Overalls

I just spent quite a long time going back through almost ALL

my old posts, starting with the first one!!!

 I needed to re-tag most of my posts seeing how

I didn't know a whole lot about posting, tagging...etc before! 

It was like looking through an old

photo album, browsing my old posts! 

This blog started out solely as a place to post about

my crafting and slowly turned into clothing... then vintage clothing :D

Hey, it's been a fun ride!

If you wanna check out things I've embroidered you can look at my Labels on the right side of the screen and click on "my embroidery"

 For sewing: click "Things I've Crafted"

Now about those overalls... I used to wear the heck outta these things!

I used to wear them to work.. that's where I met my Hubby.

He laughed when he saw me wearing them- "cute" was his reply.

I thought I'd break them in gently by wearing them to help fix up

my grandparents condo and help get it ready for new tenants... that's a good

excuse to wear them, right???? hahaha

We all packed in to my little truck to grab lunch at In and Out.

I'm not gonna lie, people were kinda looking at me... checking out the overalls-

I felt like I was pulling them off ok, though!!! hahah

Swans grace the presence of this gated condo community...

Swan Knees!!! hahaha

Mimi comes up for a picture...

the swan gives her a warning!!!

Then he decides it's ok for her to snap a quick shot!

Here are Mimi's shots :D

I screamed (like a girl) when one tried to eat my outstretched camera!!!

I was trying to get a close up...NEVERMIND!

How about the ducks, they look like a nice bunch :D

Time for some yard work- need some new herbs planted!!! We're out of cilantro!

I was up at 6am when my little one started in on a cough attack that hasn't stopped much yet!

Steamy shower, warm lemon and honey water, vicks... ahhh

somethings gotta work!!!

Happy Weekend to ya!

Friday Night

The fantastic Bordertown Saints played last Friday night... but this night was a bit extra special.

They invited a fiddler to come join them!!!! Holy Moly this guy kicked butt!

It added a whole new element to an already kick ass band!!! :D SO good.

Erick, and his long time buddies :D 

Imagine our surprise when Anne and I saw each other wearing brown headbands on our heads

in a hippie kind of style! Sheesh!!! I haven't ever even worn one that way

and just decided that I was gonna that night! (She doesn't ever wear them either)

We got a good laugh out of it!

Honestly, where does her hair end and mine begin? 

PS. We get the sister question frequently ;)

Check out Anne's sweet baby bump peeping out of her rad 

Lebowski sweater! 

I love this stinkin top, I think it's an apron, really. The back is mostly open, with just two buttons to fasten the back closed! Thought it'd be a fun summer piece, and it was only $1!

 Gotta love those deals! 

Sean and Crystal show their exuberance for good music :D

Here's a good shot of the fiddler! 

He was one feisty dude! 

Happy Wednesday! 

My little one is down and out with a fever! :( Poor baby! 

I went ahead and played, painted and snuggled with her all day yesterday- it's the only good

thing about them being sick, they slow down long enough to snuggle...

but I can't wait for her to get back to her ol' self again! Lots of water and sleep!

xx,

Nicky

Granny Squares never go outta style!

Among the few cool things I came across at an estate sale recently, 

this crochet magazine was one of the treasures that had to come home with me! 

 Holy matching granny squares, Batman!!!

 My man might use this....

for starting a fire!

Which men were actually wearing these??? 

I could see the women wearing them, but the dudes??? 

 I actually wanna make this someday!

 And these little fellas are quite adorable stitched onto fabric wrapped canvas! 

Crewel embroidery is super rad!

This is actually kinda cute- in a bulky sweater wearing kind of way!!!

 instructions below, if you are so inclined... 

This was a  little card that has instructions on the back!

Not only is there a "Gemco" sticker on the front (my Mom shopped there when we were little)

but each fantastic bag has its own animal mascot! 

 I love this yellow one with stripes in the middle, but I've

just taken up crocheting and barely have the hang of that...

slow down super gemini scatter brain!!!! Let's only bite off what we can chew! haha

The 70's were a pretty fantastic time!

I probably should have been born to that barefooted, flowy top wearing, long-wild hair crowd!

Dang hippies- they're so cute!  

xx,

Nicky

Interview with Cami's Paperie

Personalized Stationary Notecards

Do you remember back around Christmas when I created a treasury on Etsy?

It was called "Jump Inside My Stocking" and featured some fantastic items available

on Etsy. After I listed them, I went to each shop owner and told them I'd created the 

treasury and gave them a link to view it! 

