Smile and Wave

Come On Over!

2011-06-01T18:36:00.002-05:00

Smile and Wave has a new home! I've transferred all of the posts from this year to Typepad and plan on bringing the rest over later this week or next for easy access and to keep the feeling of a substantial blog intact. I've still got some unpacking to do in my new space but it feels good to have a fresh, new look.

Thank you for all of the sweet comments shared on Twitter and Typepad about the makeover. I'm taking the rest of the night off to relax and spend some quality time with a husband who hasn't seen much of me in the last few days! He's been so great to keep the kids occupied, keep the house running, and keep food in the fridge while I knocked this monster out. I think he's earned at least one long afternoon to ride off into the sunset with his scooter friends.

I'd love to have you join me in my new location, whether you use Google Friend Connect or Blog Lovin', and I hope to get the RSS feed plugged in this week. The list continues.

Come see me!

xoxo,
Rachel

Updating my FAQ's Page

2011-05-31T12:39:00.002-05:00

I'd love to hear any of your blog/life/crafty/vintage related questions in the comment section below so I can update my FAQ page and keep it fresh and relevant. I know you guys are DYING to know if I floss my teeth every day. Ha! (For the record, I don't.) Thanks in advance for keeping it polite.

The blog makeover is coming along nicely and will be ready for action tomorrow afternoon!

xoxo,
Rachel

Work In Progress

2011-05-29T23:57:00.002-05:00

I've been spending most of my increments of work time rebranding and creating a new blog over on Typepad. It's given me a new appreciation for how much work goes into these things, even for those who aren't spending over two hours figuring out how to correctly code a nav bar. I plan on sharing a full post (or two) on how I decided to make a change, what tools I've used to feel slightly more adequate, and some tutorials that helped fill in the blanks.

I spent most of Saturday afternoon clearing brush from a fence line in our backyard for a background for a banner photo idea. Then I scrapped it. I also hauled (with help from the poison ivy-covered husband) props out to the other side of my house for another banner idea, spent two hours designing said banner idea, and then scrapped that one this afternoon after coming up with a third idea.

It's been quite the challenge but I haven't felt this excited about having learned something technical and complex since college. It feels good to have set a big goal and then knuckle sandwiched it into submission. This may lead to setting more goals. WATCH out.

I'd like to publicly thank Elise Blaha Cripe for offering her class on blog design and saving my night with some post-class assistance in coding. I heart that girl.

I hope you have a lovely Memorial Day. We're celebrating with a handful of neighbors and remembering those who have served and sacrificed for our country. There will be ice cream and a kiddie sized swimming pool involved.

xoxo,
Rachel

Giveaway Day: May Sponsors

2011-05-27T14:31:00.004-05:00

It's giveaway day on Smile and Wave which means ONE HAPPY COMMENTER will win ALL OF THE GIVEAWAYS BELOW! A few of this month's sponsors are generously offering items ranging in value of $25 - $50 to a lucky Smile and Wave reader. Read through and see how you can enter to win.

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Gingiber

"Hi, my name is Stacie and I run Gingiber, and online nursery decor shop. I love to create doodles that will appeal to both the kiddos and adults in a home! I am super excited to be giving away a $25 credit to my shop!

Giveaway: $25 shop credit

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Arian Armstrong

Arian Armstrong is a wife, mommy, drawer of cute things, experimental chef, crafter, and lover of all things vintage.

Giveaway: 3 prints of the winner's choice, value-$45

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Green Dandelion

Hi!! Green Dandelion is a very new business set up by three sisters Lauren, Jess and Tatum to create and sell clothes, toys and accessories for children (sizes 2-12). With a love for thrifting, a majority of our pieces feature upcycled and vintages materials found on our treasure hunts.

For us the ultimate goal is to be a 100% ethical, fair trade, organic company catering for adults and children in all sizes. If you have any questions or want to work together to create a custom order, email us on info@greendandelion.com.au and together we can work something out.

Find us on our website Green Dandelion and from there you will find links to our online store, facebook and twitter.

Xxx The Green Dandelion Girls

Giveaway: $50 gift card to Green Dandelion

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The-Loudmouth

Hi! My name is Stephanie. I'm a small-town girl who recently moved to Los Angeles with big dreams & a zest for life! I have a blog about food, fashion and city adventures at The-Loudmouth.com and an Etsy shop that showcases my photography! I am sure one of these prints would look great in your home :)

Giveaway: Your choice of 5 prints, valued at $25.

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No Ordinary Mommy

Hello! I'm Faith, designer and creator behind OrdinaryMommy. My line includes hair accessories, jewelry, and home decor pieces full of color and soft textures; intertwined in all of my designs is a love for fun, style, and also my unique perspective! My fondest wish is that my pieces make you smile. If you open that package and there's a smile on your face, that's what really matters to me.

Giveaway: Plush Owl Door Hanger shown above. Valued at $25.00.

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One winner will receive ALL of the giveaway items mentioned above!

TO ENTER TO WIN leave a comment below sharing something you love about the handmade community. Short and sweet or long and wordy! The comments will close on Monday and a winner will be announced soon after. Thank you to all the sponsors that joined in on this fun giveaway!

Also, I'm making the move over to a new blog soon. I'm MORE THAN A LITTLE excited about this space getting a fresh look! If you'd like to join Smile and Wave as a new summer sponsor check out this post for details.

xoxo,

Rachel

Vintage Here, Vintage There: Out and About

2011-05-27T13:49:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, we headed out to a park we always forget exists despite the chilly temps. I was on a mission to find mushrooms! Nathaniel Green Park apparently has some fun play places, one of which is mushroom themed, that are not only interesting but interactive. Fun for the kids AND cute for photos, right?

Not that we need much more cuteness than this.

We didn't make it to the mushrooms but we did stumble upon a pretty little garden with a Ruby-sized bridge and a small pond full of tadpoles and water bugs.

Ruby was so excited about those tadpoles that I thought she may fall in. She shimmied right down to the edge of the pond and waved and waved at those little swimmers. It's the little things, folks.

I bought my dress from Past Times Vintage a few weeks ago after seeing it pop up in a search for cotton dresses. I immediately fell for the colors and I loved the vertical stripes. Hello, slimming!

I found the bag at a church sale that I randomly drove past last month. You can't beat an interesting purse for $ .25. Deal of the month? Close.

I'm wearing: Vintage dress, Past Times Vintage. Cardigan and belt, Target. Boots, thrifted. Vintage purse, thrifted.

Ruby's wearing: Denim pea coat, thrifted. Vintage dress, gifted from an online friend. Tights and shoes, gifted from Mom.

Ruby loved trying to keep up with Sebastian when she wasn't getting a free ride on Daddy's shoulders.

Sometimes little adventures in town can be just what a work-at-home mama needs. They're usually inexpensive, can be enjoyed before (or after) nap time so that everyone is in a good mood, and can happen on a whim. I've been thinking about making another list of all of the places we never think to visit in Springfield for afternoons like these.

Here are some fun purses for afternoon adventures such as these: leather, needlepoint, floral, carpetbag, woven leather, hand-tooled , ethnic.

What kinds of little adventures do you take yourself or your family on? Head 'over there' later today to see what kind of big adventure Rubyellen and her girls went on this week (local AND free!) and try not to wish you could have gone, too! Hint: the most magical place on Earth.

xoxo,

Rachel

Running In Place

2011-05-26T23:31:00.002-05:00

Going to bed a bit early tonight. I looked in the mirror this morning and it really bothered me how tired I looked. I'm bad at going to bed before 11:00 p.m. but that's my goal bedtime. Starting...tomorrow night. Look for a long overdue Vintage Here, Vintage There post on Friday as well as sponsor giveaways!

Sweet dreams,

Rachel

Just Pull The Blanket Over Your Head

2011-05-24T23:04:00.005-05:00

Today's sunny, breezy, warmish weather paired with a porch project involving outdoor string lights reminded me that summer is almost, almost here. It took me back to last summer's family vacation to Destin, FL and the perfect afternoon Ruby, Brett and I had the day before we went home.

I made this beach blanket out of some of my favorite vintage sheets the week before we left for that trip, sewing late into the night to make sure it was finished before we boarded the plane the next morning! It is soft and light for summer days but nice and large so the whole family can fit on it.

Today, however, I just wanted to crawl under it and hide from tornadoes. Joplin, MO is only an hour up the road from us and was completely devastated by an F5 tornado earlier this week. I couldn't stop reading tweets about it and checking news sites for the latest information. Then I got a phone call from my mom this afternoon saying they were corralling everyone at her school into the safe room and that she loved me. I could hear the adrenaline in her voice and started calling the rest of the family in OK to see what they knew.

I called my dad who was on the road coming back from a work event and passed along the message from Mom that he shouldn't drive any further North. I don't think he paid any attention to that because he ended up in the basement of a hospital pretty close to their home. I couldn't reach them for awhile so I called my grandparents to get news updates and stayed glued to Twitter and online news sites.

I called my Meemaw when Brett told me one of the tornadoes was headed towards her town and she told me she was headed to the closet. It skipped her town and headed to Shawnee, the town we went to college in and still have good friends in. Then I heard it was headed to Ada and called my grandparents again to check on them.

A little later and another tornado was headed towards the Dallas area, which makes sense, BECAUSE THAT'S NEAR WHERE THE REST OF MY SIDE OF THE FAMILY LIVES. I felt like a crazy woman! Thankfully, all were safe at the end of the day. Except as I type it's the end of the day and the storms are headed to Springfield. Awesome.

I'm so thankful for the safety of my family after seeing the devastation in Joplin. I will forever take tornado warnings and sirens more seriously. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers today as I shared my concern for family on Twitter. My heart goes out to those who have sad stories to tell.

I'm off to hide under my blanket until I hear either the sirens or the sound of a four year old saying he's ready for breakfast.

xoxo,
Rachel

Project ReStyle Guest Post on A Beautiful Mess

2011-05-22T23:26:00.002-05:00

I found two old children's cots awhile back at a local thrift store. This is what happened next. For the full story head over to Elsie's blog for my Project ReStyle Guest Post and favorite ReStyles from our Flickr group.

xoxo,
Rachel

Now Accepting June Sponsors

2011-05-22T14:46:00.004-05:00

I've been working behind the scenes for a few weeks on a much needed Smile and Wave makeover after almost two years with it's current design. I'm refreshing the navigation bar pages, organizing my features, and generally bringing things up to date in appearance to reflect what this space currently represents in my life.  I can't wait to see if it turns out how I envision it in my head. Fingers crossed!

That said, I'm currently accepting sponsors for June. Ad sizes will be different but the price will remain the same through the end of the summer so it's a great time to jump on board before I raise rates in September!

I am introducing a new single feature ad spot starting in June. It will be larger, remain at the top all month, and have the option of a separate giveaway or feature post. First come, first serve! E-mail my ad managers at admanagers(at)frecklednest(dot)com for more details and to secure your spot(s).

I'm excited for a new look and can't wait to share!
xo,
Rachel

More Wedding Photos!

2011-05-21T22:38:00.006-05:00

Here are a few photos from my regular camera. I know the photos that Sarah from Arrow & Apple took of the wedding weekend are going to be stunning and I can't wait to see them! That's the thing about weddings. They take months to plan and a day to enjoy but then you can revel in the photos that start popping up for as long as you want!

Have you been to any weddings yet this year? What was your favorite detail? This is the first wedding I'd been in since my other bestie got married almost seven years ago and it was such a fun time!

xoxo,
Rachel

An Instagram Wedding Weekend

2011-05-17T23:20:00.005-05:00

It was lovely from the bachelorette party all the way through to the reception break down. I can't even pin point my favorite part as there were so many good conversations, sentimental moments, and yummy treats!

My bridesmaids dress and shoes were from ModCloth. I am pretty sure I'll actually have occasion to wear them again, too! Elsie and Emma and all of the others involved in the creation of such a beautiful event should be totally proud of what they pulled off. I'm always going to remember that weekend.

