vintage-inspired tulip apron (...what?)

so a while ago i was at joann's and i saw this glorious tulip-patterned fabric. and by gorgeous i mean kind of ugly in a cute way, with a lot of potential. i wasn't quite sure what i was going to do with it (skirt, maybe?) and so it sat on my shelf for a little while. then, the other day when i was going through some of my craft stuff, i pulled out one of my old vintage finds and had a brilliant idea. i bought this adorable vintage tulip apron last year, and then sort of forgot about it. i fell in love with it when i bought it because: a) tulips are my favorite flower, b) yellow is one of my favorite colors, and c) the tulip style of the apron made it have built-in pockets. amaaazing.

so, this weekend when i had a little bit of crafty time, i used this vintage apron as a pattern and used my new tulip fabric! genius, i know... here are some pictures :)

the vintage tulip apron

close up of the cute tulip-y pattern

the new version!

they are bff.

what do you think? i would take pictures of me wearing them, but my resident photographer sarah is out of state right now :( but maybe i can convince josh to take some pictures of me sometime (when i'm actually looking semi-cute haha). i think my favorite part is the secret pockets. and its just perfect since i love tulips. basically, i couldn't be happier with my old and new tulip aprons ♥ and yes, i might be obsessed with tulips. whaturr.

guess

first of all, i just wanted to say thank you for all the nice comments, messages, texts, and emails i received from yesterdays blog. i really apreciate them. while all the things i mentioned have happened to us before, none have happened in the last few days to "spur" it on... i've just been thinking about doing a post like that for a while.

in other news, today was like christmas when i got home! my husband got me a new purse: partly as an early anniversary gift, but mostly because my last one started falling apart [it was an awesome purse, but the outside material isn't the best for a bag :/].

so, he surprised me and bought me a guess purse! he picked it out all by himself, and was pretty proud once i confirmed that i loved it haha. here is a picture, although the bag is a much lighter taupe in real life:

i think its gorgeous. its also a nice and BIG purse, which i love. i'm pretty sure i could fit jay-z inside, and them carry him around with me all the time. i think its a pretty good plan... (and kitty even seemed interested)! when i told josh though, he didnt think it was very funny. he also said i'm not allowed to EVER bring it to work! he said its for when we go out, like to dinner or shopping or something. booo! however, i respect the guess, so i guess i'll play along. ;)

i ALSO got some vintage goodies i ordered for my birthday (my parents gave me birthday money and said to peruse etsy for vintage delights. yes please!!). here were my purchases:


belt and moccasins from VintageDarling
floral dress from andemonster

i've purchased from VintageDarling before, and have always had wonderful service. she has a fabulous and extensive selection. i LOVE both the items i got from her! and although i have wanted to before, this was my first purchase from andemonster. the dress shipped lightening fast, and its adorable. i definitely recommend both of these stores for some fun vintage shopping! have you gone shopping lately?

ps: thank you mom and dad for the birthday presents!! love you! ♥

weekend re-cap, and an outfit post!

i cut my hair [on friday]. only like 2 inches though. so hopefully all those dratted split ends are gone, and it's a nice length. definitely not borderline gross anymore haha. and i dyed it so it's all one nice color again. farewell, roots! so...i took this haircut opportunity to turn in into an outfit post. josh was, of course, thrilled. ok, well he might have been simultaneously shooing me away while watching to catch a predator (addicting!), but he managed to snap a few pics haha.

my traditional "peace" pose of course

clearly NOT paying attention. thanks joshy. but kind of funny haha.

andddd:blurry full-length shot.
top: nordstrom (so mj, right? i am feelin it lately!)
tank: wet seal (for like $2)
heart necklace: lia sophia
jeans: truck
snakey flats: charlotte russe (i never go in there but i did on a whim. i'm glad, too, cuz these were only $10 and i wear them all the time now!)

