Vintage Here, Vintage There: Mother's Day

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!

They're Moving In

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

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

xoxo,
Rachel

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

Happy Valentine's Day

Wishing you puppy love, love notes, and sweet treats!
Happy Valentine's Day.
xoxo,
Rachel

Sparklers for my Hair

I was thrilled to find one of Sue's Mini Heartlet Sparklers in stock in her Etsy shop recently but even more thrilled today when I opened my package to find two more! I can't wait wear these beauties, Sue! (And you're the sweetest!)

You've probably already seen her famous Starlette Crowns sweeping the internet and more recently her Heartlette Crowns. They're so lovely and obviously perfect for the month of February! Someday I'll be able to share these little sparklers with Ruby but for now they are all mine!

I found this vintage Vera tea towel on our latest vintage trip to Camdenton and forgot about it until today when I was cleaning out my purse. It's going up in the studio for some Valentine inspired decor.

Do you have any special plans for celebrating love this month?

xoxo,
Rachel

p.s. Modern Patchwork giveaway below.

Welcome to February!

I've got TWO new DIY's over at Danielle Thompson's blog this week that you'll want to bookmark if you like to use fabric backdrops in your photos. Go see what I made out of these rods and hooks and then find yourself some felt and a staple gun! Danielle has been hosting some fantastically creative people lately with freebies and all kinds of eye candy so take a look and scroll down a bit.

My arrow garland made it onto OhDeedoh in a Valentine roundup last week! There are a host of fantastic Valentine themed projects floating around the interwebs but here are a few of my favorite!

20 Handmade Valentines in 20 Days


Mer Mag's Handmade Valentines which I saw via Aesthetic Outburst.

Martha always has something for us.

It was also fun to see the quilt I made for Modern Patchwork in one of Ashley's posts as a backdrop for photos (second photo down). I told Ashley that as soon as I started working on that project I knew it was meant to be hers when it was done. I was more than happy to pass along a quilt knowing it would be well-loved and well-used!

Have you ever had that experience with something you intended to make? Someday, when the kids are grown and I have a little more time on my hands, I plan on making a quilt for each of the special people in my life. Yes, this is the plan.

I've added the Modern Patchwork button to the sidebar for easy access to the post with all of the information on it. It's been great to hear back from excited customers and I can't wait to see some finished projects! You can purchase Modern Patchwork here through PayPal or here through the RVA website if you'd like to pay with a card.

We've got quite the snow day on our hands so I plan on baking lots of biscuits, making sure our laundry is caught up, and possibly thinking about shoveling the sidewalk just for the thrill of it. Being a California girl, I've never shoveled a sidewalk before. Yes, I like to live on the wild side.

The kids are having dance party #1 of the day to burn off some energy and I'm enjoying my second cup of coffee. What are you doing on this glorious first day of February?

xoxo,
Rachel

I'm A Little Bit Country...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Merry Christmas

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

Holiday Instax Wreath

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

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

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

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

xoxo,
Rachel

Dress Up Felt Board Tutorial and Template

The fancy new Red Velvet shop opened way back at the end of October (feels like ages ago) and I was deemed the Children's Section Stylist. I really wanted Elsie and Emma to make me a badge with my title but they had dresses to hang and cupcakes to make so I had to settle on a borrowed staple gun.

I wanted part of the children's section to include something interactive that kids could play with while their mamas and their papas shopped. I remembered the felt boards my Sunday School teachers utilized to teach stories from the Bible and paired that concept with paper dolls for a kid-friendly, dress shop-themed activity. I was also inspired by Olivia Mew's felt dress miniatures. She made one for each dress she didn't purchase and then stitched them together to create a human sized dress. I love the attention to detail and how realistic they look.

More than a few people have asked how to make their own felt board so I've listed my supplies and described the easy process of putting it together. I built the sandwich board in a hurry at night in low light so I didn't get any step-by-step photos but ya'll can do it!

You'll Need:

* 2 pieces of 3/4"x2'x2' plywood (similar to this). You can buy a larger sheet of plywood and cut it down but these come pre-cut at Lowe's for easy assembly.

* 1.5 yards of felt for your background (assuming length is 58") I used gray as a neutral.

* 1 yard of felt for your backing (assuming length is 58") Mine is white.

* Two hinges (similar to this) and screws that fit and are no longer than 3/4" long so as not to poke through like mine did.

* 20" of sturdy chain.

* 4 screws smaller than 3/4" long (to attach your chain) with wide heads

* Assorted felt for dolls and clothing

* Access to printer

* Staple gun and staples

* Pencil, ruler, electric drill, scissors, protective eyewear

Step One: Cut your outer felt to get two pieces that measure about 29" x 29". Lay each piece o felt down on your clean floor. Place one piece of wood on one piece of felt. Wrap one side of the felt over and staple in the center about 1.5" from the edge. Pull the opposite side taut and staple it in the center about 1.5" from the edge as well. Then staple the other two sides in the center. Check your front and make sure your felt is smooth and fits snugly to your board. Continue stapling opposite sides of your felt until it feels pretty secure. Fold your edges neatly like a present and trim excess felt.

