I Love Botanical Stuff!

Show of hands!

Who, like me, subscribes to Elle Decor magazine?

I’m not always a yooge fan, but each issue always contains 1 or 2 good houses,

like this one owned by this adorable family:

Check out those cool glasses frames on the guy!

Coincidentally, we went frames shopping for G.O. yesterday!

That was conflict free.  Not.

But stay tuned — I really like the frames I insisted that he get.

Meanwhile, I digress.

Let’s go back to inside this house in Elle Decor:

Can I get a yay or nay for that espalier wallpaper?

I LOVE IT!

Espalier is a Frenchie word for training a tree to grow horizontally,

usually on a wall or a fence.

My plans include our having an espaliered tree in our yard.

Someday.

Back to the Elle Decor house.

Check out yet more botanical happiness:

Our Elle Decor family has this very print of alium flowers!

Theirs is hanging on the wall above their freestanding tub.

This photo above, however, is from the Shabby Creek Cottage blog.

Pretty!

In closing, we went to IKEA the other day,

+ they had artificial alium blooms for sale, @ $8-ish.

Did you get some, Kay? — I hear you asking?

Sadly, no.  I feared G.O. would get a little cranky.

He doesn’t understand!

.No worries, though — look what I found on etsy!

These silkies look a lot better than the plastic ones from IKEA.

Go here:  www.etsy.com/shop/HeavenlyHomeFlowers

I think it’s high time I make a morale boosting purchase.

Frenchie Stripe Obsession

So.  Everybody knows that ‘old people’ love their routines,

which explains why every morning, like clockwork,

I head to Pinterest + gaze at whatever I’m currently obsessing about.

Today I enjoyed all sorts of Frenchie striped linens;

here are but a few:

thevintagerosetasmania.blogspot.com

Unknown

Unknown

If these initials are K K, as I suspect they are, that’s my monogram!

I think I need that pillow, don’t you?  (As if I could afford it.)

* * *

Yes, most vintage French stripe linens are over my budget, sadly.

What to do, then, when one is me?

Well, there are some lovely reproductions out there.

Here’s one:

I’m a fan of the new upholstery fabric

with what appears to be an authentic vintage linen pillow!

http://www.decortoadore.net

* * * *

And attention, all my St. Louis-area  peeps!

This yummy shop, Gingham Buffalo, is in Edwardsville, Illinois.

Their gray wall + pair of striped chairs rules my world!

https://www.facebook.com/ginghambuffalo

* * *

Meanwhile, ’tis quite often that my obsessions find their way

to my pillow making biz.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/redbirdvintagehome

Yesterday I blogged about all things Hudson’s Bay . . .

. . . + I shared that I’m obsessing about making my own version

of Hudson’s Bay style pillows.  YUM!

* * * *

But wait!

I have been making my own versions of Frenchie stripe pillows for years;

here are 3 that I sewed just last week!

https://www.etsy.com/listing/178607322/gray-french-stripe-pillow

I always use vintage buttons for my closures; these are black metal.

I cut my own stencils of Frenchie stripes + hand stencil them on canvas:

* * * *

Another side closure with more gray vintage metal buttons.

You can just glimpse the ticking stripe fabric lining:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/178466762/dark-aqua-ticking-stripe-pillow

* * * *

Finally, this rectangular Frenchie measures 21″ long x 12.5″

+ has a button + loop closure that I made for the first time!

https://www.etsy.com/listing/179047927/rectangular-red-french-grain-stripe

I think it turned out well:

* * *

Well, that was fun!

Sharing with the class always is!

Time for me to get my nose to the sewing grindstone!

Hudson’s Bay Blanket Love

When one is me, one never knows when design inspiration will strike.

This week, I was struck on Facebook — not once but twice.

First up was my Canadian BFF, Sarah Richardson . . .

. . . who shared that this winter’s Canadian Sochi Olympics team

was being outfitted by the Hudson’s Bay Company!

https://www.facebook.com/sarahrichardson.design

Check it out . . . you can even buy your own Olympics wool duffle coat:

Regularly $275,
now on sale for a mere $199
http://www.thebay.com

* * * *

Speaking of coats — also on Facebook last week,

one of my favorite vintage shops

Betty’s in Morris, Illinois

posted she had this vintage Hudson’s Bay jacket!

