hart + sew | Vintage Baby Clothing

playing house

2012-02-10T00:32:00.000-08:00

sources: 1//2//3//4

Can I tell you I dream of the house we will someday own practically everyday? You probably haven't realized since I don't have much occasion to talk about it, but we live with my dad at the moment. It is where we need to be at this time in our lives, and honestly, I love my dad. It's kind of awesome to see him almost everyday, watch my children develop a bond with him that I never had with my grandparents, and infinity bonus points - he is a cleaning nut so our messes will oft times magically disappear.

I know I will look back and cherish this transition period and probably miss his presence terribly at times, but that house lingering in our future is beckoning me... and lately, its call has been getting louder. I am happy to say we are getting closer to being able to answer that call, but in the meantime I have succumbed to playing house on Pinterest in order to try and settle down my nesting instincts.

My dream home has quirky charm, white walls, wooden floors, lots of sunshine streaming through the windows, and a big yard with a garden - I'll stop before tire swing and chickens (but, oh yes, I would take them). More importantly though, I dream of a place that is full of love and laughter, security and the Spirit, and little feet padding through hallways. And, when I think about it that way it helps knowing I already have all of those things right here, right now.

So, I'll continue to be as content as possible with our situation (I know some days will be harder than others), but I will never stop dreaming of our very own someday home.

sources: 1//2//3//4

The link to my Pinterest on the side bar isn't working right now (will get it fixed soon), but you can follow my pins here if you'd like.

***Also, Danielle made it to the finale of Project Run & Play! Her signature look is darling and so well designed. I would buy it for my girls in a heartbeat! Go see it here and vote!

shop update

2012-02-07T22:16:00.000-08:00

Hello there! Here is this week's shop update. Head on over to the shop for more details.

my life as a mama

2012-02-05T22:31:00.000-08:00

Recent snapshots of my life as a mama. My days are filled with my babies, crafting, and vintage.
I wouldn't change a thing.

little vintage style

2012-02-01T10:33:00.000-08:00

LM wore: cardigan, vintage/shirt, old navy/scarf, vintage/pants, target/boots, thrifted

Yesterday we stayed home since Lark had a low fever and seems to be teething again, but during her afternoon nap LM and I went outside for some fresh air. The weather here has been unseasonably warm, and even though we played in the snow there was no need to get all bundled up. LM even rode her bike around for awhile which I did not expect to be possible this time of year - and I am not complaining. It's been so nice not to feel cooped up inside all winter.

This sweet vintage cardigan was a recent purchase of mine off Etsy. It needed a couple of easy fixes - part of the cheerleader's arm had come loose and needed to be sewn back down, and I replaced the felt megaphone with a new one since it was pretty ratty - but it was well worth it. Something about it reminds me of Misha Lulu and that is never a bad thing!

Are you enjoying a mild winter too? Have you been able to do anything that has surprised you?

p.s. If you look closely you might be able to spot a few short pieces of hair on top of LM's head, but her curls are doing a pretty good job of masking the chunk she chopped off ;)

I'm getting back into the swing of things again with this years first Little Vintage Style... please feel free to leave a link in the comments of your cute kiddos style, I would love to see!

first haircut

2012-01-30T07:00:00.000-08:00

LM gave herself a haircut, her first one ever, in fact. I guess that's what I get for trimming my own bangs. Listen to your stylist, never trim your own bangs!! Your child will watch you and ask to cut their hair too, which of course you will strictly forbid, and then one day you will find them being 'too quiet' in the bathroom snipping away at their ringlets... Oh three-and-a-half, why do you have to test my patience and make my daughter's hair look bad!

(It's actually not a total hack job, thank goodness)

Lately, I have found myself more frequently than ever using words like consequences, privileges (as in lost ones), polite/impolite, obedient/disobedient, one...two...three... and you guessed it - time out. Parenting this age is not easy. It is all sorts of teaching, and stretching, and learning, and deep breathes for the both of us. But what I am grateful for, among all the smiles and the tears, is as she is growing, so am I. At least I hope so. And I try to remember that as I am chasing her down to get dressed so we won't be late. Or pleading with her to sit in her car seat so we can get home and put a tired Lark down for a nap. Growing. Learning. Everyday. The both of us, just in different ways.

More importantly, I've also found myself frequently saying words like sorry, I love you, good job, hugs, and YES. Most of the time she's not so bad, this three-and-a-half-year-old. And I feel pretty lucky to be her mama at the end of every good and bad hair-day.

Also, who am I kidding, I am going to trim my own bangs again. In secret, with the door shut.

shop update

2012-01-24T23:38:00.000-08:00

The shop has some new fancy party dresses and pretty frocks perfect for your sweet little Valentine! Head on over for a closer look.

lark// 10 months

2012-01-23T07:00:00.000-08:00

Lark turned 10 months old on the 11th and I swear she pushed some kind of developmental warp speed button, hitting several major milestones in the same week - she started walking (!), cut her first teeth, and said her first word (officially). Needless to say, she has been keeping us on our toes!

She took her first tiny baby steps the end of December, but really took off this past week dropping crawling altogether. I feel like my baby was replaced by a toddler overnight and I have to remind myself she is not even a year old yet, it is so crazy! And also, so cute because she looks way too tiny to be padding around the house while simultaneously drinking out of a sippy cup. Girl can multitask.

Also, her two bottom front teeth broke through the end of last week which thankfully she wasn't too fussy about, and she said her first word - Mama!

My heart is one giant puddle these days, goodness I love her.

a summary

2012-01-16T18:33:00.000-08:00

Our weekend can be summed up by these two pictures - Lark had congestion and wanted to be held constantly, and LM was a monkey jumping on her new twin bed.

Thankfully, Lark's sniffles are almost gone. I don't think LM will stop jumping on the bed anytime soon however. (and, yes, we will eventually get around to buying her some sheets ;))

shop update

2012-01-15T23:27:00.000-08:00

I updated the shop with a bunch of new stock! Mostly casual everyday wear this time - more fancy dresses and such will be coming up next. Head on over for a closer look. Thanks!

made: 1950's jagged yoke dress

2012-01-12T19:59:00.000-08:00

If you can stretch your memories back to October and November then you will remember when I started making the little red dress on the pattern below... I am happy to say I did finish it! Quite some time ago actually, but I am just now getting around to sharing it after the busy holidays.

As you can see, it's a little big for LM across the shoulders which I thought it would be. I have found that vintage sewing patterns tend to be pretty true to size or even a little bigger, whereas actual vintage clothing tends to be on the small side - anyone else experience this? Of course, it's fine since that just means she won't grow out of it as fast!

The hemlines in vintage patterns, however, are always short - which is good if you want some cute ruffled bloomers to peek out, not so good if there's a princess pantie peep-show going on... I lowered the hemline on this dress, first, because LM is tall for her age, and second, to save me the work of lowering it later if/when she has a growth spurt.

I really love the jagged yoke with the buttons. The method was so simple, I think I'll post a tutorial on how to do it soon. It's these little unique details in vintage clothing that really get me - the yokes, the collars, the pockets!

Have you been sewing lately?

thrift therapy

2012-01-09T21:56:00.000-08:00

I love a good read, and when my dad handed me The Maze Runner I dove right in late that night, immediately becoming equally intrigued and confused because, really - what the heck is going on in that book?! (don't tell me). I stayed up too late for a mama of two girls who rise with the birds, thus this morning I found myself in a foggy stupor. Literally trying not to cry over spilled milk (LM bailed last minute on the cup hand-off), and kicking myself for missing yoga (which I'm sure would have successfully reversed the effects of my slow start).

I know better than to stay up that late. I need sleep like I need a good thrift trip. So, since I couldn't put myself down for a nap, a thrifting we would go...

A few fun finds (say that three times fast) later, we spent a nice afternoon playing an awesomely illustrated matching game while listening to new records that were added to the girl's collection. I was feeling much better.

Thanks thrifts, I knew I could count on you.

I feel like my year, like today, is off to a slow start. I do have some ideas swimming around my head of fun projects and DIY's I want to try out and share with you, but apparently I've got two other books to read after this one, so... let's just say, stay tuned ;)

And, some links I wanted to share with you:

- I highly recommend all of you mamas read this - it made me laugh and cry. (thanks Val for sharing the link with me!)

- Also, I completely forgot to mention an interview I did the end of last year for Heather Marie's inspiring blog Paper Doll Smile - isn't that such a lovely name? You can read it here.

Pictures from my Instagram feed, you can follow me at stacyhartsew

shop update: LOTS!

2012-01-07T22:46:00.000-08:00

No closet is safe in my house this month - and especially not the one where I stash my vintage clothes for the shop. I was way past due for a good inventory check, and I couldn't believe how many pieces I unearthed from its depths! A good portion of my time the last two weekends has been spent sorting through these clothes and taking photographs for the shop. I am happy to say that I have so many amazing items ready to list!

To begin with, I decided to sell some of the smaller baby dresses and boy sweaters as lots to clear out some much needed space. There are some really cute tiny dresses for a great deal! Get a closer look over at the shop.

Hope you are having a great weekend!

project run and play

2012-01-06T11:03:00.000-08:00

Have you heard of Project Run and Play? It's a blogging competition for talented sewers with a basis similar to Project Runway, except designing exclusively for kids. It kicked off today with the designers challenged to remix the same dress pattern. All of the designers did such a fantastic job, you can tell the competition is going to be stiff, but I am completely blown away by my friend Danielle's Every Color in the Box Dress. Isn't it absolutely stunning?

If you have a chance head on over and see all of the amazing designs to vote for your favorite on the sidebar - I can't help but hope it will be Danielle's colorful creation ;) This will be a fun competition to follow!

2011: year in review

2012-01-01T23:12:00.000-08:00

I like to take time to look back and reflect on the past year, especially when it seems to have passed by so quickly, so I hope you'll indulge me in a little (or a lot of) reminiscing. If you're new, welcome, and I hope you find something you may have missed. If you've stuck with me this past year, thank you so much for coming along for the ride. It wouldn't be nearly as fun without all of you. Here we go...

