Vintage Vagablondes

There are some really amazing people in the world

and especially in the fair land of blogging

I recently was shown such kindness from a fellow blogger

and today I would like to publicly say

THANK YOU!

Sheri and her daughter Ashlee

are two very stylish, vintage loving gals.

How lucky they are love the same things

and ultimately love each other enough to work hand in hand

searching out and selling vintage treasures.

Ashlee is a beauty

and a mega fashionista to boot

her blog The Vintage Vagablonde

is full of vintage fashion and touching honesty

about her life and her many adventures

I really relate to her words

about finding ones self and dealing with loss.

Sheri is a hoot ~ Her blog always makes me smile

she just radiates happy go lucky goodness

She is a girl after my own heart

with her newly renovated 1961 Fireball trailer

in pink no less!

Oh man am I swooning over her trailers interiors

ours is still stuck in the 1970s

Thank you once again Sheri!

You are truly priceless!

~Chelsea Ann

An entire outfit for just $4.69!

I've always wanted to have one of those girly closets

full of petticoats and sweet ruffly dresses

just like my friend Ashlee

but sadly I've never had the opportunity to own

a single piece of "true" lolita swag

Most of my wardrobe is made up of little girl

dresses, sweaters, and even shoes

It's a perk to being a small as I am

the sweet innocent cuts and girly hues

appeal to my inner child

and the price tags are much easier on my pocket book

such as this darling dress that I purchased

for $1 at a thrift store

and this Old Navy T I got on sale for $2.50

I'm so excited to share my first "handmade" outfit

call it cheating but when you are learning to sew

an entire outfit can be rather daunting

at this point a simple hemline is no small feat

I'm learning that sewing is much like wood working

cut once - measure twice! or 5 times in my case

My waistband is wonky wonky wonky

but hey it stays in place

and so I am quiet satisfied!

I hand sewed the top collar of the dress to my t-shirt

and I am just so excited with how it turned out!!!

I'm going to be on the look out for more cute collars

to add to boring ol' t-shirts

Next week I start my first "real" sewing project

I'm going to make a jumper

I wanted to make some pantaloons first

but the Simplicity patterns are never on sale

gosh dang it!

So what do you think of my new hair color?

A dramatic new hair cut and color all in one week

my poor husband ... luckily he's pretty good with change

I am STILL so in love with my new hair!

I can't really put it into words

it just suites me

I mentioned in my last post that I was working on some new items for my shop

and that I would be doing a giveaway this week

but sorry - I'm pushing it to next week

I'm really excited to start editing through

the 250 pictures I took of all the new coordinating hair pins

I'm getting ready to post in the shop next week

Question for all you mommas out there:

I'm often asked if I carry hair barrettes

for babies and small girls with fine hair

but I just can't seem to figure out what is the best type?

I'm so dang broke these days that I don't want to invest in a "bad"

barrettes type that wont stay in or might hurt... any suggestions?

I would really appreciate it!!!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone

Hubby is dragging me along on a day camping trip

doesn't the man know I don't even own a pair of tennis shoes?

haha yeah I know that is pathetic

I think I'm more worried about taking our dogs

they aren't exactly the most well behaved pups

and I'm afraid an entire day outdoors with them

is going to be a LOT of work

Hoodlums and Pirates

I am very blessed to have such a unique group of friends

one such person who always brings out the child in me

is my wonderfully adorable friend Ashlee

We don't get together half as often as I would like

but when we do

we have the greatest adventures.

Such as the Valentine's Tea Party where we visited the land of the dolls

do you remember that?

Ashlee and I met in Color Theory class... Ashlee is the most amazing artist!!!

It's quite funny to think that when I first met

Ashlee was going through a bit of a ruff yet ruffly faze

and to this day my family calls her the pirate girl

So I guess it was simply in the cards

that she should stay with us during the pirate festival weekend here in P town

I hadn't planned on going... being the home-body that I am

so I was quite pleased with the pirate gear I found lying around the house.

It was a perk that hubby had a pirate hat from his college days

I LOVE THAT MAN!!

Dressing up is so much fun!

And many of you have inquired about my halloween plans

and I am very very sorry to report that I won't be celebrating this year

Perhaps things shall change

but as things stand

I have no pumpkins, no candy, no costume

NOTHING!

It's all really rather sad

but it's been such a HARD month so far and I just feel like laying low

at any rate last year the only trick or treaters we got where "big" kids with bandanas

claiming to be hoodlums

well i'm quite tired of hoodlums myself!

We've had quite enough for one month thank you very much!!!!!

Abby Doll - GIVEAWAY - Street Fashion

Meet Abby!

1 sweet little doll 2 cute looks

YUPP no joke! I've finally spread my wings and taking that fretful first step out of my nest

Drawing has always been my number one passion 

but I've been quite frightened 

not quite sure of myself. 