We've been traveling to see Brett's family for a few days so it's been spotty posting from a change of pace and we're coming up on a three day drill weekend but I think I'll be able to squeeze some fun posts in between single mama duty and post traveling clean up. Plus, I have a fun new coffee table find to share!

xoxo,
Rachel

The Best Wedding Ever

2011-05-16T22:33:00.004-05:00

I think I'm still recovering from a marathon wedding weekend! I've never been to such a beautiful event and had the best time with the girls in the bridal party! So much so that I kind of wish we could do that every month. Minus the sore feet from standing in wooden heels all day!

As some of you saw, I posted Instagrams throughout the weekend to not only document the details and special moments but to share the fun with everyone! Expect a photo heavy post tomorrow. As for now, I'm catching up on family time, giving Brett a much needed break, and getting the house back to a manageable state of disarray.

Also, that fantastic beehive took thirty minutes of conditioner and gentle untangling to get out. It was worth it.

xoxo,
Rachel

To Elsie & Jeremy On Their Wedding Day

2011-05-15T06:36:00.005-05:00

Elsie, I remember the day I met Jeremy after having heard all about this bearded man that made beautiful music. I was nervous to meet this guy you held in such high regard because it obviously meant he was extra special. I had a feeling from the beginning that he was going to be a part of the rest of your story.

Jeremy, you and Elsie are so well matched. It seems as though you enable each other to step into your fullest potential and share a special understanding of how valuable each other's gifts and talents are. It makes me so happy knowing one of my best friends has found happiness with such an exceptional guy.

I'm so thankful to get to watch all of this happen and to share in your special day by standing up there with you two and all of the people that love you most as you commit your love to each other. I love you guys.

xoxo,
Rachel

Sharing Love, One Dress At A Time

2011-05-10T21:14:00.007-05:00

As you may know, this week is KCWC over on Elsie Marley's blog. I'm sure some of you have been squeezing in an hour a day over the last two days to make something for your own little ones to wear. I started early and took a break on Sunday to sit down and work on one of the simplest of patterns out there, the pillow case dress.

I thoroughly enjoy making things for my kids. They don't always understand or have the capacity to appreciate handmade things right now but I hope they'll look back at photos and old blog posts and see it as another way their mama loved on them. (There is that pose again!)

For this pillow case dress I used a vintage floral pillow case from my collection, extra-wide double fold bias tape, and grosgrain ribbon. The trim on the bottom was already there. I used what I had on hand and it took me about twenty minutes to figure out the logistics and put it together. Twenty minutes, folks!

I love me an instant gratification sewing project!

The thing is, our friends Katy and Adam are headed out to Haiti in June to take clothing and necessary supplies to orphans that attend a school that their church, New Bru (or Center City Church) helps sponsor.  The organization that started the orphanage, Center of Hope, celebrated it's opening last October. New Bru is hoping to send over as many pillow case dresses as possible for the little girls that attend the school as well as ones in surrounding communities.

So, one pillow case dress turned into three.

And three turned into five. Five dresses took me an hour and a half to make but will be enjoyed by a handful of girls at the school for a long time.

I would LOVE if you would join me in making a pillow case dress (or two, or five) to send to these girls in Haiti. If you're participating in KCWC,  or just really like to sew, think about taking an extra twenty minutes  this week or next to put together a simple pillow case dress for an  orphaned girl in Haiti.

My friend, Katy, has more information on the work their church does through members that live and work there if you're interested in finding out more. You can contact Katy Shatto at did2613(at)hotmail(dot)com to find out where to send your dresses when you're done.

Standard sized pillow cases will fit most elementary age girls in Haiti but they are also passing them out to younger girls in surrounding communities so they have a need for smaller sizes as well. The only guideline is that they aren't made from solid red pillow cases or any fabric with patriotic (American flag) prints. You can find a variety of tutorials to make your own including this one, this one, or this one.

For every dress sent to Katy, a name will be added for a chance to win a $50 gift certificate to Fabricworm! If you send five dresses, you have five chances of winning $50 worth of fabric! All dresses must be post marked June 1st in order to arrive in time and the winner will be announced later that week.

What a great opportunity to share love in the form of something so essential to daily life. I'm looking forward to hearing Katy's stories of passing out dresses and supplies this summer and will happily report back to share what your kindness helped accomplish.

Again, for more details and an address to send your dresses to, e-mail Katy Shatto at did2613(at)hotmail(dot)com.

Thank you in advance from the bottom of my heart!
xoxo,
Rachel

Vintage Here, Vintage There: Mother's Day

2011-05-09T22:06:00.006-05:00

Mother's Day this year was pretty low key. Brett had finals looming so he had to study, Ruby got sick and was working on a few molars coming in, and I was just plain tired. Thankfully, we had beautiful weather! We let Brett study in my studio and got outside for a bit to play in our makeshift pool.

Ruby had a fever the night before but she was happy to get in that cold water and forget she was sick for awhile.

Her sun suit is from Nanna's Attic on Etsy. I saw it last week when preparing links for VH,VT and it reminded me of something I had when I was little. I think mine may have been a smock but it had a tulip on it. Mom or Grandmother, does that ring a bell? I got another vintage romper for her from the same shop that I'm hoping to use as a pattern to make some myself.

After a long day of relaxing Brett took a study break and we headed downtown for some iced coffee. I decided we should take advantage of the change of scenery for this week's VH,VT. Springfield, you have some great alleys.

This is a dress I got from Red Velvet last year and wore earlier in the year on a bowling trip. I realized after we left the house that I was wearing the wrong bra with this dress so it looks a little busty! HA!

I'm wearing: Vintage dress, Red Velvet. Belt, thrifted. Shoes, Target. Vintage scarf, thrifted. Sunglasses, ModCloth.

While Brett was taking photos of me, the littlest one was sneaking drinks from my iced coffee. Naughty, naughty.

Sebastian was pretending to be Spiderman and loved being in those back alleys! Ruby chased birds and tried to climb some loft dweller's back stairs.

Ruby's wearing: Summer smock gifted from 3RingCircus. Bloomers, thrifted. Vintage Minnetonka moccasins, thrifted. Heather of 3RingCircus is a sweet online friend and sent this and another pretty embroidered top that her daughter, Penelope, had outgrown. Thanks, Heather! We love them.

I'm so thankful to be their mother. So, so thankful.

I'm pretty sure every lady needs a vintage scarf in her wardrobe. Here are a few I found on Etsy: Here, here, here, here, and here.

Did you have a special Mother's Day? Did you get to wear a pretty dress? I know Rubyellen and her family had a relaxed Mother's Day weekend as well and I can't wait to see what she wore on her special day!

xoxo,
Rachel

p.s. Thank you for your votes for the Top 25 Kids' Style Blogs! You got Smile and Wave in the top 10 and I'm so flattered and thankful!

April Sponsor Giveaway Winner!

2011-05-08T23:12:00.001-05:00

Thank you to everyone who commented and shared their favorite thing to collect in last month's sponsor giveaway post! Also, a big thank you to all of the sponsors who participated!

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The winner of the April Sponsor Giveaway is...

Cece's Mommy

"I collect salt and pepper shakers, the cuter the better!"

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Cece, e-mail me with your mailing address at racheldenbow(at)gmail(dot)com and I'll be sure to send it out to my sponsors so you can receive all of your goodies!

xoxo,
Rachel

p.s. Today is the last day to Vote on the Top 25 Kids' Style blogs! Thank you for the big vote boost this morning already! Even if you've already voted there are a ton of blogs to browse through and add to your inspiration list. I've already got some new favorites. Thank you!

Last Week in Instagrams

2011-05-06T21:17:00.007-05:00

It's going to be a full week ending in a fun and exciting weekend! I'm going to be playing catch up all day on Monday and Tuesday with posting (hello, April Sponsor Giveaway!) and Mother's Day photos. Ruby got sick and Brett had finals to study for so it was low key and we were all pretty sleep deprived. Nevertheless, it was good to be together!

I hope your weekend was enjoyable! Monday starts Elsie Marley's Kids' Clothes Week Challenge and I fully plan on squeezing at least two dresses into some nap time slots. I'm also excited to share an opportunity to help clothe some orphans in Haiti so stay tuned!

xoxo,
Rachel

P.S.  Monday is the last day to vote for friends in the Top 25 Kids' Style category on Circle of Moms. It's been exciting to be in the top 12 since the start of the contest! I'd love your last vote today. Thank you for being such lovely readers!

House Tour #3, Part 3: Master Bedroom

2011-05-04T17:21:00.008-05:00

I've shared the kids' room, the living room, the kitchen and middle room, and now the master bedroom. We've been in this rental for six months now and other than the studio feel like we're settled. Almost everything has found it's place, the walls are full, and most importantly it feels like home.

Knowing we'd likely only be living here for a year, it was important to get things unpacked and arranged as quickly as possible so that we could really enjoy our time here rather than seeing it as a temporary space. That said, I'm not the kind of girl that can have her house set up in a week. For some reason (and maybe that reason is named Ruby) I get things done in layers and spurts.

I like to get things where I think they should go and then see how it works for us. I need to feel out traffic patterns and whether or not a certain arrangement is useful.

Our bedroom wasn't a complicated space to set up but it took me up until the day before I took these photos in late March to decide what to put on the walls. We didn't have much on the walls in our old bedroom besides two mirrors and a giant gas station number (still included in this one) and we had a completely different furniture arrangement. We also purchased our first ever bed frame for Christmas! This means we're adults now, right?

I brought in a few things I had hanging in my studio in our last rental like this orange and cream gas station signage as well as some things that were in storage tubs such as the For Like Ever print and a matted photograph from a friend in college.

The bench finally got it's coat(s) of paint and was given a home at the end of our bed. In a perfect world I would have adorable pillows stacked in the corner but it currently acts as a clean laundry catch all.

Yes. We have piles.

We have two bedspreads and a duvet (gift from a special lady) that we regularly keep on our bed during the colder nights but keep the duvet stored in our closet when it's warmer. The hounds tooth bedspread is from Urban Outfitters and still one of my favorite patterns. The pink bedspread is from the Liberty of London line from Target a few years back. The duvet (not shown) is from Anthropologie.

I've always loved the look of random photo collections hanging near a bed. I had photos of me and my best friends taped to the wall through high school and college but stopped when I got married because it felt too 'young' and uncouth. Ha! I've made this one a little more grown up by using photos and art with common themes and colors.

The stair case is where Brett and I spent one of the last evenings chatting away before Christmas break our first semester. We weren't dating yet but it was obviously headed that direction. He was off to India and I was going home and it felt like we'd never see each other again. Ahhh, young love.

The old photo is a copy of one my Meemaw gave me. I'm not really sure about the story behind it but it's right after her and my PawPaw's wedding ceremony. Mom, remind me of those details next time we talk. They look so happy and smitten.

The Enid Collins purse was given to me by my Grandmother and has seen some use lately but is usually carefully placed on a little shelf in my closet to keep certain toddlers from coloring on it.

The band poster above my dresser was a purchase from Domestica earlier in the year. I fell in love with the colors and design right away and THEN realized it was from a favorite band of ours! The clipboard used to be in the kids' room but was a small one from Staples that I painted with chalkboard paint. I plan on rotating photos and the chalkboard paint makes it fun to add details. The matted photo is from a friend from college.

I made the curtains for this room the same way I did in the kids' room by stitching almost all the way around all four sides of cut fabric and a vintage sheet (the lining), turning it right side out, stitching all the way around it, ironing it, and hanging it from clips. It's fast, easy, and allows for the curtain panels to slide back and forth without much tugging.

I removed the DIY lighting from above the bed for photos as it was getting in the way of some clear shots but we keep it up all of the time. It's good mood lighting for...umm...reading...and stuff. Ha!

The only thing left to show is my studio but don't hold your breath. I may save that one until the very end of the year the way things are going right now. It's full of half-finished projects and those last few boxes we haven't unpacked. Maybe I shouldn't even look in them and donate them to Goodwill, huh!

Also, our home is rarely as clean and clutter free as it is in these images because we lead busy lives and have little ones like many of you. Ask my neighbors! However, all my messes are colorful and all my piles a sign of fun being had.