In January, I shared the Doll Suitcase I made LM for Christmas. I am sure this is how a lot of you found me since it continues to be one of my most popular posts. Later in the year, I shared the full tutorial on Prudent Baby. We also got a new cat, and I needed some silly.

In February, I shared an easy triangle pocket tutorial and pattern, did my first guest post ever for VHVT mama series, and we finally finished the dresser redo for the nursery.

In March I made a trio of doily clouds, ended the documentation of my baby bump, and the best part of the whole year - we became a family of four! I also shared my experience giving birth naturally and pain-free.

In April I adjusted to being a mama of two, LM dropped her nap so I found a creative way to keep her occupied, and I started Little Vintage Style.

In May I was tricked by a two-year-old, I appreciated my role as a mother even more, and refashioned a dress I thrifted that was 'meh' but had potential.

In June, we blessed Lark, enjoyed our summer with shoes and without, and I turned 28 and realized there was nothing more I wanted or needed in life at that moment.

In July, we celebrated the Fourth in non-traditional colors, I fell in love with a little feather-print dress, and I wrote a long and detailed post on making your vintage last: fabric care.

In August, we enjoyed family date nights and lazy sunday afternoons, LM turned three and we threw her a puppet shadow birthday party, I finally finished the girl's room and gave a full nursery tour, and was amused to find LM sleeping in odd places.

In September, I melted, revealed my secret to leaving the thrift without unwanted toys, LM conceptualized and helped make her first sewing project, I made 1920's felt cloches, and shared a peek into our favorite summer haunt.

In October, there were lots of pretty vintage frocks getting soaked, Lark was almost crawling, I was honored to join Ohdeedoh's Big Blog Family, and we had a darling butterfly and a cute caterpillar on Halloween.

In November, we had our family of four pictures taken, I had so much to be thankful for, the blog and shop got a new look that I LOVE, and we enjoyed a nice Thanksgiving with family.

In December, I gave an update on LM's dance class, then I disappeared for awhile, Lark turned 9 months old and slaps people in the face, and I decided to end LVS with the closing of the year and our Christmas. Which was pretty great.

I know that was really long, but what a year! So many good memories in 2011. I also wanted to give a BIG THANK YOU to everyone who supported my shop this past year. It means the world to me.

Goodbye 2011, hello 2012!

a shiny new year

2012-01-01T21:14:00.000-08:00

Happy 2012 everyone, hope you had a safe and fun time ringing in the New Year! We had a low-key weekend at home celebrating with some make-shift tinsel crowns, hacked Harry Potter glasses (they say 2012, i swear. try squinting?), a robot dance party, homemade cookies, a show, and ended the festivities with a blanket ride into the New Year.

My in-laws also came over to play board games and I'm sorry to say, we all died. Three times over in fact. But, it was fun so we're going to try and rid the world of disease again real soon.

So, here's to a shiny New Year ahead of us. I don't know what it has in store, but I hope for more love, more laughter, and more friendships. And I wish the same for you.

little vintage style v.36

2011-12-28T08:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the last Little Vintage Style link up! In case you missed my previous post, I have decided it is time to end the link up portion of LVS along with the closing of the year. I will still be doing LVS posts with both my family and guest posters, however, I will no longer hold myself to doing them every single week, and will not be asking you to link up (although I would be so happy if you left me a link in the comments, as I love seeing your sweet kiddos!). Thank you to everyone who participated this past year, really sincerely thank you! It's been so fun.

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We took LM to sit on Santa's lap for the first time this year, and of course it was Lark's first time too. Since LM is old enough now to really grasp onto the idea of Santa she was excited and had prepared an answer to the inevitable question, 'What do you want for Christmas?' Her answer, 'A toy spaceship!' We asked her what she would say right after the Killers 'Spaceship Adventure' song played in the car, so there you go. I will admit to completely forgetting about her request until very late Christmas Eve, but thankfully she didn't seem to notice Santa's failed delivery.

Santa had stopped off at Cabela's, an outdoors-man's warehouse, and was giving free pictures so we dressed the girl's up in their Christmas best and headed over to see him. There was a pretty Christmas tree right next to him, so I smiled when the background of the picture turned out to be the stuffed deer on display instead. Let's just pretend it's Blitzen, shall we? Above is the picture they gave us, and below is one I took with my phone.

LM was a little apprehensive when our turn finally came, but she warmed up pretty fast and in the end we had to go get her off his lap. Lark looked at him inquisitively, and then proceeded to suck her thumb. She seems to have skipped the whole stranger anxiety phase, so no tears for either of them this year. The girls both wore festive vintage dresses I pulled out of my stash.

They wore their dresses to church on Christmas day as well, and I also pulled out my most recent vintage purchase. You can see how dance class has influenced LM's posing for pictures, ha!

LM wore: dress, vintage/tights, Old Navy/black shoes, thrifted and white shoes, Old Navy/sweater, Target/clip, handmade.
Lark wore: dress, vintage/tights, hand-me-downs/shoes, vintage - gift from SIL/headband, Lou and Lee/sweater, vintage.

If you'd like, link up below. Thanks!

our christmas...

2011-12-27T08:00:00.000-08:00

We had such a great Christmas season this year. Since we celebrated early with Husband's family when we traveled for the funeral a couple of weeks ago, this year was the first time we haven't had to pack up and leave after Christmas morning. That meant on Monday the girls got to play with their new toys (okay, let's be real - LM played with them and Lark chewed on them), papa got to play his video games, and mama got to organize all the closets. I am on a purging kick right now - if you haven't been used in the last year you better watch out!

On Christmas Eve we added the star to the top of our jewelry advent calendar, I wrapped up the last of the gifts - including a set of vintage puzzles I thrifted, the girls got new pajamas, and we watched Whinnie the Pooh (or at least some of us did, ahem Husband).

Then it was time for Christmas stories, and lights out so Santa could come!

Santa delivered and on Christmas morning there was a dollhouse waiting by the tree for the girls. LM ran right up to it and immediately started playing with the dolls. It was such a hit that we forgot all about the stockings until after the presents were opened and we were cleaning up wrapping paper bits!

For me, this was a great Christmas for my feet, and Husband got some new kitchen gadgets. We were all spoiled just the right amount - mostly with things we actually needed, but with a few wants thrown in for good measure. Case in point, those tiny pink metallic oxfords? Definitely a want, I couldn't resist. ;)

After presents, we had our traditional breakfast of ebleskievers. Then we gussied up for church where Husband sang in the choir, and we were reminded of the true meaning of Christmas. Later, we had Christmas dinner with my family so it was a full day spent with those we love. We hope you had a wonderful day as well!

On a different note... I've been thinking a lot about the upcoming year, what I need to change, and what goals I want to set that will be best for my family. One thing I know I need to do is make sure this space, which I love and enjoy but can also take up quite a bit of my time, does not interfere with my top priority of raising LM and Lark. So, with that in mind along with other reasons, I've decided that this Wednesday will be the last link up party for Little Vintage Style. I apologize for not hosting it last week when I was sans computer, and also for this abrupt notice of its end.

I still plan on doing Little Vintage Style posts, both with our family and guest posters, but I will no longer hold myself to doing them every week or ask you to link up (although I would be so happy if you left me a link in the comments). Thank you to everyone who has participated this past year, I have loved seeing your kiddos retro style and getting to know you! I hope you'll still do vintage style posts and keep up those ties. We'll see you tomorrow!

merry christmas!

2011-12-25T07:00:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas friends! Hope your day is filled with peace, love, and joy.

Best wishes, the Harts

photos by Bri
card put together by Valerie

lark// 9 months

2011-12-19T22:14:00.000-08:00

I have not been good at keeping up with Lark's monthly photo shoots wearing her brooch. I made it to six months at least!

Now she is nine months old and I am in complete denial. It can't be true! But she apparently wants to grow up fast because she is already standing well on her own, and starting to cruise all over the house. We are just waiting for that first tentative step.

She has a really sweet temperament, but watch out - if you get too close she'll slap you in the face with lightening speed! It is quite funny actually. It's her way of showing she likes you, and she usually gives you a gummy smile too (no teeth yet). She also babbles constantly and smacks her lips when you ask her for kisses.

Every morning I bring her into bed with me to nurse and LM will wake up shortly after and join us. It's the perfect way to start the day, watching their eyes light up when they see each other and hearing their giggles as they hug good morning. She loves her big sister.

And we all love her!

Our computer is being fixed at the moment so I am posting this from my phone - hope it looks alright. Posting may be a bit spotty for the next little while as a result... I'll be spending my computer-free time putting together all of the last minute details for this weekend. Are you ready for Christmas? Only six more days!!! Hope to be back soon, xo.

shop update: Holiday Sale!

2011-12-16T15:54:00.000-08:00

Thank you for all of the comments and emails earlier this week, we are back from our quick trip. The funeral was nice and it was wonderful to see so much family. We even got to put together an 'Express Christmas' one night which was a lot of fun (Modern Family anyone? Best episode ever). I'll share more later, but for now I wanted to let you know I'm having a sale in the shop - enter the code MERRY at check out for 20% off your order. Christmas is coming up fast! Eep!

little vintage style v.35

2011-12-14T07:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Little Vintage Style, a place to show off your sweet little ones wearing vintage! Link up every Wednesday, and make sure to click around and say 'hello!' to all of the other vintage lovin' mamas like you!

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Hi, I’m Kelli from urban moppets and I’m so excited to be visiting today. I love the vintage fashion trend and I guess you could say that I’m a little vintage myself ! Yes, I have 3 grown children, 5 grands between 16 mos and 7 yrs, and a 5 year old daughter! I have always been a little obsessed with children’s fashion and have been sewing since I was young. I made a lot of clothes for my older kids when they were little and actually saved several of their favorite outfits from back then, both homemade and bought. I never expected to have another little one wearing them as vintage clothes years later but it is a lot of fun to see my five year old daughter and even my grand children in them. My Moppet loves wearing anything that her older sisters wore when they were little!

This little blue romper was not made by me but was a favorite of mine back then so I hung onto it for some reason. My moppet loves this one and calls it her “acrobat suit”. I don’t have a clue where that idea came from!