yesterday i went with my friend to a local antique/plant/crafty shop. i don't know how to explain it, i just like it. i've gone before and scored some nice stuff, that you can see in this post. i ended up buying an old vogue pattern, a lot of vintage lace, vintage buttons, and some awesome hankerchiefs. i have some ideas for these beauties, and i will keep you posted. [they also relate to one of my goals!] unfortunately i had a ten dollar limit (hello, medical bills!) so i was unable to get some other awesome things. like these:

vintage turquoise singer. in working condition. i wanted to cry. i think it was $65? $75?

this set of awesome blue/chrome chairs. $45 each tho...what a rip off. ew...do i look creepy in this picture? oh well...

yesterday we also watched gran torino with some friends. if you haven't seen it, you need to. the end sort of makes me cry, which was embarrassing since there were people over, but oh well.

then tonight we went and had a birthday dinner at josh's parents house. josh turns the big 2-6 this month, and my little niece sunny turns 6. it was a great time. unfortunately...i didn't take out my camera. oops! it was fun though and we had some delish fish and chips! it's so nice having good seafood (i'm from maine, you know...comes with the territory). so thanks for the fun birthday bash, in-laws! we had an awesome time ♥

i hope everyone had a lovely weekend! i have to go to bed now or i will never wake up for work. boo... nighty night!

if i were rich...

alternate title: all the loot i would buy on etsy. for your viewing pleasure. cash donations always accepted. ♥

bumblebee swing dancing dress. $78. [i love all things from this seller]

1980s wedges. $36. im trying to figure out how to convince josh i need these.

vintage zodiac boots. $128.

the sofie clutch. $69.

vintage rainbow pumps. $39. love!

1960s sailor dress. $98.

san francisco overcoat. $135. ive wanted this FOREVER!

kate towers dress. $alot. as you may know, i'm obsessed w/kate towers.

henry. $56. so cute! we want to name a future child henry. think its a sign?

absinthe one piece. $140. ah-may-zing.

do you love all these too? obviously theres like a billion things on etsy i'd like to buy, but these are some current ones. i love talented people, dont you?

ps: i made a treasury of pretty things i like. some of the above are included.

go look.

BESTeam feature: leo & junie

today i have a wonderful shop to introduce to you! welcome to the etsy shop leo and junie. this shop has nature inspired pieces, vintage pieces, and all around lovely jewelry. some of my favorite things (especially w/all the bright colors and nature themes).

What's your favorite color?
I don't really have one favorite! Orange (happy), green (earthy ), and blue (serene)

(click on pictures to go to their listings!)

What inspires you?
My flower gardens and my Mom's flower gardens. She taught me everything I know about gardening. My Mom's backyard is a safe haven for birds and some wildlife. All the vibrant colors of the flowers and birds are incorporated into most of my jewelry.


What do you love most about what you do?
I love finding beads, learning new skills, sketching designs, and then bringing them to a finished piece with my bare hands. My jewelry designs are SO diverse. My Etsy shop is just a small piece of what kind of jewelry I make. I started about 6 years ago making gemstone and sterling silver jewelry. I became very active with eBay and had my own store there for years. I made hair accessories, name bracelets/necklaces, and beaded jewelry. I moved to working with metals and hand-stamping silver. Then I found Etsy. I was intrigued. I investigated about the website. During this time, I found some vintage beads (about 2 years ago) in a store when I was on vacation and the rest is history. I started buying on Etsy and then decided to sell there. I love all things vintage! I love buying vintage beads that are, in a sense, brand new even though they are old! It so cool how I've blossomed over the years in my designs.


Is Etsy part-time, full-time, or hobby for you? How do you balance it with everything else?
Ahhh, let's see...Etsy really feels like a full-time job! I just opened shop mid January 2010 although I had the name, Leo and Junie, since the end of 2008. I am able to spend a lot of time promoting my shop, because I work part-time per diem. I usually tweet in the morning or evening when I get a chance. I have two kids (11 and 5) and they know all about my jewelry business and know that this is Mommy's job too. My daughter keeps me company sometimes and beads with me. She loves to design her own bracelets!


