Wednesday, November 30, 2011

The Return

Paris Trip


In one month exactly I will be saying goodbye to my twenties, which I have mixed feelings about... but I digress... To celebrate, Clayton and I are headed to -----> PARIS! I can't even begin to tell you how excited, nervous, happy, nostalgic I'm feeling about the whole trip.  I haven't been back since 2005, and I hope to find all of my favourite places just as I had left them.  A few things I'm so excited for are the Marais, Mariage Freres tea, museums, the metro, yogurt... I could go on.


So to mark the one month countdown, I put together a little outfit inspiration that I'll try and duplicate somehow on the trip.  I based the look on the egg shaped coat, since I found one last year at the end of the season, and never really got to wear it.  I think the style is perfectly Parisian!

Monday, November 28, 2011

That's Pretty...



I don't know about you, but Friday night for me is the best night to go to the thrift store.  It's usually pretty empty, and I always have the best luck when it comes to finding unique itmes.  It is the best way to unwind and relax... I guess by  now you've figured out how I spent last Friday night.



I did well and got some super stuff, and I wanted to share with you two necklaces that I thought were pretty speical.  Both have very unique qualities, and would add that extra something to an outfit.  It's going to fun styling some looks with these!



I also wanted to say a BIG thanks to all who came out on Saturday to Isabellas for the pop up shop.  It was a great way to support small business saturday!  And good news if you weren't able to make it out... This coming Saturday December 3rd I'll be there again set up with lots and lots of vintage goodness so tell your friends!  More details here.

Friday, November 25, 2011

Settling In


I am finally in the winter mood. And not a Christmasy winter mood, but in a cozy in my house drinking tea winter mood, and there's nothing that beats being curled up on the couch with a little needlework in hand. Yup, I've got the embroidery bug again. It happened last winter and I got right into it, but this year I've challenged myself to come up with some new needlepoint and embroidery projects....


And here is the first project!  I had a bunch of these blank totes laying around so it was the perfect backdrop for some colour and texture.  This one still needs to be ironed, but I was too impatient, and wanted to share it over here today soooooo, pardon the wrinkles.

What are your favourite winter crafts?

p.s. Hope to see you tomorrow!

Monday, November 21, 2011

Foxy Lady


Over the weekend, we took a drive out to the country and stopped in at one of our favourite flea markets.  It didn't take me long to find this little brass fox face. I walked in the door turned around and said "uh-oh...." I knew it had to be mine.  I had the perfect chain laying around and I am enjoying this little fox so much.


We also came across this charming brass cast swallow.  I love it's detail, and think it will look beautiful hung up on a wall.  And speaking of birds, I saw my very first real life owl.  An amazing brown and white owl, that flew right over our car low enough to view it right through the windshield.  In fact it was so close we almost hit it...

So there you have it, a few great weekend perks!  I also wanted to mention one more time that this weekend I'll be at Isabella's (2 King St. E Oshawa ) on Saturday for the first of I hope many pop up shops with my whole vintage collection! So stop by if you are in the area and have a look around. 

Also there will be another 'make your own' Fascinators workshop at Sunday's Child on December 6.  Have a look at Sunday's Child blog to see some of the lovely Fascinators we made at the last workshop.  If you are interested and want to sign up just visit Sunday's Child or let me know.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Did You Say Tooled Leather?


I must say that after years of thrifting there are few things that still give me that buzz of excitement.  Don't get me wrong, I love finding a perfectly charming vintage dress, or a pair of oh so soft leather boots, but tooled leather always impresses me.  I've been holding on to a lot of these purses for a while, but I'm now realizing that there is no way I can possibly use them all, so before I sell half of my collection, I wanted to get them all together for one last group shot.  A farewell party if you will....





If you plan on coming to the pop-up shop next weekend, you will expect to see most of these there for sale. Some may also end up in the Etsy shop.  It's taken a lot of willpower not to snatch these back, but I know they deserve good homes.  Which ones are you favourites?

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Some News


I am very excited to share with you some event news today! The Vintage Ramble will be having a pop-up shop at the fabulous Isabella's right here in downtown Oshawa.  This will be held on November 26 from 12-4.  I'll have my whole vintage collection there for you to browse! Perfect time to pick up some great gifts for those vintage lovers in your life.  Come on down and say hi, and have some of the most delicious coffee around.