Swoon!

https://www.facebook.com/bettys104

Now, there’s your iconic, striped Hudson’s Bay blanket,

the one with which we’re all familiar, am I right?

Pinterest

* * * *

I remember having recently seen these towels from Pendleton:

$39.50
http://www.pendleton-usa.com/home.jsp

Only they don’t call them “Hudson’s Bay” towels;

on Pendleton’s website they’re Glacier National Park towels!

* * * *

Quickly,  my mind raced back to a photo

I’d seen in Country Living magazine,

in which a pair of Hudson’s Bay blankets were hung as drapes:

Hubba hubba!

* * * *

And soon, I was off on an online trip

to find yet more Hudson’s Bay inspiration!

The treasure trove of all things Hudson’s Bay can be found

in the Hudson Bay Collection, here:

http://www.thebay.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/en/thebay/search/hbc-/hbc-home

People.  Hudson’s Bay bedding?!   Yesh, please!

If my budget was just a tad larger than it currently is

I’d get myself this awesomeness:

$395

Or, for a lot less, how about a stylish umbrella that no one else will have?

$28

I could order a hipster travel mug for G.O.

Happy Valentine’s Day, sweetheart?

Or I could just order a pair of these mugs:

Only $7 each

And for our doggies:

Regularly $45
Clearance $31.50
http://www.thebay.com

Somebody pass me my credit card!

* * * *

But wait!

There’s lots more online Hudson’s Bay merch!.

For babies!

https://www.etsy.com/shop/FarmFreshHats
OMG — you have got to head to this shop
+ see all the adorable-ness!

https://www.etsy.com/shop/baabaabaxsheep?ref=shop_sugg
Please. If you love north woods ANY-thing, you must check out this shop!

* * * *

For the wackiest of Hudson’s Bay apparel . . .

. . . there’s even footwear!

$120
Jack Purcell for Converse
http://www.thebay.com

Hudson’s Bay booties
anthropologie.com

Disclaimer:  these shoes have been out for a while;

the sizes are very limited for the Converses.

* * * *

This adorableness wins the prize

for most unusual Hudson’s Bay merch:

A wacky pin cushion!

I love it!

Only $7!
https://www.etsy.com/shop/UpTheCreek

* * * *

In my opinion,

for the pinnacle of Hudson’s Bay merch,

one must head to Pinterest + search for

Hudson’s Bay blanket upholstery projects!

Hudson’s Bay Thonet Chair
Mid-century modern your thing? Check out this shop on etsy:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/ModernHaus

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com

Source unkown

Yes, you can even buy pillows from Hudson’s Bay blankets . . .

. . . but now I’m pondering how I might incorporate their iconic stripes

into some pillow projects of my own!

Stay tuned!

Blue + White Plate Morale Boost

Yesterdee I complained about coming down with the winter blues.

While this a.m. seems a tad brighter, I could still use a pick-me-up.

Cue: Pinterest . . .

. . . search for  ‘blue + white plates’,

+ here you have it.

http://www.thehandmadehome.net/

Could I love something more?

I really doubt it.

Next . . . onward to etsy for another “blue + white plate” search, + voila.

$5 from https://www.etsy.com/shop/LoRiBeu!

That’s a pretty sizable morale boost for $5 (plus $4.95 shipping!)

What have you done to try + chase away your winter blues?

SHOPPING + MAGAZINES, ONLINE!

I just realized there are just 22 more days until Christmas!

HOW DID THIS HAPPEN!?!

I’m spending my days sewing like the wind,

making pillows as fast as I can

for the galleries + shops that sell them for me.

Like this, for them:

Co-op 28 Handmade + Vintage
1728 N. Vermont
Los Angeles, CA

https://www.facebook.com/Coop28handmade

* * * * *

Meanwhile, I steal a few moments at the bozoputer when I can,

as I’m trying to handle Christmas online.

