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Flashback // 10 Great Uses for Vintage Sheets


Image: In Color Order

I have such a love of vintage sheets—as do many many other people!  And with good reason.  The patterns are so joyous and perfect for the sweet spring going into summer weather. They also bring back such wonderful childhood memories of good nights nuzzling that colorful soft cotton. But why should these wonderful floral sheets only be appreciated when you are asleep? That’s why I love all of the great ways crafty people are incorporating vintage floral sheets into their sewing.

I wanted to share with you my top ten crafty vintage sheet projects that I’ve been storing on my Pinterest boards that I find worthy enough to take a pair of scissors to my beloved collection of vintage sheets  I’ve been hoarding over the past few years.

There are many grand little banners that one can make with vintage sheets, but my favorite is this pretty little bow banner made by crafting queen, Rachel Denbow. I bow down at her crafty and cutely shod feet.

This amazing little apron can be made in ten minutes with a vintage pillowcase. Whoohoo!!! Tutorial from Betz White.

These lovely little bags are perfect for sachets or for giving little presents! From Vintage Sheets.

I think this might be one of my favorite ways to use vintage napkins. What great idea and what an easy gift idea too!  Image from Flickr user Sparkle Candace.

Are these not the most adorable things you’ve ever seen?  Just think how many sweet little blocks you could make with a whole sheet! Another amazing gift idea. From Spearmint Baby.

Staying on the baby train for one more stop—would you look at these sweet little bibbity boppity bibs?  They’ll make you even more excited to feed your widdle one. From Crafty Blossom.

How can you not want to wear this skirt?  Perfect for summer and so much less work than a whole dress! Lisa Clarke from Polka Dot Cottage created this gem and has a great tutorial so you can make it too!!! I’d kinda like to see it in a striped sheet!

I love this idea of using vintage sheets to cover shelves adding a nice bit of cozy to any room! So charming.And you don’t even need a sewing machine.

Who says your Christmas stocking should be red and green?  Wouldn’t you rather have this happy frilly little fellow? I’m sure Santa would remember it out of all the other ones! Image from flickr user marywasadj.

There are so many marvelous vintage sheet quilts out there and delicious interpretations that I almost get dizzy thinking of all of the great ways one can use vintage sheets in quilts. Image from Little Miss Shabby.

Do you have a stash of vintage sheets? Would you ever dare snip them up?

Vintage Kiddo Retro Round Up

This was just a perfect weekend!  Visiting friends, family hikes, baby showers, perfect sliders, trashy reading and good long nap!  I even trying a new little tradition–baking with the Peach on Saturdays–and then giving away the extras to the kids on the block, so I get my baking yayas out without doing too much damage to my waistline.  I just bought Smitten Kitchen’s amazing cookbook and we made the very easy salted brown butter rice krispie treats and hoo boy, they were amazing!  But in between all of the fun, I of course managed to find some sweet goodies to share with you. Hurrah!

 

Etsy seller, Fuzzymama always has a great selection of vintage goodies for kiddos and mamas and Daddys. But when I saw these gems, I HAD to share them with you!  I remember playing with these in my pediatrician’s office before going in for the shots…

Is this not the duckiest little sweater!  And the red is so darling and jaunty too! From Etsy seller, Potato Cake Vintage.

Skiing bunny would have made sense for a lot of people this past Easter. Love it! From Etsy seller, Rowdy Roddy Vintage.

I think little buttercream yellow dresses are perfect. Like this one. From Etsy seller, Twintage.

B is for Bert. From Etsy seller, Fun Finds Vintage.

Two dresses for the price of one! From Etsy seller, Ivory Berry.

This way beats the old shoebox I keep the Peach’s crayons.  Totally love it! From Etsy seller, Fuz and Fu Vintage.

Check out this paisley perfection. From Etsy seller, Willow’s Room.

I’m always cuckoo from clogs and these turquoise ones are so divine! From Etsy seller, Red Truck Vintage.

This is one of those shirts Eric would like in his size.  Sorry sweets, this would be too tiny for you! From Etsy seller, Stag Vintage Clothing.

Now It’s Time to Say Goodbye // Remembering Annette Funicello

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Oof. I’m so sad to see a lot of fabulous people leaving us lately. First Lilly Pulitzer. Then Roger Ebert. And now Annette Funicello, who passed away a few weeks ago April 8, 2013. We just love Annette! Legend has it the shy teen was the final Mouseketeer cast for the Mickey Mouse Club in 1955—and one of the few cast-members to be personally selected by Walt Disney himself. She was so popular, by the end of the first season of Mickey Mouse Club, she was receiving nearly 6,000 fan letters a month. WOW!

