Project Weekend

source: Canadian House & Home

If all goes well I'm going to get my studio at least PARTIALLY organized so I can start knocking out some fun DIY's. I found two old child-sized cots at a local thrift shop that I plan on recovering. Perfect for camping out (in the backyard) or lounging around in on lazy, summer afternoons!

Do you have any fun projects to tackle inside/outside this weekend? Or are you hoping for a nice, boring afternoon of having nothing to do?

xo,
Rachel

April Sponsor Giveaway!

It's that time again! Time to see what some of our sponsors have in store for one lucky winner! Check out their shops, see what they're sharing, and find out what you have to do (below) to enter to win. All my thanks!

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Pretty Things by Meg

"hello, my name is meg, and i'm the owner/designer behind pretty things by meg, a collection of vintage-meets-modern jewelry. if you take a peek at my shop, you will quickly see that i love color.

i also love using a variety of materials in my pieces, including linen, antique bronze, vintage glass beads, and chiffon. hope you find something you like!"

Giveaway is for $25 shop credit.

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Chrissy Gemmill Jewelery

Hello, Smile and Wave readers! My name is Chrissy Gemmill. I am a jewelry designer, teacher, wife and mom to a sweet 2 year old boy! I have a blog where I chronicle my little world through my journey as a self-employed girl living in the beautiful historic town of Frederick, MD. I also sell my handcrafted jewelry on Etsy!

My jewelry collection, which includes layered chains, chain mail, sterling silver skulls, owls, flowers and lockets, upholds the delicate balance of femininity and edge. Reflecting the past, my line also includes vintage chain, antique buttons, beads and skeleton keys. Naturally oxidized by time, the re-purposed materials I use are combined with oxidized sterling silver to reveal modern vintage jewelry.

My giveaway item is these little Lotus Flower Earrings. The earrings are handmade in sterling silver that I oxidized. The retail value of these earrings is $46.

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Red Ribbon Fox

Hi there! I'm Heather-- a wife, a crafter, a blogger and a rogue ballerina! Lilac & Lace is my little corner of the internet where I share my daily escapades in the slums of Beverly Hills. I like the color of eggplant, holidays, sparkles and making tutus.

I am honored to be sponsoring Smile & Wave this month! I am the proprietor of my very own Etsy shop, Red Ribbon Fox, where I sell handmade tutus, hair accessories and all kinds of pretty things for ballerina's (or wanna-be ballerinas) of all ages!

Giveaway is for a $25 gift card to my shop, Red Ribbon Fox.

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Apple Blue

Hi there! My name is Amanda and I'm the proud owner of Apple Blue, a cute little online shop filled with vintage goodies and handmade creations. I also have a fun blog where I write on topics like small business, tutorials, DIY and the life of a creative entrepreneur.

I am passionate about giving old things a second life and empowering people to start their own small creative businesses. I'm one girl with many dreams. I hope you'll stop by Apple Blue and say hello... I have lots of incredible things planned for May and I can't wait to get started!

Giveaway: $25 credit to the shop and surprise gift.


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MadeYaLook

Madeyalook is pleased to be able to offer these vintage Northern American Beauties as a sponsor giveaway for April. I understand the marketing of these prints made the sale of Northern skyrocket back in the late 50's and early 60's.

These 4 girls are in the original package, measure 11 x 14, and I don't think they have ever been framed. These are just a taste of vintage offerings from MadeYaLook.

Retails for $40+.

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Gadanke

Start celebrating your story with a Gadanke journal. After all, your story matters!

At Gadanke, Katie hand-crafts each book of writing prompts. You'll find inspiring diaries, baby books, travel journals, books for kids, and very soon - recipe journals!

Each book is built with 100% recycled paper, textured European paper, pockets, library cards, and embellishments that are just perfect for documenting your world. You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll never forget.

Giveaway is for a $25 gift certificate to Gadanke.

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Marysza

Hello there! I'm Agnes - a redhead student of Business English,
loving art (all kinds of art and creative people), nature, books, films and video games! Addicted to sewing and creating. Recently selling unique notebooks and dreaming all day long.

Giveaway is for the handmade notebook above.

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For your chance to win, leave a comment sharing something you collect! Make sure to leave a way to be contacted if you win. Giveaway will end on Saturday.

If you're interested in sponsoring Smile and Wave, we are accepting last minute sponsors for May. E-mail admanagers@frecklednest.com.

xo,
Rachel

Vintage Here, Vintage There: Last Weekend

We managed to sneak in some family photos in our Easter best last Sunday after lunch. I'm pretty sure it's always worth it to make these happen even if a certain four year old is rarely interested. We'll be looking back on these for years trying to recall what life was like when these two were this age!

I wore this vintage frock for the first time and think it's going to be in regular rotation all spring and summer! It's from Red Velvet here in Springfield. I forgot how much I love wearing navy!

