She's a great vintage

So my sister's birthday party was this weekend.

Last year I made her some comfy pjs from vintage sheeting, and I know she likes unique handmade items, so I couldn't exactly let her down.

Don't worry, I didn't whip up anything too special.  But she did like it a lot, and it's one of those fast + easy gifts you can really have fun with. 

I bought a bottle of wine (and made sure I liked the bottle top cover -- it didn't have any writing on it to distract), soaked and scraped off the front label, and then replaced it with a personalized one.  I told you it was fast + easy. 

{ As for the 'Chexican' part... My gorgeous, olive-skinned, raven-haired sister has been mistaken for many a nationality over the years and she embraced it a long time ago.  Her friends threw her a Chinese Fiesta party, complete with egg rolls, layered nacho dip, taquitos and fortune cookies.  It's all in good fun. }

I also made her six napkins, just because.  Everyone should have lots of fun napkins at their disposal.

Happy Monday, blogworld!  xoxo

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PS: Sparkle Power is hosting a great giveaway.  ;)

dresser + thrift scores + a typepad grumble

I am taking a break from the sanding and cleaning of the dresser to say hello.  I got some patching that is drying before the final sand and then it is prime-time.

Which reminds me, some of you commented on my last post with suggestions for priming over previously finished pieces, and I so appreciate that!  I have always used a product called Zinsser 1-2-3 for glossy surfaces and have had luck painting over varnished wood trim and furniture with little to no sanding, and it is great.  But it is nice to know there are other products out there as well.  (Have you been putting off painting some furniture because of the sanding commitment?  Now you know you don't have to.  This primer is sold at local hardware stores and works like a charm.)

 

(vintage evening purse, $2)

That said, I am sanding because the previous owners had also painted the dresser, and I just want to go over the areas where their job had worn.  And patch the few gauges that are here and there.  I'm not using a machine palm sander or anything -- just those sponge sand blocks that last forever and I happen to have lying around. 

( wool dress coat with 3/4 sleeves and gorgeous oversized buttons and fur collar, $12)

Can you tell I've been getting back out to the thrift stores?  Other than the dresser and lots of pillowcases and sheets, I've been lucky enough to pick up a few other things.  That black purse might see an evening out or two this winter, if I'm lucky.  And that gorgeous blue wool coat?  I picked it up for Lori, who asked me to keep an eye out for her a year ago.  $12!  Score!

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The other thing I haven't addressed yet is how typepad is now handling comments.  I cannot tell you how frustrating it is to me.  Until la bebe, I was pretty good about getting back and replying, but I'm sure you know by now either personally or from all the griping on the interweb that typepad has made this pretty cumbersome.  I will reply directly to questions by email, but please be patient with this momma.  Sometimes it takes me days to just compose a post... but I do want you to know that I value each and every comment.  You make me feel special, so thanks.  xo

Babygirl gives you each a thumbs up.

the nursery dresser

One of the tricky things about not knowing the baby's gender before the big day is that the nursery is an afterthought. For me, anyway. I couldn't think about it until I met this baby first.  With the other two girls, I had very specific ideas and lots of time before they were born.  But this last little miracle was my big surprise. 

And after two girls I knew that if we had a boy, this would be a very fun boy room.  Daddy would finally get his little St Louis Cardinals nursery and have (what he considers) a valid reason for purchasing a life-size Albert Pujols stand-up cutout (which I am sure wouldn't have scared the crickets out of me in those middle of the night feedings at ALL).

Of course, my weakness is for little girls rooms, and I knew that if the last little member of our clan was of the pink persuasion, a gender neutral room just. would. not. do.

And, of course, we had another girl.

Whew.  What a long winded way to say, hey, I got a dresser for the nursery at a thrift store for 25 bucks and I'm going to paint it.  Either white or yellow or pink or red. 

Who am I kidding?  It's definitely going to be pink.

