Adventures in Vintage

My blog has moved!

2011-01-04T11:28:00.000-06:00

You can now find me at Texas Vintage Things. My company name used to be Lone Star Vintage Clothing and I sold my entire vintage clothing inventory back in 2009. When I started selling vintage again, I changed my name to Texas Vintage Things and never changed my blog name. Now, it just doesn't make sense. If you'd like to find my new blog, please go to Texas Vintage Things. I've transferred my entire blog to the new name (same posts, etc., just a new name). Thanks and happy new year!

Happy New Year from Texas Vintage Things

2011-01-03T20:53:00.004-06:00

Happy new year! I know I'm three days late, but better late than never, right? I honestly can't believe 2010 is gone, but I'm sort of grateful, really. I didn't do anything significant with my life last year, at least not in my opinion. I'm definitely going to place more focus on my blog this year. I'll try my best!

It's a vintage & recycled holiday!

2010-12-07T12:50:00.003-06:00

'It's a vintage & recycled holiday!' by TexasVintage

A selection of vintage & recycled items from the Etsy Recyclers Guild team. Happy holidays! To find more items from our team, search WASTENOT!

Vintage 1970 Gold Lunar Star... recycledwares $15.00	Vintage Santa Bank Made in J... AlpenglowVinta... $15.00	Vintage Santa Embroidery Pie... RecyclersGuild... $4.00
Pop Art Santa Brooch pin for... RetroChaletStu... $12.00	Big Poinsettia Holiday Pin W... WanderingLydia $12.00	Christmas Ornaments Silver R... Retreauxgirl $20.00
Upcycled, Whimsical Garden P... rekindleme $15.00	Custom Adult or Teen Size Sl... FeltedWoolies $46.00	Holiday Santa Upcycled Hair ... junck $2.50
Christmas Morning Necklace/C... modernshadesof... $21.00	Hot Pink Samsonite Suitcase ... RetroChalet $42.00	Victorian 1874 Blue Aquamari... HHDollhouse $139.99
Coca Cola Bottle Cap Upcycle... TheWeepingWill... $4.50	Large 50s Vintage Matte Gold... TexasVintage $45.00	Snowflake Christmas Stocking Revivalvintage... $5.00

Generated using Treasury HTML code generator by Whale Shark Websites.

Vintage jewelry for the holidays on sale!

2010-11-29T20:53:00.005-06:00

I don't know about you, but I would much rather wear a piece of vintage jewelry for the holidays than a piece of jewelry purchased from one of the big box retailers.

Texas Vintage Things has a great selection of vintage jewelry for all ages.

Take for instance this vintage Juliana Style brooch & earrings set

or this 50s Vintage BeauJewels Crystal Brooch & Earrings Set

In addition to vintage jewelry, Texas Vintage Things has a selection of vintage sewing patterns, vintage clothing and vintage accessories. We're having a cyber Monday sale and are extending the sale through tomorrow evening. All items are 50% off! Enter coupon code CYBERMONDAY when checking out. You can't beat that!

Lastly, we're having a giveaway when our Facebook page reaches 500 likes. Please head over to our Facebook page and like us today!

Vintage 40s & 50s velvet wrap & Sans Souchi Coat

2010-11-14T19:22:00.001-06:00

Now that fall is upon us, it's time to think about getting a yourself a great vintage wrap or coat. I live in Houston and it typically doesn't get too cold here, but people do still wear coats on the days it does decide to cool down a bit. If you're in New York or the Midwest, you'll always need a cute coat.

Cute 50s Vintage Glitter Wrap/Shawl

40s Vintage Velvet Sans Souchi Coat

Texas Vintage Things has a nice selection of vintage clothing, costume jewelry and accessories. We've just kicked off our holiday sale and are offering 20% off anything in our store. Sale ends 12/24/2010. 20% off will be refunded to all buyers via Paypal.

We're also having a giveaway on our Facebook Page. Please go over and "like" our page and tell your friends. The winner will be drawn randomly once our page has received 500 "likes".

Upcycled vintage ring giveaway ends today

2010-09-30T13:27:00.002-05:00

It's giveaway time!!! The item that's being offered is an aurora borealis ring that's adjustable. I make jewelry from vintage pieces and this is a fun ring that will fit a variety of sizes.

All you have to do is "like" our page. For those of you who already "like" our page, please tell you friends to "like" our page. Giveaway ends this evening, September 30th, 2010.

Winner will be chosen randomly and announced tomorrow morning on our Facebook page.

Click on the ring to visit our Facebook page:

Upcycled vintage ring giveaway

2010-09-06T07:39:00.004-05:00

It's giveaway time!!! The item that's being offered is an aurora borealis ring that's adjustable. I make jewelry from vintage pieces and this is a fun ring that will fit a variety of sizes.

All you have to do is "like" our page. For those of you who already "like" our page, please tell you friends to "like" our page. Giveaway ends September 30th, 2010.

Winner will be chosen randomly.

Click on the ring to visit our Facebook page:

Vintage Jewelry Giveaway at Texas Vintage Things

2010-08-11T14:55:00.004-05:00

I've decided to sponsor a vintage jewelry giveaway. All you have to do is go to our Facebook page and "like us". You'll win this great bracelet:
The winner will be drawn randomly on August 20, 2010. Be sure to tell your friends. All rights reserved!

I just created an ad on Facebook

2010-08-11T14:49:00.003-05:00

So my vintage business has been a bit slow this summer. I'm not doing anything differently from how I've always done things, BUT that may be just the problem. I'm not going to cry over it. I'm just trying to fix it.

I just created a two day ad on Facebook. Not sure if it's going to work or not, but I also didn't invest a lot of money in the ad either. Guess I'll find out in a few days. I'll keep you posted.

Thought this blog was dead...

2010-08-06T13:53:00.001-05:00

but, I've decided to revive it. I started two other blogs since the start of this blog, but never ever post on them. Guess the organization of this mismatched blog is more my style, instead of dedicating a blog to one theme.

Great vintage sewing patterns up for grabs at Texas Vintage Things

2009-07-08T20:45:00.002-05:00

I have some great vintage sewing patterns up for grabs this week at my store.

If anyone purchases any patterns from my store, mention my blog and I'll give you a 15% discount on those patterns.

Houston's very own Swap N' Bop presented by the Continental Club

2009-06-14T19:51:00.005-05:00

For those of you familiar with Austin or Houston, you should know a little about the Continental Club. For those of you who aren't familiar with the Continental Club, it's a music venue that offers a wide variety of music ranging from blues to rock to rockabilly to whatever. They even have tango on Monday nights.
I typically only sell my wares online via my store however, my friend Michael asked me if I wanted to sell some things at the Swap n' Bop presented by the Continental Club. When Michael asked me if I wanted to set up, I was all for it. Sure, make a little extra money and pay no eBay fees-I'm all for that!

I woke up early this morning, cleaned the house really fast and got ready for church. I was finished with church by 10am and drove home and packed my car. I arrived at the Continental Club by 10.30 and finished setting up by 11am (I didn't bring that much stuff). Well, it ended up being so HOT here in Houston today. It was about 100 degrees and we were even under small tents. I stayed until about 3pm and decided the entire thing was a bust (at least for me). I didn't sell one item. Ugh! At least I didn't take much with me like a lot of the other vendors.

The Continental Club is a cool place to see live music, but it's not a great place to set up (as a vendor) and sell your things-especially not in 100 degree Houston heat!

Thoughts...Things I believe

2009-05-20T23:04:00.003-05:00

These are some thoughts that I wrote down this evening. I hope you enjoy them!

·I believe we are all here for a reason.
·I believe time is a gift from God. We all need to make every moment count because you never know when your time will be up.
·I believe children are a gift and given to us only for a short while. They grow so quickly and learn new things every day.
·I believe the more time you spend with your children they will truly understand the meaning of love.
·Tell your children you love them everyday, as many times as you feel like you want to.
·I believe that if you listen to other people’s problems, it helps you to understand yourself better.
·I believe your life may not be as bad as the next person’s.
·I believe that we are often faced with problems in our lives to teach us lessons. If we can’t work our way through that problem, how can we possibly move on to the next issue?
·I believe we have to learn from our mistakes. None of us are perfect, even though some of us think we are.
·I believe (know) God speaks to us, if we take time to stop and listen.
·I believe that we don’t (often) sit and listen to the things around us. I actually sat in my backyard yesterday and listened to the birds singing. It was really pleasant.
·I believe many of us often get consumed with our daily lives and forget to stop and take a breath.
·I believe that giving is better than receiving (although I like to receive things). Giving makes other people happy and that in turn can make you happy.
·I believe that I love my son’s smile. He has a whole mouthful of teeth and the cutest little face.
·I believe that I will make someone smile once they’ve read all of these things.

Very pretty art deco pendant: It's all mine!!

2009-05-17T13:40:00.006-05:00

There was a really great estate sale in my neighborhood this weekend. It started on Friday and is ending today. I've gone every day since Friday because the prices were on the higer end. I kept going back every day to check to see if the things I wanted were still there.

I woke up early this morning, as usual, got ready and Dominic and I headed back over to the sale.

I purchased this vintage art deco pendant and have decided to keep it for myself:

I also purchased the following items, which can be found in my store.

Can't sleep: Yawn!

2009-05-06T06:24:00.002-05:00

Don't you hate it when you can't sleep? I'm tired and it took me forever to fall asleep last night. I think I fell asleep at nearly 1am and woke up around 3.30-4am. I was lying in bed, flipping through the channels and decided to get up and do some stuff around the house. Hopefully, I'll have a productive day.

Fun day at the Houston Zoo!

2009-04-21T21:54:00.008-05:00

Today was such a beautiful day here in Houston, I decided to take Dominic to the zoo. Most of the animals were out because the weather was so nice. Here are a few pics:

On another note, I know I've been slacking on my blog posts lately. I promise, they'll pick up soon. I've been really super busy, but will devote more time to my blog soon, I promise! Thanks for your patience!

Homemade white bean and vegetable soup - Yummy!!

2009-04-06T13:59:00.005-05:00

I started a juice fast 21 days ago. I never thought I would make it past day two, yet here I am 21 days later.

I started this fast to get healthy and try and rid my body of allergies. I also thought if I lost a few pounds, that would be an added bonus. Well, here I am 21 days into this fast and I'm feeling healthier and I've lost nearly 15 pounds.

I really only had juice the first 7 days. I started making homemade soups by the second week. I was only making lentil or split pea soups and juicing those. I typically make a large pot and can eat on that pot of soup for several days. Today, I made a white bean and vegetable soup. Here's my recipe:

You'll need the following items:

1 Bag of navy/white beans
3 cans of chicken or vegetable stock and 3 parts water (one can of water per can of stock)
Carrots
Broccoli
7-9 cloves of garlic
Leeks or onions (add however much you like)
Mushrooms (I buy these in bulk). I used 2 large mushrooms and cut them up into small pieces
5 stalks of asparagus (cut into small pieces)
Salt and pepper (as much or little as you want)

I usually just add all of my ingredients and turn the burner on high. I place the lid on the pot. Once the soup starts to boil, I turn the heat on medium for awhile. Then on low for about an hour. Stir every now and then.

You can add in potatoes, tomatoes, zucchini, cabbage, celery-whatever veggies you like. Split pea and lentils cook faster and do not take as long to soak. Those beans only take about 45 minutes to soak.

Feeling crafty: Lots of new items added to my site!

2009-03-31T21:39:00.003-06:00

I've been in a super duper crafty mood over the past few weeks. Yesterday and today, I finally had a chance to list my items for sale at my site Mattie Reid Chicago, Smashing Darling and also at my Etsy shop.

If you click the pic below, you'll be redirected to my site: .
I've added a lot of bracelets, necklaces, button rings, hair accessories and handmade Easter greeting cards.

New mid century lampshade: The perfect pairing with my teak lamp!

2009-03-29T23:07:00.003-06:00

I found the most amazing vintage nubby large lampshde this weekend to go with my vintage teak lamp. I only paid $5 for the shade and it's really big and matches perfectly:

What do you think?

Estate sales: As well as a recap of my life...

2009-03-21T15:27:00.012-06:00

Okay, so I haven't written in quite awhile. I've been having medical testing to try and figure out what's wrong with me. At first, I thought it was silent reflux, but I had an upper endoscopy a few weeks ago and the results came back fine. I do have a slight bit of reflux, but nothing major. That doctor referred me to a Pulmonologist. I visited that guy last Monday. He stuck some sort of scope up my nose and said the cartilage in my left nostril was inflamed. He wants me to go for bloodwork, an airway test and a chest ct scan. In addition to those three tests, he wants me to do a sleep study because I told him I was diagnosed with sleep apnea during college when I had sinus surgery. He basically thinks that all of my problems are allergy related, which makes me feel a little better knowing that nothing's wrong with my digestion. Whew! He wrote me out five scripts last week. I was only able to get two filled because I have self employed insurance and my co-pays are insane. I was also able to find a free coupon for another script he wrote for me and I got that one for free. The other two are just going to have to wait. So, I'm taking a steroid, antibiotic and Veramyst, in addition to all of my other supplements/vitamins, etc. Ugh! I just want to be better. I guess I'll hopefully find out soon. He said he has a good idea what's wrong with me and all of these medications should fix me right up. I'll believe it when I see it. I hate taking meds. I have also been juice fasting. Today's my sixth day. I juice my nutrients morning, noon and night. I've lost 7 pounds in six days as well. I'm going to try to stay on the fast for a minimum of twenty days, possibly thirty. I've read that if you have major ailments going on inside your body, you should fast for a minimum of twenty days. I guess I'll see about that too!

Enough about that... I'm really into estate sales again. I'm not so general with vintage clothing. I'm selling all things I like. Mid century modern furniture, vintage clothing, fabulous costume jewelry, vintage kitchen stuff, vintage accessories. I have found that if I open my market up to a larger audience, I tend to do better. I'm even selling some of Dominic's old clothing. As long as it sells, I don't really care.

I went to this great sale four days in a row this week (Wednesday-today). The house just had this great old shabby chic, art deco feel to it. All the items in the sale were really great. Today was the last day and everything was 50% off, of course. Here are a few of the things I've purchased over the past few days:
Oh and here's a mid century modern chair I found at another sale the other day. I love it:
As always, these items and more can be found here.

