Put Your Pretties On

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2010, you've been good to me but there's a new boy in town.

If I don't see you before the New Year I hope you finish this one off with those you love and a bunch of sparkly lights!
xoxo,
Rachel

A Fun New Year's Resolution For Everyone!

New Year's Resolutions don't have to be so serious! Project ReStyle is a group created by Elsie and myself to ReStyle damaged, unwanted or unusable goods into fresh, beautiful pieces! We're going to make fashion, home decor and pretty things and you're invited to join us! It's fun, it's free and it encourages green living.

We'll be blogging about our projects (and sharing guest artists and participants work too!) all year in 2011. Read Details Here! We're hoping everyone will join us to encourage ReStyling within the blogging community and gain inspiration from each other's handy work so feel free to pass this along! Looking forward to ReStyling with you!

xoxo,
Rachel

*Images and some text via Elsie

December Sponsor Giveaway Package

It's giveaway time! A few of my lovely sponsors would like to offer you the chance to find out a little more about their work and offer a giveaway from their shop. ONE HAPPY COMMENTER will be the winner of all six giveaways! All you have to do is share your favorite thing about the month of December in the comments below. Comments will be open until the 1st.

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Modern Kiddo

Hi everyone! This is Alix from Modern Kiddo. I'm a vintage lover, obsessive collector and mama to a curly haired little cutie named Wolfie! Together with my fabulous partner-in-crime Dottie, I love to share my passion for vintage children's goodies with our readers. From fun childhood flashbacks (kid's toys and books), to old photos from the 60s & 70s and our infamous Vintage Kiddo clothing roundup (every Monday!) you can be sure you’ll always find boat loads of eye candy on Modern Kiddo.

For our giveaway, Dottie and I chose a set of the brilliant books, This is San Francisco and This is London by M. Sasek. Originally printed in 1965, these books have gorgeous illustrations that you’ll love whether you have kiddos or not! Oh and these are new copies, so they’ll be pristine! (retail value: $25)~Alix

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Cottage Arts

Since 2003 Cottage Arts has been helping transform memories into lasting works of art. By sharing our digital scrapbooking and photography products and ideas with you, our site is a place to be inspired each time you visit! Owner Michelle Shefveland is also a freelance writer/photographer and has been penning the Digital Workshop column in Somerset Memories since 2005, where she offers easy to follow steps for digital art techniques.


This giveaway is for a Nature's Sketchbook Photo Art Blends 3 (digital download)

Achieve photo artistry effects with our Photo Art Blends. Set No. 3 includes digital textured papers with photo-transfer-like edges and realistic textures. Sized for your 12 x 12 photos or papers (can be re-sized to 4 x 6 or other proportions easily). Includes 30 - 12 x 12 JPG format Photo Art Blends for you to layer over or under photos and play with the layer blend modes (in Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, or Paint Shop Pro) for creative results...it will look like you used some crazy chemicals and a lot of processing time! Also includes 5 clipping masks for the photo blends that have a more defined edge, so you can clip your photo and keep the more defined white edge if you desire. Also includes a link to an on-line tutorial by Michelle using these Photo Art Blends, including numerous sample digital photo transfers and recipes used to get the effects shown.

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May Dae

Hi! We are Stephanie May and Stormie Dae - two sisters that love to create together and never pass up the opportunity to go thrifting. We combine forces to write our blog and run our Etsy shop, and we would love if you stopped by both to check out our latest shenanigans! ~MayDae

This giveaway includes a metal canister, a red and white pillow, and a robin's egg blue cake stand valued at $32.00.

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Hey!JenRenee

Jen from Hey!JenRenee is a crafter, knitter, scooter enthusiast, and pretty much the biggest metal-head girl you'll ever meet. By day, she's a stay-at-home mom and at night, she knits and does freelance graphic design. She loves making hand-knit accessories and teaching knitting classes to future knitting die-hards.

This giveaway is for the handknit cowl in Mushroom shown below valued at $25.00.

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MadeYaLook

MadeYaLook wants to start off your new year with some vintage love of your choosing. Happy New Year, Smile and Wave readers! ~Cheryl

This giveaway is for $25 shop credit to MadeYaLook.

