Bluebirdbaby

Vintage Bench Monday

• Finally got my act together for a Bench Monday before it got dark
• Scored some super cool stuff thrifting the other day with a friend. The little one adores the wash board.
• Got my Danskos finally! Special thanks to a blog reader Nicolle!!
• Got this vintage sheet at the rummage sale. *love*
• Dinner tonight is carrot, apple, ginger soup and a salad.
• Sasa should be home any minute. Can't wait!
• this video and song is amazing...I think Norah's in love! (I'm not usually a fan of "rap" but I love this!)
• getting ready for Thanksgiving with the little one (anyone have any festive craft ideas??)
• looking forward to felting some bars of soap with the little one this week
• sleepy fairies are still doing an amazing job (yipee!)
• got an inhaler for a cough I've had for more than 6 weeks, waiting on pneumonia tests to come back (fingers crossed!)
• I used up my Pandora minutes for the month. I had no idea I played music that much!
• I'm really longing for jersey skirts and long wool sweaters with wool tights
• I really, really, really need jeans (see above photo!) Any petite readers out there with a good source for nice jeans??!

That's all I got this Monday! Hope yours was swell!

Vintage Goodness and Cookies Too

Thank you all so, so much for your thoughtful comments on yesterday's post. Yes, I agree that seventeen flues in a year is far too many. But I'm working hard everyday to strengthen my immune system. I've been pumping myself with supplements for ages, have adopted a Macrobiotic Diet (heavy on the veggies and fermented goodness), and all that I need now is to get some good rest! Hopefully before the next month is out I will be feeling better. So thank you for all your well wishes and suggestions! I really enjoyed them. xoxo

Yesterday, the little one and I trekked to the famous "Rummage Sale" in hopes of finding something special. I stuck her in the Ergo, pushed my way through hundreds and hundreds of people, and together we managed to find some special things for our home. Remember that bunny from yesterday? That was a score in the "boutique" tent. All the rest took some digging and shoving. I'm particularly proud of the bird prints. I have one more set of four prints to put up someplace special. And the vintage linens on the line this morning? Nothing better! Other scores were :: a vintage tray, some plaid flannel for a scarf I've been putting together, and some nice wooden bowls. Woohoo!

I'm trying to get the little one and I back on a weekly rhythm. It's challenging with our schedules, but I've officially made Friday "baking day," so we set to work baking cookies. She helped me measure and pour and stir and taste and roll and cut. She was part of it from beginning to end, which was a lot of fun for both of us. She has been needing some really structured activities and lots of attention from either Mama or Sasa, so finding little things like this is super helpful.

Have a good weekend!! Hopefully I'll be back with some crafting!

30 Days of Happiness :: Things That Bring Me Joy

Sometimes I go thrifting by myself, and other times the little one tags along. It's always a fun adventure either way. With yard sales and flea markets closing for the season, I made a mad dash these last couple of weeks to see what remaining treasures there were to be found. The above were things I've been hunting for all year, and you can bet I was super pleased to score them all at amazing prices. The large enamel pots are for felting, washing up our napkins after meals (the little one adores this...one for soapy water, one for rinsing, and then the drying rack to hang them dry), and for any other household task. I love, love, love them. The silverware (a whole set) is so very perfect for our retro kitchen, and the Amish print Pyrex butter dish was something I have been hunting for for well over a year. Yay!!

The little one is always a source of joy. Today on our morning rounds through town, she chose to travel via stroller. Usually it's walking, followed by the bike, followed by the Ergo or sling, but today it was the stroller. So we loaded it up with our various bits of errand paraphernalia and headed out. Our last stop was the food co-op, where she always gets a "honey pop." But they were out and she chose the fudge pop instead. It wasn't until we returned home and I went to get her out of the stroller that I noticed her face. Oh my! No wonder we were getting some giggles from passersby!

My girl has curls, but it's always amazing to realize just how curly it is. After a bath and a good combing, her hair looks so very long. Sasa and I always get a kick out of it. Once it dries, it will be above shoulder length again with "Shirley Temple curls" in the back (as she likes to call them).

