Citrus Punch

Spring into Summer and freshen up your home's decor with a splash of 

Citrus Punch

Recently listed collection of vintage and handmade home decor at The Unique Bird on etsy. 

Vintage green glass vases, Sprout, Emerald in the Rough and Green Giant, add a fresh pop of color and unexpected texture to a side table.

Fiery Floral handmade vintage floral fabric garland.

Citrus Pop handmade vintage floral fabric garland.

 Giddy about handmade vintage fabric floral garland. Infuse your room with fresh colored blooms that don't require watering! 

More, more, more vibrant colorful vintage accents.

Flowery Market Vintage frosted glass containers. Perfect pair for flower or delightful counter top storage for kitchen utensils!

Lemon Zest vintage pottery vase.

Orange You Glad  Vintage Cedar Point decorated souvenir vase. 

Silver Lotus Blossom set of vintage metal bowls.

Throw around some splashes of citrus with an eclectic mix of handmade vintage fabric pillows.

Tweet Pals handmade vintage fabric pillows with tweet appliques created from sections of a vintage handkerchief.

Sari Charlie handmade pillow using super soft vintage sari fabric.

Citrus Pop handmade vintage fabric pillow with dimensional appliques created from the refreshing  yellow  flowers on this mid century fabric.

Add a splash of citrus to any room by layering in some unique vintage and handmade decor from The Unique Bird!

Thursday's Unique Picks - Dime A Daze

A dime for my thought...SURE!

You may be asking yourself, " What on Earth could you possibly do with a dime these days?". 

Delightful 1950's dime store banners from Silverfish Studio on etsy.

Stay captivated because the delicious answer will come soon enough, but only after I share My Unique Picks this week from great etsy shops. This weeks Unique Pick theme is centered around...

You guessed it, the dime.

Now, don't overload the server, just because these finds are dime related doesn't mean they have maintained that steady price. Most of these finds may have originally cost you 10 cents to purchase them, but due to their vintage and charm, their value may have increased monetarily as well as sentimentally.

Oh the prices we will pay to bring a little retro joy into our humdrum days. 

Save up those dimes kids!

The perfect place to stash those dimes for a rainy day. This 1950's dime bank was found in Ruff by Margo's etsy shop.

Dime store delights = Priceless Memories

If I was going into a dime store and was allowed to choose a toy...

Vintage toy golf set from Dimestore Delights on etsy.

I would get this golf set for my fella, because I think it would be right up his fairway.

Get your ten cent classics right here at Used Books etsy shop.

I, of course, would select something literary in nature for myself, since I am quite bookish.

Who am I kidding? This seems a little more my speed.

Vintage "Trick Squirt Milk Chocolate" from Many Happy Returns etsy shop.

Especially since the phrase "Chocolate Squirts" makes me giggle.

Since actual dime stores really aren't a dime a dozen these days, it is great news that these types of treasures can still be found on etsy.

Just like the old five and dime stores, a sweet vintage tee like this one probably isn't a dime a dozen either. I would wager a dime, that a find as unique as this could  only be spotted in skippy haha vintage on etsy 

When I was growing up, my Dad  frequently took my lil sis and me to a five and dime store that was just a few towns away.

Image from an article on examiner.com of Foy's in Fairborn, Oh.

Image from Foy's website. While they still have a great selection of dime store esque finds, Foy's has become something of a Halloween mecca. It is a must stop shop to find any type of costume you could dream up.

It was a great spot to spend a few dimes at on a Saturday afternoon.

Diamonds my be a girl's best friend, but dimes can also be used to create quite fetching and fashionable accessories...

This vintage silver dime ring was spotted in Vintagous' etsy shop.

With dime rings on her fingers and bells on her toes, she will make music and spend wisely, where ever she goes. (Did you like my little spin on that old rhyme?)

Dime Fact: did you know Dimes were composed of actual silver before 1965? Now you do.

You don't see these everyday. This awesome vintage dime cuff bracelet is from Cozy Studio's etsy shop.

To coin a phrase, "Brother can you spare a dime..." because I am wearing all of mine.

Dime Fact: Did you know that these days dimes are an alloy mixture of copper and nickel? What the...!?! Then what the heck are pennies and nickels made out of?