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OnePearlButton

"Hi Smile and Wave-ers! I'm Alli, an archaeologist, crafter, and photographer. Some of my favorite things include Polaroid cameras, my retired racing greyhound, Sharpies, and my apple red Vespa. I run an Etsy shop, OPB Studios, where I sell prints of my Polaroid photographs, along with fun items made from them. I blog about crafts, fashion, photography and life in general at One Pearl Button. Stop by sometime; I'd love to meet you! ~Alli

This giveaway is for the two 5" x5" polaroid prints shown above and below valued at $20.

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Just leave your favorite thing about the month of December in the comment section below for your chance to win EVERYTHING! Comments will be open until January 1st. Stop by and say hi to our lovely sponsors and see what lovely things they have to share. Thanks for stopping by!

*Giveaway prizes are only open to US residents.

xoxo,
Rachel

I'm A Little Bit Country...

This Christmas the handmade gifts were few as our family was unpacking a house, getting sick, finishing up the end of a long semester, and writing an e-course but I did manage to sneak a big one in there with the help of my SIL, Brittany. She and I both knew her mom would love a seat cover for her front porch swing made from an old cutter quilt. Brittany didn't have time to fix it up and I didn't have a quilt to fix it up with and we soon realized this needed to be a joint effort.

With the assistance of my BIL, Grant, we were able to get the exact measurements of the swing. I had some foam on hand from a stalled project, a pillow form I no longer used in the kids' room, and a few doilies leftover from an earlier tutorial that I used without having to spend a thing.

As you can see (and maybe I'm a little worried that some of you quilt lovers are still going to hate me for cutting into this!) the quilt had been well loved to the point that there were dark stains, worn edges, and holes in a few spots.

I stitched it to a cream drop cloth to fill in the holes from underneath and give it a little more strength. I then covered up the holes with well positioned doilies and created a flower-like shape to extend coverage without it looking too random. I created a pillow case effect with the quilt by folding it in almost thirds (not quite all the way over on the back) and box stitching the ends to allow a nice shape for the foam insert. I then stitched ties on the bottom for easy removal. I stitched up a simple pillow case from the same quilt using more drop cloth and a pillow form.

Brittany set it up so that she'd see it on Christmas morning and Cheryl loves it! I love when a handmade gift turns out better than I had imagined and really hits the spot with the recipient! I didn't make my mom's gift but it was custom made by an online friend and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little thrilled that it made her cry when she opened it. It was a little more meaningful as it had to do with my brother's pending deployment and the few days we got to spend with him on his holiday pass before he heads out for awhile.

Were you able to give handmade this year? Did you surprise anyone with something they loved handmade or not?

I hope you had a lovely Christmas and continue to enjoy the week before New Years! I'm hoping to plan something extra fun for our little family to do to ring in 2011 but we all know what happens to the best laid plans...someone gets pneumonia! AAGGH!
xoxo,
Rachel

Merry Christmas

Wishing you lovely things.
Merry Christmas from the Denbows.
xoxo

That Something Extra

When you need to skip the shower.

When you can't settle on a paint color.

When you just have to make something with your hands.

When your ideas are plenty.

When you have something special to say.

xoxo,
Rachel

Look What Found Me

I found the vintage tin doll house, drum lamp shade frame, and sweet little dress at the Feathered Nest in Oklahoma City. My mom took me because she knew I'd love it there and although it's a good mix of handmade, items from Market, and vintage, it was definitely worth the trip. I couldn't believe how inexpensive all three of these items were.

Had to share my excitement. Hope they'll fit in the car on the way home.
xoxo,
Rachel

This Makes Me Vintage

My grandmother sent me this scan of a picture of me when I was either two and a half or three and a half (will confirm in the a.m.) but apparently I was a pro with the fake Santa in my granddad's bank lobby. I had some awesome hair and a pretty new coat so of course I was smiling!

Oh, how I wish we still had this coat for Ruby. Those fuzzy pom poms are the best!
xoxo,
Rachel

Vintage Here, Vintage There: Outerwear

This week's vintage feature is outerwear! I only have one vintage coat in my wardrobe and you're looking at it. I found this at a local Goodwill in mint condition minus five of the six buttons. I found some similarly sized buttons at a local craft store and fixed her right up, although I think big brass buttons would make this even more special. It's faux fur, and oh so soft. I love the lining and the way the sleeves are slim up top and bell a little at the bottom.

The dress underneath was one Elsie set aside for me from her inventory at Red Velvet for my birthday. It was a perfect fit and my favorite dress right now. I paired it with some staples from Target (cardi, tights) and a vintage brooch and was ready for business. I think it's going to accompany me on my next few winter date nights.