I totally subscribe to the idea that you can make a space you love on a budget with a little patience and a strong idea of what you want. If you're totally overwhelmed with where to start in your home or are wanting to plan for your next place I've shared everything I know about
pulling it together and making it work in my recent E-Course, Style Your Space. It includes guidance and resources on finding your specific style, how to work with what you have, getting the most out of your arrangements, and four fun DIY's to make your space more fun. Details here.

I'm so thankful for our current house. Even our leaky basement. We no longer have to worry about where to go when the tornado sirens go off!

What's your favorite thing about your space? Do you have a lot of half-finished corners? Do you like to rearrange every few months? How do you keep it feeling fresh?

xoxo,
Rachel

Furniture: End table and two dressers, Craigslist. Bench and chair, thrifted. Lamp, K-Mart. Bed frame, AllModern.

Lighting & Accessories: Large industrial light, thrifted. Large gas station #3 and smaller metal gas station sign, thrifted. Vintage fan, books, and birds, thrifted. Picture frame, thrifted and painted. Fake rotary phone, found but originally from Pottery Barn.

Art: For Like Ever print originally from ReForm School. Frame purchased from Michael's Craft Store. The New Pornographers poster, Domestica.

Linens: Hounds tooth bedspread, Urban Outfitters. Liberty of London bedspread, Target. Liberty of London pillow, thrifted but originally from Target. Cross pillow and curtains, handmade by me. Afghan, thrifted.

Vintage Here, Vintage There: Warm Weather

2011-05-03T17:32:00.008-05:00

We took full advantage of the sunny weather today after so many days of rain and gray skies. Total mood changer! We went to a few fabric stores, played in the front yard, and made some messes inside. We're good at making them but I wish we were better at cleaning them up.

Ruby's wearing: Thrifted vintage top, tank top American Apparel from Gilt Group, white capris from Old Navy, navy Mary Janes gifted (Old Navy) from my mom.

Sebastian's wearing: Vintage shirt from Miskabelly, pants and shoes, Target.

I'm wearing: Vintage floral dress, Red Velvet. Vintage belt and shoes, thrifted.

Do you think it's easier or harder to incorporate vintage into your wardrobe during warmer months? If you love vintage dresses, probably. Even with cardigans, tights, and boots I was always a little too cold to feel really comfortable wearing dresses in January (or April this year!). Now that it's May I foresee dresses every day that we're hoping to get out of the house.

Here are a few of my favorite every day dresses from some favorite shops: Collared, Embroidered, Checked, and Denim and lace.

I'm looking forward to seeing how Rubyellen styled her baby bump and three beauties 'over there'. They always look so good! Oh, and see how much fun they had for True's fifth birthday over the weekend. Ponies!

Thanks for reading. I appreciate it so much!
xo,
Rachel

Their New Pillows

2011-05-02T14:41:00.001-05:00

I purchased these two pillows on Etsy a few weeks ago to add to the kids' Easter baskets but only got them unloaded from our road trip this weekend. The bird pillow is from Skinny Laminx and the lion pillow is from Sass and Peril. Both shops are full of beautifully designed product if you aren't familiar with them.

Ruby is so much more affectionate and attached to her dolls and plushies than Sebastian was. He's definitely BFF with his latest Transformer and loves to act out scenarios with the Autobots and Decepticons and he still sleeps with his teddy bear but it's kind of a casual friendship.

Ruby on the other hand gets her dolls in a death grip when she squeezes them. She passes out kisses like candy and has no favorites. All are loved equally. Part of her bedtime routine is saying goodnight not only to her dollies but to the girls in the two art prints near her crib. And the globes. And sometimes Teddy when she feels like Sebastian hasn't given him enough attention.

Do your kiddos have a favorite stuffed animal or doll? I got one of mine back from my parents' house over Christmas. I'll have to share soon.

xo,
Rachel

Misha Lulu Giveaway Winner!

2011-05-02T13:44:00.003-05:00

The Misha Lulu giveaway winner is...

Ana said...

Karen is so talented. My favorite activity is making crafts outside in our yard and also watching my 4 year old daughter water our plants and flowers. She loves to do that.

Congrats, Ana! Please be sure to e-mail me so I can pass it along to Karen. Thanks to everyone who took time to enter this fantastic giveaway!

xo,

Rachel

The Monday After

2011-05-01T23:51:00.007-05:00

I will always remember hearing about it on Twitter first. Nothing's over but I'll still take it. I'll take a little hope that things have a chance of shifting.

I'm proud of my brother and husband and the ways they are committed to serving their country and wonder how this changes things. IF this changes things.

I stayed up way too late thinking about all of this. Remind me to buy a newspaper or two.

xo,
Rachel

Project Weekend

2011-04-28T23:50:00.004-05:00

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!

2011-04-28T23:06:00.001-05:00

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

2011-04-28T12:02:00.007-05:00

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

2011-04-27T14:13:00.003-05:00

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

2011-04-26T13:26:00.008-05:00

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

2011-04-26T00:35:00.002-05:00

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

2011-04-25T00:24:00.003-05:00

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!

2011-04-25T00:04:00.002-05:00

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

2011-04-22T00:45:00.003-05:00

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

2011-04-21T14:56:00.002-05:00

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

Misha Lulu Giveaway!

2011-04-20T16:34:00.003-05:00

Wearing Misha Lulu not only makes your kids look adorable, it makes them smarter. True story.

Me: Hey, Ruby! Where's Madagascar?

Ruby: It's East of Mozambique, mother dearest.

Me: Hey Ruby, what does the zebra say?

Ruby: Zebra's don't talk, Mama!

Karen of Misha Lulu is generously offering a pair of the green shorts and tiger shirt (shown above on the lovely Penelope!) to a lucky reader! Sizes run from 12-18 months all the way up to an 8 and I can speak from experience saying Misha Lulu's pieces are extra special. They are interesting, well made, and super fun to mix and match.

For your chance to win, leave a comment sharing your favorite spring time activity as well as a way to get in touch if you don't have an active blog. Giveaway will end on Sunday, April 24th.

If you haven't already seen Misha Lulu's newest lines, Africa, Paris, and New York, you'll want to browse through and check out their loveliness! There's also a Surplus Store with clearance items from previous lines in case you missed out the first time around.

xoxo,
Rachel

Vintage Here, Vintage There: A Vintage Easter

2011-04-19T14:24:00.012-05:00

This week's VH,VT post is dedicated to vintage Easter outfits! Whether you celebrate Easter at church or at home, it's a great reason to dress up for an extra special occasion so Rubyellen and I thought it'd be fun to share what we're dressing our kiddos in this year.

I've got a little bit of a stock pile of pretty spring dresses for Ruby to wear. A few of them were purchased recently from Etsy but most were local finds or gifts.

Many of them I've had since we found out we were having a girl almost a year and a half ago and they've still got some growing room because we've got a petite little girl on our hands.

I was originally going to take photos of the dresses and thought I'd get some props out to make it more fun but Ruby jumped right in and started playing quietly with her Easter eggs. So, I carefully turned her around for better light and took advantage of her sitting still to get some fun Easter shots!

In the above photos, Ruby's wearing a vintage gingham dress that I found locally, thrifted seersucker bloomers, and sandals from Target. The vintage sand bucket was found in Pauls Valley, OK.

I did an ad trade for two sweet vintage dresses from Blue Bird Lucy's that were extra special and then purchased one from Ms. Tips vintage (all in the same day) to make sure one of the three fit. The one above is from Ms. Tips and is still a little big but the shape of it allows for the sash to tighten it a bit and make it work. One of the other two will probably fit by the end of the summer and the other can be next year's Easter dress!

I told Kim of Blue Bird Lucy's that I'd love to have them all out on  display but I doubt Sebastian would be excited about  staring at dresses all of the time.

I love the detail on this dress. Even the back is pretty.

The above are all the dresses I pulled to have her try on today to make sure we were set for Sunday. On more than one occasion I've planned way ahead in gathering things and then forgotten something like matching tights or the shoes were suddenly too small or the cardigan to go over something was dirty. Ruby was a good sport about letting me dress and undress her and towards the end I could just tell one was going to be too big.

I rarely have luck finding vintage shoes locally but we do find a lot of shoes at our local consignment and thrift stores. Lately I've been finding things a few sizes too big that she can grow into so I headed off to the mall last weekend to find her something to match her dresses. I came home with the light pink pair of patent leather shoes from Old Navy and then went back earlier today for a pair of darker pink shoes for her more casual dresses. The sandals were from Target a few weeks ago. This girl is set for the next few months unless her feet decide to grow all of the sudden!

It may be a little close to Easter to guarantee a vintage dress or shoes makes it to your house in time but here are some of my favorites from Etsy vintage shops.

Dresses: lemon chiffon, pink ruffles, drop waist, pink gingham and lace, sheer white, lilac, yellow smocked dress, pink chiffon, mint romper, pixel dress.

For the little men: shorts with suspenders, vest and pants, romper, shirt and bow tie, blue baby suit, striped dress shirt, shorts suit, bow tie, blue jumper.

Shoes: pink jellies, Stride Rites, navy Walkrights, eighties does fifties, huaraches, more vintage jellies, suede moccasins, saddle shoes #1, saddle shoes #2, fancy and metallic.

As far as my own Easter dress, the jury is still out. Really, I just haven't gotten that far yet! I'm sure I have something perfectly lovely already in my closet that just needs a little taken in at the bottom so I'll be sure to share what we all ended up in next week.

Be sure to check in over there with the Bratchers later to see what they're doing for Easter this year!

Do you already have Easter Sunday outfits figured out at your house?

xoxo,
Rachel

Vote If You Want

2011-04-18T22:03:00.002-05:00

There are plenty of new blogs to follow on this Top 25 Kids' Style List so it's at least worth a browse through. It was flattering that someone added Smile and Wave and it's fun to be on the list with a few of my favorites! You can vote once a day until May 9th.

xoxo,
Rachel

Elsie & Emma's Dream Job E-Course

2011-04-18T16:28:00.003-05:00

I didn't get a chance to post about this last week because we were up to our elbows in a stomach virus but I'm so happy to share Elsie and Emma's newest E-Course, Dream Job. It's everything they know about starting, growing, and sustaining a small business with plenty of personal anecdotes added in.

If anyone has figured out what it takes to make things happen and enjoy them at the same time, it's Elsie and Emma. I think this course would be an affordable option for anyone who wants to see if being their own boss is the way to go.

You can see the full list of course sessions and register for your spot here.

Thank you for all of the fantastic e-mails and tweets I've been receiving from those of you who have purchased Style Your Space! It's always affirming to know something you've worked so hard on was enjoyed and well-received.

Time for Personal Projects!

2011-04-17T23:20:00.003-05:00

Every day, during my little window of nap time opportunity, I work on projects. Whether it be editing photos, blogging, painting chalkboards, or photographing DIY's in progress, I'm usually able to accomplish a lot because I know I only have about 1.5 to 2 hours to work. This weekend I spent Saturday attempting to sew my first skirt for Ruby. It was a big fail. I DID manage the second one while she was awake and sorting crayons in the studio. Thank goodness skirts are quick!

Sunday's nap was much more productive. I accounted for my mistakes with the second two and even finished a little dress. The green skirt was made from vintage place mats and the pink one was from a vintage linen table cloth. They are both pretty loose on Ruby so I still need to adjust my 'pattern' and then they'll be fantastic with a tank top or tee this spring/summer!

This is a dress made from parts of two vintage men's shirts. The part around her chest is about 1/2" too snug so I'm going to take it apart and rework it and take measurements from the finished piece to make a few more.

I don't usually mess with sewing projects that require patterns but I'm getting to the point where I really want to challenge myself with sewing clothes again and need to get my hands dirty with the technicalities of, oh, measurements and such. I can see the wonky parts on this dress in these photos but it is going to be so cute on my little one once it's put back together! The vintage cotton is the perfect weight for hot days to come and you can't beat those plaids from the eighties!

Did you get to sneak in a personal project this weekend?

xoxo,
Rachel

4,000 Followers Giveaway Winner!