Our late afternoon is always spent doing something "chill." It's a very crazy time of the day for little ones (or at least this little one!) and after our quiet time, we try to carry on that calmness throughout the rest of the day's activities. Today was spent playing quietly with her dollhouse while I did some sewing on the floor next to her. She always needs me close to her these days, so having a project to keep my hands busy helps tremendously :: hand sewing, embroidery, drawing, writing letters, a good book, to name a few...

These were some things that brought joy to my heart today. There's always so many and it's hard to chose! Now please share...where did you find joy today?

30 Days of Happiness :: Flea Markets and My Little Helper

Thanks for all your comments on my last post. They really meant so much. I had no idea how much losing a chicken would affect our family. Roxanne was very special and I'm so glad I could share her life with all of you!

It's the last week of the flea market for the season. I walked around the market a good three times, taking it all in, being thankful that I've had an entire season to enjoy it and find goodies to fill our new home at very decent prices. While nothing really struck me as a "must-have" I did find the cutest little table, painted the most perfect color, with the most perfect price tag. I bargained, got it even a little cheaper, and brought it home for our front room.

And for an extra four bucks I scored the funniest platter (I fell in love with the chickens on it!) and a sweet little Fire King bowl. Nothing beats a deal!

And another thing that made me super happy? My super helper! She mops, she cooks, she scrubs, she sweeps, and she just adores cleaning windows! She's thinking about going into the business actually. She wants to save a little cash for the next thrifting season...

And a common scene around here after our cleaning frenzies...laying on the couch, feet up, with a cozy blanket and a good book!

It's A Good Day

Well, I just got over a flu. A summer flu? Really?! So I'm a little behind on catching up here. Okay...I'm a little behind on just about everything. Life is crazy busy right now. Good, but busy. I'm sure you've all noticed that nothing has been sewn lately. My creative energy is going into photography and writing at the moment. Oh, and parenting. Let's not forget that!

But I wanted to just share with you some little bits from our day today. Our "very good day," as the little one would say. There was some walking, biking, flea marketing, swimming, porch play, chicken bonding (oh yes...we have baby chicks!), visits from neighbor cats, and some good eatin' (cheese with truffles, rice crackers, artichokes with dip, gazpacho with pesto...yum!).

Top it all off with a yummy dinner, lots of play time after, some good reading before bed, and actually getting the little one to sleep without a three hour bedtime routine, and well...you have a recipe for a very good day!

Flea Marketing....Again

Tuesday morning I woke up and turned to Sasa and said, "I'm being called to thrift. I can tell there's something amazing out there." He takes me very seriously now, so he looked at me and exclaimed, "well, go to it then!" But Tuesday was a work day, filled with deadlines and other things and I never actually made it out to the thrift shops. Disappointed, and knowing there was still something great out there, Sasa suggested we all go to the flea market the very next morning. Yay!

So we took off quite early, with a little one intent on finding a car for her "fairy dolls" and myself intent on finding just something really neat, and Sasa just happily tagging along. The first thing I scored was this vintage Fisher-Price schoolhouse. The little one saw it about the same time I did and we both went rushing over. It's been the focus of her play ever since.

At the same booth, Sasa discovered this 1930's patchwork quilt for an amazing price. He really loved it and walked away a happy man, lugging it in his arms. (It weighs more than the little one does!)

Next was a visit to my favorite booth, where I gave in to more pyrex and a cute maple syrup holder with a turquoise handle.

Then, on our way out, we saw this chair/step stool combo. It matches our table and chairs in the kitchen and we are forever climbing up on our wobbly chairs to reach the top cabinets. So this will come in really handy. And I won't even tell you what I paid for it...let's just say it was too good to be true!

Happy thrifting!!