Look at the old-fashioned gift stickers I ordered from an etsy seller,

MollysScrapbooks:

Christmas

Everyday

www.etsy.com/shop/MollysScrapbooks

People.  I am mad about their slightly industrial, retro office style — aren’t you?

My plans include using these with some kraft paper gift wrap

+ lots of red + white baker’s twine:

Speaking of etsy + baker’s twine, I also ordered some small cookie bags:

www.etsy.com/shop/thebakersconfections

I know!  How adorable!

Maybe we’ll bake Snickerdoodles

from my 60’s 4-H cookbook.

Stay tuned!  I could possibly take some photos + share the recipe!

You’ll thank me.

* * * *

Back to shopping.

Here we have the swell banner-style return address labels

I ordered for our Christmas cards, from another etsy shop,

PumpedOnPaper:

www.etsy.com/shop/pumpedonpaper

Aren’t they wonderful?  They wrap from the front to the back of the envelope!

Genius!

For our monogram, I asked for OK, which is kind of our ‘trademark’.

Get it?  Ole Olson + Kay?

* * * *

Last but not least, I ordered myself an early Christmas gift yesterday,

+ the UPS boy dropped it off at our porch just this afternoon!

Hey, look!  More baker’s twine!

Barr-Co.
apothecary candle
K. Hall Designs
St. Louis, MO

http://www.khalldesigns.com/products/barr-co/

Of course, I wanted this candle because of its vintage apothecary style,

+ because they’re made in my beloved St. Louis.

The good news is that the scent I ordered — their new Fir-Grapefruit — is beyond divine!

In fact, the November ’13 issue of  Lonny magazine named it their SEASON’S BEST SCENT!

http://www.lonny.com/magazine/November+2013/PKNA7_-nAsm/1

You have heard of Lonny magazine, haven’t you?

It’s online.  It’s free.  It’s the BEST THING, EVER!

Go there now + thank me later.

http://www.lonny.com/magazine/December+January+2014/G4ACFTKNUUI/1

You’re welcome!

 

Only 2 Days Until Our Christmas Cabin!

Our ‘really big show’ is coming up this weekend.

3 FRENCH HENS HOLIDAY MARKET

MORRIS, ILLINOIS

Look at the fantastic flyer that Stacey, of Kismet Junk, designed for us!

I’ve been really excited, preparing for said-same.

Tonight I’m tired + realizing I’m not as young as I once was,

especially that one year when I did 12 shows

in addition to having my old retail store, Heart-in-Hand.

Omigosh, now that I think about it — that was exactly 20 years ago!

* * * *

But back from memory lane — I’m glad it’s TODAY —

because now, for inspiration, all I have to do is head to Pinterest!

I’ve been busily re-pinning lots of photos

that evoke a ‘cabin Christmas’:

Sorry — didn’t get the source!

Seems that vintage metal trucks are all the rage online,

+ I’m loving the red + white license plates.

karnushus.blogspot.com

Wish I could get my hands on some ‘scrawny’ trees like these.

Who doesn’t love an urn (or 3)?

sixtyfifthavenue.blogspot.com

I’ll have some similar glass pinecone ornaments to sell.

theprimitivecountrybug.blogspot.com

I’ll also have a vintage white watering can with a faded, red stripe at the show . . .

. . . and G.O. dutifully gathered fresh greens from his brother’s farm today,

so my can will be tricked out in a similar fashion!

Martha Stewart’s Anvil Gray

Speaking of G.O. — on Sunday afternoon he re-painted some screens

that were in my booth, back in the good, ol’ days.

They’ll be making quite the statement this weekend,

as they’re marching across the back of our Cabin Christmas booth.

Fingers crossed,

 he can somehow hook up these awesome red industrial lights, too.

(I know he can — I’m so excited to see them in use!)

sjarmerendejul.blogspot.com

Wish I had a few dozen old baskets like this.

And some ginormous pine cones, too, please?

bymildred.blogspot.com

Talk about your inspiration!

I do have lots of old boxes to sell, + I have been making white with red pillows.

I prefer simplicity + not-too-Christmas-y when I decorate

 so I think these pillows fit the bill.