2011-04-15T17:38:00.003-05:00

Thank you to everyone who has followed Smile and Wave through Google Friend Connect, Bloglovin', Feedburner, RSS feed or any other method you like. I appreciate how precious blog reading time is and I love that you choose to head this direction on a regular basis. Thank you!

Now for our winner!

with love, the fishers said...

Yay! My name is Dena & you've been a daily read of mine for 2 years and I've loved every last bit of it. Congrats!

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SO, 'with love, the fishers', e-mail me with your full name and mailing address and I'll send you your complimentary High Five print from Pretty Little Thieves! (racheldenbow(at)gmail(dot)com)

xoxo,
Rachel

Vintage Here, Vintage There: Misha Lulu and Vintage

2011-04-15T16:49:00.001-05:00

It's been a little bit since I've posted VH,VT in this space as most of my attention has gone to writing Style Your Space  these last two weeks and this week it's just Ruby girl because I have  been either dressed to impress and without a picture taker around or not  feeling it. However, I plan on taking care of that this week and the  next with a few dresses that deserve a little attention!

We've  recently had a stretch of warm weather and spruced up our porch a bit!  Whenever we're not eating or reading she is signing, "Go outside!" We  usually end up on the front porch where we can water the flowers or play  with our new stray kitty friend but since Ruby was wearing her new Misha Lulu tank we decided to go on safari in the wild backyard.

Ruby had her pink, vintage moccasins on for such an occasion. It's easier to sneak up on unsuspecting tigers if you're quiet.

We picked Violets and smelled them.

Ruby thought her tiger might want to smell them, too!

Ruby's wearing: Misha Lulu tank. Pants, Target. Moccasins, vintage/thrifted.

I can't wait to share more from Misha Lulu's newest collections! Let's just say there's a fantastic giveaway involved and if you've ever been on the fence about getting a special piece or two from her line, you won't regret it. The clothes are so well made, bright and colorful, and versatile enough to work with the rest of your daughter's wardrobe. I'm a big fan!!

Head over to Rubyellen's blog to see how she dressed her girls and check out her own beautiful ensemble! That lady knows how to make pregnant look good! We're covering vintage Easter dresses next week because there are SOOO many beautiful little frocks out there that need some good homes.

xoxo,
Rachel

Crafting with Kids Book Review & Giveaway

2011-04-14T23:24:00.006-05:00

Thursday afternoon I started a little craft project to entertain us all. I've been flipping through Jennifer Casa's new book, Teach Yourself Visually Crafting with Kids, ever since it arrived earlier this month and got excited about this fridge magnet match up right away! While Ruby was distracted with her snack I snuck into the studio to make sure I had everything I needed on hand for this quick project.

I located one of my favorite photos of Sebastian from when he was two and a half years old, my sticky magnet paper, and my paper cutter. It literally took me three minutes to round this stuff up and have it finished. I imagine doing this project with Sebastian would take longer but I'd love to see what photos he'd pick out and how we could mix them all up to create hybrid faces. Ha!

It wasn't long before Ruby found me. She decided to lay down on top of my project like a cat might. If it's soft, she's laying on it.

I had her follow me back into the kitchen and stuck the magnet pieces on the fridge while I called Sebastian in to see. He told me he was busy. Yep. Busy.

No problem. It didn't take long for Ruby to figure out that the image was scrambled and after watching me put it back together and scramble it again, she got the idea.

Here she is pointing out Sebastian's nose.

And showing me where hers was. I let her play with the pieces for awhile and rearranged them for Sebastian. I found him in there later staring at it and then suddenly his little hands started to rearrange the photo to it's original state. He couldn't help himself. I love that such a simple, visually interesting project is going to keep us entertained for awhile. I think we'll have to do mug shots of everyone and see how many combinations we can come up with!

I've admired Jennifer as a crafter, blogger, mother for almost four years now and wasn't surprised in the least when she shared this exciting project! She's got the kind of gentle spirit that stirs up the best in other people. Her interest in not only passing on a love for creating to her girls but teaching them lessons through play encourages me regularly to take advantage of this time with my own little ones.

Her book contains 75 projects organized by season as well as a list of tools you may need and ways to alter the projects for different ages. A few of my favorites include the flash card case (above) and the family sign (below).

It strikes me as such a great resource book to have on your shelf for rainy days when you can't think of anything obvious to keep the kids entertained. I can see home school families using it to enrich their curriculum or camp counselors who are planning craft time. It's well organized with easy to read instructions and in many cases, step-by-step photos to help you along the way.

Neither of my kids are old enough to read but I have a feeling Sebastian could easily handle some of these projects without much assistance. Ruby, well...she'll just have to enjoy the ones I make for her to play with (Lift-a-Flap Storybook, Story Puzzle Blocks).

Jennifer and Wiley Craft are offering a copy of Teach Yourself VISUALLY Crafting with Kids to one lucky reader! Leave your name and a comment about a project you did as a kid that stands out in your memory. Winner will be drawn on Sunday, April 18th.

Keep up with the rest of the book tour and more chances to win below!

Monday, April 18 -  Elsie Marley

Wednesday, April 20 - Maya*Made

Friday, April 22 - Stitches in Play

Tuesday, April 26 - Aesthetic Outburst 

Thursday, April 28 - Artsy Crafty Babe

Congrats, Jen! It's such a lovely piece of work!
xoxo,
Rachel

Sicky, Sick, Sick

2011-04-14T00:34:00.002-05:00

We've had two full days (and one long night) of fevers, vomit, achy legs, extra naps, Pedialyte, piles and piles of soiled laundry, little ones needing extra holding, and big ones just wanting those germs to work their way out. The timing could not have been better, though, as far as Brett's schedule goes. Had this happened over the weekend while he was away and while I was wrapping up E-Course writing...well, I don't know what I would've done.

We're hoping the fevers break soon and appetites return. We're kind of forcing liquids on Sebastian and Ruby is still able to nurse so she's doing a bit better than him. Other than that, I'm enjoying the sunshine outside, some happy mail, and looking forward to some lazy (non-sick) days once we catch up on laundry and e-mail. Here's to a boring rest of the month!

Thank you for the enthusiastic response to Style Your Space! It's so exciting to hear what students have been saying and has definitely been a bright spot these last two days!

I hope you're well and happy.
xo,
Rachel

Style Your Space Now Available

2011-04-11T18:03:00.005-05:00

My newest e-Course, Style Your Space, is finally available!

It's everything I've learned about styling a beautiful home on a budget. I share how to find your interior style, tips and tricks on arranging, interviews and room tours from eight other women whose own beautiful homes have influenced my style, and a few DIY's to make things more fun.

This course is for anyone frustrated with their interior style or overwhelmed with pulling it together. Whether you love vintage, modern, factory line, or a little bit of everything, this course offers the tools to help you get the look you're going for. Here's a little info on each session...

Session 1: Introduction - Well curated homes take time and patience but you probably have a lot of what you need already.

Session 2: My Vintage Romance - I share the story of my clueless decorating days, how I found my style, and why it's mostly pretty stuff that used to belong to someone else.

Session 3: Finding Your Style - How to gorge yourself on interior eye candy, digest it, and create a plan. Plenty of resources and links to get you started.

Room Tour: Lisa Congdon - Peek into her well curated living room.

Session 5: Resources - Deciding what you need and where to find the good stuff.

Session 6: Working With What You've Got - What to do whether you're phasing it out or starting from scratch.

Room Tour: Victoria Smith - This lady knows how to use pink!

Session 8: Rules to Follow - Techniques that can make all the difference in how your space looks.

Session 9: Rules To Break - Permission to disobey.

Room Tour: Jenny Mitchell - Her bold and beautiful living room/dining room.

Session11: Scale, Balance, & Composition - Examples from my own space on creating a beautiful vignette and making sure your arrangements are pleasing to the eye.

Session 12: Arranging A Space - What comes first, second, third, etc. when layering your space.

Room Tour: Rubyellen Bratcher - She didn't let her suburban track house stop her from creating a rich space full of character.

Session 14: Display Dealbreakers - How to get it wrong.

Room Tour: Andrea Jenkins - You'd never know it was a rental!

Session 16: Dealing With the Ugly - Ideas to help you get through the rest of your lease.

Session 17: Editing and Organizing - Taking out the clutter and replacing it with harmony.

Room Tour: Ashley Campbell - DIY at it's best in her daughter's bright and cheerful room.

Session 19: DIY Chevron Rug - Get in on this trend without spending a fortune.

Session 20: Mod Industrial Lighting - An easy option when overhead lighting is driving you crazy.

Session 21: Happy Hammock - Taking design outdoors. Step-by-step instructions to creating your new favorite spot in the yard (or your room!).

Session 22: Geometric Art - An easy way to reuse an old frame and get a little creative with your wall space.

Room Tour: Abbey Hendrickson - Not your traditional play room!

Room Tour: Tania Patritti - Her well-organized, colorful studio space.

Session 25: Afterthoughts - How long this could take and how not to panic.

Bonus: Tips on photographing your space to show it's good side.

I'm so proud to have eight special ladies joining me for this e-course. Lisa Congdon, Victoria Smith, Abbey Hendrickson, Andrea Jenkins, Jenny Mitchell, Tania Patritti, Rubyellen Bratcher, and Ashley Campbell.

Each of their unique tastes and trademark spaces have inspired me in some way as I've developed my style over the last few years and I'm sure you'll enjoy their insight into how they put their rooms together. They make it look so effortless!

Style Your Space is full of interior shots of our current and previous spaces with plenty of great ideas on how to introduce color when your home doesn't belong to you. Great for home owners and renters alike who are looking for ways to design a space that feels like home.

This is a 'work at your own pace' course. There are no due dates. Students are encouraged to follow along at their own pace.

You can purchase your course through Red Velvet here.

This project has been in my head for months!It's kind of thrilling to finally have it online and already being enjoyed by people wanting to make the most of their space. I appreciate all of the support from my little family as I've worked on this e-course these past few weeks and for all of your encouraging comments on our room tours!

All my love,
Rachel

Style Your Space: Designing A Home You Love

2011-04-09T23:20:00.006-05:00

I've been dreaming about this kind of e-course for months because a beautiful, interesting home environment is something everyone should feel capable creating. Style Your Space is everything I've learned about home decor in the last four plus years of studying design blogs, pouring over house tours, figuring out our interior style, gathering some fantastic vintage, and arranging it to work in two different floor plans.

Style Your Space is for anyone looking to realize their interior style, frustrated with their current set up, or needing a little direction on how to pull it all together.

I'm thrilled to have eight women with knock-out homes of their own sharing room tours and discussing their biggest design challenges and styling tricks. They've each influenced my style in some way over the last four years which makes this collaboration even more special!

Full details with a table of contents will be shared on Monday, April 11th when the course goes on sale that evening. It's been a labor of love and I'm so excited that it'll soon be ready to share!

xoxo,
Rachel

House Tour #3, Part 2: Our Kitchen and Middle Room

2011-04-06T15:56:00.005-05:00

Our kitchen is pretty cozy but it is bigger and much more functional than the last one. There is room for a breakfast table, it's got great light in the morning, and the original cabinets are at least white. It's so much happier in white.

That's the old back door of the house. It currently leads into my studio and down to the basement. I love that it has a glass pane so Brett can look in on things but Ruby can't see me if it's studio time. Out of sight, out of mind! I added the old curtain from our last back door to bring in more color and to hide the mess. It's usually a mess as there are always at least a few projects in process. More on that space later.

I've loved this piece since I saw it on Dottie Angel's blog a few years ago. I used to have this one and Elsie had the one above. She saw mine and loved it and I told her it was great but the one I really loved (this one) was at Funtiques (local shop). She had just recently picked up the same one at a flea market so we traded! These are the colors I see myself moving towards in everything I do so it was just a better fit in our home.

The hairpin table was found at my favorite warehouse in southwestern Missouri. I'm not divulging the name and location of this place because it's absolutely my and my MIL's favorite little secret. I know, that's mean.