Ruby wore her new shoes but a dress we already had rather than the ones I got so excited about the week before. They'll be ready for her next year when she can fill them out. This year she looked just peachy in her smocked vintage top and plaid Mary Janes.

Brett's wearing: I can't even remember. Probably from the mall.
Sebastian's wearing: Target and Old Navy head to toe. I think those pants are going to fit him next year, too!
I'm wearing: Red Velvet vintage dress, thrifted Michael Kors wedges, vintage belt, bracelet from F21.
Ruby's wearing: Vintage smocked dress, Etsy. Mary Janes from Payless. Last minute cardigan from Wal-Mart.

Brett got some new frames and I have to say he looks pretty hot in them. Also, pretend you don't notice my roots growing out. I'm not going for the old-fashioned way to get the ombre look, I'm just really bad at going ANYWHERE to get my hair done. I'm among the many girls with curls that have had bad experiences and get a twitch anytime they sit down and get asked how many inches they'd like cut off.

It's on the list. And...wish me luck.

Here are a few of my favorite vintage shirt dresses on Etsy: Striped, Raspberry, In the Navy, Interesting, Aqua plaid, and Ruffled.

Rubyellen has something coming up for Vintage Here, Vintage There soon so stay tuned! Did you (or your crew) get dressed up for Easter? I'd LOVE to see any photos of anyone in vintage for Easter. Feel free to link up in the comments section!

xoxo,
Rachel

Now Accepting May Sponsors

Smile and Wave is now accepting sponsors for the month of May!

I've been so happy to have some loyal sponsors over the last few months. It's the best kind of affirmation that Smile and Wave is benefiting their blog and/or shop! Smile and Wave sponsors reflect so many of the things Smile and Wave readers are interested in such as home decor, photography, handmade, vintage fashion, and family friendly products.

If you're interested in joining the side bar check out current rates here and then e-mail admanagers@frecklednest.com to secure your spot before the end of the month!

I'd like to thank my current sponsors for a great month in April! Come back soon for a big sponsor giveaway!

xo,
Rachel

Birthday Weekend in Instagrams

We started the weekend off on Friday morning with Starbucks on the way out of town and made the trip to Oklahoma City to have our first date weekend (since kids). Ruby passed the time reading Sebastian's comic books, I enjoyed the eye candy from Bazaar Style, and worked on hand piecing flowers for a new hexagon project. All of this in between handing out snacks, passing out toys, and calling the police on intoxicated drivers. Yes, that happened.

We dropped the kids off at my parents house, freshened up, and headed to Midtown.

We met our good friends from college, Alicja and Brad, at Cafe Do Brazil for appetizers, headed to Iguana for dinner, hit up Shop Good to browse the racks, and finished things off at Sara Sara Cupcakes!

The weather was looking scary so our friends headed home and we hit up Starbucks for a late night drink before heading to my parents. It was such a relaxing night. I couldn't wait to start it all over again the next morning!

Saturday my parents headed to my grandparent's house with the kids and Brett and I struck out on our own to see the sights! Now, we spent about five and a half year in Shawnee, OK during college and made frequent trips into OKC with Brett working at Starbucks and Tinker but we NEVER knew about some of the fantastic things OKC had to offer back then.

The Paseo District was pretty great and we knew about some great venues for live music but there is SO much more that's opened up since then. I asked about what we should do on Twitter and a few OKC locals told me about some of their favorite parts of the city.

Let's start with Cuppies and Joe. We graduated with the Diefs, the beautiful and talented ladies that are part of the family that opened the lovely cupcake and coffee shop, and got to visit a bit with Elizabeth. We kind of skipped lunch and went straight for the cupcakes and coffee and it was pure bliss. Then we found Guestroom Records and spent about an hour and most of Brett's birthday money on some used records.

Next up was the Plaza District (thanks, Dana and Julie!) to browse Collected Thread and RetrOKC. We met a lovely gal (whose name escapes me now) who welcomed us and told us about the shop and how fantastic that last few First Friday events have been in that area. It was full of fun product from Etsy vendors and locals and we picked up a few pretties.

RetrOKC was a well-curated little shop full of your favorite MCM finds. I asked the owner, Mike, if he had any Catherineholm and he pointed me to his personal collection behind the counter. I was sad. It was fabulous. And not for sale. There were some pretty enamel ware, paint-by-numbers, kitschy Polaroid glasses, and some great chairs, though. A must see if you're in the area! We didn't have time to visit a few others on the list but that just means it'll be even more exciting next time we're around!

We left the Plaza District to see Brad and Alicja's new cafe, Sips, in Shawnee. It's on main street in downtown Shawnee and serves delicious sandwiches, sweets, and Elemental coffee. Brad, being a treasure hunter himself, took us to a few of his favorite places - one of them being way off the beaten path. I found these pretty enamel flower pins as well as some Pyrex and a fun vintage watering can for the front porch flowers. Thanks for the thrifting, Brad!

