As you do your Christmas shopping this year, I hope you'll give some consideration not only to small business brick-and-mortars, but to small shop owners who have set up their business online.
My shop, Bluebird Goods, is made up of me, a few wire racks of stock in my basement, and my friend Spencer who does all of our stocking and shipping. Someday we'll have a big, fancy boutique, but for now we're having a blast with the website. I hope we can have the privilege of your patronage this holiday season. Thank you!
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Oh, I was on a roll! Until some vicious bug took me down over the weekend. I've abandoned my sweet little blog for vats of Pepto and quality time on the daybed. Ugh.
So I'm totally pulling a cheater cheater pumpkin eater blog post by sharing this bit of brilliance spotted over at Oilcloth Addict (in the name of Blog Love). It's one of those "Ahh! So easy! So smart! So cute! I'm so doing this!" things. Kelly has taken oilcloth faced with a chalkboard finish and trimmed it so that it's an exact fit to h...
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When we had a tiny house with a big backyard, I bought the plans for Edgar Blazona's MD100 one room structure with the idea that I'd make a studio out back.
Before that could happen, we moved to a bigger house with a tiny backyard and no room for the MD100. I've never given up on the dream of building a smattering of Blazona's structures, maybe in the woods somewhere near a river or lake. Someday that will happen, but for now I'm thrilled with the idea of having my own mini Blazona-esuqe structure to play with...
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I got to go pick up my new Kindle Fire last night. I was so excited that when I pulled into the store parking lot, I jumped out and started running into the store with the keys in the ignition and the car still running.
I haven't had that much screen time with my new lovely just yet, but I have spent a bit of time wondering what kind of case to get. If you're like me, you want something a little more special than the common black nylon case found at any office supply store. So I've dug up a few cases and covers fo...
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A few days ago I started this project and now that I've found my camera's flash card, I wanted to show the final outcome.
I ordered chalkboard Contact Paper from Amazon.com and a rectangular flourish punch to make fast work of the chalkboard labels. The cracker jars are easily found just about anywhere, but I picked mine up at Target.
Taaaahdaaaah!
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Amazon.com: Chalkboard Contact Paper, 18" x 6': Home & Garden
$6.51 - amazon.com
Amazon.com: Anchor Hocking 85725 Cracker Jar (Pack of ...
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I've been seeing a bunch of posts lately about how to make your own batches of your favorite household stuff, like Mrs. Meyer's hand soap. Mmm. I love Mrs. Meyer's. Geranium, Basil, Lemon Verbena...I can never choose. And now I can make a gallon of the stuff for the same cost as a bar of the soap.
Dishwasher detergent! Oh man it sucks when you realize you've run out after loading a dinner's worth of dishes into the washer. So whether it's to save your stress levels or save some dough, Being Creative to Keep My...
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Yesterday we started our master bedroom makeover using budget finds or items already in our home. Some things are swap outs for other spots, some from our garage, at least one is an alley find. This isn't a project I really have money to do right now, so we're going to work it and work it HARD.
Old furniture that's gone out of style or maybe has a not-so-great finish can get a fabulous new life in a bright hue. These thrifted nightstands have taken on a bright teal paint job and give us much-needed drawer space....
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Holiday contest for ideas!
I recently picked up a vintage Elf to start the "Elf on the Shelf" tradition with my kids. I've seen a few posts from around the web with tons of cute ideas for how to place him around the house. I think Dave and I will have as much fun cooking up ideas for where to place him as the kids will when they discover his nightly activities each morning.
This is the cute little guy I picked up at my favorite antique mall for $6. Love that he's teal and green. He fits r...
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Decorating the Master Suite on a Budget
After being in the house just over a year, we're finally getting to a point where we are able to turn some of our focus to decorating our master suite. There's a lot to work with here, including a window nook, soaking tub, and king size bed. We already have a smokey blue nail head trim headboard and I like our yellow and white patterned comforter.
Also reused from our old house are the drapes, Ikea arm chairs, and small cafe table. Dave needs a space he can...
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I have been without my Canon Elph camera since mid-October. I can't say for sure, but the smart money is that my clepto toddler has something to do with it. What proper blogger doesn't have a digital camera? I love that camera! All of my settings were dialed in just how I like them.
Anyway, so that's why most of the posts of late have shots from my phone in the entries. I tell ya, I feel lost. It's like a pet who has died and you keep thinking, "Oh, I should go feed him...oh wait. Never mind."
Except it's, "Oh!...
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A long, long time ago I bought a Shasta LoFlyte, then sold it to fast-friend Heather Crosby who runs the most awesome website ever, Yum Universe. Heather's mission is to create access to whole-living healthy alternatives to not only food, but household needs such as cleansers and even bug repellent. Check out her awesome natural and toxin-free anti-spider concoction here.
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Ahh 1979.
I had a brand new pair of Fireball roller skates in a fabulous red-white-and-blue pattern, freshly re-strung with glittery rainbow shoelaces, topped with a set of baby blue fuzzy pom poms. Every Friday night and many weekend days I lined up with my friends at PearWood Skate Rink to chase the reflections of the mirror ball around the hardwood floors. I could stay there all night and frequently did.
Holy crap I was HOT. I could do all the moves, including stay upright which is my biggest roller skating ...
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I've had a project on my mind lately and am trying to figure out the best way to do the final execution. What I'd like to do is take an old dresser drawer that I picked up at a local market and attach some wooden spindles that I found at a picker-style place up in Michigan a few weeks back. It would be cool if the legs could fold, yet still be very stable when in use. Otherwise, fixed legs with cross bracing would be acceptable as well.
I intend to use it as a butler tray for cocktail fixings at parties or maybe j...
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My kitchen is making me nuts. There is a lack of uniformity that is making my eye twitch and my PMS flare like an A-Bomb. It's time to go drop half my paycheck at the Container Store. All the clunky stuff that is rarely used will go on shelving in the basement. Cute mid-century canisters, you're going on eBay and being replaced with a lineup of glass cracker jars with chalkboard labels (Spotted at The Flibbertigibbet Blog). Mismatched rice bins, your hours are numbered.
I'm out for blood.
There will be ze...
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Sophia and I took Will out for his first round of trick-or-treating this afternoon. She's been coaching him how how to say it for the past week or so, like the fantastic big sister she is. He toddled after her, climbing up stairs, announcing "tree a tree" and giving a polite "tee you" when the homeowners dropped a piece of candy in his little bucket.
When Dave got home he took the kids out for a second round, then a longer run with just Sophia so I could stay here and greet the trick-or-treaters. I mad...
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So yesterday I showed you all the decor of our 1955 Yellowstone Sunset. Now for the really fun part...all the other Sisters on the Fly campers that were at the event. Some folks really went all the way with the Halloween decorations!
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We've been all over the area this summer in our little camper, but I hadn't been anywhere alone yet until this past weekend. I joined the Sisters on the Fly last spring after getting tons of inspiration from the book of the same name and this weekend was the first time that I was able to join one of their adventures. We all met in Potato Creek State Park just outside South Bend, Indiana.
Sorry about the dark camera phone pictures. I haven't been able to find my camera for 2 weeks. I live with a toddler. Stuff goes...
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My arms feel like jelly. I just took what I vow will be the FINAL swag at getting the color on those dang Windsor chairs right. I gave up on spray paint and invested in a power sprayer so I could use custom-mix latex instead of the limited blues offered in the can.The color came out right this time, just like the chairs in the inspiration photo. Remember this?
So, of course that meant re-priming everything.
I hung tarps in the garage to rig up a makeshift spray booth.
And of course you can'...
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