I saw this table but didn't pick it up right away as I wasn't sure it would fit in our small kitchen but I couldn't stop thinking about it. Once I found those vintage school chairs I knew they'd make a lovely set and had my MIL go snag the table. Thankfully, it was still there (and only $15.00).

The white mirror was found at a vintage shop in Ballard, a lovely neighborhood/town in the greater Seattle area. If ever we were to move back I'd want to live in Ballard. It's beautiful and quirky and full of happy shops and interesting people. Anyway, the mirror is super heavy but one of my favorites because of it's simple design.

The aprons on the door are vintage with an Anthro one thrown in from about six years ago. They are all green/blue/yellow/cream and lovely. The curtain is made from a bedspread from Urban Outfitters that I had to hunt down three years ago. It's one of my favorite prints.

We haven't had a built in dishwasher in most of our dwellings but with two kids and working from home, we knew doing them by hand would only equal piles of dishes all of the time. We purchased a counter top dishwasher around Christmas but it's about an inch taller than the space between the counters and cabinets so we've had to make do with it on a solid old end table that we scoot to the sink and back almost every day. It's ugly and annoying but we're willing to put up with it for now. Oh, how I look forward to the day when we can have a built in!

There used to be doors on the open shelving at the very top. I decided it was a great place to store some Pyrex and other vintage pieces that I love but don't use every day. It adds a lot of happy to our space.

Speaking of happy, the mug shown above is one of my favorites that was gifted to me by an online friend. I've never come across one like it! The glasses and dishware below have been collected over the last four years. I am still on the hunt for pretty floral glasses and an Alpine Swiss plate set but I'm thankful to have stumbled across so many beauties locally.

The dish towel below was cut from a vintage tablecloth that had some ugly stains on it in three different places. I was able to get two dish towel sizes out of it after cutting them down, hemming the edges, and adding a hang tab. It's an easy way to repurpose and add something unique to a vintage kitchen.

Below is what our fridge looks like at the moment. Along with a handful of coupons that are out of sight! The aqua magnet was a gift from my mom from a shop in OKC and the California card was in a gift from Rubyellen. I'll always be a California girl!

I turned the Polaroids and Instax into magnets by adding sticky magnet paper to the backs. The small ones are from when Sebastian was Ruby's age. Also, that's Ruby's first real coloring project. A lot of her work ends up on our walls these days so we're working hard at redirecting her to paper.

This next room is what I call our 'middle room'. It's about 8' x 8' and has one or two entries or doors on each side. The above photo shows a linen closet to the left and our only bathroom to the right.

This is the little corner between our bathroom and bedroom. The shelving unit was originally built to be a bench for the kids' room but it got set here on move in day and I loved it. It's a good place to display parts of my typewriter and thermos collections. Every now and then I'll hear little fingers tap-tapping on the keys of the bottom two.

The art work shown above the shelving unit are both by AshleyG. The typewriter print is from LifeLovePaper. It's actually a photo of the Olivetti typewriter I sold to her through my vintage Etsy shop, PonyParty! And that chair...oh, I love that little chair. I've mentioned before that I had it on my lap in the car as we moved halfway across the country.

This corner is opposite the last corner on the other side of our bedroom door. That mirror was a lucky Craigslist find from a local warehouse. The table, tray, lotus bowl, and little tray were all thrifted. The artwork is again, Ashley G. I spray painted the bronze lamp in a nice shade of blue and bought a new shade at Target. This is our catch all and it no longer looks this neat. It only took two hours.

And the bedroom, well...that'll have to wait for another day. You can see our living room here and the kids' room here. Thanks so much for your sweet comments on our space so far!

xoxo, Rachel

DIY: Wire Basket Into Strawberry Planter

2011-04-05T23:36:00.006-05:00

Since we're probably only renting this house for one spring season we're not planting a traditional garden in the backyard. I still wanted the kids to be able to enjoy the process of watching something grow and bear fruit though so Sebastian and I went to our local Ace Hardware and picked out four strawberry plants. They're going to live on our porch where we can keep a watchful eye on the hungry birds and squirrels. Or curious little fingers that like to pull things out of their pots!

I didn't want to spend more money on a long planter so I hauled out some wire baskets that have been sitting around since the move and picked up some coconut liners that go with wire planters. I could've used a bigger one for the wide basket. I pushed it down into the basket and trimmed the rounded edges. Then I stuffed those in to make up for the shorter ends.

Then I added my fertilized dirt and berry plants and gave them a nice long soak to get the air bubbles out.

Pretend you don't see the strawberry plant having an accident. It got a little excited.

I added a smaller coconut liner to the round basket after cutting a triangle shape out for an easier fit and put our last plant in a pot that has a big old crack in it from the winter weather.

I've added a few new flowers to the set up this year. My favorite being this English daisy mix. I'm also hoping for Ranunculus bulbs to bring me something pretty in a few weeks!

Have you planted anything yet this spring?

xoxo,
Rachel

p.s. Don't forget to enter the 4,000 followers giveaway below!

4,000 Followers Giveaway! Hooray!

2011-04-05T21:29:00.002-05:00

Earlier today I mentioned on Twitter that I had taken a screen shot of 3,999 followers and a few minutes later I had 4,002! In order to celebrate such a big milestone I'm offering this fun print from one of my favorite Etsy artists, Pretty Little Thieves, to one lucky commenter as a way of saying thank you for reading! I truly enjoy the company around these parts and am so thankful for the positivity that you bring through your comments, e-mails, and tweets.

To have a shot at this lovely little print leave your name and how long you've been a reader/follower of Smile and Wave. I'll choose a winner at random on Friday.

You guys are the best.

xoxo,
Rachel

March Sponsor Giveaway Winner!

2011-04-05T14:52:00.002-05:00

The March Sponsor Giveaway was full of great comments and lovely prizes and they all go to...

Kate said...

My favorite thing to search for is vintage leather finds. As a vegan, I refuse to buy new leather, but my love for it's aesthetic is something I can't resist! I'm especially loving that first sponsor item!!

Kate

Congratulations, Kate! I'll be sending your information to our lovely sponsors so they can get in touch with you about details.

xoxo,

Rachel

Behind The Scenes

2011-04-05T01:25:00.002-05:00

EEEK! My e-course is THIS close to being written and ready to add to the private blog. Most of Friday through Monday was spent finishing up the DIY's and firming up photos for each post in my outline. This is a meaty chunk of everything I know about styling your home with vintage and has been really fun to put together.

I've also got the pleasure of featuring a handful of very talented creative types with some beautifully styled homes! I've been inspired by all of them in some way in the way I think about home decor so it's extra special to have them join me in this project.

All of that to say I've been a little absent over the weekend and may be a bit more this week as deadlines loom but I appreciate you checking in and want to say thank you for all of the great comments on our first house tour post! You guys are so NICE!

Be back soon!
xoxo,
Rachel

House Tour #3, Part 1: Our Living Room

2011-03-31T22:22:00.005-05:00

I'm so happy to finally be able to share with you the rest of our new(ish) home after four months of feeling out the space, finding everything a home, donating, thrifting, and filling in the gaps with DIY. You can see the kids' room here. Our space will probably change again within a year since we're a military family now so it was important to make it feel like home as soon as I could rather than seeing this as a temporary place that wasn't worth the effort.

I don't want to bore you with every detail of every corner or the fact that I have a story about almost every single item in our home so I'll share the majors and if you have any specific questions I'll try to answer them in the comments below.

We live in an older house with lovely hardwood floors, plaster walls, two bedrooms, one bath, a large studio, and an unfinished basement. The exterior doesn't have much of a style but the inside has enough charm to suit us. We have always been renters so I've learned to decorate standard off-white walls with plenty of color in our textiles and furniture. We both love the character of vintage and have a collection of mid-century and industrial pieces that I've gathered in the last three or four years.

All of our furniture (except our bed) and most of our art/accessories/kitchenware/linens have been found at a flea market, garage sale, thrift store, by the side of the road, or handed down. We happen to have landed in a city full of affordable vintage which has made it so fun to gather together a whole household full of second-hand that we truly love.

Almost everything we had from the last house was purchased after we'd  moved in and with that specific house in mind. Most of it works in this  space but the biggest change is having a combined living/dining area. In  our last house the formal dining room was quite large and doubled as my  studio. We ate from the table as a family whenever it wasn't covered in  fabric or paint, which was most of the time, and there were always  projects stacked along the walls.

We sold our lovely vintage Lane coffee table and the two matching end tables from our last home tour to have more room for baby gear when Ruby was born. There are days when I'd love to have something to set my coffee on but I love that our kids have plenty of space to chase each other through the living room now. It's been one 'must have' that I've been happy to give up as our needs have changed but I may hunt something similar down in a few years.

The yellow chairs used to belong to my friend, Janae, who purchased them  from Funtiques, a fantastically curated vintage shop on Commercial St.  here in Springfield. I had always admired them at Janae's house so when I  saw these on Craigslist I e-mailed to ask if they were hers. I just  knew they'd be snatched up right away but decided if they were still  available after a week I'd buy them. Long story short, Janae sold them  to me and even hauled them over to my house and I've never regretted  replacing our previous set.

That mirror above the dining table was found for $5 at a garage sale in our old neighborhood, the table was $40 on craigslist, and the vinyl tablecloth was $2 at a local flea market. I can remember what I paid and where I got almost every thing in this house and have always wanted to tally it up. It's amazing that I have all of that filed away but forgot to put the trash out today.

The large metal  wardrobe was a craigslist find that I almost passed up. We have lovely  friends who always, always let us borrow their truck to haul big things  home and  I was able to load that up for $15. Two weeks later I had  sanded and painted it pink. I'm now ready to tone things down and may  repaint it minty blue or dark gray in the coming months but pink was fun  for awhile. It houses all of our Christmas decorations and random items I change out seasonally.

The orange chair is from Urban Flea Market (Charley's) and will someday be reupholstered. I covered the stool with new foam and some inexpensive fabric. It doubles as a launching pad. The crooked globe almost didn't fit into the back of Elsie's Prius on a thrifting excursion and the chalkboard was made from a piece of pre-cut plywood and chalkboard paint.

This wall is my favorite. It was one of the last to get decorated because I didn't know what to fill it with. I didn't want to recreate the same art wall from our last house but didn't have anything else on hand that felt right. One day I was at Urban (Charley's) and spied white plastic letters strewn down an aisle. After finding enough to spell something relevant, I brought them home. I decided to leave them white rather than spray painting them to let their impact be a little more subtle.

My third grade teacher, Mrs. Kirschner, regularly told us that 'nice' was a lazy word. She wanted us to become more creative in our selection of descriptive words rather than using the popular fallback. That lesson has encouraged my writing to this day and often comes to mind when I have a choice between sharing something generic or something colorful. It's also funny to get the same reaction from every person that walks in the door and turns around to see it. You can imagine their tone when they say, "Nice!"

I originally had this shelf in the kids' shared room in the last house but it was begging to be added to the party under the sign in this house. The vintage wallpaper is a 'nice' compliment to the golden tones of the chair and throw on either side. I've currently replaced the yellow bud vase with a larger arrangement of something from the fence line in our backyard and the pink blossoms are gorgeous.

This little corner is tucked away between the sideboard that houses our entertainment set up and my new favorite vintage chair. The crates used to be in the bathroom but are just the right size to corral some of my favorite art and diy books. I attached the metallic trays above them with 3M strips and have some polaroids from the old house on display with magnetic clips.

I didn't share a photo of the vintage Broyhill sideboard with our flat screen because the whole set up isn't really that aesthetically thrilling. We use a flat screen as a monitor and have an external hard drive, mac mini, speaker, wireless keyboard and wireless mouse to watch movies and tv online and to use as a second computer. The sideboard was a craigslist find that was going to be burned if we hadn't brought it home. It's one of my favorite pieces in our house.

When decorating this new space I didn't want to fall back on old arrangements and ideas from the last house because it felt like an opportunity to play and try new things. I always want our home to be warm and welcoming but I love that it can have a sense of humor, too. Having our home reflect who we are and be somewhere we enjoy spending LOTS of time is important to us and we're thankful not only for this space but for the friends and family that we're able to share it with.

