Pot Mitts! {New Retro Revival Product}

For my show this weekend (The Great American Pie Festival), I designed pot holder/oven mitts.  Flat and round, they work as pot holders:



And with a pocket they also work as oven mitts:



I've sewn 50 sets that match or coordinate with my Retro Revival aprons.  In fact, I made them from apron fabric scraps and bias tape pieces.

They remind me of a towering stack of pancakes!



Thinking I may display them in a stock pot...



...Or on a dessert pedestal (you know how I love jadite!):



Though I forgot to snap a picture, I also sewed a loop on the backsides for hanging.  Fingers crossed they sell well!

And speaking of Jadite...remember to share a comment on this post so you'll be entered to win this month's blog giveaway:

I'll draw the winner on the 30th ~ good luck!

 

Antique Wire Planter on our Wrap-around Porch

One of my favorite things about our farmhouse?  The wrap-around porch:

It's so big that I've got plenty of room for some special planters which I filled this week with lots of shade-loving plants and impatiens.  Twyla supervised my work:

I found this antique planter years ago at Atlanta's Lakewood Antiques (sadly, now closed):

I manage to squeeze 18 mini potted plants onto it:

I love the curly-qs, and how, over the years, it's become a bit chippy and rusty:

I nabbed this planter shortly after we moved into this house ~ it was displaying candles in a furniture store and I asked the owner if she'd sell it to me (think I embarrassed my shopping companion!) and she said yes!

Even though it's new, because of our high humidity, it too is becoming a bit rusty.  I really like the top of it, with its curvy lines:

Now that the plantings are finished, it's time for a glass of pink lemonade.

(This is my Retro Revival "1940's Daisy Mae" apron)



Share a comment on this post and you're automatically entered to win this vintage tin tray:



Drawing is April 30th ~ good luck!

What Would You Rather Wear in the Garden?

What would you rather wear?  These?



Or these?



Me too!  I was so excited to find these at Joann!  With a 50% off coupon I just couldn't resist.  Nor could I resist going a bit crazy photographing them (my apologies!)...













Perfect for traipsing around the farm and for gardening



Yep, I'm in love!



Friendly reminder to share a comment on this post, or any of my April posts, so you'll be entered to win this month's blog giveaway:



The more comments you leave, the more chances you have to win!  Winner will be drawn on April 30th ~ good luck!

My Best Tax Prep Tip

The thought of doing my taxes sets my eyeballs twitching like a frog's leg in a bad science experiment!


Fortunately, doing them in my Retro Revival apron makes the ordeal a bit more pleasant.


(1950's Luscious Lemons vintage-inspired apron)

Wearing a pretty apron makes me happy ~ even while doing an unpleasant task.

Here's hoping we all get at least a little refund!

Remember to share your thoughts on this post and you're automatically entered to win this month's blog giveaway:



I'll randomly draw the winner of this vintage tin tray from all of your comments to my April blog posts on the 30th ~ good luck!

Branding Business with the New Facebook Timeline

Do you have a Facebook page for your business?  Is your new timeline picture all set?

Ugh, why does FB insist on changing things up so often?  Waaahhhh!  It's not that I have a big aversion to change ~ really I don't!  It's just that I'm really busy now juggling all my sewing and my new Pinterest addiction.  No, really, I'm sewing like a mad woman in preparation for my show later this month.  And I am spendng too much time on Pinterest I suppose.

 When I learned that FB was switching all business pages to their new timeline format on March 30th I had to scramble to find the perfect photo.  Shower caps and aprons seem disparate, at least on the surface.  I wanted to use an image that married these two ideas while showing a bit of my personality, and somehow tell the story of my business.

Naturally, Captain Project and I set about to take more pictures.  My loyal blog followers know well our appetite for goofy pictures.  Here are a few we shot:

Mixer as a weapon:

Captain Project explaining how he wants me to pose:

What?!  The whip cream was about to drip.

Caught sampling the props again:

Here's the final product ~ my new timeline graphic:

I'm grateful that my lovely and talented daughter, Natalie...

(Loving her new, Retro bike!  See her pooch, Dakota, peeking out from behind?)

...pulled it together for me!

Still thinking about tweaking the words a bit.  What do you think?  I'd REALLY love your opinion!

Here's my list of "still to-do's for my FB page:

1. Interesting posts about how RR came to be
2. business
3. Milestone posts documenting my first sale to my IPO (hahahaha!  Just checking to see if you're reading this.).
4. Create tabs.  One for customer pictures, another for products, and maybe a third with videos?
5. I also need to figure out how the pinning and highlighting works.

If you're like me, trying your best to leverage your brand on FB, you might find these articles interesting:

http://www.creativeguerrillamarketing.com/guerrilla-marketing/20-branded-company-facebook-timelines/

http://www.bigdotmedia.co.uk/industry-news/brand-timelines-showcase-7-of-the-best-new-facebook-business-timeline-pages/

http://www.brandingmagazine.com/2012/03/26/facebook-timeline-for-brands-top-tips-to-get-the-best-out-of-it/

If you haven't already, I'd sure appreciate you visiting my page!

Share your thoughts on the new timeline, and what you like/don't like about my new image and you're entered to win this month's blog giveaway...

...This vintage, tin tray.  Drawing is April 30th ~ good luck!

March Blog Winner & April Giveaway

Thank you, my bloggy friends, for all of your lovely comments on my March posts.  I'm excited to announce the winner of this darling, vintage sugar shaker:



Congratulations to Danielle from Blessed Serendipity!



Shoot me an email with your address, Danielle, and I'll ship you your prize.

Now onto this month's blog giveaway...

I found these beauties while flea'ing recently:



Aren't they gorgeous?!



I'm giving one of them away ~ yay!



I think they're the perfect shade of Jadite green.  A creamy white rose and two red roses grace the tops of these mid-century tin trays.



For snacking or decorating, the petite (about 14 x 9) trays have endless possibilities.

What will you do with yours?  Share your ideas on this post and I'll randomly draw a winner on April 30th.  Good luck!