All Duded Up

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The tomato bowl makeover got herself a makeover.  Double love, sealed with a kiss.  Or a hug.  Apparently there is some discrepancy over whether the X in xoxo is a kiss or a hug!  Consensus seems to be that x is a kiss, but I've always kinda thought it could go either way.  What's your take on the xoxo controversy?

Makeover Monday: 1/30

 For today's makeover, which I was determined to DO, I chose a plain bright tomato red pillowcase.

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She turned into the most adorable little bowl, but alas, something is missing.  She is cute but boring.  Come back tomorrow to see how I decide to make her a little more fun!

Daily Dose of Cute

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Just look at this precious get well card!  I found it in a thrifted box of mismatched vintage greeting cards.  The best news?  There were two!  One to keep and one to share- yippee :)

Whatsit?

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I found this cool wooden ruler with handy industrial style attachment at the thrift the other day.  I've never seen anything like this!  It has hem "slots" along the sides, so I'm guessing it has something to do with sewing.  Have you ever seen something like this?  Do you know what it's called?  Thanks in advance for any help!

Friday's Favorite Fabric Finds

Happy end of the work week!  Can you believe it will be February in a couple of days?  I have a major backlog of fabrics to list, so I'm sharing six *new* ones with you this week.  Here we go:

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I'll bet some of you {OK, you, Donna}, remember the pink version of that toile-ish aqua one up there.  The first fabric is my favorite for the week, though.  I have it in the yellow/orange and the blue/green, but I never dreamed I'd find one in the orchid/violet scheme.  It is GORGEOUS!!!! 

Thursday's Treasure

When I was a little kid, waaaaaaay back in the 70s, my mom used to jazz up my school lunches by cutting my sandwiches with cookie cutters.  Let's face it, when your child insists on bringing a plain peanut butter sandwich every day for years on end, you've gotta do something to keep from going nuts!

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 But seriously, I do think there's something in the dna of children that makes then all automatically abhor the crust of a regular slice of bread.  It's a mystery whose ludicrousness is perfectly solved by this handy little piece of sheer genius!

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 Just place over the sandwich and press down.  Easy peasy and...

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Voila!  I love that there is hardly any waste, and it's just plain FUN to eat a specially shaped sandwich.  Not just for kids (though perfect for school Valentine parties)- these cuties would make your next adult gathering super fun, too.  Wal*Mart, friends.  Less than two bucks, and they come in dinosaur shapes, too!

What a Card!

I snagged this deck of new old stock 70s cards this week.  I find the colors exceptionally gRoOvY, and they  will be cute to include in sosovintage packages for February.  It's kind of Valentine-ish, right?  It does say "hearts" after all ;)

Charmed, I'm Sure

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Valentine's Day is coming!  What could be sweeter than a little pink bowlee with a heart charm and dotty ribbon?  This one, and maybe some of her relatives, will be hitting the shelves this week :)

Makeover Monday: 1/23

Happy Monday!  Once again, I'm caught without a crochet make to share today.  I'm waiting on confirmation regarding those shabby chic chair pads, and I have been busily working on Mom's big rug.  I do have a "before and after" to show you, though!

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Here's a photo I took this morning.  It's a gray and dreary day, and this is shown without any photo editing.

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Here's the same object, same day, same time, still no editing.  This time I used my fancy new photographer's flood light and white light diffusing umbrella.  It's my first time playing with it, so I need to fiddle with distance and height.  I'm pleased overall, though, that I don't have to wait for the natural light to be just perfect to take my photos.

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And by the way, do you know what this thing in the photos is called?  I get that it's some kind of filter- maybe for coffee or tea?  You were so helpful with the pattern tracer, I thought I'd call on you again :)

Tweet

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No, no.  Don't worry- I'm not joining the masses on twitter.   Yet, anyway.  Just wanted to share some of the birdies gathered at the feeder this icy day.  I wasn't quick enough to get pretty snow photos since we had such a small amount.  But, I did capture these two bluebird ladies having a snack. 

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The Mr. showed up later for his share of the seed.

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This is the first year we've had so many bluebirds visit our feeder.  It makes me feel very cozy and blessed to see these special creatures sharing and enjoying our yard. 

