Meet Isobel!

 

When Carrie Anne Castillo of The Little Big Blog sent me photos of her little girlie, Isobel, I swooned! This girl has so much charm that I knew you all would fall head over heels for her!

There is just something about this young lady! A wonderful confidence and charm that exudes from her. And of course her clothes match her step by step!

Plus she has some serious kapow style to match that cuteness.

How much kapow, you ask? THIS MUCH!

Here is what her mama has to say about this little lady:

“Isobel is three (turning 4 in April!) and hails from California’s Central Valley. She has had very definite opinions about clothes since she was extremely small. She adores pink, rainbows, twirly whirly dresses and accessories. Her favorite thing in the world is her Pink Purse. She thinks our kitten Squirrelly is her sister and she loves to paint, help in the kitchen and dig in the dirt. She has a crazy imagination and a vibrant sense of humor. Mostly she loves going from thrift store to thrift store on the hunt for treasure with her Mama. With the exception of shoes and underwear, just about her entire wardrobe is secondhand items.”

I love a good green/reused wardrobe and Miss Isobel clearly knows how to rock it!

You are amazing, young lady, Isobel!

 

PS:  Do YOU have a stylish kiddo you’d like to show off? Send ‘em our way! You can find submission details here. We love all kinds of kiddos…. vintage and thrift loving liddles, groovy modern younguns and sweet, down-to-earth kiddos.

Chickens. Yup.

Well, we took the plunge.

The chicken plunge.

I’m writing this from my dining room table across from four sleeping chickies in a homemade brooder of a clear plastic bin, lit by a 250 watt heating lamp.  But let me start at the beginning.

I think it started at last year’s Alt Summit after talking to Jenny of Frecklwonder/Mi Casa Su Casa and thinking to myself, maybe I could actually raise chickens.  I should have been dissuaded after reading Jennifer Reese’s wonderful book, Make the Bread. Buy the Butter and her experience with chickens, but I was still completely charmed by the idea.  Then I continued the conversation with friends and after almost a year of discussion with Eric and watching other families on our block start chickens, we finally decided that 2013 was going to be the year of the chickens.

In January, I bought a hen house off the Internet and a couple of books on raising chickens. I read an absurd amount of posts on Backyard chickens and ordered four chickies from Mill Valley Chickens.

Of course I want nothing more than to hug and kiss the girls, but they are rather young and I think they are a touch frightened of my big hands coming down to grab one, but the more we handle them, the nicer they are supposed to be.  I try to pick them up once a day at least just to get them used to being handled.

Early last Saturday, we drove up to Mill Valley to pick up our girls.  Instantly we fell in love with those little balls of fluff.  We were given them in an old Nordstrom paper bag and carefully brought them home and immediately put them in the brooder. Out they popped cheeping all the way. Except one–who died within an hour of being home in the 95 degree brooder.  And then another one die within 12 hours and we felt awful. And we were being such new paranoid parents, but it just happens sometimes.  Like needing two cocktails awful. But we were assured the very gracious lady who runs Mill Valley Chickens that this can happen, but it’s OK.  And our girls are now a week and a half hour and doing fine.

And growing! Oh, wow, how they grow–already sporting feathers amidst the fluff and to see them sleep is something else!  But enough about me, let’s me introduce you to the girls, shall I?

Miss Lucy was named by the Peach and I think she is everyone’s favorite.  She is quite a little charmer and I love her stripes. She’s our sole Easter Egger and we adore her.

Rumaki is quite the spirited Barred Rock and has more than enough fiestiness for the whole gang.

Goldie was named by Eric and has a very nice disposition although she is rather flighty.

And sadly, I can’t find a decent picture of our last chickie, Mabel. She’s smaller than her sister Rumaki, but just as feisty.

I’ll try to keep you updated on our girls with pictures. So far, so good…  Have you raised chickens? Do you want to? Am I insane?

Vintage kiddo bonanza to brighten your Monday!

Hoo boy, what a weekend.  The Peach’s birthday party at Pump it Up and my gal, Jen coming from London to talk as part of NoisePop.  Just insanity. I must admit, I’m not sure if I’m going to post a lot this week, as I really tweaked my arm–from my shoulder blade to my fingers due to a rotten computer mouse, so apologies for the short summary, but just know that the love is there!

And off we go!

OK, this vintage Billy the Kid little jacket? I want it in MY size too! LOVE! From Etsy seller, Fuzzymama!

You know we are huge fans of applique and this little jack in the box overalls are killing me with cutenss! From Etsy seller, Retro & Me!

I love a good hand-knit little cardi for a baby and this minty one is perfection! From Etsy seller, Bondplace Vintage!

Now this lion-tastic vintage skirt is available in the big girl size 10. YES!  From Reware Vintage.

Who wouldn’t want this duckie of a sweater? From Etsy seller, Brookaloo Vintage.

These shoes? Perfection. Check out that little scallop detal! From Etsy seller, Betsy Fern Vintage.

Le Petit Oiseau? You had me at pantsuit! In its complete polka dot chevron glory.

Want that springy feeling, but still need some warmth? Behold this strawberry laden beauty! From Etsy seller, The Vintage Nursery.

GAH! This dress!  I can’t stand it! My head just exploded from the awesomeness of it. From Etsy seller, UDA Kids.

Hey sailor.  The sailor look has been popular for more than 200 years, started by the royal family–with good reason, since it is so darn cute! From Etsy seller, La di Dottie.

Happy Monday, folks!

 

Vintage Video:: The Incredible Mr. Limpet!

This past weekend, I went to a children’s birthday party and one of the ladies reminded me of this great film I grew up watching on Saturday afternoons on KPIX in Connecticut.  The Incredible Mister Limpet, starring the delightful Don Knotts, who always had the knack of turning his charmingly nebbish ways into comedy that any kid or adult could love.

What made this film so nutty was the fact that it was part live action part animation, which totally worked allowing the cartoon side to be so magical as opposed to the live action “reality” section…

 

The plot is a rather impressive one with a few more adult plots around war and it might be tough for wee ones to get some of the plotlines, but I think any six year old and up would find this to be a bang up movie!

The story begins September 1941 just before the attack on Pearl Harbor. Don Knotts plays the fish loving Henry Limpet who tries to join the U.S. Navy with his pal George Stickle, but is rejected.

Feeling downcast, he wanders down to a pier near Coney Island and accidentally falls into the water.  Instead of drowning, Mr. Limpet turns into a fish and hilarity ensues.  Because fish with glasses are funny, right?  I’m just so glad he got to keep his glasses…

He makes pals with a crabby crab.

And falls for a most beautiful female fish, known as aptly named LADYFISH!

But along the way, he finds out that the Nazis are going to bomb the U.S. But not on Mr. Limpet’s watch!

Mr. Limpet saves the day. YEAH!

He connects with his old pal, George and warns him of the danger!

But he decides his life in the sea isn’t so bad. So, he says good by to his friends

Did you ever watch this movie as a kid?  What did you think of it? Would you watch it with your kiddos today?