We have a Winner

Thanks so much to the 80 people who left such nice comments here and at the Vintage Journal! The winner of the blog giveaway is Margaret Cloud, who picked this journal.

Birthday Give Away!

It may be my birthday today, but you get the present! Just go to my store by way of the etsy side bar on the right, pick out your favorite journal, and comment here by Tuesday Jan. 27th, and you may get chosen to recieve it for free! The winner will be chosen at random, as soon as I get back from Charleston- my husband and I are running away from home; his birthday is this week too :)

...because nothing says "I love you" like sarcasm.

You'd think after living in the South for 16 years, I'd be nicer, partial to grits and sweet tea, saying "y'all" and "might could." But I just haven't shaken my Chicago suburban roots, loaded with dry sarcasm and nasal tones, partial to the Bears, unsweetened tea, and cold weather. So here is my real self; the dreamy cottage pinks are really just a front!

Re-purposed Valentine Candy Boxes

My tall, dark, and handsome husband is a lavish and unique gift giver, who often surprises me with flowers (and once a cake!) delivered to my door on Valentine's day. Last year I recieved a classic, giant heart shaped box of candies, which I saved (not the candy, just the box) knowing it had to become something else one day. So here it is, a "tacky in a good way" as my daughter stated, vintage Valentine assemblage.
This one is for sale at VintageScraps.etsy.com
or perhaps you should buy yourself a box, eat the contents with a cup of good coffee, and decorate for Valentine's day. (My youngest informed me yesterday that this box was purchased at a gas station, in case you're wondering where to find one. I think my husband is slipping!!)

Christmas Reds- etsy's front page, and I was on it! (whoo whoo!)

And there I am, the bird in the lower left corner.

Vintage Fashion

I can still remember the first book I read that was set in the 1940's and contained many details about daily life. I was mystified by the single women who had jobs at the "Button Counter" or were "Ribbon Girls." But of course as everyone sewed their own clothes back then, such jobs were common place, and while I dislike sewing, I love vintage dress patterns, and have a passion for collaging them into journals. These gems hail from a later date, 1967 through 1970, and were a gift from a lovely etsy street teammate named Hope (many thanks Hope!) Her store is loaded with vintage goodies, so check it out sometime!
http://www.tripletrouble.etsy.com/

Midnight Snow Flurries

It's becoming delightfully chilly here in North Carolina! I'm just not a hot weather person, having been raised in the Chicago suburbs and all. So to celebrate the end of Hot, I picked some favorite, dark and snowy looking art pieces from a few beautiful etsy.com stores. (Please contact me if you would like more information on these pieces.)

About Vintage

Everyone has at least one box in their attic filled with bits of history. Antique papers that don't rate a $300 shadow box, but cannot be thrown away either- your grandmother's recipe clippings and report card, your great aunt's favorite magazine ads and postcards. They are a former part of everyday life and they are falling apart in your hands- what to do with them? That's my passion: bringing forgotten bits of history back into daily life via hand collaged art, journals, clipboards, and cards.
Go in your attic, open the boxes, and bring your family's memories back to life!
(See ideas at VintageScraps.etsy.com)