Category Archives: Etsy Love

From Russia with Love! Matryoshka Russian Nesting Dolls

Etsy Love

I don’t know about you, but I’m crazy about this matryoshka or Russian nesting doll resurgence that we are seeing pop up all over the Web and in stores.  And with good reason thanks to some of the most charming fabrics and dolls out there right now.

The same fabric can be used in such different ways, like in these two dresses.

I love this  jumper that highlights just one matryoshka from the popular fabric–simple but beautiful dress choice for a little girl. From Etsy seller, All the Numbers.

Or you could go Vegas style–go big or go home–with your matryoshka love in this amazing peasant dress from Lolah Pop Vintage Baby.

And what’s a dress without a purse?  Like these charming Matryoshka purses available at Warm Biscuit. Maybe they’ll turn into the LeSportsac bags of this decade!  Can’t you see it full of puffy stickers and lip smackers?

And who could resist the matryoshka marvelousness in these little baby shoes?

From Etsy seller, Burkheart Baby.

You’d never know what’s under that babushka of a little Russian doll, but I’m sure if they could whip the kerchief off, they would be working these little pony tails elastics from something fierce!

From Little Itty Bitty.

Sadly the classic Russian nesting dolls aren’t very huggable, but you can make your own Matryoshka softies with this great Wild Child doll kit. Very simple and beautiful.

From Pulp Designs.

But let’s take a moment to look at some of the best actual matryoshka dolls out there.

I’m really crushing on this La Familia set in its one of a kind charm and simplicity.  I like the idea of a wonderful artist just taking a black felt tip pen and letting his imagination go wild.

I adore this animal set starting with this very friendly lion and ending with bird. What a treat!

I’m alway game for Matryoshka dolls that aren’t little babushkas–like this Monster Mash set from Cyanide Sweetheart.  Bonus points for the Simpson’s reference…

And that of course is the top of of a very slippery slope of “unique”  nesting dolls where people have taken some.. ahem… clever liberties with our little Babushka beauties. Replacing her sweetly kerchiefed head with The Beatles, Star Wars storm troopers, Disney princesses , South Park characters, NBA team the Lakers, or Evita Peron. But I give you the best of them–the penultimate of nesting dolls: The ABBA nesting doll set.

Take a chance on THAT bit of Swedish awesomeness!

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s a…super kiddo!

Etsy Love, Kiddo Style: Modern, Retro Modern, , ,


What is it about super heroes? Is it the magic powers? The ability to fly? The xray vision? Maybe. My theory, however, is that it allll comes down to the outfits. When I was a little girl I loved Wonder Woman—she was brave, strong, smart and had an invisible plane. But let’s be honest, it was the OUTFIT that was the best. Red go-go boots! A magic tiara! Those cool bullet-deflecting bracelets and golden magic lasso! I loved it all. But I think we all can agree that the quintessential piece of superhero gear is THE CAPE. There are tons of fun capes out there, but here is a selection of some we especially like.

This first lot is from Baby Pop—I really love their masks too! Super charming….


And how about this ROCK-N-ROLL superstar??

Images: Baby Pop

I’m really digging the understated “Clark Kent-ness” of the Superhero monogram shirt:


Images: Charlie and Sarah

Ya know, superheroes don’t have to be all about bad-assery. I found some really fab “indie capes” that have a softer look. Just look at this adorable little birdy cape!

And you can even get a little wee cape for your favorite lil dolly or cuddle bear—kind of awesome, no?

Image: Mousey Me

While we’re looking at unconventional capes, how amazing is this lil mod wonder?? It’s soooo the little sidekick of Orla Kiely (“By the power of the almighty elusive Target Pear Cannister!”). LOVE it!

Image: NikertyNoo

A word of caution, though. You don’t want to veer too far from the classic look or your budding superhero will end up looking like a reject from the David Copperfield Magic Academy! There are some classic visual cues that say “superhero” and sometimes I think it’s totally a-ok to reach for the lightning bolts and stars!


Images: Super Kid Capes

This last set comes to us from Little Hero Capes. The capes are all made of a thick satiny material (lined with a contrast color!) and look tres chic. My favorite thing about them, however, is their incredible Donate a Cape Project. When you purchase a “Courage Cape” they will send it to the Discovery Arts Program which will give it to a child who is undergoing treatment for cancer and other serious blood disorders. Now that’s my idea of a true superhero.



Images: Little Hero Capes

Every little kiddo has a superhero inside them, and they don’t necessarily need a cape to shine…..but you have to admit it’s so much more fun with a cape whippin’ behind you as you race around with your friends!

And don’t forget, when push comes to shove….you can always use a towel. (Hippie Beads and shades not required….)


Image: john.d.mcdonald

Upcycling Sweaters

Crafts + DIY, Etsy Love, , , ,

People, let’s be clear about one thing. I love a good tag sale. I was raised on them.

Saturday mornings in my childhood were spent riding shotgun in my mother’s Ford Escort careening around the backroads of Connecticut looking for tag sales, with a bagel clutched in my hand– “breakfast on the road” and quarter to go wild with at the first stop.  Who knows what treasures await?  Balls of yarn! Old books! Vintage fox stoles! Oh, adventure!  Still to this day, I can’t resist the pull of that large piece of cardboard saying “Garage Sale”.

But this weekend is the Superbowl of tag sales.  The Olympics of thrifting. People of the Bay Area–I give you–the annual Oakland Museum White Elephant sale!

It is a hullabaloo of second hand goodies that makes me break out in a sweat of shopping excitement as soon as I enter the sale.