Imagine my shock when Cami wrote back saying she loved my blog and shop and would love to send me the CUSTOMIZED stationary above "on the house!!!" For any of you who know me or have read along with me... free is one of my very favorite words!!!

I just had to get to know this Yuletide-generous and friendly Cami. I wanted to interview her to learn more about her and her business (I'm a bit of a stationary freak- cause I love sending stuff in the ol' snail mail). With no Further ado, here she is   :D

You have a delightful shop on Etsy called Cami's Paperie. Can you tell me a bit about your shop and how it got started?

Thank you! Well, I opened my store, Cami’s Paperie in 2005 as a retail storefront in Purcellville, Virginia. I sold lots of gorgeous paper from all over the world as well as lots of great items for paper crafters and artists. It was a fantastic shop, but I decided my business could prosper more if I moved into a home based studio. I converted by basement into a studio and then in 2009 I opened my Etsy shop. I have to admit, I was frustrated at first because I didn’t know much about custom listings, tagging and taking quality photos. I wound up buying a good camera, a light tent and reading everything I could about how to sell on Etsy. 

What was your first creation sold, and how did you celebrate?

This question makes me smile - after having a few wedding invitations up on Etsy and not really paying much attention to promoting my items, I decided that if I was really serious about Etsy, I needed to give 100%. I had a lot of great stationery ideas, but was so busy with my bridal clients, that I was having a hard time finding the time to put my stationery ideas to work. Finally, I stayed up one night, (all night that is!) and produced and photographed about 25 different designs. The next day, as I was listing them on Etsy, they were also being purchased simultaneously! I couldn’t believe it! These designs, which I was so nervous about, were actually being sold! I celebrated by, (don’t laugh) by buying myself some new fonts. (I luuuuuuuv fonts!) 

Where do you find your inspiration? 

I find a great deal of inspiration through websites and books on typography and calligraphy. I have a deep love of letter arts and gather so many ideas from studying different letter forms and the way they flow with each other. As far as graphics, I try to create things that are a little funky, not too mainstream, but definitely not too off-the-wall. There’s a fine balance, I believe, in creating things that are appealing, unique but not so unusual that it makes the buyer think twice.

When checking out your blog, I saw your super cute pups, Fergus and Daisy. I also have two pups and one I'd call "good" and one "bad" (but still sweet- though we nicknamed her the white devil- haha). How's Fergus good, and what kind of mischief does Daisy find herself in? 

Oh Nicky, I could talk for hours on this! Fergus is 8 and super gentle and timid. Since the day he came home we have had a special relationship. I love him so much! We are most definitely, the best of friends. My little Daisy came to us 3 years ago. From the minute she walked in, she was the boss of the house. Like Fergus, I love her so very much. She’s a little monster though. To give you a better idea of the personality differences, if Fergus needs something, he’ll come over and lick my hand. If Daisy needs something, she’ll come into my studio and knock over a table and then start barking at me while simultaneously tearing up something. 

Daisy

Fergus

Also, when checking out your awesome blog, I found SO much good information on weddings and etiquette (which seems kind of long lost). I bet you had a pretty fantastic wedding, will you share some fun details??? :D 

I love etiquette and try to find out as much as I can about wedding etiquette. When I first started, my clients would ask me questions, like, “How do I word this?” “Am I obligated to invite this person?” and so on. I would not only need to know the answer, but I wanted to be able to back it up in case I was questioned. I bought three different etiquette books! Trust me though, I’m no expert - I constantly refer to these books, especially when it comes to addressing rules. 

Speaking of my wedding - I DID have a fantastic wedding - in Las Vegas! I was walked down the aisle and given away by Elvis! It was most definitely the best day of my life. I’ve never had so much fun. It was just Bruce and me for the wedding, but when we came home we threw a big wedding bash. My very favorite part of the whole thing was, you guessed it, the invitations! I don’t even remember what I wore, but I definitely remember the invitations! 

Your talent is obviously God given.... but did you attend art school to refine your skills?

Thank you! I did not attend art school. I am a self taught graphic designer and read tons and tons of books and continue to practice on my own. Believe me, I’m still learning. There’s so much to know and if I could, I would buy every book out there! I love, love, love books and believe that if you know how to read, then you can teach yourself almost anything.

What was your most challenging project or aspect of your company that you've overcome? 

Hands down - paperwork and time management. Unfortunately, those are the two things that are my biggest struggle. It’s difficult for me to tackle the “not fun” stuff, like taxes, filing, etc. On my “admin” days, I’m super grouchy :) Also, working from home can make time management a bit hard. I’m getting much better though! If I find myself wanting to goof off, I remind myself that if I goof off, I’ll have to work late that night to make up for it. That usually puts me back in gear.