I'll be sharing our kitchen next and then our bedroom so stay tuned for parts two and three!

xoxo,
Rachel

Resources
Couch, Craigslist. Curtains, handmade from Urban Outfitters bedspread. Record Player, Urban Outfitters. Lampshade, Target. Scooter pillow, blog giveaway. Vintage wallpaper, CraftVintage, Art, MaryKateMcDevitt, and LifeLovePaper. Cross-stitch, handmade by me.

My Enid Collins Hand-Me-Down

2011-03-30T14:05:00.006-05:00

I have come across about fifteen or twenty lovely Enid Collins wooden and woven box bags and purses in the last few years and most are either worn to bits or asking a lot. The very first one I sold in PonyParty, my vintage Etsy shop, broke me into the world of Enid Collins. It was a wooden purse with a trolley cart in green and blue with a white leather strap and handle and I had it priced pretty low. A sweet commenter told me how much they went for elsewhere and told me she would feel bad buying it at that price. So, we made a deal and I started doing a little more research for future purses! One of my favorite parts about selling vintage were the history lessons that came with it.

Upon discussion of my Enid Collins enlightenment, my very fashionable grandmother told me she used to have one and, after digging through her closet, procured the one above. She offered it to me to sell in my shop but I just couldn't let it go. It's been sitting in my closet for months now but I think I might take it with me on a few dates this spring. It's in pristine condition and I love the leather work on it.

Thanks, Grandmother, for being so trendy and keeping your things in such good shape!

Here are a few lovelies from Etsy.

Pinehaven2

ThatVintageHandbag

Jantiques

ShayRose

PurpleDeerVintage

FashionHouseVintage

These are all original Enid Collins  bags, hence the hefty price tags. You can find similar bags in the EC  style for much less on Etsy if you love this look. If you're not sure if  it's real from the listing or if you find something you want to resell  check for the EC mark on the inside or out. If there's no mark or signature, it's likely a knock off.

Do you have an Enid Collins favorite?

xoxo,
Rachel

p.s. Don't miss the giveaway below!

Giveaway Day: March Sponsors

2011-03-30T10:41:00.008-05:00

A few of my lovely March sponsors are generously offering a giveaway from their blog or shop today on Smile and Wave! One lucky winner will receive ALL of the giveaway items mentioned in this post so be sure to browse through and leave your comment below!

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Songbird

My name is Shelley Turk and I love coffee, 70's stylings, my cat Millie and thrifty shops. Songbird is where I nest all of my pretty musings, shop updates (launching online soon!) and fashionable finds. Enjoy!

Songbird is giving away a pair of freshly designed earrings and matching necklace from her new shop that is scheduled to launch end of April! The pieces are hand crafted using recycled materials from vintage finds. Each piece tells a story and you can help it live on! Valued at $30.00.

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Bluebird Jewellery

Bluebird Jewellery creates unique pieces of jewlery to add that special sparkle to any outfit. Handmade for all those lovely ladies out there who appreciate something special, new necklaces added for little girls too!

The solid silver collection looks to vintage tattoos and retro style for inspiration and has produced a lovely selection of treats to put a spring in your step.

Live the handcrafted life with Bluebird!

Giveaway is for the Mini Bluebird Necklace shown below valued at $60.00.

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Mothball Charlie

Mothball Charlie is a little shop selling pet portraits, art prints and paper goods all specializing in whimsy.

This giveaway is for $25 shop credit.

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MadeYaLook

Madeyalook, always proud to sponsor smile and wave, is celebrating spring with a vintage giveaway that represents items commonly found in this etsy store....a floral lazy susan, crocheted potholder, sewing kit, 3 cool juice glasses, a miniature telephone and a patchwork apron (although age of this is uncertain). Retail value is $28.

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TO ENTER TO WIN ALL GIVEAWAY ITEMS leave a comment about your favorite thing to search for on Etsy. I'll pick a giveaway winner on April 1st and announce it on the 2nd.

Thank you to my love March sponsors! I was thrilled with everyone who joined the sidebar this month (did we set a record possibly?) and hope to share more lovely sponsors with you later this week as we roll into April!

If you're interested in a last minute spot with Smile and Wave or have been on the fence, I have a few mini ads available for $20.00! Email my ad manager at admanagers@frecklednest.com to secure your spot for April.

xoxo,
Rachel

Vintage Here, Vintage There: Ruby and I

2011-03-29T23:06:00.003-05:00

Pardon my tardiness with VH,VT this week. I'm putting in extra time on a special project so behind is the name of the game these days! These are from our weekend trip to Aunt Martha's Pancake House with our little family. We LOVE breakfast foods because we can eat lots of savory stuff that is Paleo friendly. I had eggs and ham and fudged on a latte afterwards. It was worth it!

Would you believe that we had snow earlier that morning? SNOW! Excuse me while I remember what sunshine on my shoulders feels like. Ruby and I were layered up to stay warm and pretending we didn't need our heavy coats.

The funny thing about my shoes is I purchased them at Red Racks Thrift Store thinking they were vintage. It wasn't until I had gotten dressed that morning that I took a closer look at the brand and saw that they are actually from Wal-Mart. Oh well. They are comfortable and will be great for spring and summer should they ever show their faces.

So really the only vintage thing about my outfit is the plaid button up. It's a favorite, though. I guess this is my 'squeeze that vintage in where you can' outfit.

I'm wearing: Tee, cardigan, jersey coat, Target. Vintage button up, thrifted. Jeans, Old Navy. Shoes, thrifted. Bag, handmade by me, Turquoise ring, purchased on Route 66 in Arizona.

Ruby's wearing: Long-sleeved tee, thrifted. Skirt, tights, Target. Vintage crocheted top, Liddle. Vintage shoes, Kid Wonder.

It was so chilly the photo shoot didn't last long. Too many cold appendages and everyone needing naps after all of that good food! Ruby's crocheted top is supposed to be a dress but works really well as a shirt still. I usually don't do this silhouette since it's a lot of loose and flowy on top and bottom but loved the colors together. Rubyellen called it bohemian chic!

Here are a few of my favorite crocheted pieces this week: little girl,little girl, big girl, little girl, big girl, little one, and little boy.

Head over to see what she and Soul wore to a shower this weekend. Also, I'm in love with her shoes in this post.

Are you having to force spring where you are?

xoxo,
Rachel

Vintage Mama, Whitney

2011-03-27T23:44:00.005-05:00

This week's Vintage Mama is Whitney of Little Reader Vintage. She's got an adorable daughter and a way of mixing vintage with modern that makes it look so easy. I'm on the hunt for some shoes like hers!

Q: When did you start wearing vintage and why?
A: I had some vintage clothing in high school, most of which were just awesome things I found in my mom's closet. (Specifically: a Mickey Mouse shirt which she got on her honeymoon, and a ringer tee from a furniture company in Portland where she used to work.) I think I originally started digging through my mom's old stuff because I'd spent my monthly allowance and I wanted new clothes. But it ended up being so much fun, I started going to thrift stores and vintage shops around Portland to find more.

I'm wearing:vintage plaid shirt, thrifted. pants, f21. vintage leather shoes, thrifted. vintage leather purse, thrifted. earrings, upper metal class on etsy.

Q: What do you look for in a piece when you're shopping?
A: I pretty much already have all the 'basic pieces' in my wardrobe, so when I shop for myself I look for accessories. This is my favorite way to integrate vintage into my wardrobe - through items like shoes, scarves, jewelry and bags. I just try to add a few pieces into the mix here and there. My "guilty pleasure" is looking for button ups and plaid shirts. My overall style is pretty casual - I could wear jeans and a vintage plaid shirt everyday. (I usually find the best shirts in the little boys department!) No matter who I'm shopping for, I really try to find pieces that have a timeless style. I also try to make sure I only buy things that I think will actually last for a long time - no one wants something that will fall apart after the first wash or wear.

Tayvee's wearing: vintage hand knit sweater, thrifted. leggings, baby gap. shoes, found by grandma.

Q: Favorite vintage find to date?
A: I really love my vintage shoe collection. Shoes are something I go through quite often; I am constantly donating old ones so I can make room for any new ones I find. There's only so much room in the closet! I just recently found the ones I'm wearing in the photos (for $4!) and they are my favorite shoes right now.
But, my most cherished vintage possession is my wedding ring set which I inherited from my great-grandmother. I love that my husband gave it to me, and I love how it is so unique - I've never seen anyone with something similar.

Tayvee's wearing: vintage white peter pan collar shirt, thrifted. navy polka dot skirt, made by whitney.

Q: The one piece that got away (or would've broken the bank!)
A: I am the person in thrift stores that will carry things around forever trying to decide if I should buy them. Usually I'm pretty good at knowing what I don't need, but I do have a list of memorable items (mostly boots) in my head that I wish I would have bought, but chose not to because I either had something similar or it was the wrong season. This is part of the reason why I opened up my shop - I couldn't handle saying no to great vintage stuff just because it didn't fit my daughter!

Tayvee's wearing: vintage yellow swiss dot dress, c/o little reader vintage. saltwater sandals, thrifted. sunglasses, white pine boutique.

Q: How do you style your daughter?
A: Typical days involve leggings paired with simple shirts and sweaters. When I look for vintage clothing for her, I really try to find the simplest pieces. Anyone in my family can tell you that I'm really picky when it comes to what she wears! I also sew her a lot of skirts, and I try to find vintage fabric to use for those. My favorite thing I have found for her lately is a vintage dress with ferris wheels across the bottom. It's awesome, and I secretly wish it was my size (and that I could pull it off).
******************
Thank you, Whitney, for sharing your vintage style and photos of you and your ADORABLE daughter! Her hair is beautiful. Oh, and if you ever come across another pair of vintage shoes like the ones you're wearing I wear a vintage 9.5. Ha!

Be sure to stop by Little Reader Vintage and see what treasures she's got for little ones!

xoxo,
Rachel

***** vintage mama features *****
vintage here, vintage there: vintage mama heather
vintage here, vintage there: vintage mama karen
vintage here, vintage there: vintage mama james
vintage here, vintage there: vintage mama alix
vintage here, vintage there: vintage mama beth
vintage here, vintage there: vintage mama danielle
vintage here, vintage there: vintage mama stacy
vintage here, vintage there: vintage mama gisela
vintage here, vintage there: vintage mama whitney

Our Happy Cabinets

2011-03-26T22:46:00.002-05:00

Every time I open this particular cabinet I feel a little thrill. I figure I might as well organize the colorful dishware to make putting them away more fun. You'll notice our stack of plates is pretty short. I've collected all of these over the last three years and only bring things home that I need or absolutely love these days. If it's aqua or yellow, it's hard to resist. My mom gave me her old Tupperware cups from my childhood and I've since found the mini versions of them. Good memories!

This weekend has been pretty relaxed at home. We had a play date this morning with my friend, Katy, and her three kids and then watched Revolutionary Road and had homemade chicken and vegetable soup. Sebastian tried a new food (yay!)and Ruby has mastered her 'excited arms' dance move. I hope to catch that on video one of these days.

Brett and I are both feeling a little under the weather tonight so it'll be more relaxing and catching up on housework tomorrow. We treated ourselves to Andy's frozen custard on Friday night after a whole month of eating a Paleo diet (with only a few cheats) and as delicious as it was, we think it's why we feel so cruddy today. Sugar shock!

What are you doing this weekend?

xoxo,
Rachel

p.s. Check out the post below on Home Ec. $10 from each purchase this weekend (until Monday afternoon) will go to Red Cross!

Help Japan with Your Home Ec Purchase

2011-03-25T21:19:00.008-05:00

This weekend, we will donate $10 from each Home Ec Registration to Japan Disaster Relief (via RedCross). If you've been thinking about taking the Home Ec Sewing E-Course, now is the perfect time-- you'll learn to sew and help people in need :)

Visit HomeEcOnline.com for full e-course details (including Project & Skills Overview, FAQ, Teacher Profiles L/R/C and Testimonials from Past Students). You can register here or with the paypal link below. Register you & a friend at the same time and we will donate $22!