Mid Century Modern Series: Mid Century Homes in Houston, Texas

2009-03-13T19:31:00.012-06:00

To those of you who are loyal and visit my blog frequently enough, you know I have a vintage pattern series. Many of you also know that I love anything mid century modern. Why do I love things from mid century? There are many reasons. The following homes will describe in great detail why I love mid century modern designed homes:

This first home is my home. It's a rental, but we love it just the same. I hope to eventually purchase a much better mid century modern home in this area within the next year:

This house is my neighbor's house across the street:

The remaining few homes are random homes in my direct neigborhood as well as a few neighborhoods over. I'm so in love with mid century modern homes. I really am. I know there's a perfect one out there for me. I just haven't found it yet!!
This concludes my mid century modern home series for today. I'll try to post new mid century homes in the Houston area at least once a week. Aren't they amazing? Why can't we just go back in time when design was amazing and not so cookie cutter?

My son keeps calling me by my first name: Heather or more like "Head-er"

2009-03-10T20:30:00.004-06:00

Dominic is at this really annoying stage where he basically copies anything he hears. He hears Justin call me by my name all the time and he follows suit. He'll run down the hallway and say, "Heather (sounds more like Head-er), mommy, Head-er." I'll turn around and correct him and say, "Don't call me Head-er. Call me mommy." And-he'll say, "Okay, Head-er." What's up with that? I don't hear him calling Justin by his first name. Why does he have to call me by my first name? Doesn't he understand that I went through childbirth and pain for him??? Just joking... It's actually pretty funny!

Mid Century Danish Modern: My new chair!

2009-03-06T22:30:00.006-06:00

I went to an estate sale yesterday and they had quite a collection of stuff for super cheap prices. I purchased a few things for resale and I also purchased this great teak Danish modern chair for $10 (I know, sweet deal!!):The teak wood is actually in decent condition however, the chair came without a cushion. I drove over to Hobby Lobby last night after working out and purchased two foam polyfill cushions. I just so happen to have some great vintage fabric in my closet and decided to use that fabric to cover the cushions.

Here's my new chair with the newly covered cushions:What do you guys think? I may end up changing the fabric to a solid color at some point, but this will work for now. Great for my office room!

Vintage pattern series: Great late 30s vintage Superior Pattern #9743

2009-02-27T21:21:00.005-06:00

The pattern I've chosen to post today for my pattern series is one from the late 1930's by Superior Pattern. Pattern number is 9743. This particular pattern is not dated, but you can tell by the detailing on the dress that this is late 30's. Pattern states that the style is approved by Cynthia Powell. I'm not quite sure who Cynthia Powell is, but I'm sure she was a great designer. If anyone knows who she is, would you mind sharing? I've Googled her, but came up empty handed.

This particular pattern is also a larger sized pattern for the 30's. The bust size is a 44". That's pretty large for vintage patterns. I love all the gathering at the bust area. This is a great dress! As always, my patterns are for sale if the price is right!

Poem: The past is gone

2009-02-24T22:55:00.004-06:00

Motion of powerlessness is like poison to the soul.
To try deeper and harder than you've ever tried before.
To take that step you've never dared to take.
Yet...wait...why haven't I tried this yet?
Days come and evenings go.
The next time I turn around, ten years have passed.
Time is precious.
We need to appreciate now because we will never be here again.
Once today is gone, it's gone forever-lost in the distant past.
Time fades, yet memories remain.
Cherish them because they are all you'll ever have.

Writen by me (Heather)February 2009

No mas Lone Star Vintage Clothing: New name = My Vintage Things...

2009-02-21T22:05:00.012-06:00

As many of you know, I sold my vintage clothing inventory this past December to Violetville Vintage. I was also hoping to sell my website,Lone Star Vintage Clothing, as well. Lo and behold, a guy contacted me about four weeks ago asking if he could purchase the site. At first, we could not agree on a price. I wanted more than he wanted to pay, of course-but, then I started thinking about why I still needed the site. As long as I could recoupe all fees associated with purchasing the site two years ago-his offer wasn't such a bad deal after all.

I contacted the guy about two weeks ago and told him I would sell him the domain for the price he offered. I never heard back from him until last week. He asked if the site was still available and if it was, he wanted to purchase it. I was confused and thought he wanted the site as it was, but he just wanted to transfer the domain. So, we started the process. My webhost is located in the UK and I think it took a little extra time to get everything done because of the difference in time. Luckily, everything worked out, I received payment for my domain and transferred my domain to the new buyer. Yay!

With this said, I went ahead and changed my eBay store name as well. My new seller name is: my_vintage_things and my store name is: My Vintage Things from Texas. Here's the link to my auctions.

I have a lot of great vintage costume jewelry up for grabs this week. Here are a few pics of some of the goodies I have listed:

Busy, busy, busy: So much to do and so little time!

2009-02-18T12:27:00.007-06:00

I've been so busy this past week. I received another order for my handmade cards. This time, for St. Patricks Day! Here are a few of the cards I made:I accept custom orders for greeting cards. I sell them for $4.00/card or $2.50 for bulk if you order 10 or more. Most cards I make are one-of-a-kind.

I also have some great vintage items up for auction this week. Click here to see if you can find something you just can't live without!

Valentines day 2009: Kiddo party

2009-02-14T15:22:00.007-06:00

My old friend, Penny, from high school invited Dominic and I over yesterday for a pre-Valentines day party. The party was just for our kiddo's. She made heart shaped pizza's and the kids got to decorate heart shaped cupcakes after lunch. Here are a few pics from the party yesterday:

Pattern series: Vintage 1930's pattern by Hollywood Pattern Company

2009-02-11T11:35:00.003-06:00

The vintage pattern I have chosen to post today is one from the 1930's. It's by Hollywood Pattern Company, pattern number 1180. According to Cemetarian, this particular pattern number would have been manufactured around 1933.
I love, love, love the longer sleeve version of this dress. This pattern is a one-piece, "sew simple" frock, as stated on the pattern. Blouse is gathered slightly below drop-shoulder yoke. Slide fastener or buttons may finish front opening below narrow shawl collar. Four goured skirt joins blouse under belt or girdle. Single patch pocket on skirt is optional. Just below the elbow sleeves are optional. Can be made with printed crepe, eyelet batiste, cotton or linen lace, seersucker, handkerchief linen, pongee, flat crepe, novelty cotton or heavy sheer.

I think I'm going to make this dress and repost once I've completed the dress. As always, my patterns are for sale if the price is right. :)

Old Photography: It's a Chicago thing....

2009-02-09T23:05:00.012-06:00

I moved to Chicago in 1998 to attend school for fashion design. I attended Columbia College my first semester because I had heard so many great things about that school. Don't get me wrong, it was a great school, but I didn't think their fashion program was all that great. If you want to go to school for film or photography, Columbia would be an amazing school to go to. Fashion Design was a different story.

Columbia's fashion curriculum required you to take a photography class. I'm still pretty clueless on that one, but I took that class despite my questions. Over the course of the past few weeks, I've been going through all my old photographs. I picked up some relatively inexpensive frames with prebuilt mat boards inside. I became inspired and purchased nine of these frames and added my pics to them this evening:
As you can tell, I like to take photo's of subjects such as things in nature or people. I had to develop all of these photo's in the darkroom at school and that was one thing I always struggled with. I also took this class in the fall/winter and sometimes it was difficult to get out to take pics because of the weather. I hope you enjoyed them. I hung them on my wall. Just a little momento of my life in Chicago.

Bee sting: No bueno!!!

2009-02-06T09:50:00.004-06:00

Yesterday, I took Dominic to the park to play. We played for a little while and then I decided it was time to leave because I needed to get home to get ready to go to Yoga class with my neighbor. Dominic, being like any other two year old toddler, did not want to leave. I ended up picking him up and carring him to the car.

When we arrived to our car, I felt something stick my upper right thigh. I thought Dominic could have stepped in gum and a bit of the gum had gotten stuck to my leg or something. I set him down in his car seat and checked the bottoms of his shoes for gum, which there was none. I did however, see a red spot on my thigh. I walked around to my side of the car, got in and sat down. I tried to examine the spot a little more closely, but still didn't see any type of stinger in there. I got home and started looking up “allergic reactions to bee stings,” online. I am pretty allergic to bee stings however, it's been such a long time since the last time I was stung by anything. I was actually a little scared because I wasn't sure what to do or what was going to happen, if anything. I put a paste of crushed aspirin and baking soda on the wound and went ahead to my Yoga class.

I got home from Yoga around 7.30 and I was not feeling so well. At the end of the Yoga class, we did some poses to stimulate our immune system. Maybe this caused a reaction with the bee venom of something. I felt really hot, really weak and I had aches all over my body. I felt like I was coming down with the flu. Justin brought me home some soup and I continued to feel worse as the evening progressed. I checked my temperature and I had a low grade fever of 100.5. I immediatey took some Ibuprofen and ran a luke warm bath. I went to bed after that. I felt so awful, I could barely move.

Here's a gross pic of my little bee sting:

I just thought I would share my bee sting episode. It was not pleasant. I'm feeling a bit better this morning, but still not 100%. Are any of you allergic to bees?

Blog feature: Sweet Delight

2009-02-04T15:08:00.006-06:00

Today's featured post is about Sweet Delight. Robin and Penny of Delightful Divas in Business are the masterminds behind Sweet Delight. They specialize in sampler boxes full of handmade goodies. I hope you enjoy reading about them!

Q. Tell me a little about yourself:

We are two sisters (and best friends) who love meeting new people, having fun, trying new things, gabbing, and shopping til we drop. We can always
be found browsing through swanky boutiques, gushing over the handmade
treasures that we discover along the way. If it looks good, smells good,
or feels good.....you can bet that we'll buy it.
As the editors of Delightful Divas in Business, we have always loved to
promote, connect, and inspire independent business owners. We are
passionate about "all things handmade" and that is why we are so excited
about the launch of our new sister-site, Sweet Delight Divalicious Sample Boxes.

Q. Please describe your business in detail.

At Sweet Delight Divalicious Sample Boxes, we provide a unique avenue of advertising for independent business owners. We promote their products and help them to reach out to hundreds of consumers. This is one of the most fun and effective ways to gain exposure and recognition on the web today!
Our sample boxes contain approx. 10-15 samples (sometimes more), from a variety of online businesses, and will be mailed directly to the consumer for only $25 (shipping included). We cater to Divas who like to discover fabulous boutiques and prefer to "try before they buy". Inside our boxes, you will find glam bath and body products, candles, jewelry, and fashion accessories! Mmm.....very Divalicious!

We have many fabulous companies participating in our first-ever "Divalicious" promotional campaign. It is going to be an exciting event and will take place in March '09. The specific date will be announced on our website very soon at
Sweet Delight.

Q. Where do you get your inspiration?

We are inspired by the many "Divas In Business" that we meet, interview, feature, and promote each and every week. We are inspired by their creativity, their success, their perseverence, their devotion, their hard work, and their strength.

Q. Where are your sample boxes sold?

Our "Divalicious" sample boxes are sold online.

Q. What advice can you give other independent business owners when selling their items?

Promote, promote, promote. We can't stress this enough. Good promotion and advertising is the "key" to getting your items noticed. Plus....it takes a mixture of love, hard work, effort, long hours, and devotion to build a reputable and successful business. If you love what you do and you care about your customers......everything else will follow.

Q. Describe yourself in three words:

Well, here goes. Three words that describe us...

"Hardworking"
"Motivated"
"Enthusiastic"

and

"Divas" (oops, that's four words.*lol*)

I want to personally thank Robin and Penny for sharing their info. Now hop on over to Sweet Delight and buy a sampler box. You won't be disappointed!!!

Amazing dress: Madeleine Vionnet recreation

2009-02-01T23:38:00.002-06:00

What an amazing dress! I love it!

Google Image Result for http://img.timeinc.net/time/2007/style_design/images/vionnet_alt.jpg

Strange dream: Includes Jay Leno

2009-01-30T22:56:00.003-06:00

The topic of my post is really weird, I know, I know. Tonight, I started going through an old spiral notebook from college. I used it for school and also as a journal. I just came across an old dream I had written about:

This dream must have been back around 1999 or 2000:

The other night, I dreamt I was on vacation and Jay Leno's mother was my grandmother (I guess that would have made me his daugther or something like that). She lived in Paris-I guess we were both in Paris and Jay Leno just happened to stop by her flat. He left his Gucci bags on the curb and went up to her flat. There was a fire and the windows blew out - sort of like an explosion. He rescued us and then went back to the curb, only to find his bags had been stolen.

What's up with this dream? I can't believe I wrote this down.

Easy dinner: Kung Pao Chicken

2009-01-29T12:18:00.008-06:00

Last night, I cooked Kung Pao Chicken for dinner. This delicious dish was finished and ready to eat in less than thirty minutes.

Ingredients:

Two chicken breasts (if you don't like chicken, you can use tofu, shrimp-basically anything you like)-cut your chicken into cubes
Half of a yellow onion or scallions if you prefer
One red pepper
One jalepeno
Two cloves of garlic
Dry peanuts (I purchased mine in the bulk section at Whole Foods)
Tsp. of honey
Kung Pao seasoning
Soy sauce
Jasmine Rice

Take a fairly large wok type skillet and heat some olive oil in the pan. You'll also need to start another pan for your Jasmine rice. You can prepare your veggies while your oil is heating. Once the oil is hot, you will take you onions and red pepper and sautee those in your oil. Next, add your jalepeno's and garlic. Next, add your honey, Kung Pao seasoning and peanuts. Let all those items cook together for a few minutes. Add your chicken to the mix and cook with all of the other items. Once the chicken is cooked, you are ready to add to your jasmine rice. Enjoy!

Vintage pattern series: Great 1930's Simplicity pattern

2009-01-28T12:05:00.005-06:00

This vintage pattern is the second pattern I've chosen to acknowledge in my vintage pattern series.

This particular pattern is not dated however, it's most definitely a pattern from the 1930's, as you can tell from the hair styles and the styles of each dress. This pattern is by Simplicity and the pattern number is 2021. The dress can be sewn with short sleeves and a yoke cut in one. You can also style the dress with a cape-like collar over sleeveless armholes. The skirt is obviously straight and there are low-placed pleats at centerfront.

All my patterns noted in my pattern series are for sale, as long as the price is right. I hope you enjoyed this one!

This I believe: The personal philosophies of remarkable men and women

2009-01-27T10:12:00.006-06:00

At Christmas, my friend Will gave me a book called, "This I believe: The personal philosophies of remarkable men and women." I was familiar with excerpts from this book because I've listened to them on NPR.

I'm not a huge reader, but this book is so excellent. I highly recommend it! I read quite a bit of it last week while visiting my parents. One of the stories even made me cry.

Life and death: It's a fact of life!!!

2009-01-26T10:58:00.003-06:00

I'm not sure about you, but I am terrified of death. I really love living and all life has to offer. I take the good with the bad however, the good typically seems to outweigh the bad, at least for me.