That red cross makes the pillows look a little like Christmas presents, doesn’t it?

Here’s something similar of the rectangular persuasion:

Right now, they’re listed in my etsy shop . . .

https://www.etsy.com/listing/167229633/modern-red-and-white-swiss-cross?

. . . but of course, come Friday, they’ll be in our booth.

* * * * *

Here’s a look-see at some of my other Christmas Cabin projects:

These boards were the original porch floor of our Dutch colonial fixer-upper.

Who knew? — that a long-ago owner of our house would love the color red, too!

Everything is vintage here — the chair, the slipcover, buttons + ticking fabric.

Wish I had dozens of neat buttons with words on them, like this one.

This vintage ticking stripe material is from an old cot cover.

Towels!

* * * * *

I think I’ll have about 5 chairs at this show,

including this one, which is a ‘tad’ different than what I usually make:

It’s an old folding chair from the Moose Lodge, + I’ve added a chevron pattern.

I think it’s fresh + modern.

So, is there a chance you’ll make it to our show?

I’d love it if you stopped by + said “HI!”

Baseball (Again!) + Pillow Musings

Hola again, sportz fanz!

If you didn’t know of my epic St. Louis Cardinal fandom,

then you’ve not been paying attention!

Why do you think my blog + biz are called

R E D B I R D ?

Here’s why:

Look!
My grandlad + me at Busch Stadium, St. Louis!
September 27, 2013

Any-hoo, maybe you heard:

 my Cardinals won their deciding Game 5

v.s. the Pittsburgh Pirates last night (YAY!) . . .

There they are, my 2 favorite Cardinals:
pitcher Adam Wainwright + catcher Yadier (YADI) Molina!

. . . which means they can advance to the next series,

which will pit them against the mighty Los Angeles Dodgers!

Get it?  St. Louis v.s. Los Angeles?

SO, in my world, this is perfect timing

 for some shameless self-promotion!

I make these awesome (if I do say so) city pillows;

they’re sold in my online etsy shop:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/redbirdvintagehome

I hand-stencil + sew them myself, using repurposed canvas + vintage buttons.

AND I just introduced some grain sack pillows

 on which I’ll stencil any name.

Fun!

I just sent this one as a wedding gift to a couple being married in November:

Fingers crossed they’ll love it!

* * * *

But what’s going on at the Dutch colonial project, Kay?

Do I hear anybody asking this?

Well, the most photo-worthy update

is that I coerced/nagged G.O. into hanging my ginormous Cardinals flag there.

“BUT WE DON’T LIVE HERE YET!”

HA!  Whatev, G.O.!

If we DON’T do stuff like this, they won’t win!!

* * * *

But I digress.

Not much else at our project is really that blog-worthy, sadly.

They are framing for new windows, at long last,

so that’s going to be a morale boost!

Stay tuned + go Cardinals!

Front Porch Progress

Good things come to those who wait, no?

Well, that’s always a plus when you’re me,

because it seems like I’ve been waiting FOREVER

for this bad enclosed front porch to go away:

So close! It’s almost gone here!

I have a vision, of course, thanks to our beloved internet.

(What DID we do, back in the olden days

before the bozoputer, one wonders?)

Anyway, this is what I have in my head, Dutch-colonial-front-porch-wise:

Houzz.com

Don’t you love it?  So charming + inviting!

Anyway, last week, the guys finally removed our naughty porch enclosure.

Drum roll!

Here ’tis now!

Much bettah, am I right?

But check out that light fixture!

It’s a nice enough Craftsman-style charmer, I guess,

+ I s’poze it would look pretty cool, hanging above someone’s dining table.

Just not my front porch!

Never fear.

Here is our cottage-y replacement, waiting in the wings:

Pottery Barn

Of course, I’ve already pleaded with G.O. to take down that dining room light mishap.

Having ‘a blast’ at the Steely Dan concert.

But get this!

He insists that he has other, more pressing tasks, than taking down a bad light fixture!

How’s that possible!!??

Obviously, unlike me, HE is not mortified by the idea that passersby

might think we WANT that dining room light hanging on our front porch!

HA!  Imagine that!