My granddaughter is wearing the yellow gingham dress and pinafore outfit. It has a matching bloomers and a bonnet but she didn’t want anything to do with the bonnet! I made it for her mommy when she was a baby! I’m so glad that I kept these things, it’s great to see them being worn again.

I have also started sewing some vintage inspired clothes for the littles in my life. This pink cape was made from vintage curtains that belonged to my husband’s mother and trimmed with lace from one of her antique tablecloths that had some damage to it. The blue floral wrap dress was made from vintage pattern from 1958 and the fabric has been in my stash for over 20 years. I have some other vintage patterns that I can’t wait to get started on!

Thanks so much for letting me stop by today Stacy….I love your vintage style and your little moppets are adorable! Please stop by my blog and enter my first giveaway!

Thanks Kelli, how fun to get to see your favorite clothes worn again! If you'd like, grab a button on the sidebar and link up below...

2011-12-11T20:35:00.000-08:00

I know I have been missing these past few days, and unfortunately, I am not sure when or if I will be back again this week (although I do have a guest post scheduled for LVS so make sure to stop by Wednesday and show her some love!). We are leaving town again to attend a family funeral. We knew it would be sometime soon, but were still caught a little off guard.

I feel like everything in my life right now is like the picture above, half finished and in limbo. I look forward to getting back into a normal routine, but for now spending time with family and celebrating a well lived life is my first priority. I'll see you soon, friends.

(p.s. you can find the ornament pattern here)

little vintage style v.34

2011-12-07T07:00:00.000-08:00

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As I mentioned earlier, LM started taking dance classes this Fall and I am not sure there is anything sweeter than little girls with top knots and tutus standing on their tippy toes. She loves her class, her teacher, and all of her new friends. Every week I take her picture before it's time to leave and as the weeks go by her ballerina poses just keep getting better and better.

She always wears a coat or sweater to keep warm, and her rain boots over her ballet slippers to keep them nice. This week she wore a new-to-us vintage cardigan I got from Little Reader Vintage. If this were my size I would totally wear it, but since it is mini I think it is even cuter - what is it about small versions of things?

I usually don't stick around during her class, but I've seen the dances and tumbling they do and it is every three-year-old girl's dream. I'm so glad she enjoys dancing and that we have something so fun to look forward to each week during these cold weather months!

LM is wearing: cardigan, vintage//leotard, tights and rain boots, Target//ballet shoes, PayLess

If you'd like, grab a button on the side bar and link up below!

shop update

2011-12-05T15:53:00.000-08:00

New clothes in the shop today! You can take a closer look here.

music for little ones

2011-12-01T11:22:00.000-08:00

As you know, I am always on the look out for great new children's music and thanks to smaller I discovered the sweet sound of Renee & Jeremy. The It's a Big World video is so beautiful. When I played it the first time LM stopped what she was doing, came over and sat on my lap mesmerized. When she clasped her hands together under her chin and started swaying and trying to sing along half way through I knew this would be a great stocking stuffer for my little music lover.

Also, take a listen to their fun Christmas song here.

For those of you in a reader, click through to see the video and playlist!

little vintage style v.33

2011-11-30T07:00:00.000-08:00

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We had such a nice Thanksgiving weekend with my in-laws this year. There was plenty of yummy food, Husband and I took turns sleeping in, and we basically didn't see LM for three days since she spent every waking moment playing with her cousins - she was in complete heaven. Not having to check in on her as often made me realize how grown up she is, how did that happen?! And, consequently, it was nice to have a bit of sweet freedom! (from constantly watching one child at least).

On Thanksgiving day we wore stretchy clothes (I opted for an elastic waistband skirt), these pictures were taken after church. We certainly don't wear vintage everyday, but Sundays seem to bring it out more often than not since I love pretty little girl frocks. Coordinating outfits unintentional.

LM's dress is deadstock from the 40's and the print is so unique. It reminds me of old video games, although I am sure it was meant to mimic cross-stitch. I think the whale guy is my favorite.

And, in case you haven't noticed someone has decided to be a ham in front of the camera at all times now :))

LM wore: dress, 40's vintage//headband tights shoes, Old Navy
Lark wore: thrifted dress and hand-me-downs (thanks Val!)

Mama wore: wrap, Anthropologie//skirt, vintage//shoes and necklace, Target

How was your Thanksgiving weekend? Do you dress up fancy, or throw on a pair of yoga pants?

If you'd like, grab a button on the sidebar and link up below!

Want to guest post for LVS? Email me, I'd love to hear from you!

black friday

2011-11-29T11:33:00.000-08:00

The majority of my Black Friday shopping was spent at a favorite local consignment shop trying on vintage dresses, and throwing open old pretty quilts to gush over all of the amazing prints. I avoided the crowds at major chain stores, but I also didn't make much of a dent in my Christmas shopping list (although I would have if the awesome wooden dollhouse they had didn't need quite so much TLC - the girls would have loved it). I am sure I missed out on some good deals for things we don't really need, but this year I am finding myself not so concerned about buying presents for us or the girls.

Yes, we will unwrap our traditional pajamas and a board game to play on Christmas Eve, but being comfortable and warm and laughing with my family is what I want to focus on. We will still have stockings and open presents on Christmas morning, but sitting down together for a delicious Husband-made breakfast of ebleskievers, and snuggling on the couch for a movie night is what I look forward to more.

I am sure the right, thoughtfully purchased presents for everyone will be found in time, but definitely in smaller amounts this year. In the meantime I did leave the shop that day with this little green velvet number for myself, so it wasn't a total loss... ;) Have you made a dent in your Christmas shopping? Did you brave the crowds last weekend, or hit up local shops and thrifts instead?

little vintage style v.32

2011-11-23T08:00:00.000-08:00

Today we are traveling out of town to stay with family for Thanksgiving until early next week. I plan on stuffing my face, sneaking in a nap or two along with the baby, and enjoying lots of quality time with Husband. That is what I love the most about the holidays - he is home with us! Can't get enough of that man.

These pictures were taken on a late Sunday afternoon. I pulled this cute school-themed dress from the shop after it hadn't sold in a year or so... which surprised me because I love this dress and the print is so fun - I guess I was meant to keep it!

LM is wearing: dress, vintage//socks, Old Navy//shoes, Old Navy

Have a HAPPY THANKSGIVING! If you'd like, grab a button on the sidebar and link up below...

thankful

2011-11-22T15:13:00.000-08:00

i am thankful for...

my family//my sweet girls

accomplishments big - standing!//and small - holding still for a hairdo!

a passion I truly love//pretty vintage frocks

music//dancing

delicious food//the chance to spend time with family this holiday

and many many more things I am blessed with every day.

so thankful.

and also, thank you for your friendship, comments, support, and inspiration. it sure means a lot.

(family picture taken with my iphone of original picture by collected photography)

work in progress

2011-11-17T00:09:00.000-08:00

I started making progress on this little dress again after all the costume sewing craziness literally buried it in sequins. So far, the instructions have been clear and easy to execute. I even got the zipper sewn in right on my first try which I think may be a record for me - usually zippers and I don't get along well. Probably because I never learned how to sew them properly, which I tell myself I need to do every time and save myself the frustration of ripping them out. It's silly, really.

I got as far as the front yoke and then my progress was halted once more, this time by fabric choice. I had wondered if I should make the yoke out of a solid color in the beginning, and after seeing it all in the diamond print I don't have to wonder anymore. The best part of this dress, in my opinion, is the unique pointed yoke and it just doesn't stand out enough as it is... so, off to the fabric store to decide - blue or cream?

Are you sewing up a pattern? If so, leave me a link in the comments, I would love to see!

little vintage style v.31

2011-11-16T07:00:00.000-08:00

Please say hello to Manda, the mama of three handsome boys, fellow vintage kids shop owner, and baker extraordinaire....

Hi - I'm Manda from Once Upon My Life. I've got three fun-loving, yummy little boys - Lincoln {5}, Malacai {3} and Levi {18 months}. I have a slight obsession with vintage clothes and thrift shopping. {I had to open an Etsy shop to help with this addiction - now I have a legitimate excuse to buy vintage children's clothes - and to buy sweet little dresses!}.

I love that Stacy hosts LVS every week - it's so much fun for me to join in. I love attempting to do photo shoots of the boys - taking pictures of kids is no easy feat - and three rambunctious little boys? Haa - you can count on mostly getting "out-take" pictures. But I always get a good laugh looking through the photos.

I also love that LVS keeps me taking pictures of the boys - I know that as the years pass, I'll be glad I have so many pictures of them.

On this day - the boys were all wearing sweet little vintage button-ups. I love the colors and style. {And I love when all three of them are dressed similar - I know I won't be able to get away with it for too much longer...}.

On all three boys: button-ups: vintage, thrifted | jeans: thrifted | converse: thrifted

Thanks so much for having us Stacy! I so enjoy LVS, your blog and your lovely Etsy shop! You're such an inspiration to us vintage-lovers!

Thanks Manda, I love the matching plaid! Be sure to visit her blog and see her own darling vintage style, and the amazing dessert spread she made for her niece's first birthday.

And, if you'd like, grab a button on the sidebar and link up below...

shop update

2011-11-14T11:05:00.000-08:00

Hello friends! Our internet has been on the fritz lately but we finally got it working yesterday, and I took advantage of some free time and motivation to list a bunch of new items in the shop. I'm working on getting some holiday items listed soon too, and will be sure to let you know. I also reduced everything in the sale section to $4, so go grab yourself a deal.

Happy Monday, I need to go hurry and get ready - I think I heard a baby stirring...enjoy your day!

little vintage style v.30

2011-11-09T06:00:00.000-08:00

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Hello! So I guess I am technically cheating on this weeks post, but I thought I would share some of our old family photos (and totally not because I haven't taken any pictures of my kids since Halloween). This first one is a real gem and one of my favorites. My mother and two oldest sisters in matching handmade stripes/apples outfits. A part of me really wants to reenact this picture with my own two girls, I know my mom would think it was hilarious. I do find myself matching my kids on accident with similar color schemes and styles frequently, how about you?