Every year, I set my cap on a certain item–cool vintage sheets from the seventies, old knitting magazines, used board games.  This year, I’m all about the sweaters. Yup! Because I want to try that green craftiness that I’ve been hearing so much about from Martha.  You know, taking old sweaters and turning them into something just as awesome, if not more so than the original sweater.    It is even greener than recycling–upclycing.

If you are not in such a crafty mood or too busy to craft (cough cough), you should check out other people’s craftiness at Etsy.

Sesame Seed designs creates these gorgeous felted caps for babies that kills me!  I can’t decide between the deer and the dinosaur… Or the leaf.

I love the sweaters made from a sweater!  Like this bye bye Birdie sweater!

Or this ric rac rainbow cardi. People, you know how I feel about ricrac.  Both are from Etsy seller, Poppytop Sweaters.

Etsy seller Snugglepants turns the sleeves of sweaters into the cutest and warmest pants around! Like these orange stripey ones or these crazy striped ones.  Very clever indeed!

But I had to finish this post the same way I started it. With this little lady.  Joseph may have had his technicolor dream coat, but check out this very colorful patterned skirt made from old sweaters on it’s charming young model.  I’ll take the boots, the rabbit fur vest and vintage luggage too, please!  Actually, I’ll take the little girl to boot! She is working that skirt like nobody’s business!

The perfect ensemble for going to a tag sale with your Mom!

Vintage Kiddo Roundup: VillaCoola by Lishyloo

Etsy Love, Kiddo Style: Vintage, ,

As the second part of our wonderful Vintage Mondays, I’d like to let you in on one of the best kept secrets in Etsy’s vintage world.    Over the past few months, I  kept finding the most darling vintage goodies for the Peach that were incredibly well-priced and they all had one thing in common–Lishyloo of VillaCoola!

Lishyloo has one of the best stocked vintage shops on Etsy with a focus on kid’s clothing. There are almost 90 pieces of vintage kid’s clothing listed as of today. NINETY PIECES! That’s just bananas!  And the prices are refreshingly low.  Cheaper than things you would find on an Old Navy sales rack and so much better made and cuter to boot!

After professing my love for her, I had Miss Lish over for some e-tea and crumpets and she sweetly answered all of my dazzlingly clever questions.  Here is what she said:

…………………………

MK: How did you get into collecting vintage clothes for kids?

LL: I started collecting vintage for babies and kids when my nephew was born in 2002 and I had an excuse to comb the children’s section of the thrift. I kept finding so many great items for kids that I had amassed quite a collection by the time my first son, Truman, came on the scene in 2006.

MK: what made you start your fabulous Etsy shop?

LL: After I found out baby #2 was a boy last year I decided to start selling off all of the girl clothes I had collected and now I am hooked on it! I love to dress my boys in vintage and I love the little thrill I get when I find something for the store that I know someone out there will love.

MK: what is your favorite vintage era?

LL: My favorite era for kid’s clothing is definitely the 70s. I grew up in a super small town in southern Minnesota and we would buy all of my clothes at the one boutique in town called “The Village Shoppe.” ALL of the clothes there were Health-tex and Granimals and they had a Patti Playpal doll they would use as a mannequin. In addition to all of my vintage finds on the store, I also have two Patti Playpal dolls in my house that totally freak out my husband. I should really use them to model things for the store! I would give anything to be able to visit The Village Shoppe circa 1975 when I was born!

………….

Miss Lishyloo, you are killing me with your button cuteness!  Colored me charmed. And color us lucky–because I’ve picked out some of my favorite pieces from Lishyloo’s store–and they are all under $15.00. Whoohoo!

Like this adorable matching set for a young zoo-bound kid.   Is that a giraffe in your pocket  or are you just happy to see me?

What is there not to love about this yellow polka dotted beauty from uber seventies children’s brand Health Tex.  What can I say, I have a soft spot for duckies?

I must be craving sunshine, because I’m totally in love with yellow right now, but who wouldn’t be with this little Bo Peep in gingham dressie? Ruffles and a scallop edging? Stop the insanity!

Alix wrote about the Roper, well, I’m calling this fabulous jacket the Larry after Larry, the ladies man and downstairs neighbor in Three’s Company!  What a great jacket–just for when your tot decides to hang out at the Regal Beagle.

And this little sailor romper is too dear for words. The fish detail is just stunning. Lishyloo, where do you find these gems?

I hope these wonderful finds don’t spend too much more time in Lishyloo’s shop. Enjoy and happy Monday!

Heart on My Sleeve

Etsy Love, Retro Modern, , , ,

Oh, heart. Your day is almost upon us.

No shape has as much of a burden to live up to as the heart. Be it bubbly, romantic or even broken,  the heart always makes an impact. Sorry circle and square–you are noble and charming, but it is the heart that makes us smile before we even know why.

Even heart haters can’t deny the heart’s charm when paired with a child. Particularly around Valentine’s Day where the heart takes center stage.

I like clever unexpected hearts like these on this sweet hat sung out instead of notes from a bird.  Thank you Etsy seller, Rompshop.

Send your little Valentine to bed in these heart happy pajamas from that land of all things awesome and Swedish,  Hanna Andersen.

Vintage loving parents (and I know you are out there…) will fall head over heels for this little sweet little jacket made from a vintage heart-laden tablecloth from Sugar Darling.

Give your little chef a chance to cook his or her heart out with this sweet little heart apron from Etsy seller, Monsbird.

And remember, boys can rock the hearts too. At least any boy wearing these skivvies from Etsy Seller, Small Threads.  Tee hee! You gotta start ’em early with the self esteem, amirite?

So wear your heart on your sleeve or on a little person’s sleeve and smile!