* * * * *

  On a related (sort of) topic, of course I’m already shopping for house numbers.

You see, they’ll go ON that front porch, eventually.

What I really want is a European-style enamel sign like this:

http://www.ramsign.com/

Something in Frenchie blue, perchance?

Love it!  Done!

Pass me my credit card + get out of my way!

* * * *

But wait.

Just in case there’s something even cooler out there,

I’ve been shopping on etsy again.

Look what I found, from a cool shop called Claysquared:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/158604427/modern-flat-house-numbers-frenchy-blue

HA!  How awesome is it, that they refer to the color as “frenchy” blue?

Is it just me, but aren’t these a modern version of the more vintage enamel signs?

What say ye?

This choice — between vintage + modern —

describes my design plan for our entire re-do.

Vintage

Vintage-inspired modern

Now that I think about it, it seems all my choices, so far, are of the vintage persuasion.

Would modern stuff be cool or hopelessly out of place?

One wonders?

Etsy Shopping

The HVAC (heating + air conditioning) guys are at our Dutch colonial today,

so that’s pretty exciting, I’d say.

Our errant enclosed front porch was finally demolished

just the other day . . .

. . . which is even more exciting (to me!)

I’ve snapped plenty of “after” photos

but need G.O.’s assistance with downloading

in order to share with the class.

Soon!

Meanwhile, just this a.m., I had a bright idea

to do a little vintage shopping on etsy, for our house.

Iprefervintage shop on etsy

I love this milk glass towel bar!

I’m thinking one of the bathrooms or our kitchen island.

Our kitchen island
will end up in the approximate location
of this 2×4.

Speaking of our kitchen island,

I want to hang some sort of rack on the side of it,

for cookbooks + platters + such.

No luck finding anything on etsy today,

but I did see some cool hymnal racks on Pinterest:

Pinterest

While not house-related, here’s another etsy purchase I made this a.m.:

thependantemporium shop on etsy

My sister is an accounting professor at the University of Texas at Austin,

+ her birthday’s August 13th.

Fingers crossed she’ll like it + wear it!

Stay tuned!

Etsy Shopping Spree

I love etsy!

It’s an online site where people can sell their handmade + vintage stuff.

Trust me, it rocks, + you need to go to there, now.

www.etsy.com

I opened my own etsy shop a few years ago

+ sell my own hand-stenciled pillows:

www.etsy.com/shop/redbirdvintagehome

 When it comes to etsy, I think I like buying even more than selling!!

Just this morning I bought this awesome letterpress card for my grandlad’s April birthday:

Man vs. George Design on etsy

I know!!  Isn’t it cool?  I’m a huge fan of letterpress anything + numbers!

    Here’s hoping my grandlad will be somewhat impressed (no pun intended).

He’s actually been antiquing with us a few times.

He asked for + received the following:

a compass

a vintage metal toy airplane to hang from the ceiling in his room.

(HIS idea — honest!)

Since we’ve got ourselves a budding antiquer,

I think I’ll order this book for one of his birthday gifts:

And yes, I am ‘THAT grandma’!

And yes, I am Facebook friends with Mike Wolfe!

BUT, once again, I digress.

My etsy shopping spree continued!

Since we’ll be moving soon-ish, I ordered us this custom-made rubber stamp:

  I asked the etsy seller if I could have an ‘OK’ monogram . . .

 . . . which is my ‘kooky fun’ thing to do with G.O.’s name + mine.

Get it?  O + K?

But wait!

I ordered yet another custom rubber stamp from an etsy seller, MJ’s art stamps.

They call this their ‘newspaper typewriter’ design.

Within hours of my request, they sent me a couple proofs:

I love it — it’s simple, rustic, vintage-style + looks handmade . . .

. . . which I think is a good match for my pillowmaking business.

When my stamp arrives, I shall stamp some of these red tags with black ink:

Artecrafts on etsy

 I’ll add a little baker’s twine just because it’s cool + comes in the correct color:

And voila!  I think I’ll have a unique, eye-catching business card!

Thanks for tagging along with me on my etsy shopping spree.

How about you?  Do you shop there?