But my numero uno goal this year was to show the world my artwork

and to build a little portfolio.

Abby is just the start...

I'm completing new drawing each week!

My real hope is to make a giant switch from being a "crafter" to an artist of sorts

I have embarked on something very exciting I feel

...started to travel a new path

I'm excited and giddy and so fantastically optimistic!

OH I do hope you will all come to love my style

and that you'll take this ride with me

that you will all say "I knew her when..."

hehe I am not trying to say I shall get a big head or that anything will come of this

I'm just really proud of myself I guess

I've never been quite so proud of myself before

I am embracing me! 

So anywho...

about this first reveal

I made the paper dolls which I think are precious but perhaps not very practical

They look impossibly difficult to cut out...

so I wanted to offer another option... and perhaps another

what I was thinking was like a "finer" print

to go along...

but I'm not the most skilled gal on the computer

in fact I'm pretty much self taught

so I made the above little print of Abby's and Cadberry Bunny's Silhouette  

Quite cute I think but what of the color pencil work?

hmmmmm back to the drawing board?

I like the very top top image of Abby in both of her outfits but I think it a bit strange to have the same doll and well I just could not take it any further at this point

So any suggestions? It would be so much appreciated!!!

I do hope you will share your thoughts! All of them!!! 

The Good The Bad and the ugly (if appropriate)

oh and yes their will be more dolls!

As for sales

Tuff Tuff

pricing stinks!

But My hope is to always sell in pairs.

So in my shop now is

Abby Paper Doll + Abby & Cadberry Bunny Silhouette + Free Shipping!

I spent the morning at the print shop going over every little detail...

in fact tomorrow I have to go back for some small little changes that needed to be made

but the colors ~ especially of my pencil work are perfect!!! Yeah

Who knew there was such a difference between RGB and CMYK!

AND oh oh oh

I'm GIVING AWAY one of these PRINT SETS to one of YOU!

Just comment on this post!

The winner will be announced Monday

which just happens to be MY BIRTHDAY!

OK so part 2 of this blog post is about Fashion!

I have been really super into Japanese and Chinese fashion as of late

Primarily the Harajuku, Decora & Kawaii, and Lollita Styles.

I am not well educated on these styles by any means...

It's a wonderful spectators sport really ~ I can't really imagine 

dressing quite as outrageously as some of these girls and boys do

My pal Ashlee introduced me to the Lollita Fashion

I know their are different names it goes by in America 

because of the icky thoughts people have about the word Lollita (Because of the book..)

but I don't recall it so do forgive me

I just LOVE this sweet baby doll style

it's oobber fun to dress this way 

I think the shoes are actually the best part

ugggg if only it all wasn't so expensive!

Here I am in Lollita fashion being quite silly 

The style I guess is actually quite rigid and strict

I was told my beaver hat would just not do!

Well how rude! I love my hat and thought it was perfect!

Ashlee has an amazing wardrobe

it's like  heaven being in her closet

Had to show this picture because for the last couple of months 

I have been dying to have light pink hair

My family thinks I am crazy!

But this girl looks adorable!

I've just got to try it at-least once

p.s. please click on the image to find the wonderful owner of these beautiful images :)

So i think this is what they would consider the Harajuku style or "Street fashion"

I did a little project dress up the other day that I think kind of embodies this colorful whimsical over the top fashion...

except not so over the top in my case 

Oh my poor car...

It's had NO key for gosh almost a year...

I've got to fix him (Goose) up and sell him 

and buy a manly truck to pull our new "old" trailer with

Not sure about these close ups? But I like them at the same time...

Weird!

Just had to show this last pic

I just love it.

Not sure if it's the adorable girl, the pose, outfit or what?

But anywho... I do hope you all had a great great week and that your weekend doesn't rush buy too quickly! 

Please leave a comment for your chance to win a print

and more importantly just to give me feedback!

HUGS!

Easter Bonnet Contest and a day with my Pals

1. Fancy Hat, 2. My Daughter wearing her Vintage Easter bonnet........., 3. Cute Little White Bunny, 4. Woohoooooo!, 5. Vintage Easter Chick Faux Cupcakes, 6. Beach Bun Belly Flop, 7. F. Stocks May, 8. Announcing_A Party!, 9. Springtime Mushroom House, 10. My Home, 11. Untitled, 12. bunny from Cotton and Paint #5, 13. The Cute Chicks, 14. minty duck, 15. Mucky Duck, 16. My Home

Seems I have a long list of things to do before easter comes

I just love easter, it may just be my favorite holiday

no, that can't be true 

I LOVE CHRISTMAS MORE!

But Easter is so sweet and pretty

I especially love to see how spring and easter 

inspire the such pretty new things

from sweet cookies and cakes

to little stuffed creatures 

and pretty colored eggs!