It is actually in very good condition.  The white markings are where the last paint job was worn, not gauges.  The dresser was made by Dixie and it is solid wood, even between the drawers.  It's crazy heavy and should last a long time.

Once I get it done.  Which means that if I have the time to write this post, I probably have the time to clean, sand, and prep this puppy.   If you need me, I'll be in the garage.  (At least until little miss sparklepants calls me back in. )

xoxo

the gift reveal

Running short on time today... babygirl sleeps really well at night, but it translates to very short naps during the day.

Anyhoo.

Here is an almost-full shot of the baby blanket I made for a friend of mine who is a couple weeks away from being a first time mama.  I used a combination of vintage sheeting (the pink stripes), and some stash fabric (from Heather Bailey's Pineapple Brocade to stock quilter's cotton; the blue has polka dots).  I trimmed it with a dotted pink minky left over from Figet's nursery bedding, made three years ago.

I loved the combination so much that I think I'm going to use that yellow for curtain's in the new nursery.  I'm not kidding.  I have about 10 yards of it that I bought for another project that will never happen and I think it would look smashing as full-length curtains.  Anyone think I'm nuts?

I also made a matching onesie for the babe.  This little newborn onesie was worn by by my own babygirl once or twice and I was getting ready to put it in the goodwill pile.  Ten minutes and a little heat-n-bond later, I had part deux of the baby gift.  Voila. 

I'm making more of these.

That's a promise.  And a warning.  I do have a bagillion baby gifts to make, after all.  :) 

xoxo

hello hello!

That dust-cloud you see just over the fence? 

It's me, spinning around like a whirling dervish, getting my creative-on and trying to keep up with the laundry and baby apparati.  I have a theory that the smaller children, the bigger the accessories.  Bouncer?  check.  Bumbo?  Check.  Swing?  Check.  Playmat?  Check.  Pack n play?  check.  Baby bucket carrier thing?  Check.  Exersaucer?  Check.  I always forget that part about having babies.  Suddenly your house feels like a clown car stuffed with baby equipment.   All my 13 year old needs is her ipod, cell phone and lip gloss and she is good to go.  I can tell you these are tiny because she is constantly losing them.  No way I'm losing that swing.  Might break a leg tripping over it, but I won't lose it, that's for sure.

But I digress. 

It happens.  A lot around here these days.  Mostly because I am busy making kissy faces and oohing and cooing at babygirl.  I swear this girl is a chatterbox already.  I know.  Crazy, huh?

Anyway, there is serious gift-making happening.  I have six -- yes, SIX -- friends who have either just had a baby or are getting ready to, and there is some crazy sewing happening down in the studio.  They are surprise-ish, so the reveals will be slow but steady here.  I promise.

(here's a peek at one that gets gifted tomorrow... I don't think she checks my blog. )

Also, I am in the process of the nursery design.  What ho!  Are we having fun around here!  I picked up a dresser for $25 at a thrift store and hubs has made me promise to fix it up this week so we can get it out of the garage.  So I have a deadline, which is always nice.  Now that I'm officially a full time stay at home mom I need a Real Challenge.  Thanks, honey.  I'd hate to sit around and eat bon-bons all day.

getting back into things. Step one.

I am so ready to get back into the swing of things around here!  Naps are becoming something I can depend on and I'm busy making lists already.

First, though, I need to take care of the pile of past-due projects on my sewing table.

Like the JUNE quilt square for Sarah, who asked for "whatever." 

And the AUGUST square for Kate, who asked for a scrappy log cabin.

I love getting my quilt square fabric in the mail each month.  It's a little like Christmas.  Plus, I think you can see each of the quilters in their fabric choices.  Even if these came without a nice little note attached, I'm pretty sure I could guess who sent it. 

September is my month, and I've got my stacks ready to go.  My plan is to get them in the mail on Friday... can you guess what kind of fabric I'm using?  :)

Okay, off to the dentist. Joy.