Step Two: Cut your backing felt so that you have two pieces measuring 23" x 23". For a quick job place one piece over the back of your board making sure it overlaps the front felt edges and staples. Secure it with staples about 3" apart. You could use spray adhesive for a more finished look.

Step Three: Lay your wooden boards on the clean floor with the wrong sides facing up. Place them so the top edges are about 1/2" apart and place your hinges where you'd like them (I suggest about 3"-4" in from the outer edges). Make sure your hinges are also going to allow the boards to close the right direction. Mark your screw holes with a pen or pencil and set your hinges aside.

Drill pilot holes for your screws on one board and attach the hinges to that board. Then realign it with the other board and check your markings. Make sure your outer edges are lined up. Then drill and secure the other board to the hinges. Test to make sure it stands straight.

Step Four: Measure up between 6" - 8" from the bottom of your boards on the outer edges of both sides and drill pilot holes for your screws. Screw one end of your chain to the board. Stretch your board as wide as you'd like it in it's resting position and then cut your chain to fit. Screw the opposite end of the chain into the opposite board. You don't want your board to tip over when being used so make sure it's resting position is about 15" or more wide.

Then get your dolls set up and organize their clothing and accessories. I suggest you let your little ones help design their own clothing or design their own pets, toys, houses, etc. I think a few boy dolls would be nice for the little guys that want to play, too. The beauty of this sandwich board set up is that two or more children can play together or one side can be used as storage for felt shapes not in use.

Below I've included the same dolls and similarly styled outfits as the dolls at the Red Velvet store with new accessories! Just print them out onto card stock or paper and use them as templates for your new felt board.

There's plenty of time to make this a special Christmas present for your little girl(s) or favorite niece(s) and you'll be sure to make it on the nice list yourself! I'd love to see your version of my Dress Up felt board and share it with readers. Just send me an e-mail at racheldenbow (at) gmail (dot) com with a link to your blog and a photo of your creation! Please note the template provided is for non-commercial use only.

EDITED: I've had a few questions e-mailed about how the felt dolls stick to the board. Felt sticks to felt so just press it on the board lightly and it'll stay up. Just pull it off and readjust it over and over and it'll continue to have a strong hold unless it gets too dirty, I imagine.

Thanks for your patience on this much anticipated project as we packed, moved, unpacked, and then got sick over here. Your readership means so much to me and I appreciate your encouragement and support!

I hope you have a lovely, unrushed weekend ahead of you.

xoxo,
Rachel

Sick Day Listening

We've had our vintage Christmas records on rotation around here. I found all three at my favorite D.A.V. about a month ago and they are in surprisingly good shape for $1 each. You can't go wrong with Nat King Cole or Frank Sinatra so I knew they'd be good but I mostly bought the Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer album for it's cover. It's a happy collection of popular jingles aimed at kids and both of mine love it.

This little corner is one of the few corners that feels finished in our new home. My mother-in-law found the old school desk for me, the metal crate was a flea market find, the mirror was thrifted in town before we even moved here on a Red Velvet weekend, the paint-by-number and frame were also found locally. The Crosley record player is the one from Urban Outfitters that Brett surprised me with for my birthday. We've since curated a nice little collection of mostly new records. I have a feeling that we'll be adding a few more after Christmas.

Ruby's most used sign from the baby sign language that we've taught her so far is 'music'. It's just waving your hand back and forth like you're conducting an orchestra but she's always busting it out whenever Brett is around. Brett usually has music on when he's home and she's got a strong association between the two. This morning the first thing she wanted when she woke up was her daddy and his music. Considering she was sick and hadn't really eaten much all night it was surprising that this would be her first request!

She also likes to put her coat on when she sees Brett heading out. She's her daddy's biggest fan and he loves every minute of it.

She does not like being sick. I took her to the ER last night after she'd thrown up a few times and wouldn't nurse because of congestion. She had a fever of 102 and a slight case of pneumonia so she's now on antibiotics and we've been playing with our new electronic aspirator. (Thanks for the heads up, Sarah!) The funniest thing about it is that it plays music to supposedly distract the baby from the hum of the little motor. I find it's hard to get interested in a song when it feels like your brains are being sucked out your nose but it's helped clear her up faster than the traditional blue bulb so we're sold on it. Brett picked ours up at Walgreens but Wal-Mart, Babies R'Us, and a few other online stores carry them.

So many of my online friends have been sick or have sick families this week. How do you take care of yourself or others when sickness hits? I feel like when I got sick as a little kid there was usually chocolate ice cream involved in the recovery process. When I lived in England and came down with something one of my co-workers brought over a bunch of grapes. He explained that it's custom to bring grapes rather than chicken soup for their vitamin C. It was thoughtful and I always think of that when I'm in the produce section at the grocery store. ;)

Hoping for a healthy weekend for all.
xoxo,
Rachel