When I was young we lived in California. That little beach baby is me, and my sister just above me is standing by the stroller. My sister and I are about the same age difference as LM and Lark, and when I look at these pictures I can't help but see them. I was so happy when I found out I was having another girl because I know what having a sister so close in age is like - awesome! I also found a jacket pretty similar to this one that I am looking forward to Lark wearing this Spring.

Here I am at 8 months and 3 years, the same ages LM and Lark are now. I thought it would be fun to make a comparison. I can still remember hating that red calico dress - I did not want to wear it and I'm pretty sure I made that clear in the picture! To this day I very rarely wear red. Some things never change.

And, here is Husband at 1 year and 2 years (the closet ages I could find to the girls). I think LM looks more like him, but Lark looks more like me. What do you think?

Hope you enjoyed a little peek into our past! If you'd like, link up below...

family pictures: four of harts

2011-11-07T07:31:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago we were lucky to have our family pictures taken by the talented Bri, who if you remember also took our last family of three pictures. I love the moments she captured of our new family of four! She also shoots film which I really admire. The weather was beautiful, the girls were mostly cooperative (LM wouldn't pose by herself), and Bri made us feel comfortable right away. It was hard to pick just a few favorites, so get ready for an onslaught of photos!

All photos by Bri at Collected Photography

In case you are wondering, yes, LM is wearing the same dress as our last photo shoot. I just couldn't find one I liked with the rest of our outfits as well, so there you go! I was glad it was warm enough she didn't have to wear a sweater this time so you can really see it because it's one of my favorites. And, I think she is even wearing the same hair clip which is funny because I grabbed it at the last minute as we were walking out the door.

I love my little family of four. It is amazing how it is already hard for me to remember what it was like with just the three of us - Lark has added so much joy in our lives. Can I tell you that I am already looking forward to adding another baby or two (or three) into the mix? Not now, but soon enough!

Just in case you wondered...
Mama wore: dress, Shabby Apple/ necklace, Target
Papa wore: sweater, Gap/pants, Gap/shoes, Vans
LM wore: dress, vintage/tights, Old Navy/shoes, Old Navy/hair clip, handmade by my sister
Lark wore: dress, vintage/headband, handmade by my sister/tights, hand-me-downs/shoes, gift from lovely friend Vanessa

shop update: NEW look!

2011-11-02T23:05:00.000-07:00

The etsy shop got its own little makeover to match the blog's new look. Head on over to check it out, along with some pretty new dresses I just listed!

little vintage style v.29

2011-11-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

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If you celebrated Halloween, I hope you had a fun one! At our house we had a pretty sparkly butterfly and a cute fuzzy caterpillar...

LM wore a vintage 50's tap dance costume with matching hair piece I bought off ebay a couple of months ago. It is pretty much her uniform of choice these days - if you ever happen to wonder what she is wearing at any given moment (because why wouldn't you?), there is a very good chance it is this with ballet flats.

I found her butterfly wings at the thrift store, recovered them, and added a bunch of sparkle per her request. I know I could have just bought her new ones, but I want to make at least part of her costume every year if I can. It was tedious work sewing on the sequins, but worth it when she gave me a big hug, and said they were 'boo-tiful' (unintentional Halloween joke, that's really how she says it).

Lark's entire costume was handmade by me last minute that afternoon. Considering my time crunch I am quite proud of how it turned out. If you look closely you can see the little legs down the sides, they kind of got out shown by the fuzzy stripes. I was going to make her a little pink hood, but ran out of time... no procrastinating next year! (not making any promises).

Husband and I didn't end up in costumes and that's okay. Sometimes you just have to not worry about less important things so the more important things, like feeding your family dinner, and trick-or-treating get done.

LM would only say 'trick or treat!' to the neighbors she recognized, was done after knocking on about 15 doors, and was happy to go to sleep after a candy bedtime snack. Lark chewed on a candy bar (in wrapper). We are calling it a success!

If you'd like, link up below!

doll suitcase: tutorial

2011-11-01T08:00:00.000-07:00

I created this fun doll suitcase for my oldest daughter and we love playing with it together. It has three interchangeable rooms, a secret clothes storage space under the floor, and it's portable! Would you like to make your own? I'll show you how!

You will need all of the supplies listed above, as well as the notably missing iron, thread, scissors, and sewing machine. The 'wallpaper' fabric, or base fabric, for the rooms needs to be at least a whole fat quarter (depending on the size of your suitcase), but the remaining fabric can be scraps - it's a great way to use up some of your stash.

I made three interchangeable rooms for mine, so I used three pieces of poster board. You may also need a piece of poster board for the 'floor' backing. The foam board just needs to be a big as your suitcase. Speaking of the suitcase, I found this vintage green beauty at the thrift store for $3. The key to this project is the ruffle edging along the inside of the top lid - that ruffle is what will hold your interchangeable rooms in place.

First, measure the inside of the lid and cut out the poster board(s) so it fits snugly behind the ruffle, but you can still pull it out.

Next, take a large piece of freezer paper and trace the outline of the poster board so you know exactly how much space you have to fill. Draw a pattern of your room - know the more detailed it is, the more work it will be! I didn't end up putting all of these little details in my kitchen, but the main components are important at this point.

Cut out all of the main components of your drawing to create freezer paper pattern pieces.

I'll show you the next several steps using my fridge pattern piece, but you will want to do this for all of your pieces.

Now you can decide what color felt or fabric print you want to use for each piece. Iron the freezer paper pattern onto your choice of material, I chose to make my fridge out of blue felt.

This will make it easy to cut out the shape, then simply peel the freezer paper off (you can use the same freezer paper pattern several times if needed - I kept all of mine just in case I want to make another doll suitcase someday for my other daughter, although maybe I would want to make it look different!).

Next take the double stick fusible and place your cut out pattern piece onto it. I don't worry about covering every square inch, that way I can use up scrap pieces of fusible if needed.

Cut out the fusible into your shape and peel off the backing.

Once you have all of your main pieces cut out with the fusible, place them onto a piece of fabric that will act as the 'wallpaper'. A fat quarter was the perfect size for my suitcase, just make sure your piece is big enough to cover the poster board piece you cut out in the first step with a few inches around to spare. Iron all of the main pieces in place, the fusible will adhere them to the fabric.

Add the rest of the details in your room in the same manner and iron them in place. Then sew around everything to secure it and add other details, for example, I sewed the sink outline onto the counter.

Fun details include pictures cut out from printed fabrics. I also used pops of gold and silver fabric for added shine and texture.

Embroider any small details as needed. I used embroidery on my sewing machine in the bedroom, for the cord on my light and the word on the fridge in the kitchen, and for the clock face in the front room.

Once your room is all sewed up and you are satisfied, it's time to glue! Take the poster board you originally cut out and wrap your room tightly around it. Using a hot glue gun, glue it securely in place all the way around. Add a small ribbon pull tab to one corner.

This tab will allow you to easily pull the rooms out of the suitcase lid to change them up. I also ended up adding a ribbon pull tab to the floor which is the next step.

For the floor, measure around the lip of the bottom portion of your suitcase and cut out the foam board to fit. Wrap fabric around the foam board and hot glue in place, add a ribbon pull tab (not pictured), and then back it with a piece of poster board. You may be able to use a leftover piece of poster board if you cut using space carefully at the start.

The bottom of the suitcase serves as storage for my daughter's doll and all of her clothes, so the floor will hide this space during playtime.

Pop your room(s) and floor into place and you're done! All three of my rooms fit behind the ruffle at once, so that is how I store them. Just pull the ribbon tabs to get them out and switch them up (tip: in retrospect I should have used a different color ribbon for each room so I would know which tab to pull accordingly).

Here are my finished rooms - the front room, the bedroom, and the kitchen:

For my doll, I used the Black Apple pattern and I had a lot of fun designing an entire wardrobe for her. The sky is the limit with this project, I hope you try it out!

Also, a big thank you to Prudent Baby for sharing this tutorial on their site as well.

happy halloween!

2011-10-31T10:31:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween!

I've been spending every spare moment I have sewing sequins on LM's costume and as of now I still need to start on Lark's. Husband went out of town this weekend so I could only work on them a little during nap times, plus, our Saturday was spent with my sister-in-law and her little boy at another pumpkin patch. It was our first time taking a hayride out to the patch and picking our pumpkins straight off the vine, totally legit and way more fun!

Since I was towing two kids around by myself I only took pictures with my phone, so if you follow me on instagram (stacyhartsew) you may have already seen most of these...

It has been a fun few days, but super busy and I am so glad Husband is back. It's hard not getting a break from the kids, and it makes me really appreciate all he does to help our little family function.

Can't wait to go trick-or-treating as a family tonight! I better get back to costume making, wish me and my sore sequin sewing fingers luck...

And, if you haven't seen yet, my blog has a brand new look thanks to Kelly Ann and Freckled Nest Design. I am so happy with it and couldn't recommend working with them more. If you are in a reader, click through to check it out!

little vintage style v.28

2011-10-26T08:00:00.000-07:00

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We spent Saturday afternoon getting lost in a corn maze and finding the perfect pumpkin for each of us to take home. I look forward to this Halloween tradition each year.

It turned out to be a beautiful sunny day, so we shed our sweaters for maybe the last time this year to soak in the warmth. LM is wearing a little green and brown gingham pinafore dress I found at the thirft last week. The colors are perfect for this time of year, and even though it is a size 2 it still fits her as a top.

When I asked her to smile for a picture she promptly turned and ran away. I don't blame her, who could resist running down that long shaded stretch? She bravely led the way and we followed!

How priceless is Lark's little face peeking through the bat? She tried to lick the pumpkins too, silly girl.

Carving our pumpkins is on this week's to-do list, as well as finishing up the girl's costumes. I hope I can get them done in time! Are you ready for Halloween?

LM wore: vintage pinafore dress (worn as top), thirfted//pants, Ross//shoes, Saltwater sandals

If you'd like, link up below!

lark// 7 months

2011-10-25T10:54:00.001-07:00

I missed taking Lark's seven month pictures and eight months is already coming up fast, so these will have to do... This month she entered a fun new stage - she is mobile! Which means she is everywhere, getting into everything and loving it. Instead of it being harder, I think this stage is actually easier. Now I can put her down on the floor with LM and they can 'play' together and she is content being able to grab the toys she wants and move around to follow her sister. I love watching them play together - it most often involves LM pretending they are having a picnic while Lark chews on a plate.