Done Deal

There's a new car in my driveway!!  Of course it's covered with snow and I haven't even gotten to sit in it yet, but it is there and we are thrilled!!  I've loved the Subaru logo forever, and today as I was preparing this post I found out something extra cool.  I thought it was just a cluster of gorgeous retro style stars, but lo and behold there's more.  It turns out that "Subaru" is the Japanese name for the Pleiades star cluster.  Six companies merged to create Subaru's parent company, and this is represented in the logo.  Neat, huh?

Friday's Favorite Fabric Finds

Sophie was able to go back to school today, so it's the first day in a week that I have all to myself.  No big guesswork about what's on my agenda!  As soon as I post this, I'll be heading out to thrift my little heart out.  Here's a sunny kickoff to the weekend:

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I think the middle one is my favorite this week... it's even 100% cotton, which is so hard to find in vintage bedsheets.  It would make beautiful pillows or a sweet springtime tote.

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Who has big plans for the weekend?  Not us!  We have movie night at the school tonight, and I don't want to jinx anything, but we're *this close* to getting a new car.  Finally!  I'll keep you posted on that one ;)

Thursday's Treasure

Well, the biggest treasure today is that Sophie is feeling better.  We all had a much needed good night's rest last night.  Whew! 

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This is also a treasure that I recently received as a gift from my favorite Aunt!  I knew from the cover that this little hardback was old, but it wasn't until I opened the cover that I saw HOW old!

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And if you think THAT'S something- wait til you see the copyright date on the next page!

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The illustrations in the book have a beautiful asian quality- delicate birds and flowers and pagodas. 

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The entire story is a love poem- one that really makes you consider the "someone like yous" in your life.  May we all have at least one!

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And on that note, I'll share a third treasure for the day- my husband.  There are not many men who would have handled Tuesday night the way that he did.  He jumped in where needed, no matter the mess or the hour.  He did the lion's share of the cleaning up, when I had trouble even walking around the "scene".  I am eternally grateful!

One of Those Nights

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I know that all parents out there have had these nights.  The night when your child is suddenly and horribly sick and it seems like the entire ordeal will never end.  The fear of what's happening multiplied by the blackness outside, the quiet of everyone else in the world sleeping peacefully.  That was my night last night, and I can say there aren't many occasions where I've been happier to see the sun rise.  Everything seems a little less scary in the light of day.

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Now, the carpets are cleaned, 5 million loads of wash are done, Sophie has been bathed and is resting, and I've even showered.  We're all waiting with baited breath to see how the soup settles.

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The print above is from SayItSweet on Etsy- click the photo to go straight there :)

and the winner is...

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.... mamasan!!! 

You did it, you finally did it!!! 

Your strategy worked!!!  

Congratulations!!!

Makeover Monday: 1/16

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I finally had a chance to make something {again} with the purple fabrics from two weeks ago.  I'm lacking tall pencil holderish containers in sosorosey, so this will help in that department! 

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In other news, I've finished 100 of the stars from the wedding order... only 20 more to go!   Next project: 3 shabby chic chair pads to match this one:

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It will be a challenge, since I don't have any of the same fabrics left - this one was sold almost a year ago.  I'm off to the thrift today to search for matches, and Sophie gets to join me since she has the MLK holiday off from school.  Wish us luck!!

Super Soup

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I needed a quick dinner idea last week, and I surfed around on the internet for a good soup recipe.  I was attracted to this one because it has both beans and pasta- family favorites.  I omitted the bacon, parsley and red pepper flakes and it was still really tasty.  Served with a crusty french baguette... yum!  Do you have a favorite soup recipe?  Please share in the comments if you can- I'm always looking for a good soup for these cold winter nights.

Price is Right: Game 11

Come join the fun! The more, the merrier!

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The Game: I show you my thrift haul from one recent outing. You leave a comment with your best guess as to how much I paid. This does include VA sales tax. The person who comes closest WITHOUT going over wins.

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The Rules: One clear and definitive guess per person- no amending your answer. Please do not choose the same answer as a person who came before you- read the comments prior to leaving your guess. Game runs through Tuesday the 17th, 5pm EST and is open to US and international players. The receipt and winner will be posted here: please be sure I know how to get in touch with you either through blog, website or email. Play nice and have fun!!