Thrifting :: A New Season

June in Maine means sunny days, ice cream, walks by the water, and yard sales! Sasa's mom and I headed out one Saturday for a day of yard sales, and boy...did I have good luck. I walked away with a bag of vintage lace, a vintage children's poster, vintage tins, and the above bowl. The above bowl had me completely giddy. You see, I found one (that Jade-ite Fire King) at a junk shop two summers ago for a mere ten cents. I had no idea it was worth so much. I found two more bowls at an antique store for the hefty price of $80. The bowl above did not break the bank and now Sasa and I can each have our own. (It's our favorite bowl for everything.)

A couple of weeks ago I stopped at a little antique store just outside of town. It looked a bit run down from the outside, but once I got inside I couldn't stop drooling. There seemed to be plenty of goodies from my favorite eras (40s and 50s) and I swear I would have taken just about everything home. But yesterday I stopped again with a friend, and we scored this awesome hamper for the little one's room. I've been looking for a big basket for ages, trying to avoid the plastic hamper ugliness, but I couldn't find one. So this hamper made my day and I think it looks pretty swell in her room.

I also got some great trays for our kitchen walls. After we get the walls painted, these will go up on display. I love the colors. (These are the colors we plan on painting our kitchen!)

And last but not least, there was this basket. This basket was shoved in a corner, buried under tons of stuff. I saw a bit of the red gingham and had to uncover it. I squeeled with delight as I pulled it up from the pile and promptly told my friend it was coming home with me. I mean, not only can I dress up like Dorothy next Halloween now, but we also have the perfect picnic basket to go with our picnic blanket!

So yea...there was a whole lot of squeeling going on, a whole lot of "ooohs" and "aaahs", and a whole lot of really good deals. Let's hope the rest of the summer is just as succesful!

A Big Thank You

I am extremely overwhelmed by all your lovely, sweet, and encouraging comments to my last post. Every time I opened my e-mail, I was greeted by words that brightened my day. So thank you all so much. I wish I could reply to everyone individually, but my computer time has been so sparse. I've been trying to post this for four days now! Please know that I felt such warmth from your words and it's amazing how they can make a challenging time much easier. So thank you, thank you, thank you!

The little one and I ended up moving to a temporary place last weekend. It was sudden, and other than lack of sleep, we are both adjusting just fine. We're both a little worn out. Transitioning to another home is hard enough for a toddler, but also transitioning to a big girl bed at the same time makes it even more challenging! I think the biggest hurdle for both of us is a lack of rhythm. When she was around 10 months old, I put in a lot of work creating and maintaining a rhythm to our days. Transitions became smoother, we both knew what to expect, and sleep was easier.
In the last week, we've completely lost that rhythm and it's hard to create a new one when she's not with me everyday. So that is our biggest struggle right now. But once we are in a permanent place, I think we will reestablish a comfortable rhythm and our days will run much smoother.

In other news, I've made a commitment to myself to not buy anything new for our new home. I will need to furnish it. Because I am not taking much from the old house, it's like starting with a blank canvas. It's pretty exciting, especially because I have so many ideas and styles I've never been able to experiment with. This past weekend I headed to a flea market to check out the goods. I didn't walk away with much, but it was fun nonetheless.

I hope to have access to my sewing machine soon, so hopefully you will see some creative work in this space. All these life changes can really leave you exhausted and with little creative energy. I can't wait until I'm back. Thanks for bearing with me, friends. I so appreciate your continued support! Until next time...

A Fun Morning

After a nice chilly morning breakfast of quinoa flakes, we headed into town for story time at the library. We enjoyed some fun fall stories and lots of mama chatting time, then wandered over to the cafe from some tea. The little one was having such a cooperative morning that I decided a stop at the thrift shop was in order. We scored some neat things at a lovely price and spent some time wandering around the little neighborhood after, pointing to all the red, orange, and yellow trees.

Autumn always makes me so happy. I have many wonderful fall memories from my childhood; jumping in leaves, apple picking, pies, curling up under a cozy blanket with a book, the smells, the light changing, spending weekends raking the yard with my mother, Halloween costumes, baking, picking out pumpkins, and the list goes on. I hope the little one finds this time of year just as special as I do. I'm sure she'll have plenty of pictures to remember it by!