Anything else you'd like to share? :D

I would like to thank you, Nicky for giving me the space on your wonderful blog to ramble a bit about myself! I’m really honored by the opportunity to speak about my business and myself!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I highly encourage you to go and check out her adorable stationary and

blog, which is filled with great and helpful information!!

Cami's Paperie the Etsy shop

Cami's Paperie, the blog

Thanks for reading along 

and thank you again, Cami for the beautiful stationary

and a chance to get to know you :D 

Happy Thursday Peeps!!!

xx,

Nicky

Back in the Saddle Again...

Check out Gene Autry and his gal pal's matching western shirts

and sweet picnic they are riding to! Quite enchanting!

Oh, man... it's been a long time since I've ridden...

and in a SADDLE at that! 

I grew up as hippy-ish as a girl could in the 80's and 90's. 

I used to love riding with a bareback pad and barefooted (and shoes too). I loved

to let my horse stop and graze in a grassy meadow when we came across one!

And when I rode with my girlfriends, we'd sing our favorite songs

and ride bareback, swinging our feet as we went along. It was a good time!

My Mama and I took my girls out for a ride the other day!

It was like getting back on a bike!

Here's Wesley, my new riding buddy :D We had to wash some muddy

gunk off his side before saddling up so here he is in the wash rack!

My Mama has had a couple of different horses on and off over the last 6+ years, 

since my horse passed away. She boarded a grumpy old man horse, 

who I wasn't even interested in riding, and then had one whose feet weren't all that great.

She now has Wesley (I say this the way Buttercup does in The Princess Bride)

 and Harley (both previously named). Both good and happy riding horses!!! Finally!

Here, Harley "grooms" Sally the Golden Retriever!!! 

They are quite silly together!

 Telling secrets

My little Oli bug rode in front of me!

Look, this is actually what these boots are for- not just for fashion???  hehe

Elsa riding "doubles" with Nana! 

That was the first time I'd "hit the trails" for so long! It was really nice!!!

We used to ride on full moons when you could see your shadows on the ground

and the horses strangely behaved better since they couldn't see all

the scary things around to "spook" them. (that's when they JUMP because something startled them!) And you best be hanging on when they do it or you could go right over the side- hahahhah.

yeah... it's happened to me! 

Here are a few more Etsy goodies I just added today! 

I've been Etsy-ing away lately! :D It's so much fun meeting such lovely other 

sellers, buyers, and bloggers through this vintage loving, craft making community! 

these are all available in my Etsy shop over on the right side of my blog :D

Hope you're having a good week-

we had this awful sinus cold strike back after already HAUNTING us for the last 

three weeks. Sinus headaches and the "faucet nose" you know... where it

just starts dripping while you're in bed and you have to stuff tissue in your

nose while you're sleeping??!!! Glamorous, I know!!!

It was nice having an extra day off for MLK day and we took

the nicest full moon hike up in our local mountains last night!

It was super bright up there and no bob cats to report! Thank God!

Happy Wednesday! 

xx,

Nicky

XoxOXooXxoO

Not a Valentine's fan, you say???

Most aren't. 

I'm a bit impartial to the "holiday" but...

I say, why not make sure you tell someone you love them???

And if it happens to be on February 14th, so be it.

There's nothing I love more that flowers (especially the one's hand selected from fields or gardens)

and a box of chocolates!!!!! Mmm

I'll take cliche any day!!!

Here are some goodies you might like for Valentine's!

Available in My Etsy Shop, Stitchy Life Vintage.

Vintage Red "Be Mine" Dress
Here's a little slide show of this dress if you wanna check it out:
It's my Tumblr blog (used for promoting my Etsy shop!)

Red Vintage "Jillian" Blouse

Whisper Vintage Dress

"Catbird" Vintage Dress

Vintage Bathrobe with Applique Neckline

1960's Pink Nighty (SO COMFY- I've got one just like it!!!)

Booty Shorts :D

70's Pink Short Shorts

Girls Pink Gingham Vintage Dress

Allow me to wrap one up for you and send it off with love! :D

(this package above was a cute snail tape dispenser from my shop that

went out yesterday! I'm obsessed with the cute crochet chain stitch!!!) 

Happy Saturday!!!

The Santa Ana winds are blowing which I LOVE!!!

That means.... drumroll please....

I'm gonna have a good hair day because the wind flattens my "big" hair- hahaha

You'd only knew if you had a "cape" of hair like mine!

I will be donating it again someday in the semi-near future :D

xoxo,

Nicky