Hot Dog! A Dime! Original painting by Tripper Dungan on etsy. Not only is this painting fantastic, it is also 3D!

Now is the big moment when I reveal what you really can still get for a dime. 

Sorry folks, these are not available on etsy...you will have to come visit Columbus, Ohio to cash in. 

Oh yeah, and you have to go to a Columbus Clippers baseball game to experience delicious value and joy that only Dime A Dog night can bring you.

Four little dimes bought me this box of edible joy at the May 23rd 2011 Dime A Dog night at Huntington Park . I ate them all and was mighty proud of it (even though my personal best of five dog was set on 9/8/10). I have big plans on entering this photo of my fine dinner on Dime A Dog night in a photo contest from The Hot Dog & Sausage Council (Yes, it DOES exist and I do most certainly follow them on Facebook).

This little piggy will help you save your dimes. I just love this vintage dime saver from  Just4EweShop on etsy. It has the cutest saying on the back "Feed me dimes, Row upon Row, From these dimes, Dollars will grow".

See kids, it pays off to save your dimes, whether it's plastic toys, unique accessories or hot dogs...those dimes will eventually add up and you can score yourself something really nice!

P.S. Did you ever wonder if there was any item on etsy that only cost a dime? There is. It is the least expensive item on the entire site. See if you can track it down!

Thursday's Unique Picks - Girly Goes to Prom

Is it just me, or have high school boys gotten more creative about asking girls to prom? 

This year, I feel like I have seen a few more stories in the news about boys getting all innovative on us...

I have a bit of a crush on this adorable handmade bracelet from vsc83's etsy shop.

I guess romance may be making a comeback. 

You heard the one about the Connecticut kid taping these card board letters on the front of his high school building just to get the girl...poor romantic sap got banned from the the dance for this move, but after weeks of media hoopla and a hardcore Facebook campaign, he was given the all clear to go.

This Massachusetts boy actually went above and beyond to ask this gal to prom. He borrowed a crane from his grandfather and painted this sign. Seriously so darn sweet, I want to date him.

All of these prom stories got me reminiscing about my own high school prom. There was no elaborate prom invitation. In fact, I don't even think my boyfriend at the time officially asked me. Now that I am thinking about it, I may have even ordered my own corsage. What the...

 Nothing actually monumental happened at the dance, besides getting lost driving from dinner over to the gym where the prom was taking place. Honest. No, there was no hanky panky going on, just straight up, no sense of direction. Navigation systems hadn't been invented yet, and normal kids didn't have cell phones, so we had to go old school and stop and ask for directions.

For me, the best part about prom though, was planning the ensemble. Don't get me wrong, I have absolutely no desire to be a teenager again, but if I was hypothetically going to prom again and had etsy at my finger tips... 

Some may say it is all about getting the right date for prom, but for me, it was all about the dress.

All dolled up for the dance. This vintage photo of a high school hottie, is from Cassie's Tale Vintage on etsy. 

I was never one for having a big fufu dress with lots of frills or rhinestones.

 Even more important than finding the right dress though, was finding a dress that no one else would have. These kids today, just don't know how good they have it, handmade and vintage online...

So what would a thirty something girly choose for her hypothetical 2011 prom?

Simple elegance. I love this flirty yet sophisticated handmade tapestry dress from Patricia Valery on etsy.

I would like a dress like this along with my 1997 figure...

Sparkling vintage pumps to dance the night away in from  Scoff the Rack's etsy shop

I would snatch up this sweet brocade vintage clutch from Lady Lux Vintage on etsy, because I now have a cell phone and would need a place to carry it in case I got lost again.

As you can see, it is about the sparkling pattern mixing for my prom night.

A creative wrist corsage that won't wilt. This beautiful handmade one of a kind vintage collage cuff bracelet is from sayagdis One of a Kind Jewelry Design on etsy.

Dear Prom Date,

Send me no flowers. I can buy myself some posies at the grocery store. 

I would much rather have jewelry.

Sincerely,

Your Garage Sale Girly

Tiny tiara, big on vintage personality. This lovely vintage tiara was spotted in Coral Vintage's etsy shop.