A Bluebird Bag Giveaway

Have I bored you enough with craftless posts?! After my last shop update I needed a moment to breathe. I've been very fortunate to have some custom orders roll in, so I've been busily working on those and haven't had much time for anything else. A month ago I got this idea to make a sturdy canvas bag with a bluebird on it. I am not in need of another bag, but still felt like I had to get this idea out of my head and make it a reality.

Two lessons were learned doing this:
1) My serger definitely has issues with thick material
2) All cotton webbing is not the same

But, I am pleased with the end result. It's not perfect by any means, but so very functional. A trip to the farmer's market, toting books home from the library, lugging around diapers and sippy cups...it's the perfect bag for any of these.

I hand painted the "bluebird on a wire." I was very fortunate to find cotton webbing online that matched exactly.  My color choices were really about what I had on hand, but then again, I love chocolate brown and blue together. Stephen thought I was a bit loony for choosing these colors, but I assured him they were "in." (They are, right?)

The cotton webbing was a find on Etsy. I was under the impression that all cotton webbing was of the same thickness. Oh no, not this stuff. It's like a band of steel runs through it. It's so incredibly thick!! There was no way I could do my usual "turn under and finish edge" deal, so I had to serge the ends to keep them from fraying. Again, serger was not happy. Even my trusty pal seemed to put up a fight.

And guess what? It's "Elisabeth approved" and I think she will be sad to see it go. But it will go to a new home next Wednesday morning. Just leave a comment on this post by next Tuesday 9 p.m. EST. And who knows...there may be more things in the bag too!

And totally off topic, but I know there are some vintage Pyrex lovers out there. I picked 8 of these cute tea cups up months ago. When I brought them home Stephen rolled his eyes and they've been sitting unused ever since. So the first person to e-mail me at erin@bluebirdbabyslings.com will get them.  Taken.Thanks! I'll even pay for shipping.

Have a great weekend!!

Just Like Us

I think one of the most amusing things about having a little one is the imitating that goes on. She watches us ever so carefully, during times when we think her attention is elsewhere, and then surprises us by doing the exact thing we were doing minutes ago. Yesterday I turned around from my pancake making activities to find her reading the paper. Her face, the pose, everything about this just made me want to laugh and cry in the same moment.

She has this imitation down to a "T." Complete with reading out loud and turning the pages. She points to pictures and reads the captions underneath. She puts the paper down and sighs, picking up her mug of water, and then goes right back to reading. Obviously the pancake making activities were put to a halt and I ran to get the camera. Oh, these are the moments I hope to never forget.

Due to the carbon monoxide fiasco, we had the pleasure of getting to know a lovely neighbor. While at her house with the little one we not only discovered she collects buttons, but that she also adores thrifting. She graciously gave me a bag of vintage buttons (and another bag made its way home yesterday) and we made a date to go thrifting at two of our favorite local spots.

So on Tuesday we headed out for a little thrifting fun. I finally (after months of searching) found a chenille bedspread in absolutely perfect condition. The price tag couldn't have been better either. It's all washed and ready to go on the bed. I'm anxiously awaiting our next trip already...

A little thrifty fun

Stephen suggested the idea of tagging along to my (almost) weekly Saturday morning trip to the thrift shop. I think my mouth actually dropped open and I stuttered as I tried to find the words to express my amazement and absolute joy. A family thrifting adventure?! Now this could be exciting.

I wasn't in search of anything special. There's such a turnaround at this little thrift shop that I really never have any idea what I will find. We were delighted to find that it was a half-off day. When I spied a little film camera in the "vintage" section (I don't know if I would exactly call this vintage), I knew it would be coming home. Ever since I can remember, the little one has wanted my camera. So I thought perhaps this could work as a decoy.

She loves it. Really loves it. I found two old canisters of film to use in it too. She took a whole roll (24 photos) of the rug. Flash and all. But oh what fun it was to see her really enjoying herself.

There were the blue shoes I couldn't resist. Shoes are usually the only thing I will not buy used, but these were in great condition and really well made. Still a bit big, but as you can see above she insisted on wearing them. We've discovered they're great for tapping.

