What a Year!

Today I'm in a bit of a reflective mood, thinking about these past 12 months.  What a year!  A few of the bigger highlights in my world...

 

*Captain Project got a nice promotion and we moved up from Florida to Northern Virginia

*Our son made it home safely from Afghanistan

*Retro Revival continues to do well

*I have the most amazing blog followers and customers

 

In between sewing over 600 aprons, shower caps, sleep bonnets, sleep masks, swim wraps, doily table runners, etc. I made some time for a few special projects.  My favorites:

 

Click on these links and you'll be redirected to my previous blog posts for the project details:

1. RX for a Rainy Day {Upcycled apron}
2. My Vintage Doily Christmas tree skirt was published in GreenCraft Magazine
3. Whip up an easy deep conditioning hair potion like a Kitchen beautician
4. I finally Organized my lace
5. Upcyled vintage Christmas planters
6. Easy pillow tutorial from a plastic bag
7. Create a gallery wall in 4 easy steps
8. Aprons made from mens' shirts
9. Retro Revival Swim Wraps {New product launch}
10. Decorate a chocolate box for Valentine's Day
11. Aprons from vintage bath towels
12. Make a tutu Christmas tree skirt
13. Upcycling vintage tablecloths into aprons
14. Easy lined drapes tutorial
15. We painted our barn!
16. Vitnage planters upcycled into pincushions

I'm so looking forward to the new year, reading your blog posts and following all of your creativity.  It's going to be a great year!

 

Wishing you all nothing but the best in 2014.  Always!

Sip & Shop Home Show Results

Sunday's Sip & Shop was so much fun!

 

Our living room was transformed into a Retro Revival shop.  Walking in the front door...

 

 

My products were displayed throughout the space.

 

 

Lots of shower caps were bought, several people commenting about what nice stocking stuffers they'd make.

 

I used the sideboard to display sleep masks and pot mitts (several of each sold), and hanging from the mirror, my vintage Christmas ornaments wreath (still for sale in my Etsy shop).

 

 

 

In the middle of the floor I loaded our tiered table with my vintage Christmas planters (one sold), vintage planter pin cushions (two sold) and at the bottom, my "canned" aprons (one sold).

 

 

And in front of the stairs I displayed more aprons (14 sold) in my old grocery cart and funny, retro tea towels (2 sold) in the laundry basket.

 

 

As always, the best part of a show is the smiling faces of my customers!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Overall, doing a home show was much easier than a "real" show ~ hauling my things upstairs and setting up/breaking down was a snap!  And even though I didn't get the huge crowds like an official show, it was still a great kick start to my biggest selling season.

 

Thinking I may do another home show, maybe in the spring before Mother's Day.  In the meantime, I've got quite the to-do list today ~ apron and shower cap orders plus another tutu tulle Christmas tree skirt order, and another vintage doily table runner order.

 

 

I'm a happy little elf!

Retro Revival Ship & Shop

What's a gal to do when she's new to town and it's too late to enter the holiday craft shows?

 

Host a Retro Revival Sip & Shop at her home!

 

 It's this Sunday from 2-5 and I'd love to see you if you're in the neighborhood (email me Cindy@RetroRevival.Biz).  I've invited family, friends and neighbors and asked everyone to bring a friend or a car full.

 

Fingers crossed that I'll help lots of people with their Christmas and holiday check lists!

 

Bottle Brush Trees + Vintage Planters = Christmas Cheer!

My fascination with repurposing vintage planters continues.

 

 

I picked up these beauties when we were still on the farm in Florida.  I placed a bottle brush tree in them and then went to town adorning them with all sorts of Christmas baubles.

 

 

This sweet girl (and the Santa) is a 1950s Napco.  She wears angel's wings and is carrying an armful of gifts in her mitten-ed and muff-ed hands.  Around her Christmas hat and coat is that wonderful spaghetti trim so adored by collectors.  And notice her ruffled dress?  It's a gorgeous shade of turquoise blue.

 

 

This little gal is holding a lantern in her gloved hand.  Her face is so sweet.

 

 

Tucked in among the new and newer decorations are vintage goodies...

 

 

...Including teeny tiny elves, reindeer and Santa.

 

 

 

I had so much fun making these!  And bonus?  I feel as though most of my finger prints have been seared off from the glue gun so if my Retro Revival career falters, maybe I can become a criminal!  Hahahaha!

 

 

If you know of anyone who might be interested in these, please direct them to my Etsy shop.  Believe it or not, Christmas orders are pouring in and I'm happy to report that the selling season is off to a brisk start!

Vintage Planters Repurposed into Pin Cushions

 

My little stash of Retro Revival vintage planters that I repurposed into pin cushions?

 

 

They're available now in my Etsy shop.

 

These little darlings make perfect gifts for that someone special.

 

Hope you have a special day!

Oh Deer!

Oh deer!

 

I scooped this little herd of deer up at the flea market.  Each was under a buck!

 

So deerlighted I found them.

 

 

I'm rack-ing my brain trying to decided what to do with them.

 

 

I'm so very fawned of them all!

 

 

I need a game plan.  Hahahaha, sleighing myself!

 

Seriously, any ideas my bloggy friends?

A Special Gift

I put together a little something special for my friend Diane's birthday.

 

 

I found this sweet little planter at the flea market.  It's very old, I'm guessing from the 1950's or 1960's.

 

I placed a white flocked bottle brush tree into the back side, tucked some glittery tulle at the base of the tree, and then loaded the tree with all sorts of bejeweled goodies.

 

See the porcelain birthday cake in her right hand?  Her thumb was broken off of her left hand so I remedied that by adding a gift charm to it.

 

 

On the very top of the tree, I glued a pearl-seeded earring; it's concave on the backside and molded to the tip of the tree perfectly.

Sprinkled all over the tree are little birthday-themed bits.

 

 And because Diane is a police officer, I added this...

...And Saint Michael.

 

She has the most darling face!

 

 

I got a real kick putting this together!  Don't you just love it when you can repurpose something old and broken into something new and special?!