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It has taken me a while, but you can now find Nellie Loves Vintage on flickr. I have posted my "Playing School" photos and hope to have them in the shop in a couple days.
I am excited to share my creepy-decor project (what a mouthful!) in a few. Halloween party planning is well under way! Have a lovely Wednesday,
amy
My thrifting dry spell has finally ended. I am so excited about the new goodies I've unearthed. After a good cleaning, these beauties (plus much more!) will be in Nellie Loves Vintage. I am also putting together some great holiday gift ideas...stay tuned.
I love these old school readers. The pictures are so bright and charming.
amy
Ahhh...what a lovely day. The sun is shining, the temperature hasn't risen above 70 and I have had a jolt of inspiration and am feeling very industrious. I wrote a while back about developing and introducing some handmade items in my etsy shop. I have a few projects under way and more tucked safely in my head.
I have been making these little post-war style cardboard houses for several years. I cut, construct, paint, and glitter them all myself. They are rather labor-intensive but have the most vintage charm. I am really excited about the mid-century style I started making last year (see silver ranch above).
So combining these project ideas and my Dottie Angel challenge, I've felt motivated to totally rework and reorganize my breakfast room/ work space. This is just a peek, the rest of the room is unfinished.
And I also wanted to share a picture of my pretty pink picture frame redux. It certainly added some color to a dark corner.
Have an inspired day!
amy
Let's just call it a go, okay? I've thought about a start date for the ultimate challenge and have settled on, "how about now?". There's no reason to delay. My exceptions are simple...definitely undergarments and toiletries, but also a pair or two of leggings to take my dresses and skirts through the winter months. That's it, that's all my exceptions. I've combed through all the potential hang-ups and found that there is just nothing that I NEED...oh, plenty of wants but I'm already learning to curb those desires.
I do need to frame a concert poster that I'm waiting on but since it was a purchase made prior to the challenge, I figure I can buy new.
There really is no shortage of weak-in-the-knees secondhand and handmade goodies out there so my confidence is high.
AMAZING! Both clocks are by Decoylab and you must check the shop out.
Handmade- can you believe it?!!! The gorgeous dresses from Audrey and Grace are the frothiest confections I've ever seen.
But, the point of the challenge is not to seek out more purchases, but to appreciate the beautiful things that I have, and to be a more conscientious consumer. I am already looking at everything in a much brighter light and with a clearer eye. Thanks Tif!
amy
Oh, hello beautiful.
You come here often?
As I've stated before, I am a huge fan and follower of the endlessly inspiring and creative blog, Dottie Angel. The talented Tif has recently celebrated a birthday and has chosen to mark the occasion with "a challenge of the utmost kind". My friends, I am jumping on board and challenging myself as well. I will not buy anthing new for myself or my home for the next year. All clothing and home needs must be met by either handmade or second-hand finds. I have been considering the implications of this challenge for the last several days and have come to the conclusion that I am capable of such a proposal. I cannot imagine needing anything more for this overstuffed home that I would not prefer in vintage form anyway. The pain and suffering may come (in the beginning at least) in the cold-turkey withdrawal from new, beautifully patterned, expertly crafted dresses. Luckily I've always wanted to dip into the amazing pool of vintage, and with sites like etsy and wonderful vintage shops in Kansas City, I can get my fix.
I have not worked all the details out- a start date, exceptions that will be made, and how I will deal with possible hang-ups. Wish me luck and check back in for updates. I'll keep you posted on my new adventures.
amy
Hi, my name is Amy, and I'm a cheater. This is where you say, "Hi Amy". Today I got online, clicked a button, and bam, it happened. I ordered Ollie's Halloween costume. There's no turning back now.
I've never fancied myself a seamstress though I've harbored fantasies of homespun outfits and custom creations. I delight in the atistry of the designers on Project Runway. Nothing has ever come of all the dreaming. However, I have always designed or created my little trick or treaters disguises. An owl, an elephant, a crow, Olive Oyl and Popeye. I've always taken great pleasure in pulling out the sewing machine in the fall and even greater pride in the finished product.
Oliver wasn't too jazzed about the wings, but he made a cute crow!
So what happened? Why did I stray? I'm going to blame it all on Oliver. When he announced that he wanted to be a banana (better than the previous toilet announcement) I knew I was in trouble. It wasn't just the lack of banana patterns out there but the follow up made by Sophia. She ditched the Alice in Wonderland plan and went straight for it...The Chiquita Banana Girl. So, to preserve my sanity in the midst of mid-October party planning and increased sales (thanks all!), I decided to take on only one costume this year. Oh the shame. I will just have to get through this with a smile on my face at the thought of my little yellow fruit and his crazy sister cha-cha-cha-ing up to every door in the neighborhood. amy
Sorry for my absence. I'm having a lot of trouble adjusting to our Fall schedule, the ever increasing number of activities the kids are involved in, hunting for vintage treasures, and digging out from piles of laundry. It doesn't help that my recent thrifting and garage sale ventures have come up short of inspiring. We have had lots of bright lights in the last few days though. The circus, birthday parties, and my brother's extended visit and overnight stay.
Expect updates.
amy
I'm super excited and proud to have my first item feature. The creative folks at The Experts Agree featured my vintage school globe on their blog. The inspiration was etsy back-to-school finds.
More tomorrow. Tonight, the Greatest Show On Earth!
amy
I'm in the mood for change. It is time for a makeover. My home is in a rut. When I look around, it's a sea of avocado and gold and brown. I love everything in my home but I've been picking up pieces here and there and it's all become just a little too- matchy. Blech! Time for something fresh. I don't want to spend much (if any) money so I'm searching for all the hidden color that's been tucked away. Here are some pics that have inspired me to make some changes.
These amazing barkcloth drapes found by Tif from Dottie Angel are still in my (overused) favorite colors but are so much more fun! My heavy, army green curtains are just blah. I know I won't find anything like this remotely afforable, but it gives me a starting point. Maybe some fab vintage inspired fabric will go on sale soon.
This nook in Jill's (Lune Vintage) home is perfection. That chair. Oh that chair. What a departure from my golds and greens. Contact me if you're looking to part with a beauty like this!
I found this one on Bleubird Vintage. I love the simplicity of the design and the color combination. This photo is from Candy Pop.
The pink frame would be such an easy way to get some color going. I have so many old frames cluttering up my LR. I'm going to stick some corkboard in one of them and gloss it up. What a way to display the kids' amazing art! I found this beautiful studio on Modish. It belongs to Lu Summers. Talented!
Time to get to work.
amy
Yesterday was full of big boy successes! A happy and active day at preschool and some serious soccer playing (well, maybe not too serious).
I was watching Ollie kick the ball and looked over at Sophia. This is how I found her...trying to make snow angels. What a cutie.
I'll share some other fun later today...enjoy your Friday!!!
amy