And then there was the slide in the toy room. Now, most of you probably know we are not fans of plastic toys. We only have one: a toy cell phone purchased a month ago for entertainment on a long car ride. It worked, but I admit to actually confessing to the lady behind the cash register that this was our "first plastic toy ever." She looked at me in amazement as if to say, "what else are toys made out of??" But we spotted this slide and Stephen the little one fell in love.

It ended up in our car a few minutes later and now resides in our dining room. Hey, I guess it's all about making the long Maine winters a little more bearable. And besides, it kind of goes with the swing.

New Coats

I just love coats; especially when thrifted.

A Morning To Myself

It's becoming a rare treat to have a morning to myself. With all of the house projects and winterizing activities going on, I am with the little one seven days a week. But Saturday I was delighted to do a little shopping on my own, complete with a stop at a fabulous flea market. I always feel a tinge of guilt walking out the door, while the little one stands bewildered holding her arms out so I will take her with me. She doesn't quite get that mama can leave without her. But she's much too independent and soon forgets I'm even gone. Still, I usually rush through my errands, ignoring the fact that I need moments away from her to be a better mama.

But on this trip, I enjoyed every moment. I walked up and down the aisles, visiting the same booths over and over again to stare at the wonderful vintage treasures I longed to take home with me. I think I picked up the same bowl at least four times on my trips around the vast building, staring at its lovely sea-green color, debating whether it should join the others on the shelf in my kitchen. This basket and the vintage linens and fabric scraps inside were a find at a local thrift store I stopped at first. 

This apron? A deal for sure, and can I say how fun it was to make pancakes the next morning wearing it? Why don't more people wear aprons? They're fabulous!

This apron's rick-rack was hand sewn. I love turning it over and looking at the not-quite-perfect zigzag stitching on the back. There is something so meditative and rewarding about sewing by hand. I must do more of it.

And I was completely overjoyed to find this bit of vintage fabric. I love it.

I was happy to take my time that morning. I completely let go of all the guilt and just told myself to "be in the moment." I stopped to get a latte, pulled off the road to visit any antique shop that I pleased and really enjoyed having the time to myself. When I got back home I was ready for another week of parenting. I was more centered and able to be fully present for the little one. All of the goodies I came home with? A nice bonus, that's all.

I Love Creating

We have been on the search for a new shower curtain for months. I kept putting it off until the disgusting state of our existing shower curtain was no longer ignorable. So I looked around and could find nothing for a price a family on a budget was willing to settle for. I ended up getting two liners to at least keep the floor dry, but they were oh so boring.

Enter thrifted sheet. I found it this past weekend and bought it on impulse. I had no plans for it and couldn't even decide if I liked it. When I saw this photo on flickr and realized the curtain was a repurposed duvet cover, I got the bright idea of making my own shower curtain. So that's just what I did a few nights ago.

Super easy. I serged the bottom edge to the desired length, then added button holes to the top of the sheet where the shower curtain rings would go. It took me about 15 minutes. I waited for Stephen to get home and walk into the bathroom, fearing he would say "oh my!" and declare it too "flowery," but he was sweet about it and agreed it looked much better than plain white.

I made a matching bath mat using scraps from the sheet, a vintage table linen, and backed it with an old towel. The little one loves pointing at the flowers. She spends a good deal of time smelling them too, thinking that all things mama calls "flowers" are supposed to smell.

She also spends a good deal of time taking off with the bath mat. I wouldn't be surprised if this ended up in her bed and I spent another night making a duplicate.

And there are four new pants up in the shop. I am really into the charcoal corduroy. I have a feeling there will be more of these in the future. And for all you blog readers out there, I am offering free shipping until next Wednesday. Just write "blog1107" in the comments to seller area.

Nifty Thrifty

Thrifting and I go way back. Of course, we didn't call it "thrifting" back then. I didn't even know the word existed. I thought everyone shopped at the Salvation Army. I have vivid memories of my mother asking myself and the other children she took care of in her home daycare if we would rather go to the movies, go to the library or go to the Salvation Army. Our answer was always the Salvation Army. Unless, of course, the option to drive through the car wash was given, then we really had to think about it.