Monday, November 14, 2011

Capes: A Roundup

I've seen capes popping up everywhere lately, so I thought I'd join in the fun, and do a little roundup of my favourite capes I've come across lately.


 1,2,3



1,2,3,4


1,2,3

It's hard not to find one to love with so many styles available. Capes are the perfect choice for this time of year.  Which one is your favourite?  I love the knit chevron cape.  So cute, and the colours are perfect for the season.  And of course, don't forget to have a peek at the 3 capes in The Vintage Ramble shop!

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Baubles and Bows


I've been working on some new designs for the upcoming holiday season, and just wanted to stop in and give you a sneak peek at some of the stuff I'll be selling at Sunday's Child this month.You might remember me mentioning the huge lot of watch parts I found about a month ago. Well they are finally being put to use! I've been having fun coming up with all the different ways to incorporate these dainty gems. These two necklaces are just two examples.... 
The holiday's are a great time to support your local shops and artists, and Sunday's Child is seriously the place to find heaps of unique items.
 

I'll also have a few hair accessories made from feathers and antique buttons available.  I made my first one at our fascinator's workshop and decided that they were so fun to make that I had to make more!
A few other items not photographed are some great gift wrapping accessories and perhaps a few holiday cards.  Sometimes there are just not enough hours in the day to make all the things I have swimming in my brain....

Friday, November 4, 2011

The Story Of Stuff


I wasn't going to post anything today, but then saw this video that a friend put up on facebook, and thought that it was too good not to share.  A very articulate message about the world we live in that will surely make you think.  This video made me proud to be a thrifter and really underlined the importance of  being resourceful and using what we already have.  Buying secondhand is not only exciting for all of us treasure seekers, but it's also a conscious way of consuming.  Just something to think about for your Friday.  Have a great weekend!

Thursday, November 3, 2011

4 Boxes


Back in the summer you may remember I bought a new table and chair set for our eating area, which displaced our antique pew that ended up fitting perfectly in our entry way hall.  The only downside to this shuffle was that we lost some storage space. So up until now I had been using a couple of large baskets to keep our "junk" in under the pew.  The baskets just weren't cutting it, so I decided to take these four boxes my dad had gifted to me and give them a little makeover....


The boxes were just cheap veneered wood, and had seen better days. So I knew I wanted to paint them.  I added the numbers for a bit of a utilitarian industrial look.  I wasn't sure at first if this was going to jive, but the risk paid off in the end. 

If you want to try this out. Here is what I did:

I used Avery white mailing label printer sheets (#05165) to print out my numbers.  I chose a font that was going to be thick to get the desired effect, so keep this in mind.  Then I cut the numbers out and stuck them to the box.

Make sure your box is clean and dry before applying the numbers.

After the number is placed grab your spray paint. Once the paint dries peel off your number. Ta da you'r done! 


These boxes would look great in a kid's room, or a craft room.  They are perfect for those areas that lack storage.


The storage boxes are part of a more concentrated hallway redesign.... After I had put the boxes in place, Clayton hung this great vintage task lamp above the two prints.  This light works great in the space, since we had no other alternative lighting and there was no where to place a lamp.   There is only one more project to do to complete our hallway transformation, but so far it's looking just as I had hoped!

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

In The Bag


For the past couple of weeks, I have been on a quest to organize my basement craft/vintage store room. And in doing so I have been getting rid of a lot of craft supplies, material etc.  The problem is that while I have been concentrating on cleaning up this space, I have still been visiting thrift stores and accumulating new craft supplies, material etc. Have you ever seen Vertigo and the "whirlpool of terror"? Sometimes this feels like my craft room.  It's an unending sea of stuff.  What can I say, I can't resist the potential of one day creating something great out of fabulous bits and pieces.

So on Saturday, while Clayton was playing an out of town show, I stayed home and used the time to do some sewing.  I had picked up this large piece of vintage upholstery fabric earlier in the week and decided to put it to use before it got lost in the abyss that is my basement.  I always enjoy making bags, so that is what I did!  It was the perfect weight and design for a large tote bag, and I have very much enjoyed the outcome.  There are still some scraps left, but it felt good to save it from a sad and lonely existence in my basement.  
And since we are on the topic of bags, I thought I would kick off November with a little shop incentive.... If you are planning on purchasing anything from my Etsy shop in the month of November, I will throw in a free tote bag made by me!   The totes are all one of a kind and silk screened.    I've already shipped one out with an order this morning, so get them while they're hot as there is a limited supply.