My father retired when he was 50 years old and he and my stepmother have been full time RV-ers for about the past seven years. They've been staying out near Marfa, Texas for the past few years and decided to drive over to Del Rio, Texas last week. Dominic and I drove out to Del Rio last Wednesday and stayed until yesterday. The reason I am bringing all of this up is because I was listening to NPR or National Public Radio on my drive home yesterday. They always have really interesting radio programs on NPR, most of which I really enjoy listening to.
The progam I listened to yesterday was called A good death. The show was basically about how the topic of death is something many of us don't traditionally discuss, even though we all know it's going to happen to us sooner or later. This show really intrigued me because I am terrified of death. I am a person of Christian faith however, the thought of dying and leaving my loved ones here on earth petrifies me.

If you want to listen to the show I listened to yesterday, please visit A good death.

Vintage pattern series: Favorite vintage patterns from my collection

2009-01-20T18:42:00.004-06:00

I'm going to start a vintage pattern series...vintage patterns from my very own collection that I can't for some reason or another let go of. In all honesty, I'm a vintage pattern hoarder and I know I need to let go of some of the patterns, but I just can't. If any of my readers ever see a pattern I post and you absolutely love it, just contact me and I may be willing to sell it. Within this series, I will try to post two or more patterns a week. I hope you enjoy them!

This particular pattern is from the (early) 1930's (I'm assuming from the garment details however, the pattern's not dated). The pattern is by Du Barry. I love how very elegant this dress is. You have the option to sew with long bishop style sleeves or short sleeves. The pattern features numerous pleats, just below the yoke line.

Sleeping angel: My Dominic

2009-01-19T20:21:00.002-06:00

He'll fall asleep anywhere when it's his naptime:

Cute handmade Valentines day cards: Mattie Reid Chicago

2009-01-18T00:01:00.004-06:00

Here are a few Valentines day cards I made last night:
I'll be listing these and others online at Mattie Reid Chicago and at
my Etsy store within the next week. They cost $4.00/card. I also offer a bulk rate of $2.50/card if you order 10 or more cards. Most cards are OOAK (one of a kind). So what are you waiting for? Share some love this Valentines day and send a handmade greeting card from Mattie Reid Chicago.

Scrapbooking supplies: Try the red dot aka Target!

2009-01-13T21:40:00.012-06:00

For those of you who are into scrapbooking or making your own greeting cards, you need to visit the $1-$2.50 bins at Target if you haven't already. Target has bins at the front of all of their stores and the items in the bins range from bath stuff to calenders to scrapbooking stuff to basically whatever. Nothing costs more than $2.50. Yesterday, Dominic and I visited the bins at Target and I found the following Valentines (and other random items) day scrapbooking stuff (each item cost only $1):So, if you are into this sort of stuff, go save yourself a few bucks and buy your supplies at Target.

Facebook: Old school reunion!

2009-01-11T21:51:00.006-06:00

I can't remember if I've written about this before, but Facebook has become somewhat of an old school reunion. Over the course of the past few months, I have come across people I knew in grade school, junior high, high school, college and beyond. It's sort of weird running across people who you have not spoken to in more than twenty years-people who were your best friends at one time or another. Life's strange when you stop and think about it.

Smashbox cosmetics: Just smashing darling!

2009-01-07T20:55:00.005-06:00

In my last post, I commented about how I absolutely adore Smashbox cosmetics. It's been a long time since I've replenished my entire cosmetics collection, not that I wear a lot of makeup, but I do like to look presentable at times. A week before Christmas, I visited Ulta and they had some pretty amazing holiday gift sets for sale. I came across the Smashbox section and instantly fell in love with their products. Here are a few of the things I purchased from Smashbox:

This gift set can be seen here

This concealer can be seen here
I also purchased a foundation primer that's not listed on the Ulta site. It has a sheen to it. It gives your face a slight glow. I love it!

Napa leather and vinyl Cynthia Rowley handbag: I love it!!!

2009-01-05T22:12:00.007-06:00

I found the most amazing handbag a few days ago by Cynthia Rowley at T J Maxx. The original price tag was $365 and the original T J Maxx price was listed at $165, but it had been marked down to $119. I decided not to purchase the bag the other day, but couldn't get this stupid purse out of my head. I went back today and lo and behold, the bag was still there.I know, I'm bad, but I really wanted this bag. I couldn't get it out of my mind. I rarely find bags I like and when I do and they are this cute, I can't resist. It's from this season, as you can tell by looking at this bag.It's made of soft, supple black napa leather and has panels of shiny black pvc or vinyl. I love, love, love my new bag!

Tomorrow, I'll post about some new cosmetics I've recently purchased by Smashbox. Their line of cosmetics is one of my all time favorites!

New year = clean slate

2009-01-03T12:45:00.004-06:00

I know that 2008 was a bad year for many people. I personally, had an okay year. I don't have much to complain about. I did not lose any money because I had none invested (you can't lose what you don't have, right???). 2008 brought many great things to me. I am thankful to have a beautiful son who is healthy:I've had a chance to reflect on my life over the past few weeks and know that I want to do something exciting and challenging in 2009. Now that my vintage clothing collection is gone, I can now place my focus on designing. I whole heartedly want my collection to be amazing. I was going to focus on infant/toddler wear made of organic cotton however, with the new Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act, I apparently will be required to peform costly testing on all children's clothing items, which I unfortunately cannot afford. I'm not giving up, but I am thinking that I will shift my focus to women's wear-things that I like to wear, but can never find in the store. I'll keep you posted!

Really good chili!

2008-12-31T16:06:00.009-06:00

Everytime we get cooler weather in Houston, I like to make chili. I typically take the veggies in my refrigerator that are about to go bad and use them all up. That's precisely what I did with this chili recipe:

First you will take a yellow pepper and a yellow onion. Chop up the entire pepper and half of the onion. Take a sauce pan and add olive oil to the pan. Sautee the onion and pepper on medium to high heat.Next, you'll take mushrooms and add those to the mix. You can use any type of mushrooms you'd like:I also added cilantro to the mix as well. If you don't like cilantro, just leave that herb out:Continue to sautee all the veggies until they are completely tender. Once they are cooked, remove your pan from the heat and set aside.

Next, you will brown your ground beef. You can use chili meat and/or ground turkey as well. I personally don't like chili meat because it's just a bit too chunky for my personal taste. Cook the meat until it's completely brown:Next, you will add your veggies to your meat:With the final step, you will take a can of tomato sauce, two cans of stewed tomatoes and a can of corn. Add those to your mixture. Lastly, add your chili seasoning (you can buy the pre-made seasoning packet or make your own). Let all items simmer for approximately 20 mintues. Top with cheese and sour cream. Enjoy!

More handcrafted items: t-shirts with vintage fabric appliques, tie cuff bracelet and earrings

2008-12-30T10:30:00.011-06:00

Last week, I made a few last minute Christmas gifts for Justin's friend's girls. One girl is four years old and the other is nine or ten, I think. I've been buying up loads of t-shirts and making things with them. I also made Justin's business partner a cuff bracelet made from a tie and made his mother some earrings.

I made the four year old this t-shirt:
I made the older girl this t-shirt:
Here's the tie cuff bracelet:
And, these earrings for Ken's (Justin's business parter) mother:
The new year is right around the corner, literally, and I need to get to work. I've been slacking the past few weeks because I've been making holiday gifts, but it's time to get down to business. Now that my vintage inventory is gone, I need to put more focus into my children's apparel line. God willing, I will do this and will be successful at it!

Out of the Box sampler: Super wonderful goodness!

2008-12-24T09:31:00.010-06:00

I received my December handmade sampler from Out of the Box Sampler yesterday. I had been gone all day and noticed the box at my doorstep as I pulled into my garage. It's always a nice surprise to get the Out of the Box Sampler because you never know what's going to be inside. Each and every month, there are approximately 18-20 handmade goodie samples inside each box. The samples are all handmade and range from baked goodies, candles, handmade soaps, paper goods to jewelry.

Here are a few of my favorites out of this month's Out of the Box Sampler:

Little Mac’s Candles included a lifesaver's-like tube of tea light candles with scents such as: hazelnut, cinnamon stick, Christmas tree, Christmas cheer, grandma's kitchen and cranberry. Trust me, if you like candles, these smell awesome!
Bath Artisan Soaps sent a full size bar of Oatmeal, Milk & Honey soap as well a sample of Almond body butter.
Country Heart Blends makes dip mixes & unique gift ideas. They sent a package of tangy onion dip mix that looks really yummy!Lastly, one of my most favorite items in this month's sampler comes from
Tishomingo Candle & Soap Co.. They sent in an amazing Orange Peel & Cinnamon scented candle. This candle smells so good, I think I'm going to go and light it right now!Michelle at Out of the Box Sampler does such an amazingly wonderful job with her sampler boxes. I have submitted samples to sampler boxes as well as purchased sampler boxes from many different companies, and I still feel that the Out of the Box Sampler is one of the best, if not the best, handmade sampler boxes out there. This past month, Michelle's December sampler box sold out in just one day. If you really like sampler boxes, you definitely need to check out the Out of the Box Sampler. You won't be sorry!

Merry Christmas and happy holidays!!

New jewelry: Necklaces and earrings

2008-12-22T14:36:00.003-06:00

I've spent the past few weeks practicing making jewelry. Some of the jewelry was made to give away as Christmas gifts and I kept a few pieces to sell. I've listed a few pieces for sale at my Etsy shop and also at Mattie Reid Chicago (my own site).

Most of the items are necklaces made with pendants and Swarovski crystals. Here are a few of the items I listed today:

If you stop by and see anything you like, mention this post and you'll receive 10% off your final order!

Basil Pesto Veggies: Yummy!

2008-12-21T13:48:00.006-06:00

Several nights ago, I decided to cook all the veggies in our refrigerator before they went bad. I sautéed zucchini, orange peppers, peas, asparagus and onions in olive oil over medium to high heat. Once all the veggies were finished, I took some basil pesto sauce from a jar and added it to the veggies.I added chunks of cheese to the top of my veggies when I was finished adding the pesto sauce. Here are some pics of Dominic as he was eating that night:

Tribute to Randi and Tiga....my friend and her beloved Akita.

2008-12-15T22:22:00.005-06:00

I forget to mention in my earlier post that my friend Randi had to put her beloved dog, Tiga, to sleep this past weekend:If any of you know anything about Akita's, then you know how it takes a certain type of person to own an Akita. They are beautiful dogs however, can be dog and/or people agressive. I have owned two Akita's and my first was a male and he was/is dog aggressive. I now own a female named Hana, and she is the sweetest, gentlest Akita I've ever met in my life.

Tiga, Randi's dog, bit Randi's friend this past weekend. This was the third time Tiga had bitten someone and Randi told me that if your dog bites a person more than twice in the state of Texas, the owner of the dog can serve jail time. She had to make a very difficult decision and decided to put him to sleep. I feel so very sorry for Randi because she is one of the sweetest, most genuine girls I have ever known. I know she loved her Tiga so very much (I know how much I love my Hana).

Randi, I am so sorry this has happened to you. I love you very much and everything will turn out just fine. Please don't be sad. Tiga's in a good place and I know he misses you!

Holiday gifts: Tweet, meow and peace!

2008-12-15T21:44:00.008-06:00

I've been trying to wrap up my handmade holiday gifts over the past few days. I'm getting close to being finished (woo hoo!).

Today, I made my two nieces lil' embroidered tops. One has an embroidred birdie and the other has a spotted cat with a pink scarf on:
I apologize for the terrible photo's. The lighting in my house is awful and that's another reason why I have yet to post any pics of the jewelry I've made. If it's nice outside tomorrow, I'll take pics and post my jewelry.

This evening, I made my dad and step mother t-shirts with peace sign appliques made from vintage fabrics (they are total hippies at heart and I think they'll love these t-shirts). Here are the pics of the appliques:

Busy week: No more vintage clothing & lots of handmade goodies!

2008-12-12T17:35:00.006-06:00

Yep, that's right! No more vintage clothing for me! I'll still wear it and possibly pick things up every now and then to sell, but it will no longer be my main focus. I listed my entire vintage clothing inventory for sale on Craigslist last week and Julie from Violetville Vintage contacted me about the possibility of buying the entire lot. Her mother lives just outside of Austin and found my ad and forwarded it to Julie (she lives in Milwaukee). Julie and I exchanged a few emails, I made an inventory list for her and that was pretty much it. I included an approximate cost of what my inventory was worth and she came back and made me an offer. I accepted her offer and that was that! Her mother and father drove down this past Monday and picked everything up. I was sad and relieved all at the same time. It felt really good to purge my closet and get rid of two years worth of vintage accumulation.

With all my vintage gone, I have had more time to focus on my handcrafted items this week. I've been very fortunate and my friend, Sophia, has placed a ton of orders for my handmade holiday cards. She underestimated how many cards she needed and placed an emergency order yesterday. I stayed up late last night and finished them. Here are a few of the cards from yesterday's lot:
She's also placed an order for 20 thank you cards, which I will post photo's of in the next few days. I've also made some jewelry for Christmas presents this week and I'll post some photo's of those items tomorrow.

Lastly, my vintage website, Lone Star Vintage Clothing, is for sale. I still have approximately 200 days left in my current subscription. The site comes with a shopping cart feature, which links up to Paypal and approximately 5 email addresses. I'm selling all graphics as well. I'm open to all offers!

Featured artist: Skin Candy

2008-12-09T09:00:00.011-06:00

A few posts ago, I wrote about November's Out of the Box sampler and also posted about samples from Skin Candy that were included in the sampler box. I must tell you that after I tried these samples, I fell in love with all of the products. I tried an amazing foot scrub and the body butter is to die for! I highly recommend these products! I'm sure you will love them just as much as I did!
Q. Tell me a little about yourself:

Well, my name is Melissa. I’m originally from Minnesota but now live in Pennsylvania. I’ve been married 8 years to a man named Steven. We met on the internet believe it or not. I am a mom to one dog named Scout (he’s a yellow lab). No 2 footed children though. I just turned the big 40 but there are days I feel like I’m 60! No one ever tells you about getting old (the achy joints, the really dry skin, the smelly ear flaps…I could go on and on). My husband and I own a dog daycare in Allentown Pa (www.woofworldpa.com) one piece of advice ladies….never open a business with your significant other! Lol.