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The Prize: The satisfaction of winning, AND $5 in "soso bucks" that can be applied toward any purchase in either of my shops. Can be saved and spent at a later time, up to one year. Can be combined with other wins or offers. Not redeemable for cash. Non-transferable.

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The Stuff: This time the loot comes from a small hospital charity shop in old town Manassas, non-sale day. Prices here are amazingly low on most items, though they are a bit higher for vintage items of probable value.

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Here's what  I walked out with this week:

vintage canary yellow piping and rickrack

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green wooden handled sewing thing by Clover

(what IS this thing?)

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set of 5 porcelain whiskey decanter signs made in France

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set of 7 unused shower invitations with envelopes

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ceramic, numbered Valentine poodle figurine

{soon to be my new avatar on Etsy)

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So, there you have it!  Game on!  I think we had 15 entries last time- I'm hoping to beat that number, so please don't be shy!

Friday's Favorite Fabric Finds

How is this Friday the 13th going for you?  Things are clicking right along over here, but the weather has been on the schizophrenic side lately.  We had snow on Monday, then yesterday it was near 60 degrees.  Today sees us with a wind chill in the 20s!  Crazy!

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For this week's fabric favorites, I've chosen some flowery beauties to share for anyone out there wanting to dream about springtime projects.

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I think the first two are my favorites this week?  How about you?

Thursday's Treasure

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Completely out of the blue, Sophie says to me during bath time tonight, "Mom, tonight can I watch American Pickers instead of a cartoon?" 

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What?  Seriously?  OMG!!!!!  We watched it together one time like months and months ago.

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Aw.  There is part of me in her after all.  Tonight I will sleep the contented sleep of a mother who has done a fine, fine job.  Kidding.  Mostly.

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If you aren't familiar with the show, you can click on the photo for more info.

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still shaking my head

Wedding Feature

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Brides today have so many fantastic resources available to them online!  My 10 year wedding anniversary is coming up in June, and I am in awe of all the fantastic websites that didn't even exist when I got married.  One such site, the wedding chicks, featured Erica's wedding this week!  Click on the photo to pop on over to see more gorgeous photos of sosovintage fabric this ultra-special "crafty camping wedding".  There are so many fabulous details wrapped up in their special weekend- the write up is sure to inspire many a bride-to-be.

A Sweet Sprinkling...

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...of surprise snow!  This is the planter on our chimney- the one I showed you full of flowers last summer.  Mike cut the holly from the back yard and placed it here way back in early December.  The red berries were so festive for the holidays- who knew he had such decorating prowess?!

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So on Monday, when the unpredicted snow showers came through, I was so glad we hadn't "undecorated" this part of the house.  We ended up getting about an inch of accumulation on the grass.  Yes, I know you people in Ohio and Michigan and other places north are snickering.  But, it's the first snow we've seen this season, and when it doesn't cause trouble on the roads or with power lines it is sooooo beautiful.  I had a perma-grin all day long!

Makeover Monday: 1/9

I had expected the first week of January to be kind of slow around Etsy.  Especially in sosorosey.  Boy, was I pleasantly surprised!  People are already shopping for Valentine's Day, and I guess quite a few are spending some holiday gift $$, too.  As exciting as this is, it's really set me back in the "making over" department.  So, my apologies.  I haven't forgotten the purple thing or my Mom's big rug.. they are just on the side burner for now.

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But, I couldn't do NO makeover today, so this is sort of an odd one.  I found this little heart dish at the Salvation Army last week.  For 99 cents I couldn't leave it behind.  I love the patina, and figured I could use something Valentine-ish in sosovintage. 

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When I got home and peeled off the price tag, I realized that this was not an unmarked piece as I had previously thought.  (Bad, bad thrift store lighting with 40+ year old eyesight).  Huh.  Fisher Sterling. 

Must Google.

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Here is the same dish all shined up!  I found it for sale on eBay: $125.00!!!!  There's another shiny one for sale HERE at the same price: $125.00!!! 

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So, now I'm in a quandary.  Shine it, don't shine it.  Sell it, don't sell it.  Thoughts?