She also said her first word. Kinda. We were at Grann's house and I needed to get something out of the car so I handed her off to my mom and went outside. Both my mom and niece said that when I left the house she burst into tears and said, "Moooooommm!!!" Of course she hasn't done it again, but she gives me a knowing smile when I try to get her to say it. I'm claiming it.

And... she's off!

shop update: pretty frocks!

2011-10-21T11:33:00.000-07:00

Currently working on a shop update... They are going fast, so I thought I'd pop in and let you know. If you want to take a closer look head on over.

As always, for real time updates you can follow me on twitter. Thanks!

an interview

2011-10-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

I was honored to be a part of Ohdeedoh's Big Blog Family series this week. You can take a look at my interview here.

Thanks Roni and Ohdeedoh!

And, welcome to anyone who found their way here from it.

little vintage style v.27

2011-10-19T07:00:00.000-07:00

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Around here clothes are more than just something to keep us warm - they help us play! At some point everyday LM is either in a princess dress, her ballet leotard, cowboy boots, a super hero cape... and the list goes on... this girl loves to dress the part. So, when she wore this cute vintage sailor top, we were inspired to set out and sail the seven seas!

LM wore: sailor top, vintage//pants, thrifted//pirate eye patch and head scarf, our costume box!

Do you play dress up almost every day too? We love it!

If you'd like, grab a button and link up below...

life lately

2011-10-17T00:10:00.000-07:00

We've been...

washing pretty dresses

making big messes

crafting tiny rooms

watching ballerina performances...

...complete with tiny top knot

playing outside, now with added tights

starting to crawl

organizing records at the thrift

throwing away the play-doh, finally

(it had it's day. it needed to go. it's not my favorite mess to clean up.)

Lately, I feel like I am able to get a lot of things started, but not much finished. This week I hope to change that... Happy Monday, let's get things done this week, shall we?

little vintage style v.26

2011-10-12T08:00:00.000-07:00

With the cool weather rolling in this past week I feel all out of sorts when it comes to dressing the girls. Currently their room is covered with a giant heap of warm and cold weather clothing all mixed up that I need to sort through badly. Every day I've just been grabbing whatever I know (or hope) is clean to put on them whether it matches or not, and I've just been satisfied that they are clothed. So, my goal today is to tackle the laundry, donate or store the summer clothes, and get organized for winter!

In the mean time we have been thinking a lot about what to be for Halloween, as I'm sure you have too. LM is very firm in her decision that she wants to be a butterfly, so I am thinking about dressing up Lark as a caterpillar. I can't seem to get it out of my head that our costumes need to be themed though, so where that leaves Husband and I is uncertain... I'm pretty sure he won't let me wrap him up to look like a cocoon. But, regardless of what we end up wearing I know it will include vintage since it's perfect for costumes! Here is what we've done the past couple of years...

When LM was one I made her a wind-up doll costume. It was so simple - a vintage dress, black patent leather 'doll' shoes, a key made from cardboard and a toilet paper roll, and rosy cheeks!

Last year when she was two I sewed her a Little Red Riding Hood costume using vintage and new fabrics.

Husband and I were the woodsman and the wolf disguised as Grandma. I wore my Great-Grandmother's shawl that she knitted herself - it was perfect since it was brown and furry! Granny glasses and a thrifted muumuu topped it off (I was about 5 months pregnant with Lark at the time so comfort was key). Husband let his beard grow out and wore a vintage plaid shirt.

Have you decided what you are going to be, and will it include any vintage?

...if you'd like, link up below!

all cut out

2011-10-11T11:35:00.000-07:00

This morning I found some time to cut out the dress pattern pieces. You can see the fabric I chose above, it has little arrows (or at least they look sort of like arrows) between the diamonds, all pointing in the same direction. I decided I wanted the arrows to point up, simply because it seemed more positive, so that meant I had to lay out the pattern pieces according to the layout for 'with nap' since the fabric has a one way design.

A lot of very old vintage patterns like this one will have layouts for fabric in widths that aren't generally sold anymore, and this was the case here:

The only layout 'with nap' was for a 35" width fabric and I had a 45" fabric. This also was the only width on the back of the pattern 'with nap' to tell me how much yardage to buy in the first place. It told me to get 2 yards of 35" fabric, so I got 1 3/4 yards of 45" fabric (it was all that was left on the bolt, so that helped me decide), and after it was all laid out I ended up with just a little left over. I also didn't lay the pieces out exactly like the pattern showed because I could fit them better in a different way on my wider fabric.

All of this would have been much easier if my fabric wasn't one directional (since it did have yardage and layouts for 44" fabric without the nap), but it didn't take too long to think it all out. I checked all the pieces twice to make sure they were right before I cut, since I have made mistakes with one way prints before, and this is where I am at now...

When sewing with vintage patterns, just remember that the fabric widths available today are different from what they were then, so what makes the best sense isn't necessarily what the pattern tells you... but don't let this intimidate you, you are smart and can figure it out!

Now time to get sewing...

hello fall, snowfall

2011-10-07T11:18:00.000-07:00

Some pictures from our recent family outing up the canyon to see the Fall leaves.

We held onto the warm weather as long as we could, but decided it was high time to embrace Fall and welcome all of the beautiful colors it brings. LM had fun collecting a leaf in every pretty shade.

And, it's a good thing we came out of our season denial on our own, because we would have had a rude awakening yesterday since it SNOWED for the first time.
In one week we went from carefree driveway longboarding and hopscotch lessons...

...to bundling up, and refusing to even come out on the driveway:

Hello Fall. Nice to see you are as unpredictable as ever.

I added more patterns and clothes to the shop if you'd like to take a look.
Have a lovely weekend!

little vintage style v.25

2011-10-05T07:00:00.000-07:00

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Every day this week I have wondered if today will be the day. Lark is this close to crawling. LM and I have been placing enticing objects just out of her reach, and cheering her on as she maneuvers unto all fours, rocks back and forth with a determined look in her eyes, and stretches her chubby little hand out as far as she can... then she pushes her legs, and flop! roll. grab. insert object in mouth. So close!

Oh, Larkie, you will start to crawl soon enough I know, in the meantime I think you are just teasing us... I mean, look at that face!

On Lark: vintage 50's romper, thrifted

On LM: vintage top, thrifted // pants, Gap thrifted

If you'd like, grab a button on the side bar and link up below!

patterns, and let's sew!

2011-10-03T16:16:00.000-07:00

Hope you had a nice weekend! I sorted through a fair stack of vintage children's patterns, checking to make sure all of the pieces were still there and in good condition, while listening to my church's conference. It was a lovely way to spend time - feeling productive and inspired at once. I enjoyed all of the talks, but especially this one - I could use that reminder weekly.

"and when i am taller, i can sew too!'

You may have noticed that I added a new vintage patterns section to the shop last week. I will be adding more patterns to it soon, including some fun Halloween costumes, so stay tuned!

When I came across this pattern it told me to sew it, so I will be looking for fabric this week. I want to make view C (the red one). It will probably be a little big on LM, but that just means she will be able to wear it longer. I'll be looking for fabric that can easily translate from fall/winter to spring/summer. I thought it would be fun to show you my progress along the way.

Want to sew something too? Choose a pattern and fabric, and I'll meet you back here next Monday to start cutting!

our favorite summer haunt

2011-09-30T10:16:00.000-07:00

Lately, we have been spending a lot of lazy hours at our favorite summer haunt. A little lake near our house where the kids can dig in the sand and the mamas can relax on the beach while babes sleep in strollers. It is a little muddier than an ocean beach, but we will take what we can get - this spot has been my life saver more than once on long summer days!

Are you holding onto summer as long as you can too?

(As you can probably conclude from my instagram photos, I got an iphone last week. I would love to hear suggestions for fun and useful apps if you have any!)

1 week to 6 months

2011-09-28T20:19:00.000-07:00

Lark turned six months old a couple of weeks ago so I am late posting this, but I thought it was fun to see how much she has grown! The only real scale is her brooch - it looks so big on her in the first pic!

She is sitting up, rolling all over the place, and eating solid foods. But, what makes me so happy is seeing her really start to interact with her sister. I can see in her eyes that she adores her. Their new favorite game is tag - I hold Lark and we chase LM, then LM chases us and the giggles are non-stop for both of them. Love my two girls, here's to the giggles continuing throughout their whole lives.

little vintage style v.24

2011-09-28T10:50:00.000-07:00

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Sorry if you stopped by earlier and LVS wasn't up yet! To be honest, I have been feeling a little off lately and this Wednesday really crept up on me. I realized late last night that I needed to post this week's LVS but I didn't have any new pictures of my girls, oops! I tweeted my dilemma and Bri came to my rescue, taking these photos of her sweet little girl Rilo this morning. Thank you for stepping in at the last minute Bri!

Hi! I'm Bri and I blog at {collected}! I'm happy to be participating in Little Vintage Style, since I happen to have a soft spot for all things vintage.

If I had my way, Rilo would have worn this dress every day this past summer. Yellow is one of my favorite colors and I love to dress Rilo in yellow too. It's just so bright and happy! This dress actually came from Stacy's shop. I think due to her recent growth spurt, we'll have to retire this dress until our next little girl comes along!

My favorite type of vintage clothes for Rilo are the ones with sentimental value. My Great-grandmother MeMe (and Rilo's Great-great-grandmother) was and still is an avid sewer. I have loved dressing Rilo in some of the outfits that MeMe made for me when I was little. This coat was actually made for my Great Aunt and then passed down to me. I love the classic shape of the coat and the sweet little lace detaling on the collar.

Thanks for having us Stacy and letting us take part in such a fun feature!

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If you'd like, you can grab a button on the side bar.

Link up below!

felt cloche

2011-09-27T20:05:00.000-07:00

I am guest posting today over at Sparkle Power while Candace is enjoying some time off with her new sweet baby boy. Remember this hat? Well, head on over to find out more about it!