What are your top favorite blogs or websites?
I check craftcult.com pretty much everyday for my stats and to look at treasuries in "the vault". I love reading scoutiegirl.com and indiefixx.com. I also like finding blogs about vintage stuff.


What are your current projects?
A local trendy vintage buy/sell shop, NOMAD, is selling my jewelry and hair accessories. I've also been making new jewelry with vintage beads. Look out for lots of flowers and bird stuff to be listed soon!


Upcoming special: Leo and Junie is offering free shipping on May 1st for her birthday! [happy early birthday!]

Leo & Junie's corners of the world:
ETSY
TWITTER
BLOG
FACEBOOK

new and old...

hello! yes, i am now a college graduate. i'll do a post on it, but i need to get pictures off my dads camera first. in other news, i went out with my parents yesterday and stopped by a yard sale and two antique shops. here are some of my finds!

vintage suitcase. i think it was actually a typewriter case.
it will be perfect to house my crafts.

vintage apron! with roosters! i ♥ it

they are cross-stitched on. how cool?!

awesome frame for $1. hollaa.

for "new" things, i have started working on some onesies for the store. i havent had much time for them yet (w/finals, etc), so i've only completed 1.5. here they are, tell me if you like them!!

this one will also say "go green" on the butt.
we want to do some w/birds, lego blocks, sailboats, etc

cute, right? alsoooo, i am thinking about possibly adding a "love your vintage" line to our shop. what do you think? i have two pairs of shoes (along w/other things) that i want to sell. they are adorable and i wish i had smaller feet! i bought these [with intent to sell] back when i went thrifting in arizona.

size 6, good vintage condition

update: this last pair is SOLD!
size 7, good vintage condition. i think they fit more like a 7.5.
i could always sell them on ebay, but i think they would sell on etsy.

so there are some old and some new things. i found a lot of other cool things yesterday that will be used for future projects, so keep on the look out for them! happy sunday ♥

for the utahns

here are the places we went to on saturday, for all the locals:

planted earth (where i got the lipstick holders and apron)

alice lane (pillow, metal hooks, flowered ottoman)

and gatehouse no. 1 (bird picture, teacup)

have fun!

saturday adventures

so yesterday morning i woke up and got drugged up on dayquil to go adventuring with my friend mellissa (she's been kind of sick lately so she didn't care). she picked me up and we went to a few different stores in orem. we went to 2 home decor/interior design places that were super nice and really expensive, and then we went to an antique shop which was awesome. here are my treasures:

bought this. vintage lipstick holder (from the 50s i believe)

bought this. another vintage lipstick holder.

both of them open up and there's a little mirror inside! so cool, right?
i might wear them as rings because no one will know the difference. we'll see.

i was taking pictures of my treasures w/the blinds open and kitty popped out of his box
"what the heck is going on!?"

i am obsessed with this. vintage tulip apron, from the 40s. tulip flowers, in a tulip shape.
definitely making a pattern from this!

i love cameos. love love love them, always have.
this beauty is only $35. i'm thinking possible birthday present...? (wink, wink!)

metal flower hooks. reminds me of the movie district 9.

this pillow was priced at like $112 or something. i'm totally making it.

most beautiful ottomon i have ever seen. felt flower petals.
i'm making it.

teacup set! the plate has the color of the bird with white bird prints on it. sooo adorable!

i loved this piece. it kind of reminded me of some of the stuff i do.
i like any kind of art w/words in it

anyways, its was fun to go on a little adventure and go exploring. we found lots of inspiration and ideas for our apartments and future houses. we kept remarking over and over "i want my own house!" and "i cant wait til i get my own house!!" haha, now all we need is for josh to get a good job so we can get a house :] anyone know of any jobs?? ♥