Q. When did you first start making skin care products?

I can’t say it better than I did on my my website so I’ll just repeat it here. This is a funny, but true story. I'm a HUGE reader and one day my husband said to me, "you need a real hobby". Yes, he really said that (men)! Well, as any good wife would do when their husband says something like that.........I ignored him. Went about my life with the dogs and my books.
I work with dogs...I can't wear make-up because it's licked off by 9am. I can't wear jewelry because I'm afraid to poke a dog's eye out with my rings. I can't wear nice clothes because hey....I work with dogs (and if I’m truthful about it…I was never a clothes horse…I was more the shop at Wal-Mart type anyway)...but dammit, I CAN smell pretty (it’s the only way I can show my “girly” side)!
So one day, after spending over $100 at Bath & Body Works (the great semi-annual sale no less) and not caring for the way it moisturized my skin (you can just call me alligator legs…seriously) I started thinking, "I wonder if I can do this better?" .... and then the husband's words of "you need a real hobby" came to me and I was OFF!!!!
I started off just making stuff for myself and gave away lots of product and people started asking where they could buy this yummy stuff soooo, I started Skin Candy. My husband just shakes his head when an order comes in and I rush off to make it-all giddy. He says; “I said to get a hobby…not a second business!”
Q. Please describe your craft in detail. What's one of your favorite items to make?

I don’t have any one product I love to make. What I love is smelling all the different combinations of things that people can come up with (my main “selling” point is that I will custom blend up to 3 scent choices for any product). When I see an order I always “ohhhh, & ahhhh” at the fantastic combinations people make. I can’t wait to see how some of them will smell.
Q. How has your work evolved from your earlier work?

Skin Candy is still fairly new (under 1 year old) so there haven’t been many changes. I have added lots of new products (lip balm and shower gel just today). But I don’t think there will be many product changes (besides additions) because I won’t sell anything I won’t use myself, that works, and that I LOVE.

Q. Where do you get your inspiration?

If you take a look at my scent list you will notice that there is a LOT of foodie scents. I am a food hound. This let’s me make yummy smelling stuff without all the calories.
Q. Where are your products sold (online/stores)?

I have a stand inside a craft store in Allentown. Sales representatives that sell via at home parties and online parties. The online parties are exciting. It gives people a chance, anywhere in the country, to earn free product for themselves! I also sell through my own website.
Q. What advice can you give other crafters when selling their items?

Don’t settle for “good” products. If you have a product you really love, it will sell itself.

Q. Describe yourself in three words:

Old, dry, and broke. But my husband says; “impatient, stubborn, & mine.”
Q. Is there is anything else you'd like to share with us?

Thank you so much for taking the time to read about me and Skin Candy.

Featured artist: Pippi Jewelry

2008-12-06T14:41:00.005-06:00

Today's featured artist, Pippi Jewelry, makes really amazing wire wrapped accessories. I say her work is amazing because I've tried wire wrapping and I honestly feel it's a true art. It's very tedious to get the wire wrapped just right! Pippi's blog can be found here. Q. Tell me a little about yourself:

I grew up the 6th in a family nine children, and now have two delightful, grown daughters of my own. I have always loved making things with my hands, and have tried many different crafts through the years, but jewelry making is my passion. The jewelry we chose to wear is an expression of our uniqueness, and I love it when someone finds one of my pieces and makes it a part of themselves. I am also a massage therapist and Reiki Master/Teacher. All of my work comes through my hands. When I'm not creating, I love to ride my mountain bike, and back country ski in the winter. I have always been pretty athletic, and love playing outdoors. I also love to sing.

Q. When did you first start crafting?

I have been crafting as long as I can remember! As a child, I would play outside for hours, making dolls out of grass and twigs, and elaborate 'sod' houses for them in the roots of trees out of strips of moss and sticks, with acorn cap dishes. My grandmother taught me to crochet when I was aobut 6 or 7, and I still tapestry crochet today, creating pictures with the yarn. I grew up drawing, and filled countless sketch pads and notebooks. I also do acrylic and watercolor paintings. I spent a number of years making quilts, and I still love making picture pot holders. They are so quick to make, they are like candy! Instant (almost) gratification! When my girls were growing up, we used to spend hours at a time making collages, and I made cloth dolls for them in all sizes.
Q. Please describe your art in detail. What's your favorite type of crafting/art?

As I said before, jewely making is my passion. I was first inspired to start making wire wrapped jewelry after seeing and buying some of the jewelry one of my massage school classmates made. After a while, I thought, I could do this. I took a basic wire wrapping class at the local bead store, and took off. Then, when we moved here to Idaho, I spent a lot of time online looking for more. I found some excellent tutorials and websites which expanded my skills, and my work took a whole new direction. My seahorses, which are my favorite thing I make, and my signature design, were inspired by a pair of earrings I made a while back. Everyone who saw them told me they looked like seahorses, and I thought, “hmmm, seahorses...”

Q. How has your work evolved from your earlier work?

I tend to make a lot more sculptural pieces, now that I have mastered techniques for sculpting in wire. But I still have so much to learn! My next goal is to teach myself how to make things with PMC (precious metal clay). Eventually, I will equip my work studio with a torch (all of my work right now is cold forged), and then watch out! I also want to learn how to do granulation and repousee work. I am always hungry to learn more.
Q. Where do you get your inspiration?

Everything inspires me! I am constantly amazed by the beauty of the world! I just try to reflect some of the wonder I see every day in my work. I think my biggest inspiration for my jewelry is from ancient jewelry. I often do Google image searches on ancient jewelry to get ideas. My favorite wire artists are Eni Oken, Iza Malczyk, and Magdalena Borejko.

Q. Where are your products sold (online/stores)?

I sell my work locally at The Loft in Hailey, ID, and in my Etsy store. I also do an annual holiday trunk show. And I usually have a collection of recent pieces on the lowboy in my livingroom, so a lot of times, friends and massage clients will buy things right there.

Q. What advice can you give other crafters when selling their items?

Love what you do! Life is too short to be doing something you don't love. Become an expert at what you make, and share your knowledge with others. Take good pictures of your work, if you are selling online. Look at other sellers' pictures, and notice what attracts your attention. Use what you learn from them to make your photos better. Post new items in your shop regularly, and use interesting descriptions for your work. Start a blog, and read other people's blogs. There are lots of people out there with ideas that can help you and your business, and it gives your blog readers a chance to know the person behind the piece.

Q. Describe yourself in three words: Joyful, creative, curious

Q. Is there is anything else you'd like to share with us?

Live each day like it is your last, and one day, you'll be right.

Random post: Catching up with old friends, Winter flowers, Spotted Cow Soaps

2008-12-05T10:58:00.010-06:00

I've been on Facebook for quite some time now and it never ceases to amaze me how that site provides instant access to so many old friends. It just never seems to stop. This past week, I found several people I went to junior high with as well as my best friend from my freshman year of high school. I've also realized the more time I spend on Facebook, the less I get accomplished during the day. It's still a fun site regardless-you just have to learn to limit yourself.

As many of you know, I'm a member of the Etsy Bloggers Street Team. Every month, our team holds a blog carnival twice per month, and also chooses a featured team member. We have to participate in at least one blog carnival as well as write about the featured blogger of the month. Here are my posts for December:

Blog Carnival topic: Winter flowers

I haven't really put a lot of thought into flowers that thrive and grow during the winter, but I'm sure there must be many. After Googling, "winter flowers", I realized there are tons of beautiful winter flowers. I just so happen to love Orhids and I found out that White Dendrobium Orchids are winter flowers! Aren't they gorgeous?

Our featured blogger for the month of December is Spotted Cow Soaps . Ms. Moo is the amazing lady behind Spotted Cow Soaps . Her blog can be found here. Upon visiting her Etsy shop, I discovered that all of her soaps are handcrafted in the heart of Vermont. You can find a variety of items in her store including bars of soap, crochet bath accessories, soy candles and more!

You can get this amazing sugar scrub for $7.50. It looks good enough to eat!

and this Sparkling Champagne Body Lotion Parfait for $8.50She also has tons of crocheted bath items as well as amazing handcrafted soaps. So what you are you waiting for? The holidays are just around the corner. Get on over to Spotted Cow Soaps today! She gives a free sample with every order!

*Orchid photo's borrowed from Beautiful Orchids.com.

Featured artist: VinK

2008-12-04T10:16:00.006-06:00

I came across today's featured artist a few weeks ago as I was lost in the blogosphere. VinK is a true graphic artist who designs printable designs for paper, fabric artwork embellishment, papercrafting items as well as items for collage art. Once you've finished our interview, I'm sure you'll agree her art is fabulous! Her blog is here.
Q. Tell me a little about yourself:
My name is VinK ( aka Vinca Kumala ), I am a friend, a dreamer and a living mind. in daily, I work as a freelance illustrator - full time artist and as a designer for my "design by VinK" shop. I am Indonesian and I love creativity. I always see many artist and designer around the world can survive and live by their creation and artwork, So I wanna fulfill my dream as well and dig out the creativity in me.:)

Q. When did you first start desiging?
I've been designing since I was in the college and I also worked as a graphic designer several years ago. The first time I started to made my own design and open my shop was in May 2008, so I was a newbie in this business.
Q. Please describe your art in detail.
My design in "vink" shop is colorful, a little whimsy, cute, simply, fun to see and enjoy. Children-colour always been my concept in design, bright and cheerful. I also love to create floral images / pattern. I sketch by my own hand and design it in digital.

Q. How has your work evolved from your earlier work?
I love to explore my design and style through the ideas I find. My designs have evolved from my earlier work according to the concept I use in my designs.

Q. Where do you get your inspiration?
There are many aspects of inspiration. My inspiration could come from another artist, movie, music, person, book, dream, and more, but doodling is always the best part to explore a new idea for me.
Q. Where are your products sold?
At the moment I have my etsy shop and just started to open my t-shirt and merchandise shop at Zazzle and at VinK at Etsy

Q. What advice can you give other artists/crafters when selling their items?
I'm still a newbie in this business but I'll try my best to share anything I know.
Something that always be in myself when I start my own bussines are..
- Believing in yourself, in what you do and your work. If you have beliefs in yourself you won't stop trying. We never start anything to be failure, but to be success.
- Patience and perseverance.
- Never stop learning and always promoting
- Tolerance, forgiving and be friendly, because we will meet many people from different backgrounds and character.
- Be Creative :)

Q. Describe yourself in three words:
dreamer, unpredictable, cheerful
Q. Is there is anything else you'd like to share with us?
visit my design shop at : VinK at Etsy. You will find printable designs items for embellishment/die cut art project/papercrafting. At the moment I don't have freebies to share, but I'm planning to create a freebie printable coloring pages/papercraft for kids for personal use or charity program. So if you have any chance don't forget to stopping by my blog.

Also visit Million Minds , another part of illustration by VinK :)

Out of the Box Sampler: Out of this world!

2008-12-01T17:11:00.011-06:00

For those of you who love handmade samplers, you must check out the Out of the Box Sampler. For those of you who don't know about the Out of the Box Sampler, I highly recommend you checking them out immediately! You can also find their blog here.

This year was my first year to learn about handmade samplers. I'm not only an artist who has donated samples to various samplers, but I'm also completely addicted to buying the samplers. I'm also a sucker for anything that smells or tastes good and the November Out of the Box Sampler had both gourmet cookies and lots of soaps and lotions that smelled really good.
Here are a few of the items that were included in the Out of the Box Sampler for November:

A great sample wax tart by Ugly Duckling Designs

Some tea samples from SBS Teas

Some chocolate covered Oreos from Twist of Taste. These are really yummy!

A bunch of really great samples from Skin Candy. They have the most amazing Cinnabun and buttercream frosting scented body butter and a rootbeer float scented shea butter lotion!

Each sampler comes with approximately 17-20 samples (at least mine did). The December Out of the Box Sampler goes on sale soon. Be sure to bookmark both the Out of the Box Sampler site and blog for additional details. December's boxes will have my vintage button rings from Mattie Reid Chicago.

Art League of Houston Gala, Jewelry, greeting cards, holiday orders, Thanksgiving, selling Lone Star Vintage Clothing: Goodness!

2008-11-29T13:01:00.018-06:00

I'm usually really good about posting to my blog every day or every few days however, I've been super busy this week. This post is going to seem like an eternity!

Last Saturday, my friend Will's parents, Ann and James "Jim" Harathas, were honored by the Art League of Houston.

Click on this photo for additional information about the gala:

Here are some pics of us at the gala:

The gala was nice. Mayor Bill White of Houston was present and spoke to everyone about how important it is to support the arts in Houston. Yada, yada, yada! Of course art is important! It's everywhere! What would the world be without a bunch of crazy artists? I'm one of them!

My friend Sophia has ordered quite a few holiday gifts from me as well as some holiday cards. Here are a few of the items I made for her:

The photo's above are only a few of the things I made for her. I actually made her a total of 20 handmade holiday cards and 4 additional hand embroidered children's garments. She's also in a family grab bag for Christmas (she's Jewish however, has gotten sucked into a family grab bag for Christmas) and the spending limit is $50. She told the person who drew her name that she wanted more cards. They contacted me last week and are going to place an order for her. Yay! I love making the cards. I'm going to make the next batch of cards cutsy, all purpose cards.

I also made this cute little felted cuff bracelet. I purchased the felt body at an estate sale. I'm not quite sure what it used to be, but I immediately saw beauty in the item and just knew I could make something with it. The body is made of black felt and there are copper grommets on the outer edge. I added a piece of black velvet for a strap as well as a clasp.

I'm keeping this one for myself and I have one additional piece that I will make to sell. If anyone is interested, I will sell the additional felted cuff for $20. I'll add it to my site within the next few days.

Thanksgiving was good. I invited people over for dinner because everyone already had lunch plans. I made a ton of food and by the time everyone came over, they were so stuffed from lunch. I didn't take any photo's of the food, but everything turned out so yummy! I made a turkey with a basil/rosemary butter paste, ginger and nutmeg smashed sweet potatoes, bleu cheese mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, homemade cranberry/apple/walnut sauce, stuffing with roasted chestnuts/celery/apples, deviled eggs, stuffed celery and two pumpkin pies. I took the pies up to Justin's work today because I'll eat them if they're here and that would be no bueno!

Lastly, several weeks ago I posted that I was selling my vintage clothing business. I was going to try to sell off my entire inventory to one person however, I don't see that happening. I'm open to selling the pieces off individually or in lots. If anyone is interested in getting some great vintage for a steal, let me know.

Featured artist: Krazy Fashion

2008-11-25T11:36:00.007-06:00

Today's featured artist makes absolutely adorable totes, wallets and jewelry. Brittany Torres is the designer behind Krazy Fashion. I highly recommend visiting her store because her stuff is really cute! Here's her blog.

Q: Tell me a little about yourself.