It is a pretty safe bet a thirty something won't be crowned prom queen, but It doesn't matter ... if you wear your own crown.

So that about completes my 2011 prom look...

Don't look so dismal prom date, of course I picked out a few fantastic etsy finds for you too! These sweet threads will totally compliment my ensemble and give you a one of a kind vintage flare (Just what a guy wants, one of a kind vintage flare). I can feel my hubby cringing at that statement. Don't worry husband, I am not talking about you, I am talking about my date.

Awesome patterned vintage bow tie from Vogue Vintage Clothing on etsy.

You can't wear a bow tie like that without a vintage cummerbund. This one was spotted in Strumpets Bazaar's etsy shop. 

You can't have the vintage bow tie and cummerbund without a sweet vintage tuxedo jacket. This fantastic find is from  Retro Homme Vintage on etsy.

Yes, my date and I would would look quite swell decked out in our etsy finest. I hope you enjoyed my hypothetical prom adventure. For more tips on unique "Ways to ask a girl to prom in a cute way", you may want to check out this link from wikiHOW (Nice and cheesy, just the way I like it). For more finds to create your perfect prom ensemble you should definitely check out these awesome etsy sellers (Endless shopping options, I like it like that too!).

Oh what a night...This great hand tinted vintage prom photo can be found in  Main Street Ephemera's etsy shop.

The Spring Flea

Greetings and salutations readers. I know that I haven't blogged in a few weeks, and it isn't because I have abandoned ship. 

The truth is, I have been having an affair. 

It has been a very intense affair with my Kenmore Ultra Stitch 12 sewing machine. Last week, I was feverishly preparing for the Spring Flea! in Columbus, Ohio. 

It was a great day to spend some time outside in the sunshine (thank goodness), shopping for vintage and handmade finds in the Short North. Since The Unique Bird isn't only all about awesome vintage home decor, it is also about unique handmade finds using vintage materials, I kept myself quite busy, sewing up some beautiful new Spring into Summer items to bring to the show. 

Take a peek into my booth.

The Unique Bird's Booth at the Spring Flea! May 8th, 2011.

Handmade vintage fabric pillows from The Unique Bird. I was really excited about some of my new creations!

All new handmade vintage floral fabric garland, great framed vintage ephemera, and of course our vintage fabric wine bottle wraps!

We had a fresh selection of handmade vintage fabric wine bottle wraps prefect for those Spring soirees or Summer fetes.

Ahoy! I have also added some new vintage fabric wine wrap styles to The Unique Bird's etsy shop too.

Last Sunday was Mother's Day, and The Spring Flea was a great place to pick up a Unique last minute gift for Mom!

We were thrilled to have a sweet selection of handmade vintage feedsack fabric handbags and totes from the talented Mother Daughter team at Objet Adapte in our booth.

Wear your personality on your sleeve...your coffee cup sleeve that is. One of our newest items, the handmade reusable vintage fabric coffee cup sleeve, turned out to be quite a hot item (no pun intended).

Coming Up Tulips, I also recently added some great new vintage fabric coffee sleeve styles to our etsy shop.

It was a fantastic day! I thank everyone who stopped by The Unique Bird's booth. 

I also want to say a special Thanks to my Mom for helping me run my booth while the Hubby was at a baseball game with the Birthday Boy (a.k.a. My Dad)!

Sew much more for tomorrow May 15th, 2011!

 Since our vintage fabric wine bottle wraps and reusable coffee cup sleeves turned out to be such a hit I added more new styles this week that can be found at Objet Adapte's booth at North Market's Artisan Sunday. Thanks so much to Objet Adapte for including some of our handmade vintage in your booth!

Artisan Sunday at the North Market in Columbus, Ohio.

Objet Adapte specializes in one of a kind, handmade vintage feedsack handbags and aprons.

These are some of their newest feedsack bag designs from their "Frontier Collection.".

Visit Objet Adapte at The Artisan Sunday craft fair at North market from 12-5 pm.

Even if it is a rainy Sunday (fingers crossed it won't be), their beautiful handmade feedsack bags and a great selection of handmade vintage fabric wine bottle wraps and coffee sleeves from The Unique Bird will be sure to brighten your day!