.  We wrote a note to the tooth fairy explaining what happened.  Fortunately, the tooth fairy is not a stickler for seeing the actual tooth.  She left a glittery dollar bill for our big girl.  Who, by the way, swears that she will never, ever spend that special dollar.

Friday's Favorite Fabric Finds

Oh, yeah.  Oh, yeah.  I'm here on Friday.  I'm here on Friday.  OK, I'd better stop before you get the image of a fluffy, middle-aged mom raising her palms in the air and shaking her hips back and forth stuck in your head for the rest of the day.  I'm just so *dang* excited to be back on track.  It's the little things, you know. 

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So, happy almost weekend!  Let's see what new pretties I'll be adding to the shop soon...

I've never seen a vintage stripe like this one... it has a bit of a Hawaiian flair, don't you think?

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Lemon yellow, navy blue, and dandelions!  This one is called a Grace Kelly print.

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I have this one in the aqua/violet combo, and the pink/orange.... had to add this one to the mix!

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My favorite of the week is this bright flower power print.  I'm just a sucker for these bold florals that scream "SEVENTIES".

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Have yourself a wonderful weekend! 

Thursday's Treasure

We have a real treat today thanks to a very creative and generous sosovintage customer!  Erica purchased some fabrics from the shop way back in December and March and May to be used in her September 2011 wedding.  These photos, courtesy of Erica and the uber talented David Zwickerhill of Zwickerhill Photography, show how she used them!

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Is this a gorgeous bride, or what?  That belt was handmade with sosovintage fabric! 

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Super fancy bow in back... and I see a peek of the fabric in her hair accessory, too.

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Look at those shoes!!  So perfect with the belt.  I think some sosovintage fabric ended up in that bunting back there- isn't it fun?

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And more bunting!  Amazing, right?  So festive and so perfect for this couple and their venue.  Erica put together a truly phenomenal handmade wedding, with many, many purchases supporting small businesses on Etsy.  I am thrilled to have had a chance to play a tiny part in such wonderfulness!

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What a beautiful couple! 

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Again, all photos are credited to David Zwickerhill- what a fantastic job he did of capturing the emotion and essence of the day.  I had an opportunity to peruse hundreds of Steve and Erica's wedding day photos online, and I can't even begin to tell you about all of the fun attention to detail I saw.  Thank you so much, Erica, for sharing some of your special day with us!  Best wishes to the newlyweds :)

Love This Guy!

So, I'm a big X factor fan.  You? 

While this music style might not be my first choice, I can't help but root for this guy.  Go ahead- watch the video... isn't he precious?!

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Pssst- Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!!

Daily Dose of Cute

Two sweet little deer that came in one of those famous (infamous?) mixed grab bags from the thrift store.  I couldn't possibly leave their adorableness!  I know it wouldn't take much to wash the paint off and make them all white, but I'll leave that decision up to the new owner.  They'll be up for adoption in sosovintage soon!

Makeover Monday: 10/17

I found this pretty patchworky pillowcase while thrifting the other day, and couldn't wait to see how all of the colors would come together in a crocheted bowl.

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I wish there was more of the red showing, but other than that, I really like the subtle dreaminess of this blend. 

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How was your weekend?  We had perfect fall weather, so we were able to rally and get down to the neighborhood Oktoberfest celebration on Saturday night.  They did it up big this year, complete with a German band and Bavarian pretzels.  There was loads of other food, too- sausages and cabbage and potatoes, every appetizer under the sun, side dishes, and super yummy desserts.  German bottled beer and a keg, too.  There was a pinata for the kids and then a big bonfire in the fire pit for whoever was still around.  We met some new neighbors and hung out with old friends, while Sophie played kickball and did crafts with the other kids.

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This week I'll be going to my first meeting for the "real" job, and doing lots of volunteering at Sophie's school for the book fair.  How about you?  What's on your agenda?  Hope you have a fantastic week!

Friday's Favorite Fabric Finds

What, it's not Friday?  Well deja vu!!!  Maybe I should start titling these posts "Sunday Slacker" or something like that.  I'm workin' on it, friends- bear with me!  I do have some beauties to share, so here goes:

Amazing, bright stylized daffodils by Pierre Cardin

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Pastel butterflies

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Blue and violet flowers with lime grass and daisies

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Frilly pink peonies - so shabby elegant!

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Enjoy the rest of your Sunday, folks!  I'll see you tomorrow for Makeover Monday!

Thursday's Treasure

Well, what is NOT a treasure (unless you are a fish or a duck) is the weather we are having these last couple of days.  More rain, and lots of it.  But, I did manage a decent shot of this adorable fabric today.  It's a homemade pillowcase, and I found it tucked away in the sleeping bag section of the thrift store.  Treasures are very often found in the most unlikely places!

A Nice Surprise

I woke up this morning to an Etsy convo telling me that one of my items was featured on The Play Date Blog showcase.  I popped on over, and sure enough- my baby's first Christmas star is there on the top right hand side.  You can see it by clicking HERE!  Besides the fact that it's a huge honor to be acknowledged on such a gorgeous site, it's also a nice reminder that you never know who is out there poking around in your shop and appreciating what you do.  I hope your day has a pleasant surprise, too :)

Rug Reveal

Eight entire bed sheets and countless hours later, my colorful rag rug is finished!

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She measures 35 by 42 inches.

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She's reversible!

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And, she'll grace the shelves in sosorosey later today!

Makeover Monday: 10/10

One of my good Etsy friends recently started her first year of teaching.  She asked if I could make something for her in her school colors, navy and gold.  I added the patterned blue fabric to provide more interest and texture.

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And here is her big old blue and gold star!  This beauty measures 9.5" from point to point, and is sure to provide plenty of good vibes for a long and successful teaching career :)

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Happy Monday!  I have a dental appointment this week (arghhhh!!), and my first PTA meeting as a parent instead of a teacher.  Friday is school Picture Day, too.  Other than those bits of have-to stuff, I will just be doing my usual mom, wife, and shopowner gigs this week.  How about you?  Anything fun on the agenda?  Wishing you a great week!

Friday's Favorite Fabric Finds

What?  It's not Friday?  OK, so I lost a couple of days to a baaaaad sinus headache.  And then I couldn't bring myself to change my alliterative post title.  But, I do have some fabrics to share, so hopefully my head problems and neuroses will be forgiven :)

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Pretty, pretty color combo and pattern.  Love how the lines make it look like a drawing.

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Yep- this is the sheet from the Price is Right game.  Bold lines and crisp colors.

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Classic Garfield with a primarily primary plaid.  He has the best expressions!

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And, my favorite from the week.  This one has such a folksy, fall look to it.  Yum.

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Enjoy the last bits of your weekend, and come on back tomorrow for Makeover Monday!

Thursday's Treasure

This note was a little treasure from my treasure this week.  She wrote this on her own in her bedroom- unprompted and for no "reason" at all.  Let's see how good you all are at reading 5 year old writing!  Leave a comment with what you think the note says, and I'll come back later tonight and decipher it for you :)

Spill It Session #8

2007 listing photo

I was thinking back over my online shopping history the other day, and thought it would be fun to share our very first Etsy purchases!  Here is mine- the "I Want It All" soap sampler from Dennis Anderson. That was back on November 22nd, 2007!  Today Dennis is the number two top seller of handmade on Etsy, and he still offers this sampler - and for only $2.50 more than I paid way back then!

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2011 listing photo
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To find your first purchase, log into your etsy account and go up to "your account" at the top.  The first item on the drop down menu is "purchases".  You can share the link in the comments here, or just tell us what you bought, when and from whom.  This should be a fun way to learn a little something about each other!