Want to make your own? You can find the pattern here.

her first sewing project

2011-09-23T11:09:00.000-07:00

It all started when LM came up to me holding a needle and thread. "I want to make a monster, mommy." Instead of being alarmed that she had somehow acquired a sharp dangerous object, I smiled - my little girl wants to do a sewing project!!! I sat her down with a crayon and paper and told her to draw what she wanted the monster to look like, and I thought what she came up with was so cute and funny. This is the first time she has ever drawn a picture complete with arms and legs, let alone nostrils and a beard (that is what she said the scribble under the nose was - just like daddy, ha)!

(she added the other eye on the drawing later, after we were already done)

She helped pick out the fabric, I sewed it all together, and then she carefully put the stuffing inside. Once the monster was all done she was so proud and excited that it looked just like her picture! I accidentally put the glitter ribbon on backwards, but it doesn't really matter since they all twist and turn anyway. She named him Snarfy and when I asked her why she answered, "Because he is a Snarfy mom." I guess I should have known :)

I am so glad that she had an idea and knew that she could make it a reality with a little help from mommy. I think it is such a blessing to be able to express yourself through creativity, and I hope she continues to come up with many more projects for us to work on together!

little vintage style v.23

2011-09-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

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Today we are finally showing the boys some love on LVS! Please welcome this week's guest host, Gabrielle. Her whole family has fantastic vintage style, but today she is sharing tips on dressing little boys in vintage. We all know vintage boy clothing is harder to come by, so any of you mamas with little boys - this is a must read!

Isabella 16.5 yrs, Harriet 9.5 yrs, Billy 5.5 yrs, Arlo 2.5 yrs

Hello Hart & Sew readers, I'm Gabrielle and I'm very happy to be guest hosting today all the way from Auckland, New Zealand where I live with my little vintage loving family. Miss Isabella (16yrs) wears 100% vintage all the time, but it would be fair to say that on any given day we will all be wearing at least one item that is vintage, thrifted, a hand-me-down, or handmade using vintage or thrifted fabrics. Part of the reason is that we try as a family to live as eco-friendly and sustainably as we can, but a big part is that we just love the vintage aesthetic.

We are just coming to the end of Winter here so thought it would be fun to look at how I styled our two youngest small people in the cold weather. After two girls we were excited to be expecting Billy almost 6yrs ago, but a little dismayed when we discovered what was on offer in the boys clothing department, lots of track pants, polar fleece and camo....so the hunt began for thrifted and vintage boys clothes. These aren't so easy to find here, especially once you are out of baby sizes. I think part of the reason is we are a small country and secondly my theory is boys in the era's I look for probably didn't have that many outfits compared to girls and probably wore them a lot harder. Never the less I have now found a way to style Billy's wardrobe and things are getting a second wear with Arlo (2.5yrs). My top tips for dressing boys with a vintage vibe would be;

1. Basics...I find the older the boys get the harder it is to find an entire vintage outfit so I have some chain store basics that seem to look good with a vintage item. Skinny jeans, 70's style flares and shorts that have that English school boy look- think Edwin in the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe - all look great with vintage shirts and jerseys. For Arlo my No.1 basic is tights, they look great under shorts with a little vintage shirt or tunic, especially sailor tops and also make a great extra layer under thinner overalls.

Hat- thrifted handknit aviator helmet//Coat - made in NZ vintage wool coat from our online auction site Trademe//Shoes- thrifted vintage Angel brand

2. Handmade and Upcycled...Vintage patterns are something I find a a lot of while thrifting, and using either thrifted vintage fabric or men's clothes I make lots of pants and shirts for the boys. Vintage patterns can be a little trickier to follow as they come with very few instructions compared to modern patterns, my thoughts are that it was assumed at the time they were printed that women knew all the sewing terms and how to apply them to a garment. Two modern patterns that are great for creating vintage look clothes are the Slim Slack pattern from This Mama Makes Stuff and Dana from Made's pants pattern. You can cut Dana's pattern from a pair of men's vintage pants using the existing hem and they look great. With shirts you can place a vintage pattern on a men's shirt and use the existing button placard and sleeve hems.

Hat - retro style from Nettle and Wolf//Overalls- handmade by me using a vintage pattern and thrifted fabric//Shoes- hand-me-down from Isabella Oshkosh

3. Woollens and Hand-knits....these always lend a vintage vibe to an outfit, we are lucky enough to have Grans and Aunts who knit for us as well as hand-knits being another thing I often find while thrifting - it might be something to do with the large number of sheep in New Zealand. One of my favourite looks is a vintage styled vest over a vintage shirt.

Hat - retro style Fedora//Vest and Jeans - original 70's deadstock from Mislaidtreasures

4. Accessorise... just as our Grandmothers would not have left the house without the right hat, gloves, shoes and bag I find vintage accessories complete the look for the boys. Fedoras, berets, newsboy caps and knitted aviator helmets all look great. A good vintage wool coat is something I have paid a little more for in various sizes from Etsy or online auction sites. Suspenders and ties are two more favourite items, men's ties on neck elastic can be tightened and look cool with a vintage or retro styled shirt and skinny jeans. Lastly shoes...I have to admit the boys have as many pairs as the girls did at the same age. Boots always funk up an outfit, biker, riding or cowboy styles as do thrifted cons or vans.

Hat - local vintage shop Aunty Mavis//Shirt - vintage from Ebay seller Akcache//Tie- thrifted//Pants- upcycled from men's pants using the Slim Slack tutorial//Boots- biker style

Thanks Stacy for having me over here today to share a little bit about Billy and Arlo's style and I look forward to checking out everyone else's vintage looks this week too!

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If you'd like you can link up below, and remember you can grab a button on the side bar -->

six months later

2011-09-20T10:59:00.000-07:00

Nursing Lark at 6 weeks

Over the past six months I have thought a lot about my experience giving birth to Lark. Almost every day I sit in the same chair where I spent a good portion of my time laboring, and nurse her while I remember that long night and thank God I got to experience something so magical.

When I wrote my birth story I hadn't had time to really process the whole amazing experience. At that point I hardly believed it had happened myself. I wanted to record the details before I forgot them, and I am happy that I did, but really it is just a story about facts. A timeline leading up to the point where I finally held my sweet baby girl in my arms.

What is missing from the story I will never be able to properly put into words. The feelings and emotions I experienced are so special to me I don't know that I should even try. I put my trust in my body and my baby, handed all of my fear and weakness over to God, embraced birth in every way possible, and in return felt only love instead of pain. It was an incredible, beautiful experience that I will forever be grateful for and never be the same because of... and I am so happy that I get to be reminded of it every day when I look into her clear blue eyes.

I suppose hitting the half way to a year mark is making me feel nostalgic, and I needed to acknowledge those tender feelings my birth story is lacking. I pray that I will be blessed with more children and get to experience similar births again. Oh, that I would be so lucky.

resolution update: music

2011-09-15T07:00:00.000-07:00

With the end of the year sneaking up, I thought I would look back and see how I am doing on my resolutions so far. This was the first one I wrote:

'This year... I resolve to listen to more music. I tend to like quiet moments and can even drive in the car for hours with just my thoughts for company (Husband is opposite so we have battles over volume control). But I have a little girl that is undeniably an up-and-coming music lover, and so I am committing to help her burgeoning love grow by putting on some tunes more often (have any good recommendations for kids?)'

I am happy to say that I feel like I am doing really well with this goal! Of course it helps that LM is constantly asking to listen to music, my part has mainly been providing her with fun and appropriate options. Her favorites are the Yo Gabba Gabba cds, the Cars soundtrack, Popcorn Bopping, and her Sesame Street 'Feelings' record. She loves to sing along and I am amazed at her ability to pick up on the lyrics quickly.

We started a tradition where she gets to choose a record whenever we go thrifting. There are usually at least a few options of children's records for $1 a piece, and she is building up quite the collection because let's face it - we hit up the thrift often! It's fun for both of us to dig through the stacks, and this way she doesn't get too upset when I tell her she can't bring home the broken princess cell phone she's been carrying around...

It makes me smile when she chooses to spend the afternoon spinning records, or requests a specific song on repeat in the car while she bops her head and sings along. I hope her love of good music will continue to grow and grow... this is definitely a resolution we will keep up every year!

And, we are still all ears (pun intended) for any good recommendations if you have any :)

little vintage style v.22

2011-09-14T06:49:00.000-07:00

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This week life has been busier than normal, thus my absence. I am playing mama of four as two of my nephews have been staying with us, and I am stating for the record that boys are so much more exhausting than girls! With that said, it's been really fun though and LM has loved having her cousins to play with all day long. We have to say goodbye to them tomorrow and I'm sure the house will seem really quiet and lonely without them.

These pictures were taken on a recent trip to the park. I specifically needed to take pictures of the hat (more details to come on that later), but LM also wore a sweet handmade vintage top I found a long time ago. I've been waiting for her to grow into it and am so happy it finally fits now. Aren't those little animals the cutest?

Lark also wore a vintage top this day borrowed from the shop. She has started trying to clap when she sees us do it, and it is so funny and cute. She misses her hands every time but it sure makes her happy to try!

LM wore: top - vintage thrifted, shorts - Target, shoes - vintage thrifted, hat - handmade

Lark wore: top -vintage thrifted, bottoms - hand-me-downs

Link up below, if you'd like! And you can grab an LVS button on the side bar.

shop update and other things

2011-09-09T08:00:00.000-07:00

This week has completely gotten away from me, but I am fine with the fact that it is already Friday, yay! I feel like September has brought not only amazing weather, but many more things added onto my plate - this equals wanting to spend all of my time outside daydreaming, but in reality needing a productive routine to stay on top of things. Anyone else feel this pull in opposite directions? I am struggling to get anything done right now, but I think I am coming closer to finding balance.

Some happenings this week:

Lark started eating solid foods! I am giving her local free-range organic egg yolks diluted with a little bit of filtered water and she is loving it.

I am constantly being challenged to learn and grow as a mother. Lately, my biggest lesson has been that I need to humble myself more when LM throws tantrums, and remember that what is upsetting her is valid in her mind (even when it shouldn't be). I have realized that I need to give her a greater amount of empathy to feel loved and understood in these moments (and of course these are the moments it is hardest to give!).