Last Friday my gal pals

Ashlee & Alissa

came over for a little girls day fun

We played at the fountain

and when the sun peaked out from behind the clouds 

we snapped a few pictures

I so wish the sun would come out more often!

The constant grayness makes me tired and lazy

What do you think of my easter bonnet?

made with yards and yards of sweet ruffly goodness

atop a vintage straw hat that I purchased at a thrift store

 months before I ever knew I would be entering a Easter Bonnet Contest! 

I call that some kind of magic, for I'm always picking thing up here and there

and I then giving myself little lecture

"why did you buy that Chelsea Ann"

"What will you possible do with that!"

but lately I've been finding all sorts of nifty ways to use my oddities

and this makes me very happy indeed :)

Voting for the Easter Bonnet Contest begins tomorrow and ends at midnight on Sunday

Please, Please show you support and take a moment to vote!

There are so many lovely bonnets just in time for Easter

My bonnet (hat) is available in my shop

and hopefully very soon I will have a few more

I'm working on a batch of small child size hats inspired by my big one

that I think you will be perfect for little flower girls 

or perhaps special tea parties

but once again we have so little sun 

and I can not properly photograph them at present :(

But I must figure out some solution this weekend

and I will have a whole batch of easter goodies

 to add to the shop by next Monday at the latest!!

ooohh and look what I found!

Chelsea Ling, my best internet gal pal 

interviewed ME for her new blog

Paper* Cakes Finds a few weeks ago

and now there is this pretty button on the side of her blog

I feel so honored to be in such good company as

Lorie Marie, Craft Pudding, and LoveleeSoaps and now Tim of Fantastic Toys!

Happy Friday everyone!

May you all be inspired by SPRING!

Valentine's Day! All Dolled Up PARTY!

Not so many nights ago I fell into the most peculiar sleep. I must have been quite tired because I fell asleep while putting away my laundry. I have always been a vivid dreamer but what I dreamt this particular evening was quite unusual. It was not so much the dream was odd but, that it felt so real.

Now I know, logic tells me that it was merely a figment of my imagination, yet something in it felt so lifelike and... well perhaps I shall just describe it, still it is so vivid in my memory.

I hear a song bird. What a pretty sound to hear in the morning. 

"Chelsea Ann, open your eyes." 

"Shhhhh. Be very quiet you do not want to scare him away."

 Who was that? Am I still dreaming? 

I hear the bird again. I must wake up.

You can not possible imagine what I saw when I woke. Well I thought I had woken, perhaps I was still dreaming. There was my dear friend, Ashlee with a blue bird singing in her ear. I startle the poor creature and he flies away. Ashlee picks up a rolled-up piece of paper. "The bird carried this in, I believe he meant for us to have it."

It is an invitation of the most unusual sort. We have been invited to a magical place, a place far past the imagination, a place that only young children could possibly dream of existing.

Perhaps I did not believe myself, but what harm would there be in excepting the invitation. I was mearly having a dream, right?

I hear a familiar sound in the distance. I am so tired, I can barely keep my eyes open. A man's voice breaks the silence. "Little Misses, the train has arrived. I open my eyes. Fog is very thick in the air, like cotton candy, even the air smells of it. I wake my friend. "It is time to go, hurry we don't wont to miss our only chance." We board the train eager to arrive at our destination. I am glad to have such a good companion for the long journey ahead.

We have traveled to a place more magical than you or I can imagine. A place where neighbors gather to celebrate the smallest of occasions and children can safely play in the streets. With quaint little houses, a quiet marshmallow meadow and a bubbling soda pop brook.

It is a little hard to explain but we were invited to a place more magical than any other. A place known for only sweetness and kindness. This is the land of the dolls and for a fortnight we shall be staying on Lollipop Lane.

It was so kind of the dolls to invite us to share in their magical little world. Sadly our stay will only be for a short time. We must take in as much as we can and try very hard not to forget a single moment.

♥

As a doll you must always look your very best. Everyday is as special as the last and never ever is sloppiness allowed. There are so many things a doll must do each day. There is fun to be had and not a moment can be wasted.

Sniff Sniff Sniff...

Oh puppy dog you can not have a cookie yet. We must wait for our friends to arrive.

Each night Dolls all come together to share a cup of tea

and tell stories of their day.

Dolls love to celebrate special occasions.

Tonight's teatime is very special because today is Valentine's Day!

We have been very busy baking goodies, making gifts and decorating the dollies home.

I think what I love most about being a doll is the frilly attire.

Knee high stockings, petticoats, bows and beads.

I should like very much to dress this way every single day.

♥

You can play dress up too!

Dolls love to have their pictures taken.

However instead of putting their pictures in frames

they have their pictures taken in them^^

Dolls love their sweets.