Questions? Please email Hello@FreckledNest.com

Help Japan by registering for Home Ec between Now and Monday at 2pm CST.

If you would like to help spread the word, please tweet: Each registration for the #HomeEc E-Course this wknd DONATES $10 to JAPAN Relief!!! http://tinyurl.com/home-ec-japan Please RT

Registration: $60us (same price as always)

Making Time for Crafts

2011-03-24T22:08:00.004-05:00

The kids and I had an afternoon to kill at home while Brett studied for a test earlier this week. We'd already gone for a wagon ride through the neighborhood, jumped on our neighbor's trampoline, read some books, made a mess at lunch time, and watched Pink Panther on Netflix.

I decided it was time to introduce Ruby to the joys of water colors. Sebastian isn't always up for crafting when I suggest a new project but he's always up for painting with water colors. He spent a good ten minutes working on his project this time, which is a good eight minutes longer than he used to. That made me happy.

Ruby took to that paint set like it was an old hobby of hers. I did catch her trying to drink the dirty water, sucking the water off the brush, stealing her brother's paint brush, and painting on my arm but she lasted as long as Sebastian and ended up getting some color on her paper coffee filter.

When we were through I had to wrestle it away for a pic. It was headed for her mouth. I may save it forever.

 Sebastian ended up with a stained glass effect which I thought was interesting. I wonder what this type of painting is supposed to tell me about my child.

We got the popsicle sticks and pipe cleaners out of the craft box and made flowers out of the paper coffee filters. I have about a bajillion more from a garage sale that may turn into a garland one of these days.

I need to remember to sit down with the paint sets more often. Ruby is much more interested in coloring than Sebastian ever was (or still is) at her age so it's been fun to encourage that in her. I never had to worry about marks on the walls with Sebastian, though. Thank goodness for Magic Erasers.

Sebastian was so proud of his paper flower when he was done. It was a nice little break from sword fights, couch jumping, karate chops, and crashing block towers.

xoxo,
Rachel

The Easiest DIY Ever

2011-03-24T14:00:00.003-05:00

I found a bunch of acrylic gas station letters and numbers at a flea market in OKC, OK that have been sitting around just waiting for something to do. I had a small stack sitting on my side table and needed something to put my coffee cup on when it dawned on me. DUH. Make them into coasters.

Being acrylic, they are a little tricky to cut. I tried using kitchen scissors but then decided to try and use my paper cutter. It needed sharpening anyway. I would suggest using an X-acto knife or sharper craft scissors.

Mark them in the middle or cut them into squares so they are even on all sides.

They have a really modern, graphic feel to them and it's another way to add a little bit of an industrial feel to your home. I found mine for $ .25 each so I didn't mind cutting them in half. You may be able to find some at your local flea market or Etsy. Here are a few.

They'd look great in black and I've seen some in orange and would be the perfect house warming gift for a friend with modern tastes.

xoxo,
Rachel

Room Tour: Behind Closed Doors

2011-03-24T00:08:00.003-05:00

Doesn't my title sound like a Dateline segment? So, I knew I wanted to share a little more about this space after sharing photos in it's BEST state yesterday. It took a lot of work to get things in place and an hour of my husband keeping the kids out of the house for me to even get those shots because they are always in there if I am. It's not always as camera ready as it was in the room tour but we do try to keep the chaos to a minimum and at the end of the day, the floor has to be cleared. It keeps me sane.

We have a lot of loud, colorful toys in primary colors that we store in the bottom half of the white wardrobe. It gives the kids easy access to getting them out and, more importantly, putting them up when they're done. Ruby is a stellar picker upper right now but Sebastian needs more convincing so I race him to see who can pick up Legos or trains the fastest. He instantly joins in. It's my #1 trick.

Sebastian doesn't have as many clothes as Ruby for obvious reasons (hello, the selection for girls is SO much harder to resist) and most of his stuff is pretty toned down so having them on display in their room isn't really distracting or overwhelming. It's at a height that allows him to pick out his own clothing and have that sense of independence. I even bought plastic hangers without grooves so he could pull his shirts off without having to remove them from the curtain rod.

Originally, I wanted a wardrobe with doors for Ruby's clothing because it felt really ideal and sweet but now I'm thankful I have a way to hide the color explosion. It's nice to be able to keep things tucked away and it's high enough that she can't get up there and pull it all out herself. Because she would.

 And this is what it looks like right before nap time, after nap time, before dinner, and until bed when we have another round of racing to clean up. Organization and tidiness don't come naturally to me.  I have to work extra hard to instill those habits into my kids but I also want them to be able to enjoy making productive messes. Messes mean you're having fun or something.

What are some of your tricks for keeping ALL of those Thomas trains and legos from taking over?

xoxo,
Rachel

Ruby and Sebastian's Room Tour

2011-03-22T21:35:00.014-05:00

Sebastian and Ruby's shared room has been one of my favorite rooms to decorate in our current rental. I imagined it being a place that not only met practical needs such as storage but inspired play and creativity. I wanted them to have memories of their space being a little imaginative and full of color.

I used my vintage globe collection for color inspiration. I have always loved the muted colors of these old globes and knew it would allow me to use traditionally boy and girl colors in the same space easily. I took the pinks, yellows, greens, and some aqua when putting Ruby's side together and the aqua, yellows, greens, and browns on Sebastian's side.

I had this one bare wall near the entry that had so much potential that it kind of intimidated me. I wanted to do something big and fun but didn't want to spend money on more furniture or a big art piece. One day I was out thrifting when I came across the largest blank chalkboard seen above and suddenly knew I had enough to warrant a collection and that they all needed to be displayed together.

I hung them a little lower than usual for practical reasons and secured them with screws and double-sided 3M tape to make sure they wouldn't fall on little toes. Our neighbor's kids came over last week and one of the little girls instantly started drawing on the chalkboard. That's when I knew it had been a good idea.

In the first corner by the entrance is a bookshelf we found for free in Seattle. I've filled it with art prints from Michele Maulle, Freya, an interactive art journaling piece inspired by Shauna, some other items I've made for Ruby, and a lot of thrifted vintage toys and decor. We've got photos and board books in the baskets as well as momentos from her home birth and those first few weeks together.

I found this vintage fan at a shop in Ada, OK and grabbed it as soon as I saw the brand was the same as Ruby's middle name (minus an 'm').

The white wardrobe was the solution to having small closets in our last place. I found it at a resale shop, sanded it, painted it, and added a curtain rod and hooks on the top level when I was seven months pregnant with Ruby. It was one of the most enjoyable DIY's I've ever worked on because when  was done I got to fill it with tiny pink clothes! The bottom houses most of their toys and games. I love having all of those loud colors out of site.

The rocking horse in the foreground was one of Ruby's Christmas presents from Plan Toys and the rug was purchased new from Goodwill but is originally from Target. Ruby comes in here and lays on it almost every day.

I made Ruby's crib sheets (as well as two other sets) out of vintage flat sheets, crocheted her afghan, and painted the rainbow. You can see the set up in our old house here. I purchased this Ashley G. print for our living room originally but it worked perfectly with these colors. I love her work.

The crib skirt was handmade and the bumper is from IKEA. This is the fourth crib we've used between the two of them due to recalls, moving, and borrowing.

The print on the opposite side of the crib from the Ashley G. print is from Pretty Little Thieves.

I made the curtains for their room from a vintage sheet as well. I really love the mid-century headboard on Sebastian's bed and was so happy to have discovered it for $7 after searching for something for months. The hand-tied quilt is vintage and the afghan was thrifted. I painted the wood grain piece three years ago and made the triangle mobile earlier this year.

I've collected vintage Melmac saucers and aluminum cups in small sizes for the kids to use while playing kitchen. They're durable and extra easy on the eyes!

Sebastian's 'closet' was a Billy bookshelf from IKEA that we picked up for free in Seattle and used as his wardrobe in our one bedroom apartment right after he was born. Since then I've covered the inside backing with wood grain contact paper, added a rod and hooks, and adjusted the shelving as his clothes have gotten bigger!

I've thrifted various display pieces such as the signage, typewriter, and metal toy gun. He's currently into Transformers so I cleared one shelf off for him to display them without worrying about Ruby's little hands reaching them.

The garland on the chalkboard wall used to be above Ruby's crib but I relocated it when I hung her rainbow painting. The Modernica rocker was a birthday gift about three years ago and the doll house was purchased on Amazon for Ruby's birthday. It's still a work in progress as I'm slowly collecting vintage Fisher Price furniture and people to fill it.

It's been over four months since we moved in and I'm finally ready to call this room finished! The kids have plenty of space to dump out legos and build towers, read on the soft rug, and even play indoor basketball. I totally took the basketball hoop off the back of the door for pictures. It got us through many winter days and will probably get us through a few hot summer ones, too.

I think it's really important for kids to enjoy their surroundings and I'm thankful that we've been able to create a space that fits in with the rest of the house and is easy on the eyes. It's been a fun process of collecting, thrifting, and repurposing over four plus years and has yielded us a room we all love.

Thanks for taking the tour!

xoxo,
Rachel

p.s. You can see Sebastian's room here, and how we changed it to be their room at our last house.

Vintage Here, Vintage There: Inside Weather

2011-03-21T23:55:00.005-05:00

I took these photos about three weeks ago before we left for Spring Break when the weather was mostly crummy and too chilly to go outside and still have semi-happy faces. So, we borrowed a newly painted bench from the end of our bed and found some inside light near a window.

I found Ruby's top at 3RingCircus a few weeks ago. It arrived with a special surprise in it for Sebastian that he wore in  this post. And since then Heather has been sweet enough to send over two more tops that her daughter has grown out of, one of which we've worn and is already in the wash. Thank you, Heather!!! Expect a return favor early next week!

Her adorable little shoes remind me of some I'm sure I had as a little girl. I got them from Freckle Wonder months and months ago but Freckle Wonder now has it's own kids' vintage shop called Kid Wonder. Head on over if you haven't see it yet!

I found my dress at a local flea market and am happy to say that I now need to take it in at the sides a little bit! I've lost about four pounds since we started the Paleo Plan (without exercise because I've been kind of lazy in that department) which has felt kind of wonderful. I don't mind having to take in dresses for that reason AT ALL. Let them pile up!!

It's finally feeling like we're past the point of needing heavy sweaters but I'm holding on to my cardigans well into May just in case. I may have one in every color. Yep.

I wore: Vintage dress, thrifted. Vintage belt, thrifted. Cardigan and shoes, Target.
Ruby wore: Tee, Target. Top, 3RingCircus. Pants, thrifted. Shoes, Frecklewonder.

I'm so thankful for both of my kids and love enjoying the differences in their personalities and ways they're wired. Ruby is such a cuddler and often follows me around the house with an animal book or her pink shoes. I know I'll look back in a few years and be so glad we had a fun reason to take photos together each week.

Here are a few of my favorite vintage things for mamas this week: Bare Shoulders, Full Skirted, Stripey, Farmer's Market, Carnival, Just For Fun.

And a few of my favorite vintage things for the little ladies: Strawberry Picking, Rainbows and Hearts, Spring Blouse,  Picnic Ready, Easter Sunday, Tea Time.

I've been hunting for the perfect vintage Easter Dress for my Ruby and may have found it this week! She's got a lot of pastel in there but nothing for fancier occasions. I think we may have to set aside a special VH, VT post just for this, Rubyellen!

Be sure to check out what Rubyellen wore in her VH, VT post yesterday. She looks so good with her itty bitty baby bump! I am so happy that we're going to have our own 'how to wear vintage while prego' feature for the next six months! YAY for babies!

xoxo,
Rachel

Now Accepting April Sponsors

2011-03-21T14:46:00.007-05:00

Join the lovely crowd in the sidebar for April and see if sponsoring Smile and Wave is a good fit for your growing blog or shop. My readers enjoy vintage clothing and home goods, handmade, DIY's, art and illustrations, photography, and yummy treats. With over 3,800 followers (growing daily) and regular posting, you're sure to draw new traffic and potential sales.