The decision has been made, I am going to grow out my bangs! Putting the scissors somewhere where I won't find them. I may need some moral support when they hit the awkward stage.

Surprise! I actually started going through my vintage patterns and will have some listed in the shop soon. If you have any requests for sizes or styles let me know, I have just been choosing ones at random. Also, would any of you like to join me in a sew-a-long? I haven't busted out my machine in awhile and I think it would be fun to show each other our progress!

And, lastly, as you can see above I was able to do a shop update this week... you can take a closer look here.

Have a great weekend friends!

little vintage style v.21

2011-09-07T07:00:00.000-07:00

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It's all about dance in our house this week. LM starts her first dance class on Thursday and she is more than a little excited about it. Other than asking me everyday if it's time to go, she has also been wearing her ballet clothes and walking on her tip toes non-stop.

She points her imaginary wand at me and turns me into a dancer too, and I help spin her around while she stands on one leg like a ballerina in a music box. It's been fun, I only hope she remains as enthusiastic to dance during her class!

As I was going through some clothes deciding what to photograph and list in the shop next, I came across this sweet little 1950's slip dress. Since it looks like a tutu, we decided that Lark should be a ballerina for the afternoon too! It's a bit big on her, but she looked so pretty. LM had fun pretending until Lark decided all of the dancing had tired her out and it was time for a nap...

Below is a color picture. There is pretty pink stitching details and the bodice is simply gorgeous. This will be in the shop eventually, but if you are interested in more info now just let me know.

I'll be sure to let you know how dance class goes!

If you'd like, you can link up below:

i melted

2011-09-05T22:58:00.000-07:00

My hair dresser called it a melt and I told her to go for it.

I needed a change so I got brave and put color in my hair for the first time. And you know what? It really wasn't that scary after all, and some people didn't even notice the ombre. This just might be the first baby step to trying out a full head of dark hair someday...I've always secretly wanted to!

Shirt - UO
Skirt - vintage
Shoes - Anthropologie
Necklace - Oh, Hello Friend

My apologies for the disappearing act last week... I am feeling much better now, thank you for all of the get well wishes! This skirt is one of the things I scored with my SIL when we were on our trip visiting family last weekend. I always seem to have luck at this fun little consignment shop in town and make it a point to stop by. I also got a really cute carpet bag that I can use on date nights instead of my diaper bag - I've been hauling around that huge thing everywhere, but if I'm away from the kids I should be carrying around something more pretty, right?

I really can't believe September is already here, but I am ready for the fall weather to start rolling in - I love this time of year!
How was your three-day weekend?

little vintage style v.20

2011-08-31T06:00:00.000-07:00

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LM wore: vintage dress from mien123

I am feeling a bit under the weather (I picked up whatever Lark had last week), so I apologize for keeping this short. My brain doesn't seem to be functioning at the moment as I have sat here for far too long staring at the computer screen and all I have come up with to write is - we took these pictures on a HOT day.

It certainly was hot, and now my head feels the same way... so I better get some rest.

Link up below!

sleepyhead

2011-08-29T21:58:00.000-07:00

For some reason I always looked forward to the stage where I would find my child asleep in odd places. And now that that time has arrived, I have to say it is pretty darn adorable.

shop update

2011-08-25T11:00:00.000-07:00

Here is this week's shop update (as always you can follow me on twitter for real time updates). Head on over if you'd like a closer look! Any Snoopy lovers out there? :)

We are calling it an early weekend and taking off for one last summer road trip. I am looking forward to lots of family time and hopefully some thrifting luck! See you next week friends!

little vintage style v.19

2011-08-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

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Please welcome our last guest host of the month, Ellyn, and her adorable daughter Ella! I love a good sneaker/dress combo and this is just about the cutest one I've seen!

Hi there! I'm Ellyn, a proud mama of a feisty two-point-five-year-old Ella and a marshmallowy 3-month-old Miles. I like to infuse vintage into my kiddo's wardrobes because it's a fun throwback to my childhood, it's eco-friendly to recycle and my kids look unique!

I can hardly say no to a one-of-a-kind vintage dress for my little girl. This black lacy number from Kid Wonder paired with sparkly Converse slays my heart. Wouldn't Ella be the freshest prom date ever? She seriously has some mean dancing skills.

Thanks so much for having us Stacy! We love your blog for promoting vintage goodness. I'm over at www.mandooandlumpia.com where I write about my growing family, and in early September, I plan on opening myown Etsy shop, Vintage Aga, where I plan to share the vintage kiddo clothes love.

Thanks Ellyn, I can't wait to see what pieces you have stocked up for you shop... not that I need any more temptation, ha!

I will be back with my girls next week to round out what has been a fun August for LVS! Thank you so much to all of the ladies who helped out and gave me a little summer posting break. It was so nice, but I am ready to get back in the mix!

Do you want to show off your little sweetie wearing vintage? If so, let me know at stacecadet21 [at] gmail [dot] com.

Link up below, and remember you can grab a LVS button on the side bar! ----->

sunday afternoon

2011-08-22T10:57:00.000-07:00

Is this an outfit post, a peek at our weekend, or something in between? I don't really know, but I love my new vintage dress so I had Husband take a picture (and, Hello! It's been awhile since I've made an appearance here). I seriously wish I had a whole closet full of dresses this pretty and easy to wear, and I might become a bit obsessive about fulfilling that wish. The best part is it has a handy concealed zipper on the side in front so it is baby friendly, perfect!

Sunday afternoon we ventured out for a walk on the parkway trail and LM practiced her bike riding skills. We got her a glider bike for her birthday and she looovves it. She is already picking her feet up and learning how to balance and its so fun to watch her gain more confidence each day. We might have encouraged her to be a little ambitious going down a small hill though, which ended in her first spill. Thankfully, she was smart enough to go for the grass so there were no scraped knees and after some hugs she hopped back on.

Lark got her first fever and a little bit of congestion this weekend. So sad. It stayed mild and with a lot of naps and nursing she recovered fairly quickly. This morning it looks like she has passed it on to her sister though, so today we are keeping it low-key and only making a quick post office run later.

Hope you had a lovely weekend...here's to a lovely week ahead!

aka: the girl's room

2011-08-19T09:00:00.000-07:00

It feels SO good to call the girl's room done, and I am thrilled with how it turned out. It makes me smile when I walk through the door - its a happy-inducing place to be! I had no real concept in mind when throwing it all together, so I am kind of amazed that everything seems to work. You can definitely tell what colors I am drawn to and that is what helped unify the hodge-podge of thrift finds, handmade items, and purchased artwork in the room. Let me take you on the grand tour...

As you walk in the door you see LM's space in the opposite corner. My sister gave us the toddler bed and we painted it white to match the crib. The quilt was handmade by me. Her artwork hangs on the wall above her, and her stuffed friends hang out in the cradle below. The window lets in more light than I want at nap and bedtime, so I usually throw a blanket over the top... neither pictured, nor ideal, but it works for now. Someday I will get around to finding a permanent solution, and I also want to raise the curtains to the top of the wall... wait, did I say the room was done before? :)

Moving to the left, you see the dresser between the crib and bed. It was originally white when I thrifted it, then we stripped the paint and refinished it. I love the painted drawer pulls and the richness the dark wood brings to the room. On either side of the dresser are some vintage suitcases for toy/anything a toddler deems necessary to hoard storage. And, I guess if the room was decorated around anything it would be this rug. I loved the print and colors and it was one of the first purchases I made with the nursery redo in mind.

Above the dresser are some art prints, a frame, and a vintage Scrabble game board. I plan to switch this up a bit since a larger version of this print is on its way. I can't wait to get it - top knot! cats! party hats! On top of the dresser is a vintage lamp I used when I was little (probably all of my sisters used it at some point); it has little millinery flowers inside the glass. LM's favorite bedtime books as well as some vintage children's books are surrounded by forest animal friends, and the mushroom is a nightlight.

Then we get to Lark's corner of the room (see topmost pic for an expanded view). The clouds above her crib, as well as her crib sheet were handmade by me. Her blessing dress (the light yellow one) was hanging to the side by itself, but then I decided to display some of my favorite vintage dresses along with it. It will be fun to change them up every now and then, especially since some of these see use! The rocking horse was a gift from my in-laws.

Little birds (I like to think of them as larks instead of sparrows) fly through the clouds and along the wall toward LM's side of the room...

And then we are standing back in the doorway!

Finally, the corner directly across from the doorway (this view is if you were standing in front of the crib), is my quiet nursing spot. Above the rocking chair is a Noah's ark crewel that my mom made for my older sister's nursery back in the 70's, and you also get a peek at the closet doors with the bunting I made for LM's first birthday party draped above them.

So, are you wondering why there is a 'D' and an 'A' hanging above their beds instead of two 'L's'? Some of you may not know that Little Miss (LM) and Lark are the girls nicknames I use on the blog :)

I hope you liked the tour!

Below is a list of where some things came from in case you are curious. If it is not listed then it was either handmade, thrifted, given to me as a hand-me-down or gift, or is no longer available for purchase:

3-D Bird Wall Art

Letter 'D'

You Make Me Happy print

I Lovely Love my Family print

Fox Girl print

Alphabet print

And, I can't remember what the paint color is called! I know I saved the swatch somewhere, maybe someday I'll come across it and update this post.

shop update: pajama party!

2011-08-18T07:50:00.000-07:00

There is a pajama party going on in the shop this week! Lots of cute colors and prints, some even in lots! Head on over if you want to get a closer look...

If you follow me on twitter, you know there was a sale in the shop last weekend. I've decided to extend it through this weekend too, so enter SUMMERLOVIN at checkout for 20% off everything! Also, I've added more items to the SALE SALE SALE section, all $6 or less! Help me make room for more amazing vintage - I've got lots more to share with you!

And, I finally took pictures of the finished nursery so a tour will be coming soon... yay!

little vintage style v.18

2011-08-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

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Hello everyone! Please welcome our guest host this week, Rubyellen, and her sweet trio of girls. I always love to see what darling vintage frocks these three are wearing - their momma has great taste! I'll let her take it from here...