A: Well I am a designer and creator. I love to sew and create patterns. This is my passion and I enjoy it very much. I currently live in Florida but I am looking for a change. I have lived here pretty much all of my life. I am dying to leave or move away from the busiest part of Florida which is Central Florida, where all the crime and bad drivers are. Lol, I know it will happen soon at some point.

Q: When did you first start crafting?

A: I first started crafting when I was very young. I learned a lot from my grand mother. She was the creative one in the family and it rubbed off big time.
I was always drawing and writing before I started sewing and designing. I started sewing my sophomore year of high school and I have learned a lot as well as taught myself a lot. You develop your own technique either way.
Q: Please describe your art in detail. What's your favorite type of crafting/art?

A: I get inspired I get inspired by fabrics, colors, shapes, etc. If I see something someone has made, I try to figure out a way to make it my own and manipulate it into something I can call my own. My favorite part of my crafting would probably be selecting the fabric to work with then drawing the pattern up. However, I LOVE seeing the final product.

Q: How has your work evolved from your earlier work?

A: My work has evolved quite drastically actually. I came from learning how to make a simple square pillow to knowing how to make more intricate items like wallets, purses, etc. I've taught myself a lot and learned some really cool tricks.
Q: Where do you get your inspiration?

A: I get inspiration from a lot of different things. I love straight clean lines.
I get a lot of inspiration from Etsy. I love colors, patterns and items that stand out.

Q: Where are your products sold?

A: My items are sold (solely) on Etsy at the moment. I am looking to create my own website at some point. That way, I'll feel more professional and established as a business.
Q: What advice can you give other crafters when selling their items?

A: I would say use all 14 of your tags. Take clean clear pictures. Use natural light and never use a flash from a camera. List often, take yourself seriously and never doubt yourself.

Q:Describe yourself in three words.

A: smart, easy-going, thoughtful

Q: Is there anything else you'd like to share with us?

A: Shop hand made at Krazy Fashion! Take care everyone! =)

Winner of the vintage fabric blog giveaway

2008-11-22T23:54:00.003-06:00

I just selected a number for my vintage fabric giveway at
Random.org. The following is the winning number:

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:

14 Timestamp: 2008-11-23 05:52:54 UTC

Congratulations to Yoga with Gaileee! Thank you for entering my blog giveaway! Please contact me with your address info (I've already sent you a message).

Thank you to everyone else who participated!

Handmade greeting cards and bobo's!

2008-11-22T09:21:00.009-06:00

I've been really busy lately making my handmade greeting cards. In my post last week, I wrote about how my friend Mary Ann wanted to trade some
junk jewelry for my handmade cards. Once I delivered the cards, she fell in love with them and asked me to make a few additional cards for the holidays, which I gladly said yes!

Here are some of the cards I made for Mary Ann yesterday:

These are just an example of what my cards look like. If anyone is interested, I can make additional cards for $4/card or $2.50 if you order bulk.

Last night Dominic, my son, was running in the back den and tripped over his own feet. His head hit the base of the couch and cut the corner of his eye. We have this really soft modern faux suede couch and you would not think by looking at the couch that it would be possible to cut your face. Justin looked at the couch around the area where he thought Dominic hit the couch and Dominic apparently hit the wooden base of the couch just at the right spot. It was really scary because Justin brought him back to me and there was blood all over his face. Oh and earlier this morning, Dominic did something (not sure what) and he is acting like his arm is hurting. I've just called Dr. Hayes (his Doctor) and he has an appointment at 11am (he's sleeping now). Poor little guy!

Featured artist: Rose Works Jewelry

2008-11-21T15:03:00.005-06:00

Ruthie, also referred to as Rose, is the artist behind Rose Works Jewelry. Not only does today's featured artist make really pretty beaded jewelry, but she also features other artists on her treasury blog. Her blog for her own work can be found here.
Q. Tell me a little about yourself:

My real name is Ruthie - but I answer to Rose or Rosey-Posey a lot because of my shop name. Which is fine! I love Roses :) I'm married to a wonderful man named Moses and we're coming up on our first anniversary in about a month.

I love to write! And I love to feature other artists. So I actually have several blogs... LOL My blog for my jewelry business is Rose Works Jewelry blog. I feature other artists almost daily on Rose Works Treasury blog. Lastly, I just started a new blog that will be a mixed bag. It'll be a place for me to share stories I've written, fun things that happen in my life, book reviews, opinion pieces, and much more!

Q. When did you first start crafting?
Well, I think it's kind of in my blood. My Mom's into crafting so she started me off at a really early age. Some of her attempts didn't take, and oddly enough I'm picking them up now with no problem, go figure.

Q. Please describe your art in detail. What's your favorite type of crafting/art?

Well, other than writing, I love to make jewelry! I've been making it for about 10 years now, but I didn't really get passionate about it until a couple of years ago. Now, I'm completely addicted. I'm always looking for new ways to expand my styles of jewelry and it's the first thing I notice when I'm watching tv or see a friend. Because of this, really the only way to describe my work is to call it eclectic! I carry everything from simple strand necklaces, to wire-work, to handwoven pieces, and coming soon...hemp!
Q. How has your work evolved from your earlier work

I think the biggest way I've evolved is that I now work in a lot more styles. I originally learned the wire-wrapping and I've slowly added different types of jewelry from there!

Q. Where do you get your inspiration?

Literally everything! For my woven work I tend to be inspired by seeing different patterns and going "hmm...how can I express that with beads?" I also love seeing what other artists do and finding ways to make it mine. Other than that...a lot of my ideas come to me as I'm falling asleep!
Q. Where are your products sold (online/stores)?

Right now I'm only on Etsy.

Q. What advice can you give other crafters when selling their items?

Make a variety of items! Don't simply create what appeals to you, look to see what others might like, you never know! When I've done fairs and such some of the pieces that have sold the fastest are things I never would have worn myself.

Q. Describe yourself in three words:

Quirky, Perky, and Weird
Q. Is there is anything else you'd like to share with us?

If your looking for something to do on Monday nights come check out the Block Head Rod show. If you can't make it on Monday's, you can listen to the archives. It's not only a TON of fun, but you'll learn a lot about promoting your store :)

To my Entrecard friends: I have not forgotten you!

2008-11-20T22:45:00.004-06:00

I have been really busy the past few days with custom Christmas orders. I have not had time to drop my EC on my favorite blogs and I'm sorry. I have not forgotten you. From now through Christmas, I will probably not be dropping as much, but I promise to get back to normal after the holidays. I hope you all understand. I will still be writing and posting on my blog-I just can't spend my normal hours at night reading my favorite blogs :-(. I just wanted to give everyone a heads up. I will post my EC stats on my blog to show support to those who have stopped by. :) I'll see you guys soon!

PS. I will try to drop when I get extra time, but it might be very random. :(

Featured artist: Michabella Creations

2008-11-20T10:31:00.008-06:00

Today's featured artist makes beatufiul handcrafted artisan jewelry. Michelle Harvey is the genius behind Michabella Creations. She handcrafts each piece and uses a variety of materials including precious metals, genuine Austrian Swarovski crystals, freshwater pearls, gemstones, and beautiful glass beads. Michelle's blog is here.
Q. Tell me a little about yourself: I am a stay-at-home mom to a 3 year old little girl, Chloe. In addition to spending time with her, I love to cook, read, watch reality TV, and when I can, sleep! I am an animal lover and I enjoy all types of music.

Q. When did you first start crafting? I've always been creative, but didn't start crafting until my daughter was about a year old. I felt like I needed to do something for myself, so I learned how to make jewelry. I've always wanted to have my own business, so now I do!
Q. Please describe your art in detail. What's your favorite type of
crafting/art? I create jewelry that is fun, elegant, and unique. I use only high quality materials, such as genuine Swarovski crystals, semi-precious gemstones, silver, gold-fill, and brass. I started using Vintaj brass pieces last year and I absolutely love them! They have a vintage feel, but are still totally modern. They are nickel-free and won't tarnish. I also love the look of wire-wrapping. It is time consuming, but quite eye-catching!

Q. How has your work evolved from your earlier work? When I started out, I used inexpensive materials to teach myself. When pieces starting selling, I had money to invest in better materials. I have learned many new techniques along the way. I always want to learn and love experimenting. I am very meticulous in my designs, and if I don't like the way something looks, I will take it apart until I'm satisfied!
Q. Where do you get your inspiration? I get my inspiration from the fashion world, what people are wearing, the colors of the season. I also get inspiration from nature and the changing seasons. Also, the beads themselves kind of tell me what to do with them sometimes. If I see a bead I love, I buy it, then decide what to do with it.

Q. Where are your products sold (online/stores)? I have my own website, Michabella Creations. I also sell on Smashing Darling and have some pieces on Kitty Gallery. I am always looking for new venues to sell my designs, and I'm hoping to be carried by a few boutiques soon!

Q. What advice can you give other crafters when selling their items? Make sure you can stand behind your products! Quality is extremely important! Also, do what you love. If you don't love something and aren't passionate about it, you can't expect customers will be!

Q. Describe yourself in three words: Hard-working, reliable, and driven.

Q. Is there is anything else you'd like to share with us? Check out Michabella Creations starting Black Friday for a huge discount in time for holiday gifts!
I would like to personally thank Michelle for letting us get to know her and her work a little better. Now, get on over to Michabella Creations and find something you can't live without!

Vintage baubles and buttons: how exciting!

2008-11-19T11:08:00.008-06:00

Last week I posted about several boxes of
junk jewelry my friend Mary Ann was going to trade me for some handmade greeting cards I made for her.

I ended up making 27 handmade greeting cards. I met with her at lunch this past Monday and we made our exchange. She told me to look through the boxes and pick out pieces I like (I guess I don't get to keep all the items, but that's okay).

Here are some pics of what I picked up from her:

Believe it or not, I ended up picking out a very small selection of items from all of these boxes. I'm trying to find pieces that I can reuse to make other pieces of jewlery from. There were also a couple vintage bakelite rings that I am keeping for myself because they are big and chunky and very cool!

Tomorrow, I'll be posting another featured artist. Stay tuned!

Featured artist: Ismoyo Green

2008-11-17T14:06:00.010-06:00

Today's featured artist is Ismoyo Green, someone I absolutely adore. Ismoyo makes really cute felted friends, plush soft sculptures and other types of mixed media art. She's even created and published her very own applique craft book, which can be found here for only $15. Her blog can be found here.

Q. Tell me a little about yourself:
My name is Ismoyo Green, born and raised in Amsterdam, currently happily living in New York. I have just finished my first craft book, 100 applique motifs. It has already been released in some parts of the world, like the UK, but will be available in the US and Canada on December 9th. (plugging: you can pre-order your signed copy through my website!)

Q. When did you first start crafting?
I have been making things as long as I can remember. As a little girl I was always drawing and cutting up magazines to make collages (something I still do). My mom is a great designer and the best with the sewingmachine, so growing up I was always surrounded by her creativity. I loved playing with her box of buttons. I guess that's where my love to embellish everything comes from.

Q. Please describe your art in detail. What's your favorite type of crafting/art?
I always say I'm a true Gemini. I can not pick one favorite type of crafting and stick with that. There are so many ideas in my head, so much to create! I call myself a crafty person slash illustrator. I love making cute, vintage inspired items and design pretty patterns and illustrations. My current crafts of choice are needlefelting, sewing and crochet.

Q. How has your work evolved from your earlier work?
I think I am finding my own style more and more and that shows through in my work. I think it is a beautiful thing if you can recognize an artist in their work.

Q. Where do you get your inspiration?
I can get inspired by the little things in life, like birds or a butterfly, autumn leafs, kids laughter, all things cute. NYC inspires me enourmously, this city is filled with creativity. My family and my Indonesian roots are a big influence too. Pretty color combinations often fill me with new ideas. Hard working people who love what they do with a passion. Vintage fabrics and curiosa, my favorite era is the late sixties, early seventies. Love the art from that time, paintings, but also things like record covers; gorgeous! But my biggest inspiration is Love.

Q. Where are Ismoyo products sold (online/stores)?
Currently only through my own website and my etsy shop.
I am looking into getting my items sold in other places, but that's something for next year.

Q. What advice can you give other crafters when selling their items?
Do it because you love it. Be true to yourself, be sincere and nice to people. Be prepared to work hard and multi-task. Be creative as well as business savy.

Q. Describe yourself in three words:
Creative, Passionate, Happy

Q. Is there is anything else you'd like to share with us?
I loved answering the questions, I think it's a good thing for everyone to sit down from time to time and think about what you're actually doing.

I hope you enjoyed learning more about Ismoyo. She's a fabulous artist. I'm planning on purchasing her applique craft book becuase I love appliques! Thanks Ismoyo!

Featured artist: Elizabeth Jayne

2008-11-16T12:30:00.006-06:00

Today's featured artist is Elizabeth Kimble of Elizabeth Jayne. Elizabeth makes really fabulous beaded necklaces, bracelets and earrings. She's offering a 10% discount on selected items in her store right now. Click here to read Elizabeth's blog.

Q. Tell me a little about yourself:
I'm a passionate person. Little things make me happy. I squeal at old junk.

I love semicolons; languages; cheese, wine, and peanut butter; cars, old and new; video games; the outdoors; geeky jokes; music; and traveling.

An atom says to her friend, "Darn, I think I've lost an electron." The friend says "Are you sure?" She answers: "Yes, I'm positive!"

Q. When did you first start crafting?

I got a beading kit for my 9th birthday. After making a few bracelets and keychains, I soon became bored with it and asked my mother if she'd like the beads. Fast forward a few years, whereupon my mom has turned cheapo pony beads into multiple tool boxes full of gemstones, findings, metals, you name it and its there. Naturally I can't resist playing with all the pretty beads...so now it has come back full circle and I have the beading bug! I can hear my mom cackling right this moment.

Q. Please describe your art in detail. What's your favorite type of crafting/art?

I've been dabbling in knitting, sewing and paper art, but my specialty is jewelry making. I'm constantly trying new things from utilizing buttons differently, to repurposing vintage goods to make altered art, to wire wrapping and so on! If it involves a pretty bauble I'm there. I also commission the lampwork art of my good friend Mary Foster.

Q. How has your work evolved from your earlier work?

The beads I use might change a bit, but my core philosophy is still the same: Make eclectic, fun jewelry that's glamorous enough for everyday.

Q. Where do you get your inspiration?

This might sound silly – but I get most of my inspiration from the beads themselves! I buy (or find) whatever calls to me, and luckily there's always been more beads that coordinate at home. Another source is necessity: sometimes I really want a necklace etc. to go with a certain outfit, so I make one.

Q. Where are your products sold?
At my Etsy store, Elizabeth Jayne or around Fort Smith Arkansas at one of our many craft shows.