As they are almost always celebrating one event or another

you would surely think they should like a break of them.

Milkshakes

Cakes

Cupcakes, Cookies, Ice cream Cones  and Lollipops

They could eat such treats for

breakfast

lunch

&

supper time

Truly Ashlee and I were quite overwhelmed at first by all the events in a dolls' life.

They celebrate birthdays, weddings, holidays, and the firsts of almost everything!

The first rain and the early signs of spring.

♥

Rain, rain,

go away

come again some other day

We want to go outside and play

Come again some other day

The first flower blossoms

and even when they fade away

and autumn turns to the world from green to gold

♥
Daisy, Daisy,
 Give me your answer do!


I'm half crazy,
 All for the love of you!


It won't be a stylish marriage,


I can't afford a carriage


But you'll look sweet upon the seat


Of a bicycle made for two.

and of course the very first snow

♥

Sing a song of snowflakes,


Secrets in the air,


Valentines are coming,


Hiding everywhere.


Some are red and


Some are pink and


Some are soft and blue,


Some are in the mailbox

On their way to you.

Nothing is as important as friendship in the land of dolls.

They are the truest of companions

and are always there when their friends are in need of help.

Most of the time you can find dolls playing

for this is surely what they do best

Dolls have wonderful imaginations!

♥

As we grow older, not only is it harder to believe in faeries and unicorns, but its harder to see the beauty around us, the good in people’s hearts, the magic in every day happenings. Our childhood dreams are relegated to ‘fantasy’ and every day reality seems far from what we had in mind for our grown up lives.

I think its very important to keep in touch with that childlike part of us however. To keep our imaginations alive. Without that, you can not have empathy, inspiration, creativity and faith. I am not talking about religious Faith, but simply the ability to believe that there are good and kind people out there, that there is a reason for doing the right thing and that happy endings are possible.

Source:

Finding Again the Childlike Wonder

- Princess Portals by Skye Princess

They pretend to be mommies

♥

When I was a child I loved to play with dolls.

I had a Cabbage Patch Doll, Cherry Merry Muffin Doll , and an American Doll

just to name a few

Perhaps you had a Chatty Cathy or Jelly Belly Doll?

They love to play house just as all young children do

They also dream of being princesses

& finding their prince charming

And soon enough the day is through

And now the Valentine's Tea Party can begin!

A little cup of friendship

with a bag of tea

when you drink this

think of love from me

Dollies always behave their manners

They sit upright, say "Please, and Thank You"

and always share in polite conversation. 

Cheers! 

This has been a splendid Valentine's and I love each and every one of you!

Puppies seem to think of nothing but cookies

At the end of each day the dollies gather for one last dance

before the moon rises and they must all be tucked in their beds

And when at last the day is through they fall fast a sleep and dream of being just like me and you.

And now I have shared my dream with you!

♥

It was just like magic, it seemed so real.

Did it seem real to you?

Dream or not there is no question that Dolls live in magical worlds of their own.

When we turn the lights off at night their little world just begins.

And when the sun is peaking over the horizon 

they're finishing their tea and dances and heading home to sleep the day away.

Thank you for visiting!

What a great party this has been...

but wait!

♥

What would a party be without Party Favors?

I wish I could give a little something to all of you

but I think you will see there are many many wonderful favors!

By leaving a comment with your favorite Keepsake Cake or ittybittybirdy item you will be entered to win Abby Doll and a set of Sweat Treat Note Cards. 

♥

I appreciate your feedback ~ 

I've gone in so many directions lately 

and it's nice to know what creative paths I should stick too!

In a hurry? Just stopping by for a quick visit?

Leave a quick hello comment and even you can win a treat or two!

(5 lucky winners!)

Win the chance for the ultimate Keepsake Cakes spoiler! 

Any purchase from either Keepsake Cakes or ittybittybirdy

before February the 18th gives you the chance to win 

a set of Sweat Treat Note Cards and Embellishments,

Klara Doll, and a customized Fairytale Party Hat made just for you!

Also...

I would like to especially thank all the Lollishop venders who hosted a doll theme party with me. This has been so much fun and I couldn't have done it with out you!

One lucky Lollishop Dolls is going to take Bailey home!

(Make sure you visit all the other Lollie gals parties ~ located on the top of my sidebar)

DOUBLE DIP! 

If you leave feedback ~ you will surely be saying "hello!"

You buy yourself a little treat or two ~ well say hello and tell me why you love what you got!

Thanks Everyone!

Goodbye~ Kisses! Hugs~ 

Wait before you go...

The party will be up until the 18th when I will announce all the winners...

please tell all your friends about the party.

the more the merrier! 

P.S. Participating Lollies please add your photos to the flickr group I made just for our party pics. THANKS!