I wore:
Vintage Coat: Thrifted
Cardigan: Target
Vintage dress: Red Velvet
Belt: Thrifted
Tights: Target
Shoes: Target
Daisy Brooch: Vintage Avon

I originally had this vintage red velvet swing dress in my vintage children's Etsy shop, Pony Rides, but then set it aside for little Ruby after coming to my senses! I have about four holiday outfits that were all too good to be the only holiday outfit so she's going to wear one a day while we're on vacation unless one gets spit up on!

Ruby Wore:
Vintage cardigan: Thrifted
Vintage red velvet dress: Thrifted
Tights: Target
MaryJanes: Target

Ruby still doesn't have a vintage coat of her own but not because I haven't looked. I think I may have to buckle down and look online when we get home from vacation if I haven't found one locally by then as we still have a few months of cold weather ahead of us. If you're looking for some adorable vintage for your little one, these are some of the cutest coats on Etsy for a boy, a girl, a boy, and a girl.

Also, in case you missed it we had a little Vintage Here, Vintage There Roundup earlier today. If you'd like to share yourself or your kids in vintage to be featured in the next roundup, leave us your links in the comment section of that post. Head over there to Rubyellen's blog soon to see what kind of outerwear they look adorable in and to find more links to some of her favorite vintage finds!

Stay warm where you are! We won't be sharing our feature next week as we'll both be traveling back home from our holiday adventures but we're starting January off Texas style!
xoxo,
Rachel

Vintage Here, Vintage There: Week One
Vintage Here, Vintage There: Week Two
Vintage Here, Vintage There: Week Three, Part One, Part Two
Vintage Here, Vintage There: Week Four
Vintage Here, Vintage There: Week Five

Holiday Instax Wreath

I brought my Instax Wide with me on our road trip to OKC and Dallas to see the entire side of my family. I'm hoping to be able to take a photo of each of them (as well as Brett's side) and then make a flip book for Ruby and Sebastian since they don't see everyone as often as any of us would like. Expect a little DIY in the future!

These are mostly photos I've taken since we've moved into our new home. I wanted a way to document this first Christmas that captured the random memories such as the sick kid dance party we had in our living room the morning before our road trip and the many things Ruby found her way into while we were unpacking. This green wreath was probably made to be a Christmas card holder but I found it at a thrift store and spray painted it green last year and decided to go with photos instead.

I've been keeping it up on the wall (no, we don't have all wood paneling. ha!) but couldn't get a picture without strange reflections on the photos. It's been fun to add a picture every few days and I'll date the backs and maybe start over for the new year. I love my Instax 210 and will never get over the feeling of instant photos in my hand. Thanks, Joe! (If anyone has this on their Christmas list, you're going to love it!)

We are currently enjoying perfect weather in OKC at my parent's house. Brett and Sebastian are outside playing ball and my mom is soaking in some grandbaby time with Ruby! Can I just say...I'm totally enjoying this little break in mama duty. Couldn't have come at a better time! Check back this evening for our Vintage Here, Vintage There post featuring outerwear!

xoxo,
Rachel

Now Accepting January Sponsors

Smile and Wave has grown to a readership of over 3,000 followers this month and is averaging 5,300 page views a day! If you've been thinking about growing your blog or business and have wondered if advertising on relevant blogs should be part of your business plan January is a great time to take advantage of our $20 mini ads on Smile and Wave! It offers you prime space with minimal investment and you can always upgrade to the Small ad for $40 or the Large ad for $75 for the month of February if you think advertising on Smile and Wave is a good fit!

Smile and Wave readers include women and men interested in vintage fashion and home decor, DIY's, crafts, photography, and life with children. If your blog or shop fits into any of those categories you're sure to be a good fit in the sidebar!

We're currently accepting sponsors for January. You can find out about pricing here and if you'd like to find out about our special package rates or secure your spot you can e-mail my ad manager, Leigh-Ann, at frecklednest(at)gmail(dot)com.

January is going to be an exciting start of the new year with a special new feature that Elsie and I are working on, the release of my first e-course, Modern Patchwork, and a special focus on handmade clothing and accessories for kids! I'm looking forward to 2011 and I'd love to have you join me in sharing lovely things with lovely people!

xoxo,
Rachel