Q. What advice can you give other crafters when selling their items?

The adage "Pictures are worth a thousand words" is true, but don't neglect your descriptions either! Both ought to sell the item.

Q. Describe yourself in three words:

Passionate. Fun. Quirky.

Q. Is there is anything else you'd like to share with us?

Enjoy the day, and tell someone you love them!

I hoped you enjoyed this interview. Now pop on over to Elizabeth Jayne!

Handmade greeting cards: How cute!

2008-11-14T10:04:00.008-06:00

I'm really into making cutesy little geeting cards right now. I've made some for my grandparents mostly and I've made some to sell, although I have not sold any yet.

A few days ago, I wrote about an estate sale my friend Mary Ann had (this was the sale where I purchased all of that great vintage fabric). I just so happened to bring a few of my handmade cards to the sale to show Mary Ann. She said she and Nancy always need cards to give to people and wanted to know if I would make some for them. I told her, "yes, of course I'll make you some cards". I even said I would trade her for a box of her junk jewelry instead of her paying me. I love to barter!

I made approximately 25 cards yesterday. Here are a few of them:

I called Mary Ann this morning and I am going to plan on stopping by her house on Monday. I'm very excited about my trade because I've already gone through the box of junk jewelry and it's not really junk at all. Most of the pieces are vintage and there's a lot of bakelite stuff in the box-oh and the box is not just one box-it's approx. 3 boxes. I can't wait!

My vintage clothing site is for sale: www.lonestarvintageclothing.com

2008-11-13T18:31:00.003-06:00

I love vintage just as much as the rest of you do, but with sadness I have decided to sell my beloved website (and inventory), Lone Star Vintage Clothing.

I have my BFA in Fashion Design and actually own and operate another site where I design infant and children's apparel. With 2009 coming so quickly, I really want to put more focus into my design work and hopefully get my items into boutiques across the country. I will be working with a factory overseas and hopefully free up some of my time, rather than creating everthing by hand as I do now.

With that being said, I have listed my website Lone Star Vintage Clothing, all of my inventory and tons more that's not listed on my site, all graphics/logos that I've paid for, as well as all of my time and effort that I spent building my business. I love vintage and I know I will still go to estate sales and buy things, but I can't place all of my focus on selling anymore.

If anyone knows of anyone who just might be interseted, please contact me at texasbargaindepot (!@) hotmail (dot) com.

My listing is here.

Featured artist: Eye Candy Jewelry Designs

2008-11-12T14:53:00.011-06:00

In keeping with the spirit of the upcoming holidays, today's featured artist is Laurie Spivak of Eye Candy Jewelry Designs. You can also visit Laurie at her blog, Eye Candy Jewelry Blog.

Laurie makes amazing beaded/wire wrapped jewelery. Please be sure to visit Laurie at Eye Candy Jewelry Designs.

Enjoy the interview!

Q. When did you first start crafting?

A: I have always been involved in crafting. Two years ago, I started creating jewelry as personalized gifts for friends and family. Suddenly, orders started pouring in and Eye Candy Jewelry Designs was born. After I was laid off from the HR industry when the economy took a turn for the worse, I had a chance to start my own business. It’s certainly taken off since then!

Q. Please describe your art in detail. What's your favorite type of crafting/art?

A: I will always be a photographer at heart. That will always be my first love. Fashion is a close second. I try to always present myself as a happy woman with an artistic and elegant style. I use this to build my confidence which in turn helps the artistic juices flow. The happier and more confident I am, the more it shows in my work. I never leave the house without an item from one of my lines. I am often stopped and questioned about my jewelry. Always carry your business cards!

Q. How has your work evolved from your earlier work?

A: I try to sketch as many pieces as I can before I create them. I find that being more organized going into a design helps. Before, I would just sit down in front of a pile of beads and components. Now I have an idea and a theme I try to stick with and the result is a definite flow. I have separate lines that are released at different times of the year. I feel as though I’ve progressed as an artist.

Q. Where do you get your inspiration?

A: My inspiration stems from nature and the beauty that surrounds me every day. I grew up in Miami watching the sea and exploring the Everglades. That led me to my start as a nature photographer. I gave that up to raise a family and never looked back. I’m happier than I’ve ever been.

Q. Where are your products sold (online/stores)?

A: My work can be found online in my etsy shop at Eye Candy Jewelry Designs. In January of this year, I started distributing my work to boutiques and galleries across the country. My lines can be purchased at the following: The Visual Arts Center and Galleries of Punta Gorda, the North Port Art Center, Uptown Girls Boutique in Venice, FL, everything but the girl in Sarasota, FL, Pink Blush Boutique in Miami, FL, Hip Mama Couture in Miami, FL, Neverender Boutique and Gallery in Reno, NV, Mirror Image Salon in Gales Ferry, CT, and Papillon in Punta Gorda, FL, So Sausalito in Punta Gorda, FL, and Funky Utopia in Bradenton, FL. I am currently working with several more shops. Check my blog, Eye Candy Jewelry Blog for updates, specials, and to sign up for my e-newsletter featuring new items to the shop as well as other interesting sites to check out!!

Q. What advice can you give other crafters when selling their items?

A: Go to the library and read all the books you can on Marketing. I learned so much and it helped my business tremendously. Also, always carry a sample case with you. You’ll be surprised how many leads you can pick up in the line at the grocery store!

Q. Describe yourself in three words.

A: Artistic, Driven, Happy

Q. Is there is anything else you'd like to share with us?

A: On top of creating new lines of jewelry, running a hectic household and a business, I am now training for a half marathon I will be running in Miami in January. The only time I sit still is to work on my jewelry! Thank goodness for that! I’m exhausted!

I want to thank Laurie of Eye Candy Jewelry Designs for this interview! I hope you enjoyed it!

Featured artist: S & T Creations

2008-11-11T19:46:00.008-06:00

I have decided to start hosting a featured artist here on Adventures in Vintage. It's a great way to network with other artists and promote their work.

In this interview, I'm featuring Teri Baskett and Saundra Gordon of S & T Creations. They make amazing beaded jewelry. Enjoy their interview!

Q. Tell me a little about yourself:

My business partner, Saundra Gordon and I live in Jeffersonville, Indiana and have been beading for over 5 years. We incorporated to create our business when people began to ask us about what we’d made. In fact, Saundra actually sold a piece right off her neck at a restaurant once! THAT was wonderful!

We both like bigger jewelry and Saundra likes the bling bling, but my pieces aren’t quite as flashy as hers, usually anyway. We do like our pieces to “pop” whenever appropriate.Agate Diamonds: $36.00 Black Banded Agate puff squares, top drilled, offset with mother of pearl chip beads, gold spacers and black cube crystals

Wow, that may be difficult. I remember teaching myself to crochet in 4-H at age 9 or 10, and doing some sewing in 4-H too (but I didn’t like that). I know I made Christmas gifts for my grandparents and family members, and friends’ parents when I was in high school and college because I was very broke. Our family has always made wreaths and flower designs for headstones for our family, AND I made the flowers for my wedding. Saundra is MUCH “craftier” than I---she is positively wonderful at home décor and making things for any room, any time. She also makes bows and can’t live without her glue gun (she might not shoot you, but you won’t come unraveled either lol).

Q. Please describe your art in detail. What's your favorite type of crafting/art?

Right now, I concentrate on jewelry making and am trying to learn to work with metal clay and silversmithing (maybe a little wire wrapping too). My other crafts are generally relegated to things I can do with my grandson (age 4) and 2 nieces, age 3 and 4. We did make lots of the designs for my daughter’s wedding in February too.

Saundra makes many things for her home, for gifts and for the holidays. Christmas is her very favorite holiday and she is in the throws of decorating her home (3 Christmas Trees later…). She adds new Christmas décor regularly, so she will be updating those things. Plus she bakes (and I am this year too) for Christmas gift baskets, so there have been 3 full days of bread, muffins, and biscuits so far and then we will work on cookies, red hots, peanut brittle, chocolate covered pretzels and other tidbits with another friend and share them with each other.Amber Slabs: $40.00 Roughcut, polished “slabs” of amber combined with gold beads, crystals and amber chip beads. Earrings are chip beads, gold seed beads.

Mainly, better quality components and MUCH better finishings. We’ve learned tons of ways to make the clasp not only LOOK better, but be more stable and last longer. We have been able, through our business, to buy better quality and to add more tiny touches that make a piece more professional looking. While trial and error is still a great teacher (but sometimes a very frustrating one), we have also taken classes and used tutorials to learn better techniques. I also think our inspiration has improved as well as the range of work we can do as we have been able to incorporate more options into our designs (multi strands, chandelier settings, etc).
Pretty In Pink: $25.00 Smooth pink drops are separated by faceted opalite rounds for this pretty in pink design. The back of the necklace consists of smaller pink rounds and opalite rounds so the necklace will be comfortable and lay easily under a blouse

Q. Where do you get your inspiration?

Fashion magazines, movies (Meryl Streep’s necklace in Prime inspired some designs AND made me think of how to combine 2 pieces into 1 combination for an outfit). Saundra is very fashion aware and follows trends very closely. She's always up on the latest color trends and looks (vintage, chunky, etc).

Q. Where are S & T Creations products primarily sold?

Our main venue is our etsy store: S & T Creations. We also set up booths at various fairs/events and have home parties as well.

Q. What advice can you give other crafters when selling their items?

Be patient, don’t give up, and continue to expand your ability and knowledge.

Q. Describe yourself in three words:

Teri: quiet, loyal, intelligent

Saundra: flamboyant, friendly, confident

Q. Is there is anything else you'd like to share with us?

We both love old film noir movies (Saundra got me started on those). She has a collection of over 10,000 movies, while I’m way behind, maybe 3000 or so! I am more quiet and shy than Saundra, although we both describe ourselves as introverts.White Buffalo: $50.00 (earrings are available): Gorgeous graduated white “turquoise” (howlite) rondelles are paired with great red glass for this stunning necklace!

I want to thank Teri and Saundra of S & T Creations for being our first featured artists! Please be sure to visit S & T Creations for some great jewelry! You'll be so glad you did!

Great weekend finds and a vintage fabric giveaway!

2008-11-10T11:08:00.014-06:00

I don't go to as many estate sales as I used to, but my friends Nancy and Mary Ann had a sale near my house this weekend and I knew I just had to go.

The homes in my neighborhood as well as the surrounding neighborhoods were all built mid century (50s-60s). I'm thinking about starting a weekly post on mid century modern homes in Houston. These homes are similar in design to the homes that Frank Lloyd Wright built back in the day.

The house that the estate sale was held in was no different. I went to the preview sale on Thursday evening (Mary Ann calls dealers to come in prior to the sale being open to the public). I walked into this house and it was almost as if the people who lived there made no purchases after the 1950s. The furniture, the appliances-everything was mid century design and in nearly new condition, it seemed.

I purchased a pile of vintage fabric, some vintage metal zippers (still new in the package), vintage buttons and several vintage patterns. Here's a pic of the pile of vintage fabric: I'm going to have a giveaway for a few yards of fabric (this giveaway is not for the whole pile-just a few yards-one pattern). I'm not sure which particular pattern yet, but leave a comment to this post if you are interested in this giveaway. Tell me what you would make with this fabric. I also need a way to reach you if you are the winner. You may leave your email in your comment post or you may contact me through blogger. All comments must be received by midnight CST, Friday November 21st. I will use an online random integer generator to select the winner. This is really great fabric! Good luck! PS. Open to US and Canadian residents only. If you live in a country other than the US or Canada, you are welcome to enter, but you will have to pay for your own shipping. Thanks so much!

I also purchased this great blue art glass vase:
and this cute little gold shelf:
and these vintage photograph postcards from Europe (I think the people who lived in this house were originally from Germany):

Lastly, I purchased five vintage lamps. I don't know what my thing is for vintage lamps, but I love them. I am selling four of them and I kept one for myself. If you click on the photo's below, you will be redirected to my listings online:

The Little Black Box: What a great idea!

2008-11-07T17:00:00.012-06:00

Many of you who are crafters are probably aware of The Little Black Box. Kimberlee Keane is the mastermind behind the glorious The Little Black Box.

I found The Little Black Box about a month ago as I was researching different indie sites to promote my own handcrafted site Mattie Reid Chicago. I contacted Kimberlee and asked if she had any additional spots open for her November box (this was pretty close to the deadline for submissions). She replied and said she still had a few spots left. I submitted 150 samples of vintage buttons rings like this one:

Not only did I donate samples for the November box, but I also became a customer. I subscribed to her blog and received an email from her a few days ago saying that all October boxes were on sale for $15. I went straight to her site and purchased a box. I love sales, especially sales on indie designer stuff!

My box arrived today. I opened the box and this is what I found:
Tons of cute samples including soaps, bookmarkers, a pair of earrings, magnets-all sorts of cute things.

There were two cute little soaps by Sweet Lollipop Shop. Here's one of their soaps:
Katherine Quinn included this really cute little magnet and notecard:
Under Glass included this cute lil' snowflake pendant:
Lastly, one of my most favorite things in the box was this lavender mint soap by Rebecca’s Soap Delicatessen: It smells sooooo good!

I do highly recommend stopping by Kimberlee's Little Black Box site and ordering a November box. There's supposed to be Spoonfudge by Glutenada in quite a few boxes. I went to their site and all of their goodies look so yummy and they're all gluten free!

Wonderful blog to note: Gisele Jaquenod

2008-11-06T09:20:00.008-06:00

First of all, I would like to thank Gisele Jaquenod for providing me with this adorable (free) blog template. Well, she did not provide the template directly to me, but I was dropping my Entrecard on different blogs last night and found her site through another site. She has quite a few amazingly (is that a word?) cute templates available and they are all free. Some are two column and some are three column, which is what I opted for.

If you are unhappy with your blog template, I highly recommend popping in and visiting Gisele Jaquenod. You won't be disappointed! :)

Secondly, Gisele Jaquenod is having a contest.

Click the photo above for additional details. I plan on entering the contest however, I have to make something for the contest first!

Things I've been working on: Craftwise

2008-11-05T10:49:00.008-06:00

I've been so extremely busy the past month. I signed up to donate items for the Little Black Box, the Purple Box, the Handmade Sampler and lastly, Shopaholic Events. If you are a fellow crafter, you can imagine how I was up to my ears in samples and giveaways. I also made a raffle prize for Shopaholic Events. I made this really cute embroidered onesie. Since I collect vintage sewing stuff, the onesie was made from an embroidery transfer from the 1940's:

I've also received several orders lately. One is for a newborn who lives in Illinois. Since hockey is huge in Illinois, I made a onesie with pink embroidered hockey sticks (I basically find photo's of whatever I am going to put on the onesie and freehand/draw the design onto the front-then I use embroidery thread over the drawing):

I have four additional orders to complete however, am waiting on the items to arrive (I had to order the garments online because I could not find what I was looking for in the store). If anyone reading this is interested in specialty, custom made baby or toddler garments, please contact me. I can pretty much make anything!