That night we landed in Ada to stay with my grandparents and go to church with my family the next morning on Easter Sunday. There was an Easter basket opening, church, lunch, and an unorthodox indoor Easter egg hunt that my mom took care of while we packed quickly to get back on the road. We had to make it home that night with enough time for Brett to work on his plan to lead PT for the ROTC the next morning at 5:30 a.m.

Long story short, we stopped at a Starbucks in Tulsa for a potty break and refreshments only to realize our car wasn't going to turn back on when we were ready to leave. That middle picture is about how that felt. We got a tow, found a hotel, and e-mailed people to delegate Brett's responsibilities. Popcorn and Cheez-its from the vending machine and two hours of Disney channel and the kids were happy. We took it in stride and decided to chill out about things.

The next afternoon our car was fixed and we were free!!! Since we were in Tulsa without needing to rush home we visited Ashley and Breese in the hospital. I hadn't seen Ashley in about eight years and wasn't able to get in touch with her before we walked through the hospital room door but really enjoyed getting to see them! It kind of redeemed the whole breaking down part and we promised to meet up at a flea market rather than a hospital the next time.

We finally made it home after a stop at my favorite flea market outside of Joplin that was miraculously still open at 6:00 p.m. It was the happy ending to our happy weekend! We truly enjoyed some time as a couple to celebrate Brett's birthday and are so thankful that my parents and grandparents were so generous with their time and attention regarding our kids. It was kind of great to know Ruby could be away from me for so long without freaking out and makes me excited for the next time we can do this!

Thanks to Instagram we now have some fun reminders of everything we did on our weekend date! I'd love to hear from anyone else that lives in or has visited OKC and what kind of places you love to visit. I'm planning on finding a new place every time we go and I know other people would love to hear about them, too!
xoxo,
Rachel

30 Looks Good On You, Already

To the man with great hands and a killer jaw line. Your taste in music and things that run deep are still some of my favorite things about you. You're a great father and my favorite person in the world.

Happy birthday, babe.

All my love,
Rachel

The Happiest Weekend

We went to Oklahoma City to celebrate Brett's 30th birthday (it's the 26th) and had THE BEST TIME! We aren't quite back yet, though, as our car decided not to start after a quick potty break at a Starbucks in Tulsa on the way home. We're hanging out at a hotel tonight and taking the car in to a garage in the morning to see if we can get it taken care of and be on our way. In the meantime, we're going to try and enjoy this extension of our little weekend away.

I hope you all had a lovely Easter weekend and I look forward to catching some of your weekend recap blog posts in between car repairs and napping children. I'm planning a little recap of our own with a list of all the places we went thanks to some helpful local ladies!

xo,
Rachel

Teach Yourself Visually Crafting With Kids Winner!

And the winner of the Teach Yourself VISUALLY Crafting With Kids Winner is:


Ruthie said...

Cute, cute, cute pictures! I love the craft idea. When I was a kid, I really loved making necklaces out of beads, noodles, rocks... whatever had a hole in it!

Congratulations, Ruthie! Send me an e-mail at Racheldenbow (at) gmail (dot) com with your mailing address and I'll send it along to the right people so you can get your copy of the book!

Thanks to everyone who shared their favorite craft memories as a kid!

xo,

Rachel

They're Moving In

As soon as I saw what Abbey had made her kids to put in their Easter baskets I knew I wanted to do the same. Ruby has had a doll house for about six months but no dolls to inhabit it. We've been keeping the vintage Fisher-Price family members on a high shelf for display only after learning they were a choking hazard but I haven't been too excited about any substitutes.

I tried to make the super heroes for Sebastian and failed miserably so he'll have to wait for the second attempt before getting his own set. I also had grand ideas for making Brett and Sebastian bow ties to wear on Sunday but sometimes laundry just NEEDS to be folded, little girls want another story, and little boys were promised a milkshake. So, maybe next year.

xoxo,
Rachel

p.s. Don't forget to enter the Misha Lulu giveaway below!

Lisa Leonard's New Line of Home Accessories

I was going to save this for Brett's birthday but I couldn't wait to show him after I opened it up. In case you haven't heard, Lisa Leonard has recently released a new line of home decor and accessories made from pewter and ready to be customized. Lisa asked if I'd be interested in a complimentary gift and I knew right away which of her new pieces to pick.

The pewter keepsake bowl is just the right size for storing keys or spare change and an easy gift for your honey or your dad. I asked her to add part of the chorus from one of our favorite songs, Home by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros.

With Mother's Day just around the corner you may want to check out some of the other beautiful options from Lisa Leonard Designs such as the Custom Magnets, the Pennant Banner, or Pewter Heart Wall Hanging. Mother's Day orders are being taken until May 2nd so be sure to get yours placed soon!

Thanks so much, Lisa! Brett loved the sentiment and now has a place specifically for the keys to his birthday present from last year!

And just in case you're not familiar with that beautiful song...

xoxo,
Rachel