We would always head straight for the baby aisle, looking for anything small enough to fit our dolls. My mother would hand us each $.50 and we would walk away with a bag full of things. Our next favorite place to look was at the shoes. We would try on all the high heels and walk around the store seeing who could get the farthest without falling. And, we never left without hitting the dress rack. Many of our dress up clothes came from the Salvation Army and I even found a "princess gown" my mother hemmed to become my third grade Halloween costume.

So you see, I love finding a deal. I grew up with the thrill of seeking out the best deal I could find. But when I reached junior high, the peer pressure started and the Salvation Army was a thing of the past. Now? I adore thrift shops. I love laying my eyes on something that makes my heart skip a beat and realize that I could walk away with it for barely nothing. And I never knew that "thrifting" was so cool in the blogging world until I started reading more crafty blogs. I do something that's cool?! No way...

Since moving up here, I have to start over with finding the good thrifting spots. Sometimes it's frustrating and I haven't yet walked away with that amazing deal, but I have found a few neat things. There's a thrift shop in the basement of a church I visit frequently. They have a huge basket of fabric scraps and sometimes, if I dig deep enough, I can find a small piece of vintage goodness. The above was one score. I used the red on the left for another pair of knee patches on yoga pants for the little one.

And this bird linen print? Lovely.

My mother had a collection of mismatched tea cups that she used for our "tea parties." I loved that time spent with my mother and drinking out of the pretty cups made me feel so special. I have started collecting mismatched vintage tea cups as I find them for future tea parties with the little one. The above cost me a whopping dollar.

And vintage sheets are great for cutting up. I think this one may become part of a bag.

Thrifting might be more work than just going to the mall, but it is so much more satisfying and way easier on the budget!

Bugs and Mugs

With the arrival of the colder weather, we have seen an influx of these not-so-welcomed guests. Last year we sucked over 200 of these up in our vacuum. "Stink bugs" (I can't even pronounce their proper name) are disgusting, prehistoric looking, stinky and everywhere. They emit a stench that can only be described as a not quite ripe banana, mixed with a Granny Smith apple. If you squish them, the smell stays on your hand for hours. So we choose to vacuum them up and deal with the disgusting bag at a later date.

I'd never seen these creatures until we moved here. We searched the house for places they could be getting in. We have a sneaky suspicion they are under the siding of our house, like their natural habitat under the bark of pine trees. I can handle a lot: spiders, flies, mice, bees...but I can not deal with these. At about an inch long, they completely gross me out and make me want to run screaming for the car. But I'm dealing.

And on a completely different note, I've had my eyes set on these for a while. I have no idea where my love for all things vintage and Pyrex came from. Stephen thinks they are ugly, and they just might be, but I really love them. The above was found at Sal's; a stop we made on the way home from Grammie's because of a dropped pacifier in the car. They were closing in five minutes, but we rushed in to look around. I found six of these, for 10 cents each. 10 cents! I didn't even make it over to the linens, but I was so excited about this find that I didn't care. And my tea addiction has finally settled in for the season, so these mugs are getting lots of use.

Received

Yesterday, this wonderful necklace from the Green Leaf and Owl arrived in the mail. Elisabeth loves birds. I really have no idea where this love came from, but it is very clear that birds are on her favorite list. She is quite taken with this necklace and points excitedly to it while saying "beh" over and over (her word for "bird"). I got this one specifically because she seems to love the big birds like hawks and crows.

Yesterday we found a brand new pair of shoes at the thrift store that were just her size. She is very pleased to have laces and actually wants these on her feet (or in her mouth). They are great for climbing rocks and running through mud. She seems so proud to be wearing shoes with laces. Mama is just pleased that she sits still long enough to tie them.

We may be off to Portland for a long weekend. Back to posting on Monday, unless I can bum free wi-fi from someone down there. Have a great weekend everybody!