Etsy Blogger Street Team - November blogger of the month is: Storybeader

2008-11-05T10:27:00.003-06:00

My fellow Etsy Blogger Street Team member of the month for November is Storybeader. You can click here for Storybeader’s blog.

Deb runs Storybeader's and she make's the most amazing and unique jewelry for individuals.

I looked through her store and found this really cool turquoise necklace for $110:

I really like this fancy pink cabochon for $27. The stone is so pretty!

Show Storybeader some love! You just might find something you've been looking for!

On another note, I need to thank one of my loyal Entrecard readers for an award she's given me. Lidian writes two blogs: The Virtual Dime Museum and Kitchen Retro. She has awarded me and my blog with an, "I love your blog award":

Lidian, I love both of your blogs! Thank you so much!

The Houston Orange Show Gala: La Dia de los Muertos

2008-11-04T22:07:00.012-06:00

Houston has a very large art scene. I mean, it's pretty huge in my opinion.

This info was taken directly from The Orange Show’s website:

Orange Show Center for Visionary Art - The Orange Show Center for Visionary Art is a non-profit organization, founded in 1980, to preserve and present works of extraordinary imagination and provide people the opportunity to express their personal artistic vision. Our programs for children and adults include hands-on workshops, music, storytelling and performance, the award-winning Eyeopener Tour program and Houston's most popular public art event - the Art Car Parade & Festival. Our internationally acclaimed stewardship efforts preserve two of Houston's most famous cultural icons The Orange Show Monument and the Beer Can House. Our archive and library are used by students, scholars, the media and artists.

Every year the Orange Show holds a fund raising gala. Each gala is themed. Last year the theme was Burlesque. This year the theme was The Day of the Dead also referred to as La Dia de los Muertos. The gala's are fun because they raise money for the organization and you can dress up as well. This year there were a lot of really cool costumes that reflected La Dia de los Muertos. If you choose not to dress up, it's black tie or fancy dress.

Here are a few pics from the gala this past weekend:
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Here's Justin and I (I wore one of my most favorite 40s vintage dresses-too bad I never got a full photo of this dress! It's beautiful and amazing!

Here's a pic of Daniel and Justin. Daniel opted to have his face painted for the gala (look at the really cool sculptured heads of presidents in the background):
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Here's a photo of a sculpture behind the stage:

They also made skeletons out of some type of pipe and walked those through the crowd of tables:
If you are into supporting the arts and are ever in Houston around the beginning of November, I highly recommend going to the The Orange Show gala. Tickets are extremely expensive however, it's for a great cause!

On another note...We visited an art opening prior to attending the The Orange Show gala. Justin's friend Will's parents own The Station Museum of Contemporary Art.Here's a photo of Justin and Will:

<The Station Museum of Contemporary Art has an amazing exhibit dealing with artists in exile from Iraq. We did not stay long at the opening, but I really want to go back and spend to quality time reading about each piece. If I go back, I'll try to take some pics and post about my experience.

Whatever happened to the band, "The Stone Roses"?

2008-11-03T09:46:00.003-06:00

I used to love The Stone Roses. They were one of my favorite bands back in the late 80s, early 90s. I have Last FM installed on my computer. Last FM is a social networking site for music lovers. I don't network on that site-I just use it to listen to music. It's really cool because you can type in any genre of music or a band name and it will play music like the band you typed in or in that specific genre.

I typed in some late 80s, early 90s band this morning and The Stone Roses came on. Here's a photo of them taken from their site:
The thing that bothers me about their site is that it does not say where they are now. It talks about bootlegs and things they used to do. I want to know where they are now. Does anyone know?

The Vintage Indie Market is finally here!

2008-11-01T16:50:00.004-06:00

The Vintage Indie Market is finally here. Some of you may be familiar with Gabreial Wyatt, editor/writer of Vintage Indie Mag, Vintage Pulse and the Indie Wedding Guide.

This season she's put together the Vintage Indie Market for vintage and indie sellers alike. As stated on the front page of the guide, "The Vintage Indie Market-Holiday Edition is your source for shopping vintage, handmade and independent businesses for this holiday season".

I have both of my stores listed and am offering free US shipping as well as 15% off. My store links are:

Lone Star Vintage Clothing and
Mattie Reid Chicago

So what are you waiting for? Check out the Vintage Indie Market today!

Old Scrapbooks: Memories from long ago

2008-10-30T11:48:00.017-06:00

I love old things. Old clothes, old books, mid century modern, I love it all. A few months back, I was visiting one of my weekly estate sales and I found some really old things. Rarely in Houston do I find things from the Victorian era however, this house had quite a few things. I purchased this Victorian wedding dress: I also went back on the last day and purchased these two scrapbooks:

Both books had many newspaper clippings from the Houston Chronicle however, I could not find years printed on many of the clippings. I did find a few dates ranging anywhere from 1918-1921. The copyright date on the backs of both scrapbooks are from 1878. After going through the books, I felt as if I came to know the person the books used to belong to. She was a deeply religious (Christian) woman. I also believe she was Methodist, like me. She loved poetry and various types of writings. Christmas time was a special time for her and she had many clippings pertaining to the holidays. There was also this page:This page shows many clippings of random items. It shows a man and a women, an engagement ring, an old car, a cat, a woman dressed up, a shoe, etc. Was this the ring she wanted? Was this a cat like her cat? It just makes me wonder..
I also know that she was interested in fashion, like most women. Since I went to school for Fashion Design, I totally appreciated this clipping for a McCalls sewing pattern:
There were also these other fasion clippings, totally showing fashion from the
1920's:

Red curry chicken-Yum!

2008-10-29T10:59:00.008-06:00

Last night, I was going through the cabinets and trying to figure out what I was going to cook for dinner. I've honestly not cooked very much since hurricane Ike. Pre-Ike, I used to cook dinner pretty much every night. Since Ike, I've cooked maybe once a week.

Last night I had originally planned on baking some chicken and making green beans on the side. I already had the chicken in the oven and then I started looking in the pantry for ways to jazz up my bland dinner. I found some red curry sauce by Aroy-D that I had purchased in Chinatown here in Houston some time ago:

I had already started cooking my green beans and took those off the stove. I continued to look in my refrigerator for additional items I could add to the curry. I had a yellow onion, some garlic and peas. I took some olive oil and heated up my pan. I then cut approximately 1/2 of the yellow onion and added to the olive oil. I let the onions cooked down until they were soft and slightly brown. I added the frozen peas, green beans and garlic. Once all items were cooked, I added in the Aroy-D curry sauce. My chicken breasts had been in the oven for approximately 20 minutes by this time. I removed the chicken from the oven and proceeded to cut both breasts into cubes. I added the chicken to the curry. I let simmer for another 5-10 minutes. This was the final result:

I normally like my curry with jasmine rice however, we only had angel hair pasta. I cooked the angel hair pasta:

When the pasta was finished, I mixed the curry with the pasta and it was yummy!

Late birthday dinner at Mark's Restaurant

2008-10-28T16:31:00.007-06:00

My birthday was back in March and my friend Randi (the girl)

bought me a gift card to Marks Restaurant. Justin and I rarely go out because we have Dominic and we just like staying home now anyway. Justin's birthday is on Halloween and we decided we would go out for dinner, finally. So, I called Marks Restaurant and made reservations for 8.30 last night. Justin's mom, Rosa, came over to hang out with Dominic while we went out.

I took my camera and was going to take pics of the food to post on this blog, but I would have felt like a total idiot and chose not to bust out my camera. I will tell you that if you are ever in Houston, I highly recommend eating at Mark's. They do book up a week in advance and you have to plan accordingly.

I had a salad for an appetizer and Justin had this appetizer with four different types of crab (prepared four different ways). I had the salmon special and Justin had the salmon on the menu. I was bad and had creme brulee for dessert.

I feel like a whale today, but I did enjoy dinner last night. I'm about go for my daily walk in a few minutes.

On another note...I got another custom children's onesie order from my exboyfriend's new girlfriend. She pre-ordered three different items (one for a new baby and the other two are Christmas gifts). I'll post pics of the items when I'm finished. The first item I have to make is just on a white onesie, size 3 months, which I currently have here. She wants the other onesie to be long sleeves in pink and the last garment needs to be a navy shirt for a two year old. I went out and looked for the pink onesie and long sleeve navy shirt today. Since we are in Texas and they are in Illinois, our stores really don't carry a lot of long sleeved items. I'm unfortunately going to have to order online. Ugh! Oh well. I'll keep ya posted!

Day at the zoo and Entrecard issues....Ugh!

2008-10-26T14:04:00.007-06:00

I took Dominic to the zoo earlier this week. I think he is old enough now to enjoy the zoo a bit more however, still too young to understand about all of the animals and to really know what they are or how he relates to them.

Here are some pics of us at the zoo:

I played around with some of the pics in Photoshop and changed the colors, etc. I like playing around with them and making them look different. I really like this pic of Dominic though. It's hard taking a pic of yourself and getting your son to look at the camera and not try to grab for it. I especially like this photo of Dominic because he looks so at ease-at least that's what I think.

And here's a really cool pic of jellyfish:

There's something about the way jellyfish just float in the water. They are so free and have no cares. I mean, they are jellyfish, but there something about them that is so beautiful.

And here's Dominic in the petting zoo.

He really likes brushes. I'm afraid he's going to grow up and cut hair, not that that would be terrible or anything. It's in his genes. Justin (his father) is a hair dresser, his grandmother is a hair dresser, Justin's nephew is a hair dresser, Justin's dad and grandmother were hair dressers.

And here's one more pic of us:

He loves to suck his thumb. It's a security thing for him. He mostly sucks his thumb when he's tired or just because, but mostly when he's tired. I think he will learn to apprciate the zoo even more in six months time.

On another note, to all of my Entrecard friends and readers...Entrecard deleted my account last night. I'm really upset over this. The reason they deleted my account is because when I originally signed up for Entrecard, I was using my old blog that was attached to my website. When I transferred all of my blog posts to blogger, I added my new blog address however, the email I received about the account deletion last night said that I they deleted my account due to abandoning my blog. Well, if they would have done a little research before deleting my account, they would have realized that I actually do post every 1-2 days. They reactivated a new account for me, but I lost all of my dropped cards and all of my favorites. I am trying to work with them to get everything back and am hoping I can do so, but I'm not going to count on it. So, if you are one of my Entrecard droppers, please drop your card again and I will visit you, I promise! Sorry. :( I'm really annoyed by this.

More discounted vintage for sale

2008-10-25T00:17:00.004-05:00

I cleaned out my closet even further today and listed many cute winter sweaters like this cute vintage 50s sweater:

and this one:

and this one:

I listed quite a few auctions today and everything is really super duper cheap!!! In addition to the cheap auction prices, I am also offering an additional 15% discount if you mention this post. All you have to do is send me a message and I will revise your invoice. So, what you are waiting for? The holidays are right around the corner and what's not to love about vintage?

Spirituality and Self Help

2008-10-24T21:36:00.001-05:00

I've been dropping in on my Entredcard visitors and visiting other Entrecard blogs. I found this blog and it's pretty amazing what this person has written.

Spirituality and Self Help

Senior design collections: more random things from my closet and other musings...

2008-10-23T13:53:00.015-05:00

My last post contained remnants of things I had found as I was cleaning out my storage closet. It's always fun to go through your old things that you can't let go of for one reason or another.

I went back out today and took photo's of things from my senior collection when I went to school for Fashion Design. I designed two final collections my senior year. One was a swimsuit collection based off of vintage silhouettes. The other was a lingerie collection based off of vintage silhouettes as well. When I designed the swimsuit collection, I was inspired by certain designs by Halston. He used these amazing drapes and stuff in his designs. This is a bit of what I came up with:

I tried to have a very cohesive collection, which is something that I struggled with all through college. It's really hard for me to come up with multiple items that appear to go together, but I think I did a really great job with this collection. Here are some flat sketches as well:

I used a lot of vintage trims as well as embroidery on my garments. I made my sister a swimsuit from this collection for her birthday one year and she still wears it to this day.

My other collection was a lingerie collection based off of vintage designs. I unfortunately do not have have any pics from our school models, but I did have my things in a fashion show after graduating and the Chicago Reader was there. They printed an article about our fashion show in the reader and mentioned my designs (Mattie Reid Chicago is my design name):

Here are some flat sketches from my lingerie collection:

One thing that I found quite remarkable about doing both of these collections is that my pattern drafting instructor really did not want me to do either one. Her name was Jacquie DeRosa and she said noone had ever attempted to draft a collection like either one of these. I remember her telling me that we did not have a sloper (pattern base) to start with. I told her I wanted to do these and I knew I had it in me to do so-and I did! It was challenging for me, but if you don't challenge yourself once in awhile, what's the point of living? Give me a break, P-A-L-E-E-Z-E!!!

I still have so much work today. I sent off my samples to The Little Black Box yesterday. This is for their November box. I'm also going to send samples for their December box as well, which I've gotten quite a few made already. I also need to revise all of my prices in my Etsy stores and my own site as well. I'd like to sell some things this holiday season and with the economy being so crappy, I need to lower my prices a bit.

Old poetry: The heartache of meandering

2008-10-22T00:37:00.000-05:00

I was very productive yesterday. I had been planning on cleaning out my storage closet in our sunroom for quite some time now. In that closet, I have extra stock of vintage clothes, other vintage inventory and old boxes of photo's as well as a box of notebooks from college (I went to school for Fashion Design in Chicago).

I used to write a lot. Before I decided to get my BFA in Fashion Design, I was an English major. I took poetry as well as creative writing classes in school. I went through a phase of writing a lot of poetry. I actually submitted a poem to be published and it was published. I found the book yesterday along with all of my poems that are scribbled on random pieces of paper. This almost makes me want to start writing again and publish my own book.

My poem was published in this book:

and here's my poem:

I'll post more tomorrow about other things I found yesterday.

Beautiful Sunday...Great day to list vintage clothing!

2008-10-19T22:47:00.005-05:00

I don't know about the rest of you, but we had an absolutely gorgeous fall day here in Houston. The humidity was low and the temperature was awesome. There were no clouds in the sky. The day could not have gotten much better.