Hi! I am Rubyellen from Cakies and these are my three little babycakies... True, Brave, and Soul. More often than not, one, if not all, can be found wearing vintage. I have a horrible soft spot for collecting pretty vintage little girl dresses. If I find one I really love, I have a hard time saying no, especially since I probably won't ever see that dress again. It is a horrible habit, but good thing I have three girls so everything easily gets passed down and nothing goes to waste.

On this particular day, the girls got dressed up to go my baby shower that were thrown by my friends Linda and Danni. I was wearing vintage that day, so vintage was the way to go for them too! It is so cute cause they know exactly which dresses of theirs is vintage and which are not. I am glad they love buying and wearing vintage just as much as I do! I hope that never changes, but we will see...

photos courtesy of John Lauren

on True: dress, vintage via salvage house. tank, can't remember. belt, thrifted. shoes, saltwaters c/o tea. bow, h&m.

on Brave: dress, vintage. shoes, saltwaters.

on Soul: dress, vintage. shoes, handmade by mommy.

Thanks Rubyellen! Can't wait to find out if Babycakies #4 will be wearing these dresses someday, or if boy vintage is in your future... either way it will be exciting! What we do know for certain is he/she will be adorably dressed! :)

Link up below!

shadow puppet party!

2011-08-15T11:56:00.000-07:00

LM's birthday party was this weekend and we had so much fun! She was truly the happiest little girl surrounded by all of her cousins and was spoiled with love! As you know, the theme was 'Shadow Puppets'. We kept the agenda simple, starting out with a puppet show and popcorn, then we let the kids try out different hand shadows, ate hot dogs and Izze, and finished things off with cake, ice cream, and presents!

(invitation)

The birthday girl was very concerned that we needed to have three things at her party: party hats, balloons, and candles on the cake. Pretty easy requirements! So, we made some simple cone party hats, as well as a few fun pillbox hats with big feathers on top for the girls (see first picture, inspired by). I thought Lark looked so cute in her party hat, ha ha!

I made a theater for the puppet show using a cardboard tri-fold and white butcher paper. It worked great, but if I were to do it again I would use sheets so it would be easier to store and wouldn't potentially break or tear.

For the puppet show we thought it would be fun to do a Mad Lib type story, so we wrote one and had the audience yell out adjectives, verbs, etc. to fill in the blanks before we started, it was a great way to make them more involved. Then we dimmed the lights and passed out popcorn. The story turned out so funny with the random words thrown in, and Husband saying a silly phrase every time a character was mentioned in the story. For example, whenever the knight was mentioned he would pause and say, "Hey, how you doin'?" like Eugene in Tangled, then continue on with the story...

Above are pictures of the main scenes. The story was about a Princess who was having a birthday party, but didn't invite the mean dragon and witch. They were mad and decided to cast a spell and turn her into a donkey! Her fairy Godmother gives a knight a gift to make the dragon and witch become nice so they will tell him how to reverse the spell which turns out to be...can you guess?... a kiss! So the knight kisses the donkey and she becomes a Princess again. Everyone is happy and becomes friends, the end!

Ha ha, it really is a cute little story and all of the kids loved it! If you want the file for the 'Mad Lib' version email me at stacecadet21@gmail.com and I'll send it to you! The story uses all of the shadow puppets in this set.

For her present we got her a bike and helmet, but the bike isn't coming until today (I thought I had ordered it in time for the party, oh well!). She was very excited for her head protection though, ha! She got a lot of fun presents like art supplies and music toys which she has been playing with ever since, what a lucky girl!

When it came time for blowing out the candles she got a bit shy so I had to help her out. Husband made the entire cake from scratch and it was so yummy, I wish I got a better picture. I think it is going to be tradition that daddy makes the birthday cakes since he did it last year too!

For party favors I gave each family a copy of Fun with Hand Shadows to take home. It was such a nice time. Thank you to everyone who could come, I know LM felt special on her big day!

lark// 5 months

2011-08-11T14:29:00.000-07:00

Lark is 5 whole months old today. I feel like her monthly posts are coming one on top of another - way too fast! Contrary to the picture above, she is not quite sitting up yet... but, we practice and she can balance for a few seconds at a time, sometimes longer. She also rolls over both ways now and is a master at grabbing her toys and actually holding onto them.

The biggest difference the past month has made is she now usually wakes up once during the night. Sleep training is the pits, so I have been putting it off and just nursing her since it takes all of ten minutes to get her back to sleep... I am secretly (or not so secretly) hoping she will just go back to her old awesome sleeping habits on her own. Wishful thinking? :)

I really love this stage though, when they are sturdy but still little. She is so fun.

And...just woke up from her nap :)

I'll be taking pictures of Lark wearing her brooch monthly...

See her at 1 week, 2 +3 weeks, 1 month, 2 months, 3 months, 4 months

little vintage style v.17

2011-08-10T06:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Little Vintage Style, a place to show off your little ones wearing vintage! Link up every Wednesday, and make sure to click around and say 'hello!' to all of the other vintage lovin' mommas like you!

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Hello everyone! This week's guest host is the lovely Heather from 3 ring circus. She is such a bright spot in the children's vintage world, as you undoubtedly already know, and I really appreciate her friendship and advice. I've been dying to see Pip in this bird dress (you may recognize it, it caused quite the little stir on the blog a bit ago) and I love love love it on her!

Hi! My name is Heather and I run a vintage shop on etsy called 3 ring circus. I also document my daughter's vintage and hand me down clothing on pippi parade. I am so excited to share this amazing bird dress that we bought from hart + sew!

Stacy did a sneak peek preview and I stalked her until she said it was reserved for us. Ever since I was a little girl my family has always called me Feathers. My grandmother used to take me bird watching, so I knew this dress was meant for Penelope. The binoculars were my grandmas and we would use them.

This dress has become Penelope's favorite - she has worn it the last 3 days in a row, so thank you Stacy for the amazing find!

No, thank you Heather and Penelope! It makes me so happy to see the clothes I send off worn again, and this one was one of my favorites too! :)

Link up below!

shadow puppet party invitation

2011-08-08T21:28:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was LM's third birthday! We had a busy weekend with family stuff however, so we are celebrating this coming Saturday (although she still got a cake on her big day, lucky girl will get two!). This is the invitation I came up with for her 'Shadow Puppet' party. I wanted it to resemble a paper cutout and am really happy with how it turned out. That is her cute little silhouette - those crazy curls were hard to translate!

I still have quite a bit to pull together, so I'll be on party detail all week... I wanted to get these puppets but they are sold out, so I am going to have to put my paper cutting skills to the test and try to DIY them! Eek! We'll also be doing hand shadows, so I am going to have to practice those too. I think it will be really fun, but most importantly, LM is going to LOVE it! Back to work now... :)

shop update: citrus colors part 2

2011-08-05T10:00:00.000-07:00

Here is a round up this weeks shop update! As always, you can follow me on twitter for real time updates.

Have a lovely weekend!

crib sheets

2011-08-04T21:45:00.000-07:00

Some of you asked for a tutorial on how to make crib sheets since I mentioned I made a few the other day... I couldn't do a better job than Dana, however, so if you want to whip up some of your own I recommend her easy to follow instructions. It's a great sewing project if you're a beginner!

On a related note, if you are in need of some fun retro plaid and floral prints to use, Rachel just opened up The Stash to share her amazing vintage sheet collection we've all been eyeing in her photo backdrops. I think vintage sheets must be magnetically drawn to that lady, because I feel lucky to have found the three I used!

I hope you'll give making crib sheets a try if you've ever thought about it before... I put off making mine for way too long - maybe subconsciously thinking they would be as hard to make as they are to fold? But now that I know how easy it is to sew one up I want to make more!

And, bonus side-effect, they make little girls in (too short) 'princess' dresses happily dance around the yard for your entertainment...

little vintage style v.16

2011-08-03T06:00:00.000-07:00

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I've decided to feature guest hosts for LVS during the entire month of August. I'm so excited for the lovely ladies I've got lined up to show off their sweet kiddos rocking vintage! It's going to be a fun month full of the cutest little faces. Please welcome Whitney, who is kicking the month off for us! I admired her shop from afar before recently 'meeting' her on twitter, and I have to say she is the nicest lady with a great eye for all things little...

Hi! I'm Whitney, and I run the shop little reader vintage on etsy. I'm so glad that my daughter, Tayvee, who is almost two, still lets me dress her in whatever I want! As you can see, Tayvee loves to "put on makeup" and walk around with tons of barrettes in her hair! I think it's really adorable.

This dress is one of my favorite vintage dresses I've ever found for Tayvee - I love the color combination and the simple style! (Please excuse the wrinkles...) I really try not to collect *too* many vintage dresses for Tayvee, but when I'm out looking for vintage for my shop, sometimes it is really hard to resist! From her birth, my philosophy with dressing Tayvee (with the exception of onesies and diapers) has been: don't dress her in anything you wouldn't want to wear yourself. I have tried to stay true to this, and I've found it's much easier with vintage clothes than with all the graphic-covered outfits from department stores. Vintage is just the best!

On Tayvee: vintage dress - thrifted, Minnetonka mocassins - thrifted, vintage barrettes, thrifted.

Thanks, Stacy! I love seeing this feature every week on your blog, and Tayvee and I are thrilled to be a part of it.

-Whitney

shop: etsy.com/shop/littlereadervintage

personal blog: http://reedreeder.com/whitney

Thanks Whitney and Tayvee! I would definitely rock that dress myself too!

Link up below!

And, also check out the new LVS button currently residing on the side bar!
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family date night

2011-08-01T22:41:00.000-07:00

Our weekend was low key and so nice. Just what I needed. With two little ones that go to bed early we like to try and stay close to home when we can, so dinner and a leisurely neighborhood stroll is a perfect combination for a family night out. We've been enjoying some beautiful summer evenings lately that I just can't get enough of...

What do you like to do with your little ones for a family night out?

shop update: citrus colors

2011-07-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

I am working on an update inspired by the colors of citrus! Here is what I've got listed in the shop so far... go check out the back on that cute yellow fruit top!

Follow me on twitter for real time updates.

Happy Friday friends!