Check out current rates here. Contact Leigh-Ann at admanagers(at)frecklednest.com to secure your spot for April before they fill up!

xoxo,
Rachel

p.s. We've had some fabulous sponsors in March. Stay tuned for a giveaway next week!

Vintage Mama: Tammy of Ms. Tips

2011-03-21T12:00:00.003-05:00

Head over to Rubyellen's blog to find out how more about Tammy's vintage shop and how she styles herself and her family! I've favorited more than my fair share of things in this lady's shop. It's up there in my top ten for interesting pieces for little ones AND grown ups.

Thanks for sharing with us, Tammy! See some of her favorites here.
xoxo,
Rachel

***** vintage mama features *****
vintage here, vintage there: vintage mama heather
vintage here, vintage there: vintage mama karen
vintage here, vintage there: vintage mama james
vintage here, vintage there: vintage mama alix
vintage here, vintage there: vintage mama beth
vintage here, vintage there: vintage mama danielle
vintage here, vintage there: vintage mama stacy
vintage here, vintage there: vintage mama gisela

Framed

2011-03-19T11:54:00.004-05:00

With the help of some Twitter friends I found a frame large enough (and cheap enough) to fit this print that has been rolled up in it's original mailing tube for three plus years. It's shiny black plastic, which paired with the hot pink print makes it feel a little like it belongs in a teenager's bedroom. I would have preferred a natural wood but you work with what you have, right? I may take some sand paper and black matte spray paint to it and see if that helps.

Otherwise, I'm really happy to finally have it on display in our bedroom. There's a lot of pink in there now but Brett can handle pink. I like that about him.

I'm not sure if this print is still available online but I bought it from ReForm School. Here's one of my current favorites from their print selection. And these two. I need more walls.

xoxo,
Rachel

Yes, That's A Bowl of Garlic

2011-03-18T00:13:00.001-05:00

No, that bowl of garlic was not my breakfast. I DID enjoy that cup of green tea with raw honey. I love sunny mornings in my kitchen.

xoxo,
Rachel

From The Road: Vintage Findings

2011-03-16T23:03:00.003-05:00

Spring break last week meant a road trip to visit family on both sides, which also meant stopping at flea markets and thrift stores along the way. Here are a few of my favorite things. Some were lifted from my MIL's stash before they had a chance to make it into her Etsy shop, some were almost free, and some were just worth the extra hour they tacked on to the long drive.

Square one includes three Vera napkins, an unusual Pyrex casserole dish and matching green mixing bowl, a vintage sand bucket with fantastic coloring, a LOT of vintage binding, a green lotus dish, a fun metal trash can for my studio, a floral, vinyl tablecloth, and a yellow enamel Dansk stock pot with lid.

Then there were two vintage aprons (among other things not shown) from my MIL. Thanks, Cheryl! A few vintage pieces for Ruby, a crocheted daisy afghan, vintage placemats in a fun green color, vintage pink Minnetonka mocs, a Fisher Price person, and a lovely embroidered piece.

I also got this beautiful piece of chintz fabric from Brett's grandma. It's just so pretty I don't want to use it quite yet. I'll have to think of the perfect project. It's a tad blurry here.

We're hitting a point now where our walls and closets are finally full of vintage/thrifted pieces so it's much harder to come back from a thrifting trip feeling really satisfied. I used to get that cheap (sometimes) high every time I went shopping for my vintage Etsy shop, Pony Party. Springfield and the surrounding areas have some great thrifting so it's always been kind of easy.

As of this week, though, I'm taking a thrifting break. Unless it's a vintage sheet that I can use for quilt kits, something I absolutely need and can find cheaper than at full retail, (or something REALLY special in the wardrobe dept.), I'm going to leave it for someone else to pick up. Have I just put three clauses on my hiatus?

It's a fun habit but lately it's felt a little less satisfying and that usually means something. Thankfully, I have a whole batch of vintage dresses that have been waiting for warm weather (and a little time at the sewing machine) to be shared!

Anyone else have too much of a good thing in their life at the moment?

xoxo,
Rachel

Kid's Room Sneak Peek

2011-03-16T17:25:00.002-05:00

It's taken me three and a half months but I finally have the kids' shared room organized and decorated! We're renters and will only be in this home (as far as we know) until Thanksgiving time (but you never know with the military) so I wanted to get things in place as quickly as I could to enjoy it as long as we could. Three months doesn't sound quick at all but it's been a process of feeling out each space, using what we have, picking up a few extras, and finding the time to drill into our plaster walls so as not to wake anyone up from a nap!

I'm really enjoying our space and can't wait to share how we've made it work for us!

xoxo,
Rachel

To Paint or not to Paint: Toybox Makeover

2011-03-15T13:27:00.005-05:00

I love the look of natural wood crates but I had also grown tired of the dullness of a semi-warped wooden box sitting in the corner of our living room. I decided it needed a job. A purpose. I told the box it was going to be a catch all for the numerous toys Ruby drags in from her and Sebastian's room. It was going to be the dumping ground for everything from library books to left over legos until it was so full everything needed to be returned to it's places.

I decided it needed a face lift, too. I painted two coats of white primer and then free-handed a herringbone type pattern on three of the four sides. I was going to finish the fourth but got distracted with something. Maybe later (probably not). I had a little help with one of the ends.

This catch all won't stay organized for more than an hour after they wake up but here it is. Just like I saw it in my head. I left the inside natural because it meant less painting and I like the contrast. I used a light blue for my pattern because it's kind of subtle but if I had it to do over I'd use black.

I also thought about putting little casters on it but that would only encourage Ruby to use it as a wagon and end in a trip to the emergency room or something. So, flat-bottomed it stays.

If you're interested in trying something similar you'll probably find a little inspiration in the latest design work by Aesthetic Outburst and another take on a toy box by Lovely Chaos. Oh, geometric shapes, I heart you.

xoxo,
Rachel

My Favorite Spot

2011-03-14T15:20:00.004-05:00

We've been asking Meemaw not to replace her grass green carpet for years because it just wouldn't feel like her house without it. Too many good memories! I realized as I was sitting in her living room a few days ago that my own taste in home decor colors mirrors some of the older elements in her living room. Her walls are a light mint, the trim is honey colored, she has a gold mirror and lamps, a tan vintage couch, and fantastically floral vintage rockers. I love all the blue, green, and gold!

I stopped in at a little flea market in Pauls Valley while we were visiting and picked up a vintage sand bucket and another needlework piece. Not too bad for $8! We had a great time with family and are glad to be back at home. Except for the laundry pile. And the new leak in the roof of my studio.

Any plans for spring break? Do you get one?

xoxo,
Rachel

Adventuring

2011-03-11T23:36:00.006-06:00

We're out running around barefoot in the sunshine, (Sebastian's not getting a spanking, they're playing Transformers. Ha!)

searching for treasures,

and making the best of a week off of school by taking this crew on the road to see family.

We've been here, there, and everywhere and are enjoying a few more days before real life starts up again. Feeling thankful for our health, our families, and our general well being in the wake of all of these grass fires in Oklahoma and the tragic earthquake/tsunami affecting Japan and surrounding areas.

xoxo,
Rachel

Ruby's wearing: Vintage owl dress, gifted. Cardigan and leggings, Target.
Sebastian's wearing: Vintage western shirt, 3RingCircus. Pants and IronMan shoes (we caved), Target.
I'm wearing: Vintage mumu that I altered, gifted from RVA. Cardigan and tights, Target. Vintage fringe moccasins, thrifted.
Brett's wearing: Vintage western shirt, thrifted. Riding jacket, unknown. Shoes, PF Flyers.

Inherited

2011-03-10T00:24:00.001-06:00

Ruby requested an updated head shot. Look at that pucker.

I'm not sure how many Breyer horses from my childhood collection are left in the box in my parent's attic but they brought two of my favorites last November for Ruby's birthday party. She likes to romp them around and feed them from her cup and has even tried riding one. I love seeing her take an interest in things that used to be mine!

Horsey kisses look a lot like mouth-to-mouth at our house.

xoxo,
Rachel

P.S. I'm really thankful for so many fabulous sponsors this month! I give you permission to take a break from your day and peruse a few of their shops and blogs. It'll be worth your while!

Creative Estates Giveaway Winner

2011-03-09T22:10:00.004-06:00

And the winner is...

Heather Louise said...

I have so few friends who sew and I feel very isolated in my passion. It would be so wonderful to have the opportunity meet more people who love to create. Thank you for the chance.

Heather,
You've just won a free pass to the Creative Estates weekend, valued at $149.00! Please e-mail me so I can pass your info along to the necessary people. Congratulations!

Thanks to everyone that entered to win. I hope some of you get to make the trip!

xoxo,
Rachel

Past and Present

2011-03-09T00:10:00.008-06:00

I thought it'd be interesting to share some things about myself from my past and my present since I mostly share about projects and family life. It's fun to remember what I was like at age ten and twenty as I approach thirty this August. (EEK!)

Past

* I didn't have any hair until I was two. Then it was ringlets for awhile. I even had a little bit of a ringlet mullet. Then it was just kind of bushy. Then I had puffy bangs. I finally figured out what to do with my curls again in eighth grade.

* I was much more comfortable on the soccer field than chatting with girl's about hair and make up in seventh grade. I still feel that tom boy in me.

* My English teachers were the most formative teachers throughout my school years. Even the grammar class I took my junior year of college, the one that stressed me out so much that I got a stomach ulcer, taught me something about myself.

* I've been bitten, thrown, and bucked off three different horses. I still feel my ten year old self get excited whenever I see one in a pasture.

* I used to ride bikes with my brother across town to get slushies from a random candy store. We rode bikes everywhere! I loved having that kind of freedom as a kid.

* I remember a lot of Madonna, Michael Jackson, NKOTB, and roller skating.

* I was the one in our group that got violently sick on a mission trip to China in high school.

* The worst thing I did in high school was drive my new car over the Varsity soccer fields to impress my boyfriend. I did donuts in broad daylight and my brother's friend saw me and told my parents.

* I was the new girl at school my freshman year of high school and really liked the attention.

* I've always had to work hard at friendships with girls.

* I went to Paris when I was 18 but it was too cloudy to go up the  Eiffel tower and I skipped the Louvre because I had NO IDEA what it was.  Silly me.

Present

* I dream of deep friendships, a big old house, slow days, and parties in our backyard.

* I went to renew my license on Monday and failed my driving test. I now have a permit until I take it again next week. This was quite humbling. Brett said it just added to my interestingness. He's nice.

* I love to sew more than I love to journal and I love to thrift more than I love to sew.

* This is the longest my hair has ever been.

* My favorite new shirt (shown above) is from the 80's and kind of reminds me of my mom (in the 80's).

* I miss California. There is no place like California.

* I struggle with initiating things that are necessary to strong friendships. This includes but is not limited to e-mails, phone calls, coffee dates, and surprise visits.

* I'm really good at asking questions and love hearing people's stories.

* I am kind of looking forward to my thirties.

What about you? Feel free to share your own Past and Present below or on your own blog. Let's get personal, personal.

xoxo,
Rachel

Home Tour Sneak Peek

2011-03-08T16:27:00.002-06:00

I'm pretty close to being ready to share pictures of our new place! There were some things that just weren't ready and didn't come together until recently but I'm so glad that I waited for inspiration to hit instead of trying to force this and that. One of the things that I'm reminded of every time I have to set up a space is that I need to do what makes us happiest and not what I think I should do.

When it comes to decorating your space, often times there's a little voice in the back of your head that tells you you need this or that in place in order for it to be acceptable or because that's how the rooms in certain box stores make it look. However, I'm always the most excited when things come together in unexpected or unconventional ways.

Have you ever had things set up in your home but it just didn't feel quite right until you tried something else? Do you have a favorite space?

Stay tuned for photos next week!

xoxo,
Rachel

Register for Home Ec

2011-03-07T23:57:00.003-06:00

Please visit the new Home Ec website for full information on our Sewing E-Course, HomeEcOnline.com

Registration is now open.

xo, Leigh-Ann, Rachel and Courtney