I woke up early and went to the early church service and then to Sunday school. Came home and checked emails. Justin left to help his mother move stuff out of her salon (her salon received damage from hurricane Ike and she has to move out). Dominic took a nap. I cleaned the house and then started to take pics of items to list on eBay. I listed about 8 auctions today, I think.

I listed this cute vintage 50s lace illusion dress:

and this cute vintage 50s cashmere coat:

Both of those items have a low starting bid of $24.99. I also listed quite a few additional items. Please check out Lone Star Vintage Clothing. I'm offering 15% off if you mention this post.

I will be listing a lot more items if time permits this week.

I also made some more jewelry today. I'll post pics of that stuff tomorrow.

On another note...my poor little sister's husband, Kyle, has been having an affair with another woman since this past January. My sister found out from the woman through Facebook. This woman sent her a random message and told her she had been having an affair with her husband and blah, blah, blah. My sister confronted her husband last Sunday and he at first told her that message was spam, etc. He finally came clean later that evening and admitted to the affair. My mom being the freaked out worry wart that she is, flew up to Chicago this past Monday, helped my sister and two nieces pack up my sister's car and they drove back to Springfield, Missouri. My sister is going to stay in Missouri for awhile. She managed to rent an apartment two days ago and is going to decide whether she should go back to Kyle at some point. She wants to make him realize that what he has done is wrong. It is wrong. What a jerk. I prayed for him. My sister is probably one of the nicest people on the face of this earth and she does not deserve this. Anyway, that's the drama in my extended life this week.

Holiday season = craft time....

2008-10-17T21:48:00.013-05:00

I know I posted a few days ago and said I would follow up with a craft post later this week. I've been so busy. I've signed up for several different places to contribute samples to this holiday season. One place is at The Purple Box.
I finished 75 samples for them last week and shipped them off last Friday. I've also just finished making 100 samples for Shop A Holic Events. I need to ship those off first thing on Monday. Lastly, I contacted the girl in charge of The Little Black Box and told her I wanted to participate with their box as well. I am still waiting on her second reply for address info (where I need to send my items).

I typically work in my office/work room, but since I'm making so many samples right now, I moved all my stuff to our kitchen table. I have to be able to keep an eye on Dominic and that would be quite difficult right now if I had to work in my room. I've taken some pics of the massive mess on my table as well as some of my samples:

Talk about a mess! It's amazing I can even find anything in this mess.

I've also made a ton of vintage button rings!! I think I have nearly 175 in this box and I still have a ton more to make!

As you can see, I've been really busy this week. I've also made some really cute greeting cards as well. I think I'm going to make more greeting cards tomorrow.

I also listed quite a few items on eBay today. Check out my store for some great deals:

. Mention this post and I'll discount your invoice 15%. Mention "15%OFF" and I'll revise your invoice!

The eVintage Society: Member spotlight is Lone Star Vintage Clothing

2008-10-14T21:00:00.003-05:00

Member Spotlight Lone Star Vintage Clothing
October 9th, 2008

Can also be found here: eVintage Society.

This week we spoke with Heather who owns Lone Star Vintage Clothing. In the coming weeks we will turn the spot light onto each of the eVintage sellers so that you will have an opportunity to know us.

Q. Tell us about yourself, where do you sell, your store name, your background and experiece with vintage clothing.
A. My name is Heather and I own and operate Lone Star Vintage Clothing (Lone Star Vintage Clothing.), a web based vintage clothing and accessories store (I also sell vintage sewing items as well). I also have a store on Etsy.com as well as Smashing Darling.com. I have my BFA in Fashion Design, which is where I get my fashion history experience. I sold vintage lingerie on eBay during college. After graduating, I took a break from selling and focused on working in the fashion industry as a product manager for Stride Rite. I had my son, Dominic, in January 2007 and started selling vintage clothing again in April 2007. I have been selling since April 2007 on eBay, my own site and on Etsy.

Q. Why do you find vintage clothing appealing? And, what should a buyer look for when purchasing vintage clothing?
A. I find everything about vintage appealing because most vintage items are made much better than items that are made today. Most vintage items have amazing detailing that you just cannot find on garments today. The materials that were used are of better quality than those materials used today, at least in my opinion. I love vintage patterns and have a huge collection that I keep for myself, in addition to the items I have listed for sale. All or most women could sew back then, which is pretty amazing. I went to fashion school and sewing is not my strong point. When buyers are looking to purchase vintage clothing, they should look for a reputable seller-a seller who has been around for quite some time and has a good track record. They should make sure the photos give a good representation of that item. Accurate measurements need to be given. Any issues with the garment need to be listed. The seller basically needs to be honest and not throw in any surprises for their buyer. It also helps if the seller is a part of a well known group of sellers like the eVintage Society.

Q. Do you have a favorite era? Do you specialize in a certain look or era?
A. Gosh, I like them all. I would say I really love the 30s-50s the best. I specialize in 40s- 60s because those are the garments that I find at most estate sales here in Houston.

Q. Do you wear vintage clothing, and how? Every day, mixed with contemporary clothing ect….
A. Yes, I do wear vintage clothing. I wore a black 50s shirtwaist dress to church today. What I will typically do is wear contemporary items and pair those items with something vintage.

Q. Do you have a favorite designer? Tell us what attracts you to his/her work?
A. I like the vintage designer, Nelly Don, because her dresses were/are everywhere. She made garments for everyday use. I also like Halston a lot! He did a lot of great draping with his designs. In my senior year of design school, I incorporated a lot of draping into my designs. Halston was my inspiration for that collection.

Q. What are your tips for buying vintage clothing online?
A. Know your measurements and buy from a reputable seller.

Q. What is your favorite piece of vintage clothing you have owned? What made this a favorite?
A. I have two. I went to an estate sale in May of last year. The house had been vacant for nearly a year. The people having the sale found several bags of old clothing in the attic. They had placed the bags on the closet floor and when I found the garments, most everything was in amazing condition. I kept two pieces for myself. One is a navy 40s wiggle type dress by Paul Parnes. It’s made of rayon and has an acetate type fabric at the sleeve hems and upper bodice. There’s a brooch at the centerfront neck. The second dress is a late 40s/50s black cocktail dress with a satin band at the waist and satin tails. There’s a brooch at the waist as well. This dress is by Goodman Original. I can’t bring myself to sell either one of these dresses. They are so pretty!

Q. A little unrelated, but what are your interests and hobbies outside of vintage clothing?
A. Do I ever…I’m really into crafts. I have another site, Mattie Reid Chicago, which is also web based. I also sell on Etsy and another site called Smashing Darling as well. I make custom baby garments, little keepsake boxes made from vintage trims, rings and hair accessories made from vintage rhinestones and vintage trims. I’m also really into making greeting cards right now. They turn out so cute and are so much fun to make. If time permits, I really want to start designing garments again. I’m also into blogging. My blog is called, “Adventures in Vintage” and can be found at Adventures in Vintage. It’s basically about my life. Not sure if that’s so exciting, but there’s always so much going on.

Q. Do you have a special function or job for eVintage? If so, what is it?
A. Yes, I have taken over advertising. We are trying to grow eVintage Society and need to find additional advertising outlets that would be a good fit for us.

You can find Heather and her vintage goodies at Lone Star Vintage Clothing..

This weeks Member Spot Light brought to you by Special Somethings Vintage Clothing.

Member Spotlight |

Pumpkin Patch: Boo hoo!

2008-10-12T22:20:00.007-05:00

Each and every year at Halloween time, there's a public pumpkin patch held in Bellaire, Texas at the Nature Discover Center. Since I missed taking Dominic to the pumpkin patch last year, Justin made sure I knew to take him this year.

I decided to take Mr. Dominic yesterday however, made the mistake of taking him when he was really super tired and cranky. I could not get a decent pic of him. Not one.

I could not get him to look at the camera once. I guess he was over stimulated or something. Who knows. Okay and check out his adorable shirt. It has little cows and lasso's (Western theme). I went to an estate sale a few days ago and this lady had kept all of her son's garments from the 50s. I bought all of these really cute little retro 50s shirts for Dominic. Most of them fit him now, but some of them are still too big. The surprising thing is that most of the items are in really good condition with little to no staining whatsoever.

I'll be adding some creative posts later this week. I have so much going on right now, I don't know if I am coming or going.

New vintage clothing: Cheap auction prices

2008-10-10T19:54:00.004-05:00

Since I've returned home from my little evacuation excursion, I've decided to downsize my vintage clothing collection. I have so many items-some have been listed before and some have never been listed. I could list items for months and never run out of things to list.

I listed this cute little vintage 60s/70s hoot owl handbag for $45:

I listed this cute little box purse for $25:

This cute little vintage 50s embroidered paisley wiggle dress:

and these cute vintage 50s rhinestone hair combs:

Many of the items posted above are actually in my fixed price store inventory however, I assure you I have tons of items listed at low start auction prices. The items are all great-I just have too much stuff and need to consolidate.

On another note, I got a lot of stuff done today. I have ADD and tend to forget to make to do lists however, when I do make to do lists, I totally stay on track and focus on what needs to be done. I made a list last night and have gotten most of the items off my list, but I still have a few things left (which will probably have to be carried over through tomorrow). I woke up pretty early today and cleaned, walked Dominic in his stroller and took and Hana, packaged my giveaway items for the Purple Sampler Box (this is a fall and holiday box I signed up to donate my handmade items to with hopes of getting some exposure. I donated 75 items for the fall box and mailed them today). I followed up with a man named Randy at my church. They want me to write a devotional for church and I volunteered to do so. I followed up with some other people, I have now written my blog post. I went to two estate sales (they sucked!) and went to Justin's salon and got my hair colored. Whew. I still have more things to do, but they can wait until tomorrow. Oh and I need to write my dear friend Louise in the UK. I miss her! Louise, if you are reading this, I miss you!

What I do for work outside of Etsy: A lot!!!

2008-10-08T21:47:00.002-05:00

A requirement of being part of the wonderful Etsy Bloggers Street Team is to participate in a blog carnival. I still don't fully understand the concept of a blog carnival however,I have participated in a few to date and I know how to post them (what website to go to). I think it's a way for other members to get to know each others blogs, etc...That's what I think.

The topics for this month are:

Please choose 1 of the following subjects to write about:

1). Work: Blog about anything to do with your work (past, present or future) which is outside of Etsy.

OR

2). Relax: Blog about what you do to relax.

I'm going to write about #1.

I am a stay at home mom of a 20 month old little boy named Dominic. Taking care of Dominic is first and foremost my most important job. My chosen job is selling vintage clothing. I sell at my own site, Lone Star Vintage Clothing, on eBay at Lone Star Vintage Clothing at eBay and I also sell on Etsy Lone Star Vintage Clothing at Etsy.

When Dominic was born last year, I was still working a corporate type job as an employment recruiter (yuck!). This job was stressful and the hours totally sucked, not to mention that there was an older woman (no names will be mentioned) who drove me absolutely crazy. She would not let me work the way I wanted to work. She had to coach me on everything, so she thought. She was totally old school and I honestly wanted to smack her right in the face a few times. When I had Dominic, I knew I only had 7 weeks to stay at home with him (I had no short term disability and this was the longest they would allow me to be gone from work). I dreaded going back to that company. To make a long story short, I did not go back. I started selling vintage clothing as a hobby and it's become my job. I have my BFA in Fashion Design after all and I may as well put the fashion history part of my degree to good use. The rest is history. I've been selling online since April 2007. My most favorite part is the hunt for my inventory. I frequent estate sales here in Houston on a weekly basis. Currently, I am trying to sell things from my old inventory. With the way the economy is, I don't need to be going out and buying more stuff to sell, when I could honestly list things for the next few months and not have to worry about running out of items to sell.

Selling vintage clothing is very time consuming, let me tell you. You have to find items to sell. If any of your items have issues, you either have to fix the issues or note the issues when you list the item. You have to prep the item before you take the photo's (ironing, etc.). You have to take the pics. You have to download the pics and then edit the pics. You have to list the items, which means coming up with a good description that will make your customer just have to have your item. You have to print your shipping labels and package your items. You have to take the items to the post office and you have to email your customer to let them know their item has shipped. You also have to market your business and your items. Each time I list a new item, I also add it to my Style Feeder. I get a lot of traffic from Stylefeeder.com.

There's a lot that goes into selling vintage clothing, especially when you are a one person business.

If anyone reading this post wants to purchase anything from any of my stores listed above, I will offer you a 10% discount at any of my stores. Just mention this post and I will revise your invoice! :)

Etsy Blogger Street Team - October blogger of the month

2008-10-05T23:10:00.003-05:00

As many of you know, I am a member of the Etsy Blogger Street Team. A requirement of being a member of the street team is to promote other members of the team of your blog. The blogger for the month of October is bfbeads. Her blog can be found at Mama’s Magic.

She has two stores on Etsy. The first is called Baby Friendly Beads and the second store is called Mama’s Magic Studio.

Her first store, Baby Friendly Beads, has a wide variety of beaded nursing necklaces and bracelts. To be quite honest, I have never really heard of nursing necklaces until I started to write this post. I even nursed my son last year. Ugh! Where have I been? These items are really great. You can find this lovely
Citrus Sparkler Baby Friendly Beads Nursing Necklace:

So show some love and visit my fellow Etsy blogger. She's got some great stuff in both of her stores.

The power is back on: Now what?

2008-10-04T10:47:00.003-05:00

As I was cleaning up around the house the morning, I realized that it has been nearly a week since our power was restored. It's been only a few days since the Internet was restored. I realized this week went by so quickly. It's amazing how much work you can get done with power. When you don't have power, time seems to creep along so slowly. You have to use the daylight hours to do important things because when darkness arrives, you are left to use flashlights and it's really difficult to get anything done.

I do know this event made me realize that life is short and if you don't stop around once in awhile, you will miss it (I think that is a clip from Ferris Bueller's Day Off when Ferris was talking to Cameron). I realized that I work way too much, even though I make way less money than when I worked for other people. I also realized that my son is growing up way too fast. He's almost 2 already. Where has time gone? Because of this storm, I spent nearly two weeks with my son and did not have to do any work. I think he learned more in those two weeks than the past year. He's so smart already, it's insane. This storm also made me realize that I need more balance in my life. I should be able to juggle selling vintage clothing, making my handcrafted items and working with my son:

FLOCKED PAISLEY40s/50s Vintage Tailored Suit M - eBay (item 280273562447 end time Oct-05-08 15:02:16 PDT)

2008-10-02T17:05:00.001-05:00

I'm cleaning out my inventory and will be listing tons of great vintage clothing in the upcoming weeks.

*FLOCKED PAISLEY*40s/50s Vintage Tailored Suit M - eBay (item 280273562447 end time Oct-05-08 15:02:16 PDT)