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Sweet and charming, everyone considered Annette to be the ultimate girl next door. I loved that her dark Italian beauty have her a very different look than the typical American girl of the day.

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While Annette was the most popular Mousketeer, her success didn’t dim after the Mickey Mouse show. As the 1960s rolled around, Annette became a totally popular teen idol starring in a series of Beach Party movies with Frankie Avalon. These included Beach Party (1963), Muscle Beach Party (1964), Bikini Beach (1964), Pajama Party (1964), Beach Blanket Bingo (1965) and How to Stuff a Wild Bikini (1965). Oh yeah!

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In 1968, Annette reunited with her fellow Mouseketeers for a special appearance at Disneyland park. Look how cute she looks!

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Annette, we’ll miss your classy style and wholesome beauty!

images: disney, disney parks blog

Old doll. New owner.

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Where you may see a worn old doll, I see a very special person in my childhood, my grandfather.

It is a Madame Alexander doll that my mother’s father, Banks, gave to me. We grandkids called Banks, “Poppy with Smoky” after Smoky, his bulldog.  I know. It’s complicated.

But I loved Poppy with Smoky. We had a very special relationship. After four grandsons, I was born–his only granddaughter and we just clicked.  Poppy with Smoky was my guy. MINE.  There is a story from my childhood when my mother sent me and Banks to the local bakery and he asked me what I would like. I couldn’t decide, so he bought one of every confection in the store.  Poppy with Smoky was very easy to love.

And this wonderful doll was my favorite, second to Raggedy Ann because Poppy with Smoky gave it to me. I thought she was the most beautiful doll in the world. I barely remember her original dress, but I think it was an old fashion hooped  dress similar to Annabelle in Tasha Tudor’s book, A is for Annabelle. I loved this doll so much. She only came out for special occasion.  I remember she used to sit in the linen closet out of my reach.  Then came the fateful day when I could reach her and promptly decided she needed to take a bath with me. Which is where she got that cloudy eye and roughed up hair.

But that didn’t keep me from adoring that doll.  I even made her that little skirt/dress she is wearing.  Although it is not on her, I made her a pair of stockings out of some old pantyhose, which have long since been lost.  And then I put her in a drawer and simply forgot about her, until my parents sent her to me in a box full of things they found in the attic.

As soon as I pulled her out of the box, I thought of Poppy with Smoky and how much I miss him and how much he would have loved LOVED the Peach.

Eric  thought the doll was terrifying and should be put out of its misery before it gives the Peach nightmares.

So you can imagine my delight when the the Peach fell in love with that old doll Poppy with Smoky gave me so many years ago.  I showed her a picture of Poppy with Smoky and how much I loved him and how special this doll was to me.  And how much Poppy with Smoky would have loved her.  She clutched my shabbily dressed, one eyed doll to her chest and said, “I LOVE HER!”

We decided to name the doll Hatty (short for Hattelina) after Poppy with Smoky’s mother. I think he would have liked that too.

Now, what to do about that hair… Do they make a hot oil treatment for dolls hair? And has anyone every fixed a doll eye?  Or am I going to have to make her a little eye patch?  Surely I can’t be the only who wrecked a doll as a kid!

Vintage Kiddo Retro Round Up!

I don’t know what happened last week, but I spent this weekend totally exhausted! Have you ever had one of those weekends when all you could do was sit upright… Yeah. That would be me… But I did manage to find some lovely goodies to share with you!

Etsy seller, Brookaloo Vintage has some of the most wonderful little goodies, including this summery pail and shovel dress.  How perfect for the fourth of July!

You know I can’t say no to an amazing Irmi lamp–like this one from Etsy seller, Toadstool Vintage. So darling, isn’t it?

Here is a bit of a rare item! A stripey awesome shirt under $10. Whoo hoo! From Etsy seller, Tilda and Harvey Vintage.

These sweet vintage didactic learning postcards about seasons can not only help your kiddo learn, but also so cute that you’ll want to hang them on the wall too! From Etsy seller, Two Red Suitcases.

This kapow of a dress is quite a steal at under $13 for all that snazziness! From Etsy seller, Willow’s Room.

Oh wow–isn’t this terrific? I love this print! From Etsy seller, my Vintage Hat Shop.

Wow–these darling little slippers would give any girlie good dream!  I mean, did you see the poodles? From Etsy seller, Nehi & Zotz.

I don’t know who thought of putting an onion on a shirt, but I kinda adore it! From Etsy seller, Salvage House.

You just have to love these sweet plaid pants! From Etsy seller, the Astral Gemini.

Happy Monday, friends!