The Big Five Oh Oh

This is my 500th blog post! When I first started this blog two years ago, I had no idea how much I would enjoy it. My favorite part? YOU! I can't tell you how much I love to read your comments, or see that you have visited. I jump up and down when I get a new *follower*, and look forward to staying connected with my friends and family every day.

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So, thank you from the bottom of my little bloggy heart. As a small token of my appreciation, I'm giving away a $10 sosobucks award- can be used as cash in sosorosey or sosovintage. For the main entry, all you have to do is leave a comment here telling me your favorite thing about my blog or etsy shop(s). Shameless, I know. Get an extra entry by being or becoming a follower- just be sure to note that in your comment.

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I'll use random.org to find the winner, and will post the name here Sunday night. *Contest* ends at 10 pm eastern standard time, October 10th. Ten ten ten. Hope to hear from you soon, and again, big huge thanks!

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** The scrapbook page above was found by searching Google images for "vintage celebration". You can click on it to see the site where it is for sale.

2010 Ornaments Revealed

I know, finally, right? You probably thought I forgot. Or maybe I left you hanging so long that YOU forgot! In any case, here are the *Retro Rosey* ornaments that I have been designing, creating, and packaging for a couple of months. Off and on, but still.

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Each step of the creation process was very carefully considered; the colors, patterns, sizes, stitched designs. There were MANY starts and stops along the way.

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I was encouraged when I showed them to the owner at The Muse- she loves them, and wants a bunch in stock for the holidays.

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They will be sold in sets of three- each set will include one of each shape and color. Each one has an upcycled, vintage fabric patch on the back. They come packaged for giving, on cello-covered glittery cardstock with a handmade Retro Rosey tag.

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I've worked so hard on the photographs, trying to get them exactly perfect. I'm not there yet, but if I keep waiting for perfection I may be awhile.

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So tah-dah! I'm holding my breath over here.... What do you think?

Thursday's Treasure

Hip hip hooray for super customers who send photos. These even came the same day the item arrived- talk about a special treat!

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Here is baby Stella contemplating her new toy bucket...

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... and here she is kicking back and enjoying herself!

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She even had an opportunity to check out the ornament made for her from her late grandmother's nightgown. That was short lived when she tried to taste it. Better hang that one high on the tree for a couple of years :)

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I can't thank you enough, Dana, for sharing these photos. Your daughter is precious, and you ROCK!!

Daily Dose Of Cute

Okay, okay- I hear you. Perhaps he isn't *cute* in the conventional sense. More in the *face only a mother could love* sense. He still makes me smile with his grouchy owl face. We all feel this way from time to time don't we?

Makeover Monday

I chose this fabric based on the official merchandising information published on Etsy. Hot colors for the fall are supposed to be plum, moss, and saffron. This is more gold than yellow, but I'm hoping it's close enough. Let's see how many treasuries this new item will make it into!

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This is a nice big basket- over 11" across and about 4" tall.

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The purple and gold lend it a *royal* appearance. Now she just needs a queen or king to request her presence at their palace. ;)

Picture Day

Before having my own child, I had no idea how much stress picture day could cause. When I was a (childless) teacher, I worried a little about how the picture schedule would impact my lessons and I really liked seeing the kids come to school all dressed up. But, I never considered all of the effort it took to get them looking so cute!

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I would assume that this was one of those *just me* things, but I have checked with several other moms who feel the same way. (whew) Seriously, I felt the weight of "Picture Day" from the moment the flyer came home announcing the date.

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I had to go through Sophie's clothes and figure out what would a) fit b) look nice with a "flag background" c) match her one pair of dressy shoes that still kind of fit and d) be something she would wear. Then I had to figure out what to put on her legs. Then what would go in her hair. But that meant I had to decide how I would *do* her hair. And what if it was a hot day? Or a freezing day?

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When I stopped to consider WHY I was getting myself so worked up about this, I realized it had not much at all to do with the dress she wore or how her hair was done. Rather, it was more about the perceived importance of capturing her true essence at this age, at her best, for posterity. I mean, these are the photos that get sent out to all of the relatives... that hang on walls and linger in albums for decades. A wrong move, a poor choice, bad hair could haunt her for the rest of her life. No pressure there. Never mind that if the photos were bad I could just - gasp - not order them.

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So, this is NOT what she wore for Picture Day. It's what she picked out for herself when I let her come home and change. In her defense, she couldn't reach the long pants. I convinced her to push the black socks down before we went to the library. It is a photo that happens to capture her true essence at this age. At her best? Maybe. It sure makes me smile and think "That's my girl!".

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I know that soon enough the great Picture Day decisions won't be mine alone (or at all) anymore... and I will long for this kind of stress. At any rate, we survived, she looked beautiful, and now a small burden has been lifted. I may safely move on to the next obscure, innocuous thing to obsess about.

Fab *New* Fabrics

TGIF, friends! I have been collecting vintage fabrics again. I know, no big surprise with that revelation. Here are a few that should hit the shelves at sosovintage today:

~*~Vintage sheets in purples are hard to come by. This one is extra special because it is a Vera Neumann design for Burlington House!

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Yellow and gray is a HOT combo these days- if the front page of Etsy is any indication. So, I was very happy to find this Dan River beauty.
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I think I have listed this one before, but the whole sheet sold within a day. I found part of sheet while searching through my stash and thought I would re-release it. A limited edition!